No Land's Man
by Aasif Mandvi
read by Dean Obeidallah
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi presents his new (and first) book No Land's Man, a laugh-out-loud account of a second-generation immigrant's search for meaning and identity in an increasingly confusing world. In this collection of personal essays, Mandvi reveals the many contradictory layers of his past in Bombay, England, and the U.S. in a mix of humorous stories, heartfelt observations, and misfit mayhem. In conversation with Dean Obeidallah (The Daily Beast, The Muslims Are Coming).
Icon
Featuring Mary Gaitskill, Rick Moody & Jill Nelson in Conversation with Amy Scholder
by Amy Scholder
read by Amy Scholder, Mary Gaitskill, Jill Nelson, Rick Moody
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Celebrities fascinate, inspire, and repel us. Mary Gaitskill, Rick Moody, and Jill Nelson read from and discuss a daring new book of private views on public figures: Aretha Franklin, Linda Lovelace, Harriet Tubman, M.F.K. Fisher and more come to life in these intimate portraits by contemporary writers. In conversation with editor Amy Scholder.
Edward St. Aubyn Lost for Words
by Edward St. Aubyn
read by Francine Prose, Edward St. Morris
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The author of the Patrick Melrose novels presents a razor-sharp, fabulously entertaining satire that cuts to the quick of some of the deepest questions about the place of art in our celebrity-obsessed culture. In conversation with Francine Prose (Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932), with an introduction by Paul W. Morris (PEN American Center).
Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists
by Tom Rachman
read by Sree Srinivasan, Tom Fehr
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Tom Rachman sits down with Sree Srinivasan to discuss his novel, The Imperfectionists. David Fehr reads an excerpt.
David Wroblewski's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
by David Wroblewski
read by Dan Menaker
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
David Wrobleski sits down with Dan Menaker to discuss and read excerpts from his book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
Specimen Days With Author Michael Cunningham
by Michael Cunningham
read by Stacey D'Erasmo, Michael Sheffer
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Michael Cunningham (The Hours) sits down with Stacey D'Erasmo to discuss his novel Specimen Days. Isaiah Sheffer reads an excerpt.
Fierce Reads NYC
by Anna Banks
read by M. J. Franklin
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Four fierce authors of romance, suspense, fantasy, and bestselling series for teens: Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy series), Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles), Emma Mills (This Adventure Ends), and Caleb Roehrig (Last Seen Leaving) make a stop on their tour to present their latest novels and chat with fans. In conversation with MJ Franklin and Aliza Weinberger (MashReads).
Fierce Reads NYC moderated by MashReads
by Anna Banks
read by Anna Banks, Marissa Meyer
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Four fierce authors of romance, suspense, fantasy, and bestselling series for teens: Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy series), Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles), Emma Mills (This Adventure Ends), and Caleb Roehrig (Last Seen Leaving) make a stop on their tour to present their latest novels and chat with fans. In conversation with MJ Franklin and Aliza Weinberger (MashReads).
All You Can Ever Know
by Nicole Chung
read by Nicole Chung, Nicole Cliffe
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Join editor-in-chief of Catapult Magazine, Nicole Chung, as she discusses her debut memoir All You Can Ever Know with fellow Toast alumna Nicole Cliffe. In her much-anticipated first book, Chung explores with depth, compassion and even humor, her upbringing as an adopted child in a white family, her search for her parents, and the birth of her own child. This is a must-read book for anyone who has had, created, or wanted a family. With a performance from the book by Greta Lee (La Bête).
John Luther Adams and Barry Lopez
by Barry Lopez
read by John Luther Adams
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Longtime collaborators John Luther Adams and author Barry Lopez discuss their work, which explores environmental concerns and the relationship between the physical landscape and human culture. With a reading of Lopez's essay "The Invitation" by James Naughton.
The Red-Haired Woman
by Orhan Pamuk
read by Elif Batuman, Orhan Furr
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Nobel Prize winner and bestselling novelist Orhan Pamuk comes to Symphony Space for a conversation with author Elif Batuman (The Idiot) on his latest novel, The Red-Haired Woman. Sit down with one of the greatest storytellers of our time as he talks about the eternal conflicts of fathers and sons, of east and west, of tradition and modernity. With a performance from the novel by actor David Furr (Noises Off).
Jamaica Kincaid: See Now Then
by Jamaica Kincaid
read by Ian Frazier
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The author of Annie John, Lucy, and The Autobiography of My Mother delves into her long-awaited new novel about a complicated modern family, featuring Mr. and Mrs. Sweet and their two children, Heracles and Persephone, who live in the Shirley Jackson house in Vermont. Kincaid discusses her novel with her old friend Ian Frazier (The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days).
Amy Bloom's Away
by Amy Bloom
read by Isaiah Sheffer, Amy Eikenberry
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Amy Bloom sits down with Isaiah Sheffer to discuss her book, Away. Jill Eikenberry reads an excerpt from the book.
Rereading Middlemarch with Jennifer Egan, Siri Hustvedt and Margot Livesey
by George Eliot
read by Jennifer Egan, George Hustvedt
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Jennifer Egan, Siri Hustvedt, and Margot Livesey once again convene to discuss George Eliot's classic novel, Middlemarch. Hope Davis reads an excerpt from the book.
Edwidge Danticat's Brother, I'm Dying
by Edwige Danticat
read by Jonathan Demme
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Edwidge Danticat sits down with director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) to discuss and read from her book, “Brother, I'm Dying.”
Thomas Mallon's Yours Ever and John Freeman's The Tyranny of E-mail
by Thomas Mallon
read by Thomas Mallon, John Freeman
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Tom Mallon joins John Freeman to discuss their books, Mallon's Yours Ever and Freeman's Tyranny of E-Mail.
Henry James’s the Portrait of a Lady With Jennifer Egan, Siri Hustvedt and Margot Livesey
by Henry James
read by Jennifer Egan, Henry Hustvedt
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Novelists Egan (Pulitzer Prize-winner for A Visit from the Goon Squad), Hustvedt (The Summer Without Men) and Livesey (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) - the trio that brought Middlemarch and Anna Karenina to life at this book club - are back by popular demand to revisit James' classic. With a reading from the novel by Fritz Weaver. // Other narrators: Margot Livesy, Fritz Weaver
Sonia Ann Petry's The Street With Sapphire Manzano, and Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts
by Ann Petry
read by Ann Sapphire, Roslyn Manzano
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Sapphire (Push), Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts (Harlem is Nowhere), and actress Sonia Manzano (The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano) discuss the gritty, emotional 1946 classic set in Harlem. Actress Roslyn Ruff (The Piano Lesson, The Help) will read an excerpt. // Other narrators: Sonia Manzano, Roslyn Ruff
Tessa Hadley’s Late in the Day
by Tessa Hadley
read by Colm Tóibín, Tessa Wolf
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The acclaimed British novelist and short story master who recruits admires with each book discusses her latest novel with fellow author Colm Tóibín (House of Names). Ingeniously moving between past and present, Late in the Day exposes how infinite alternate configurations lie beneath the seemingly dependable arrangements we make for our lives. With a reading by Rita Wolf (An Ordinary Muslim).
An Evening With Justin Vivian Bond
by Justin Vivian Bond
read by Mike Albo
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The Tony-nominated cabaret legend performs songs and speaks candidly with writer and performer Mike Albo about the novella-length memoir Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels. With simplicity, humor, and compassion, Bond raises issues about LGBTQ adolescence, homophobia, parenting, and sexuality, while being utterly entertaining.
Singer, songwriter, and Tony-nominated performance artist Mx. Justin Vivian Bond is an Obie, Bessie, and Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner. As one half of the performance duo Kiki and Herb, Bond has toured the world, headlining at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, and starring in a Tony-nominated run-on Broadway: Kiki and Herb Alive on Broadway. His film credits include a role in John Cameron Mitchell's feature Shortbus. Bond is currently releasing a record, Dendrophile, and is writing a play with Sandra Bernhard.
Sloane Crosley, Look Alive Out There
by Sloane Crosley
read by Zadie Smith
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Essayist and author Sloane Crosley will be joined by award-winning writer Zadie Smith (Swing Time) in a conversation on Crosley's newest essay collection, Look Alive Out There.
Chast! Menaker! Trillin!
by Roz Chast
read by Roz Gopnik, Jane Curtin
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Roz Chast brings her brilliant, hilarious artwork to No Fair! No Fair! and Other Jolly Poems of Childhood by Calvin Trillin and The African Svelte: Ingenious Misspellings That Make Surprising Sense by Daniel Menaker, as well as her own memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. Join us for a conversation moderated by Adam Gopnik (The New Yorker) between the artist and authors, plus readings by Jane Curtin and Reg Rogers (The Knick).
Madame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert
read by Jennifer Egan, Siri Hustvedt
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Back by popular demand, Jennifer Egan (A Visit from the Goon Squad), Siri Hustvedt (The Blazing World), and Margot Livesey (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) revisit Gustave Flaubert's classic in a lively discussion. With a reading by Amanda Quaid (Pericles at the Public Theater).
Nathan Englander, Dinner at the Center of the Earth
by Nathan Englander
read by Mira Jacob, Nathan Hamilton
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Pulitzer finalist and bestselling author Nathan Englander will be joined by author Mira Jacob (The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing) to discuss his new, novel, Dinner at the Center of the Earth, a powerful, riveting story exploring the Israel-Palestine conflict through the lives of a prisoner in a secret cell and the soldier who watched over him for a dozen years. With a performance from the novel by actor Josh Hamilton (13 Reasons Why).
Markus Zusak, Bridge of Clay
by Markus Zusak
read by M. J. Franklin, Markus Wiles
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The storyteller who gave us the extraordinary bestseller The Book Thief, which spent more than a decade on the New York Times bestseller list, talks with MJ Franklin (MashReads) about his long-awaited new novel-an unforgettable and sweeping family saga. Featuring a reading from the novel by Brian Wiles (Billions). Only New York City appearance!
Mastering the Art of Writing About Cooking
by Julia Child
read by Various Readers
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Judith Jones and Alex Prud'homme discuss and read from their kitchen-based memoirs: Prud'homme's My Life in Food and Jones's My Life In Paris (co-authored by Prud'homme and Julia Child).
Margot Livesey Mercury
by Margot Livesey
read by Meg Wolizter, Margot Cerveris
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Margot Livesey, one-third of the popular team who lead the annual Thalia Book Club discussions with Jennifer Egan and Siri Hustvedt, returns to discuss her first novel since 2012. Mercury is a beautifully crafted emotional thriller, which explores the ways in which relationships can be disrupted and ultimately destroyed by obsession, secrets, and ever-escalating lies. In conversation with author Meg Wolizter (The Interestings). With a reading by Michael Cerveris (Fun Home).
Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender
read by Heidi Julavits, Lillo Wei
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Aimee Bender sits down with Heidi Julavits to discuss her book, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. Lillo Wei reads an excerpt from the book.
On Beauty With Author Zadie Smith
by Zadie Smith
read by Laura Miller
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Zadie Smith sits down with Laura Miller to discuss and read from her novel, On Beauty.
Ann Patchett's State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
read by Emma Straub, Ann Alda
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The author of Bel Canto and Truth & Beauty talks with Jane Hamilton (A Map of the World; The Short History of a Prince) and delves deeply into the backstory of her latest creation, a thought-provoking literary thriller, set deep in the Amazon jungle, with fascinating characters that defy our expectations, and chockful of suspense, romance, and betrayal.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
by Marilynne Robinson
read by James Wood
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Marilynne Robinson discusses and reads from her book Gilead with James Wood.
Sally Mann’s Hold Still
by Sally Mann
read by Malcom Jones, Sally Patchett
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
One of America's most renowned and controversial photographers, Sally Mann, whose photos inspired the feature film What Remains, discusses her beautiful and revealing new memoir Hold Still. In lyrical prose and startlingly revealing photographs she crafts a totally original form of personal history that has the page-turning drama of a great novel. Introduction by Malcolm Jones (culture and book critic for the Daily Beast). In conversation with Ann Patchett (Bel Canto).
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Celebration
by Harper Lee
read by Various Readers
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Readings and conversation with Kurt Andersen, Libba Bray, Stephen Colbert, Oskar Eustis, Mary McDonagh Murphy, Jayne Anne Phillips, and Isaiah Sheffer, a discussion with the audience. Authors and actors including Stephen Colbert, Libba Bray (award winning young-adult novelist Going Bovine, winner of 2010 Printz Award), Oskar Eustis (Artistic Director at The Public Theater), Kurt Andersen (novelist and Studio 360 Host), Jayne Anne Phillips (novelist and National Book Award finalist Lark & Termite), filmmaker Mary McDonagh Murphy (author of the upcoming book Scout, Atticus, and Boo), and others pay tribute to the Pulitzer prize-winning classic novel about racial injustice and loss of innocence in a small Southern town. One of the most taught - and frequently challenged - books of the last 50 years, the book was voted the best novel of the 20th century by librarians. The evening includes readings, discussion and audience Q&A.
Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin and Colm Toibin's Brooklyn
by Colum McCann
read by Colum Sheffer, Michael Cerveris
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Isaiah Sheffer sits down with two great contemporary authors, Colum McCann and Colm Toibin, to discuss their books, Let the Great World Spin and Brooklyn. Michael Cerveris reads excerpts from the two novels.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
by Eric Idle
read by Eric Idle, Eric Pierce
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
A founding member of Monty Python and creator of Spamalot discusses his absurdly funny memoir of his remarkable journey from childhood in an austere boarding school, coming of age as a writer and comedian during the sixties and seventies, and his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. In conversation with David Hyde Pierce. (Added bonus: Eric is bringing his guitar, and there just might be a sing-along....)
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell with Author Susanna Clarke
by Susanna Clarke
read by Symphony Space
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Susanna Clarke discusses and reads from her novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
read by Robin Desser, Chimamanda Ngozi Choy-Kee
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The author of the critically acclaimed Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus presents her newest novel Americanah, a story of love and race centered around a young man and woman from Nigeria facing challenges in the countries they come to call home.
Nicole Krauss’ Great House
by Nicole Krauss
read by Deborah Treisman, Lois Smith
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Nicole Krauss sits down with Deborah Treisman to discuss her book, “Great House.” Lois Smith reads an excerpt.
Roz Chast and Jules Feiffer
by Roz Chast
read by Roz Mouly
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The iconic and irresistible cartoonists join up to talk about their new books: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, a graphic memoir by Chast, and Kill My Mother, a noir graphic novel by Feiffer. In conversation with New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly. Presented in association with Strand Bookstore.
A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles
read by Liesl Schillinger, Amor Gaines
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
A Gentleman in Moscow recounts the story of Count Alexander Rostov. In 1922, on the heels of the Russian Revolution, the Count is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal and sentenced to permanent house arrest in Moscow's grand Hotel Metropol. In something of a literary feat, as the Count's story progresses over three decades, the walls of the Metropol seem to expand, rather than close in around readers. Brimming with humor and wit, an unforgettable cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this remarkable novel casts a spell as it relates the Count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose. Amor Towles joins us for an evening of conversation with Liesl Schillinger on this thrilling new work. With a reading by Tony Award-winning actor Boyd Gaines.
The Lover
by Marguerite Duras
read by Catherine Lacey, Marguerite Sharma
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Catherine Lacey (Nobody Is Ever Missing), Akhil Sharma (Family Life), Francoise Mouly (art editor at The New Yorker), and Kate Zambreno (Heroines, Green Girl) discuss the acclaimed novel in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Marguerite Duras' (Hiroshima Mon Amour) haunting, luminous book tells of the tumultuous affair between an adolescent French girl and her Chinese lover in pre-war Indochina. With a reading by Kathleen Chalfant (The Affair, Angels in America on Broadway).
Louise Erdrich's The Red Convertible
Selected and New Stories, 1978-2008
by Louise Erdrich
read by Louise Erdrich, Amy Goodman, Sonia Manzano
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Louis Erdrich sits down with Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) to discuss her short story collection, The Red Convertible. Sonia Manzano reads an excerpt from the book.
Ann Patchett, Commonwealth
by Ann Patchett
read by Emma Straub, Ann Alda
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
The acclaimed bestselling author returns to Symphony Space to discuss her latest novel. Told with equal measures of humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth tells the enthralling and tender story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families' lives. In conversation with Emma Straub (Modern Lovers). An excerpt from the novel will be performed by Alan Alda.
Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep
by Raymond Chandler
read by Jonathan Lethem, Raymond Freeman
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude) joins Judith Freeman and Rich Cohen in celebrating Raymond Chandler's classic detective novel, The Big Sleep.
Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son
by Denis Johnson
read by Chuck Palahniuk, Denis LaValle
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Authors Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), Victor LaValle (The Devil in Silver), Michael Cunningham (The Hours), and Jenny Offill (Dept. of Speculation) celebrate the 25th anniversary of Denis Johnson's contemporary classic short story collection. Jesus' Son chronicles the grief and transcendence of dreamers, addicts, and lost souls; and inspired the film starring Billy Crudup, Holly Hunter, Denis Leary and Jack Black.
Rabih Alameddine's An Unnecessary Woman
by Rabih Alameddine
read by Elizabeth Strout, Rabih Dillon
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
One of the Middle East's most celebrated writers, Rabih Alameddine, discusses his novel An Unnecessary Woman, an intimate and moving portrait of a reclusive book-loving 72-year-old Lebanese woman who views her complicated past through the lens of her favorite works of literature. In conversation with Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge). Mia Dillon will read an excerpt.
Emma Donoghue's Room
by Emma Donoghue
read by Michael Cunningham, Emma Connolly
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Emma Donoghue discusses her extraordinary new novel with author Michael Cunningham (The Hours and By Nightfall). This wondrous book is told from the point of view of a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother in an 11-by-11-foot room. Performance playlist: Reading by Michal Friedman, a conversation between Emma Donoghue and Michael Cunningham, and a discussion with the audience.
To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf
read by Jennifer Egan, Virginia Hustvedt
Part of the Thalia Book Club series
Back by popular demand, novelists Siri Hustvedt (The Blazing World, March 2014), Jennifer Egan (Pulitzer Prize-winner for A Visit from the Goon Squad) and Margot Livesey (The Flight of Gemma Hardy), the trio that has brought Middlemarch, Pride & Prejudice, Anna Karenina and The Portrait of a Lady to life at past events in this series, revisit Virginia Woolf's classic.