Open bar NYC book party for Sex & Cupcakes and bloggers wanted for virtual book tour

4 big pieces of news: my essay collection Sex & Cupcakes is now for sale on iBooks as well as Kindle (both are just $4.99 and if you buy on Kindle and send me your receipt by October 31st, I'll send you any of my other Kindle books free; click here for details), there's an audiobook version coming out and I want to celebrate with you November 17th in New York City! The official book party, sponsored by my publisher Thought Catalog Books, takes place Monday, November 17th from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sweet Revenge, 62 Carmine Street, which if you haven't been to is a delightful and delicious little restaurant with cupcakes, food and drinks (also be sure to go for brunch: their red velvet waffles are to die for!). It's open bar from 6-7 and the first 25 attendees will get a free copy of the ebook. No need to RSVP, just show up, bring friends if you like, and cash for cupcakes (they also take credit cards). It's fitting that the party is in New York because so much of the book takes place in New York, though I also hope to do an event in my home state of New Jersey as well!

What else? The virtual book tour kicks off in a few days and I need a few more bloggers to join us! You get a free copy of the book and can post an excerpt, review, do a giveaway, riff on some of the ideas in the book, whatever you like. The open dates are listed on Tumblr and you can email me at rachelkb at gmail.com with "Tour" in the subject line and your URL and what type of post you plan and any preferred dates, and I'll send you a copy and sign you up.

My online writing class and New York City erotica workshop 10/24 and reading 11/5

After my whirlwind September, I'm settling back into October which is a busy month for writing, with my new weekly sex column debuting a week from today and various articles in the works, though I have a few events coming up. The first is my online erotica writing class, which runs for four weeks, from October 16 to November 13, and will give students a chance to dive deep into the world of erotica. There's much more detail about each weeks topics, assignments and class goals at LitReactor. Yes, this class is more expensive than the in-person ones, but you will get much more individual feedback from me (and other attendees) and the chance to develop characters and plotlines and work on submitting short stories and possibly longer works. If you have always wanted to write erotica but haven't had time, this class is excellent because you can take it any time over the four weeks, using any name you like.



Next I'm returning to the New York Academy of Sex Education October 24th, held on the Upper East Side inside sumptuous sex toy store The Pleasure Chest.

October 24, 7:30-9 pm
Writing Erotica for Pleasure and Money, New York City (for New York Academy of Sex Education)
Whether you're writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you.

You are sure to find growth with the very prolific, award winning erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. She will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type.

She will talk about incorporating everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing. Rachel will teach you how to groom your writing to fit particular magazines and anthologies. And how to submit your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites.) Materials needed: Please bring a laptop or paper and pen. $25/person. Advance registration required.
The Pleasure Chest, 1150 Second Avenue, New York City (Upper East Side, accessible by 4/5/6/N/R/F trains), 646-470-5129



Then on November 15th, I'll be reading with D.L. King from her soon-to-be-released anthology The Big Book of Domination (here's a handy link if you want to pre-order it; it pubs November 11) at Purple Passion, a wonderful shop in Chelsea that has fetish clothes, sex toys and lots of BDSM paraphernalia (much like the items on the cover of the book!), along with a cozy downstairs space excellent for readings.

November 15, 4-6 pm, free
The Big Book of Domination reading
Join D. L. King and friends Laura Antoniou, Rachel Kramer Bussel, David Wraith and more for an evening of pre-dinner, pre-theater, pre-orgasmic erotica. Come hear some of the best authors in the business read in this New York City launch of The Big Book of Domination. And because we know how much you like a party, there will be delectable food and drink. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Whatever you have planned for later, what better way to begin your evening than with hot erotica.
Purple Passion, 211 West 20th street, New York, 212-807-0486

Official blurb about the book:

Not every woman likes to submit. An increasing number like to be on top. And their partners love it! D. L. King, editor of 2013's award-winning Under Her Thumb, curates a scintillating collection with The Big Book of Domination. Filled with surprises and unexpected twists (yes, that kind, too!), this book proves that when lust and desire take control, all bets are off.

Dominants and submissives are not so very different — they both crave that frisson of power. The Big Book of Domination brings you erotic stories to get your heart pumping, like the story of a reporter who likes to experience everything first hand. It’s been said that clothes make the man — can putting on the right clothes transform an ordinary man into a charismatic dom? When Glenn finds the leathers in his friend’s closet, his trip to the bars nets him the perfect boy . . .

Dominance and submission is a dance D. L. King knows well, and The Big Book of Domination rocks your world with stories of sensuous games with male dominants, training and discipline by female dominants, and all manner of sensuous games and pairings.

May 30 erotica writing workshop in New York, Upper East Side, for New York Academy of Sex

I'm back on the Upper East Side May 30th from 7:30 pm-9 pm, for New Yorkers and those who'll be in town for Book Expo America (where I will also be doing a signing) teaching Writing Erotica for Pleasure and Money for the New York Academy of Sex, held at sex toy store The Pleasure Chest, 1150 Second Avenue. It's $25 and the official description is below. If you know anyone looking to break into erotica writing, I'd appreciate you letting them know. I'm also hoping to teach my new nonfiction sex writing workshop there but don't have a date yet. You must sign up in advance.

Official description:

Whether you’re writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. You are sure to find growth with the very prolific, award winning erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. She will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. She will talk about incorporating everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing. Rachel will teach you how to groom your writing to fit particular magazines and anthologies. And how to submit your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Materials Needed: Please bring a laptop or paper and pen.

Go see Lady Rizo tonight at Joe's Pub for her Violet CD release party!

If you're in New York, go see Lady Rizo's Violet CD release party tonight at Joe's Pub! She gave me the scoop for The New York Observer. Trust me, it'll be an amazing show.

November 26th I'm doing Literary Mischief in New York!

Doing my last New York event of 2013 on Tuesday, November 26th with an impressive lineup...

Literary Mischief with Slash Coleman
November 26, 7-8:30 p.m.
A monthly literary event hosted by award-winning PBS producer and author Slash Coleman featuring: Sweta Srivastava Vikram (No Ocean Here), Donna Minkowitz (Growing up Golem: How I Survived My Mother, Brooklyn and Some Really Bad Dates), and Rachel Kramer Bussel (The Big Book of Orgasms).
Where: Loft227 227 W. 29th St. New York, NY 10001
Cost: $5 at door
More info: www.loft227.com

New York City event writeups for The New York Observer's Eight-Day Week

In this week's The New York Observer as well as online, I wrote up events for their Eight-Day week section. Among them are a rock show, a sake tasting, a free charity bike ride and museum hopping. I'll be writing up an event a day through October 30th, so if you are organizing or know of any wonderful events that the Observer audience might be into (think charity, arts, culture, music, books, etc.) email all the details to 8dayweek at observver.com and I will consider them. Thank you!

Lightning Van is an awesome New York moving company

I used Lightning Van for my move and highly recommend them! They really did an amazing job, and were super fast and very cheap. Here's what I posted on Yelp, where you can also check out lots of other reviews:

I used Lightning Van to move from a third floor walkup in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to an apartment in Red Bank, New Jersey. They were exactly on time, moved my stuff in one hour and were done with the whole thing in under three and a half hours. I wasn't as ready as I could have been and they were okay with my last minute additions to their haul and allowed me to survey whether I needed to add anything else several times before they finished. They were extremely fast and courteous, and the price was fantastic (the estimate was what it wound up costing). I would highly recommend them, both for the price and the service. I actually wished I had more stuff I could put in the van, which holds more than it looks like (I did not have any major furniture save for one bookcase).

Hurricane Sandy sex

Read all about hooking up in New York City in this week's open marriage MTA shutdown Hurricane Sandy sex diary (note: I'm the editor, not the author!). If you're interested in writing an anonymous sex diary, email me at sexiaries at nymag.com with your age, gender, location, occupation, relationship status and sexual orientation and tell me a little about why you'd make a good diarist, and feel free to pass that on. Thanks!

November = my birthday, 2 readings and Best Bondage Erotica 2012 release!

November 10th is my birthday; I'll be celebrating at Baked in Red Hook by eating treats by my friend Jessie Oleson of Cakespy fame, author of the new, must-drool-over cookbook Cakespy Presents Sweet Treats or a Sugar-Filled Life (S'moreos!!).

And Best Bondage Erotica 2012 will be out soon! Read the introduction and table of contents at bestbondageerotica.com. You can pre-order it from Amazon and BN.com (more links TK).



I'm doing 2 November readings, something I'm easing off of these days.

November 3, 6:30-10 pm
Titillating Tongues: NYC Erotica in Poetry & Prose + Open Mic


The Inspired Word presents a hot night of sexy fun, lip-licking words, and utter debauchery – Titillating Tongues: NYC Erotica in Poetry & Prose, featuring some of New York City's best erotic writers: Rachel Kramer Bussel, Janice Erlbaum, Uche Nduka, Jennifer Blowdryer, Aimee Herman, Kathleen Warnock, Puma Perl, Elizabeth Rivera De Garcia, Jane LeCroy, and Sam J. Miller.

There will also be a 12-slot open mic open to all types of artists, where you can bring your own heat to the party.

Hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

When: Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

Must be 21 years old or older.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

*****

For more info on The Inspired Word series, please check out:

http://inspiredwordnyc.blogspot.com/

And please join us for our Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint - same time, same place.

and...

November 17, 7 pm
Drunken! Careening! Writers!
Free, hosted by Kathleen Warnock
It's held at KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St., NYC, the third Thursday of every month (since 2004).

I'm reading Wednesday night from Take Me There

I've mostly retired from doing readings, at least for a while, but I'm very excited to read from Tristan Taormino's anthology Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica, which is a little larger than average volume of stories that I haven't read in full but can say I'm extremely honored to be sharing its pages with the likes of writers like Laura Antoniou and Ivan Coyote and Sinclair Sexmith. I'm going to try to bring cupcakes, but no promises. It's a milestone for me in terms of writing what I have no fucking clue about (being FTM, boxing). Lately I'm trying to write fiction in settings and about topics I'm not personally familiar with because it pushes me as a writer to create more interesting settings and stories. A decade ago, which seems hard to believe, I organized a reading for my very first erotica story, "Monica and Me," in Tristan Taormino's Best Lesbian Erotica 2011 and I still remember my awe that people showed up, people traveled for it, that organizing a reading was this thing I could do, not to mention writing a story.

I was such a newcomer to this whole world that is now part and parcel of my life, to the point that I sometimes forget or get jaded. I really do prefer the ease of being behind my computer than live readings, because I just don't think that's where my skill and certainly not where my comfort lies, but the camaraderie, the sense of community, the ability to connect with people who've collectively listened to sex stories and gotten something out of them? That's why I still do it.

Lately I have to push myself hard to finish every story, to get out the queries, to not want to go work as an admin assistant again, (falsely) assuming anyone would even hire me for that. There is an ease to that kind of monotonous work, in my experience, yet while the lazy side of me longs for that, the rest of me wants to be challenged, to see what's next. And every day brings a blank page and that same challenge. I may blog a lot or read a lot or do all sorts of other things to escape that challenge, but it's always right back there, in front of my face. Right now I'm trying to finish a few stories that seem impossible, and I often abandon stories, even though I know my ideas are good, because I can't make them work the way they do in my head. I don't blog about the non-successes, the thousand or two-thousand or three-thousand words without a home sitting in files on my laptop, waiting for me to wrap them up, because I don't want to project that image of failure. I want to celebrate the sales, the publications, but it's those failures that haunt me.

I'm trying to atone for not at least getting to the point where I send out the work, where I try, and risk failure, rather than not submitting at all. I'm atoning to myself, by staying put, no matter how long it takes, because in the end, getting to that ending, flawed and frustrating and imperfect though it may be, is worth it. Last night on my subway ride home I was thinking to myself, I have no idea what to pitch ___, and getting stressed about it, and then I literally walked into my bedroom, got an idea, and started an essay. That act, even more than whatever response I get, reminded me where I'm supposed to be right now.

Bluestockings, 172 Allen Street, NYC
Wednesday, October 12th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Tristan Taormino “Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica”
With Laura Antoniou, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Sinclair Sexsmith
Come celebrate the hump day with some steamy readings from “Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica.” Local legendary contributors Laura Antoniou, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Sinclair Sexsmith read their pieces. Columnist, sex educator, and “Take Me There” editor Tristan Taormino discusses the need for more Trans and Genderqueer erotica. Yes, Bluestockings will supply towels to mop up the sweat.

Speaking of Sinclair Sexsmith, I was looking up the details of this reading and found this column of Sinclair's: "Believe in Gratitude

I am grateful to every book I’ve ever read, all the writers who struggle to squeeze blood from a stone to get the right word on the page in the right place, making stories and sense of this world.

I am grateful to the Internet. Not just because that is the primary place of my career, but because I have been in touch with so many brilliant people because of the ways we share our lives online. It is the revolution of our times.

And if you're free Tuesday, you should also hit up Bluestockings for Samhita Mukhopadhyay's reading from Outdated, plus Thursday you can catch Justin Vivian Bond reading from the memoir Tango.

Tuesday, October 11th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Samhita Mukhopadhyay “Outdated”
Status: Single, Married, Divorced, Desperate! Subscriptions to match.com and okCupid might be dragging you down instead of doubling your money. “Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life” shows how women have been coerced into believing their self-worth is tied to their relationship status, while addressing the difficulty of negotiating loving relationships within the borderlands of race, culture, class, and sexuality—and of holding true to your convictions and maintaining a sense of independence while doing it. Mukhopadhyay is the executive editor of Feministing.com.

Thursday, October 13th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Justin Vivian Bond “Tango”
Growing up with the knowledge of being different from the other kids is never an easy task to tackle– especially when one minute you’re being bullied by the neighbor, and the next minute you’re making out. Justin Vivian Bond’s new book, “Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels” vividly details Bond’s coming of age as a trans kid. With inimitable style, Bond raises issues about LBGTQ adolescence, homophobia, parenting, and sexuality, while being utterly fabulous and entertaining.

SlutWalk NYC is happening October 1st, noon, Union Square

I'm bummed that I didn't know that SlutWalk NYC was holding an erotic bingo fundraiser Tuesday night (my bad). Bingo is one of my favorite activities!



But I wanted to let you know, and please tell anyone in NYC who might be interested, that SlutWalk NYC is happening October 1st at noon at Union Square. Visit slutwalknyc.com for more information. I'm working on an article about the SlutWalk phenomenon that'll run next week and it's inspiring to see what's going on at various SlutWalks, and there are many (just visit the @SlutWalkNYC Twitter feed to see links to many others). They're also on Facebook (as of this posting, 5337 people have RSVPed).





They have a pretty detailed FAQ which I encourage you to read. Here's part of it:

What is slut-shaming?
“Slut” is a derogatory term that is most often used against women who are perceived to be sexual. Women are called sluts for a variety of arbitrary reasons: the clothes they wear, the makeup they wear, their body language, the way they interact with other people, ideas about their sexual behavior, how many partners they may have, or just being perceived in some way as different…The judgment is consistently based on little or no knowledge about a particular woman as a person.

How is SlutWalk NYC different from Take Back the Night?
In many ways SlutWalk NYC and Take Back the Night have similar goals about ending sexual violence. One difference is that SlutWalk NYC is a daytime event, emphasizing that sexual violence can happen at any time. SlutWalk NYC centers trans, genderqueer, gender non-conforming survivors and allies in our organizing and fight for justice. We also welcome male survivors of sexual assault and male allies to participate fully in all events and our organizing.

And from Facebook:

No matter who you are
No matter where you work
No matter how you identify
No matter how you flirt
No matter what you wear
No matter who you choose to love
No matter what you said before:

NO ONE has the right to touch you without your consent. SlutWalk NYC is part of a worldwide grassroots movement challenging rape culture, victim-blaming and slut-shaming*, and working to end sexual and domestic violence.

*SlutWalk NYC’s working definition of slut-shaming: the derogatory, sexist language and policies that are used to shame self-identified women who are perceived as sexual.

Obsessed and The Lost book party photos

More photos soon! Thank you SO much to Tied Up Events, Fontana's, Caridad , Logan Belle and Emerald as well as everyone who showed up to last night's book party for making it such a fun event! Extra special thanks to Treat for the amazing, beyond delicious cupcakes. I asked for "chocolate" and got this amazing chocolate/vanilla swirl that basically replicated chocolate/vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream in cupcake form, with incredible glittery edible soft book covers. Loved them! See the official Obsessed site for more on the book.

Read this: The Junket by Mike Albo

I highly recommend the new Kindle Singles essay "The Junket" by Mike Albo!



Mike Albo would have every reason to be bitter - he agreed to go on a junket that is only very thinly veiled in this piece, that was covered extensively in NYC media sites, which resulted in his losing his column in the paper he refers to here as The New York Paper. Instead, he uses this essay as an opportunity to look back at his life as a writer in New York and the things he's had to do to make a living. What makes this such compelling reading is that Albo uses the humor he brought to The Underminer but he is as much the target of his sharp wit as anyone else, although his other targets certainly come under much-deserved scrutiny.

This particular junket's destination wasn't revealed until they reached their destination. Albo writes, "I wasn't so psyched to go to Jamaica, where gay people are maimed and killed and the prime minister made a special point to declare that LGTB rights would never be recognized, but on the plane the organizers got us all psyched. 'Can you believe it? I can't hear you! Jamiaca! Woooo!'"

He weaves in the story of the junket with his various jobs in Manhattan media, from working at "the Death Star for magazines but gayer" and learning not only how to cover high fashion, but how to covet it. Ultimately, this is a story that would make perfect reading for anyone considering writing as a profession, because Albo shows that even at the highest levels, at the pinnacle--and his description of not only what he did at The New York Paper but how it felt, as well as his continuing reverence, though not unreserved, for it, is one of the high points of this piece--it is still a struggle to survive.

Albo juxtaposes all the swag his colleagues received at various other magazines as well as his efforts to make the right decision about the junket with the outcome, in which The Paper first absolved him of wrongdoing, then changed its mind once it came under more minute scrutiny. But whether or not you agree with their decision, this piece has plenty of other merits, because Albo is not using it to settle a score or argue that he was in the right. In fact, he never points fingers, or this would read much differently and more as a way to settle a score than to explore why it is that he writes.

He concludes with a question about New York City that I think almost anyone who's lived here has been forced to ask themselves: is it worth it? "I have forgone something lasting to continue my long-term relationship with the most exciting but unreliable boyfriend of all--New York City. Maybe it's time to break up with it, to emancipate myself from the teasing, taunting, sexy metropolis that has kept me within its grip my entire adult life. But how do I break up with a city? How long am I supposed to believe I can 'make it' here? Or does none of it matter because it's all about advertising?" Once again, my biggest takeaway was how much Albo wants to write, and will go to whatever lengths he can to do it, not for the money per se, but for the expression. What you think that expression is worth is what's explored here, but I can safely say this essay is worth the $1.99.

And when you're done with it, I highly recommend my favorite piece of his: a tribute to a Katell Keinig concert that will wipe the idea of swag or writing about cravats right out of your mind, because it's so beautiful (in Sean Manning's anthology The Show I'll Never Forget).

Free kinky sex reading tonight!

I can't be there, but if you're in NYC, check out the free Ravenous Nights Kink Night reading at Happy Ending Lounge. One of the readers is my fellow Cleis Press editor D.L. King, whose new book Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica features this crazy hot cover!

August 5th, 8 to 10 p.m.
Free. Casual dress.
Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street

New York, NY 10002
www.happyendinglounge.com

Party party party! Free massage candles, custom cupcakes, posters and more

I hope you will join me at Fontana's on August 25th for our exciting book party for Obsessed and The Lost (paranormal romance fans - check it out!). Also very excited about my first book posters, which I ordered from PosterBrain, who were extremely fast and had excellent customer service, and which we'll be signing and giving away to a lucky attendee!

August 25, 7-9 pm
BOOK PARTY FOR OBSESSED AND THE LOST
Join editor Rachel Kramer Bussel and Obsessed contributors, along with The Lost author Caridad Piñeiro, and Tied Up Events for a fabulous book party celebrating The Lost and Obsessed: Erotic Romance for Women! Obsessed contributors Logan Belle and Jennifer Peters will read. Free giveaways include JimmyJane massage candles and signed book posters. Author readings, free cupcakes, gift bags from The Pleasure Chest NYC, snacks, giveaways and more! Free, 21+
Fontana's, 105 Eldridge, NYC

I'm doing a few scattered readings in New York for the rest of the year but this is the only event I am hosting. I'd had a dream about doing a multimedia event with comedy, music, film, trivia and readings but realized my energies need to be focused elsewhere and that there are plenty of events going on in this wonderful city. So do come and if you can't make it, I hope you will offer up a bit of good karma and tell someone else in NYC who might be able to. Sexy readings, free cupcakes, poster and sex toy giveaways (thanks The Pleasure Chest), giveaway of a JimmyJane massage candle (you so want this!) and more.

To spread the word: Facebook invite

And the cupcakes aren't just any cupcakes! I'm ordering them from Treat, who made these:



These cupcakes will have the covers of Obsessed and The Lost on them!

For more about Obsessed, including the table of contents and introduction, visit obsessederoticromance.com/about. Want a free postcard? (US only) Email obsessedantho at gmail.com with "Postcard" in the subject and your name and address in the body!

Very cool New York City Movie Map covering 91 movies

Can you name all 91 movies as depicted on this map by my friend and trivia teammate Bernie Hou? If you're the first person to do so, you can win a poster! See his site (and catch up on his webcomic Alien Loves Predator) for more information and to see a bigger version.

I'm reading about stripper shoes Friday at Happy Ending Lounge

I'm reading Friday from an erotica story I wrote about stripper shoes, inspired by a gorgeous pair I saw once in St. Paul, for free at Happy Ending Lounge, former home of In The Flesh Reading Series, at Ravenous Nights. Join us free from 8-10 pm! Very excited to read again with the gorgeous and talented Jo Weldon, and hear all the stripping and burlesque stories. I'm not doing too many readings these days so this is my only one this month.

May 6, 8-10 pm
In the old days, we would’ve barked, “Girls! Girls! Girls!”

That’s because May’s Ravenous Nights celebrates the daring dazzle of burlesque and stripping, and it’s shaping up to be a great night. Joining host Lori Perkins: authors Logan Belle, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Aimee DeLong, all of whom will share risque tales with us.

And we’re fortunate that head mistress of NY School of Burlesque, Jo “Boobs” Weldon, will join us. She authored The Burlesque Handbook and has teasingly offered to give us a lesson or two!

So help us extol the thrill of stripping, give away door prizes galore — and maybe expose a secret or two in the bump and grind!

Event details:
Free. 8 to 10 pm. Dress: street casual.

Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street (between Eldridge and Forsyth)
New York, NY
www.happyendinglounge.com

And happy memories...one of my favorite nights from five years of In The Flesh, and one of the few we didn't get captured on film, so truly a you had to be there moment...come see Jo on Friday. She'll be worth it, I promise! I might be working on a fall NYC event, will update you if that goes through. For now, deadline and Seattle and London event promotion madness own me.

Ed's Martian Book, the West Village bookstore selling only Martian Summer by Andrew Kessler

Tonight I particpated in one of the most fun, unique readings I've ever done. I was invited by all-around cool guy and Galleycat editor and birthday boy Jason Boog to read at Ed's Martian Book. I looked it up and all I saw on Yelp was "science fiction bookstore." I arrived and this is what I saw:



Yes, author Andrew Kessler set up an entire shop with thousands of copies of his book artfully displayed. What's his book, Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Days with the Phoenix Mars Mission, about? From his site:

Martian Summer is a non-fiction account of author Andrew Kessler’s time spent working on the Phoenix Mars mission. It’s about winning the nerd lottery--getting the most exclusive ticket to work inside mission control for a NASA mission to Mars. The luckiest fanboy in fandom gets a shot to spend three months with unfettered access to mission control--that’s a journalistic first and potential NASA no-no. It’s just your average summer trying to capture the story of 130 of the world’s best planetary scientists exploring the north pole of Mars. It’s a warts-and-all look at the Phoenix Mars mission and NASA’s space narrative from a regular guy who once dreamed of leaving the planet.

Andrew Kessler is a writer living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in The New York Times and on The Discovery Channel. He holds a degree in mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley. This is his first book about Mars -- or any planet for that matter.

More photos. The e-book launch party is Thursday night, April 21st. I encourage you to check out the store if you're in New York, whether Mars or space interest you or not. As a book lover there is something mesmerizing and gorgeous about seeing the same title seemingly endless displayed on shelves. It makes you wonder what the book buying experience would be like if every book were given that kind of display. Plus it's fun. And the bathroom is totally charming! And, yes, Martian-themed.
















(slightly fuzzy cause this giant ball was swaying in shop window)



From an interview at Galleycat on the opening of a "monobookist" bookstore (by Jason Boog):

Kessler also explained how he assembled his ambitious project: “I dipped into the old savings a bit to make this whole project happen–but who wouldn’t to live on a NASA mission and then make a giant art project about it to tell the world!? I live the frugal life to make these moments happen. But I’d be very nervous to tell others to spend their hard-earned money on art projects (although I secretly want them to).”...

He added some simple advice for authors interested in following in his footsteps: “You’re going to hear a lot of people say, ‘Wow, that will never work.’ They’ll be right, of course, but if you love books and you should do it anyway. ”

Watch videos and learn more at kessleronmars.com and follow him @kesslerandrew on Twitter.

Free reading in NYC tonight!

Reposted from Sad Men - see you there!

Poetry Circle Revisited

In the 1930s, the Raven Poetry Circle toured the West Village, selling their poems and hosting readings while the publishing world collapsed around them.

Every May, they hosted a poetry fair in Washington Square Park, selling poems for pennies. I think its time to do it again.

On the evening of Wednesday, April 20, I’m hosting an intimate reading at a cozy shop in the West Village, bringing together some of my favorite writers in the same spirit as the Raven Poetry Circle.

Each writer will read a single page: a story, poem, comic book page, memoir page, whatever they want to write. After they read, each writer will explain how much they would sell the one page of writing for—rekindling the scrappy spirit of the Raven Poetry Circle. After the reading, we will scheme how to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the Ravens’ poetry fair in May.

Join us at 7 p.m. on April 20, 2011 for the reading. The reader list follows below…

Ed’s Martian Book
547 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014

Jason Boog (host): He is the editor at mediabistro.com’s publishing website, GalleyCat, and an adjunct instructor at New York University’s School of Journalism. His work has appeared in The Believer, Granta, Salon.com, The Revealer, and Peace Corps Writers.

Levi Asher: He is Chief Executive, Creative Director and Philosopher King, LitKicks.com. Published Action Poetry, an anthology (Literary Kicks, 2004), Tiger’s Milk (a poetry chapbook, 2003), Summer of the Mets, a novel (Literary Kicks, 2002).

Rachel Kramer Bussel: She is an author, editor, blogger and event organizer. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, writes a column for SexIs Magazine, and has edited 38 erotica anthologies, most recently Surrender, Gotta Have It and Best Bondage Erotica 2011. She writes about sex, dating, books and pop culture for Alternet, The Frisky, The Gloss, Huffington Post and many other publications. She also blogs about cupcakes at Cupcakes Take the Cake.

Edward Champion: He is writing this short biography just before he is about to cook a low-key dinner of tuna noodle casserole and corn on the cob, which may or may not tell you everything you know. He is one of those easily ignored people, hoping to stay violent and original in his work, who you sometimes see in Brooklyn whipping out a netbook and attempting to chronicle some phantasmagorical thought or overlooked observation on the fly. His cultural musings — often long and also easily ignored — can be found in audio and words here. His musings beyond the real are uncontainable.

Susie DeFord: Her work has appeared in BOMB, Poets and Artists, Mipoesias, Work Zine, Dog Fancy, Shampoo, the Anthology “Dogs Singing,” Pyramid Magazine,The Comstock Review, Poetry Motel, Survivor Magazine, Architrave, and Pinyon. She won the Cody Harris Allen Writing Award and was a finalist in the Muriel Craft Poetry Award and the New Letters Poetry Prize. She runs Susie’s Pet Care, a dog walking, training and pet sitting business. She writes the blog Dog Poet Laureate and is currently seeking a publisher for her first book of poems and photographs by Dennis Riley called The Dogs of Brooklyn.

Lisa Dierbeck: She is the author of two novels, The Autobiography of Jenny X (Mischief + Mayhem/OR Books) and One Pill Makes You Smaller (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), a New York Times Notable Book. Her fiction and nonfiction have been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies. A two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Dierbeck has contributed to such publications as The Boston Globe, Glamour, The New York Observer, The New York Times Book Review, People and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: He works in publishing by day, world domination by night. Over the years he’s lived in Staten Island and South Beach Miami; served in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, US Army, and Dennis Kucinich’s ’04 Presidential Campaign; won poetry slams, founded a reading series, co-authored a book of poetry and believes in the power of publishing as a community service. He prefers Pumpkin and India Pale Ales, Jim Beam, and Dona Paula Shiraz Malbec, and is a devout Mets and Jets fan from the Bronx now living in New Jersey with his beautiful wife and two amazing kids.

Elizabeth Keenan: She is a publicity director at a major publisher. By night she is a writer who spends more time watching ‘Hoarders’ than writing. She was a regular columnist for the NY Inquirer, has been anthologized in Living on the Edge of the World (Touchstone Fireside), and in the GalleyCat/Scribd literary re-mix of Horatio Alger’s Joe’s Luck. A workshop leader for the New York Writer’s Coalition, she most recently ran a workshop at Serendipity, a home for formerly incarcerated women in recovery in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn.

Andrew Kessler: He is a writer living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in The New York Times and on The Discovery Channel. He holds a degree in mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley. This is his first book about Mars — or any planet for that matter.

Saturday in NYC: A day of FREE LGBT readings

And this is only a small part of the Rainbow Book Fair, which also features panels, poetry, book sales and much more. Those in bold are featured readers and are reading for 20 or 30 minutes; the other readings are 4 minutes each. See you there!

March 26, 2011
11:30-5
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, 208 W. 13th Street, NYC

Readings

Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel
………BOOK SIGNINGS AT BOLD STROKES BOOKS TABLE
………Felice Picano 11:30
………Nell Stark and Trinity Tam 12:30
………Bobbi Marolt 1:00…
READING SERIES

11:30–12:00 THOMAS GLAVE

12:00 Bobbie Geary, Learning Erotica (The Gaeae Press)
12:05 Nell Stark and Trinity Tam, nevermore (Bold Strokes Books)
12:10 Rakesh Satyal, Blue Boy (Kensington Books)
12:15 Andrew Grey
12:20 Rob Stephenson, Passes Through

12:30–1:00 CHRISTOPHER BRAM

1:00 Charlie Vazquez, Contraband (Rebel Satori Press)
1:05 Aimee Herman, hell strung and crooked (Uphook Press)
1:10 Michael Schiavi, Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo
…….(University of Wisconsin Press)
1:15 Sinclair Sexsmith, Sugarbutch Chronicles (www.sugarbutch.net/)
1:20 Jee Leong Koh, Seven Studies for a Self Portrait (Bench Press)

1:30–1:50 FELICE PICANO

1:50-2:00 break

2:00–2:30 RAY LUCZAK Road Work Ahead (Sibling Rivalry Press)

2:30 Susan Rosenberg, An American Radical (Citadel Press)
2:35 Cris Beam, I Am J (Little Brown)
2:40 John Marcus Powell (Uphook Press)
2:45 Norman Beim
2:50

3:00–3:30 MARTIN DUBERMAN

3:05 Kathleen Warnock, Best Lesbian Erotica 2010 (Cleis)
3:10 Robert Gibbons, hell strung and crooked (Uphook Press)
3:15 Tim Brough, Black Gloves White Magic (A Boner Book)
3:20 Lolan Buhain Sevilla, Translating New Brown (Pinayjive Press)
3:30 Fay Jacobs, For Frying Out Loud—Rehoboth Beach Diaries (A&M Books)
3:35 Kay Williams, Great-Grandpa Fussy (Calliope Press)
3:40 Erin Mchugh The L Life: Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference (Abrams)
3:45 Francine L. Trevens, Pixie Tales (TnT Classic Books)
4:00 Vicki L. Eaklor, Queer America: A People’s GLBT History of the United States
……..(The New Press)
4:05 Mathew Hupert, Ism is a Retrovirus (Three Rooms Press)
4:10 Peter Carlaftes, A Year on Facebook (Three Rooms Press)
4:15 Kat Georges, Hunger Sinner (Three Rooms Press)
4:20 Ronnie Norpel, Baseball Karma & The Constitution Blues (Three Rooms Press)