Earlier this month Michael Eskin did an event at Book Culture for his new book, Poetic Affairs: Celan, Grunbein, Brodsky. He was introduced by Haun Saussy, Yale professor of comparative literature and editor of the Stanford University Press series that published Poetic Affairs. (Pictured here: Eskin, at left, and Saussy) After the event, Michael Eskin answered a few questions for us:
What books are you currently reading?
I have been reading many books on the very question of reading literature lately in connection with a project I am working on. I have also been reading a range of books on contemporary culture and intercultural prejudice, as well as research in social physics. I have also just reread Albert Camus’ L’étranger.
Is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to the publication of?
I am working on a couple of projects at the moment. In particular, I look forward to a volume that I am currently editing comprising selected prose by D. Grünbein.
Do you have standard titles or writers you like to recommend, either within or outside of your field?
The list would be too long - obviously. But here are some of the author’s that have profoundly touched me in recent years: J. M. Coetzee, J. Brodsky, A. Paton, E. Stein, W. H. Auden, and A. Badiou - and, most importantly, Kathrin Stengel’s book: November Rose: A Speech on Death.
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April 28, 2008
Last night we hosted a reading with writer and journalist Michael Paul Mason, author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and its Aftermath. Mason shared moving tales, including audio clips of interviews from his visit to Balad Air Base in Iraq, where he had a first hand look at the harsh realities facing brain injury victims.
After the presentation, we had a few moments to ask him some questions:
What books are you currently reading?
Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer, and just yesterday I bought Maps and Legends.
Is there anything that you are particularly looking forward to the publication of?
I have a galley copy of Charles Fort: The Man Who Invented the Supernatural, which comes out next month. Also, Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas, by Sarah Brown (forthcoming by Crown in August 2008.)
Do you have standard titles or writers you like to recommend?
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick and The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman.
Have you ever been to Book Culture before?
No, this is my first visit. Thanks for hosting me.
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Mason will also appear at this weekend’s New York Roundtable Writer’s Conference and be on Leonard Lopate this coming Monday, April 14th. A review of Head Cases appears in this week’s NYT Sunday Book Review. An earlier NYT review appears here and you can learn more about the author and his work here.
April 10, 2008
A nice crowd turned out at Book Culture on a wet slushy Friday night to hear George Makari’s presentation about his new book, Revolution in Mind: The Creation of Psychoanalysis.
Dr. Makari talked about how the book came to be and explained its structure and scope. He then read a portion of the introduction and opened it up for Q&A from the audience, who posed questions about Freud’s legacy and teachings, why Vienna plays such a prominent role in the history of psychoanalysis and how certain photos were chosen for the front cover of the book.
Before the event we had some time to sit and chat about books with Dr. Makari. Here is what he shared with us:
What books are you currently reading?
Celine’s Journey to the End of Night and Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner.
Is there anything you are particularly looking forward to the publication of?
Yes, the Rhode Island poet and 2008 Frost Medal recipient Michael S. Harper has a new collection coming out in the fall, Use Trouble.
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February 23, 2008
Last night’s Meena Alexander poetry reading began with a gracious introduction from award-winning poet Jean Valentine (proudly sporting her Obama button!) in which she called Meena’s work “sensual and brave.” Meena read a selection of poems from her new collection, Quickly Changing River, including some of the poems that Jean said she most enjoyed — Raw Meditation on Money and Cutting Hair. Some of the other poems shared during the reading were Cosmopolitan, Old Ivory, Reading Leopardi and Acqua Alta. Before the event we had a few moments to chat with Meena. Here’s what we learned:
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February 21, 2008
Our last author event of the 2007 season was Helen Benedict, a neighborhood resident, writer and professor who teaches at Columbia. She is currently at work on The Lonely Soldier, a non-fiction book about female veterans of the Iraq war, which will be published by Beacon Press. But tonight Helen read from her new novel, The Opposite of Love and answered questions from the wonderful audience that braved the slushy weather to join us at Book Culture!
After the reading, we asked Helen to tell us about her own literary interests:
What have you been reading?
Lots of books about the Iraq war lately, because of the book I am working on. I did read John Berger’s latest book, Hold Everything Dear.
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December 13, 2007
On Tuesday night we welcomed two poets at Book Culture: The reading began with Matthew Thorburn, who read from his collection, Subject to Change. He finished with a new poem inspired by a trip he took to China earlier this year.
Next up was Claudia Carlson, who read from The Elephant House. It was a drippy night outside, so Claudia began with her “Ode on a Duck Head” and was kind enough to remind the audience to buy their holiday gifts at Book Culture!
They each took a few moments to tell us about what they’ve been reading:
What are you reading right now?
Claudia: I have an incredibly broad range of interests, lately I’ve been reading Kelly Link, a fantasy/magic realism writer recently honored as the year’s best in this category.
Matthew: Just read Bel Canto, which was amazing and really beautiful. I’ve also read Hotel Fiesta by Emanuel Lynn and the latest collection of Robert Hass, his first book in ten years. I just started The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories. (more…)
December 12, 2007
Last Friday night, the editors of New York Calling, Brian Berger and Marshall Berman, visited Book Culture for a reading and discussion. Brian is a poet, journalist and photographer. He was recently interviewed at Gothamist about this project. Marshall is the Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the City College of New York, and author of several books. Joining the editors was author Meredith Brosnan, who also read from his New York-set novel Mr. Dynamite.
Before the readings, we had a few minutes to ask Brian and Marshall about their personal literary interests. Here’s what they had to say:
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December 10, 2007
Last week, journalist Claudia Gryvatz Copquin (right) visited Book Culture to talk about The Neighborhoods of Queens. She was introduced by her colleague and childhood friend, Sonia Estreich (left), Managing Editor of the project that produced this book. The Neighborhoods of Queens is the second in a series that will be published on each of the five boroughs of New York. The first book, The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, was published in 2004. Recent press about this just released book include mentions in The Daily News and The New York Times.
Claudia took time to answer a few questions before the evening event:
What books are you currently reading?
Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which was my pick for the monthly book club I’m in.
Do you have standard titles or writers that you like to recommend?
John Irving, Pete Hamill, Anna Quindlan, David Sedaris and Woody Allen.
December 10, 2007
Last night Saree Makdisi read from and discussed his new book, Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation. We had a few minutes before the event to ask Saree about what he is reading these days.
We were honored to have philosopher 
