Aug 17
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events, Events from Other Orgs
and YOU are invited! The Thomas J. Watson Library is a fantastic resource available mostly to museum staff and other registered researchers. One of the perks of signing up on the Desk Set list is the chance to sneak a peak at libraries like this one, and Desk Setters were treated to a fascinating tour a few years ago. We’re pleased to say we’ve been invited back for wine, cheese, and fiction. Hope you can make it, and if you can, RSVP to lisa.harms@metmuseum.org soon as space is limited.
Here are the details from our pals at at the Watson:
The Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of art invites you for an afternoon with Karolina Waclawiak, author of How To Get Into the Twin Palms. Karolina, Deputy Editor of The Believer and Watson Library visiting researcher, will read from her highly-acclaimed novel and will engage in a conversation with the audience. We will also feature related books from our collection for you to browse. Wine and snacks will be served. Limited space is available!
What: Thomas J. Watson Library presents Karolina Waclawiak, author of How To Get Into the Twin Palms
When: Tuesday, September 11th 4:00 – 5:30
Where: Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (meet at the Group Desk in the Great Hall)
RSVP: lisa.harms@metmuseum.org by Friday, September 7th.
Description
“Waclawiak takes the immigrant novel and spins it on its head. A great addition to 1.5 generation literature, beautifully written, funny and touching.”
-Gary Shteyngart
It was a strange choice to decide to pass as a Russian. But it was a question of proximity and level of allure. Russians were everywhere in Los Angeles, especially in my neighborhood, and held a certain sense of mystery. I had long attempted to inhabit my Polish skin and was happy to finally crawl out of it. I would never tell my mother. She only thought of them as crooks and beneath us. They felt the same about us, we were beneath them. It had always been a question of who was under whom.
Anya stalks the nearby Twin Palms nightclub, the pinnacle of exclusivity in the Russian community. Desperate not only to gain entrance into the club but to belong there, Anya begins a perilous pursuit for Lev, a Russian gangster who frequents the seemingly impenetrable world of the Twin Palms.
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=216dB68VMnk
How To Get Into the Twin Palms is hilarious and deeply moving, providing a humorous twist on the typical immigrant tale of belonging.
“Anya’s story strikes with the creeping suddenness of a brush fire.”
- Starred Review, Publisher’s Weekly
Waclawiak writes about loneliness, isolation, and determination in a refreshing and quirky way. – New York Magazine
Author of the Week - The Week
One of Marie Claire’s Favorite Reads - http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/reading-guide-how-to-get-into-the-twin-palms?src=soc_fcbks#slide-8
10 Novellas Perfect for Literary Lounging, Flavorpill NYC
As seen in the New York Times, Flavorpill, The Rumpus, Marie Claire, HTML Giant, The Week, as well as others.
About the Author
Karolina Waclawiak: Karolina Waclawiak received her MFA in fiction from Columbia University. She is the Deputy Editor of The Believer and lives and writes in Brooklyn.
Jul 10
TatianaDesk Set Sponsored Events Field Trip, masons
On June 16, 2012 a cadre of curious and skeptical librarians visited the Livingston Masonic Library in NYC and were wonderstruck by the location, design, artifacts, and print collections. Interested in the masons? In order to visit the library, one must be a mason or have a legitimate research need. However, daily tours of the Grand Lodge make a stop in the library’s gorgeous reading room. Library Director and Mason, Tom Savini, led us on a comprehensive tour of the library, gallery, and archives, answering in-depth all of our questions about masonic history and traditions, informed by his 30+ years with the organization. The Desk Setters describe it best themselves:
“Touring the Livingston Masonic Library was like being led into a secret series of rooms. It’s incredible to think that it’s actually open to the public!”
“Visiting this Library/Archive was truly an exceptional adventure! One of my fascinations with the world of Information Science is the exceedingly varied types of collections collected. A collection such as this one takes a simple spark of an idea- a confident idea that these items, no matter how obtuse (or in this case secret-sensitive), are important to our cultural history and therefore would be an asset to the public. The Director we spoke with was extremely knowledgeable and explained the history/mystery of the Masons in a way that both educated the audience and maintained the traditional brotherhood of the Masons intact.”
“I thought the tour of the Livingston Masonic Library was one of the most rewarding experiences in my 25 years as a librarian. I felt the Director was extremely generous by providing a detailed one and half hour tour, which included reviewing unique reference sources and artifacts as well as discussing types of questions, the collection scope, and incorporating the history of the masons throughout. I also think that the Director’s perspective as a mason himself made the tour even more fascinating and a richer experience overall. I was very excited when I found out that I was one of the lucky 15 librarians to attend this tour and I don’t think I had any set expectations, but if I had, they would have been far exceeded.”
“I really loved the tour. I have a fascination with hidden places and old libraries, so this was about perfect. The head librarian seemed like a very sharp guy. He knew his collection very well, spoke confidently and yes, did much to persuade me that Freemasonry was not an evil cult. [Joke! Some of my best friends are Freemasons!] I will probably return for the full building tour.”
Thanks Char, Gina, Kevin, and Janine!
Dec 03
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events
Announcing Three Great Reasons to Get to the Ball on Time
Doors are at 8:00PM, and you might as well join us nice and early.
- From 8:00 – 9:00 PM, your beer is on Happy Hour Sponsor Brooklyn Brewery! (while supplies last, of course)
- The more time you spend at the Biblioball, the more raffle tickets you can buy! The prizes are spectacular (see below). Bring a book to donate to the Uni Project, and get one free ticket! Purchase more before 11:15, and aim to win big! All proceeds go toward Literacy for Incacerated Teens.
For the complete Biblio Noir schedule click here.
Get Lucky in the Fancy Pants Raffle!
We’ve got some incredible prizes from some of the most generous and absolutely awesome businesses, restaurants, cultural organizations and artisans around. Please support our supporters!
Here’s what you can win:
And thanks to our Leather Bound VIP Sponsors:
And our additional event sponsors:
Nov 28
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events
Already have one?
Well, then win one for the friend you’re having trouble convincing to accompany you! There are two ways to win, and by entering you’ll help the Desk Set get the word out to every nerd in New York City. You can only win once, but you can enter as many times as you like! Here’s how:
On Facebook, please check out the Desk Set’s wall. See the link to the event, along with the rules of the contest? Simply share that link on your own wall, adding whatever comment you like, and you’re automatically entered to win! Be sure to share the link, don’t just copy and paste or post on your own. Sharing is the only way we’ll know that you’ve entered.
On Twitter, follow us and then @thedeskset regarding what you love about the Biblioball. Use #biblioball and remember to send your tweet our way (@thedeskset) in order to be eligible.
All posts must be shared or tweeted by 11:59PM on December 1st.
Thanks for helping us promote the Biblioball! Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.
Nov 25
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events
Biblioball 2011: BIBLIONOIR from Desk Set on Vimeo.
Biblioball 2011 tickets on sale now!
Thanks to Jon Dieringer and Screen Slate for the movie magic, Gilbert Ford for the artwork, and all admiration for The Big Sleep and the doctrine of fair use.
Nov 10
TatianaDesk Set Sponsored Events Field Trip, Poetry, Poets
- Desk Setters typing away…
On November 3rd, 2011 a group of intrepid Desk Setters made the trip to Poets House, a literary center and library dedicated to poetry nestled in the Battery Park City enclave a few hundred yards away from the World Trade Center site. Reggie Harris, Poetry in the Branches Coordinator (and a Librarian) gave us a fantastic tour of the facilities, which includes a Children’s Reading Room featuring juvenile books, games, toys, and a number of vintage typewriters (see pic!); an indoor events auditorium and an outdoor amphitheater; a special exhibition gallery space; and an Adult Reading Room which holds a collection of over 50,000 items (commercially and self-published poetry books, chap books, and poetry-related ephemera and audiovisual materials). Open to the public, the 2 year-old Leed Gold Certified “green” building is absolutely gorgeous and designed to incorporate recycled materials and to take advantage of natural light. More description and pics can be found here:
http://www.poetshouse.org/green.htm
Read more about the history of the Poets House and the wonderful literary events and programming they offer here:
http://poetshouse.org/about.htm
Attention: Anyone looking for an internship or anyone eager to volunteer at a great library- Poets House is looking for librarians, archivists, writers, or LIS students to assist with various library-related tasks from cataloging (Koha) and preparing their annual Showcase to staffing the reference desk and assisting during programs. Interested? Contact: mike@poetshouse.org or reggie@poetshouse.org .
Sep 28
Urban Librarians UniteDesk Set Sponsored Events
Yes yes yes y’all we are getting ready for the Books B Q Three (This Time for Sure!) which is coming up THIS Sunday at Pete’s Candy Store, 4 – 8PM. There will be lots of witty banter, some of the last outdoor eating of the season, and a bevy of delightfully adorable bookish people for you to impress.
Not only will there be food, booze, and convivial conversation but you will be able to support the Save NYC Libraries campaign and Urban Librarians Unite. Those hosting fees, rally supplies, and protest permits add up. Come out and help us to ramp up the campaign this year.
Our good friends at The Vermont Country Store have really stepped up to help out and have donate and utterly ridiculous assortment of olde timey goodness prizes. Like tasty pickles? Ever wanted a set of genuine pink flamingo lawn ornaments? Have a secret desire to eat cookie buttons until you are sick? Want to take a weekend’s worth of boozing and make glassware out of it? We Got You Covered!!
Come out folks, it is going to be a great BBQ and an utterly superb raffle with lots of autumnal Vermonty goodness.
Sep 20
Urban Librarians UniteBibliobeat, Desk Set Sponsored Events, Events from Other Orgs, From Our Guest Bloggers, Uncategorized
You could win your own garden gnome, we think he has kind eyes
Come one come all to the Books B Q Three October 2nd from 4 to 7:30. Ten bucks gets you a plate of food and a chance to help protect libraries in New York City. We’ve tried to do this twice and got sheeting thunderstorms the first time around and a goldurn hurricane the second. This time though we are confident that we will be graced with lovely autumnal weather for a great late season BBQ. Come out and enjoy pleasant company and some of the last outdoor eating of the season, all for a good cause.
Our cause is Urban Librarians Unite and the Save NYC Libraries Campaign that they put on. These are the people who do the 24 hour read in at BPL and who hugged the Schwarzman. They are looking to ramp up their efforts and keep that pressure on for libraries in the city. They were part of a huge win back last year and they are not letting up. They need cash to campaign though so your ten bucks will go to bigger and better rallies and protests.
Relationship therapy
We have the pleasure and privilege of having Vermont Country Store as a partner this time around and they have donated dozens of fantastic prizes for the raffle. There is all kinds of oldey timey goodness fun up for grabs and it might be your lucky day.
It is going to be a fun time for a good cause. Come join us and raise a glass, and your voice, for libraries in the city.
So many pickles
Aug 30
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events author event, detroit, fiction, zines
Detroit
Retold
Revised
Re-visioned
Detroit based authors Steve Hughes and Lynn Crawford in conversation with Librarian Jenna Freedman
Thursday, September 15
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Pete’s Candy Store
Free event, books available for sale
Steve Hughes and Lynn Crawford, both Detroit based Kresge Literary Fellows, will be in New York City to discuss their new works with zine librarian / librarian zinester Jenna Freedman.
Hughes and Crawford both repurpose other people’s stories to create their work. Crawford reworks texts from classic writers like Hemingway and Woolf; Hughes draws from the folks he meets in bars. Crawford will read from her new novel Simply Separate People, Two and Hughes will read from his zine compilation Stupor: a Treasury of True Stories.
Steve Hughes’s Stupor: a Treasury of True Stories was published in April 2011 and is a compilation of 14 issues of his long running zine “Stupor.” For the last 16 years, Steve Hughes has been listening to people he meets in bars, diners, hardware stores and job sites talk about their lives. He writes their stories of infidelity, drunkenness, disappointment and sometimes dumb-luck as though they’re being spoken from the barstool next to you.
Stupor represents a significant collaboration with many of Detroit’s top artists. Each of the 14 issues that are collected in Stupor: A Treasury of True Stories is designed by a single artist, including: Mitch Cope, Gina Reichert, and Scott Hocking. Hughes’ unique approach and the strong efforts of his artists have created a book that depicts a place and its people like no other publication of its era.
Lynn Crawford is an art critic and fiction writer. Her criticism has appeared in Art in America, Tema Celeste, Metro Times, Zing, Parkett, Modern Painters, American Ceramics and The Brooklyn Rail. Her books include Solow, Blow, Simply Separate People and Fortification Resort. A new novel, Simply Separate People, Two has just been published by Brooklyn Rail/Black Square Editions. She is a founding board member of Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
Gillian Conoley of the Poetry Foundation says that Simply Separate People, Two “brilliantly refractive multilayered time-bent novel whose characters are spookily alive as though you could poke them nonvirtually lying in the bed right next to you or maybe they have walked down the hallway to escape you.”
Jenna Freedman is a zine librarian and librarian zinester. She is the Director of Reference & Instruction Services at Barnard College in NYC and a member of Radical Reference, a collective of library workers that meets the research needs of activists and independent journalists. She has published articles on zine librarianship and presented around the United States and in France on that topic as well as on other themes of library activism.
RSVP on Facebook
Aug 29
Sarah MurphyDesk Set Sponsored Events author event, book release, Yoga
Join the Desk Set, WORD, and goodyoga this Thursday September 1st. Flannery Foster of good yoga will chat with Suzanne Morrison, author of Yoga Bitch: One Woman’s Quest to Conquer Skepticism, Cynicism, and Cigarettes on the Path to Enlightenment.
September 1, 2011
7:00PM
goodyoga 73 Calyer Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
After party to follow at the Diamond 43 Franklin Street, Greenpoint
RSVP on Facebook
Preview the experience of chatting with Suzanne about yoga here.
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