Category: personal

Reading Recap: Barnes and Noble – Astor Place

Audience: About 60.
Anxiety index: 5 (out of 10).
Surprise guest(s): Fellow writers Hannah Tinti and Marcy Dermanski.
No. of Moroccans who said hello: 5.

Astor Place was a packed house yesterday when Chris Castellani and I read from our respective novels. We were each introduced by our editor, the lovely and amazing Antonia Fusco, who offered much praise and encouragement. I was thrilled to be there and to see so many familiar and unfamiliar faces in the audience.

The Q&A portion of the reading was rather brief–we had to keep the whole event to under an hour–but I still got to talk to many readers. (You can, of course, always reach me via email.) I was particularly touched when several Moroccans from the community here introduced themselves and offered their support. Tbarkellah ‘likum.



Reading Recap: Cornelia Street Cafe

Audience: About 30.
Anxiety index: 4 (out of 10).
Surprise guest(s): My friend Maaza M., and MG reader Ched B.
No. of Moroccans who said hello: 1.

I was invited to Cornelia St. Cafe by the kick-ass women who run Ziryab, a monthly reading series for Arab and Arab American writers. Nathalie Handal, Sholeh Wolpe and Mathew Shenoda were also on the bill, each reading from their new poetry collections.

It was wonderful to see the reading so well attended. I didn’t give a book away this time because I was trying to keep my luggage to a minimum, but hopefully will get to do that again soon. I signed a few copies of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits for readers and later hung out with a friend at a great Korean restaurant not too far away.







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