Party Hopping

If you didn't land a ticket to the National Book Awards tonight, we've uncovered some other literary events this week. To keep you posted about upcoming events, we've launched our Booked feature--a literary calendar for GalleyCat readers.

On Wednesday, November 18 (tonight!), rock biographer Tony Fletcher will talk with Gay Liberation Front founder Jim Fouratt about his new book, "All Hopped Up and Ready to Go: Music from the Streets of NY 1927-1977." The event will be held at the Strand Bookstore in NYC.

On Thursday, November 19th at 6 pm, Fortune's senior editor-at-large editor Geoff Colvin will discuss his new book, "Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else" at the Alan Flusser Custom Shop.

On Sunday, Nov. 22 at 6:15 pm, film critic Armond White will discuss Michael Jackson's video art at the Lincoln Center. He will also sign copies of his self-published book, "Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles."

To include your literary event in future postings, email GalleyCat.

Last night a crowd of readers, writers, and publishing types mingled at the Bubble Lounge in New York City, previewing mediabistro.com's eBook Summit.

Among the Summit speakers at the party was Movable Type Literary Group agent Jason Allen Ashlock (pictured), sharing some digital publishing wisdom. At the event, education director Carmen Scheidel and this GalleyCat editor introduced the industry leaders who will ponder the future of this crazy profession at the conference.

More party photos follow after the jump. Stay tuned over the next few months--we hope to organize more of these informal, publishing-centered meet-ups following the eBook Summit.

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November is high event season in the publishing world. To keep you posted about upcoming events, we've launched a new Booked feature--building a literary event calendar for GalleyCat readers.

First, we must mention the GalleyCat-sponsored eBook summit party tonight (Nov. 16) at NYC's Bubble Lounge. Join GalleyCat writers and readers for a drink and a chance to win a free ticket to the eBook Summit. The party runs from 6:30 until 8:30, moving this virtual conversation about publishing into the real world. Click here to RSVP for a spot.

On Nov. 17, Stephen Elliott will host Eugene Mirman, Jonathan Ames, Rick Moody, Vanessa Hidary and the kid-core band, Care Bears on Fire for a literary night sponsored by The Rumpus and Tin House literary event at the Highline in Manhattan.

On Nov. 19, join Lily Burana, Isobella Jade, and Rachel Kramer Bussel for the fourth anniversary party for the In the Flesh Erotic Reading Series.

On Nov. 19, author Greil Marcus will visit Columbia University to perform his his book, "Lipstick Traces"--incorporating visual material, props and monologue in the 20th anniversary celebration performance.

To include your literary event in future postings, email GalleyCat.

On Monday, November 16 join GalleyCat writers and readers for a drink and a chance to win a free ticket to the eBook Summit. The party runs from 6:30 until 8:30, moving this virtual conversation about publishing into the real world.

Click here to RSVP for a spot at the party at NYC's Bubble Lounge. At the event, education director Carmen Scheidel and GalleyCat editor Jason Boog will join writers, editors, agents, journalists, and other publishing types--sharing a drink and pondering the future of this crazy profession.

Here's more from the release: "From eReaders and publishing on demand to new business models for publishers and booksellers, our event will explore the technology that is driving change in the industry. eBook Summit will take place December 15-16, 2009 at New World Stages in New York City. Admission to Monday's Preview Event is complimentary, but RSVPs are required. Feel free to invite colleagues and friends. We'll also be raffling off a ticket to the December Summit, so be sure to bring some business cards."

Yesterday marked the release of Brandon Sanderson's "The Gathering Storm," the next book in a beloved "Wheel of Time" series by the late Robert Jordan. As that video reveals, fans mobbed the Brigham Young University bookstore opening at midnight, looking for copies of the sequel. "I've been waiting since I was 16," says one fan.

If you are looking for more "Wheel of Time" news, GalleyCat has written about how the book's network of fans are helping with promotional efforts for the book. Also, we interviewed Sanderson earlier this year about the future of fantasy and digital publishing.

Here's an excerpt from that interview, as Sanderson hinted at the highly anticipated conclusion of the series: "I'm one of four people who have read this ending out of the millions of people who are waiting for it...It was a reverent experience, a surreal experience. I don't think it really hit home for me what I was doing until I sat down and read that...It was a daunting experience saying, 'This is where the 11th book ended, and this is where I've got to end up.' There was a big gap."

Guernica ("a magazine of art and politics") is celebrating its fifth anniversary next week with a major fundraising event at Brooklyn's powerHouse Arena, and GalleyCat readers who order tickets online can shave $15 off the listed prices (whether you're going for general admission or the VIP sponsorship levels) by using the promotional code "guernicaat5." So far, confirmed entertainment for the evening includes Jonathan Ames and DJ Didi Gutman from Brazilian Girls.

After four years on the circuit, GalleyCat knows from book parties—and, let us tell you, cramming upwards of 400 people into Ben's Kosher Deli Monday night to celebrate the publication of David Sax's Save the Deli has to be some kind of record. Which would be fitting, given the number of other world records being set in the room that night—granted, they were all in stunt categories like "most insults flung at a deli waiter in 30 seconds" or "most side dishes ordered in 30 seconds," but a record's a record. Sax (left) invited the owners from several of the delis he writes about in his book—a travelogue of the great delis still operating in North America (with a little side trip to Europe)—and brought in Jelvis, "the Jewish Elvis," for musical entertainment, but you can't go wrong with a free buffet... especially when it includes hot dogs, knish, potato pancakes, and several flavors of Dr. Brown's. (And this picture doesn't even show any of the corned beef or pastrami!)

Last night the Feminist Press at the City University of New York (the oldest continuing women's publisher in the world) celebrated its 39th Annual Women Write the World Gala, and—just as in 2007 and 2008, we asked Amanda ReCupido (the creator of The Undomestic Goddess website) to cover the event for GalleyCat. Honorees as this year's event included authors Arianna Huffington and Taslima Nasrin, along with human rights lawyer Rhonda Copelon and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (who was unable to attend due to a late vote in the Senate). ReCupido writes:

"Copelon spoke about the need for human rights in the United States, especially when it comes to laws protecting reproductive health care and abortion. Luckily, she said, 'there is a new generation of activists emerging to see this through." Huffington echoed her call, saying that "younger women are ushering in a new world.' Nasrin spoke about the need to separate state and religion in every country, saying that 'education and economic freedom alone is not enough.' She also addressed the issue of human trafficking around the world, stating that 'no one is free until all women are free.'"

Each of the women honored have left an indelible mark on women's progress, and Huffington reminded the crowd that each and every one of us has the power to enact change. 'We need to stop looking for someone to save us,' she said. 'Look in the mirror and find the leader within.'"

Last Wednesday, Amanda ReCupido went to Gotham Hall for the New York Women's Foundation's "Stepping Out & Stepping Up" fall dinner The "Stepping Up" award recognizes New Yorkers who "serve as role models of courageous leadership, vision and commitment to women and girls as individuals and as partners," and this year's honorees included social activists Elizabeth and Herbert Sturz and author/journalists Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof. ReCupido spoke with Ana L. Oliveira, President and CEO of the foundation, who discussed how the evening's honorees affect change for women at both the local and global level. (Indeed, Oliveira explained, the Sturzs have founded 24 nonprofit and government agencies between them.)

WuDunn spoke about the importance of investing in women and girls locally as a prerequisite to investing globally. Her and Kristof's new book, Half the Sky, focuses on women and girls in the developing world, focusing on the issues of human trafficking, gender-based violence, and maternal care.

The evening also included music from Mary J. Blige, who dedicated her performance to the power and unity of women. Other attendees included New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg (as the date of co-chair Diana Taylor), Consul General of Mexico Ruben Beltran, designer Catherine Malandrino, record executive Steve Stoute, and a scattering of additional New York socialites.

DK's Rachel Kempster (she's the one wielding the lightsaber) sent us a picture from an office party she and her colleagues threw last Friday morning to celebrate the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, a headstart on the 65 events across the United States that took place Saturday—and, we're told, some of the DK crew met up with members of The 501st Legion at a Manhattan bar afterwards.

On the DK website, Simon Beecroft discusses the rapid turnaround for the book's production: "I wrote a book plan in January 2009. Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group approved the book plan in February," he recalls, "and I started writing the manuscript text in March. Through April and May, I made lots of little changes, refining and adding info as the page designs were put together. There were further small changes from Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group. Finally, the finished book went to the printer at the end of May."