Bryant Park Reading Room Announces August 2022 Lineup Featuring LaTonya Yvette, Emily St. John Mandel & More

The Bryant Park Reading Room has announced August's lineup during a monumental year celebrating Bryant Park's 30th anniversary.

The 2019 African American Literary Award's Break Out Author Of The Year, LaTonya Yvette, joins this month's lineup on August 10th with her new children's book, "The Hair Book," along with Emily St. John Mandel, who has just been added to Barack Obama's Summer Reading List, joining on August 3rd to discuss her latest book, "Sea of Tranquility." Award-winning poetry by established and emerging poets Vievee Francis, Jee Leong Koh, Matthew Olzmann, and Victoria Redel will take place on August 9th at 6pm.

The Camp Kids series will take place on Saturdays and Sundays on the Upper Terrace in the park, just behind the New York Public Library, bringing kids fun-filled afternoons.

Poetry, BookClub, and Reel Talks also continue this month, along with Non-Fiction, Writers Workshop, and StoryTime with Cali Co Cat - perfect for children and families.

August's Reading Room series details as well as additional September programs can be found below.

Tuesday, August 2

6pm

Poetry

Judith Baumel, Felice Belle, Philip Brady, Stephen Mills

Hosted by Jason Schneiderman

Wednesday, August 3

10:30am

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

12:30pm

Author

NYPL & National Book Foundation Present

Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility

Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind

Threa Almontaser, The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems

Hosted by Idra Novey, Poet and Author of Those Who Knew and Ways to Disappear

Produced in partnership with New York Public Library and National Book Foundation

7pm

Non-Fiction

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, The Invention of Power: Popes, Kings, and the Birth of the West

Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society

Thursday, August 4

6:30pm

Writers Workshop

Memoir

With David Seigerman

Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers

Saturday, August 6

Camp Kids

12pm

Magician: Mike Patrick

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Sunday, August 7

Camp Kids

12pm

Magician: Lee Barrett

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Monday, August 8

12:30pm

Reel Talks

Tom Shone, The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan

Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert

Tuesday, August 9

12:30pm

Reel Talks

David Mikics, Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker

Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert

3pm

Classics BookClub

The Sun Also Rises: The Library of America Corrected Text

Hosted by Kelly Coyle-Crivelli, Penguin Random House

Free books while supply lasts

Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House and Library of America

6pm

Poetry

Vievee Francis, Jee Leong Koh, Matthew Olzmann, Victoria Redel

Hosted by Jason Schneiderman

Wednesday, August 10

10:30am

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

Special Guest LaTonya Yvette, The Hair Book

12:30pm

Author

Literary Fiction

Michelle Herman, Close-Up

Adam Langer, Cyclorama

Ann Leary, The Foundling

Elizabeth Nunez, Now Lila Knows

Hosted by Kathy Curto, Writing Teacher and Author of Not for Nothing

7pm

Non-Fiction

Richard K. Rein, American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte's Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life

Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society

Thursday, August 11

6:30pm

Writers Workshop

TV Writing

With Laura Cahill

Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers

Saturday, August 13

Camp Kids

12pm

Comic Con Kids

Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Sunday, August 14

Camp Kids

12pm

Magician: Chris Capehart

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Monday, August 15

12:30pm

Reel Talks

William Boyle, Conversation on Brooklyn in Film

Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert

2:00pm

Reel Talks

Megan Abbott, Conversation on Peeping Tom

Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert

Tuesday, August 16

6pm

Poetry

Jameson Fitzpatrick, James Fujinami Moore, John Murillo, Sam Ross

Hosted by Jason Schneiderman

Wednesday, August 17

10:30am

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

12:30pm

Author

Historical

Addison Armstrong, The War Librarian

Patrice Nganang, A Trail of Crab Tracks

Bill Shaffer, The Scandalous Hamiltons: A Gilded Age Grifter, A Founding Fathers Disgraced Descendant and a Trial at the Dawn of Tabloid Journalism

Alan A. Winter, Sins of the Fathers

7pm

Non-Fiction

Daniel S. Levy, Manhattan Phoenix: The Great Fire of 1835 and the Emergence of Modern New York

Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society

Thursday, August 18

6:30pm

Writers Workshop

Fiction

with Varud Gupta

Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers

Saturday, August 20

Camp Kids

12pm

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

featuring Actor Julio Torres, I Want to Be a Vase

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Sunday, August 21

Camp Kids

12pm

Ben Bryden and The Redbirds

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Monday, August 22

12:30pm

Reel Talks

Alex Segura, Conversation on Batman Films: From Michael Keaton through Robert Pattinson

Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert

Tuesday, August 23

3pm

Graphic Novel BookClub

Captain America

Alex Zalben, Host, Comic Book Club - Live! Podcast

Hosted by Kelly Coyle-Crivelli, Penguin Random House

Free books while supply lasts

Produced in partnership with Penguin Random House

6pm

Poetry

Peter Coyote, Kate Gale, Tawanda Mulalu, Tom Sleigh

Hosted by Jason Schneiderman

Wednesday, August 24

10:30am

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

12:30pm

Author

Dog-Day Suspense

Cate Holahan, The Darkness of Others

Kathleen Marple Kalb, A Fatal Overture

Casey Sherman, Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod

Niko Wolf, Birthday Girl

Hosted by Ilana Levine, Actress and Podcaster of Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

7pm

Non-Fiction

Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America

Produced in partnership with New-York Historical Society

Thursday, August 25

6:30pm

Writers Workshop

Character

with Alexander Steele

Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers

Saturday, August 27

Camp Kids

12pm

Hopalong Andrew

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Sunday, August 28

Camp Kids

12pm

Erin Lee and the Up Past Bedtime Band

Followed with Arts & Crafts with Kelsey Craftz

Tuesday, August 30

6pm

Poetry

Carly Joy Miller, Diannely Antigua, Brionne Janae, Tommye Blount

Hosted by Nathan McClain

Wednesday, August 31

10:30am

StoryTime with Cali Co Cat

12:30pm

Author

UnSlushed!

A panel of Editors meet and vie for manuscripts by formally rejected authors. You help decide.

7pm

Non-Fiction

Lucy Sante, Nineteen Reservoirs: On Their Creation and the Promise of Water for New York City

Hosted by Sasha Frere-Jones, Musician and Writer

Produced in partnership with the New-York Historical Society and New York Public Library

Tuesday, September 6

6pm

Poetry

John Hennessy, Soren Stockman, Julia Guez, Doug Anderson

Hosted by Nathan McClain

Saturday, September 17

12pm

Writers Workshop Teens

Produced in partnership with Writopia Lab

The Bryant Park outdoor Reading Room is located at the 42nd Street allée - between 5th & 6th Avenues - under the London Plane trees. Because of the outdoor locale, there is ample seating for all to enjoy.

The space is defined by five specially designed carts: one cart is devoted to authors who have participated in the Bryant Park literary series and best sellers; one cart is filled with a complete "Classics" collection; one cart is dedicated to children's books; one cart carries magazines; and one cart is committed to a variety of newspapers. And what makes the Reading Room even more special is that over the course of each summer, there are dozens of programs promoting multiple themes and genres for the public to attend. From poetry to fiction, non-fiction to book clubs, writers workshops, and programs for children, it is a popular destination for bookworms and authors alike and is free to the public.

This year marks several milestones in Bryant Park's history. The park is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of its restoration and the 20-year reopening of the outdoor Reading Room in Bryant Park.

The Reading Room in Bryant Park was originally established in 1935 by the New York Public Library as a refuge for the thousands of unemployed New Yorkers during the Great Depression. The "first" Reading Room closed in 1944, only to be reopened by the Bryant Park Corporation in 2003. It is now one of the most popular amenities in Bryant Park.

The Bryant Park Reading Room has received numerous prestigious awards for demonstrating excellence, partnership, and creativity in enhancing New York City's quality of life including The New York City Neighborhood Development Achievement Award presented by the New York City Small Business Services at Gracie Mansion; and two awards from the International Downtown Association Achievement Award in the public space category.

Kinokuniya Books is a member of the Bryant Park Business Improvement District and this season's on-site retail partner. Kinokuniya works directly with the publishers to provide books for events and reports sales to the New York Times Bestseller Book List.

COVID-19 vaccinations and masks are not currently required but Bryant Park will continue to monitor and follow updated New York City and New York State COVID-19 guidelines throughout the summer as necessary. For the most current guidelines, program updates, and additional venue information and restrictions, please visit bryantpark.org. Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Take the B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park; or take the 7 train to 5th Avenue.

About Bryant Park

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) is a not-for-profit, private management company founded in 1980 to renovate and operate Bryant Park in New York City. It was established by Daniel A. Biederman and Andrew Heiskell, with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. BPC was formed to restore historic Bryant Park, which had suffered a severe decline in conditions in the 1970s. A 15-year agreement was signed in 1988, entrusting management and improvements to BPC. The park reopened in 1992 after four years of renovation with a budget six times the level under prior city management. It is the largest effort in the nation to apply private management backed by private funding to a public park, and it has been a success with public, press, and nearby institutions. BPC shares its management team with the 34th Street Partnership. The two companies share a management philosophy. 2022 marks the 30th year of the restoration of Bryant Park.