Greenlight Bookstore partners with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to bring today’s most renowned authors to Brooklyn for the national launch of their latest works in BAM's gorgeous theatrical spaces. Past guests include Hanif Abdurraqib, Alec Baldwin, Sara Bareilles, Staceyann Chin, John Cleese, Elvis Costello, Lena Dunham, Neil Gaiman, Roxane Gay, Masha Gessen, N.K. Jemisin, Saeed Jones, Jonathan Lethem, Morgan Parker, Orhan Pamuk, Dab Rather, Arundhati Roy, Rebecca Solnit, Gloria Steinem, Alice Waters, and others.
Tickets or RSVPs are required for admission to all Unbound events; some tickets include a copy of the book, distributed at the event. Click the "Buy Tickets" button below each event to reserve your seat through BAM.org. Featured Unbound books are for sale at 10% off at the Greenlight at BAM kiosk on the night of the event only.
These events will adhere to protocols developed in accordance with New York State regulations and in consultation with medical professionals for the safety of our artists, audiences, and staff. All tickets are general admission. The safety of BAM's audiences, staff, and artistic community is their top priority. All guests must show proof of vaccination at the entry points and masks must be worn at all times. Please visit BAM’s safety protocol page for the most up-to-date information.
BAM Unbound (BAMcafé):
Thursday, October 14, 7:00PM
Sarah Ruhl In conversation with Mary-Louise Parker
Launch of Smile: The Story of a Face
Part of the Fall 2021 Unbound series
Tickets: $25 access only, $45 with signed book
Co-presented by BAM and Greenlight Bookstore
In this intimate conversation, MacArthur “genius” and two-time Pulitzer finalist Sarah Ruhl is joined by writer-actress Mary-Louise Parker, winner of Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe awards, to celebrate the launch of Ruhl’s new memoir. In Smile: The Story of a Face, she explores her decade-long search for a cure for Bell's palsy following a high-risk pregnancy. In a series of witty and lucid meditations, Ruhl chronicles her experience as a patient, wife, working mom, and playwright. From the pain of postpartum depression to her desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness, she invites us on this profound and piercing journey.
Click here for tickets and more details through BAM
Sarah Ruhl is a playwright and writer of other things. Her 15 plays include In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play), The Clean House, and Eurydice. She is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee, and MacArthur “genius” Fellowship recipient. Her plays—produced on- and off-Broadway and internationally—are widely translated, and her book 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write was a New York Times Notable Book. She teaches at Yale School of Drama and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her three children.
Mary-Louise Parker is a Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe award-winning actress. Her writing has appeared in Esquire, The Riveter, Bust, and Bullet.
RUN TIME: 90min.
Signed books included with $45 bundled tickets can be picked up at BAM on the night of the event.
Event address:
Peter Jay Sharp Building, Lepercq Space/BAMcafé.
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
BAM Unbound: Ai Weiwei
Tuesday, November 2, 7:30PM
Launch of 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Co-presented by BAM, Greenlight Bookstore, and PEN America
Part of the Fall 2021 Unbound series
Tickets start at $40
All tickets include a copy of 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows to be picked up at the event.
Click here for tickets and more details through BAM
On Sale Dates
Fri Oct 01 BAM Members & Patrons
Wed Oct 06 General Public
“One of the most important artists working in the world today”—Financial Times
Join world-renowned artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei on the release date of his highly anticipated memoir, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows. While being held by Chinese authorities in 2011, Ai Weiwei decided to write a memoir about his extraordinary life and the legacy of his father Ai Qing, the nation’s most celebrated poet who was banished from society. At once ambitious and intimate, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression.
Ai Weiwei is one of the world’s most important living artists. Born in 1957, his sculptures and installations invite audiences to examine society at a deeper level. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2008 Chinese Contemporary Art Award; the 2015 Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International; and the 2012 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation. He lives in Cambridge, UK.
All tickets include a copy of 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows to be picked up at the event.
Event address:
Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
BAM Unbound: The 1619 Project
Monday, November 15, 7:30PM
Launch of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
With Nikole Hannah-Jones and Contributors to be Announced
Co-presented by BAM, Greenlight Bookstore, and the Lit. Bar
Part of the Fall 2021 Unbound series
Tickets start at $45
All tickets include a copy of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story to be picked up at the event.
Click here for tickets and more details through BAM
On Sale Dates
Fri Oct 01 BAM Members & Patrons
Wed Oct 06 General Public
Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and collaborators to celebrate the book launch of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. This expansion of the award-winning essay series from The New York Times Magazine is a groundbreaking work of journalism that reframes our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. With the publication date set for a day later, attendees will be some of the first to receive their copies of this innovative work that weaves together essays, poems, and works of fiction.
Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine and is the creator of the landmark “1619 Project”. She has received a MacArthur “genius” Fellowship, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards, and the 2018 John Chancellor distinguished journalism award. In 2016, Nikole co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. She was recently named the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University.
All tickets include a copy of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story to be picked up at the event.
Event address:
Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217