The Smart Set is a weekly feature, compiled by Lauren Cerand, that usually appears Mondays at 12:30pm and highlights the best of the week to come. Special favor is given to New York’s independent booksellers and venues, and low-cost and free events. Please send details to lauren [at] maudnewton.com by the Thursday prior to publication, with the date in the subject line.
MONDAY, 9.10: Definitely spend today figuring out how to get on the list for this: “First up on the fall calendar is a completely new event — an art performance by bad-boy bohemian Aaron Young, who plans to cover the floor of the drill hall with 288 panels of plywood, forming a 128 x 72 foot “canvas” of fluorescent red, pink, orange and yellow paint, all covered with an opaque coat of black. In an invite-only performance scheduled for Sept. 17, 2007, ten motorcycle riders are going to make patterns of “burnouts” on the wood. The massive artwork is inspired by the 1943 Jackson Pollock action painting Greeting Card, and remains on view Sept. 18-23, 2007. The event is co-presented by the Art Production Fund” (quoted via Artnet).
TUESDAY, 9.11: Paul Auster’s The Inner Life of Martin Frost is showing at IFC. I haven’t seen it so I can’t vouch for it per se, but it looks good. I have, however, seen This is England twice.
WEDNESDAY, 9.12: “At King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU, a reading and discussion of Mexico: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, an anthology of Mexican fiction and literary prose with works by some of Mexico’s best-known authors. With editor C.M. Mayo, writers Monica Lavin and Pedro Angel Palou, and translators Harry Morales and Daniel Shapiro.” Recommended. 6PM, FREE. Plus, your chance to serendipitously be in the same place as your big fat crush, Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series, returns. 8PM, FREE.
THURSDAY, 9.13: “Upstairs at the Square” returns from its summer hiatus with Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of Half of a Yellow Sun [Full disclosure as always: I am very involved in this project] 7PM, FREE.
FRIDAY, 9.14: Alison Lurie and Kate Blackwell read as part of the excellent Paragraph Reading Series, with wine and cheese reception with the authors to follow. Highly recommended. 8PM, FREE.
WEEKEND: In New York: Brooklyn Book Festival, Sunday Salon, THE2NDHAND Mixtape NYC: Stories About Songs. Me, I’m going to Omaha!