The Smart Set is a weekly feature, compiled and posted by Lauren Cerand, that usually appears Mondays at 12:30 pm, 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 Ms. Cerand at lauren [at] maudnewton.com by the Thursday prior to publication. Due to the volume of submissions, events cannot be considered unless the date appears in the subject line of your message.
MON, NOV 10: Monday evening, join us for a glass of wine and The New Indie Novel Night, featuring Lawrence Shainberg (Crust, Two Dollar Radio, October) and Anne Landsman (The Rowing Lesson, Soho Press, November) at Book Culture [Full disclosure, as always: I put this event together and Shainberg and Landsman are my publicity clients]. 7PM, FREE.
TUE, NOV 11: “Adult Education welcomes a panel of presenters to speak on the theme of “Lies and Liars.” The line-up will include: D.E. Rasso, Lee Israel, Jill Stoddard, and Jim Hanas. All hosted by comedian Charles Star.” 8PM, $5.
WED, NOV 12: Nathaniel Bellows, who I met at not one but two rooftop masquerade parties at the Hotel Chelsea last week, reads his poems at Mixer. I expect to be highly entertained once again. 7PM, FREE. Also appealing: Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending, Littoral with John Reed and Michael Kimball.
THU, NOV 13: The iconic Paul Simon appears “One on One Live” with host Katherine Lanpher at the Union Square Barnes & Noble [Full disclosure, as always: I am the publicist for this event]. 7PM, FREE. And, Idlewild Books hosts a little party for Istanbul Noir,which sounds hot. 7PM, FREE.
FRI, NOV 14: At Village East, the New York premiere of War Child, “an award-winning documentary directed by C. Karim Chrobog, chronicles the tumultuous, shocking, inspiring, and ultimately hopeful odyssey of Emmanuel Jal. A former child soldier of Sudan’s brutal civil war, he is now an emerging international hip hop star sharing a message of peace for his war-torn land and his beloved Africa. In many ways, Jal’s life story mirrors his homeland: tragedy and terror mingling with hope and restoration.” Through November 20.
SAT, NOV 15: Counting the minutes ’til I can check out William Eggleston: Democratic Camera at The Whitney. Until then, I will console myself with his hilarious cameo in Cat Power’s video for “Lived in Bars.”
SUN, NOV 16: Lawrence Shainberg, author of Crust, reads as part of KGB’s Sunday Night Fiction along with Peter Selgin (Drowning Lessons; University of Georgia Press; Winner, 2007 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction) and Molly McNett (One Dog Happy; University of Iowa Press, 2008; Winner, John Simmons Short Fiction Award). 7PM, FREE.