Early summer is here, and with it the hope for new beginnings. The literary world has not fully reopened with in-person gatherings — at least not as of press time — but the appetite for virtual gatherings continues unabated as people feel the need, perhaps now more than ever, to connect with the artists who inspire us, including the talented writers listed below who are featured in online events this month.
JUNE 3
New Directions Books’ 85th Anniversary
City Lights sponsors a virtual event honoring the 85th anniversary of another trailblazing independent publisher, New Directions Books, founded by the late poet James Laughlin. Emceed by Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Forrest Gander, guests include novelist Barbara Epler and ND editor Declan Spring.
6 p.m. | citylights.com
JUNE 3
The Salt Fields
Stacy D. Flood discusses his new novella, The Salt Fields, about a minister who takes a train from South Carolina to escape the ghosts of his murdered wife and drowned daughter.
6 p.m. | booksmith.com
JUNE 4
There Plant Eyes — A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness
Green Apple Books hosts author M. Leona Godin discussing her new book, There Plant Eyes — A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness with cultural critic and novelist Maggie Nelson.
6 p.m. | greenapplebooks.com
JUNE 8
Should We Stay or Should We Go
Book Passage features novelist Lionel Shriver (We Need to Talk About Kevin) in conversation with Zoe Strimpel about her new novel, Should We Stay or Should We Go, which deals with the aftermath of Alzheimer’s disease.
1 p.m. | bookpassage.com
JUNE 8
Light of Burning Dreams: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Second American Revolution
Talented siblings David Talbot (Season of the Witch) and Margaret Talbot, a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker, share the results of their collaboration By the Light of Burning Dreams: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Second American Revolution, which deals with the legacy of the ’60s and ’70s by examining figures from Bobby Seale to Tom Hayden, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
6 p.m. | citylights.com
JUNE 9
My Good Son
Bay Area writer Yang Huang launches her new novel, My Good Son, a tale of parental love in post-Tiananmen China.
6 p.m. | booksmith.com
JUNE 17
Culture Strike: Art and Museums in an Age of Protest
Laura Raicovich speaks of her timely new book, Culture Strike: Art and Museums in an Age of Protest, in conversation with activist Malkia Devich-Cyril.
6 p.m. | citylights.com
