National Book Awards Author Events

E.L. Doctorow reads from his novel Homer and Langley, and discusses his life as a writer, including why he left his job as Editor of Dial Press to write full-time, how writing one line lead to his latest novel, and he discusses the three things that will never fail you. The interview is followed by a Question and Answer session with moderator Daniel Menaker and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Wallace Shawn reads from his essays, and discusses his life as an actor and writer, followed by a Question and Answer session with moderator Daniel Menaker and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Germaine Greer reads from her latest book Shakespeare's Wife, and discusses her feminist views, followed by a Question and Answer session with moderator Katha Pollitt and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

A.M. Homes reads the story May We Be Forgiven, which appeared in Granta 100, and discusses her writing life, followed by a Question and Answer session with moderator Aoibheann Sweeney and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Art Spiegelman, the creator of several critically-acclaimed comic books, including the best-selling In the Shadow of No Towers, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust narrative Maus, participates in a Question and Answer with moderator Daniel Menaker and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

New York native Jimmy Breslin, a long-time investigative journalist, columnist and author, reads from his most recent book The Good Rat: A True Story. A Question and Answer with moderator Daniel Menaker and the audience follows. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Nathan Englander reads from his novel, The Ministry of Special Cases, followed by a Question and Answer with moderator Daniel Menaker and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Louise Erdrich reads from her story collection The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories, 1978 to 2008, followed by a Question and Answer with moderator Aoibheann Sweeney and the audience. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Featuring Christopher Carduff, Benjamin Cheever, Edward Hirsch, Daniel Menaker and Stewart O'Nan. Recorded as part of Madison Square Park Conservancy's free series of summer readings by notable authors in historic Madison Square Park. The National Book Awards and some of Maxwell's most prominent friends and admirers celebrate his centenary year with a lively evening of discussion and reminiscence. www.nationalbook.org

Featuring Christopher Carduff, Benjamin Cheever, Edward Hirsch, Daniel Menaker and Stewart O'Nan. Recorded as part of Madison Square Park Conservancy's free series of summer readings by notable authors in historic Madison Square Park. The National Book Awards and some of Maxwell's most prominent friends and admirers celebrate his centenary year with a lively evening of discussion and reminiscence. www.nationalbook.org

Shalom Auslander reads from his memoir, Foreskin's Lament, followed by a Q and A session with moderator, Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation, and the audience. Auslander discusses the abuse of religious authority he experienced as a child and how that informs his current professional and personal life and why he chose memior and not fiction to tell his story. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Poet Paul Muldoon reads from his poetry collection Horse Latitudes, followed by a Q and A session with moderator and poet, Edward Hirsch and the audience. Muldoon discusses what allows for the creation of great poetry, what it means to be a poet from Northern Ireland, and when he finds the time to write. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Peter Carey reads from his novel, His Illegal Self, followed by a Q and A session with moderator, Aoibheann Sweeney and the audience. Carey discusses the difficulty of writing American characters as an Australian, how class figures into his work, the difference between the U.S. and Australian class system, and how he begins work on a novel. Introduction by Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Author Deborah Eisenberg reads from her short story Revenge of the Dinosaurs, and during a question and answer session with moderator Aoibheann Sweeney (a former Eisenberg student) and the audience Eisenberg discusses her writing and revision process, teaching writing at a college level, and the impact of moving to New York from the Midwest. Introduction by Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org

Author George Saunders reads from his story Sea Oak and during a question and answer session with moderator Aoibheann Sweeney and the audience Saunders discusses (among other things) the writer's place in the political landscape, why he writes short stories versus novels, and the truthfulness found in fiction. Introduction by Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards. Recorded in the BAM Lepercq Space as part of the Eat, Drink and Be Literary reading series. Presented in partnership with BAM. www.nationalbook.org