New York, NY, September 27, 2004 -- In celebration of the New York Is Book Country (NYIBC) festival, The New York Public Library will host a series of special programs featuring prominent authors Andrea Barnet, Syata Massey, Colson Whitehead, and New York Times reporter Anemona Harticollis. For children, there are fun-filled, author-led workshops on how to create a picture book and bead jewelry with popular authors Tina Casey and Melanie Hope Greenberg. The programs will take place between Thursday, September 30 through Sunday, October 3. Admission to all events is free.

New York Is Book Country started in 1979 as a one-day street fair on ten blocks of Fifth Avenue, hosted by the city's rich variety of publishers and booksellers and intended to celebrate the joy of reading. It has evolved into a two-day festival on October 2 and 3, with the street fair taking place on Saturday, October 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This year marks the beginning of a new tradition in the 25 year history of NYIBC with the annual fall festival moving from Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park and surrounding areas of New York University's Campus. There will be a magical children's pavilion in Washington Square Park for kids of all ages. The public will be able to enjoy more opportunities to meet and interact with celebrated authors, participate in a host of new family-focused activities, and enjoy free panels on Saturday and Sunday, both indoors and outdoors on the NYU campus. Visit The New York Public Library's tent, located on the north corner of Washington Square South, directly across the street from Bobst Library. NYIBC is sponsored by The New York Times and New York University, in association with the book industry.

The following is a schedule of readings and events hosted by The New York Public Library. Come and celebrate the start of a new tradition!
 

Thursday, September 30
Morningside Heights Branch, 2900 Broadway, at 113th Street
6:00 p.m. "All Night Party: The Women of Bohemian Greenwich Village and Harlem, 1913-1930." In the early part of the twentieth century, New York City was a hotbed of creativity and scandal. Meet the women at the heart of it in this fascinating book by Andrea Barnet. This milieu included Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Edna St. Vincent Milay, Mabel Dodge, Gertrude Stein and many more.

Saturday, October 2
Bloomingdale Branch, 150 West 100th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues
2:00 p.m. "Author @ The Library." New York Times reporter Anemona Harticollis reads from and discusses her new book, Seven Days of Possibilities: One Teacher, 24 Kids and the Music That Changed Their Lives Forever.
Kips Bay Branch, 446 Third Avenue at East 31st Street
2:00 p.m.  "Mystery Author @ The Library." Sujata Massey, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning author for achievement in the mystery field and an Edgar Allen Poe Award finalist, reads from and discusses her new book, The Pearl River, set in the steamy world of elite restaurants.

Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street
2:00 p.m."Writers and Readers Together: A Book Discussion and Lecture." A book discussion and signing by Colson Whitehead, author of Collossus of New York, The Intuitionist, and John Henry Days.  His first novel, The Intuitionist, won the QPB New Voices Award and the 2002 NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award.

For Children

Saturday, October 2
Donnell Library Center - Central Children's Room, 20 West 53rd Street, bet. 5th and 6th Avenues
3:00 p.m. "Create Extraordinary Beads from Ordinary Materials." Learn how to make colorful and unusual beads from different kinds of paper scraps. Presented by writer and artist Tina Casey (Create Extraordinary Beads from Ordinary Materials, F & W Publications). For ages 5 to 12. Preregistration is required. Sponsored by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.

Sunday, October 3
Donnell Library Center - Central Children's Room, 20 West 53rd Street, bet. 5th and 6th Avenues
3:00 p.m. "Meet the Illustrator/Author: Melanie Hope Greenberg." Ms. Greenberg's most recent picture books include A City Is (Henry Holt ) by Norman Rosten and On My Street (Harper Festival) by Eve Merriam. She will talk about how picture books are created. Recommended for ages 6 and older. Sponsored by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.
 

The New York Public Library offers a wide variety of free programs for adults, young adults, and children at all 85 of its branches, located throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Visit the Library's website at www.nypl.org for further information.

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Contact: Debbie Bujosa, 212-704-8600.