(The WBURG Reader) arts / w b u r g

The wburg Reader

The Editor of WBURG Picks Books for the Intrepid Williamsburger's Bookshelf

Susan Swenson is taking a break from her Reading Artists series (she'll be back next issue with another installment), so I thought now would be a good time to introduce a new feature called The WBURG Reader.

This section will feature a continually growing selection of books that every Williamsburger — resident, visitor, or virtual visitor — should read. Some are by Williamsburg or Brooklyn authors, some describe the area, others relate to struggles Williamsburgers face. And when you use these links to buy any of these books online through Powell's.com, you support WBURG. Through our association with Powell's, wburg.com receives a small percentage of sales generated through links on our pages. And if you have any more suggestions, especially books by Williamsburg authors that I've missed, please email me. So thanks, and happy reading.

Kirsten Hively is the editor and designer of wburg.com.

Appendices, Illustrations & Notes by Mónica de la Torre and Terence Gower A collaboration between Williamsburg resident and WBURG contributor Mónica de la Torre and conceptual artist Terence Gower, this appendix to a fictitious book is an anthology of meaningless book marketing blurbs, reviews of dubious exhibitions, evil-spirited notes by editors rejecting manuscripts, and obsessional letters to a psychiatrist. buy this book
The Kingdom of the Subjunctive by Suzanne Wise Poems by Williamsburg resident and WBURG contributor Suzanne Wise. buy this book
It Happened in Brooklyn by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer An oral history of growing up in Brooklyn in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. buy this book
Some Ether by Nick Flynn Poems by Williamsburg resident Nick Flynn. buy this book
Brooklyn Pops Up from the Brooklyn Public Library Think you're too old for pop-up books? Think again. From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Grand Army Plaza to Coney Island, a dozen illustrators and paper engineers such as Maurice Sendak, Robert Sabuda, Carla Dijs, and David A. Carter bring different aspects of Brooklyn to life in this wonderful book. This book is not in stock at Powells.com, but you can find it in the gift shop at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.
The Brooklyn Cookbook by Lyn Stallworth and Rod Kennedy, Jr. Brooklyn food — and culinary history — from soup to nuts. Just about every Brooklyn ethnicity is represented here: Polish, Hispanic, German, Italian, Scandinavian, Jewish, African, Haitian, Irish. buy this book
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith The classic coming of age tale set right here in Williamsburg. buy this book
Wild New York by Margaret Mittlebach and Michael Crewdson All about the flora and fauna of New York City (including the trees that grow in Brooklyn) and where to find it. Includes maps and directions to bird refuges, woods, lakes, and beaches where you can find anything from horseshoe crabs to locusts. buy this book
Brooklyn Kings: New York City's Black Bikers photos by Martin Dixon, essay by Greg Tate The other kind of wild New York. This book documents predominantly African American motorcycle clubs in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan. This huge subculture of urban road warriors is totally unknown to most New Yorkers. These black "biker gangs" — like the Jaguars, the Black Falcons, the Transit Wheelers, the Imperials, the Corpians, and the Uptown Riders — are really high-octane social clubs buy this book
The AIA Guide to New York by Elliot Willensky and Norval White The newly revised bible of New York City architecture (first published in 1967), neighborhood by neighborhood — including, of course, Williamsburg. Should be required reading for all residents. buy this book
The Rough Guide Phrasebooks Polish, Mexican Spanish, and Italian from The Rough Guide Talk to your neighbors, order lunch, or just decode store names with these great phrasebooks. Polish: buy this book
The Rough Guide Phrasebooks Mexican Spanish buy this book
The Rough Guide Phrasebooks Italian buy this book
Say It In Yiddish by Uriel Weinreich and Beatrice Weinreich A complete Yiddish phrase book and word list, with a pronunciation guide. buy this book

the Williamsburg quarterly = arts + context + listings (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)