Brooklyn Books & Booze Memories
Here’s a collection of the readers, attendees and atmosphere at the Brooklyn Books & Booze reading series, from its earliest days as Rooftop Readings at Ample Hills to the current iteration at Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room. Take a walk down memory lane with us!
Click on individual photo thumbnails to see a bigger version. If you see a photo you took and want credit, let me know; if there’s a picture of you here you don’t want on the web also let me know.
2023
May 16, 2023: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
The inaugural night of calling the reading series “Brooklyn Books & Booze,” and also the first time the reading series was housed in the newly-renovated Barrow’s.
Readers: AT Greenblatt, Kellye Garrett, Kathleen Alcala, Marilyn Simon Rothstein
Host: Randee Dawn
- AT Greenblatt, Kellye Garrett, Kathleen Alcala, Marilyn Simon Rothstein, Randee Dawn
- Kathleen Alcala
- Marilyn Simon Rothstein
- AT Greenblatt
- Kellye Garrett
- The audience
April 18, 2023: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
Barrow’s was undergoing reconstruction, so the room was a little tighter than usual.
Readers: Richie Narvaez, Katharine Duckett, Nadia Uddin, Rebecca Gomez Farrell
Host: Randee Dawn
- Richie Narvaez, Katharine Duckett, Nadia Uddin, Rebecca Gomez Farrell
- Books on display
- Nadia Uddin
- Richie Narvaez
- Katharine Duckett
- Rebecca Gomez Farrell
- Randee Dawn
- Richie Narvaez, Katharine Duckett, Nadia Uddin, Rebecca Gomez Farrell, Randee Dawn
March 21, 2023: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
Barrow’s was undergoing reconstruction, so the room was a little tighter than usual.
Readers: Fran Hawthorne, Julia Bartz, Randee Dawn, Nicholas Kaufman (official authors), plus James Ryan, Jason Richter who read briefly after being drawn by raffle.
Host: Randee Dawn
- Fran Hawthorne, Julia Bartz, Randee Dawn, Nicholas Kaufman
- Fran Hawthorne
- James Ryan
- Julia Bartz
- Jason Richter
- Randee Dawn
- Crowd
February 21, 2023: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
Barrow’s was about to undergo construction; the area where the reading took place is now where the bar lives.
Readers: Carol Gyzander, Leah Konen, Gordon Linzner, Sharang Biswas
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Carol Gyzander, Leah Konen, Gordon Linzner
- Gordon Linzner, Sharang Bizwas, Leah Konen, Carol Gyzander
- Gordon Linzner
- Leah Konen
- Carol Gyzander
- Sharang Biswas
- Audience
January 17, 2023: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
Barrow’s was about to undergo construction; the area where the reading took place is now where the bar lives.
Readers: Charles Barouch, Andrea Bartz, Karen Heuler, JD Scott
Host: Randee Dawn
- Charles Barouch, Andrea Bartz, Karen Heuler, JD Scott, Randee Dawn
- JD Scott
- Charles Barouch
- Karen Heuler
- Andrea Bartz
- Karen Heuler and the audience
- Amy Goldschlager, Karen Heuler
2022
November 29, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Though we didn’t know it at the time, this was the last reading series to be held in Ample Hills’ Gowanus location, which abruptly shut down before the December reading. So there is no December 2022 reading to record.
Readers: Christa Carmen, Chris Ryan, Leanna Renee Hieber, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
Host: Randee Dawn
- Christa Carmen, Chris Ryan, Leanna Renee Hieber, Randee Dawn, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
- Chris Ryan
- Christa Carmen
- Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
- Leanna Renee Hieber
- Audience
- Randee Dawn (Photo by Carol Gyzander)
October 18, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
A special reading from Even in the Grave, an anthology of ghost stories edited by Carol Gyzander and James Chambers.
Readers: Steven Van Patten, Marc L. Abbott, Randee Dawn, Amy Grech, Teel James Glenn, Gordon Linzner
Hosts: Carol Gyzander, James Chambers and Randee Dawn
- Steven Van Patten, James Chambers, Marc L. Abbott, Randee Dawn, Amy Grech, Teel James Glenn, Carol Gyzander, Gordon Linzner
- Amy Grech
- Gordon Linzner
- Marc L. Abbott
- Randee Dawn
- Steven Van Patten
- Teel James Glenn
- Carol Gyzander, James Chambers
September 20, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Though we didn’t know it at the time, this was the last outdoor rooftop reading at Ample Hills. (It got cold after that, then Ample Hills shuttered in December.)
Readers: Randee Dawn, Barbara Krasnoff, Jonathan Brazee, Robert V.S. Redick
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Barbara Krasnoff, Jonathan Brazee, Robert V.S. Redick
- Jonathan Brazee
- Robert V.S. Redick
- Barbara Krasnoff
- Barbara Krasnoff reading at a distance
August 16, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Book release celebration for host Randee Dawn’s Tune in Tomorrow, plus two other awesome authors.
Readers: Randee Dawn, Jonathan Vatner, C.S.E. Cooney
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Jonathan Vatner, C.S.E. Cooney
- Books on display
- Audience in twilight
- Jonathan Vatner
- Carlos Hernandez introducing C.S.E. Cooney
- C.S.E. Cooney and books
- C.S.E. Cooney
- Evening sky from the rooftop
- Maury Kestenbaum and Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn and champagne/whiskey table
- Audience at night
July 19, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Elizabeth Nunez, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Hildy Silverman, C.J. Farley
Host: Randee Dawn
- Elizabeth Nunez, Randee Dawn, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Hildy Silverman, C.J. Farley
- Hildy Silverman
- Elizabeth Nunez
- Audience (photo by Keith R.A. DeCandido)
- C.J. Farley
- Keith R.A. DeCandido
- Ample Hills ice cream
- Keith R.A. DeCandido and Joanna of Akashic Books at sale table
- Randee Dawn
June 21, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Lyn Liao Butler, A.C. Wise, Cam Rob, Nancy Lambert
Host: Randee Dawn
- Lyn Liao Butler, A.C. Wise, Cam Rob, Nancy Lambert, Randee Dawn
- Lyn Liao Butler
- Cam Rob
- Nancy Lambert
- A.C.Wise
- Audience
May 17, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Several issues interfered with this being a traditional rooftop reading; due to a family health scare Randee Dawn couldn’t host, so Amy Goldschlager took over. And a flood at the usual Gowanus location for Ample Hills meant the reading relocated to Ample Hills’ Prospect Park, Brooklyn location for the night. This was also the first anniversary of Rooftop Readings, which kicked off in May 2021.
Readers: Gayle Forman, E. Lockhart, Sam J. Miller
Host: Amy Goldschlager
- Gayle Forman, E. Lockhart, Sam J. Miller, Amy Goldschlager
- Gayle Forman, E. Lockhart, Sam J. Miller
April 19, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Kirthana Ramisetti, Karen Heuler, Michele Herman, Alex Shvartsman
Host: Randee Dawn
- Kirthana Ramisetti, Karen Heuler, Randee Dawn, Michele Herman, Alex Shvartsman
- Michele Herman
- Alex Shvartsman
- Karen Heuler
- “Protesters” Karen recruited for her story
- Kirthana Ramisetti
- Audience
March 15, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Finola Austin, Veronica Schanoes, Frederic S. Durbin
Host: Randee Dawn
- Finola Austin, Randee Dawn, Veronica Schanoes, Frederic S. Durbin
- Veronica Schanoes
- Finola Austin
- Frederic S. Durbin
February 15, 2022: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Due to a COVID surge, January’s reading wasn’t held. For February, we had a theme: All of the readers have had their works turned into TV shows or movies — or wrote about Hollywood.
Readers: David Fisher, Liz Braswell, David Mack
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Liz Braswell, David Mack, David Fisher
- David Fisher
- Liz Braswell
- David Mack
2021
December 21, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Monique Laban, Amy Grech, Sam Schreiber
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Monique Laban, Amy Grech, Sam Schreiber
- Monique Laban
- Sam Schreiber
- Amy Grech
November 16, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Ellen Kushner, Chandler Klang Smith, John Foster
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Ellen Kushner, Chandler Klang Smith, John Foster
- Chandler Klang Smith
- Ellen Kushner
- Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman and friend
- Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman and friend
- John Foster
- Audience
- More Audience
October 19, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Alex Richards, Carlos Hernandez, Victor Piniero
Host: Randee Dawn
- Alex Richards, Carlos Hernandez, Victor Piniero
- Alex Richards
- Victor Piniero
- Carlos Hernandez
- Randee Dawn and audience
- Carlos Hernandez and Victor Piniero
September 28, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Elaine Isaak, C.S.E. Cooney, Randee Dawn
Host: Randee Dawn
- Elaine Isaak, C.S.E. Cooney, Randee Dawn
- Elaine Isaak reading
- C.S.E. Cooney reading
- Randee Dawn reading
- Ice cream and Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn and Elaine Isaak
- Randee Dawn and Nicholas Kaufmann
- Audience
August 17, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
A lovely evening out that brought an unexpected guest: A hawk landed on a nearby roof. Clearly he knew that reader Carrie Laben was the author of A Hawk In the Woods.
Readers: Steven Van Patten, Nicholas Kaufmann, Carrie Laben
Host: Randee Dawn
- Steven Van Patten, Randee Dawn, Nicholas Kaufmann, Carrie Laben
- Carrie Laben
- Steven Van Patten
- Nicholas Kaufmann
- Chandler Klang Smith, Nicholas Kaufmann, Carrie Laben
July 21, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Usual host Randee Dawn was out of town, so James Chambers took over as host, presenting readers sharing stories from Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign, the anthology he co-edited.
Readers: Kathleen Scheiner, Marc L. Abbott, Carol Gyzander
Host: James Chambers
- Kathleen Scheiner, James Chambers, Marc L. Abbott, Carol Gyzander (Photo by Carol Gyzander)
- Marc L. Abbott (Photo by Carol Gyzander)
- Kathleen Scheiner (Photo by Carol Gyzander)
- James Chambers (Photo by Carol Gyzander)
- Carol Gyzander (Photo by James Chambers)
June 15, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
Readers: Sarah Kozloff, James Chambers, Sam J. Miller
Host: Randee Dawn
- Randee Dawn, Sam J. Miller, James Chambers, Sarah Kozloff
- Sarah Kozloff
- James Chambers
- Sam J. Miller
- Sam J. Miller and Audience
- Audience
- Kathleen Scheiner, Carol Gyzander, James Chambers (Photo by Alp Beck, Alp Horizons Publishing,LLC)
- James Chambers, Carol Gyzander
- Street Signs from rooftop
- Collage (Photos by Jason Stack)
May 18, 2021: Ample Hills (Rooftop Readings)
The first-ever Rooftop Reading at Ample Hills was an unqualified success, with amazing readers, an engaged audience and lots of delicious ice cream. (Plus some safety guidelines since there was still a lot of caution over social distancing.)
Readers: Alex Shvartsman, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Mary Fan
Host: Randee Dawn
- Keith R.A. DeCandido, Alex Shvartsman, Randee Dawn, Mary Fan
- Alex Shvartsman
- Randee Dawn
- Mary Fan
- Keith R.A. DeCandido
- Ample Hills pandemic guidelines
- Audience
- Alex Shvartsman, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Mary Fan, Randee Dawn