KGB Bar is throwing a 10-day festival fundraiser with a slew of bestselling authors on the docket to read their works, including Joyce Carol Oates, Colum McCann and Jonathan Franzen and others who began their literary careers there. Authors will read their pieces on Zoom in front of a backdrop of the bar and colorful stained glass back bar, to create the illusion for readers and their audiences, wherever they are living now, that they are back in New York at an earlier time, in the iconic bar. KGB Bar is currently struggling to survive since the shutdown, although it's now officially open in a lesser capacity.
"It is thrilling to have some of the most celebrated authors of our time returning or participating for the first time in this fundraiser to help to see the bar and reading series through this challenging time," said Lori Schwarz, KGB's program coordinator.
Writers scheduled for the readings are:
Tuesday, November 17: Jonathan Franzen, Amity Gaige, Jason Brown
Wednesday, November 18: Michael Cunningham, A.M.Homes, Sheila Kohler
Tuesday, December 1: Francine Prose, Randi Dickson, Peter Ho Davies
Wednesday, December 2: Jennifer Egan, Victoria Redel, Ben Schrank
Saturday, December 5: Jonathan Safran Foer, Christine Schutt, Rick Moody
Tuesday, December 8: Jonathan Lethem, Karen Green, Aimee Bender
Wednesday, December 9: Billy Collins, Dani Shapiro, George Green
Tuesday, December, 15: Joyce Carol Oates, Finn Yekple, Philip Gourevitch