Since its debut in 2014, Seriously Entertaining has featured a range of acclaimed authors and performers sharing deeply personal stories in intimate settings, first at City Winery, then at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in New York City. These writers have made us laugh, cry, and ponder life’s many mysteries. Since spring of 2020, we have featured writers on our virtual stage—livestreamed into homes around the country and across the world. Throughout the pandemic, Seriously Entertaining has remained true to its name, offering dynamic programming, often when we needed it most, highlighting the storytelling talents of a diverse range of authors, from Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists to acclaimed novelists and poets, as well as comedians, musicians, and emerging writers.
Seriously Entertaining returns to its home on stage at Joe’s Pub in the new year. We invite you to visit SpeakEasy’s past programs on our YouTube channel, via livestream, through our podcast. You can also follow us on Instagram where we regularly share memorable moments from our past eight years. And don’t forget to sign up for updates about future shows here.
October 2024: Be Not Afraid
In October, Seriously Entertaining’s speakers delved into the unknown, the scary, and the powerful with the theme “Be Not Afraid.” Professor of American Studies and author of American Scary: A History of Horror, From Salem to Stephen King and Beyond Jeremy Dauber spoke about his childhood run-ins with horror movies and how his fear of those films dictated his life, and how he ultimately learned to embrace them; Jive Poetic, founder of the Brooklyn Poetry Slam and author of the innovative memoir Skip Tracer, shared two poems and described the incredible journey he undertook to learn about his ancestors; Pushcart Prize-winning author of the story collection Green Frog Gina Chung examined her childhood love of being afraid, suggesting that our greatest fears are rooted in the things we most desire; and award-winning journalist and author of The Movement Clara Bingham shared her journey across the country, when she conducted powerful and intimate interviews with women about their fight for a woman’s right to choose—and her discovery that one of the stories she missed the chance to tell was her mother’s.
September 2024: Moments of Clarity
In September, Seriously Entertaining returned to Joe’s Pub for its first show of the fall 2024 season: “Moments of Clarity.” Author and professor of history and gender studies Rebecca Davis shared what she discovered when researching her new book—rather than defining the “norms,” it’s the variation in individual stories that really make up the history of human sexuality. Debut novelist and Deputy Director of Women in Leadership for The Gates Foundation Iris Mwanza recounted a profound conversation with her dying mother about the meaning of death that ended up teaching her about life. Opera composer and memoirist Ricky Ian Gordon imparted a story that delved into the power of myth and the power of poetry, each of which inspired him during overwhelming periods of grief. New York Times-bestselling author and Peabody award-winning journalist Sebastian Junger revealed the terror he felt during a near-death experience, and the wisdom that helped him see death as an honor and an act of love.
June 2024: Looking for the Exit
The theme for June’s show was “Looking for the Exit,” but our audience was glued to their seats as four fantastic writers took the stage at Joe’s Pub. Author of the cult classic novella Women Chloe Caldwell shared the question her stepdaughter asked her that created a “before” and “after” in Chloe’s life and changed the way she saw herself. NAACP Award-winning actor and author of Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? Jay Ellis introduced us to Mikey, his childhood imaginary friend, and shared how his search for “real” friends led him to a dangerous encounter. Award-winning author of Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space Adam Higginbotham “turned every page” in his research for his new book, discovering the 600-page memoir of one of the scientists who worked on the Challenger and the profound insight he shared. Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU and author of 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed Eric Klinenberg inspired us with the story of Nuala O’Doherty, a woman who created a mutual aid network in early 2020, and how people like her will help make the world a better place.
May 2024: The Chance Won’t Come Again
In May, our Seriously Entertaining speakers took on the theme “The Chance Won’t Come Again.” Publisher of Evergreen Review, co-founder of OR Books, and author of The Fast John Oakes shared what is gained by absence and his unexpectedly peaceful experience in (and immediately out of) an anechoic chamber. Co-founder and CEO of Zibby Books, podcast creator and host, and author of Blank: A Novel Zibby Owens challenged us to just say yes to the opportunities that life offers, sharing her chance adventure in Minnesota at the Mall of America. Tribal chairman, playwright, and author of The Forgetters Greg Sarris delighted us with the playful ways he used stereotypes of American Indians to toy with film producers and publishers and his goal to share traditional stories that teach us how to live a better life. Columbia professor, co-founder of the “Not Your Biwi” improv group, and author of The Way You Make Me Feel Nina Sharma discussed how Hindi, which once seemed to separate her from those around her, became an important touchpoint between her and her husband.
Watch videos from the show here.
March 2024: Off the Record
Our March Seriously Entertaining speakers went off script and behind-the-scenes, telling never-before-told stories on the theme “Off the Record.” National Magazine Award-winning writer Hilary Leichter shared memories from her early 20’s working as an assistant for a wealthy micro-celebrity obsessed with her legacy, musing on the things people hope we remember about them and what we actually do. Public intellectual, professor, and writer of the forthcoming We Have Never Been Woke Musa al-Gharbi spoke about how sometimes our feelings and arguments don’t always align with research data, particularly when it comes to politics. Former Division One linebacker and author of The Redshirt Corey Sobel remembered his childhood dream of playing college football, how his goal changed once he achieved it, and the record he holds over famed linebacker Dick Butkus. New York Times-bestselling author Lauren Grodstein recalled a family trip to Warsaw in 2019 and the unexpected detour where she discovered long-hidden stories that inspired her research and latest book.
Watch videos from the show here.
February 2024: Just One of Those Things
In February, our Seriously Entertaining speakers took on a theme inspired by Cole Porter: “Just One of Those Things.” Former Random House copy chief and author of the bestselling Dreyer’s English Benjamin Dreyer told a story about the book he read as a child that taught him perfection is achievable, launching his 30-year career perfecting the writing of some of today’s greatest authors; bestselling author and contributor writer for The Atlantic Bianca Bosker shared how art made her feel like an outsider not in on the joke until going behind the scenes into artists’ studios helped her finally understand; journalist and award-winning author Ava Chin recalled growing up in Queens longing for a relationship with her father, the “Prince of Chinatown,” and how her paternal grandfather reached through the film between ghost world and ours to share the story of her family and early Chinese-American life; and The New Yorker cartoonist and author Roz Chast had the audience laughing to the point of tears as she narrated her own cartoons and shared how her fascination with dreams inspired her work, and how we should look at dreams in our own lives.
January 2024: Long Story Short
This January, Seriously Entertaining rang in a new year at Joe’s Pub with the theme “Long Story Short.” Cocktails and spirits expert Noah Rothbaum delved into Winston Churchill’s role in bringing liquor to the US during Prohibition and his apocryphal role in creating The Manhattan; award-winning war reporter and writer Jane Ferguson talked about coming in from the frontlines to find that NYC was not quite the Sex and the City fantasy she imagined; bestselling novelist and founding editor of The Believer Ed Park examined the question, “What is history?” as he compared the Korea he created in his new novel with the one in which his father grew up; and Yale Law professor and one of Time’s 100 most influential people Amy Chua shared her story about writing a poorly received market report that prompted hundreds of rejections but ultimately led to her greatest success.
November 2023: In Being Bold
Seriously Entertaining returned to Joe’s Pub in November with the theme “In Being Bold.” Virginia Tech professor and author of Against Technoableism Ashley Shew described the “surely disabled future” that humans will soon face; former Microsoft engineer and author of the forthcoming Literary Theory for Robots Dennis Yi Tenen told the story of his trip halfway around the world to answer the ever-relevant and concerning question for many: how did machines learn to write so well?; National Book Award winner and author of Wild Girls Tiya Miles recalled her anxious memories of moving to Montana after growing up in the Midwest and shared the story of Mary Fields, who boldly took on the vast unknown; and Princeton professor and author of the forthcoming Imagination: A Manifesto Ruha Benjamin grappled with who gets to be bold and how boldness forgets the present in its attempt to shape the future.
October 2023: What Goes Around
Seriously Entertaining explored “What Goes Around” at Joe’s Pub in October. Burlesque performer and writer Fancy Feast recalled the peculiar habits of the wealthy patrons that fed her cake while she worked at a Seven Deadly Sins-themed party; acclaimed novelist Isle McElroy remembered the complicated family dynamics that inspired one of their first essays, from fond memories of their stepfather to the discovery that made Isle question their whole relationship; author and reporter Nick McDonell told the story of war, family, and espionage from the perspective of an Iraqi woman who became a spy for the Iraq military; and New York Times-bestselling author Ben Greenman shared a full circle moment about his failed biography-turned-novel and how it catapulted him into an unexpected career of collaborating with celebrities, including the very person he first tried to write about.
September 2023: Fortune Favors
This September, Seriously Entertaining returned to Joe’s Pub with theme “Fortune Favors.” Historian and author Jonathan D. Cohen painted a picture of an average lottery player and explained how the states are betting on the lottery as much as the players; acclaimed novelist and documentary filmmaker Hannah Rothschild reminisced on the beginning of her later-in-life writing career and the fortune teller that predicted how it would begin.; award-winning poet and novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths remembered what fortune felt like as a young, broke poet attending a writer’s conference where authors and creators gave her a glimpse of her future; and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New Yorker staff writer Lawrence Wright played a song from his novel Mr. Texas (which he originally wrote as a musical), and recalled his journey of learning piano as an adult surrounded by music prodigies.
JUNE 2023: ALL THAT GLITTERS
Writers shared their golden wisdom at Joe’s Pub for Seriously Entertaining’s last show of the spring season, “All That Glitters.” War reporter and CEO of The Reckoning Project: Ukraine Testifies Janine di Giovanni ruminated on the wars and genocides she experienced that motivated her to investigate war crimes; acclaimed writer and translator Daniel Nieh recalled his time as a translator for McDonalds executives during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; award-winning novelist and professor Ivy Pochoda recalled her journey from professional squash player living in Amsterdam to accidentally becoming a writer of mystery novels; and New York Times–bestselling science writer Eliot Schrefer shared his research on the sexual habits of wild animals and of queerness that lives in the wild.
MAY 2023: PLAYING WITH FIRE
Seriously Entertaining brought four sizzling speakers to Joe’s Pub with our May theme of “Playing with Fire.” 2023 Gotham Book Prize–winner, short-story writer, and teacher Sidik Fofana recalled the year of thievery at his school and the lengths to which he went to catch the culprit; Loewe Award-winning playwright Mia Chung mused on writing from the perspective of non-native English speakers and remembered her first language: Mom and Dad; writer, vocalist, and sound artist LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs remembered her short stint working as a stripper when she was 19 years old and how that lead to her second book Village; and New York Times culture writer and novelist Nina Siegal expanded on one of the seven diaries on which she chose to base her writing, and how these ordinary documents give us a clear window into their lives.
MARCH 2023: THE ROAD AHEAD
This March, Seriously Entertaining came to Joe’s Pub with the theme “The Road Ahead”. Award-winning journalist, Vanity Fair writer-at-large, and author of seven books Marie Brenner told the story of the doctor and the tapeworm that inspired a generation of doctors—including the one and only Dr. Tony Fauci, Anthony Award–winning writer of mysteries, comics, and podcasts Alex Segura took us back to the comics scene of the 1970s to reflect on a college assignment that led to his bestselling novel Secret Identity, poet, historian, and author of The Wonder Paradox, Jennifer Michael Hecht recalled how she came to offer people “prescriptions of poetry” as guidance and ritual, and Columbia University linguist, New York Times writer, and author of more than twenty books, including Nine Nasty Words, John McWhorter illustrated how 20 languages—out of 7,000 currently—will become dominant in 100 years.
FEBRUARY 2023: NEVER SAY NEVER
Joe’s Pub was host to four speakers saying yes to Seriously Entertaining in February with “Never Say Never.” Lincoln Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence and one of the Kennedy Center’s NEXT 50 Mahogany L. Browne shared the origin story of her new poetry collection Chrome Valley and how a chorus of no’s from publishers eventually turned into a bidding war, journalist, food critic, and children’s book author Joshua David Stein shook it up on stage with dance moves from his audition for an off-Broadway musical, punctuating his belief in the power of just saying yes, professor and author of the novel A Country You Can Leave, Asale Angel-Ajani recalled the lead-up to the release of her first nonfiction work, when a psychic foretold a meeting with Brad Pitt and what that would mean for those she was trying to help, and founder of The Progress Network, commentator, and author of 13 books, Zachary Karabell shared the story behind his book, Inside Money, challenging the idea that capitalism in this country will never change—never say never, after all.
JANUARY 2023: THIS IS THE PLACE
In January, Joe’s Pub was the place to be as Seriously Entertaining kicked off the winter season and welcomed another year with “This is the Place.” Bestselling author of The Latecomer and The Plot Jean Hanff Korelitz recalled her “Tom Hanks story” from her vacation in Amish country—but no, not that Tom Hanks—and how that changed the way she felt about her own moral identity, world-renowned anthropologist and Guggenheim Fellow Setha Low spoke about her experience studying a Costa Rican plaza and the dramatic social changes that came with “cleaning it up,” award-winning short story writer Saïd Sayrafiezadeh revealed how smoking cigarettes saved his life—and how writing his story through fiction was more truthful than nonfiction could have ever been, and acclaimed essayist and fiction writer Michael Frank took us on a journey back to the vibrant world of Jewish Rhodes through his relationship with Stella Levi, celebrating the magic of the place and how it continued on with Stella.
OCTOBER 2022: LIFE, LIBERTY & OTHER PURSUITS
Seriously Entertaining explored “Life, Liberty & Other Pursuits” at Joe’s Pub in October. Documentarian and author Douglas Rushkoff recalled advising tech billionaires about the thing they won’t be able to buy or program their way out of the end of the world, social justice lawyer and author Sofia Ali-Khan offered stories of moments in U.S. history where liberty was “slippery” and how they compelled her to move her family to Canada, author and Columbia University professor Roosevelt Montás spoke about emigrating from the Dominican Republic to Queens as a child and how that journey sparked his belief in the importance of a liberal arts education, and journalist, novelist, and playwright George Packer told the story of his time with the Peace Corps in Africa and the near-death experience that was anything but.
SEPTEMBER 2022: BETWEEN THE LINES
Seriously Entertaining discovered what was “Between the Lines” at Joe’s Pub with its September show–the first of the fall season. Screenwriter and essayist Julie Klam described a psychic encounter she sought in her search for truth, and the surprising revelations that came after, author and zoologist Bill Schutt got personal with a story about eating a stranger’s placenta—all in the name of science, of course, award-winning novelist James Hannaham recalled his happiest of memories: how he caused his parents’ divorce, and novelist and Fordham University professor Stacey D’Erasmo revealed her process for researching novels and an experience that was so moving there were no words to capture it.
JUNE 2022: BEING AND BECOMING
The spring 2022 season of Seriously Entertaining took a bow at Joe’s Pub this June with one final show, “Being and Becoming.” Novelist and author Zakiya Dalila Harris reflected on her journey from wanting to shy away from the spotlight of “other” to finding the confidence in her own voice, writer and creative director Jen Winston confirmed classic stereotypes about bisexuals and threesomes and how those played a role in discovering her own sexual liberation, debut novelist David Santos Donaldson shared the story of his reckoning with what it means to be Black in America from the perspective of a native Bahamian who understood race as a rainbow and not black and white, and Tony Award–nominated playwright and poet Sarah Ruhl described losing her ability to smile when diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy and how, with the help of her daughter, she learned how a smile can mean so much more through words and action.
APRIL 2022: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
In April, Seriously Entertaining made its spring return to Joe’s Pub with its opening show, “Behind Closed Doors.” The Daily Beast writer Kelly Weill shared the history of the town whose citizens went from believing the Earth was flat to placing globes in every classroom, debut novelist Xochitl Gonzalez reminisced on her past life as a wedding planner and a devious scheme she cooked up with one mother-of-the-bride, New York Times bestselling author, actress, and former MTV VJ Karen “Duff” Duffy dispensed red-hot candies and spicy bon mots on the subject of love in all its forms, and award-winning novelist, playwright, journalist, and essayist Colm Tóibín read a poem about going behind closed doors at The White House and mused on being a gay Irishman in America on St. Patrick’s Day.
MARCH 2022: LONG, STRANGE TRIP
Seriously Entertaining took a “Long, Strange Trip” across the globe with its March online event. Hosted by special guest Annabelle Gurwitch, award-winning writer and publisher Ilan Stavans shared the story of a nightmarish plane ride and emergency layover that gave him a new perspective on humanity, acclaimed novelist Kaitlyn Greenidge described a move to Alaska which forced her to meet her fears head-on and how her perspective on that experience changed over time, and Russia expert, author, and writer of The Atlantic’s Peacefield newsletter Tom Nichols reflected on coming full-circle on Cold War fears and anxiety.
FEBRUARY 2022: A ROSE BY ANOTHER NAME
Our first show back at Joe’s Pub in two years, February’s edition of Seriously Entertaining presented four names with “A Rose by Another Name.” At this monumental event, public intellectual and activist Grace Lavery shared the moment where she found her voice and made a life-changing decision, acclaimed thriller writer Paul Vidich told stories of the “Romeos and Juliets” (the spies and their partners) who inspired his novel, producer and writer Dan Charnas reflected on how a name can change so much about an artist (as well as impact the recognition they receive), and award-winning screenwriter and novelist Rebecca Chace described her discovery of a box containing memories from another time, which let her see another version of herself through a poem of her mother’s.
JANUARY 2022: COME TOGETHER
Eclectic voices “Come Together” in the January 2022 return of Seriously Entertaining. Senior writer for FiveThirtyEight and game theorist Oliver Roeder revealed how his love of games comes from his family, award-winning novelist Weike Wang told stories about her best friend and their love of travel (as well as Weike’s penchant for pulling pranks), documentarian and founder of Subway Book Review Uli Beutter Cohen described how her German mother befriended a Japanese bread-maker with just one look, reminding us all how easy it is to bring people together, and investigative reporter Andrea Elliott shared the story of two sisters torn apart, but who found their way back to each other at a train station in Queens.
MAY 2021: I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM
May saw four speakers shout about “I Scream, You Scream” in Seriously Entertaining’s online show. Bestselling and award-winning journalist, food, and travel writer Larry Olmsted shared how sports united a city after a terrible trauma; award-winning journalist and podcast creator/host Amber Hunt looked at our current fascination with true crime and notes that this isn’t a new phenomenon; critically-acclaimed debut novelist Gabriela Garcia looked at how an experience she had when she was younger inspired her to want to tell women’s stories; distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown Nancy Sherman talked about how the teachings of the Stoics helped her cope with her husband’s collision…with a deer.
APRIL 2021: ONLY HOME WE’VE EVER KNOWN
Seriously Entertaining welcomed our April speakers home to its online stage with “Only Home We’ve Ever Known.” Peacebuilder and scholar Séverine Autesserre shared the story of a community which came together to achieve peace and build a future for a young man. Novelist and journalist Sanjena Sathian remembered two stories, each set in an American “box” store, which sparked her imagination and led to her independence from her parents. Science and nature writer Michelle Nijhuis looked at a significant moment in the conservation movement – the saving of the bald eagle. Actress, TV host, NPR commentator, and author Annabelle Gurwitch returned to our stage to tell the hilarious story of a what happened when she took in a French boarder…who really loved bacon.
MARCH 2021: FROM THIS MOMENT ON
March’s lineup shared their life-changing events on our online stage with “From This Moment On.” New York Times bestselling YA writer Nic Stone recounted how the birth of her sons, racial tensions in the country, and the Divergent series propelled her to write books centered around black characters. Founding Director of Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative Avi Loeb reminded us all that as humans we occupy only a tiny portion of the universe and should remain curious about the many worlds we have yet to discover. Journalist, essayist, and novelist Mary H.K. Choi reflected on her eating disorder, her family’s immigrant story, and the importance of spending time with those we love amidst a hustle culture society. And, Jeanne Córdova Prize–winning memoirist Melissa Febos revisited childhood a memory that made her rethink the often-normalized behavior of bullying and abuse.
FEBRUARY 2021: I HAVE DREAMED
Our February edition of Seriously Entertaining took to the online stage to ask our speakers what “I Have Dreamed.” Creative nonfiction writer Matthew Gavin Frank described encountering the doppelganger of his terrifying high school gym teacher while researching his new book, coming to terms with past trauma, and the recurring dream it prompted. Poet and teacher Sheri Booker shared how she used her practical work experience to reach her dream of being a professional writer. New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella related hearing a voice from the Divine Female which started a journey to bring back balance to the universe. And award-winning novelist and screenwriter Walter Mosley talked about the theft of his father’s work which stopped him from wanting to see his work published and how that sparked Walter’s legendary career.
JANUARY 2021: YOU DON’T SAY
In the first show of the new year and our 2021 season, our speakers said the unsayable with “You Don’t Say.” Math prodigy Milo Beckman told a story where he discovered what you can’t say at a Philosophy of Physics conference. Investigative journalist Amelia Pang unearthed a story that the Chinese government wasn’t talking about and how it impacts Americans. Translator Jennifer Croft discussed those things in other languages that you can’t quite say in English and how to capture the same feeling and meaning. And, legendary columnist Ellis Cose shared the true history of the First Amendment and when free speech became a right that was upheld and the challenges and discussions that surround the freedom.
NOVEMBER 2020: UP IN SMOKE
As Seriously Entertaining’s 2020 season went “Up in Smoke,” our November writers reflected on what persists. Throughout the pandemic, Mike Soto has resisted the urge to be nostalgic, but a memory of his annual trip to Michoacán in honor of Day of the Dead lingers to this day. Merrill Markoe, a longtime resident of Los Angeles, offered advice on how to evacuate your home when fires are raging, with special tips for the men who stand on their roofs with garden hoses. Aaron Hutcherson, finance executive turned chef, recalled a job as a summer camp cook one year when he watched someone nearly go “up in smoke” herself. Rebecca Onion ruminated on the allure of old encyclopedias, and the artists who repurpose them, and how she decided to finally bid her own collection “adieu.”
OCTOBER 2020: NERVES OF STEEL
Our October show asked writers on the online stage to bear their “Nerves of Steel.” Essayist and musician Melissa Faliveno talked about “No Fear” t-shirt and motto for life and what she found took true bravery, award-winning young adult novelist Lilliam Rivera described how even best laid (birth) plans can go awry and sometimes letting go is the smartest thing to do, playwright and memoirist Roger Rosenblatt shared how he faked it until he made it and that you never get that for which you do not ask, and award-winning author and naturalist Helen Macdonald took us on a past trip to Chile where she had to face her greatest fear and what that revealed about what is really important in life.
SEPTEMBER 2020: ALL GOOD THINGS
Seriously Entertaining’s September show interrogated positivity with the night’s theme, “All Good Things.” Philosopher Ian Olasov remembered his mom’s best friend Sherry, a true optimist and storyteller, whose life taught him that philosophy can only fathom so much. Nick Flynn guided a meditation on his past five months in quarantine, reflecting on the trauma of the pandemic and racism. Liara Tamani shared a story about a recent summer road trip she and her boyfriend took in Texas, during which she felt the full weight of her grief and accessed the purpose of her art. Michael Ian Black recalled a fateful family vacation in Nantucket when he learned the hard way that he was not as progressive a father as he had previously thought.
AUGUST 2020: THOSE WERE THE DAYS
Blasting into the past, August asked writers to look back on the theme “Those Were The Days.” Rion Amilcar Scott remembered his days of “doorbell ditching” and one particular afternoon when a school janitor chased him and his crew down. Kevin Mattson reflected on his experience during the 1980s, the decade of Ronald Reagan, looming nuclear war, and punk rock. Jeff VanderMeer related how his attempt to be the “fun” stepdad to his stepdaughter and her friends during a trip to Chuck E. Cheese resulted in a fateful run-in with a giant rat. Charles Yu revisited a pre-quarantine day spent with his family last winter at the Oakland Science Center and the sense of “future nostalgia” he felt for his children’s youth.
JULY 2020: ARE WE THERE YET?
As we inched through the pandemic, Seriously Entertaining’s July speakers mused on “Are We There Yet?” New Yorker writer and best-selling author Maria Konnikova led us through the victories–and growing pains–of poker; distinguished professor and curator Gretchen Sorin told two stories about the courage and perseverance of African Americans traveling through Jim Crow America; cultural critic and PEN/Civitella fellow Sameer Pandya recalled letting go of others’ voices to engage his own,and New York Times bestselling writer and New Yorker cartoonist and children’s book author Drew Dernavich reflected on the thin line between art and vandalism.
JUNE 2020: OTHER SIDE OF REASON
Four speakers faced the “Other Side of Reason” in Seriously Entertaining’s June show. Professor and political commentator Mark Blyth delved into the paradoxes of the term reason, and how anger defines what we deem is beyond reason. Through a story about her father’s contradictions, critically-acclaimed novelist Marina Budhos explained that doing unreasonable things can be the essence of parenting. Whiting Award-winning memoirist Jaquira Díaz told the story of a mother convicted of murdering her child, and the correspondence they formed over the years. Rona Jaffe Woman Writer’s Award-winning poet Gabrielle Calvocoressi discussed adapting to life in a pandemic and hoping for a hug.
MAY 2020: ALL IN DUE TIME
The time was right as writers riffed on Seriously Entertaining’s May theme, “All in Due Time.” Author and chef Bill Buford revealed his personal interpretation of the evening’s theme: “All in my own due time, all in my time, overdue.”New Yorker “Comma Queen” Mary Norris matched her family members to their corresponding counterparts in the pantheon of Greek gods. Executive Director of The Art Students League of New York Michael Rips shared the story of his friend Paul, an eccentric vendor at the Chelsea Flea Market. New York Times reporter Jennifer Steinhauer recounted the intimate research that went into her book on the women of the 116th Congress.
APRIL 2020: GOING THE DISTANCE
No matter how far away we were in April, writers came together on Seriously Entertaining’s online stage to explore the theme, “Going the Distance.” Paul Lisicky remembered one summer Carnival in Provincetown, MA, and how a costume mishap revealed something essential about his relationship to the place. Jeff Sharlet told the story of Charly “Africa” Keunang’s life and his death, and mused on how things could have been otherwise. Maternal-fetal medicine doctor Chavi Eve Karkowsky, MD, reflected on one woman’s journey through a very high-risk pregnancy.
MARCH 2020: AS GOOD AS GOLD
For our first show taking on the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, we released four “As Good as Gold” stories as a podcast. This episode features Anne Nelson, journalist and author of the book Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right examining the 2016 election, how it went unpredictably wrong, and what religious radio shows in the Midwest had to do with it; artist, activist, and author of the book Stop Telling Women to Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We’re Taking Back Our Power, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh sharing how her art expresses who she is as a woman… a woman who isn’t always polite; and Philip Kennicott, Washington Post art and architecture critic and author of Counterpoint: A Memoir of Bach and Mourning talking about finding Nathan, the greatest dog in the world… except for Nathan’s one significant flaw. This episode features songs “The Royal Telephone” and “City of Gold,” plus a brief portion of “The Goldberg Variations.”
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
JANUARY 2020: FEAST YOUR EYES
Seriously Entertaining’s “Feast Your Eyes” January show at Joe’s Pub was stocked with visual wonders. Using imagery from her graphic memoir Good Talk, Mira Jacob told the story of her arranged courtship gone awry. Artist Ken Buhler took a trip to London with his son, where unknowingly, they honored the memory of his late wife. Writer Nancy Princenthal looked to the artists of the 1970s to see how they approached and reimagined themes of sexual violence. Artist Rachel Feinstein told the origin story of her tattoo and how it became a testament to femininity, decay, and the cyclicality of life.
View photos from the show.
NOVEMBER 2019: FOR GOOD MEASURE
In November, Seriously Entertaining got extra, ending the fall 2019 season with the theme “For Good Measure.” Journalist James Geary meditated on the root meanings of our daily metaphors, arguing that “the way we get to the bottom of things is through metaphor.” “We all remember where we were the night of November 8, 2016,” said reporter and author Nina Burleigh, as she recounted her night covering the Republican election party. At age 7, Monique Truong thought if she ate American food, she could become American. So she taught herself, via Fannie Farmer, how to bake the American way. Maggie Paxson is an anthropologist by day and a big band singer by night. In the intersection of these two paths, she learned how to cure her fear of lightning.
View photos from the show.
OCTOBER 2019: INTO THE SILENCE
October saw speakers use their voices to dive into Seriously Entertaining’s theme, “Into the Silence,” at Joe’s Pub. The evening’s program featured the groundbreaking author of a new superhero series Kwanza Osajyefo, who talked about how, after years of working in the comics industry, he learned to tell the story no one else was telling; award-winning novelist Roxana Robinson dove into the silence of her family history, asking how could decent people have been complicit in slavery; former President of the ACLU Nadine Strossen shared her family’s immigration story, and how it sparked her own crusade against censorship and hate; astrobiologist and Scientific American writer Caleb Scharf looked back in time to the British countryside when he first looked up to the stars in search of answers about the universe.
View photos from the show.
SEPTEMBER 2019: NO SLEEP TIL
Seriously Entertaining stayed wide awake as we kicked off its fall season with September’s special Brooklyn Book Festival theme, “No Sleep Till.” The evening’s program featured Award-winning historian William Dalrymple, who shed light on the first corporate empire: The East India Company; Lambda Literary Award-winning novelist Nicole Dennis-Benn recounted her turbulent immigration story and why she came to America to live and not to die; Brooklyn-born and raised Torrey Maldonado discussed the duality of life living in the projects and his college education at Vassar; and Rona Jaffe Award and Italo Calvino Award–winner Helen Phillips shared how she turned her Achilles’ heel into a superpower.
View photos from the show.
JUNE 2019: THE SONG SINGS ITSELF
For our final show of the spring season, House of SpeakEasy took a line from William Carlos Williams with the theme, “The Song Sings Itself.” Activist and journalist Michael Bronski recalled his journey to become a historian, observing “history is many things, including how we use the past to inform how we deal with today.” Emmy Award–winning journalist Trish Hall revealed how she dealt with the Twitter rage she got as the Times’ op-ed editor. Novelist and screenwriter John Burnham Schwartz told the story of the Red Daughter (Joseph Stalin’s daughter) who spent her whole life proving that she was not her father’s daughter. Memoirist and novelist Darcey Steinke reflected on going through menopause, and how her research led her to a powerful encounter with a female killer whale.
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MAY 2019: THE ROOT OF IT ALL
May had Seriously Entertaining’s speakers travel into the past to get to “The Root of it All.” Eve Ensler spoke on the power of imagination and compassion as grounding forces in the face of trauma. Boris Fishman asked tough questions of his grandparents, attempting to get to the root of his mysterious family tree. Kevin Young took us back to the road trip at the root of his poetry career. Damian Barr moved through the intersecting histories of the three photographs that sparked the material of his new book.
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APRIL 2019: THE STRENGTH OF IGNORANCE
In April, Seriously Entertaining got educated on “The Strength of Ignorance” with four illuminating speakers. Journalist Max Boot delved into his personal ideological journey sparked by the Trump presidency. Poet Ross Gay highlighted the joys in our daily lives that we often ignore. Novelist Andri Snær Magnason told a magical story of why we can’t avoid the changing world around us. Journalist Vicky Ward separates myth from reality on the Kushners.
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MARCH 2019 : SEEING BLINDLY
Seriously Entertaining’s March show led us through the dark with “Seeing Blindly.” Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe shed light on a troubled time. Poet Safiya Sinclair shared her voice, unafraid of the consequences. Journalist Aatish Taseer applied logic to magical realism. And novelists and writing partners Elizabeth Keenan and Greg Wands outlined their writing process and how their story and partnership grew from difficult experiences in their lives.
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JANUARY 2019: SECRETS AND LIES
Seriously Entertaining revealed four truths in their January show, “Secrets and Lies.” Lauretta Charlton, editor of the Race/Related newsletter at The New York Times, discussed what we share and what we keep to ourselves. Nora Krug, illustrator and author of Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home, examined the collective and personal impact the Holocaust has for Germans. Novelist John Wray confronted the lies of war and what inspires one to become a fanatic. And Carl Zimmer, The New York Times science columnist and author of She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity, looked inside to see the secrets of our DNA.
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NOVEMBER 2018: DIVIDED WE STAND
Seriously Entertaining brought four speakers together for November’s show, “Divided We Stand.” Kwame Anthony Appiah, renowned philosopher and New York Times Magazine’s “Ethicist,” had no qualms tearing into the ties we depend on to bind us together. Screenwriter and novelist Lea Carpenter examined the emotional cost of spying for your country. The New Yorker staff writer Jelani Cobb confronted the role of race in American politics, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, author of Cyberwar, pulled back the curtain on Russia’s campaign during the 2016 election and the role social media played.
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OCTOBER 2018: FORGET ME NOT
We hosted an unforgettable night at Joe’s Pub for Seriously Entertaining’s October show, “Forget Me Not.” Tony Award–winning playwright Itamar Moses delves into the human condition. Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Gregory Pardlo grapples with the ruinous legacy of masculinity inherited from his father. Novelist Joel Rose remembers his co-author and friend Anthony Bourdain, and historian Laura Spinney exposes the fault lines in historical memory.
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SEPTEMBER 2018: THE LONG WAY
After a lengthy summer hiatus, Seriously Entertaining returned to Joe’s Pub for its June show, “The Long Way.” Novelist and decorated veteran Elliot Ackerman illustrates how his faith was challenged. Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer Richard Cohen describing the things ones obscure when living with serious illness. CBS Sunday Morning commentator and “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” panelist Faith Salie reveals the lengths she would go for approval. And, far from home, memoirist and “This Alien Nation” founder Sofija Stefanovic becomes obsessed with a culture far different than her own.
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MAY 2018: NO MAN’S LAND
Seriously Entertaining’s May lineup defined the undefinable with “No Man’s Land” at Joe’s Pub. Journalist Lauren Hilgers examines the life of Patriot Number One as he discovers that exile can follow you anywhere. Historian Caroline Weber explores the women who made Proust Proust, novelist Meg Wolitzer lights a fuse under feminism and refuses to take cover, and New York Times opinion writer Kashana Cauley tells us exactly what she thinks.
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APRIL 2018: ALSO KNOWN AS
April’s Seriously Entertaining show had our speakers check in on their alter egos at Joe’s Pub with “Also Known As.” Unleash thrilling powers with screenwriter and novelist Noah Hawley, be dazzled by acclaimed director Barry Levinson, peek behind the mask with YA author E. Lockhart, and explore how two teenage girls joined the Syrian Jihad with Asne Seierstad.
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MARCH 2018: A MATTER OF TIME
After a brief timeout, Seriously Entertaining returned to Joe’s Pub with the theme “A Matter of Time.” Get spooked by artist Duncan Hannah’s story from the great beyond, delve inside with writer Joselin Linder as she searches for the way to stop a deadly family gene, hear how a life and death situation changed novelist Stefan Merrill Block’s future, and discover the secret international network which perpetrated the greatest financial scandal of all time with New York Times editor David Enrich.
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JANUARY 2018: DARKNESS FALLS
“Darkness Falls” but Seriously Entertaining rose again as we kicked off the spring season at Joe’s Pub. House of SpeakEasy kicked off the spring season with a Seriously Entertaining lineup of writers. Explore the inner workings of one’s mind with Sandy Allen, examine the differences that bring us together and pull us apart with novelist Elif Shafak, delve inside the most controversial presidency of the modern era with journalist Michael Wolff, and attempt to find the heart of a puzzle with novelist Christopher J. Yates.
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DECEMBER 2017: CAUGHT IN THE ACT
December’s theme, “Caught in the Act,” had Seriously Entertaining’s speakers take on scandal at Joe’s Pub. Delve into crime and punishment with law professor James Forman, Jr., explore the sexual history of the 90s with David Friend, tease out the clues with thriller writer Laura Lippman, and examine drama on a global scale with playwright JT Rogers.
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NOVEMBER 2017: FEAR ITSELF
Joe’s Pub watched speakers face off with “Fear Itself” at Seriously Entertaining’s November show. Watch as poet and photographer Rachel Eliza Griffiths reveals a moment of artistic bravery in the face of adversity. Get personal about phobias with The Magicians novelist Lev Grossman. Go beyond the headlines with counterterrorism expert David Kilcullen and plumb the depths of human behavior with journalist Julie Scelfo.
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SEPTEMBER 2017: ONE FOR THE ROAD
In September, all roads led to Joe’s Pub for Seriously Entertaining’s “One for the Road.” Hear how Adam Begley’s biography of photographer and bon vivant Nadar took to the air, and examine how friendships change over time with bestselling novelist Ann Brashares. Take a trip over bridges and into the future with biographer and journalist Erica Wagner, then let Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III take you on a musical tour.
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JUNE 2017: BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON
Writers shined “By the Light of the Moon” at Joe’s Pub for Seriously Entertaining’s June show. Rumi-nate on the mysteries of love with biographer Brad Gooch, scour the Hollywood Blacklist with author Glenn Frankel, make yourself clear with Sir Harold Evans while journalist Ada Calhoun thinks about wedding toasts she will never give.
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MAY 2017: ALL TOGETHER NOW
Seriously Entertaining brought the gang “All Together Now” in May at Joe’s Pub. Find a unique houseguest with New Yorker staff writer Elif Batuman, debate the historical role of Nixon with writer John Aloysius Farrell, enjoy dinner and a movie with Annabelle Gurwitch, and delve into the past and future with novelist Jason Reynolds.
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APRIL 2017: THE END MY FRIEND
In April, Seriously Entertaining began at Joe’s Pub for “The End my Friend.” Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain? #Same. Journalist and Wonkette extraordinaire Ana Marie Cox saw it coming; comedian Travon Free faces it Full Frontal. For poet Brenda Shaughnessy it was always Our Andromeda anyway, while for millennial prophet and Private Citizen Tony Tulathimutte, anything goes.
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FEBRUARY 2017: FAILING UP
February saw Seriously Entertaining’s speakers succeed at expressing the theme “Failing Up” at Joe’s Pub. Climb out of your black hole with physicist Janna Levin and kick off The Residue Years with author Mitchell S. Jackson. Novelist and poet Idra Novey will help us all to reappear, while The Daily Beast editor John Avlon takes the Wingnuts off and begins the process of re-assembly. New York’s finest literary cabaret returns for 2017 and a new era.
DECEMBER 2016: AIDING & ABETTING
Seriously Entertaining’s December show was all about “Aiding and Abetting” at Joe’s Pub. Will 2016 Man Booker Prize winner Paul Beatty Sellout and drive a bargain, or will memoirist and chef Gabrielle Hamilton cook up an alibi in the nick of time? Novelist and National Book Award nominee Lydia Millett is set to play havoc with the jury, while author and Olympic fencer Richard Cohen demonstrates his greatest defense.
NOVEMBER 2016: RAZOR’S EDGE
Four speakers teetered on the “Razor’s Edge” at Seriously Entertaining’s November show. Poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander will give us The Light of the World while National Book Award winner Phil Klay reveals the writer’s secret weapon. Best-selling author James Rebanks will give us The Shepherd’s View and Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Madeleine Thien will show us both sides of the blade.
SEPTEMBER 2016 : THIS IS NOT THE END
We know “This is Not the End” of Seriously Entertaining, but September’s edition was still a show-stopper! Discover not one, not two, but Thirteen Ways of Looking with award-winning novelist Colum McCann. Explore the art of life with biographer and historian Ruth Scurr. Hit the high notes with Queen of the Night author Alexander Chee. And rediscover the meaning of binge-watching with Sense8 and Bablyon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski.
JUNE 2016: WHEN STRANGERS MEET
June found out what happens “When Strangers Meet” with Seriously Entertaining’s incandescent cast of speakers at Joe’s Pub. Embrace your inner étranger with novelist and essayist Geoff Dyer while exploring life “On the Couch” with novelist Ayana Mathis and special guest host Jessica Strand. For poet-essayist Chris Abani, it may well be written all over The Face, but an encounter with poet-critic Stephanie Burt proves that a close call with nonsense can also be a dinner date with the profound. As Frank Sinatra might say: doo-be-doo-be-don’t miss it.
APRIL 2016: WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS
An unforgettable lineup conducted April’s theme, “While the Music Lasts.” Let’s be Frank: to miss journalist and filmmaker Jon Ronson would alone be cause for public shame. But we also have theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander putting the jazz back in the cosmos and journalist Bryan Burrough on the sounds of the underground. And before we’re done, we’re changing our major to Tony Award-winning Fun Home playwright Lisa Kron. Being Seriously Entertaining is our forte – join us at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater for a splendidly uncommon time.
MARCH 2016: IT’S NOT YOU
Who’d dare miss out on the March edition of Seriously Entertaining? Certainly, “It’s Not You.” For George Hodgman, if it’s not one thing it’s a mother — so come along with this best-selling memoirist for a life-changing trip to Bettyville. Take a revelatory journey through Negroland with Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and memoirist Margo Jefferson, and a walk on the wild side with The Danish Girl author David Ebershoff. Finally, we call in the VICE squad and practice Drawing Blood with artist and memoirist Molly Crabapple. And all of this from the safety and comfort of the House of SpeakEasy’s brand spanking new home in Joe’s Pub. Who’d dare miss out? It’s Not You.
FEBRUARY 2016: I’LL HAVE ANOTHER
February celebrated two glorious years of New York’s #1 literary cabaret with six shining stars from the cultural firmament at City Winery. House of SpeakEasy welcomes special guest host Salman Rushdie and YOU to its second-birthday gala on February 1. You can’t get enough of bestselling nonfiction powerhouse Erik Larson and nor can we. We’d go Bridge or Tunnel to see Tony Award-winning playwright and actress Sarah Jones, and turn 360 for novelist and radio host Kurt Andersen. Are we sated? I’ll Have Another, we cry: the return of Scotland’s finest and SpeakEasy legend Irvine Welsh will do just nicely. But fear not these terrible pawns: Garry Kasparov will keep us in check.
I’ll Have Another — will you?
NOVEMBER 2015: HAPPY NOW
Wave goodbye to sadness and watch five speakers take the City Winery stage to discuss Seriously Entertaining’s November theme, “Happy Now.” Say aloha to the Paradise of the Pacific with Susanna Moore and feel your troubles slip away. If it’s the Daydreams of Angels that interest you, then sure — we’ve got novelist Heather O’Neill in the mix. Oh I see, it’s poetry? Then you’ll be more than happy with Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa. Thanks to physicist Lisa Randall, in fact, we’ve got everything from dark matter to the dinosaurs. We’ve even got humorist Annabelle Gurwitch — don’t tell us that’s not better than dinner and a movie! Happy Now?!
SEPTEMBER 2015: ALTERED STATES
The five speakers put the crowd at City Winery in a trance with Seriously Entertaining’s September show, “Altered States.” “We’re going to get very intimate very quickly,” promised the evening’s first speaker, Tony Award-winning playwright Doug Wright. And he wasn’t wrong. In the company of Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Joe Klein, Emma Sky and Kelly Carlin, SpeakEasy’s latest #SeriouslyEntertaining foray into the world of literary cabaret got up close and personal with obscure Ken Russell movies, Donald Trump’s dangerous experiment in democracy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the home life of a comedy legend.
JUNE 2015: SUMMERTIME BLUES
The six speakers brought summertime joy to City Winery when they took the stage to speak on Seriously Entertaining’s June theme, “Summertime Blues.” Our spring/summer finale featured Sarah Lewis, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Irvine Welsh, Laura Michelle Kelly, Edward Hirsch, and Steven Pinker, plus a whole lotta painting, philosophy, burger-flipping, poetry, and first dates.
APRIL 2015: ONE SIMPLE RULE
The audience at City Winery watched six speakers discuss the theme of Seriously Entertaining’s April show, “One Simple Rule,” and learned that life is truly full of complexity. We’ll leave you to judge, as you enjoy the wit and wisdom of Elif Shafak, Tom Rob Smith, Amber Tamblyn, Lisa Robinson, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and Beau Willimon.
MARCH 2015: NO RETURN
Our six speakers fearlessly shared their words on the theme of “No Return” at City Winery for Seriously Entertaining’s March show. Speakers featured were best-selling horrorist R.L. Stine, poet A.E. Stallings, author Ben Yagoda, novelist Ian Caldwell, and comedy writer Meredith Scardino. Special guest host Joan As Policewoman was the quizmaster for this month’s Tip of My Tongue competition.
JANUARY 2015 GALA: RUNNIN’ WILD
The City Winery crowd went wild for our six speakers at Seriously Entertaining’s January show, “Runnin’ Wild.” Our guests — Simon Doonan, Stephen Lang, Jim Dale, Susan Fales-Hill, Susan Minot, P.J. O’Rourke, and Dan Stevens — told us tales of their derring-do and their derring-don’ts as we careered between subjects including the Baby Boom, The Devil Wears Prada, what Shakespeare did for us, and the erotic undercurrents of Downton Abbey.
NOVEMBER 2014: NO SATISFACTION
Six speakers delivered a seriously satisfying performance at City Winery for Seriously Entertaining’s November show, “No Satisfaction.” Writer and comedian Ruby Wax taught us to master our minds; author and journalist Philip Gourevitch examined no-win situations in Rwanda and Abu Ghraib; writer Hooman Majd wondered if there really is no place like home; Christopher Mason returned to break the internet with a fabulous song about Kim Kardashian; future Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore stopped by to talk genius; and Phineas and Ferb creator Dan Povenmire espoused the benefits of delayed satisfaction in comedy. Last but in many ways not, Hari Dhillon was the quizmaster for The Tip of My Tongue.
SEPTEMBER 2014: INSIDE THE LIE
Six speakers took a deep dive into the night’s theme, “Inside The Lie” at Seriously Entertaining’s September show. The night featured physicist Marcelo Gleiser, writer and classicist Natalie Haynes, playwright John Guare, bestselling author Gary Shteyngart, journalist Gail Sheehy, and writer and winner of The National Book Award Andrew Solomon.
JUNE 2014: FALLING FOR PERFECTION
Seven speakers shared their perfectly crafted words onstage at City Winery for Seriously Entertaining’s June show, “Falling For Perfection.” There were cartoons and Muppets, breast pumps and seaside sex scenes, moonlight and music and love and romance. Our guests — seven of them; our biggest line-up yet — made us swoon, made us cry, made us laugh, made us beg for one more glass of wine. Featuring: New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff; playwright and novelist Adam Rapp; Barnard College president and writer Debora Spar; satirical songwriter Christopher Mason; novelist Emma Straub; poet Jeffrey McDaniel; and Daily Show head writer Elliott Kalan.
MAY 2014: THE INK RUNS DRY
The laughs and wine were flowing free at Seriously Entertaining’s May show, “Ink Runs Dry.” The show featured another smashing line-up of writing talent mused aloud on the creative process and the terror that one day the ink might just dry up altogether. Writers featured: historian Amanda Vaill; journalist and author Jonathan Alter; satirical songwriter Christopher Mason; author David Gilbert; and author and poet Jay Parini.
APRIL 2014: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Five speakers took to the City Winery stage for Seriously Entertaining’s “In Case of Emergency.” The night featured writer Daniel Bergner, poet J.D. McClatchy, novelist Amor Towles, travel writer and novelist Maggie Shipstead, and radio personality Leonard Lopate.
MARCH 2014: ARE YOU FOR SALE?
Six speakers brought their rich wisdom to the City Winery stage for Seriously Entertaining’s March show, “Are You For Sale?” The night featured writer Susan Cheever, author Jeff Kinney, journalist Michael Riedel, Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis, novelist Kate Mosse and composer Michael Friedman.
FEBRUARY 2014: THIS IS NOT A MAN
Six marvelous speakers took the stage at City Winery for Seriously Entertaining’s February show “This Is Not A Man.” The night featured author Dana Vachon, comedian Steve Coogan, novelist Susan Minot, Hollywood superstar Uma Thurman, writer Tom Reiss and musician Anton Sword.
JANUARY 2014: PLAYS WITH MATCHES
Our six speakers fired up the 380-person crowd at City Winery for Seriously Entertaining’s January show, “Plays With Matches.” Hosted by comedian Andy Borowitz, the night featured writer and critic Adam Gopnik discussing public speaking and improvisation, author Susan Orlean on uncertainty and mystery, historian and writer Simon Winchester on odd jobs, Hollywood superstar Uma Thurman, and singer-songwriter Dar Williams who spoke on gender and music.