WNYC and the New York Public Library Name Kate Elizabeth Russell’s “My Dark Vanessa” the Next Title for Joint Virtual Book Club
WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart and the New York Public Library Name Kate Elizabeth Russell’s gripping and timely novel My Dark Vanessa, As the Next Title for Joint Virtual Book Club, presented as part of Stewart’s monthly “Get Lit” book series
Book is available to borrow for free via NYPL’s e-reader app SimplyE
New Yorkers to read together throughout May, culminating with a live stream conversation and audience Q & A with Stewart and Russell on Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm
MAY 1, 2020 — Following the success of the inaugural edition of their joint virtual book club, The New York Public Library and WNYC’s arts and culture show All of It with Alison Stewart have announced the second book of the partnership.
The May title for the club — presented as part of “Get Lit,” All of It’s monthly book club — is My Dark Vanessa, the New York Times bestselling novel by Kate Elizabeth Russell. Hailed by the Washington Post as “a lightning rod [and] a brilliantly crafted novel,” My Dark Vanessa explores some of the thorniest issues of the #MeToo era: consent, abuse, and the aftermath of trauma. The club’s April book, James McBride’s Deacon King Kong, was the Library’s top e-checkout of the month.
New Yorkers are encouraged to borrow the book for free via The New York Public Library’s e-reader app SimplyE (available on Apple and Android devices).
Host Alison Stewart and the Library will accompany readers throughout May, providing touch points on air and on Instagram at @allofitwnyc and @nypl. On Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm, Russell, Stewart, and readers everywhere will come together for a live stream conversation and audience Q & A.
The May book was first announced at the April 30 livestream Q and A with McBride (which can be seen here) and in just 48 hours had nearly 2,000 checkouts.
“We wanted to give New Yorkers a way to connect with each other while apart, and so far, we have certainly done that,” said Brian Bannon, the Merryl and James Tisch Director and chief librarian of The New York Public Library, which has been operating in the city for 125 years. “The success of this program supports our long-held belief that stories and reading can bring people together, and offer a much-needed escape. Clearly, New Yorkers wanted and needed this, and we’re so pleased to offer it and keep it going in May.”
“We were absolutely thrilled to partner with the New York Public Library in April and welcome so many new people to our book club,” said Alison Stewart, Host of WNYC’s All of It. “We’re excited to extend this into May and offer New Yorkers a chance to read together and discuss one of the year’s most talked-about books.”
Just as with McBride’s book, the Library has worked to secure a sufficient number of e-copies of Russell’s book to meet demand for this initiative. To borrow it (or any of the more than 300,000 free e-books offered through the Library’s app) one must download the SimplyE app and have a New York Public Library card. Those who already have cards can link them to the app; those who need cards can apply within the app and, if they’re in New York State, immediately start borrowing.
The WNYC and New York Public Library partnership will continue for the next several months, as the city continues to cope with the spread of COVID-19 and its aftermath. Future books will be announced on All of It, which airs every weekday on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820, and via streaming at wnyc.org from 12-2pm ET.
For more information on the book club or on downloading the book, visit wnyc.org/getlit or nypl.org/virtualbookclub. For more information on the wide range of virtual services offered by the Library during this crisis, visit nypl.org.
About WNYC
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, WNYC is New York’s public radio station, broadcasting and streaming award-winning journalism, groundbreaking audio programming and essential talk radio to the city and beyond. WNYC is a leading member station of NPR and also broadcasts programs from the BBC World Service, along with a roster of WNYC-produced local programs that champion the stories and spirit of New York City and the surrounding region, including The Brian Lehrer Show and All of It with Alison Stewart. From its state-of-the-art studios, WNYC is reshaping audio for a new generation of listeners, producing some of the most-loved nationally-syndicated public radio programs including Radiolab, On the Media, The Takeaway and Snap Judgment. WNYC broadcasts on 93.9 FM and AM 820 to listeners in New York and the tri-state area, and is available to audiences everywhere at WNYC.org, the WNYC app and through major digital radio services, all made possible through the generous support of our members, donors and sponsors.
About All of It with Alison Stewart
All Of It with Alison Stewart is WNYC’s live, weekday, participatory culture talk show that covers everything on a screen, music, literature, history, science, cooking, cleaning, popular culture, and ways of life for a city that is staying inside. It’s about art and life, and the listeners, airing every weekday from 12-2pm ET on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820, and via streaming at wnyc.org. “Get Lit with All Of It” is the show’s monthly on-air, social media, and live stream book club.
About The New York Public Library
For 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.