The Canio's Books Blog

Missed an event?

You can watch past events on our YouTube channel or listen on East End Ink.

PRIOR EVENTS on our YouTube CHANNEL

Canio’s Books 40th Anniversary Celebration!  Our home-grown party features video congrats from novelist Colson Whitehead, special guests, founding owner Canio Pavone;former NYer Comma Queen Mary Norris; ecologist/writer Carl Safina; and more.  Enjoy featured readings, decades worth of remembrances.  Watch at this LINK

Author Lauren Young speaks about Hitler’s Girl: The British Aristocracy and the Third Reich on the Eve of WWII. Young gave a terrific talk about the British aristocracy’s coziness with Nazi’s in the 1930s. A cautionary look at recent history with echoes to today. Watch HERE.

Commemorating the 95th anniversary of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, a presentation in story and song by historian/musician Stephen Sanfilippo. Watch here:  Part I and Part II

Ada Calhoun discusses her memoir, Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me,  in conversation with Maureen Callahan a New York Times bestselling author of, most recently, American Predator. Watch here PART I  and PART II.

Bloomsday:  Ulysses Demystified.   Celebration of the 100th anniversary of James Joyce’s modern classic with a lively discussion and selected readings. Moderated by Joe Shaw, Exec. Editor of the Express News Group; with Joan Baum, critic; and actors  Paul McIssac and Kate Mueth, Neo-Politcal Cowgirls; and impresario Peter Walsh.  Watch here:  PART I, PART II, and PART III.

NYC From the Inside, poetry reading with editor and Walt Whitman Birthplace writer-in-residence George Wallace introducing his new anthology NYC FROM THE INSIDE. Featured poets Michelle Whittaker and Star Black read. Watch in TWO Segment:  Part I, Star Blackand Part II, Michelle Whittaker

Celebrate Lawrence Ferlinghetti! Featuring special guests professor of Italian American studies Fred Gardaphe; Walt Whitman Birthplace poet-in-residence George Wallace; bookseller from famed Good Times Books in Port Jeff. Mary Mart; plus poets Bart Mallio, Heidi Rain and Tom Oleszczuk among others.  Watch in 3 short segments:  PART 1, PART 2, and PART 3 (6m).

John Steinbeck’s 120th Birthday Celebration! Canio’s kicked off our series Steinbeck In Search of America  with a talk by Steinbeck scholar, Susan Shillinglaw on Steinbeck & the Importance of Home. Sag Harbor’s Nada Barry joined Susan and shared her personal memories of John’s days in Sag Harbor.  Shillinglaw is is professor emerita at San Jose State University,  where she led the Center of Steinbeck Studies.  Her books include Carol and John: Portrait of a Marriage and On Reading The Grapes of Wrath. She is working on a book about Travels with Charley.  Watch at this LINK.

Book discussion on Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement with author Julian Zelizer and Rabbi Dan Geffen from Temple Adas Israel.  Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of numerous books, and has written for CNN.com, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.  LINK posted soon.

Writing as a Spiritual Practice, with poets Megan Chaskey and Mark Burrows; and fiction writers Indira Ganesan and Murzban Shroff.  Many writers also maintain a spiritual practice like meditation, prayer or yoga. What are the similarities and differences between the two? How can one practice inform and enrich the other? Join us for readings and commentary. Watch the recording HERE.

Annual African American Read IN: Celebrate great American literature. Featured readers include Noel Hankin and Professor Jennifer Morgan. Professor Morgan teaches History & Chair of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU. She is the author of Reckoning with Slavery: Gender, Kinship and Capitalism in the Early Black Atlantic and others. She read from her essay in 400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. Noel Hankin is a founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He is author of After Dark: Birth of the Disco Dance Party, which he read from. Gloria Brown’s reading from Arthur Ashe’s essay, “The Burden of Race,” was particularly moving. Eastville Community Historical Society, John Jermain Memorial Library, and Canio’s Cultural Cafe co-hosted this annual event, sponsored by the Black Caucus of The National Council of Teachers of English. Watch the recording HERE.

International Fiction Focus:  Writers’ Talk with Indira Ganesan and Murzban Shroff . Indira Ganesan, formerly of Sag Harbor, has published the acclaimed novels The Journey, Inheritance and Sweet as Honey. Murzban Shroff, based in Mumbai, recently published Third Eye Rising, a compelling story collection out from Sputen Duyvil. His previous story collection is Breathless in Bombay.   Watch at this LINK.   Please purchase your books through Canio’s directly, or Click HERE for Canio’s ONLINE

Eye on the Environment: Science writer Erica Cirino presented her new book: Thicker Than Water: The Quest For Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. Erica Cirino is a science writer and artist who explores the intersection of the human and nonhuman worlds. Signed copies available at Canio’s. Watch at this LINK.

ART TALK: Loomings by Christopher Volpe.  Loomings is a series of paintings combining tar, gold leaf, and oil paint, inspired by Moby-Dick. Watch Christopher’s talk at this  LINK.

Film Discussion, The Act of Reading, by Mark Blumberg, inspired by Moby-Dick. Watch our moderated discussion with Mark & Cast members at this LINK.  View the Film HERE. This charming, quirky documentary is about reading Moby-Dick through the eyes of high school students, teachers, reading challenged, Melville experts, and more. “From flunking English to falling in love with Moby-Dick.”  

Philip Hoare, acclaimed author discusses his lastest work, Albert and the Whale: Albrecht Durer and How Art Imagines Our World.  Previous works include: The Sea Inside; RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR; Leviathan or, The Whale.  Watch it as this LINK. 

Book talk with translator Ann Goldstein and author Mary Norris, (Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen) discussing Elena Ferrante’s: Lying Life of Adults.  Watch at this LINK

Poetry reading & discussion with Cheryl Boyce-Taylor and Kathy Engel. Both have recently published books that deal with loss through writing and poetry. Cheryl Boyce-Taylor’s Mama Phife Represents, and Kathy Engel’s The Lost Brother Alphabet are featured.  WATCH at this LINK.  

Scott Chaskey and Rameshwar Das discuss Being Ram Das and more.  Watch at this LINK.  

Art Historian and mystery writer Helen Harrison reads from her newest, An Artful Corpse,which centers on the Art Students League and Thomas Hart Benton.  Watch at this LINK.

“Let Us Dream: Pope Francis’ Reflections on a Post Covid World”, with Tom Petriano, PhD Religious Studies, St. Joseph’s College, Patchogue, who guides us through Let Us Dream, Pope Francis’ reflections on the challenges and opportunities of our Covid time, a period he calls a “threshold moment.” Watch at this LINK.

Independent publisher Four Way Books present poets Angela Narciso Torres author of What Happens is Neither; Andrea Cohen author of Everything;   Rodney Terich Leonardauthor of Sweetgum & Lightning. Watch at this LINK. 

Finding Peace During a Pandemic: Lessons from Julian, 14th Century Mystic, a presentation by Professor Thomas Petriano, PhD, Religious Studies Director at St. Joseph’s College. Julian endured three plagues during a tumultuous 14th century England. What lessons does she have for us today? Watch at this LINK.

Poet/novelist  Diane Glancy (Pushing the Bear: a novel of The Trail of Tears) and poet/presbyter Spencer Reece (The Road to Emmaus, and The Clerk’s Tale) explore suffering in today’s world through ISLAND OF THE INNOCENT: A Consideration of the Book of Job by Diane Glancy.  Watch at this LINK.

Civil Rights’ Activists Janet Dewart Bell and Lewis Steel discuss their friendship, Women in the Movement, and where to go from here. Bell is the author of Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement. Steel’s book is The Butler’s Child: White Privilege, Race, and a Lawyer’s Life in Civil Rights.  Watch at this LINK.

Poetry reading (on Emily Dickinson’s birthday) and discussion with Grace Schulman —  her new collection The Marble Bed just published by Turtle Point Press, and Jill Bialosky — her new work Asylum, a book length lyric is just out from Knopf.  Watch at this LINK.

“Lunch with Le Pancake Kid” . Author/restaurateur Craig Carlson a.k.a. Le Pancake Kid and his husband Julien  Zoom from Paris to chat about Let Them Eat Pancakes, further adventures with Breakfast in America, Carlson’s internationally renowned pancake eatery in the City of Lights. Watch at this LINK. 

Recorded for WPKN Radio 89.5 FM and wpkn.org  by Tony Ernst

Did you miss an event at Canio’s?

LISTEN IN!

Recent talks are on East End Ink

Pity The Reader; Suzanne McConnell with Kurt Vonnegut:  Suzanne McConnell was a student of Kurt Vonnegut’s at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop from 1965 to 1967, when Vonnegut was in residence and finishing his masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five. November, 2019.

Paul Greenberg discusses American Catch in a Dock-to-Dish co-sponsored event. Paul Greenberg talks about The Fight for Our Local Seafood.   Greenberg writes regularly for the New York Times and also contributes to National Geographic, Vogue, The Times of London and other publications.  He is a fellow of the Blue Ocean Institute.Paul Greenberg’s book Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food (Penguin Press, 2010). was a New York Times bestseller. July, 2014.

Alexis De Veaux reads from Yabo. Alexis De Veaux is a poet, playwright, short fiction writer, essayist and biographer. She is an Associate Professor of Women’s Studies, at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Yabo was published in 2014 by Redbone Press. The readers are Ms. De Veaux, Ella Engel-Snow, and Kathy Engel who introduced the author.

Poets for Ayiti! A benefit reading for Haiti, from the chapbook, For the Crowns of Your Head. Kathy Engel and friends read, raising funds to re-build the Bibliotheque du Soleil in Port-Au-Prince. (April 2010)

Philip Schlutz reads from The God of Lonliness: New and Selected Poems. The Pulitzer Prize winning poet reads from his latest works. (April 2010)

Evening’s Empire: The Story of My Father’s Murder by Zachary Lazar. Lazar’s memoir about his father’s murder (Little, Brown & Co.). His previous publication was the novel Sway. (November 2009)

Poet Mark Doty reads from Fire-to Fire, winner of the 2008 National Book Award
Nationally reknowned poet, Mark Doty is Professor of Creative Writing at Rutgers University. Doty also reads from his memoir, Dog Years. (April 2009)

Historian Stephen F. Cohen on U.S. – Russian relations
Cohen discusses the crisis in U.S. – Russian relations and his new book, Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War. Cohen is Professor of Russian studies and History at New York University.  He was joined by Katrina vanden Heuval, editor of the Nation.  A complete broadcast including vanden Heuval will be available soon.  (August 2009)

Poet Grace Shulman on Marianne Moore
Poet and teacher Grace Shulman, the editor of the “Poems of Marianne Moore” talks about and reads the work of the world renowned American poet. Ms. Shulman is a former poetry editor of The Nation and Distinguished Professor at Baruch College.  (April 2009)

Bitter Spring: Dr. Stanislao Pugliese on Ignazio Silone
Italian novelist and political figure Ignazio Silone is the subject of Hofstra University professor Dr. Stanislao Pugliese talk, “Bitter Spring”, about his recent biography of Silone.   An abbreviated version of his talk is offered here.  (September 23, 2009)

Songs of Fish-Shaped Paumonok: Stephen and Susan Sanfilippo
Sag Harbor whalemen left a treasure of literature and songs that are the subject of Stephen Sanfilippo’s doctoral disertation. Add to that, songs written by East End baymen and Stephen himself, and you have the ingredients for the performance, “Songs of Fish-Shaped Paumonok.”  Long time Long Islanders, Susan and Stephen divide their time between Southold on the North Fork of Long Island and Maine. (August 2009)

Buddy, Can You Spare a Poem?
Sag Harbor area writers read poems on the theme of “hard times” and poet and singing plumber Terry Sullivan sings an appropriate tune. A benefit for the local food pantry.  (April 4, 2009)

Women of Rome
Lily Tuck reads from her biography of Italian writer Elsa Morante.   (November 2008)

Poet Couples read love poems, a Valentine’s Day treat.
Meghan & Scott Chaskey and Nohra Barros & Canio Pavone read their own poems and poems by favorite masters. (February 2009)

Robert Long Memorial Scholarship Winners and Poetry of Robert Long
A tribute to  East End writer & poet Robert Long, author of Dekooning’s Bicycle and the poetry collection, Blue with readings by award-winning high school seniors. For information about the scholarship, please contact the shop. (October 2008)

Professor Stanislao Pugliese on Carlo Levi
Carlo Levi’s “Fear of Freedom”.  Hofstra University Professor of Modern European History Stanislao Pugliese talks about his introduction to the 2008 edition of Carlo Levi’s essay on fascism.  With quotations from Levi, Robert Paxton, Umberto Ecco and Henry Wallace.  (June 2008)

Sacco and Vanzetti
Stephen Sanfilippo’s tribute in song and spoken word to two Italian immigrants executed in 1927 for murders they did not commit. Includes songs by Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs. (October 2007)

Terry Sullivan Presents Irish Song and Poetry
Terry sings  Irish rebel songs and explains their historical context as well as contemporary significance. (March 2008)

New Yorker writer Ian Frazier reads from “Gone to New York”
Long-time NYer staff writer Ian Frazier reads his brilliant “Bags in Trees” among other humor pieces.  Leaves us in stitches!

Poet Philip Schultz reads from Failure
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz reads from his most successful title.

Kathy Engel reads from Ruth’s Skirts
Engel’s lastest poetry collection explores the personal within the political.

Civil Rights activist Bob Zellner reads from The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement.
Bob Zellner, field secretary for the Student Non- Violent Coordinating Committee, discusses his experiences during the 1960s civil rights struggle when our country attempted to form “that more perfect union .”

Many thanks to  Tony Ernst & WPKN & wpkn.org

for their interest in our community events!