This week in New York a book party for Jim Shepard (with beer); a reading from the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature winner and finalists; actors perform short stories from Etgar Keret and Jonathan Safran Foer at Symphony Space; a reading by poet Nikky Finney; the Strand Bookstore’s ode to comics: Strandicon!; and Dzanc Books presents its National Workshop Day.MONDAY 4/04: Tonight is the com/event/jim-shepard” target=”_blank”>book party for Jim Shepard’s collection of short stories, You Think That’s Bad. His last collection Like You’d Understand, Anyway, won the Story Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. The party will also feature some of Shepard’s favorite beers. Greenlight Bookstore. 7:30 p.m. Free.
TUESDAY 4/05: The winner and finalists of the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature will read from their work and discuss how immigrants are helping to shape the American voice in literature and the arts. Dinaw Mengestu, Ilya Kaminsky, Téa Obreht, Vu Tran, and Simon Van Booy will read. Liesl Schillinger of The New York Times and member of the Vilcek Prize jury, will moderate. Housing Works Bookstore Café. 7 p.m. Free.
WEDNESDAY 4/06: Authors Etgar Keret, Suddenly, a Knock on the Door, and Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated, will present an evening of short stories performed by actors Liev Schreiber, Josh Radnor, and B.D. Wong. Symphony Space. 7 p.m. $27; Member $23; 30 & Under $15.
THURSDAY 4/07: Ann Beattie, author of the novella Walks with Men and winner of the 2005 Rea Award for the Short Story, will talk with Deborah Treisman of The New Yorker as part of “Eat, Drink & Be Literary” at BAMcafé. BAM. 6:30 p.m. $50, which includes dinner, wine, tax, and tip.
The Poetry Society of America presents a reading and conversation with poet Nikky Finney, Head Off & Split. Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House. 7 p.m. Free.
FRIDAY 4/08: Comic book lovers should head to The Strand Bookstore for Strandicon! A celebration of all things comics, with Ben Katchor, Brecht Evens, Joe Ollmann, Jillian Tamaki, Pascal Girard, R. Sikoryak, Dash Shaw and others. Also, a panel discussion with editors from The Comics Journal. Begins at 2 p.m. Free.
SATURDAY 4/09: Dzanc Books presents its 2nd Annual Dzanc Day (National Workshop Day), which provides creative writing workshops across the country. New York’s workshop, “Stop Killing Trees: How to Write for the Internet,” is led by writers Libby Cudmore and Matthew Quinn Martin, both editors of The Midnight Diner. Ripley Grier Studios. Begins at 12 p.m. $30.
SUNDAY 4/10: Emerging young women writers have been invited to read their new and unpublished work at “Among Women,” featuring writers Lauren Belski, Naima Fine Iles, Pamela Jackson, Christine Rath Selhi, Feliz Soloman and Heather Trobe. Attendees may also bring work to share at this event. A.I.R. Gallery. Begins at 4 p.m. Free.
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