Last week, 826NYC and Penguin hosted a benefit reading at Symphony Space to celebrate the release of The Book of Other People, a collection of new short stories edited by Zadie Smith (far left) featuring contemporary authors such as Vendela Vida (left) and George Saunders, with all proceeds going towards 826NYC’s free writing and tutoring programs. Amanda ReCupido was there, and files this report:
“Sarah Vowell introduced the project’s mission by bringing onto the stage two young brothers to read from the students’ Book of More Other People, a collection that includes lists of different categorical personalities, such as ‘crazy,’ on which Britney Spears and John Wilkes Booth both rank high. Vowell also described how she first came to meet Smith—at a book festival in Amsterdam whilst playing “The Lady is a Tramp” on her host’s grand piano. ‘She came over and started to sing,’ Vowell remembered. ‘She makes all dreams come true, which is why we enlisted her help with this anthology.’
“In fact, Smith’s first instinct was to reject the position. ‘Sarah kept playing her “But who will think of the children?” line,’ she mused. ‘The New Yorker has since published several of the anthology’s stories, so now they indirectly think of the children too.’
“Smith introduced Saunders as the first reader by reading a random paragraph from his Wikipedia entry, ‘as I’ve been introduced several times before,’ she justified. Vida recalled charming memories of growing up with an au pair, and Maggie Gyllenhaal read a story about a woman who sits next to a celebrity on a plane. Funny, I could have used that advice when I inadvertently stood by her while waiting to get my show ticket, instead of staring blankly until she walked away and then pestering the person next to me with a frantic whisper, ‘That was TOTALLY Maggie Gyllenhaal, right?’ And it turns out she wasn’t the only famous face in the room; I spotted comedian Demetri Martin enjoying the show as well (and came up with pretty much the same reaction). Oh celebs, they go to benefit readings just like us!”