Tag Archives: Word Up Recirculation

Word Up: NYC Book Launch for The Incarcerated Modern: Golnar Nikpour with Naveed Mansoori

Saturday, February 24, 2024 – 2:00pm to 3:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

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Join us for a reading with Professor Golnar Nikpour for her new book The Incarcerated Modern: Prisons and Public Life in Iran, an examination of the Iranian prison system and its function in modern culture. In conversation with Nikpour will be Naveed Mansoori, political theorist at Princeton University.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance. 

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Iran’s prison system is a foundational institution of Iranian political modernity. The Incarcerated Modern traces the transformation of Iran from a decentralized empire with few imprisoned persons at the turn of the twentieth century into a modern nation-state with over a quarter million prisoners today. In policing the line between “bad criminal” and “good citizen,” the carceral system has shaped and reshaped Iranian understandings of citizenship, freedom, and political belonging.

Golnar Nikpour explores the interplay between the concrete space of the Iranian prison and the role of prisons in producing new public cultures and political languages in Iran. From prison writings of 1920s leftist prisoners and communiqu’s of 1950s militant Islamists, to paintings of 1970s revolutionary guerrillas and mapping projects organized by contemporary dissident prisoners, carceral confinement has shaped modern Iranian political movements. Today, mass incarceration is a global phenomenon. The Incarcerated Modern connects Iranian history to transnational carceral histories to illuminate the shared architectures, economies, and techniques of modern punishment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Golnar Nikpour is Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Dartmouth College, where she teaches on the political and intellectual history of modern Iran and the Middle East. Her research and writing is particularly focused on histories of law, incarceration, revolution, and rights.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Naveed Mansoori is a political theorist interested in histories and theories of media and mediation, anti- and de-colonial history and theory, and critical theory. He is currently Associate Research Scholar at the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University.

Word Up Recirculation: Stress-Less with Dr. Lem (Inwood Community Services)

Thursday, February 15, 2024 – 6:30pm to 8:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

 

Dr. Lemny Perez and Orleida Matos, from the Prevention and Wellness Program of Inwood Community Services, will lead a youth group, of ages 13-17, to discuss stress management, mindful breathing techniques, and empowerment tips.

Word Up Recirculation: EXCELSIOR by bonafide rojas Book Party

Friday, February 9, 2024 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

register

Excelsior is the fifth collection of poetry from Bonafide Rojas. The poetry collection is a culminating moment celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Rojas’ first book Pelo Bueno, and the tenth anniversary of his third book Renovatio. Rojas will be reading from the new collection.

Excelsior & Notes On The Return To The Island will be for sale at the event.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance. 

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

ABOUT THE POET

Bonafide Rojas is the author of Notes On The Return To The Island, Renovatio, When The City Sleeps & Pelo Bueno. He’s an Inaugural Fellow of Letras Boricuas & a BRIO award winner. An established Nuyorican Poet, he appeared on the fourth season of Def Poetry Jam & has been published in: Centro Journal Vol. XII, Winter 2000, Hostos Review #2, Bum Rush The Page: A Def Poetry Jam, Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Black Literature & Art, The Calabash Journal, The Acentos Review, Learn Then Burn Vol. I & II, The Palabras Journal, Me No Habla Con Acento!, Manteca! & Hafen Lesung 18, Chorus: The Literary Mixtape, The Lost Orphan Project, & was featured in the documentary Spitting Ink.

He’s the founder & co-songwriter of the band The Mona Passage, & has performed domestically & internationally at Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Museum Of Art, Brooklyn Museum, El Museo Del Barrio, Bowery Ballroom, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, Reginald Lewis Museum, Rotterdam Arts Center, Spoken Word Paris, Konvent Zero Barcelona, Hafen Lesung Hamburg, Latinale Berlin, Festival Kerouac Vigo España & Festival De La Palabra. He’s an avid collector of pop culture & still only wears red socks.

Word Up Recirculation – On Mourning and Resistance: A Conversation with Aziz Abu Sarah and Elik Elhanan

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

register

Please join us for a conversation between Palestinian activist Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli activist Elik Elhanan on Israel and Gaza. Both speakers have lost siblings to the conflict and are both members of the grassroots group Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle-Families Forum. Their shared experience will inform a thoughtful if sobering discussion of the horrifying events in Israel/Palestine and where we might go from here.

The event will be in person and livestreamed on Zoom. Please register to receive the link.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees in-person. Please register in advance.

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Aziz Abu Sarah is a peace builder, cultural educator, entrepreneur, author and international speaker. Aziz’s educational and conflict resolution work throughout the world has earned him the titles of National Geographic Explorer and Ted Fellow. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Strategic Centre in Jordan each year since 2010. His book, Crossing Boundaries – A Traveler’s Guide To World Peace, was released in July 2020. Co-author of the 2018 publication, Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace, Aziz continues to be at the forefront of peace and reconciliation efforts in conflict zones.  Aziz has worked in 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria, and the Balkans. He has served as Executive Director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University and as the Chairman for the Parents Circle Family Forum representing the organization at international governmental organizations such as the European Parliament. He is the co-founder of InterAct International, a nonprofit advancing sustainability, education, and cross-cultural connections.

Elik Elhanan served in a  special forces unit in the Israel Defense Forces from 1995 – 1998, serving extensively in south Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. In 1997, his 14-year old sister was killed by a suicide bomber in Jerusalem. Elik is also a military refuser. He joined Courage to Refuse in 2002 and in 2005 was a co-founder of the Israeli-Palestinian group Combatants for Peace.  Elik served as the Israeli director of the group in 2006-7
Besides Combatants for Peace, Elik’s peace activism included many other initiatives and organizations. A longtime member of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, Elik joined following his father Rami Elhanan in 2000. in 2012 Elik participated in the attempt of the Swedish boat S/V Estelle to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Elik received his PhD in Middle East studies from Columbia University and is currently teaching at City College in New York.

Word Up: Chain-Gang All-Stars: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah with Roxane Gay

Word Up welcomes National Book Award finalist Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah to celebrate the paperback release of his debut bestselling novel, “Chain Gang All Stars,” about two top women gladiators fighting for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own. In conversation With Adjei-Brenyah will be bestselling author Roxane Gay, author of “Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.”

“CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS makes explicit how the spirit erodes as the body becomes currency. Adjei-Brenyah writes sharply about the economy of spectacle and the fickle alchemy between futility and hope.”
—Raven Leilani, author of Luster

TICKETS:
– $20 entrance with Chang-Gang All-Star signed
– $50 entrance with both author books signed
*Discounted group tickets available for youth organizations & schools. Email events@wordupbooks.com for more information.

BOOK SIGNING. The talk will be followed by a book signing. Books signed must be purchased from Word Up. If you would like a signed copy and cannot attend the event, purchase a copy on WordUpBooks.com.

MASKING. Masking is highly suggested.

CANCELLATION POLICY. Word Up Community Bookshop reserves the right to cancel events for any reason, including but not limited to safety concerns.

CODE OF CONDUCT. Please note Word Up has a zero tolerance policy for harassment or intimidation of any kind during any event, virtual or in-person. Please read our Safe Space Policy for more information. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from the event at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to events@wordupbooks.com immediately.

PHOTOGRAPHY & RECORDING. Events may be recorded, and video and photos may be posted on our website, social media, and elsewhere. If you would prefer not to be visible, please let a Word Up team member know.

PRIVACY. Registrants will be added to the Word Up mailing list. Your contact information will never be shared or sold. You may unsubscribe or update your subscription at any time.

ACCESSIBILITY. Recirculation is a wheelchair-accessible space with one ramp from the street level down to the store. Most of the shelves are on wheels and can be moved to provide additional access. The bathrooms are not yet ADA compliant and do not yet have a changing table but are gender neutral. The events are mic’d for sound and videos are captioned when possible. Free ASL interpretation is available for most programs upon request. Please email events@wordupbooks.com to request interpretation as early as possible. If you have specific questions about the space or how an event can be made more accessible to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@wordupbooks.com.

GETTING THERE. Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Word Up Community Bookshop’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is the New York Times-bestselling author of Friday Black. His work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. He was a National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” honoree, the winner of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and the Saroyan Prize, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for Best First Book, along with many other honors. Raised in Spring Valley, New York, he now lives in the Bronx.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. She is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She is the author of the books “Ayiti,” “An Untamed State,” the New York Times bestselling “Bad Feminist,” the nationally bestselling “Difficult Women” and the New York Times bestselling “Hunger.” She is also the author of “World of Wakanda” for Marvel. She has several books forthcoming and is also at work on television and film projects. She also has a newsletter, The Audacity and once had a podcast, The Roxane Gay Agenda.

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