David Sedaris has leveraged his sardonic wit and incisive social critiques to become one of America’s preeminent humor writers. Beginning with his wildly popular “Santaland Diaries,” the great skill with which Sedaris slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that he is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition. He visits his D.C. “home away from home,” the Music Center at Strathmore, on Friday, October 17, 2014 at 8 p.m. Says the San Francisco Chronicle: “Sedaris belongs on any list of people writing in English at the moment who are revising our ideas about what’s funny.” For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.
In addition to “Barrel Fever,” Sedaris is the author of “Holidays on Ice,” as well as collections of personal essays, “Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” and his most recent book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” each of which became an immediate bestseller. The audio version of “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” was a 56th Annual Grammy nominee for Best Spoken Word Album. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling collection of fables entitled “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary.”
Sedaris’s pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” There are a total of seven million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages.
He and his sister Amy Sedaris have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written half-a-dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include “Stump the Host,” “Stitches,” “One Woman Shoe,” which received an Obie Award, “Incident at Cobbler’s Knob,” and “The Book of Liz,” which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service.
David Sedaris’s original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life. David Sedaris has been nominated for three Grammy awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His most recent audio recording of new stories (recorded live) is “David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure.”
A feature film adaptation of his story “C.O.G.” was released after a premier at the Sundance Film Festival (2013).
Life has been an endless series of adventures for Neil Patrick Harris. He has enthralled fans for nearly three decades in more than 100 wildly varied roles, ranging from the iconic Doogie Howser, M.D., and Barney Stinson to Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible and his recent, Tony Award-winning turn as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.Never one to limit himself, Harris is also a two-time Emmy host, four-time Tony host, an accomplished amateur magician, and a licensed taxidermist (one of those is not true). Exhausted yet? Neil’s not!
In addition to his busy work life, Neil is also raising very energetic twin three-year-olds with his husband, David Burtka. But how did an aspiring child actor from a tiny mountain town in New Mexico turn into an award-winning, jet-setting, A-list performer who is also the most prominent example of gay family life in America? By chance or by choice? Not only will NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: CHOOSE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Crown Archetype; On Sale October 14, 2014) tell readers the whole story, Neil invites them to step into his shoes and roll the dice for him at decisive turning points throughout his life. In this affectionate homage to the Choose Your Own Adventure books he loved as a kid, he offers dozens of paths to choose from, some of which lead to the NPH we know and love, and others that end in the type of tragic demise that will be very familiar to fans of the original series. Neil Patrick Harris reinvents the celebrity memoir with an autobiography that puts YOU in charge of his life.
WHO: Neil Patrick Harris
WHAT: Book signing
WHEN: 7:30 PM
WHERE: Sixth & I
600 I Street Northwest
Join CQ Roll Call and Hooks Book Events as they host John Bicknell for a book-signing event Wednesday, November 12th.
6 p.m. EST
LOCATION: Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital
Food & beverages will be served.
Complimentary copies of the book will be distributed on a first come first served basis.
America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward Expansion, and the Presidential Election That Transformed the Nation
About the book:
The presidential election of 1844 was one of the two or three most momentous elections in American history. Had Henry Clay won instead of James K. Polk, we’d be living in a very different country today. Polk’s victory cemented the westward expansion that brought Texas, California, and Oregon into the union. It also took place amid religious turmoil that included anti-Mormon and anti-Catholic violence, and the “Great Disappointment,” in which thousands of followers of an obscure preacher named William Miller believed Christ would return to earth in October 1844.
Author and journalist John Bicknell details even more compelling, interwoven events that occurred during this momentous year: the murder of Joseph Smith, the religious fermentation of the Second Great Awakening, John C. Frémont’s exploration of the West, Charles Goodyear’s patenting of vulcanized rubber, the near-death of President John Tyler in a freak naval explosion, and much more. All of these elements illustrate the competing visions of the American future—Democrats versus Whigs, Mormons versus Millerites, nativists versus Catholics, those who risked the venture westward versus those who stayed safely behind—and how Polk’s election cemented the vision of a continental nation.
About the author:
John Bicknell is the Executive Editor of @FCWnow in lives in Haymarket, VA. Follow on Twitter: @JohnBick1960
On Tuesday, November 18, José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup will host Sean Brock—the James Beard Award-winning Chef of McCrady’s and Husk Restaurants—at America Eats Tavern to celebrate his new cookbook: Heritage. For $60, tickets include a taste from the cookbook courtesy of America Eats Tavern Head Chef Nate Waugaman, local wines from Virginia’s own Trump Winery, and a signed copy of the book.
The reception will take place in the front bar and private dining room in a passed bite/drink format. The restaurant will remain open for business should guests decide to stay for dinner (price not included in ticket).
What: Sean Brock cookbook party at America Eats Tavern
When: Tuesday, Nov 18 from 6:30—8:30pm
Where: America Eats Tavern (1700 Tysons Blvd inside the Ritz Carlton at Tysons Corner; McLean, VA) *By Metro – Silver Line to Tysons Corner
How: To purchase tickets, visit https://nvite.com/BrockatAmericaEats/brockatamericaeats
The Resolution Social: Washington DC
Thursday, November 20th, 6:30-8:30pm
The Gryphon
Come join me and others for the inaugural Resolution Social: Washington DC! Taking place at The Gryphon in Dupont Circle, this will be an exciting evening dedicated to social entrepreneurship and volunteerism. With a two-hour open bar and a fantastic group of people, come learn about how young leaders around the world are being galvanized to take on the world’s challenges together, today. We hope to see you there! https://resolutionsocialdc.eventbrite.com
THE RESOLUTION PROJECT is a unique pathway to action for aspiring young leaders committed to changing the world. Resolution identifies and empowers undergraduate students around the world who are launching new social ventures, supported by Resolution’s global network of resources. Resolution finds young social entrepreneurs through Social Venture Challenges held at existing youth conferences like the Clinton Global Initiative University, the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, and others. Resolution helps the winners of its competitions to make a positive impact today through Resolution Fellowships. In the words of Chelsea Clinton, “The Resolution Project has shown that socially-responsible young entrepreneurs who want to create a positive change no longer have to wait for tomorrow, but are capable of leading today.” Please see our Resolution Digital Book and our Website for further information on our work and narratives from some of our Fellows.
Ford Evening Book Talk
January 8, 7 p.m.
Mount Vernon welcomes author Turk McCleskey to the Rubenstein Leadership Hall at the Fred W. Smith National Library to discuss his book, “The Road to Black Ned’s Forge: A Story of Race, Sex, and Trade on the Colonial American Frontier,” on January 8. This event is free, however registration is required. Please visit mountvernon.org for more details.
Against the backdrop of a region steeped in politics, with a touch of art, style and humor, Art Soiree presents 5th Annual Political Cartoon Exhibit featuring Tom Toles of The Washington Post. This will be a solo exhibition for Tom Toles presenting a retrospective of his work as Washington Post’s editorial cartoonist over the past twelve years. The one night only exhibit will take place Friday, January 23 at 8pmat the Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown 3100 South Street NW, Washington DC. Guests will get to mingle with the exhibiting cartoonist and enjoy live musical performance by his local journo-band Suspicious Package. The pop-up exhibition is ticketed at $20 with a percentage of net proceeds benefiting Charlie Hebdo.
Tickets are limited and available online only at https://politicalcartoonexhibit.eventbrite.com
Artist will be available on site for interview. High Resolution images available upon request.
ABOUT TOM TOLES: Tom Toles is the Pulitzer prizewinning Editorial Cartoonist for the Washington Post and is widely syndicated nationally. He has covered government, politics and society in six cartoons per week for the Post since 2002. Previously he has been Editorial Cartoonist for US News and World Report, The New Republic, The New York Daily News, The Buffalo News and the Buffalo Courier-Express. He has also drawn a comic strip, Curious Avenue and a comic panel, Randolph Itch, 2am. In his spare time he sings and plays drums in two Washington DC based bands, Suspicious Package and Lethal Bark. He has written a musical comedy, Catapult Love featuring the original music of Lethal Bark. He also enjoys dancing all night long. http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tom-toles
Simon Doonan
Monday, February 9 at 7:00 pm
In The Asylum: True Tales of Madness From a Life in Fashion—an unabashedly hilarious collection of autobiographical essays now out in paperback—Simon Doonan, creative ambassador for Barneys New York, gives us the inside scoop on the kooky, cut-throat—but always fabulous—fashion world.
The First J. Paul’s Icons of Georgetown Awards Dinner
What: J.Paul’s 2015 Icons of Georgetown Awards dinner will be hosted by Thomas L. Gregg, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Capital Restaurant Concepts to honor two individuals who have contributed greatly to Georgetown.
When: The dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: J. Paul’s, located at 3218 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, http://jpaulsdc.com/
Why: J. Paul’s has been serving Georgetown for over 30 years as an iconic dining saloon, and Capital Restaurant Concepts recognizes the importance of honoring members of the community who have taken great strides to support and improve Georgetown, Washington DC’s oldest neighborhood. The first 2015 Icons of Georgetown award will recognize two remarkable people, The Honorable Jack Evans and Mr. Paul J. Cohn, for their contributions to Georgetown over the last 20 years of service. Proceeds raised from the evening’s ticket sales will benefit Georgetown Heritage, a new nonprofit dedicated to promoting and presenting the history of Georgetown, http://georgetownheritagesociety.org/ . The funds from the March 11 award dinner are earmarked to help rebuild the Georgetown canal boat that services the C&O Canal National Historic Park.
How: Tickets for a buffet dinner including drinks are priced at $60 per person (all inclusive) and reservations must be made byMarch 6, 2015. Online ticketing http://shop.capitalrestaurants.com/j-pauls/ or by phone at 202.339.6806
About the two iconic award-winners for 2015:
Paul Cohn, started J. Paul’s Dining Saloon at M Street in 1983, and was a co-founder of Capital Restaurant Concepts which was established in 1984 that grew to include J. Paul’s, Paolo’s, Neyla, Old Glory and Georgia Brown’s as well as the since-closed River Club and Club Zei. Cohn, originally from Baltimore, started out as a manager for singers Peaches and Herb in the 1970s. With his restaurants in Georgetown and downtown D.C., he became influential in local politics as well as instrumental in establishing the Georgetown Business Improvement District and other business and non-profit initiatives.
Jack Evans, Councilmember for Ward 2, was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in a 1991 special election and re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. As the Ward 2 Councilmember, Jack represented 11 distinct neighborhoods including Georgetown. At the Council, Jack serves as Chair of the Council’s Committee on Finance and Revenue, which oversees the District’s finances and tax policy. He also serves on two standing Council committees – Economic Development and Public Safety and the Judiciary.
A native of Pennsylvania, he received an economics degree with honors (cum laude) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law in 1978. Jack began practicing law at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement and currently serves as Of Counsel at Patton Boggs law firm. On September 18, 2010, Jack married Michele Price. They live in Georgetown with their six children (Katherine, John, & Christine – age 15; Sam – age 20; Maddy – age 18; and Jack – age 15) and their golden retriever Kelly.
