Book Release Party TONIGHT at LIC Bar, 6pm!

Tonight's the night! Come on out to beautiful Long Island City, Queens and meet us at 6pm at LIC Bar to celebrate the release of Forgotten Borough: Writers Come to Terms with Queens!

Books will be available for sale and for signing, and we'll have fabulous readings from contributors SUSAN Y. CHI, MARCY DERMANSKY, and ARTHUR NERSESIAN.* And it's all FREE!

Click here for more info and to RSVP! Then take a trip on the 7 train and join us as we celebrate our collective Queens pride. Hope to see you there!

*Note: Contrary to the flyer, Nicole Cooley will no longer be reading at the event. Oh, to have Photoshop on my netbook.

Forgotten Borough in The Q Note!

Forgotten Borough is the subject of today's installment of The Q Note, with a fantastic write-up from editorial director Alia Akkam and quotes from yours truly.

From the article:

"Revelations and frustrations" are what prompted Steinberg to curate an anthology featuring over 20 short pieces from writers with deep connections to the borough: "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great to do something that shows Queens is more than Shea Stadium and all-you-can-eat Indian buffets?' [... Because there are so many different communities and cultures and backgrounds represented in Queens' population, I knew that there had to be a slew of engaging stories to go with them." Yes, there certainly are.

Click here to read the article!

Thanks so much to Alia Akkam and The Q Note for the support!

Gothamist, TONY & Tacos

Today's round-up of Forgotten Borough mentions includes Gothamist's February 21 GothamList, where Saturday's release party makes the list of note-worthy events.

Also, check out our mention in Time Out New York's Books section!

And, can't resist including this: Sunnyside's El Vagabundo taco truck got a mention in the Chicago Tribune's new "must-hit eateries" list! Click here to see the article. (El Vagabundo is #19 in the slide show.) As a former Sunnyside resident who lived a block away from that truck and ate there frequently, I must say I'm extremely proud.

Forgotten Borough in the Queens Chronicle

Forgotten Borough is featured in the Queens Chronicle this week, in an article written by Elizabeth Daley. From the text:

Unlike many theme-centered anthologies, which may grow repetitive or feel forced, Steinberg’s selections are entertaining and varied enough so that there truly is something for everyone—even for the Queens novice.

"I tapped people from different backgrounds and parts of Queens," Steinberg said regarding her selection process. "I thought I would end up getting a well rounded book and that ended up happening. That faith served me well in the end."

Click here to read the entire article, which also discusses the book release party this upcoming Saturday, February 26. Big thanks to Elizabeth Daley and the Queens Chronicle for the kind words!

The City Would Speak

Not the city's center but its edges—Sunnyside Yards where
the train finally rises from the tunnel where ice clots
on grass scattered with trash.

The city would speak but it is currently preoccupied with
     its own defense.

—from Nicole Cooley's poem "For Joseph Crowley, 7th District, New York, Bronx and Queens" in Forgotten Borough, out now from SUNY Press

Nicole Cooley will be one of the featured readers at the official Forgotten Borough book release party on Saturday, 2/26! Click here for more details and to RSVP!

Order your copy of Forgotten Borough @ SUNY Press, Amazon, or other book retailers.

Above: "Sunnyside Yard, 12/19/09" by Wolfsburg RS on flickr

The Diversity of Queens

Thanks to contributor Marissa Walsh for the heads-up on this: The New York Times has published a highly detailed map on the growing ethnic and cultural diversity of New York City—and Queens, of course, rates extremely high on this scale! Forest Hills, Corona, and Fresh Meadows are all noted for their respective immigrant populations, and don't forget Queens Village, the most diverse neighborhood in all of NYC.

From the article: In a month or so, the 2010 census will most likely confirm a record high in the city’s foreign-born population. American Community Survey data released last month revealed a striking metamorphosis during the last decade. Traditional ethnic enclaves sprawled amoeba-like into adjacent communities. Once monolithic tracts of white and black and native-born residents have become bespeckled with newcomers.

Click here to check out the map!

Forgotten Borough Book Release Party: 2/26/11 at LIC Bar!

Thanks to all who came out to the Forgotten Borough AWP event and who stopped by the SUNY Press table—and especially to those who bought copies! Such a blast!

Forgotten Borough is officially available for sale from SUNY Press and looks FANTASTIC, if I do say so myself. Order your copy from SUNY today and support a wonderful nonprofit publisher!

If you'll be in the NYC area on Saturday, February 26, we'll be celebrating the release of the book at LIC Bar from 6 to 8 p.m.! Books will be for sale, courtesy of Mobile Libris, and we'll hear short readings from contributors Nicole Cooley, Marcy Dermansky, and Arthur Nersesian!

Click here for more details and to RSVP on Facebook! All are welcome!

Marcy Dermansky on Astoria and writing about Queens

Today's Forgotten Borough plug comes from contributor Marcy Dermansky, who has an interview up on 30th Ave, a new site that celebrates the diversity of 30th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, and the stories of the people who live there.

In her interview, Marcy talks about she came to live in Astoria and her Forgotten Borough piece, "Waiting for Big Bird"—the first story she wrote about her current home turf.

[Marcy] moved to Astoria ten years ago.

"I certainly didn't know I'd be here for this long. I came to New York and people said 'move to Queens, it's happening, and it's cheap'. We like it so we've stayed and have moved a couple of times around here. Astoria is very community-oriented. I've almost liked it better since having Nina than beforehand, which you wouldn't necessarily expect. Suddenly I know my neighbors a lot more. I keep meeting mothers with strollers. People are warm and helpful."

Her short story "Waiting for Big Bird" is set in Astoria (specifically in Café Bar on 34th Avenue) and is coming out in a forthcoming anthology called Forgotten Borough – Writers come to terms with Queens. But she says: "That’s the first time I've written about Queens. I think with fiction a lot of times you write about a place after you've left it. I'll probably write more about Queens when I live somewhere else."

Click here to read the rest of Marcy's interview, and check out the other stories of 30th Avenue! Imagine if there were a website for every neighborhood in Queens...

Forgotten Borough out this month!

It's February, which means Forgotten Borough is out this month! FB takes the spotlight in this month's SUNY Press newsletter. Check out the blurb below and then order your copy of the book today!

And don't forget to RSVP for our AWP reading at DC's Toledo Lounge this Thursday, February 3! It's the first FB event and a can't-miss one, at that!