Baltimore, August 19, 2022 — Following the launch of the first issue of Baltimore Beat, Baltimore bookshop Greedy Reads and nonprofit news outlet the Beat announced today the start of a monthly author events series. Curated by the staff of Greedy Reads and Lisa Snowden of Baltimore Beat and her team, these events promise provocative conversation with some of the most compelling authors publishing today.
“All of us at Greedy Reads have been eagerly awaiting the launch of Baltimore Beat, and are so grateful for the invaluable service they’re providing to the entire community of Baltimore,” said Julia Fleischaker, owner of Greedy Reads. “We’re unbelievably excited to work with their brilliant team, alongside local and visiting authors, to bring these important, illuminating, and galvanizing conversations to the city.”
Appropriately, two of the first book conversations announced are with Baltimore-based authors exploring complex issues of race and representation and environmental justice.
On September 22, at Greedy Reads’ Remington location, author Brandi Collins-Dexter will be at the store to discuss her new book, Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future (Celadon Books). Author Steven Thrasher said that Black Skinhead is the book he has “wanted to read about Black politics in America not just in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency, but after the elections of Barack Obama and Joe Biden failed to deliver material results for Black people.”
The Beat’s EIC Lisa Snowden will moderate the conversation with author Collins-Dexter.
On December 8, at Greedy Reads’ Remington location, author and Towson University professor Nicole Fabricant will be at the store to discuss her new book, Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore (University Of California Press), which details the organizing by Baltimore high school students who called attention to the race- and class-based health inequalities brought on by toxic emissions on the South Baltimore Peninsula.
The Beat’s Deputy Editor J. Brian Charles will moderate the conversation with author Fabricant.
Also scheduled, on November 11 at Greedy Reads’ Remington location, Greedy Reads and the Beat present author Patrick Radden Keefe, who will discuss his book Empire Of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Keefe will be introduced by the Beat’s Director of Operations, Brandon Soderberg.
“We need spaces that help us think deeply about the world around us. That’s what we are trying to create with Baltimore Beat and I’m grateful for the folks at Greedy Reads who are providing space for that, too,” Snowden said.
This collaboration between Greedy Reads (named Best Bookstore by Baltimore Magazine) and Baltimore Beat—a Black-led, Black-controlled nonprofit newspaper—builds on the powerful and inspiring “Future of Journalism” panel that featured the Beat back in May during Greedy Reads’ Lost Weekend Literary Festival.
“The enthusiasm for the Beat’s relaunch in the Greedy Reads community has been palpable since the announcement was made. The journalism panel at our festival was by far the most talked about and had the highest attendance – and far and away the most energy. Seeing so many people come together to reimagine what journalism in our city can look like was a truly special moment for us,” Emily Miller, manager at Greedy Reads in Remington, said.
Proceeds from the sale of books featured in the monthly series will be split between Greedy Reads and the Beat, which means those who purchase a book not only support local, independent bookshops but the Beat’s community-focused news as well.
Baltimore readers can also stop by Greedy Reads’ locations in Remington (320 W 29th Street) and Fells Point (1744 Aliceanna Street) and check out monthly book recommendations by the Beat’s staff which will also be featured on Greedy Reads’ website, greedyreads.com.