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Outfest attracts more than 40,000 people to the Gayborhood for a full day of events, music and celebration. (Photos by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Outfest, billed as the largest National Coming Out Day event in the world, returns to the Gayborhood for a neighborhood-wide block party complete with live music, dancing, contests, a flea market and special events at nearly every restaurant and bar within the festival radius.

Stretching from east to west from 11th to 13th Streets, and north-south from Walnut to Spruce Street, Outfest revolves around the main stage at 13th and Locust and the dance area at 12th and Spruce. The popular flea market will take place once again, bringing a wide variety of vendors, community groups and more to the festival.

New for this year is the inclusion of performances by the Philadelphia Circus School, who will performing throughout the day. Also, at 2 p.m., a new historic marker will be dedicated at Giovanni’s Room, the oldest LGBT bookstore in the country.

Visit Outfest’s official site for the full rundown of events, entertainment and activities.

Outfest
When: October 9, noon-6 p.m.
Where: The Gayborhood, 11th Street to 13th Street, Walnut Street to Spruce Street
Cost: Free
More info: www.phillypride.org

Now you can shop for books on site or online. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Philadelphia indie bookstore customers no longer have to choose between reading digital and supporting their local booksellers.

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) announced last week that ABA member stores across the country with IndieCommerce websites are now selling Google eBooks™ online. Two of those are in Philadelphia: Joseph Fox Bookshop and Giovanni’s Room.

A Google eBook™ is a new form of cloud-based digital book that readers can access on almost any device, regardless of where the text was purchased — Kindle, iPad, Droid, computer, etc.

Google is offering hundreds of thousands of titles for sale, ranging from new releases to classics. Now Joseph Fox and Giovanni’s Room will add their collections to the inventory.

Browse the Google library online. Both bookstores also have a Google eBook™ search widget right on their site: Joseph Fox, Giovanni’s Room.

Indie Booksellers on Google eBooks: We’re Now in the Digital Game [American Booksellers Association]

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Giovanni’s Room, the Gayborhood’s landmark bookstore, has a number of events going on at the shop through July, including readings, an open mic night, and film screenings!

This Saturday, July 3rd, stop by the bookstore for their annual Open Mic Night. Admission is only $5. Make sure you show up at around 6:30pm to sign up and register. The event starts at 7pm.

Wednesday, July 7th, join the Diaspora Reading Group for a discussion of Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun. The talk starts at 7pm, but try to show up a little early before the store closes. That way you aren’t ringing the doorbell and interrupting the talk.

Come Saturday, July 10th, author Aaron Powell will stop by the bookstore to give a reading from his latest collection, Behind Concrete Doors. The reading starts at 5:30pm.

To learn more about the bookshop, visit Giovanni’s Room on the web.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Giovanni’s Room is hosting two readings this weekend at the landmark bookstore, the first with several poets, the second with an acclaimed novelist.

Saturday, the bookshop will host a reading from Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS. Philip Clark, the co-editor of the poetry anthology, as well as several Philadelphia-area poets, will read selections from the collection. The reading starts at 5:30pm, wrapping up at 7pm.

Come Sunday, Tom Mendicino, author of Probation and a current resident of Philadelphia, will be reading pieces from the aforementioned novel.

Both readings ask a $5 donation, which goes towards the store rebuilding fund.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Most of my posts about Giovanni’s Room circle around their outstanding author outreach program, bringing fantastic, influential writers to the Gayborhood’s landmark bookstore. This weekend however, Giovanni’s Room is inviting you on stage, for their open mic night.

The open mic at Giovanni’s Room starts tomorrow, Saturday, April 17th, at 7pm sharp. If you’d like to perform or read, show up at 6:30pm to sign up. Admission is only $5.

Come take the stage, and share some of your own literary treasures.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

This Sunday, Giovanni’s Room continues its tradition of hosting outstanding authors at the bookshop, with a special reading from Jay Michaelson.

Michaelson will be reading from his latest work, Another Word for Sky, his first collection of poetry. He’s also the author of two nonfiction books, God in Your Body and Everything Is God.

The reading takes place this Sunday, March 21st. Stop by, and get your books signed.

Jay Michaelson @ Giovanni’s Room
Sunday, March 21st, 2010, 5:30pm

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

This weekend, famed playwright and novelist Terry Galloway is dropping by Giovanni’s Room for a special reading and book signing.

Her credentials are impressive. Her plays, Heart of a Dog, Out All Night and Lost My Shoes, Lardo Weeping, and In the House of the Moles have been performed around the world, and her writings have appeared in a wealth of newspapers, books, magazines, and journals.

She’ll be reading from her latest book, Mean Little Deaf Queer: A Memoir. Giovanni’s Room will have a limited number of copies available for purchase at the event, for 10% off the cover price.

The reading is part of the ongoing effort to pay for the bookshop’s reconstruction efforts. A $5 donation is request. Donate more if you’ve got it!

Terry Galloway @ Giovanni’s Room
Saturday, February 20th, 5:30pm

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

The Plastic Club

Cocktails with a New York Times best-selling author? Sounds good to me.

At the end of the month, on Saturday, January 30th, Christopher Rice will be appearing at The Plastic Club, participating in the fundraising efforts for Giovanni’s Room.

Rice’s best-selling thrillers include A Density of Souls (2000), The Snow Garden (2002), Light Before Day (2005), and Blind Fall (2008). His latest work, The Moonlit Earth, is due out in the Spring of 2010.

Attendees are welcome to bring copies of Rice’s books to have autographed. Tickets to the cocktail party are $50 per person, with proceeds going towards helping Giovanni’s Room pay for their recent renovations.

Space is limited, so give Giovanni’s Room a call (215-923-2960) if you’re interested.

Christopher Rice @ The Plastic Club
Saturday, January 30th, 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Plastic Club
247 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5609
(215) 545-9324
www.plasticclub.org

Get some last minute holiday shopping done at Johnny Brenda's on Sunday, Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Friday

Holiday Show & Sale @ Mew Gallery
Tonight, the gals at the Mew Gallery are teaming up with local Philly blog McJawn to throw a last minute, holiday sale and party. Local bands, awesome sales, and excellent artists… what more do you need?

A Christmas Carol @ the Walnut Street Theatre
Last chance to catch this show at the Walnut Street Theatre is tonight and tomorrow!

The WaitStaff @ L’Etage
Tonight is the last performance in their weeklong holiday-show extravaganza at L’Etage. Catch some holiday-improv tonight!

Saturday

Art Star in Northern Liberties
Those creative crafters from the Art Star Boutique are taking over No. Libs for a sale of epic proportions. 5% – 20% off most retail shops in No. Libs (depending on how much you shop), discounts at restaurants, and more. Read on.

Santa @ McGillin’s Olde Ale House
That’s right, Old St. Nick is making a stop at McGillin’s. Drop by, take a photo, and have a beer with Santa. He’ll be at the pub from noon til 5pm.

Jose Garces Book Signing @ Chifa
You can catch this top chef at his famous Latin-Asian restaurant, Chifa, today from 2 to 4pm. Free pork belly buns for attendees. Go!

Jane Velez-Mitchelle @ Giovanni’s Room
The author of iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Over-consumption to a Simpler, Honest Life, will be reading selections from her book at Giovanni’s Room.

Glorious Sound of Christmas
Last night for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Glorious Sound of Christmas show at the Kimmel Center.

South Street Winter Solstice
Sure, it’s cold out, but you can warm up at the Magic Gardens or Eyes Gallery, while shopping at boutiques along South St. Just another great, last minute shopping idea.

Sunday

Dru Bruin @ Giovanin’s Room
Butch Bear Calendar 2010 coverman Dru Bruin is visiting the bookshop to greet fans and sign calendars. This is his only Philly area appearance, and calendars will be available in store… but supplies are limited!

Last Minute Shopping @ Johnny Brenda’s
Fishtown’s Johnny B’s is hosting a holiday shopping bazaar today. Grab brunch, do some Christmas shopping.

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

The amazing folks at Giovanni’s Room are still hard at work with their fundraising efforts, but thanks to supporters of the wonderful little gayborhood bookstore, they are more than halfway to the $50k needed to pay for reconstructing the front wall. Congrats!

There are several final readings scheduled this year, each dishing out an opportunity to help the shop. Stop by, donate some cash, and meet some incredibly gifted local and national writers.

All of the readings start at 5:30, with Q&A’s running until 7ish. Books by visiting authors will be available at 10% off their cover price in-store.

Saturday, December 19th, 2009
Jane Velez-Mitchell
Author of iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Over-consumption to a Simpler, Honest Life

Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Dru Bruin
Butch Bear Calendar 2010 coverman Dru Bruin is visiting the bookshop to greet fans and sign calendars. This is his only Philly area appearance, and calendars will be available in store… but supplies are limited!

Sunday, December 27th, 2009
Peter Corvino & Mary Cappello will be at the shop for a reading and Q&A.

Sunday, December 28th, 2009
Sarah Schulman & Eileen Myles meet Giovanni’s Room supporters at the William Way Community Center (1315 Spruce St) for a reading and booksigning.

Stop by, and show your support for one of Philly’s most unique independent bookstores.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com