Don Rauf is the songwriter and bandleader for NYC indie band, LIFE IN A BLENDER.  Their newest release,"Satsuma" reflects Don's frequent contributions to Bushwick Book Club with five out of six tracks written for BBC events.  In fact, the album is not just an album, but also a book containing "six mind-melting pieces of art and six tongue-curdling cocktail recipes inspired by the songs."

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Hear songs inspired by

- Kurt Vonnegut (A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY)

- Tèa Obreht (THE TIGER'S WIFE)

- Dean Haspiel (THE RED HOOK)

- Peter Wohlleben (THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES)

- Jonathan Ames (YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE).

One of the most memorable shows of 2020 was with author Jeff VanderMeer for his first YA fantasy release A PECULIAR PERIL.   AMBERGRIS is the collection of his first cult classic series with City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek: An Afterword, 

and Finch together for the first time in one volume.  A great gift for fans of VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy who are now in perpetual VanderMeer-jones mode (maybe we all eventually end up there).

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Get your Ambergris HERE.

Songwriter Mark Lesseraux released a new full length album this year that has two tracks he wrote for Bushwick Book Club shows -- "The Bartender" written in response to GALAPAGOS by Kurt Vonnegut and "Hey Superman" in response to THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE by Jonathan Lethem.  Listen to the whole gorgeous album and purchase it HERE.

The whole Kelley family are artists, writers and creatives.  Among their many and varied work are Cira and Aiki Kelley’s visual art and hand painted jewelry at IG: @beau_tika_craft. 

This unusual cookbook delights more than than the palate with its 88 recipes from more than 40 countries.  The book also contains the inspiring chef stories from vendors all over the world who participated in the groundbreaking and much beloved Queens Night Market.  You can listen to all the new songs inspired by the book on the YouTube replay of our live stream show from November this year.

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Get the book here!

One of our most stunning shows of the year was for the short stories of William Melvin Kelley.  It was a pleasure and privilege to bring our creative focus to this important and under recognized African American writer.  It's not hyperbole when The New Yorker describes him as a "Lost giant of American literature."  Much of his collection has been reissued just this year in the U.S. and U.K. with cover art by his daughter, artist Jesi Kelley and original illustrations from Kelley's surviving wife, artist Aiki Kelley.

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View the whole collection HERE.

A nice way to mark time is with The Accordion Babes Pin Up Calendar featuring accordion players from around the world with a compilation CD of their work.  BBC founder, Susan Hwang is a longtime member of this community, and she's November in the 2021 calendar.  Her musical contribution to the compilation is a new recording of "If this Isn't Nice" inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY, featuring Marlon Cherry on percussion and backing vocals, and produced and recorded by Charlie NIeland.

Order your 2021 calendar HERE.