Bonnie Friedman with Dawn Raffel | Don't Stop: A Novel

Bonnie Friedman explores ambition, desire, and the dangerous pursuit of self-knowledge in her first novel Don't Stop, which she'll discuss at SNFL with award-winning writer Dawn Raffel.

This event will take place in person and online at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

Ina is a 41-year-old literary scholar on the cusp of professional success. With a coveted university job, a kind husband, and a book on Eugene O’Neill due in months, her life appears enviably stable. But when an impulsive kiss with a stranger shatters her self-control, Ina finds herself plunged into an erotic and emotional freefall.

She tells herself it’s research—a brief detour before returning to real life. But what begins as a flirtation becomes a reckoning with everything Ina thought she wanted: marriage, intellect, control. As she navigates the ecstatic confusion of newfound desire, she risks upending her work, her relationship, and her understanding of who she is.

Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan at the turn of the millennium, Don’t Stop is a bold, immersive debut that explores what happens when a woman dares to want more—of the world, of her body, of herself. Bonnie Friedman delivers a novel of transgression, transformation, and unapologetic longing.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To view the livestream | Whether you're attending in person or online, you must register with your email address. You will need a device with audio and/or video and an internet/cellular connection to view the livestream.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Bonnie Friedman is the author of the bestselling Writing Past Dark, named One of the Essential Books for Writers by The Center for Fiction and Poets & Writers. She is also the author of The Thief of Happiness and Surrendering Oz, a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award in the Art of the Essay. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares and numerous other literary journals, and has been included in The Best American Movie Writing, The Best Buddhist Writing, The Best Spiritual Writing, and The Best Writing on Writing. She has taught writing at The University of Iowa, Dartmouth, NYU, and The University of North Texas. Don't Stop is her first novel.

Dawn Raffel is the author of six books, most recently Boundless as the Sky and The Strange Case of Dr. Couney, which won a Christopher Award for books that affirm the highest values of the human spirit. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, BOMB, New Philosopher, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, Best Small Fictions, Best Micro, and more. She has taught at Columbia University, The Center for Fiction, and Summer Literary Seminars in Eastern Europe and Kenya.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• This event will also include signing and sales of the book by our Library Shop.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) are available upon request. Please submit your request via this form or contact SNFL at least two weeks in advance.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream

• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) also available (see previous).


• Captions and a transcript will be provided.

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Please submit all press inquiries to Connor Goodwin at least 48 hours before the event: email [email protected].
 

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation. All events at The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library are subject to recording and photography. 

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).