The Wharf was certainly the place to be in DC the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 15.
For music, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) played to a packed house of thousands of people at The Anthem. Conductor Gianandrea Noseda told the orchestra to dress in comfortable clothes for an evening of favorites from Bernstein to Gershwin.
NSO concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef on violin for Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais, along with Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, selections from De Falla’s The Three Cornered Hat, and the finale of Beethoven’s Eroica add up to what is one of NSO’s most popular, crowd-pleasing concerts ever.
For food, former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama were reported to be dining at Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s newly opened Del Mar to celebrate Valerie Jarrett’s birthday
Meanwhile, at Politics and Prose 70 people gathered to hear Tina Brown, former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair magazine, tell inside stories from her new book The Vanity Fair Diaries.
The Wharf has something for everyone’s taste and Politics and Prose is the bookstore that has something for everyone to read.
The authors of books are not just names on shelves, but come here in person to read and answer questions about their latest work at the store’s author events.
About half of the featured books in October and November had a political slant—about people and events that make the news. Not on the front page, but certainly at the forefront of detective fiction writers is Michael Connelly. Politics and Prose moves their book display tables and puts up chairs for these author talks, but if you wanted to hear about Harry Bosch in the latest mystery, Two Kinds of Truth, you did best to get there early.
Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove came later that same week for discussion of their book Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital, which covers four centuries from the Native Americans to the Obama presidency in more than 600 pages (with lots of Southwest history).
For the cat lovers, well-known cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy visited to discuss Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide to Life with Your Cat. And for the foodies, another event featured Ashok Bajaj and Vikram Sunderam, the chefs behind a popular DC restaurant, with their book Rasika: Flavors of India.
What is coming next in January and February? The lineup is being finalized now so watch for upcoming events at http://www.politics-prose.com/wharf.
If you were wondering about books by Dolores Kendrick, our neighbor and DC’s poet laureate, her books are out of print but Politics and Prose Store Manager Justin Bethel is keeping an eye out for a new collected volume of her work.
Marketing Director Jon Purves adds: “We’re so grateful for the enthusiasm and support of the SW community since Politics and Prose opened in The Wharf. It’s clear that this area has long needed a bookstore, and we can’t wait to see how this new location evolves as we get to know this unique neighborhood and its residents better.”
There is so much more to say about Politics and Prose, but maybe New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds says it best: “Bookstores aren’t just for selling books, they’re also community spaces and we need that.” He will be visiting on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25) from 2 to 3 p.m.
Southwest residents can still sign up for a six-month free trial membership until the end of the year. This is a particularly good time to do so, because the Holiday Member Sale runs from Dec. 8-10 and anyone signed up as a member gets 20% off their purchase. To sign up, people must visit the store in person. Other benefits are listed at http://www.politics-prose.com/membership.
Politics and Prose is located at The Wharf, 70 District Square SW.
Hours: Sun to Sat 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
By: Sheila Wickouski