Martha Cooley celebrates My Little Donkey on November 19th

Join and Barnes & Noble Philadelphia on Wednesday, November 19th at 6pm at Barnes & Noble Philadelphia (1708 Chestnut Street) for a discussion of , a collection of searching, curious, and surprising essays catalyzed by the author's move in her sixties to a small Italian village, exploring selfhood, coincidence, inheritance, and the impermanence of identity.

She will be joined in conversation by .

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To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the guidelines below before purchasing a ticket so that you know what to expect on the day of the event.

TICKET INFORMATION

Seated Admission w/ Book: $29.16 (Admission + one copy ) **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:

• One copy of (published 11/18/2025)

• Admission and seat in the event space and signing line with .
• For Seated Tickets: A limited quantity is available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase of a ticket guarantees entrance to the event for the discussion and signing. However, this ticket may not necessarily guarantee a seat at the event, as arrivals after the start of the event may be placed in standing room behind the seated audience.

General Admission - FREE **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:

• Admission to the event space and signing line with
• For General Admission Tickets: A limited quantity is available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Registering for a ticket guarantees entrance to the event for the discussion and signing. Ticket holders will be granted a standing view from behind the seated audience -- some views may be more limited/obstructed than others.

ADDITONAL GUIDELINES:

• Any gifts for the author will be collected prior to the signing line.

• Other books by the author will be available for purchase at Barnes & Noble - Philadelphia.

• Please arrive on time according to your ticket in order to secure your seat in the event space. Late arrivals may only have access to standing room and may not have the opportunity to enter the event space.

• The exact time at which the event ends will be determined on the day. To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise you to arrive on time for the event. Late arrivals may not have the opportunity to meet the author.

• All event guidelines are subject to change.

• If you have any additional questions, please can call the store directly at: (267) 234-9790.

• Barnes & Noble may cancel this event at any time with or without notice to the ticket holders.

Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event. Each person must have a ticket to enter.

REFUNDS

Attendees can receive refunds up to 1 day (24 hours) before your event start TIME OF 6 pm.

If you are unable to attend the event, Barnes & Noble - Philadelphia, PA will hold your books for seven days after the event. Please contact the store to arrange your pickup.

Event guidelines are subject to change.

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MARTHA COOLEY is the author of three novels—The Archivist (a national bestseller published in a dozen foreign markets), Thirty-Three Swoons, and Buy Me Love—and the memoir Guesswork. Her short fiction, essays, and translations have appeared in numerous literary journals.

In 2021, in her mid-sixties, Martha Cooley moved with her husband from the United States to Castiglione del Terziere, a village in northernmost Tuscany. Prompted by this relocation, the essays in My Little Donkey chronicle her encounters with people, animals, the past, and herself as she reckons with the fallout of a major life-change.Following curiosity where it leads, Cooley delves into music and silence, the vagaries of history, the complexity of familial legacies, and the presence and power of animals in human lives. With its spirited examinations of uncanny coincidences and chance events, My Little Donkey’s varied essays offer the vivid pleasures of story combined with the provocations of a writer looking behind the curtain of appearances, intent on honest assessments of what she sees and feels. Whimsical yet at the same time intellectually and emotionally bold, these essays tackle the conundrum of time’s passage: how to adapt, pay attention, embrace contradiction, and enjoy the ride?

Ken Kalfus is the author of 2 A.M. in Little America. He is also the author of three other novels—Equilateral; A Disorder Peculiar to the Country, a finalist for the National Book Award; and The Commissariat of Enlightenment—and the story collections Thirst and Pu-239 and Other Russian Fantasies, the latter a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the basis for the HBO film Pu-239. He lives in Philadelphia.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Barnes & Noble - Philadelphia, 1708 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, United States