WATCH: Liana Finck on Retelling the Book of Genesis

Greenlight is thrilled to welcome cartoonist and writer Liana Finck—author of Excuse Me and Passing for Human, whose keen drawings and musings have been featured in the pages of The New Yorker, The NYT Sketchbook, and her beloved and popular Instagram (@lianafinck)—for the in-person launch of her third book, a bold retelling of the Book of Genesis featuring God as a woman, Abraham as a resident of New York City, and other delightful twists.

Genesis asks fundamental, eternally pertinent questions, such as: what does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of our lives? And how should we treat one another? With her trademark insightfulness, wry humor, and supple, moving visual style, Finck accentuates the latent sweetness and timeless wisdom of the original text, infusing it with wit and whimsy while retaining every ounce of its spiritual heft. Let There Be Light is proof that these stories, often thought of as too holy and too ancient to touch, are living, changing, breathing tales that lend themselves eerily well to Finck’s visual format.

Finck is joined by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell (Murder Book) for a reading and discussion exploring timely ways of telling timeless stories.

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Founded in October 2009 by Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstore is an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York. Combining the best traditions of the neighborhood bookstore with carefully curated, community-minded events, Greenlight has earned a reputation as a literary destination. Greenlight has continued to serve its community during the COVID-19 pandemic with a diverse array of virtual events, and has been inspired by the movements for racial justice across the country to engage in the work of becoming a more anti-racist company. Learn more at greenlightbookstore.com or check them out @greenlightbklyn.