Get Lit with All Of It: Mateo Askaripour

Overview

Watch a live video stream as Alison Stewart, host of WNYC’s All of It, continues her virtual book club series with author Mateo Askaripour. The author’s debut novel follows a young Black salesman at a mysterious cult-like tech startup. The Washington Post describes it as “an irresistible comic novel about the tenacity of racism in corporate America.”

This event will also feature Thomas McLeod, Investor with Saltwater and Chief Content Officer at Coil, an interview with rapper Pharoahe Monch and performances from his new project, Th1rt3en. The group features Monch, guitarist Marcus Machado and drummer Daru Jones.

Viewers are encouraged to submit their questions for the author on Twitter and Instagram.

Once again, All Of It teams up for this event with the New York Public Library so that New Yorkers can access the book for free through the NYPL app.

How it Works
Get the book, reach out to a friend to join, and read along with Alison and Team All Of It
Follow @allofitwnyc on Instagram where you’ll find polls, questions, fun facts and pictures of other readers
Watch the live video stream here on this page as Alison talks with the author

Th1rt3en Video Credits:

Executive Producer: Pharoahe Monch
Producers: Get-A-Grip Productions, Zoi Ellis
Camera Operators: Josh Therriault, Arianna Thibodeau, Rashad Frett
Editors: Arianna Thibodeau, Josh Therriault
Production Assistant: Bryane Fleming
Tracking Engineer: Evan Bakke at Power Station New England
Mixing Engineer: Parks

Photo by Andrew "FifthGod" Askaripour

Mateo Askaripour was a 2018 Rhode Island Writers Colony writer-in-residence, and his writing has appeared in Entrepreneur, Lit Hub, Catapult, The Rumpus, Medium, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn, and his favorite pastimes include bingeing music videos and movie trailers, drinking yerba mate, and dancing in his apartment. Black Buck is his debut novel. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @AskMateo.

Photo by Michelle Grace Hunder

Pharoahe Monch has had a hall of fame career thus far, first as a member of the 90’s group Organized Konfusion and even more notably as a solo artist revered by his peers including Eminem and Questlove. Joined by music assassins Jack white drummer, Daru Jones and renowned guitarist, Marcus Machado he recently formed supergroup th1rt3en. The critically acclaimed A Magnificent Day For An Exorcism LP was released January 22 on Fat Beats Recordswith the band appearing on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s #PlayAtHome Online Series.

Photo provided by guest

Tom McLeod is a 4x serial entrepreneur. Most recently he was the CEO and Founder of Omni (exited to Coinbase in 2019). Prior to that he ran, Pagelime (acquired by SurrealCMS in 2015), LolConnect (acquired by Tencent in 2012), and Imaginary Feet which developed 15+ profitable iPhone apps enjoyed by over 10 million users.

Along with a passion for tech and the arts, Tom has a dedicated interest in service and supporting diverse communities. He sits on the board of Camelback Ventures and advises numerous founders and startups. In non-covid times, he can be found playing weekly pick-up-basketball at local parks, and enjoys watching movies in actual theaters. He is from Plainfield, NJ and currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Join Alison Stewart, host of WNYC’s All Of It, alongside bestselling authors and fellow book lovers on the air and online for this new book club series. We’ll read books and share our progress on Instagram, and Alison will talk with a marquee author during a live video stream event.

We know that New Yorkers need to feel a sense of community and fun, even as we remain apart. And that’s why we are excited to announce that the New York Public Library is partnering with WNYC to present a virtual stay-at-home book club experience!