Culture & the Arts

Saturday Family Programs: The Lion's Whiskers

A delightful musical adaptation of a traditional Ethiopian folktale, this show features a charming cast of human characters as well as our favorite African animals! When lonely Minya marries a widowed man with a son, she goes to a Wise Man for advice. He tells her that in order to win the heart of the little boy she must first pluck three whiskers from a Wild Lion! In doing so she not only finds the courage to tame the lion, but also the secret to gaining the love of her new family. The show features a multitude of masks and puppets ranging from three quarter life-sized to gigantic and is highlighted with shadow puppetry and original songs.

Gotham: Writers in the City: Colson Whitehead

Whitehead discusses his new novel, Zone One, with WNYC's Leonard Lopate. In the near future, a global plague turns most of humanity into zombies. The military drives out the majority of the undead from an area south of Canal Street--the safe area known as Zone One.

This Gotham Series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Activism in America: Black Women & Social Justice

Leaders discuss their efforts to bring black women into full and equal social, economic and political participation in American society. Guests include Farah Tanis, director of Black Women’s Blueprint, and historian Robyn Spencer.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Classical Interludes: Sebastian Bäverstam and Pei-Shan Lee

Bäverstam, cello, and Lee, piano, perform works by Franck and Beethoven. Bäverstam is a winner of the 2009 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Lee teaches and performs as a collaborative pianist at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Children under the age of 6 will not be admitted.

The Classical Interludes Series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Brooklyn Open

Co-hosted by Urban Word, Brooklyn Open is a monthly open mic series for teen poets, spoken word artists, emcees, scholars and activists to share their powerful and important voices. These events are run by teens for teens, with youth DJs, youth hosts and a monthly featured poet.

Books into Film: Blade Runner

Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1968 science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who “retires” replicants, as he hunts down a criminal gang of the androids in 2019 Los Angeles.

Testament to History Film Series: The Murder of Emmett Till

In August of 1955, a 14 year-old black boy from Chicago, unschooled in the racial customs of the south, traveled to Mississippi to visit relatives. With adolescent bravado, he whistled at a white woman. Three nights later, Emmett Till was killed. His death was a powerful catalyst for the civil rights movement: three months after Till's body was found, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. This powerful documentary inspired authorities to the reopen the investigation of the murder. 55 min, directed by Stanley Nelson.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Saturday Family Programs: Jazz 4 Kids

Together with world renowned jazz musicians and vocalist/educator Lauren Hooker, the ensemble leads the audience through the origins of jazz, beginning the journey with a participatory African “Call and Response” song, Slave songs and Spirituals, and translating it into singing a “Swing” tune, and moving to a calypso song demonstrating that jazz continues to influence music around the world. Children are exposed to jazz legends such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sonny Rollins while participating in “Jazz Etiquette” and “Trading Fours.” The audience becomes the instruments in a “Jazz Trio” and experiences the freedom of improvisational scat singing. It’s fun! It’s educational! It’s exciting!

This event is supported by the Hearst Foundation, Inc.

Russian Literary Series: Pavel Lembersky

Lembersky is the author of two collections of prose, River #7 and The City Of Vanishing Spaces. He presents his first novel Aboard the 500th Jolly Echelon, which was published last year to warm critical acclaim. This event is in Russian. Please RSVP for tickets by calling 718.230.2222. Limit two per person.

Activism in America: Investigating Occupy Wall Street

Todd Gitlin (The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election) discusses the Occupy Wall Street protests. Stacey Patton reflects on African American participation in OWS and Occupy the Hood.

This event is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation the Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

Classical Interludes: Sofya Melikyan

This talented young pianist performs music by two great romantics, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, as well as two French composers, Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy. Melikyan recently completed her Master of Music degree in piano performance at Manhattan School of Music, where she was a scholarship student of Solomon Mikowsky. Children under the age of 6 will not be admitted.

The Classical Interludes Series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Books into Film: The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946), is a film noir classic starring Humphrey Bogart as detective Philip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Vivian Rutledge, a woman with a secret. The film is based on Raymond Chandler’s 1939 hard-boiled novel of the same name.

This event is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation the Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

dweck-lec'-tic: Dos y Mas

The two Cuban masters, percussionist/composer Arturo Stable and pianist/composer Elio Villafranca, pay tribute to the legacies of different percussive traditions, from the Spanish flamenco tradition to the Iranian saghezi, blended with contemporary jazz idioms. Villafranca performs internationally as leader of his quartet, and has collaborated with leading jazz artists including Wynton Marsalis, Sonny Fortune and Johnny Pacheco. Stable performs with such illustrious leaders as Dave Samuels and Paquito D’ Rivera.

This Series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Testament to History Film Series: Freedom Riders

In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. That is, until an integrated band of students decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face to face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation. This film documents their personal conviction and their courage to organize against all odds. 120 min, directed by Stanley Nelson.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Saturday Family Programs: Urban Stages presents Musical Tales with Atiba

Master storyteller and musician, Atiba Wilson, shares a collection of his favorite African folktales. These tales are woven together with beautiful music sure to be a treat for all ages.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Author Talk: Martha Southgate

In her new novel, The Taste of Salt, award-winning novelist Martha Southgate tells the story of a family tested to the limits by an unending cycle of addiction over the course of two generations, weaving together the four voices of the Henderson family. Southgate is the author of two acclaimed novels, The Fall of Rome and Third Girl from the Left.

Books into Film: Trainspotting

Based on Scottish writer Irvine Welsh’s first novel, Danny Boyle’s 1996 film adaptation launched the career of Ewan McGregor, who plays the main character, a heroin addict named Renton. Boyle would go on to make Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.

Paul D. Miller's The Book of Ice

Miller, aka DJ Spooky, presents an exploration of Antarctica by performing pieces based on his travels there and discussing climate change and contemporary composition.

Russian Film Series: My Father Evgeny

Filmmaker Andrei Zagdansky and his father Evgeny both lived a life in cinema, working for the Kiev Popular Science Film Studio. In 1992, when Andrei left the Ukraine for America, they communicated by letters, sharing impressions between two continents. Drawing upon that correspondence and beguiling footage from Soviet archives, Andrei creates an intimate portrait of a family living through dramatic changes. This film is in Russian with English subtitles.

Saturday Family Programs: Feraba African Rhythm Tap Duet

Let's dance together, let's drum together, let's sing together. Join Ibrahima Kolipe Camara, a native from Guinea, West Africa and Irene Koloseus, dancer and choreographer as they celebrate Black History month. The two perform dances, rhythms and songs from Guinea as well as honoring tap dance - an art form - created in America. Learn how American tap dance has its roots in African music and dance. Join the fun during this highly interactive performance! African shakers and small drums will be provided for toddlers, youngsters, and their families.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Pixelating: Indie Films in Black: Medicine for Melancholy and Habesha Life

Medicine for Melancholy is a love story told through two African-American twenty-somethings who deal with issues of class, identity, and the evolving conundrum of being a minority in rapidly gentrifying San Francisco. Directed by Barry Jenkins, starring The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac. Habesha Life, directed by Ambessa Jir Berhe, is an episodic online short film series about a group of young habesha/abesha (Ethiopian or Eritrean person) in and around Washington DC. Followed by a discussion with the directors. Presented in partnership with MoCADA, Black Public Media and the Center for Place, Culture and Politics at CUNY Graduate Center.

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Activism in America: Filmmaker Stanley Nelson in Conversation

Veteran filmmaker Stanley Nelson is an Emmy-winning MacArthur “genius” Fellow. His films chronicle chapters of American history that stand as an astonishing testament to the accomplishments of Black Americans. He will discuss his film, Freedom Riders, and the key people, locations and events of this watershed movement for civil rights

This event is part of Brooklyn Public Library's celebration of Black History Month.

Classical Interludes: Brooklyn Rider String Quartet

Johnny Gandelsman and Colin Jacobsen, violins Nicholas Cords, viola Eric Jacobsen, cello, play in venues as varied as Joe’s Pub and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Todai-ji Temple in Japan, Library of Congress, San Francisco Jazz and the South By Southwest Festival. Their wildly eclectic repertoire draws critical acclaim from classical, world and rock critics. Children under the age of 6 will not be admitted.

The Classical Interludes Series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Books into Film: Coraline

Coraline, the title character of Neil Gaiman’s 2002 novella for young adult readers, is a fearless little girl who, despite the warnings of her neighbors, goes through a hidden doorway and enters a nearly identical world, where her Other Mother and Other Father replicas of her real parents with button eyes, inhabit a house just like her own. Henry Selik directed the 2009 film version, which features stop-motion animation.

Second Chances: Reentering a Professional and Personal Life after Incarceration

This panel discussion offers advice, resources and positive stories about the reentry process for formerly incarcerated individuals. Speakers include Mindy S. Tarlow, the Executive Director of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) to discuss services that CEO offers to people with recent criminal convictions Nick Higgins, Correctional Services librarian at New York Public Library and a recent participant in the CEO program. This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition “Released with Conviction”.

Saturday Family Programs: Just Girls

Presented by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, this family concert features an all-female band celebrating Women's History Month with a multi-genre musical bash! The performance features women playing instruments that are usually associated men such as tuba, bass, and drums. Our female musical masterminds will show that girls can make music in every which way - singing, playing, and working together!

Staged Reading: Ask Joseph

STEPS Theatre Company gives a staged reading of a play by Slava Stepnov and Roman Freud. This theatrical fantasy is influenced by the works of Anton Chekhov and Joseph Brodsky. Photographer Anya Roz will show her portrait project, Ancestor Blueprint, as part of the performance. In Russian. RSVP by calling 718-230-2222. Limit two per person.

Silent Film Series: Rin-Tin-Tin in Clash of the Wolves

Many people know the German shepherd dog portrayed in the 1950s TV series, but the original Rin-Tin-Tin appeared in 26 silent features and 2 sound serials between 1922 and 1931. This is his 9th feature, where and plays a half-breed wolf-dog named Lobo. Directed by Noel Mason Smith (1925, 74 min.) The series is curated and hosted by Ken Gordon. Shown courtesy of the National Film Preservation Foundation.

The Silent Film Series is sponsored in part by Circle Apartments LLC.

Classical Interludes: Phillip Lopate and the Brooklyn Phil Chamber Players

Lopate joins the Chamber Players for a concert that explores Brooklyn’s development over the past 200 years. Music will include repertoire by great Brooklyn composers such as Gershwin and Copland, as well as contemporary composers.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Brooklyn Open

Co-hosted by Urban Word, Brooklyn Open is a monthly open mic series for teen poets, spoken word artists, emcees, scholars and activists to share their powerful and important voices. These events are run by teens for teens, with youth DJs, youth hosts and a monthly featured poet.

Books into Film: High Fidelity

Stephen Frears directs John Cusack as a music snob and compulsive list maker who recounts his top-five breakups in this 2000 film. Based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel. 113 min.

This program is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by The Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation The Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

Saturday Family Programs Lori Belilove & The Beliloveables

Enchanting dance performance in honor of Isadora Duncan, legendary mother of Modern dance. Learn about how Isadora Dreamed a different dance and changed dance forever. The Beliloveables, a pre-professional teen performing troupe trained extensively in the style, will perform dances from the original repertory of Isadora Duncan along with a demonstration of her technique and a brief screening of rare photos and video. Informative opening remarks will be by Artistic Director Lori Belilove. With the spring 2012 issuance of a US postage stamp commemorating Isadora Duncan's life achievements, this performance promises to be an educational family treat.

Gotham: Writers in the City: Elissa Schappell

Schappell reads from her new book, Blueprints for Building Better Girls, a provocative, keenly observed, and wickedly smart work of fiction that maps America’s shifting cultural landscape from the late 1970s to the present day. WNYC’s Leonard Lopate hosts.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Classical Interludes: Canta Libre

This unusual and enchanting chamber ensemble consists of harp, flute and strings, a combination of instruments preferred by French composers at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Join them for an evocative journey to Paris of the 1920s, with works by Maurice Ravel, Jean Francaix, Joseph Jongen and more.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Books into Film: Carrie

Brian De Palma directed this 1976 interpretation of Stephen King’s classic 1974 horror novel. Sissy Spacek stars as a bullied high-school student with supernatural powers. 98 min.

This program is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by The Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation The Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

dweck-lec'-tic: Come Sunday: Chanda Rule sings Mahalia Jackson

Rule honors singer and Civil Rights activist Mahalia Jackson with original arrangements of the Queen of Gospel’s most beloved songs. Inspired by her mission to break down hatred and fear through song, Chanda braids Mahalia’s messages of truth with her own love-inspired melodies, poetry and visual art for an intimate and heart expanding musical experience.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Saturday Family Programs: Pot of Gold

Come celebrate Irish Heritage Month with a trio of Irish folktales. Join master storyteller, Timothy Connell as he uses song, dance and audience interaction to travel to the land of Ireland.

Eleventh National Black Writers Conference: Nikky Finney

Finney Reads from Head Off & Split, which recently won the National Book Award. The reading is presented in conjunction with the National Black Writers Conference, www.nationalblackwritersconference.org.

Double Dublin!

Join Kevin Holohan and Honor Molloy for an evening of Irish comic writing. Holohan reads from The Brothers’ Lot, a satirical and hilarious novel that explores religious hypocrisy in an Irish secondary school. Molloy reads from Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage, a wild child's struggle to hold her family together in 1960s Dublin. Molloy is a 2011 Artist Fellowship recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). This presentation is co‐sponsored by Artists & Audiences Exchange, a NYFA public program, funded with leadership support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

Classical Interludes: American Mavericks: Jenifer Koh

Collaborating with the most ground-breaking contemporary composers on the scene, Koh traces the threads connecting new music to music of the past. Koh and pianist Reiko Uchida perform works by American composers Jennifer Higdon, John Adams, Missy Mazzoli, and Lou Harrison, including a piece written expressly for Koh by Higdon. This concert is part of American Mavericks, a citywide celebration of the pioneers of the American sound, presented by Carnegie Hall and San Francisco Symphony. Visit carnegiehall.org/mavericks for more information.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Books into Film: A Room with a View

Director James Ivory and Producer Ismail Merchant filmed this close adaptation of E. M. Forster's 1908 novel of the same name and even used his chapter titles to divide the film into sections. 117 min.

This program is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by The Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation The Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

Kafka in Context: A Book Discussion Series

Acclaimed novelist Matthew Sharpe leads a three-part discussion series on the work of Franz Kafka. We will explore several of Franz Kafka’s works in historical context and beyond. For the first session, be prepared to discuss The Trial. Books are available in the Language and Literature department.

Russian Film Series: Inadequate People

A quiet and well-mannered young man, Vitaly, comes to Moscow from a small provincial town to start life anew. But somehow the people he encounters are all strange and unsettling: his eccentric next-door neighbor Christina is bent on reforming the nerdy Vitaly his lascivious new boss is stalking him even his shrink is harboring a dark secret. Vitaly comes across as the only adequate person around. But is it true? Dir. Roman Karimov 2010 106 min in Russian with English subtitles

Saturday Family Programs: Flooky and the Beans

It's a big giant party in the magical land of Beantown today! The robot flew in from Outer Space. He's been to Venus, he's been to Mars! Let's have a celebration and reach for the stars!! Flooky and the Beans are back and ready to dance, dance, dance and sing sing, sing in this fantastic Spring time concert celebrating their first trip to Brooklyn! Join Bobo the Funky Purple Bean, Emma the Go-Go Green Bean, Chili the Hot-Hot-Cool Bean, Angie the Checkerboard Bean and Flooky the Robot Boy with their special guest, the Orange Farmer at this uplifting interactive event for children ages 2-8.

Russian Literary Series: Dmitry Bykov

Bykov is a novelist, biographer, columnist and driving force behind a hugely popular project Citizen Poet . Recently, his novel Ostromov was named a finalist for the prestigious literary award Big Book . In Russian. RSVP by calling 718-230-2222. Limit two per person.

The Russian Literary Series is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Classical Interludes: Daria Rabotkina

Classical Interludes: Daria Rabotkina Rabotkina, winner of the 2007 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, plays pieces from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, excerpts from Schumann’s Humoreske, and Busoni’s arrangement of Bach’s Chaconne in D minor.

This series is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Books into Film: Clueless

Despite her superficial demeanor, Beverly Hills high-schooler Cher is a witty and intelligent navigator of teenage social life. Amy Heckerling based her 1995 film on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma. 97 min.

This program is made possible through Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities, established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by The Hearst Foundation, Inc. the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation The Starr Foundation the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.

Kafka in Context: A Book Discussion Series

We will consider the many kinds of influences—ethnic, linguistic, religious, psychological, geographic, vocational, political—can be felt in Kafka’s work, along with, of course, his singular, abundant, strange, tragicomic imagination. For the second session, novelist Matthew Sharpe leads a discussion of “The Metamorphosis”.

Brooklyn Independents: Graywolf Press

Poets Jeffrey Yang and Matthea Harvey read from their new books on Graywolf Press. Yang reads from Vanishing Line and Harvey reads from Modern Life.

Eleventh National Black Writers Conference Poetry Café

Tai Allen hosts an evening of readings, featuring poets Aracelis Girmay (Teeth Changing, Changing: Story and Collages) R. Dwayne Betts (Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival and Coming of Age in Prison) Patricia Smith (Blood Dazzler, Teahouse of the Almighty) and emerging and established poets. For more information, visit www.nationalblackwritersconference.org.

Saturday Family Programs: Fish Face -- National Touring Theater ArtsPower

Fish Face, part of the popular Kids of the Polk Street School series by two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff, is coming to the stage as an ArtsPower musical. Emily Arrow can do plenty of things well when she has Uni – her toy unicorn – to bring her good luck. She’s one of the fastest runners around, she’s great at math, and she hardly ever gets into trouble. But when Dawn Bosco appears, everything changes. The new girl seems to be good at everything. She even beats Emily in a race. Worst of all, Emily discovers that Dawn has stolen her unicorn!

The Brooklyn Bridge: A Study in Greatness

Members of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation faculty, John Stern and Carrie Wilson, give an illustrated lecture on this landmark, which has inspired countless artists and architects.

Ancient Greeks Modern Lives: Scenes from Greek Drama

Actors from Aquila Theatre Company present scenes from Ancient Greek plays that retain the power to provoke the central question of what it means to be human. Readings include lines from Agamemnon, by Aeschylus Ajax by Sophocles Herakles by Euripides and Odyssey, by Homer.

Brooklyn Open

Co-hosted by Urban Word, Brooklyn Open is a monthly open mic series for teen poets, spoken word artists, emcees, scholars and activists to share their powerful and important voices. These events are run by teens for teens, with youth DJs, youth hosts and a monthly featured poet.

Global Lens 2012: Amnesty - Amnistia

A new law allowing conjugal visits in Albanian prisons presents the opportunity for a sympathetic affair between a man and woman visiting their incarcerated spouses—until a prisoner amnesty threatens their fragile new bond. Directed by Bujar Alimani, Albania, 2011. In Albanian English subtitles. 83 min. Co-presented with the Global Film Initiative.