Culture & the Arts

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.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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), 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.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

The Gotham Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

The dweck-lec'-tic series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

MoMA Lecture: Cindy Sherman

Sherman (American, b. 1954) is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential contemporary artists of the last 40 years. A MoMA lecturer traces the artist's career from the mid 1970s to the present.

MoMA Community Programs are made possible by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Additional support is provided by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., Ducommun and Gross Family Foundation, and The Elroy and Terry Krumholz Foundation.

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.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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.

Kafka in Context: A Book Discussion Series

For the last session, read the short stories “The Penal Colony,” “The Judgment,” “A Hunger Artist,” “A Country Doctor” and “First Sorrow.” Hosted by novelist Matthew Sharpe.

Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival: Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers

Henry “Pucho” Brown brings his one-of-a-kind New York sound to the Dweck. A pioneer of Latin Boogaloo, the Harlem-born Brown has been active since the ‘60s, blending jazz, Latin music, soul, and funk music.

Global Lens 2012: Craft - Riscado

A struggling actress and celebrity impersonator lands an audition and what may be her “big break” after an inspired director recasts his film around her socially marginalized life as an underrated artist in Rio. Directed by Gustavo Pizzi, Brazil, 2010. In Portuguese and French English subtitles. 85 min. Co-presented with the Global Film Initiative.

Brooklyn Independents: Ugly Duckling Presse

Catherine Taylor, Damon Krukowski and Jill Magi read from their recent works on Ugly Duckling Presse. Taylor is the author of the forthcoming volume, Apart, a hybrid-genre book of memoir and South African political history. Krukowski is the author of Afterimage, which combines memoir and lyric. Magi’s book, SLOT, is a meditation on sites of public memory.

Saturday Family Programs: Carnegie Kids presents Elizabeth Mitchell

Elizabeth Mitchell, a Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist, has been recording and performing music for children and families since 1998. Her newest release, Sunny Day features collaborations with Levon and Amy Helm, Dan Zanes, Jon Langford of the Mekons, and the Children of Agape Choir from South Africa. Elizabeth has also recently collaborated with Ziggy Marley, singing the duet Wings of an Eagle with him on Ziggy's 2009 release Family Time. Elizabeth Mitchell performance is a warm, family-style hootenanny that engages everyone, parent and kids alike, in a fun, all-ages interactive event that is part of celebration, part learning adventure.

Russian Literary Series: Psoy Korolenko

Pavel Lion is a respected scholar, slavist and critic, but he is better known as Psoy Korolenko. Psoy performs his own and others’ songs, accompanying himself on keyboard. A post-modernist jester , he critiques culture while also imparting new energy and meaning to it. 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.

Silent Film Series: F. W. Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

German film director Murnau was famous for his narrative and technical virtuosity in films like Nosferatu and The Last Laugh. When he came to America, he created this one-of-a-kind universal tale about love, betrayal and redemption, starring George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor. (1927, 93 min.) The series is curated and hosted by Ken Gordon.

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

Classical Interludes: The Romantic Voice

Kalin Ivanov, cello and David Phillips, piano, perform favorites of the cello/piano repertoire, from Romantic era through the 21st century, including works by Schumann, Chopin, Piazzolla, Saint-Saens, Albeniz, Cherkin, Petrova and others.

Classical Interludes is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Global Lens 2012: Fat, Bald, Short Man - Gordo, Calvo Y Bajito

The prospects for a lonely middle-aged notary unexpectedly change after he joins a self-improvement group and his charismatic new boss—and strangely affable doppelgänger—takes an interest in his life. Directed by Carlos Osuna, Colombia, 2011. In Spanish English subtitles. 91 min. Co-presented with the Global Film Initiative.

Brooklyn Independents: BPL Presents

Poets from a trio of small, independent poetry presses read their work. R. Erica Doyle’s book, Proxy, is out on Belladonna. Amy King reads from I Want to Make You Safe from Litmus Press and Jon Leon will read from The Malady of the Century, published by Futurepoem.

Russian Film Series: Leonid Gurevich Celebration

This year marks 80th birthday of Leonid Gurevich, one of the greatest Russian documentary script writers and film teachers. He was known among generations of documentary filmmakers as a Guru . Family members, friends and former students get together to celebrate legacy of the great film master. The fragments of the films by Gurevich and by his famous students will highlight the event. In Russian. RSVP by calling 718-230-2222. Limit two per person.

Saturday Family Programs: Pinocchio

Everyone’s favorite puppet begins his adventures with a trip to the Land of the Toys, meets a singing-and-dancing Fox and Cat, is saved by the magical Blue Fairy, and is rescued fro the belly of a whale!

Gotham: Writers in the City: Catherine Chung

Chung reads from her debut novel, Forgotten Country. Weaving Korean folklore and history within a modern narrative of immigration and identity, Chung delivers a fierce exploration of the inevitability of loss and the conflict between loyalty and freedom. WNYC’s Leonard Lopate hosts.

The Gotham Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.