this week in literature

MLK DAY 2016

Multiple venues
Monday, January 18
www.mlkday.gov

In 1983, the third Monday in January was officially recognized as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, honoring the birthday of the civil rights leader who was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Dr. King would have turned eighty-seven this month, and you can celebrate his legacy on Monday by participating in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service project or attending one of numerous special events taking place around the city. BAM’s thirtieth annual free Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. includes a keynote address and book signing by Michael Eric Dyson, live performances by the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir and Kimberly Nichole, the NYCHA Atlantic Terminal Community Center student exhibit “Picture the Dream,” master of ceremonies Eric L. Adams, and a special film screening. The JCC in Manhattan will host “Artists Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.,” with a screening of Aviva Kempner’s documentary Rosenwald at 5:00, followed by a Q&A with the director, and “Idealism and Activism: A Conversation with Bill T. Jones” at 7:30 ($5, benefiting Saturday Morning Community Partners).

The Harlem Gospel Choir will play a special matinee at B.B. King’s on MLK Day

The Harlem Gospel Choir will play special matinees at B.B. King’s and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on MLK Day

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan will teach kids about King’s legacy with the “Heroic Heroines: Coretta Scott King” book talk at 10:00 and 2:00 and the World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir at 3:00 and 4:00, while the Brooklyn Children’s Museum hosts the special hands-on crafts workshops “The Art of Protest” and “Protest Prints,” a noon screening of Rob Smiley and Vincenzo Trippetti’s 1999 animated film Our Friend, Martin, and the toddlers program “Storytime & Civil Movements.” The Museum at Eldridge Street will be hosting a free reading of Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom’s picture book What Do You Do with an Idea? along with a mural workshop. The Harlem Gospel Choir will also give a special MLK Day matinee at 12:30 ($22-$26) at B.B. King’s in Times Square, while Big Daddy Kane will take the mic with a live band at 9:00 ($15-$30).

CHARLES BUKOWSKI MEMORIAL READING 2016

charles bukowski three rooms press

Who: Three Rooms Press Presents the Monthly @ Cornelia Street Cafe
What: Ninth Annual Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading
Where: Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St., 212-989-9319
When: Friday, January 8, $15 (includes one drink), 6:00 pm
Why: “What sort of cultural hangover keeps Charles Bukowski in print and popular more than twenty years after his death?” S. A. Griffin asks in the new Three Rooms Press essay “Charles Bukowski: Dean of Another Academy.” “In light of the fact that a good portion of what has been published since his passing in 1994 may not be the man’s best work, along with some heavy editing at times, why does Charles Bukowski remain relevant well into the 21st century?” The ninth annual Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading at Cornelia Street Cafe will explore what Bukowski would think about today’s society, with tribute readings by Kim Addonizio, Mike Daisey, Richard Vetere, Puma Perl, Michael Puzzo, George Wallace, and anyone else who signs up before 6:00, hosted by Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes and featuring rare photos and videos, oral history, prizes, and more.

NEW YEAR’S DAY MARATHON BENEFIT READING

Erica Hunt and Marty Ehrlich will be back at the Poetry Project for annual New Years Day marathon

Erica Hunt and Marty Ehrlich will be back at the Poetry Project for annual January 1 marathon benefit

Who: The Poetry Project
What: Forty-second Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Benefit Reading
Where: The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 East Tenth St., 212-674-0910
When: Friday, January 1, $20 in advance, $25 at the door, 2:00 pm – 12 midnight
Why: Some 150 poets will take the podium in this annual Poetry Project benefit, including Penny Arcade, Anselm Berrigan, Edmund Berrigan, Jennifer Blowdryer, Stephen Boyer, Steve Cannon, Yoshiko Chuma, CA Conrad, Maggie Dubris, Douglas Dunn, John Giorno, Philip Glass, John S. Hall, Jonas Mekas, Jennifer Miller, Jennifer Monson, Carley Moore, Thurston Moore, Eileen Myles, Elinor Nauen, Dael Orlandersmith, Church of Betty, Reno, Bob Rosenthal, Emily Skillings, Jesse Smith, Edwin Torres with David Brown, Anne Waldman with Fast Speaking Music, Ken Walker, Martha Wilson, Jenny Zhang, and more to be announced.

THE CHANUKAH CONCERT: THE KLEZMER BRASS ALL-STARS WITH FRANK LONDON AND ELEANOR REISSA

Who: The Klezmer All-Stars with Frank London and Eleanor Reissa
What: Annual Hanukkah concert
Where: Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves., 212-294-8301
When: Sunday, December 13, $18, 3:00
Why: The American Jewish Historical Society and the American Society for Jewish Music are teaming up for their annual musical and literary celebration of the Festival of Lights with its annual Hanukkah party at the Center for Jewish History. The Sunday matinee features Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars — consisting of London on trumpet, Michael Winograd on clarinet, Brian Drye on trombone, Aaron Alexander on drums, Patrick Farrell on accordion, and Ron Caswell on tuba — with Tony-nominated director, singer, writer, and actor Eleanor Reissa, who performs in both English and Yiddish. The show is a follow-up to last Sunday’s On Stage at Kingsborough “Oy Chanukah!” show. The afternoon will include holiday songs, storytelling, a menorah lighting, refreshments, and more.

HIMALAYAN STYLE: HOW TO REBUILD NEPAL

Thomas L. Kelly and Claire Burkert explore ways to rebuild post-earthquake Nepal in discussion at Rubin Museum (photo by Thomas L. Kelly)

Who: Claire Burkert and Thomas L. Kelly
What: Himalayan Style: How to Rebuild Nepal
Where: Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave., 212-620-5000
When: Wednesday, December 9, $20, 7:00
Why: Earlier this week, we returned from a seventeen-day visit to Kathmandu, where we saw firsthand the destruction wrought by the April and May 2015 earthquakes as well as the intoxicating resiliency of the Nepalese people, who are also currently in the midst of a significant fuel blockade imposed by India, with far-reaching effects. Among the most impressive things we witnessed during our travels was a stop in Bungamati, where an international group of architecture students are working hand-in-hand with local residents to help the community get itself back on its feet. On one wall in an old temple, Bungamati residents can indicate whether they will “clean up,” “reuse materials,” “rebuild,” “repair,” or “do nothing.” On December 9, a similar conversation will take place at the Rubin Museum of Art, when Janakpur Women’s Development Center founder Claire Burkert and photo-activist Thomas L. Kelly will discuss “Himalayan Style: How to Rebuild Nepal,” inspired by their book Himalayan Style (Roli, March 2015, $49.95), which came out shortly before the earthquake hit. Burkert, a crafts expert with Nepal’s Poverty Alleviation Fund, and Kelly, who runs Wild Earth Journeys with his wife, Carroll Dunham, will sign copies of the book after their illustrated lecture, which will include photographs Kelly has taken following the earthquakes, many of which you can see here. You can contact twi-ny directly if you are interested in seeing some of the photos we took in Nepal as well.

BROOKLYN HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR

Adrian Tomine is the special guest at the fourth annual Brooklyn Holiday Book Fair

The Old Stone House
336 Third St. between Fourth & Fifth Aves.
Saturday, December 5, free, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
718-768-3195
theoldstonehouse.org

The historic Old Stone House will be hosting the fourth annual Brooklyn Holiday Book Fair on December 5, chock-full of rare, vintage, and out-of-print literary tomes offered by independent bookshops and antiquarian booksellers from Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cobble Hill, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, and other locations in the world’s greatest borough. The participating shops are Antifurniture, Archestratus Books, Arthur Fournier Fine & Rare, Brooklyn Books, Enchanted Books, Freebird Books, Honey & Wax Booksellers, Joe Maynard, Terrace Books, Tom Davidson, and Faenwyl Bindery. This year’s special guest is Sacramento-born Brooklynite Adrian Tomine (Shortcomings, New York Drawings), who will be signing copies of Killing and Dying (Drawn & Quarterly, October 2015, $22.95) from 12 noon to 1:00. This is a great place to do some holiday shopping; of course, any way you can avoid buying books through Amazon is always strongly encouraged.

FIRST SATURDAY: CONEY ISLAND

Harvey Stein, "The Hug: Closed Eyes and Smile," digital inkjet archival print, 1982 (© Harvey Stein, 2011)

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, December 5, free, 5:00 – 11:00
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

The Brooklyn Museum is honoring the most dramatic, historic, and entertaining part of the world’s greatest borough for the December edition of its monthly free First Saturday program. On the always eclectic bill are live music by Fright Barker and Sons and Raya Brass Band, a theatrical drawing performance by Amour Obscur, sideshow acts curated by Adam Rinn, the issues-oriented BodySpeak by Brown Girls Burlesque, a curator talk and Q&A about the new exhibition “Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008” with Robin Jaffee Frank, a wire workshop where you can make your own Coney Island ride, a book club discussion with Harvey Stein about his photography book Coney Island: 40 Years, 1970–2010, a screening of Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz, and a Visual AIDS screening of Radiant Presence, followed by a discussion with Ted Kerr, Shawn Torres, Rusti Miller-Hill, and Jawanza Williams held in conjunction with World AIDS Day/Day With(out) Art. In addition, the galleries are open late so you can check out such other exhibitions as “Stephen Powers: Coney Island Is Still Dreamland (To a Seagull),” “Forever Coney: Photographs from the Brooklyn Museum Collection,” “Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World,” and “KAWS: ALONG THE WAY.”