this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As

THE ACADEMY AT METROGRAPH: SIDEWAYS WITH ACADEMY AWARD WINNER JIM TAYLOR AND WINE RECEPTION

Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church discuss merlot and more in Alexander Payne’s Sideways

SIDEWAYS (Alexander Payne, 2004)
Metrograph
7 Ludlow St. between Canal & Hester Sts.
Friday, June 1, 7:00
212-660-0312
metrograph.com
www.foxsearchlight.com

The “Academy at Metrograph” series, a yearlong residency for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Lower East Side cinema house, concludes June 1 at 7:00 with Sideways, eclectic director Alexander Payne’s fourth film, following the underseen Citizen Ruth, the excellent Election, and the overrated About Schmidt. Sideways is fabulously entertaining from start to finish, a smart, inventive, very funny dark comedy about friendship and love set in California wine country. Paul Giamatti stars as Miles, a schlumpy wine connoisseur who is having trouble getting over his divorce and the failure of his massive novel to get published. His best friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), is getting married, so the two head off on a road trip, with Miles looking forward to sampling fine wine, and Jack anticipating sampling fine women. While Jack finds what he is looking for in Stephanie (Sandra Oh, who was married to Payne at the time), Miles seems hell-bent on not allowing himself to enjoy life, even as a beautiful woman with a deep appreciation of the grape (the excellent Virginia Madsen in what should have been a career-redefining performance) shows an interest in him. You definitely do not have to be a wine drinker to fall in love with this marvelous movie, one of the best of 2004; it was nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Madsen), and Best Supporting Actor (Haden Church), and screenwriters Jim Taylor and Payne won for Best Adapted Screenplay. Taylor will be at Metrograph to talk about the movie, which will be preceded by a screening of Jeff Fowler’s 2004 Oscar-winning short, Gopher Broke, and followed by a wine tasting with vintages provided by Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

BOOKCON 2018

Chuck Palahniuk will be signing copies of Adjustment Day at BookCon

Javits Center
655 West 34th St. at 11th Ave.
Saturday, June 2, $45, and Sunday, June 3, $40 (kids six to twelve $10 per day)
www.thebookcon.com
www.javitscenter.com

As BookExpo America became more and more an industry trade show, ReedPOP started BookCon, two days of literary events at the Javits Center organized for book lovers not necessarily in the business. Taking place June 2 and 3, BookCon includes panel discussions, Q&As, autograph sessions (must be digitally ticketed in advance), screenings, quiz shows, podcasts, sneak peeks at new books, and more, divided into Kids & Family, Adult & Fiction, YA, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and Aspiring Writers. Among the 2018 participants are Amanda Lovelace, Angie Thomas, Brad Meltzer, Cassandra Clare, Charlaine Harris, Chuck Palahniuk, StacyPlays, Trista Mateer, David Baldacci, Holly Black, Kiersten White, Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, Kami Garcia, Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, Sandra Brown, Tahereh Mafi, Walter Mosley, Megan Abbott, and many others. Below are only some of the highlights. (Full disclosure: In another part of my life, I work in children’s book publishing.)

Saturday, June 2
Marching Along with Congressman John Lewis, with John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Afua Richardson, Downtown Stage, 12 noon

Love Them More: Taye Diggs and Shane Evans, moderated by Jason Reynolds, Room 1E10, 12:30

Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives, with Viet Thanh Nguyen, Thi Bui, Porochista Khakpour, Joseph Azam, and Novuyo Tshuma, moderated by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Room 1E16, 1:45

Social Justice Warriors: Redefining Youthful Rebellion, with DeRay Mckesson, Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jason Reynolds, moderated by Kwame Alexander, Room 1E10, 3:00

Spotlight on Diane Guerrero, with Diane Guerrero, moderated by Cristina Arreola, Downtown Stage, 3:15

Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Val Emmich will discuss the making of the Dear Evan Hansen novel at BookCon

Sunday, June 3
President Bill Clinton & James Patterson / The President Is Missing, with President Bill Clinton and James Patterson, Main Stage, 11:00 am

Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Val Emmich, moderated by Crystal Bell, Room 1E10, 12:15

PBS: The Great American Read, with Veronica Roth, Daniel José Older, Glynnis MacNicol, and Yahdon Israel, Main Stage, 2:15

RE-orientation: LGBTQ Creators of Mass Media, Culture, and the Stories People Want to Read, with Emily Jordan, Damon Suede, Dhonielle Clayton, Harper Miller, Heidi Heilig, and Mackenzi Lee, Room 1E16, 2:30

Beyond Books, with Zach King, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Tiffany Jackson, moderated by Sarah Enni, Room 1E16, 3:30

SPLIT SCREENS FESTIVAL

Jean Smart is one of the special guests at IFC Center’s Split Screens Festival

IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Wednesday, May 30 – Sunday, June 3
212-924-7771
www.ifccenter.com
www.splitscreensfestival.com

There once was a time when television was considered vastly inferior to the movies, although that is hard to believe now. Actors and directors eschewed the boob tube, even though so many great actors and directors actually got their start there, in series and live dramas. But we’re now in the midst of another golden age of the small screen, with hundreds of cable channels and streaming services, and IFC Center is celebrating the television explosion with the Split Screens Festival, which runs May 30 through June 3. Fifteen programs, including advance screenings and panel discussions, are being presented, involving such shows as The Americans, Westworld, Divorce, Billions, Better Call Saul, Younger, and The Outer Limits and featuring such guests as Jean Smart, Damson Idris, Jeffrey Wright, Debi Mazar, Walter Mosley, David Costabile, Thomas Haden Church, and Vanguard Award winner Sandra Oh. Below are only some of the highlights.

Wednesday, May 30
Farewell, Comrades! The Americans Finale Viewing Party, screening and discussion with Jen Chaney and Alan Sepinwall, moderated by Matt Zoller Seitz, 9:30

Thursday, May 31
Smart TV: The Many Faces of Jean Smart, with Jean Smart, $15, 7:00

Sandra Oh will receive Vanguard Award at Split Screens Festival on June 3

Friday, June 1
Money in the Bank: David Costabile on Billions, with David Costabile, $15, 6:00

Acting Machine: Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright, with Jeffrey Wright, $15, 7:30

Saturday, June 2
Do Not Adjust Your Set: Journey to The Outer Limits, including screening of classic Demon with a Glass Hand episode starring Robert Culp, with Stephen Bowie, Reba Wissner, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Kraus, $15, 11:00 am

The Women Behind the Camera: Four Top TV Directors on Showing vs. Telling, with Tricia Brock, Gillian Robespierre, Julie Anne Robinson, and Lauren Wolkstein, $15, 2:45

Sunday, June 3
Damn Fine Coffee: Twin Peaks Fan Theories, with Jeremiah Beaver, J. C. Hotchkiss, Matthew C., Andreas Halskov, Samantha McLaren, Donald McCarthy, and Connor Ratliff, $15, 11:00 am

Dead Girls: A TV Obsession, with Alice Bolin, Megan Abbott, and Sarah Weinman, $15, 5:00

WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2018

Brian Greene will moderate a discussion on black holes at World Science Festival

Multiple venues
May 29 – June 3
Most events free – $100
www.worldsciencefestival.com

The eleventh annual World Science Festival is another foray into the future, an inner exploration of the mind as well as an outer adventure into space. There will be lectures, panel discussions, workshops, labs, film screenings, readings, and more, at such locations as NYU, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Ace Hotel. Below are only some of the highlights.

Tuesday, May 29
Gala celebrating Marie Curie, Alice Ball, Rosalind Franklin, Vera Rubin, and Maryam Mirzakhani, with performances by Carolee Carmello, Hannah Elless, Rosemary Loar, Ingrid Michaelson, Alice Ripley, Michelle Wilson, and others, Jazz at Lincoln Center, $1,000+, 6:00 – 10:30

Wednesday, May 30
Cheers to Science: The Absence of Absinthe, Distilling the Science of the “Green Fairy,” with Kevin Herson and others, moderated by Shannon Odell, Liberty Hall at Ace Hotel, $40 (twenty-one and older only), 7:00

Bump: The Magic, Mystery, and Mechanics of Pregnancy, new play (Bump) by Chiara Atik, directed by Claudia Weil, performance followed by talkback, with Catherine Birndorf, Linsay Firman, and others, moderated by Lynn Sherr, Ensemble Studio Theatre, $25-$40, 7:00

Thursday, May 31
Planting the Seeds, Seeding the Plants: Can CRISPR Save the World?, with Dave Jackson, Carolyn Neuhaus, Yiping Qi, Friedrich Soltau, and Matthew R. Willmann, moderated by Brooke Borel, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 4:00

A Merger in Space: Black Holes and Neutron Stars, with Duncan Brown, Vicky Kalogera, Frans Pretorius, and Jocelyn Read, moderated by Mario Livio, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 6:00

World Science Festival includes special Lab Tours for Girls

Deep Dive Live: Trivia Night at the American Museum of Natural History, hosted by Faith Salie, $45-$100, 6:00 (includes special exhibition access)

Friday, June 1
World Science U, with Andrea Ghez, Sara Walker, and others, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, free with advance registration, 10:30

Carl Zimmer: She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, with Carl Zimmer, moderated by Maria Konnikova, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 6:00

The Matter of Antimatter: Answering the Cosmic Riddle of Existence, with Marcela Carena, Janet Conrad, Michael Doser, Hitoshi Murayama, and Neil Turok, moderated by Brian Greene, Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, $20-$100, 8:00

Saturday, June 2
Great Fish Count: 1 Fish, 2 Fish, I Fish, You Fish, Great Fish Count Sites, free (advance registration suggested), 9:00 am – 6:30 pm

Cook-off will pit human against machine at World Science Festival

Science and Story Cafe: The Story of Science, One Book at a Time, with Lisa Barrett, Michael Benson, Susana Martinez-Conde, Oren Harman, Janice Kaplan, Stephen Macknik, Barnaby Marsh, Ken Miller, and Andrew Revkin, moderated by Budd Mishkin and Richard Panek, NYU Kimmel Center, free (advance registration suggested), 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Notes on the Folds: Why Music Makes Us Shiver, with Meagan Curtis, Mari Kimura, Edward Large, Psyche Loui, and others, moderated by John Schaefer, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 11:00

Backyard Wilderness, 3D film and postscreening BioBlitz,Lefrak Theater, the American Museum of Natural History, 2:30

To Be or Not to Be Bionic: On Immortality and Superhumanism, with Jessica Brillhart, S. Matthew Liao, Hod Lipson, and Max Tegmark, moderated by Mariette DiChristina, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 4:00

Saturday Night Lights: Stargazing in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with Ken Blackburn, Steve Howell, Kent Kirshenbaum, Steve Liddell, Hod Lipson, Scott M. Smith, Nicole Stott, Jennifer Swanson, and Bill Yosses, Pier 1, free (advance registration suggested), 7:00 – 11:00

World Science Festival features free stargazing in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Sunday, June 3
Science and Storytime: Science Books Come to Life, with Helaine Becker, Ken Blackburn, Lynn Brunelle, “Science Bob” Pflugfelder, Jennifer Swanson, and Mike Vago, moderated by Jana Grcevich and Olivia Koski, NYU Kimmel Center, free (advance registration suggested), 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Alien Contact: What Happens Next?, with Kathryn Denning, David Kipping, Karen Lewis, and Marcelo Magnasco, moderated by Wendy Zukerman, NYU Global Center, Grand Hall, $15-$25, 11:00

Flame Challenge: “What Is Climate?,” with Michael Bronski, Cyndy Desjardins, Soumyadeep Mukherjee, and Bernadette Woods Placky, moderated by Alan Alda, NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, $15-$100, 1:30

VULTURE FESTIVAL 2018

Maggie Gyllenhaal will be at the Vulture Festival to discuss The Deuce and four other projects

A POP CULTURE EXTRAVAGANZA
Milk Studios (and other venues)
450 West Fifteenth St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, free – $160
vulturefestival.com/ny

New York magazine’s fifth annual Vulture Festival takes place this weekend at Milk Studios and other locations, celebrating pop culture. Below are only some of the nearly three dozen events that encompass film, music, comedy, art, podcasts, books, and more; all tickets include complimentary access to the Vulture Lounge following the event. Among the other participants are Julianna Margulies, Rachel Bloom, Adam Pally, Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Darren Star, Wendy Williams, Johnny Knoxville, Cameron Esposito, Marti Noxon, Rachael Ray, Adam Platt, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Groff, Liev Schreiber, David Edelstein, Bo Burnham, and Wyatt Cenac.

Saturday, May 19
John Leguizamo: In Conversation, moderated by Matt Zoller Seitz, followed by a book signing, Milk Studios — Penthouse, $30, 11:30 am

One Book, One New York, One Event: Jennifer Egan in conversation with Adam Moss, Milk Studios — Studio 1, free with advance registration, 2:30

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Five Acts, conversation focusing on five of her projects, Milk Studios — Penthouse, $30, 4:00

Roxane Gay and Amber Tamblyn Present Feminist AF, with special guests Jennine Capó Crucet, Sharon Olds, and Morgan Parker, Milk Studios — Studio 1, $30, 6:45

Tracy Morgan in Hilarious Conversation, moderated by Matt Zoller Seitz, Milk Studios — AT&T Studio, $30, 8:00

Claire Danes and Jim Parsons will be at Milk Studios on May 20 to discuss their new film, A Kid Like Jake

Sunday, May 20
Jerry Saltz’s Masterly Tour of the Met Breuer, tour of the Met exhibit “Like Life” led by Jerry Saltz, Met Breuer, $150, 9:00 am

Boozy Brunch with Your Best Friends Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, and Phoebe Robinson, conversation with stars of new Netflix film Ibiza, moderated by Michelle Buteau, Milk Studios — Studio 4, $30, 12 noon

Claire Danes and Jim Parsons’s A Kid Like Jake, discussion of new movie with actors Claire Danes and Jim Parsons, director Silas Howard, and writer Daniel Pearle, Milk Studios — Studio 1, $30, 2:15

In Conversation with Samantha Bee, the Full Frontal Team, and Rebecca Traister: discussion with Samantha Bee, Melinda Taub, Ashley Nicole Black, Allana Harkin, Mike Rubens, and Amy Hoggart, moderated by Rebecca Traister, Milk Studios — AT&T Studio, $40, 5:45

Ava DuVernay and the Cast of Queen Sugar, with Ava DuVernay, Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe, Milk Studios — Studio 4, $30, 6:45

HARLEM EatUp! FESTIVAL 2018

Chef Marcus Samuelsson is one of the hosts of the fourth annual Harlem EatUp! Festival (photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Harlem EatUp!)

CELEBRATION OF FOOD CULTURE AND SPIRIT
Multiple locations in Harlem
May 15-21, free – $1,500
harlemeatup.com

The fourth annual Harlem EatUp! Festival takes place May 15-21, with dozens of chefs, restaurants, culinary organizations, mixmasters, and artists participating in tastings, dinners, concerts, and more celebrating Harlem culture. Below are only some of the special events happening uptown.

Wednesday, May 16
Dine in Harlem: Clay, with host chef Gustavo Lopez and guest chef Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao, $135, 7:00

Dine in Harlem: Melba’s Restaurant, with owner Melba Wilson and guest chef Andrew Zimmern, $110, 7:00

Thursday, May 17
The Harlem EatUp! Annual Luminary Award Dinner, honoring Dapper Dan and Bevy Smith, hosted by chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Adrienne Cheatham, and Geoffrey Zakarian, Red Rooster Harlem, $250, 6:30

Dine in Harlem: Harlem Shake, with proprietor Jelena Pasic and guest chef Josh Capon of Mercer Street Hospitality and live music by Angel Rose, $85, 7:00

Saturday, May 19
The EatUp! Main Stage at the Harlem Stroll, with culinary demonstrations by Leticia “Skai” Young, Raymond Zamanta Mohan, Jose Garces, Marcus Samuelsson, Stephanie Izard, Melba Wilson, and Jacques Torres and live performances by the Peoples Band, Lorenzo Laroc, and the Rakiem Walker Project, Morningside Park, free, 12:30 – 5:30

Ultimate Grand Tasting at the Harlem Stroll, featuring dishes from Bo’s Bagels, Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken, Drunken Fruit, Ginny’s Supper Club, Harlem Haberdashery, Harlem Chocolate Factory, Harlem Shake, Harlem Tavern, Land Yoga, Lee Lee’s Bakery, LoLo’s Seafood Shake, Make My Cake, Melba’s Restaurant, Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread, Oso Harlem, Piatto D’Oro, Ponty Bistro, Row House, Settepani, Sisters Caribbean Cuisine, SpaHa Soul, Sugar Hill Creamery, Sugardale Inc., Tastings Social presents Gaudir, the Edge Harlem, and the Grange Bar & Eatery, adults only, Morningside Park, $85-$110, 12:30 – 5:30

Saturday, May 19
and
Sunday, May 20
The Marketplace at the Harlem Stroll, with more than two dozen food vendors, a kids’ zone, demonstrations, live performances, and more, Morningside Park, free, 12:30 – 5:30

Sunday, May 20
The EatUp! Main Stage at the Harlem Stroll, with culinary demonstrations by Melba Wilson, Lorenzo Boni, Jernard Wells, Marcus Samuelsson, Jarobi White, Adrienne Cheatham, and Laila Ali and live performances by Siya featuring Yacouba Sissoko, Vy Higginson’s Sing Harlem Choir, and Johnny Mambo & Friends, Morningside Park, free, 12:30 – 5:30

Ultimate Grand Tasting at the Harlem Stroll, featuring dishes from Bier International, Bierstrasse, BLVD Bistro, Cove Lounge, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Drunken Fruit, Ginny’s Supper Club, Harlem Chocolate Factory, Harlem Haberdashery, Harlem Tavern, Kingston Restaurant & Bar, Land Yoga, Lady Lexis Sweets, Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, Moffle Bar, Piatto D’Oro, Row House, Settepani, Shake Shack, Sisters Caribbean Cuisine, Spaha Soul, Sugardale Inc., Tastings Social presents Mountain Bird, the Kosher Kitchen, the Sylvia Center, and Uptown Veg & Juice Bar, adults only, Morningside Park, $85-$110, 12:30 – 5:30

REST IN PEACE, NEW YORK: THEATER, WOMEN, AND IMMIGRATION

Japan Society will host special reading on May 14 organized by artist Shirotama Hitsujiya (photo by Shirotama Hitsujiya)

Japan Society
333 East 47th St. at First Ave.
Monday, May 14, $10, 7:30
212-715-1258
www.japansociety.org

Tokyo-based performance artist and playwright Shirotama Hitsujiya will be at Japan Society on May 14 as part of her residency, leading the program “Rest in Peace, New York: Theater, Women, and Immigration.” Hitsujiya, the artistic director of YUBIWA Hotel and a founding member of AJOKAI (Asian Women Performing Arts Collective), has been collecting stories of Vietnamese women who have immigrated to New York City. Their interview-based words are being transcribed onto a makimono, a horizontal rice-paper handscroll, and will be read aloud Monday night by Catherine Filloux of Theatre Without Borders, Vietnam Heritage Center executive director Thùy Q. Phạm, Theatre Communications Group director of artistic and international programs Emilya Cachapero, Michi Barall of the Ma-Yi Theater Company, harunalee company director Kristine Haruna Lee, and Foundry Theatre artistic producer and founder Melanie Joseph, among others. The reading will be followed by an audience Q&A with the participants; tickets are only $10.