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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!
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New York attracts world's best minds to its shores: they come here to interact with each other at conferences and seminars, and while they are here they are often invited to give a talk, a lecture, to be a part of a public discussion. We at Club Free Time give you an opportunity to be a part of it: to watch how those best minds in the world work! Don't miss the opportunities that only New York City (NYC) provides!
Join the Club!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
78 free talks, lectures, discussions in New York City (NYC) Wed, 11/04/2026 - and on...
In New York City, you can talk with and listen to the best minds in the world without spending a dime! Just take a look at free talks, lectures, discussion, seminars, conferences listed on this page below!
Discussion | Live Conversation with Winners of 2026 Humanities Prizes
Each year the American Council of Learned Societies recognizes and rewards the authors and publishers of exceptional, innovative, and open humanities scholarship. Open access publishing offers exciting new opportunities for scholars to share their research with wider audiences. This event will feature a live conversation with winners of the 2026 prizes, which are awarded in the categories of Anthropology, Environmental Humanities, History, Literary/Media Studies, Multimodal, and Political Science. Conversations will be moderated by Beth Daley, Executive Editor of the nonprofit news website The Conversation. This year’s winners are:
Anthropology | Mal-Nutrition: Maternal Health Science and the Reproduction of Harm by Emily Yates-Doerr (University of California Press, 2024)
Environmental Humanities | Ecological States: Politics of Science and Nature in Urbanizing China by Jesse Rodenbiker (Cornell University Press, 2023)
History | Abortion Pills: US History and Politics by Carrie Baker (Amherst College Press, 2024)
Literary/Media Studies | Twining: Critical and Creative Approaches to Hypertext Narratives by Anastasia Salter and Stuart Moulthrop (Amherst College Press, 2021)
Multimodal | Deaf Mobility Studies: Exploring International Networks, Tourism, and Migration by Annelies Kusters, Erin Moriarty, Amandine le Maire, Sanchayeeta Iyer, and Steven Emery (Gallaudet University Press, 2024)
Political Science | Renegotiating Patriarchy: Gender, Agency, and the Bangladesh Paradox by Naila Kabeer (LSE Press, 2024)
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 4
4:00 pm
free, registration required
4:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Journalists Share Their Books on Boundary-Breaking Art & the Ongoing Fight To Defend Creative Freedom
Martha Wilson and Anne Turyn present two groundbreaking publications documenting 1970s-1980s New York Avant-Garde performance and bookmaking. Artist and Franklin Furnace founder Martha Wilson will discuss her new book, Back to the Present: 50 Years of Free Expression with Franklin Furnace, a 50th-anniversary celebration of the legendary arts institution Franklin Furnace. This visually rich volume captures five decades of boundary-breaking art and the ongoing fight to defend creative freedom. Further, it chronicles stories by individuals from arts groups across the U.S.A. who also fought in the Culture Wars of the Reagan 80s. Anne Turyn, a New York-based fine art photographer, will share Top Stories, a prose periodical that she edited and published from 1978 to 1991. Over the course of twenty-nine issues, it served as a pivotal platform for experimental fiction and art through single-artist issues and two anthologies. Primarily featuring female artists, though in Turyn's words a few men "crept in as collaborators."
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 4
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Minds behind Storied Architecture Studio Share Their Book, JSa: Built in Mexico City (+ Signing)
A conversation with Aisha Ballesteros, Benedikt Fahlbusch, and Javier Sanchez, partners and principals of JSa, to celebrate their new book, a comprehensive overview of the firm's most prominent projects that helped it become one of Mexico City's leading architectural practices. The conversation will be followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Wed, Nov 4
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 4
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Gallery Talk | Multidimensional Artist Discusses the Work of Pioneer in Minimalist Art Space
Jordan Wolfson discusses the work of Donald Judd. Jordan Wolfson began his practice as a video artist, his recent work spans animatronics, robotics, virtual reality, holography, digital animation, and innovative sculpture. Contrasting physical, virtual, and imaginary realms, he examines the projection of internal impulses onto constructed selves and scenarios. As part of a generation that redefined artistic possibilities through emerging digital media, he uses technology to probe difficult, often controversial themes underlying American culture and contemporary society, offering a raw and immersive exploration of human vulnerabilities.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Wed, Nov 4
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Wed, Nov 4
7:00 pm
Regular: $35
Member: $0
7:00 pm
Regular: $35
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Gallery Talk | Emerging Photographers Share Their Work of Self-Discovery
Alicia Hansen, photographer and founder and CEO of NYC Salt, discusses the mission and impact of the nonprofit arts organization. Founded by Hansen in 2005 as an after-school program in Washington Heights, NYC Salt engages, inspires, and empowers New York City youth through photography instruction, mentorship, and college-preparatory guidance. Hansen will explore how the camera serves as a catalyst for self-discovery and career opportunity. The event will feature students and alumni presenting their work, showing how these emerging photographers use the lens to cultivate agency, belonging, and identity while documenting their families, communities, and cultures.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 4
7:00 pm
free, registration required
7:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Debut Novel Celebration: Flat Earth (+ Signing)
Anika Jade Levy celebrates the paperback release of her book. She will be in conversation with Lili Anolik, followed by a signing. "A stunning debut novel about the trials of female friendship in New York."
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 5
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Professional Development Expert Discusses the Emotional Toll of Career Loss & Change
In conversation with Tiffany Dufu, Jovian Zayne will explore the emotional realities that often accompany career transitions, job loss, burnout, caregiving, parenting, professional reinvention, and the everyday pressure to keep it all together. Together, they'll discuss practical ways to reframe challenging seasons, quiet the inner critic, ask for help, and create more room for relief, reflection, and renewed possibility. In Soft Landings for Hard Days, Jovian Zayne offers a compassionate companion for navigating the moments when life, work, and responsibility feel heavier than usual. Drawing from her work as an executive coach and her own experiences navigating career, motherhood, uncertainty, and difficult seasons, Jovian invites readers to question the pressure to simply push through--and consider what it might look like to meet hard days with greater compassion.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 5
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Gallery Talk | Award-Winning Illustrator & Fine Artist Shares Her New Book on Famous Modern Artist
Janice Hechter shares her journey to writing and illustrating a new picture book about artist Theresa Bernstein. Hechter will discuss Bernstein’s art and how she beat the odds by becoming a successful working artist, despite living in a time when women’s art was frequently ignored. An award-winning illustrator and fine artist, Janice Hechter has exhibited her paintings in various galleries and museums throughout the country. Hechter’s new picture book, The Power of Her Paintbrush: The Story of Theresa Bernstein, was published in March, and has received strong critical acclaim.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 5
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
Discussion | Media Scholar Disucsses the World of Ventriloquism with a Professional Ventriloquist
A conversation about thrown voices and surrogate bodies with a dummy’s point of view. Ventriloquism, the story goes, emerged in ancient Greece as a form of manipulation, with mistresses of “belly speech” claiming to channel the gods. By the nineteenth century, these false prophets were replaced by a standard stage act: a ventriloquist speaking through a dummy’s lips as part of a magic show, distracting the audience while pulling off a trick. Recently, the art form has seen a resurgence, with a new wave of ventriloquists taking on master-puppet dynamics or speaking the unspeakable (with a dummy channeling the id). Media scholar Sarah Rebecca Kessler will speak about the “age-old embodiment of the disembodied voice” as bridging the history of minstrelsy and “anxieties about media and mediation in the digital era.” She’ll be joined by Sophie Becker, a ventriloquist known for performances with dummies—Jerry and Ronnie—that take on lives of their own, calling Becker’s primacy into question. In a conversation with Ronnie, Kessler and Becker will reckon with the role of ventriloquism in propping up pseudapostles, inspiring TikTok’s lip-syncers, and ending Milli Vanilli’s career.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 5
7:00 pm
free, RSVP recommended
7:00 pm
free, RSVP recommended
Lecture | Princeton Archeologist Discusses the Traveling Craftsmen of Ancient Greece
The designs of Greek temples, with their recognizable Doric and Ionic columns, spread widely in the ancient Mediterranean and Black Sea in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. The dissemination of these architectural forms depended on highly mobile stone masons, who cross-pollinated design ideas as they worked far from home. Sam Holzman- Assistant Professor of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University- presents a talk that surveys a range of evidence for the mobility of ancient builders, from inscribed records to new lead-isotope analysis.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 5
7:30 pm
free, registration required
7:30 pm
free, registration required
Thu, Nov 5
8:00 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
8:00 pm
Regular: $30
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Conference | Artists & Scholars Revisit the Legacy of the 1956 Congress of Black Writers and Artists (In Person AND Online!)
In 1956, the First Congress of Black Writers and Artists took place in Paris. It inaugurated the "postcolonial moment" in Europe and Africa, quickly followed by a lesser-known second one, in 1959 in Rome. To celebrate this 70th anniversary, attendees ask: what would a congress be today? Namely, how did the 1950's stakes evolved? which territorities, minorities and discourses have been left apart? what can these two Congresses teach us today and what can we add to them? Speakers/Artists:
Nelson Maldonado-Torres is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut and a leading voice in decolonial theory.
Nadia Yala Kisukidi is an Associate Professor at the NYU Department of French Literature, Thought, and Culture.
Grégory Pierrot is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, Stamford, specializing in the cultural networks of the Black Atlantic.
Mame-Fatou Niang is a Professor of French & Francophone Studies and founder of the Center for Black European Studies and the Atlantic at Carnegie Mellon University. A scholar, filmmaker, and photographer, she co-directed the documentary Mariannes Noires and authored Identités françaises and Universalisme.
Junior Mintt is a Brooklyn-based drag artist, comedian, and Black trans activist, host of The Junior Mintt Show, an independent late-night program centered on Blackness, queerness, and radical positivity.
Brent Hayes Edwards is a Peng Family Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, affiliated with its Center for Jazz Studies. He is the author of The Practice of Diaspora, winner of the John Hope Franklin Prize, and Epistrophies: Jazz and the Literary Imagination.
Mistura Allison is an independent researcher, curator, and art historian based between London and Milan, currently Curator and Project Coordinator at Villa Romana in Florence. She is the founder of ashikọ, a research platform centered on contemporary diasporic visual and oral production from Africa and its diaspora.
Seumboy Vrainom is a French artist, writer, and self-described "digital shaman apprentice" whose work critiques colonial history through appropriated internet imagery and DIY video. An advocate for decolonial ecology, he is a contributor to the media outlet Histoires Crépues.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 6
10:00 am
free, RSVP required
10:00 am
free, RSVP required
Discussion | Clinical Psychologist Discusses Seasonal Affective Disorder & Management Strategies
A discussion with William Lamson, Ph.D. including common symptoms, factors that may contribute to seasonal changes in mood, and strategies for managing symptoms and supporting mental and emotional wellbeing during the winter months. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that occurs at certain times of the year, most commonly during the fall and winter months. Changes in daylight and seasonal routines may affect mood, sleep, energy, and daily functioning. Understanding the signs and symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, as well as available treatment and management strategies, can help individuals recognize when seasonal changes may be affecting their wellbeing and identify approaches to support their mental health.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 6
11:00 am
free, registration required
11:00 am
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Pulitzer Prize–Winning Journalist Shares Her New Book, Safe Passage
Evelyn Iritani uncovers the little-known story of the dangerous negotiations that led to the exchange of American and Japanese civilians during World War II. In the fall of 1943, as some of the Second World War’s bloodiest battles unfolded across the Pacific, the United States and Japan pulled off a diplomatic coup—the return of civilians caught on the wrong side of the battlefield after Pearl Harbor. In Safe Passage, journalist Evelyn Iritani reveals the rarely told story behind this wartime exchange, featuring a cast of determined diplomats, sharp-tongued journalists, missionaries, and refugees—and the difficult choices involved in bringing everyone home. Iritani sheds new light on this remarkable story of diplomacy and survival.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 6
2:00 pm
free, registration required
2:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Discover Ray’s Candy Store, a NYC Favorite
Photographer Whitney Browne celebrates an East Village icon and Browne's new book, Candy Store. In his ninth decade, Ray Alvarez still works the graveyard shift at his 24/7 bodega in the East Village. Photographer Whitney Browne provides a behind-the-counter peek at the public yet intimate workings of Ray’s Candy Store in the early hours, where people seek out fried treats and late-night company. What they find are fleeting connections captured candidly by Browne on film. As New York’s community of independent, owner-operated storefronts continues to dwindle, Browne’s work reminds us to take a look around and appreciate what we have. THis event features a talk with Whitney Browne where she will discuss the process of making images in the same place over years and show images that did not make the book!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 6
6:00 pm
free, tickets required
6:00 pm
free, tickets required
Book Discussion | Perfumist Shares Her New Book, The Cultures of Perfume (+ Signing)
A conversation with Saskia Wilson-Brown to celebrate her new book, a richly illustrated survey of the history and origins behind the most well known scents in the world. She will be in conversation with Rachel Syme, followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 6
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Gallery Talk | Artist & Scholar Discuss Ethical Quandaries of Creative Acts
A conversation between artist Allie Tsubota and K Yin. The conversation is held on the occasion of the closing of Tsubota’s solo exhibition Milk Teeth. Drawing on Yin’s research into 19th-century photographic archives and representations of diasporic Asian labor in the American landscape, the speakers will pull on narrative and visual threads within the exhibition, including themes of extraction, critical and geological speculation, and the ethical quandaries of creative acts that unsettle historical space.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 7
2:00 pm
free, RSVP required
2:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Art Director Shares New Art Book with Louis Vuitton Collaboration (+ Q&A)
An intimate conversation on League of Legends' virtual pop supergroup, K/DA, and their latest iterations across music, animation, and the recently debuted Tempo Point, a Louis Vuitton Travel Book imagining the home of Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai’Sa. Airi Pan (Art Director, Tempo Point) discusses the creative process of bringing K/DA and their world to life through the recent Louis Vuitton collaboration, followed by an audience Q&A. Guests will also have an opportunity to view and purchase the Travel Book.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 7
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Makeup Artist Shares His New Book, Blue Velvet: A Polaroid Diary ( + Signing)
Go behind the scenes of David Lynch’s 1986 cult classic with on-set Polaroids taken by Jeff Goodwin. He celebrates his new book, Blue Velvet: A Polaroid Diary. He will be in conversation withTony Nourmand, followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Nov 9
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Gallery Talk | Multi-Media Artist Breaks Down Her Practice
A conversation between the artist, Tith Kanitha, and Sohrab Mohebbi, Director of SculptureCenter, New York. Tith and Mohebbi will introduce and contextualize Tith's practice, which moves across film, performance, sculpture, installation, and works on paper. A reception will follow.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Mon, Nov 9
6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Art Historian Shares His New Book on an Iconic Modern Artist (+ Signing)
James Cahill celebrates his book, The Beverly Hills Housewife: Hockney's Californian Muse and the World Beyond the Pool. He will be in conversation with Patrick Monahan, followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 10
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Debut Novel Celebration: The Squatters
Saba Brelvi shares her new book. About the book: Two families collide in Saba Brelvi’s The Squatters, a gripping debut that offers a piercing exploration of female friendship, particularly the kinds of bonds forged through proximity, motherhood, and social performance. Emotionally incisive, and morally unflinching, The Squatters explores the limits of compassion, the cost of solidarity, and interrogates the hidden boundaries of empathy within even the most intimate communities, revealing how quickly generosity can collapse when stability, property, and belonging feel under threat.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 10
6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
6:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Ecologist Shares His New Book, Before New York (In Person AND Online!)
Eric Sanderson in conversation with Michael Kimmelman. In Before New York, Eric W. Sanderson invites readers on a breathtaking journey through the evolution of New York City—its natural features, inhabitants, and geography—from long before Henry Hudson's arrival in 1609 up to the present day. This monumental work is the culmination of more than 25 years of research, featuring 75 original maps, 200 color illustrations, and nearly 4,000 detailed descriptions of streams, wetlands, rocks, plants, animals, and Indigenous settlements. An epic expansion of Sanderson's bestselling and critically acclaimed book Mannahatta, this atlas and gazetteer brings to life the lost world of Welikia, land we now describe as the five boroughs of New York City, revealing what has vanished, what survives, and what could be restored with vision and care.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 10
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Filmmaker Roundtable Discussing Themes of Migration, Identity, & the Quest for Belonging
Three powerful documentaries recently screened at the 2025 Queens World Film Festival: Home by Johanny Mota; Soñando America by Judit Angle; and Safari by Seyeon Bang. Katha Cato, Executive Director, Queens World Film Festival, and the filmmakers will be present to discuss the films. These three films explore migration, identity, and the quest for belonging from different corners of the world. Home centers on the Dominican immigrant experience and the meaning of “home”; Soñando America follows undocumented immigrants from Mexico striving for a better life; Safari tells the story of a North Korean defector whose escape and survival lead her toward a dream of freedom. Together, these films reveal shared themes of hope, resilience, and the human cost of seeking safety and opportunity.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 10
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Talk | New York Times-Featured Photographer Shares Her Journey & Craft
A talk by New York City-based commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer Emma Rose Milligan. Milligan is an Eddie Adams Workshop XXXVII alumnus. Her editorial writing and visual commissions have appeared in Bloomberg, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Zeit, and other publications. She is an American Photography 40, 41, and 42 chosen and selected winner; an ADC 104 Merit and Bronze Cube winner; and an ADC 105 Bronze Cube winner. Her personal work has been published internationally by Paris-based magazine Courrier International, as well as London-based book publisher Hoxton Mini Press. Her commercial work focuses on product, lifestyle, and brand activations for clients like MOSCOT, Sotheby’s, Vestiaire Collective, Warby Parker, and more.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 10
7:00 pm
free, registration required
7:00 pm
free, registration required
Talk | MoMA-Featured Photographer Discusses His Approach to Art
Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa is joined by Associate Curator Phil Taylor of the George Eastman Museum, to discuss the role of order in the context of his practice as both an artist and a critic.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 10
7:00 pm
free, registration encouraged
7:00 pm
free, registration encouraged
Book Club | Read & Discuss Book Prize Shortlisted Author's Classic Novella
A lively and engaging discussion of The Girls of Slender Means. The meeting will start with a short audio clip or recording of an interview with the author. Plan to discuss the book for 90 minutes. About the book: “Long ago in 1945 all the nice people in England were poor, allowing for exceptions,” begins one of Muriel Spark’s most charming and wittiest novels, a portrait of young ladies living at the May of Teck Club, a London hostel in the postwar days of 1945.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 10
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Sociologist & Legal Scholar Discuss Their Books on the Economic Ecosystem
Ho-fung Hung, author of Greenback Empire, and Will Bateman, author of The Fiscal Fed in conversation. Greenback Empire: A critical history of the US dollar’s dominance in the world economy—and what has kept China’s currency from overtaking it. The dollar is the primary currency of the world economy. With China now rivaling the United States on the world stage, a critical question hangs in the balance: will the Chinese renminbi challenge the status of the dollar and, in doing so, deprive America of its “exorbitant privilege”? The Fiscal Fed: A revelatory history of how the Federal Reserve finances American power. Central banks, we are told, are economic superpowers that must remain independent of modern democratic governments. The US Federal Reserve’s presumed insulation from politics affords it autonomy and credibility to control inflation and promote economic stability—or so the story goes.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 10
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
7:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Tue, Nov 10
7:30 pm
Regular: $40
Member: $0
7:30 pm
Regular: $40
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Book Discussion | Design Professionals Discuss the Legacy of an Iconic Fashion Accessory
Liberty London’s Paola Scala, Director of Products, and Mary-Ann Dunkley, Design Director, have a discussion about the beauty and legacy of Liberty’s silk scarves. First launched in the early 1900s, the Liberty scarf is a timeless accessory central to the brand's reputation for luxury and excellence.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 11
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | New Yorker-Featured Author Shares His Latest Novel, West of Loveland
A conversation with Tom Drury to celebrate his new book, a novel that returns readers to the Midwest in a moving portrait of contemporary life in a small rural county. The conversation will be followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 12
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Gallery Talk | Art History Talk: Discover the Life & legacy of Joan Miro
Explore the life and work of an iconic modern artist. Miró’s works are hard to classify but do express his pride in his Catalan heritage (references to Barcelona and the countryside) and his contempt for conventional art. The unconscious and subconscious interact with a child-like wonder and dreamlike imagery so he might be dubbed a surrealist. After 1920, he spent winters in Paris and summers on the family farm near Barcelona. He directly influenced Pollock, Calder, and Rothko. His themes are sex, humor, nature, excrement, and playfulness along with fear and anger. He worked in oil, gouache, bronze, and ceramics.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 12
6:00 pm
$5, RSVP required
6:00 pm
$5, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Best-Selling Historian Shares His New Book on the Middle East
The Cauldron, by Simon Sebag Montefiore, takes the reader on a spectacular journey from the Ottoman sultanate to the Trump presidency, from Morocco to Iran -- a panorama brought to life by an extraordinary cast of kings, warriors, poets, terrorists, and peacemakers. A master storyteller, Montefiore reveals the origins of the world we live in. Montefiore will appear in conversation with Tom Reiss, author of The Orientalist, The Black Count, and coming this spring, We Will Never Die, about the greatest rescue effort of World War II. “Vivid and monumental . . . could not [be] more essential” – Sunday Times.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Thu, Nov 12
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Interdisciplinary Artist Shares His Techniques of "Hallucinatory" Drawing (In Person AND Online!)
This presentation by Mark West will describe a practice that adopts methods of Finding rather than methods of Control. These include techniques of "hallucinatory" drawing utilizing the very human capacity for pareidolia, structural form-finding utilizing yielding and flexible materials, and somehow parallel sculptural findings as well. These are examples of how a longstanding fixation on Control may be softened and dissolved by surprisingly simple methods. The presentation will be followed by a Q & A.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 12
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | MacArthur Fellow Shares Discusses Her Creative Career
An evening with Maaza Mengiste. Mengiste will be in conversation with writer and translator Lars Horn. Maaza Mengiste is a novelist, essayist, and the recipient of a 2026 MacArthur Fellowship. She is the author of the novel, The Shadow King, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and was an LA Times Book Prize Fiction finalist. Her debut novel, Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, was selected by the Guardian as one of the 10 best contemporary African books.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Thu, Nov 12
6:30 pm
free, tickets required
6:30 pm
free, tickets required
Book Discussion | American Book Award-Winning Poet Shares Her New Collection, The Ghost Forest
Kimiko Hahn in conversation with Sally Wen Mao. Kimiko Hahn introduces her new poetry collection The Ghost Forest. About the book: Opening with forty-three new formally inventive poems and leading the reader back in time through selections from her ten previous volumes, The Ghost Forest offers a contemplative and haunting narrative of a writer's artistic journey through craft and form while illuminating her personal history.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Thu, Nov 12
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Talk | National Book Award Finalist Discusses How Literature Can Shape Radical Political Moments
In this hour-long craft talk, Camonghne Felix will depart from Let the Poets Govern to reflect on poetic principles. Over the past decade, Camonghne Felix has been at the center of American politics, working in strategy, communications, and as a speechwriter. Throughout it all, she has maintained her unwavering belief in language’s foundational revolutionary potential, outside of its deployment for legislative and political ends. In Let the Poets Govern, she argues that Black radical poetic traditions model an ethical code and overcome entrenched structures of patriarchy and paternalism, inventing a new form that examines the historical and legislative, and the personal and poetic.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Thu, Nov 12
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish, tickets required
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish, tickets required
Discussion | Celebrating the Photography of Asian & Asian American Artists
A deep dive into the diverse voices shaping contemporary photography. This class highlights the Photography Collection's rich holdings of Asian and Asian American artists, offering a rare opportunity to study these compelling works up close. The group will explore themes of memory, identity, and artistic innovation through the lenses of artists such as Binh Danh, Thomas Holton, Michael Jang, Dayanita Singh, and Madoka Takagi.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Fri, Nov 13
11:00 am
free, registration required
11:00 am
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Genre Painter Shares His Latest Monograph (+ Signing)
Doron Langberg to celebrates their book featuring more than 100 paintings spanning ten years of artistic practice. They will be in conversation with Gaby Collins-Fernández, followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 13
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Discussion | Industry Professionals Discuss How They Cultivate Sustainable Ecosystems for Filmmakers
An engaging panel of filmmakers on navigating the tumultuous and changing landscape of entertainment to support filmmakers, artists, and creators. Panelists: Cassie Bradley (Creative Director, Impact Lounge) Brenda Vongova (President, UN Movie Society) Anuj Gupta (Founder & Managing Partner, WADR Law Firm) Sola Fasehun (Founder & Literary Manager, The Distribution Collective/TDC) Mehar Gujral (Producer, Gigantic Studios) Jodi Johnson (Founder, Thought Projectors Studio) Moderator: Jacqueline Pereda, on behalf of Latino Filmmakers Network/LFN
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 13
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Discussion | Bilingual Conversation with Theater-Maker Carolina Cuervo
An intimate conversation exploring the artist's work as a writer, playwright, screenwriter, showrunner, and creative artist. In conversation with Martha Schreiner, Carolina will take the audience behind the scenes of her work - from the first spark of an idea to developing characters, writing for theater and screen, collaborating with other artists, and navigating a career built around storytelling. This is not a masterclass or workshop. It’s a TALK. A chance to hear directly from an artist about her body of work, her experiences, her creative process — and the stories behind the stories.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 14
11:00 am
free, RSVP required
11:00 am
free, RSVP required
Discussion | Celebrating the Photography of Asian & Asian American Artists
A deep dive into the diverse voices shaping contemporary photography. This class highlights the Photography Collection's rich holdings of Asian and Asian American artists, offering a rare opportunity to study these compelling works up close. The group will explore themes of memory, identity, and artistic innovation through the lenses of artists such as Binh Danh, Thomas Holton, Michael Jang, Dayanita Singh, and Madoka Takagi.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 14
11:00 am
free, registration required
11:00 am
free, registration required
Symposium | Conference in a Landmark Art Museum: Artistic Representations of the Body & Fashion
Dive deep into themes found in the exhibition Costume Art through dynamic conversations and presentations by leading scholars, designers, artists, models, and more. Explore the indivisible connection between clothing and the body, and the complex interplay between artistic representations of the body and fashion as an embodied art form.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 14
11:00 am
free with museum...
11:00 am
free with museum...
Discussion | Actors from Chicago Fire, FBI, & Law & Order Discuss Their Franchises & the Future of Network TV (+ Reception)
Hanako Greensmith, Zeeko Zaki, and David Ajala have a discussion on carrying forward the legacy of Wolf Entertainment's iconic franchises. From creating memorable characters to bringing new energy to beloved series, these stars will share how they're helping shape the next generation of television heroes. NBCUniversal Reception to follow immediately after the Panel. Complimentary refreshments from 1:00pm-3:00pm.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 14
12:00 pm
free, RSVP required
12:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Discussion | Death Cafe Discussion Group
An informal, group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. The purpose of Death Cafe is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives." This is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 14
3:30 pm
free, no reservation required
3:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | Living a Meaningful Jewish Life Today (Online!)
Join a discussion of Rabbi Rachel Ain’s new book, Watch How You Go: Jewish Wisdom for Your Journey Ahead. Drawing on Jewish tradition, more than two decades in the rabbinate, and her experiences as a mother, wife, daughter, and communal leader, Ain reflects on what it means to live a meaningful Jewish life today.
Originally written for her sons as they set out into the world, the book opens with questions many of us face: how to balance family, work, faith, and responsibility. She asks how to sustain belief through hardship, find belonging among the Jewish people, and respond to uncertainty, disagreement, antisemitism, and change. Rooted in tradition, Ain makes room for questions, growth, and the realities of modern life.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Nov 16
6:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, registration required
6:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, registration required
Book Club | Book Discussion: Moon of the Cursed Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Readers who enjoy horror and other dark literature are welcome to this in-person discussion. This meeting focuses on Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. This month’s theme is: Native American Heritage. Moon of the Crusted Snow was originally published in 2018. With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Nov 16
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Hospitality Mogul Danny Meyer Shares Insights on Culture, Cuisine and Lasting Success
Restaurateur Danny Meyer -- founder and owner of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern and the Shake Shack empire, among others -- has a conversation about his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? Nearly twenty years after his bestselling book Setting the Table introduced the world to "Enlightened Hospitality," Meyer returns with an honest, hard-won account of building a culture that scales -- through growth, setbacks, reinvention, and change. From a single burger kiosk called Shake Shack to a global company spanning 700 businesses in twenty-four countries, Meyer explains the mantras and leadership principles (Don't F'ing Settle, Change Your Grip, and Think Like a Winemaker) that have guided him. Come hear one of hospitality's great minds share how culture -- not just cuisine -- is what keeps people coming back.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Nov 16
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Architects Discuss Their New Book on a Historic Structure (+ Signing)
A conversation with Sean E. Sawyer, President, The Olana Partnership, and Thomas L. Woltz, Principal, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, to celebrate the new book, OLANA: Frederic Church's Vision of Art and Landscape, timed with the 200th anniversary celebration of Church's birth. Sawyer and Woltz will be in conversation with freelance design journalist Ian Volner, followed by a book signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 17
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Discussion | Art Scholars Discuss Newfound Recognition for 19th Century Women Artists
A conversation about the women artists omitted from the dominant narrative of American landscape painting, and how artists, institutions, and scholars are reframing that history to bring visibility to long-overlooked women landscapists today. Artist Anna Plesset, scholar and art dealer Jennifer Krieger, and John Murphy from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College discuss these historical omissions and how institutions are giving these artists long-overdue recognition in a conversation moderated by Kate Menconeri.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 17
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | McSweeney's-Featured Writer Discusses Her New Book, Tiger's Mouth
Lucy Tan in conversation with Joanne Kwong. About the Book; When two young men meet during a tech internship, it sparks an intense friendship—and even more intense competition—in this sweeping novel of privilege, identity, and ambition from the acclaimed author of What We Were Promised.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Nov 17
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Book Launch: Between the River and the Railroad Tracks by Nicole R. Fleetwood (with Hanif Abdurraqib)
A special evening moderated by Hanif Abdurraqib, marking a celebration and conversation with Fleetwood, an NYPL Fellow, about family, place, memory, and history. In her debut memoir, Between the River and the Railroad Tracks, MacArthur Fellow Fleetwood weaves a multigenerational family story into a neighborhood’s history, illuminating the often-overlooked Black Midwest. Following the public launch conversation, a book reception with the author will be accessible for all, with a copy of the book.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 17
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
6:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Discussion | Contemporary Artist Discusses His New Exhibition & Approach
Artist Tammam Azzam joins curator Saria AlMidani for a conversation about his artistic practice and A Horizon Remains. Together, they discuss the development of his work, his approach to painting, and the ideas and artistic influences behind the exhibition.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 17
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Artistic Director of Jazz Tap Ensemble Discusses the Craft & Its History (In Person AND Online!)
Lynn Dally tells the story of a unique collaboration between the Jazz Tap Ensemble and the legendary tap artist, Jimmy Slyde. Opening with Slyde’s solo appearance as Guest Artist with the JTE at the Joyce in 1992 and complimented by Jerome Robbins Dance Division footage from Le Cave (midtown NY), Black and Blue (Broadway), and other sources, Dally will share rehearsal footage of Slyde, Dally, and young Derick Grant in Boston, along with Ensemble footage in LA, revealing how the piece Interplay was created from Slyde’s “motifs” for the 1995 Joyce premiere, and how Slyde’s vision of Interplay evolved in the JTE touring repertory for over a decade.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 18
1:00 pm
free, registration required
1:00 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Artist Panel on the Creative Process
What happens between the first idea and the finished piece? Hear from the makers, ask questions, and discover their creative processes. Agathe Saint Girons, Anneli Tammik, Lucie Houdková, Arouge, and Marty Ornish discuss their creative journeys in a conversation hosted by Lisa M. Berman, curator of Catalyst for Conversation.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 18
2:00 pm
free, tickets required
2:00 pm
free, tickets required
Book Club | Novella Discussion: Recent Novel by Award-Winning Author
At this book club session, the group will discuss Olga Ravn's 2025 book, The Wax Child, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken. In seventeenth-century Denmark, Christenze Kruckow, an unmarried noblewoman, is accused of witchcraft. She and several other women are rumored to be possessed by the Devil, who has come to them in the form of a tall headless man and gives them dark powers: they can steal people's happiness, they have performed unchristian acts, and they can cause pestilence or even death. They are all in danger of the stake. The Wax Child, narrated by a wax doll created by Christenze Kruckow, is an unsettling horror story about brutality and power, nature and witchcraft, set in the fragile communities of premodern Europe. Deeply researched and steeped in visceral, atmospheric detail, The Wax Child is based on a series of real witchcraft trials that took place in Northern Jutland in the seventeenth century. Full of lush storytelling and alarmingly rich imagination, Olga Ravn weaves in quotes from original sources such as letters, magical spells and manuals, court documents, and Scandinavian grimoires.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Wed, Nov 18
4:30 pm
free, no reservation required
4:30 pm
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | Filmmaker Shares Her New Book, Bountiful: Growing Up with Geraldine Page (+ Signing)
Angelica Page reflects on her mother, Oscar Award-winning film and stage actress Geraldine Page. She will be in conversation with F. Murray Abraham, followed by a signing.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Wed, Nov 18
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Wed, Nov 18
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | A Postwar German Literary Masterpiece Rediscovered: Translator & Novelest Discuss
Illusions' translator Rob Madole joins writer Megan Nolan for a conversation about this book. Upon publication, critics were baffled by author Ruth Rehmann's frank treatment of sexuality—mistaking it for frivolousness—and faulted her style for “an excess of contemporaneity.” Read today, its focus on the poverty of human connection within an abundant and stubbornly traditional society feels shockingly prescient. Illusions follows four employees of the Wellis Corporation over one unsatisfactory weekend: grey-haired secretary Frau Schramm, frustrated translator Paul Westermann, fadingly glamorous Carmen Viol, and restless young assistant Therese Pfeiffer. Narrated in a prismatic, stream-of-consciousness style that jumps fluidly among characters, the book offers a portrait of the claustrophobic tension beneath postwar capitalism. Originally published by Suhrkamp in 1959 during West Germany's "economic miracle," Illusions incisively examines a regime attempting to slough off its Nazi past through a zealous drive to modernize and a rhetoric of material abundance.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 19
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
Discussion | Johns Hopkins Bioethics Researchers Discuss Advances in Reproductive Technology
Speakers explore the promises, risks, and societal implications of a technology that could reshape the future of human reproduction. What if ordinary skin cells could be transformed into eggs or sperm? Scientists are exploring in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), a technology that could expand reproductive options while raising profound ethical questions. Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH is the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy. His work focuses on the ethics of research, ethics and public health including global health, and ethics and emerging biomedical technologies. He speaks widely in the US and abroad, has published five books and over 160 articles, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Anna Mastroianni, JD, MPH, is Research Professor in Bioethics and Law at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Her scholarship explores complex issues at the intersection of law, bioethics, public health, and health policy, with a particular focus on the challenges of research in pregnancy, genetic technologies, and family building through assisted reproductive technologies. She has published widely across these areas and is recognized for her contributions to major debates in bioethics and public policy.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 19
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Club | Luddite Book Club: The Last Human Job by Allison Pugh
Offline Book Club is a space for in-person conversation about the role technology plays in our world. This month's pick: The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World by Allison Pugh (2024). About the Book: Reveals connective labor as a particular kind of mutual recognition of each other's humanity, essential in so many professional relationships, whether teacher-student, coach-player, or doctor-patient. Questions whether this work can ever be replaced using “AI”.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 19
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Electric Literature-Featured Writer Shares Her New Short Story Collection, Hot Fruit
Erinrose Mage in conversation with Jesse Jae Hoon. About the book: Strange and incantatory, Erinrose Mager's debut collection Hot Fruit investigates the longing for self, the longing for another, and the longing for connection between the self and another when the other is inherently unknowable.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Thu, Nov 19
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
7:00 pm
free, RSVP required
Book Discussion | Historical Geographer Discusses What Has Influenced NYC’s Culture & Identity
Rashad Shabazz traces how New York City evolved from its Dutch origins to the rise of hip-hop in the South Bronx. As part of his ongoing research for a book in progress, Shabazz, associate professor in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University, examines how figures such as Peter Stuyvesant, John Randel Jr., and Robert Moses transformed New York City through major urban planning projects. Shabazz considers the lasting impact of these choices, including how the Cross Bronx Expressway disrupted poor Black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods in the South Bronx while unintentionally creating the conditions from which hip-hop emerged.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 20
2:00 pm
free, registration required
2:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Club | Reading & Discussing Dealing With the Dead by Alain Mabanckou
This book club will be reading and discussing a fiction book set in a new country every month, with a high priority on reading books in translation that are written by authors from the countries the group is visiting. This month: Congo. Dealing With the Dead by Alain Mabanckou, translated from French by Helen Stevenson! About the book: Abruptly deceased at the age of twenty-four and trapped forever in flared purple trousers, Liwa Ekimakingaï encounters the other residents of Frère Lachaise cemetery, all of whom have their own complex stories of life and death. Unwilling to relinquish their tender bond, Liwa makes his way back home to Pointe-Noire to see his devoted grandmother one last time, against all spectral advice. But disturbing rumours swirl together with Liwa's jumbled memories of his last night on earth, leading him to pursue the riddle of his own untimely demise. A phantasmagorical tale of ambition, community and forces beyond human control, Dealing with the Dead is a scathing satire on corruption and political violence by one of the foremost chroniclers of modern Central Africa.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 20
4:30 pm
free, registration required
4:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Artist Shares Her New Nonfiction Book of Artistic Musings (+ Signing)
A conversation between Jarrett Earnest, host of Private Life, The New York Review of Books podcast, and Celia Paul to celebrate Paul’s new book, Objects of Desire: An Artist in Venice. Alone in Venice for an artist's residency, Celia Paul began keeping an ongoing record of her painting. Objects of Desire is a mesmerizing account of her perceptions in La Serenissima and of her preoccupations there: female desire and love, mortality, and memory. The book is a radiant record of a life devoted to art, a profound portrait of an artist who longs to confront herself and who invites the reader to do the same. After the talk, Celia Paul will sign copies of her book.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 20
6:00 pm
free, registration required
6:00 pm
free, registration required
Talk | Fashion Museum Curator Discusses the Relationship between Dolls & Fashion
As early as the fourteenth century, dolls circulated throughout Europe as miniature fashion models, showcasing the latest trends in three-dimensional detail. The first models for many aspiring creatives, dolls have inspired fashion designers from Marc Jacobs to Anna Sui. Dr. Colleen Hill, curator of The Museum at FIT’s exhibition "Doll Dressing" and author of the companion book, provides an in-depth look at the often unexpected relationship between dolls and fashion. Hill is senior curator of costume at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Since joining FIT, Colleen has curated 20 exhibitions, including "Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities" (2025), and "Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic" (2022). She has authored or co-authored nine books on fashion.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Fri, Nov 20
7:00 pm
free, registration required
7:00 pm
free, registration required
Book Club | Discuss Your Favorite Romance Books with Fellow Readers
If you love romance or want to get into it, you're welcome at this romance book club! Attendees will be discussing their favorite romance books, current reads, and more!
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 21
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
11:00 am
free, no reservation required
Talk | Puppetry Arts Expert Discusses the Legacy of Designer & Puppeteer Tony Sarg
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the world’s biggest theatrical events and always an event characterized by iconic 100-foot balloons, whimsical floats, and character costumes that act as the ultimate street theater. The parade we know today —and what the whole world tunes into to see—was the vision of Tony Sarg, a prolific toy designer, illustrator, and puppeteer who served as the first creative director for the Macy’s event. The charismatic Darin Johnson, Artistic Director of the American Theater for Puppetry Arts, and a Tony Sarg scholar, reveals the creative life of Sarg in an evening of storytelling, historic photos, and even a thrilling, live marionette demonstration. Come meet Johnson as he relates the life of a man who changed the meaning of Thanksgiving, and revel in the joy and drama that puppets can convey.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Nov 23
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Lecture | Archeology Scholar Discusses Preserving Significant Terrains & Indigenous Ancestral Homelands
This lecture by Brian Daniels of the University of Pennsylvania and President of the Archaeological Institute of America focuses on the Shasta Indian Nation, documenting the Kikaceki traditional cultural landscapes. It demonstrates vital historic links between the Tribe and its ancestral homeland. Native American tribes and archaeologists share a common interest in preserving significant terrains. Following negotiations with the State of California in 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom agreed that Kikaceki’s 2,820 acres would be returned. This includes places sacred to the Shasta, serving as a reminder to maintain this territory for both its people and for future generations.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Nov 24
6:30 pm
free, registration required
6:30 pm
free, registration required
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Wed, Nov 25
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
6:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | Guided Poetry Discussion Group
Love reading poetry but wish you had someone to discuss it with? This event features an hour of guided poetry reading and discussion in the library. Take in the views of the Hudson River as the group chats about poems new and old, classic and cutting-edge. Staff will provide poems for discussion, but contributions from participants are always welcome. A staff member will lead a discussion about a set of poems.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Sat, Nov 28
12:00 pm
free, donations welcome,...
12:00 pm
free, donations welcome,...
Discussion | Art Scholar Discusses Crises Confronting the Contemporary Art School
Michael Stone-Richards speaks on the unfinished conversation on—and the crisis of—art pedagogy and the art school today. Richards is the Executive Director of the DDD Detroit Independent Study Program in the Detroit Design District where he is also Director of Studies for the Program in Critical Studies + Art Writing. Michael has previously served as Professor of Visual Studies + Critical Practice at the College for Creative Studies, Detroit; Head of Critical Studies and Dean of Programs and Partnerships at Cranbrook Academy, and taught in Art History and Comparative Literature at Northwestern University.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Mon, Dec 7
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
6:30 pm
free, RSVP required
Lecture | Award-Winning Arts Scholar Disucsses Artist Lotty Rosenfield
A talk by Julia Bryan-Wilson, professor of contemporary art and LGBTQ+ studies at Columbia University. Bryan-Wilson’s award-winning books include Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era (2009); Fray: Art and Textile Politics (2017); and Louise Nevelson’s Sculpture: Drag, Color, Join, Face (2023). As curator-at-large at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, she has co-organized the group shows “Women’s Histories” (2019), “Histories of Dance” (2020), and “Queer Histories” (2024). She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2019.
Manhattan, New York, NY
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Tue, Dec 8
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
3:00 pm
free, no reservation required
Book Discussion | Street Photographers Disucss New Book Documenting Moments of Connection between Communities
A special presentation with internationally acclaimed photographers Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, as they place the new photo book Alex Webb: Walking Blues (2026), into the context of their respective bodies of work, both individual and collaborative. In Walking Blues, street photographer Alex Webb traverses some 40 cities across the U.S., documenting moments of connection between communities with his signature eye for bold color and rhythm. Webb was inspired by the lift and pull of blues music, a quintessential American musical form that scores the nation’s history, and his photographs express the improvisation of chance encounters. The culmination of more than a decade of intuitive, open-minded exploration, Webb’s latest book is a vivid chronicle of urban life today.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Tue, Dec 8
7:00 pm
free, registration required
7:00 pm
free, registration required
Discussion | Live Onstage Conversation with Notable Figures in Hip-Hop
Launched in the early 1990s by visionary founders Danny Castro and Anthony Marshall, Lyricist Lounge has blossomed from humble beginnings as an open mic series in the Lower East Side to its current status as an internationally acknowledged Hip-Hop brand. In celebration of Lyricist Lounge's 35th anniversary of events that unify music, fashion, film, visual art, and television, the Origin Stories series brings a live onstage conversation with notable figures in Hip-Hop. Past Origin Stories subjects have included Roxanne Shante, Talib Kweli, and Ghostface Killah; all artists whose work has shaped the culture across generations. This evening's host and special guest will be announced shortly. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
Manhattan, New York, NY
Join the Club!
Thu, Dec 17
7:30 pm
free, fast-track option...
7:30 pm
free, fast-track option...
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Performance | Comedy by 13-time Emmy Winner with Broadway Actors
Regular Price: $69CFT Member Price: $0.00
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