In his new book, Queens: A History of the Most Diverse Place on Earth, prolific author Lawrence R. Samuel charts the historical development of the New York City borough from the 1920s to today. Samuel’s narrative traces the evolution of Queens from a quasi-suburb of Manhattan for the white middle class into, today, the most […]

Meat is one of the most visible markers of Jewish distinctness and social separation. In his book, All Consuming: Germans, Jews, and the Meaning of Meat, John Efron argues that meat has played an especially important role in the formation of Jewish and Christian identities in Germany from the Middle Ages until today. To an […]

Book reading and signing by J.J. Viertel, author of The Glass Eel.

Celebrate the first day of the exhibition “Metamorphosis: Chinese Imagination and Transformation” with featured artists Bingyi, Fung Ming Chip, Sun Xun, Kelly Wang, and Zhang Jian-Jun, who will discuss how “metamorphosis” played a part in their works in the exhibition and their artistic practice. Among the projects highlighted are Sun Xun’s artist residency and the […]

When Marco Calvo arrives at the synagogue to attend his grandfather’s funeral, he is caught off guard by something very unexpected. Among his close family and friends there are some people he doesn’t recognize at all. Several Japanese American families have arrived and no one is quite sure why they are here. What Marco discovers […]

Book club social to celebrate the release of a new special collector's edition of the beloved bestseller, I Who Have Never Known Men.

A mesmerizing historical novel, I Am You is a meditation on gender, an ode to artistic creation, and an unforgettable love story that reimagines the life of renowned still life painter Maria van Oosterwijck during Dutch’s Golden Age.

Launch of Rowana Miller’s young adult book, Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls. In addition to introducing Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls, Rowana will share creative writing strategies from her remarkable writing program, Cosmic Writers.

Three Mile Harbor Press celebrates the publications of new poetry collections: Elizabeth Knapp’s Causa Sui, winner of the 8th annual Three Mile Harbor Press Poetry Award, and Pamela Hughes’ long-awaited second full-length collection, Femistry.

Learn how to prepare for Dia de los Muertos with this family-friendly arts and culture event. Explore the roots, meanings, and purpose of the holiday while participating in activities. Arts-n-Crafts will be facilitated by a teaching artist, enjoy the folkloric musical guest, and sign up for our open mic!

Eric Marcus, founder and host of the award-winning Making Gay History podcast provides an introduction to MGH’s current 12-episode series on the experiences of LGBTQ people during the rise of the Nazi regime, World War II, and the Holocaust. Drawing on extensive research conducted for this first-of-its-kind audio documentary, Eric will share clips from archival […]

Book reading and signing by Lev AC Rosen, author of Mirage City.

Marisa Meltzer presents It Girl, in conversation with Alison Roman. It Girl is the first comprehensive biography of Jane Birkin—actress, singer, and legendary style icon—and her profound cultural impact.

Book reading and signing by John A. Rice, author of October Shadows.

Naomi Huffman & Grace Byron in conversation about the work of cult icon Katherine Dunn

Dr. Kim Phillips-Fein discusses her book Fear City: New York's Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics. When the news broke that New York City was on the brink of fiscal collapse, few believed it was possible. Yet, the city was indeed billions of dollars in the red, with no way to pay back […]

As part of the Norway 200 celebration, join us for a discussion about contemporary Norwegian literature -- Lars Mytting, Edy Poppy, and Damion Searls, moderated by Anderson Tepper -- moderated by Anderson Tepper

At a moment of profound changes in the U.S. – China relationship, how do young Americans view the landscape change, and how does their perspective align with the insights of one of America’s most respected authorities on China? This program brings together the rising voices of American youth and the seasoned insight of David J. […]

Sunset ferry voyage down the Hudson River with readings and musical performances by acclaimed musician and poet Haleh Liza Gafori of her newly published translations from the Farsi of Rumi, Water. The ferry leaves promptly at 5:45pm from the Brookfield Place Terminal, one block from Poets House. Reception to follow in the Margo Viscusi Reading […]

To celebrate the exhibit opening of Mercy-Eyed, Down the Triple Highway, join us for special performances and readings featuring No Land and Anne Waldman accompanied by musicians Oliver Ray on guitar and Geogia Wartel Collins on double bass. No Land and Anne Waldman met on the New York City street in 2012. Over the subsequent […]

This is a conversation with Yair Rosenberg and Amy Spitalnick on uprooting antisemitism. Antisemitism fuels hate-filled conspiracy theories that not only drive people to commit horrible acts of violence but also undermine the very fabric of our nation. What we are seeing is a rise in violence against Jews that crosses political ideology and spectrums, […]

Book reading and signing by Kate Bell, author of The Gallery Assistant.

Evening with acclaimed writers James P. Lenfestey and Sarah Ruhl—two resonant voices reflecting on life, memory, mentorship, and the power of writing. Lenfestey will read from his newest book Time Remaining, a stirring meditation on aging, memory, and the enduring beauty of language in life’s later chapters. Ruhl will read from her newest collection of […]

Performances from BMCC's music, speech, communication, and theater arts departments

Book reading and signing by Ian Chorao, author of When We Talk to the Dead.

After losing their high-profile publishing jobs, Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill wrestled with the professional and personal challenges that come after job loss. Now, with All the Cool Girls Get Fired, they’re helping readers reframe work, success, and self-worth and navigate unexpected career change. The duo will offer advice, tackle audience questions, and spotlight other […]

From Alexandria to Wakanda, Danai Gurira has played larger than life heroes in some of this generation’s most seminal pop culture works. But her work beyond the screen—lifting unheard voices and fighting to end poverty and HIV/AIDS—is her most heroic work. She shares that journey and reveals how we can all be heroic in our […]

I Seek A Kind Person is a gripping family memoir of grief, courage, and hope that tells the hidden stories of children who escaped the Holocaust, building connections across generations and continents. In 1938, Jewish families are scrambling to flee Vienna. Desperate, they take out advertisements offering their children into the safe keeping of readers […]

Americans have profoundly different ideas about what is real, ideas that sometimes verge on the irreconcilable. These notions depend on walls of the mind: stubborn boundaries that work to enforce particular points of view, as if each of us was stranded on some other island of idiosyncratic thought. Such divides may seem fleeting and intangible, […]

China Institute and Asia Art Archive in America bring together Asian and Asian Diasporic artists Bing Lee, Jean Shin, Saya Woolfalk, and Parker Fay (who will represent Ming Fay) to share the stories behind their own subway commission projects while addressing questions around the possibilities, promise, and practicalities of public art. The conversation will be […]

The Tourist’s Guide to Lost Yiddish New York City offers a new look at over a century of New York’s history of Yiddish popular culture. Henry H. Sapoznik – a Peabody Award-winning co-producer of NPR’s Yiddish Radio Project – tells the story in over a baker’s dozen chapters on theater, music, architecture, crime, Black Americans […]

Girls Write Now is a nationally award-winning nonprofit, media incubator, and multi-generational community.

Book reading and signing by Lev AC Rosen, author of Mirage City.

Nerdy Thursdays are the Black Gotham Experience take on the Harlem Renaissance salon. A familiar place to meet new ideas. Tonight's theme: Legacy.

With wit and compassion, author Kevin Moffett delivers a bracingly intimate account of fatherhood, and discovery, and the experiences of two men far from home.

The field of contemporary Holocaust studies is increasingly international in perspective. These approaches do not detach themselves from European history; rather, they incorporate perspectives and voices not always considered in more traditional Holocaust studies. The new book Global Approaches to the Holocaust asks: What happens when scholars shift their focus from an exclusively European perspective […]

This lecture from artist and writer Richard McBee will explore of the work of eleven contemporary Jewish artists.

Two insiders explain why the Israeli–Palestinian peace process failed, and anticipate what lies ahead.

Book reading and signing by Andrew Klavan, author of After That, the Dark.

Dr. Camilla Townsend discusses the book On the Turtle’s Back: Stories the Lenape Told Their Grandchildren she co-authored with Nicky Kay Michael. The Lenape tribe, also known as the Delaware Nation, inhabited the region now comprising eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and parts of New York, Connecticut, and Maryland for centuries. However, America’s independence from […]

Book reading and signing by Alissa Lee, author of With Friends Like These.

Author Cynthia Zarin presents her novel Estate, in conversation with Jonathan Galassi.

President & CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Andrew Kimball, for a live recording of Person Place Thing with Emmy Award winner, Randy Cohen. Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are especially engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about something they care […]

Nerdy Thursdays are the Black Gotham Experience take on the Harlem Renaissance salon. A familiar place to meet new ideas. Tonight's theme: War.

Third meeting of the Infinite Jest Monthly Read-Along Bash group. Read pages 199-299 (plus relevant endnotes) for this month's gathering.

Poetry reading and exhibit launch featuring contributors to the new anthology The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and Other Natural Wonders. The exhibit of poetry and images at Poets House explores how nature shapes our lives, and how we can shape nature’s future.

Thea Riofrancos presents Extraction, an in-depth investigation into the growing industry of green technologies and the environmental, social, and political consequences of the mining it requires. In conversation with David Wallace-Wells