This week in New York a tribute to George Carlin, James Wood reads a book he’s never read before, Shya Scanlon gets other people to read his poems, NYC Twestival 2010, Huggabroomstik, Jeff Lewis and others cover songs by Major Matt Mason USA, Victor Lavalle and Maud Newton talk, and Lapham’s Quarterly holds a panel discussion on creativity.
MONDAY 3/22: The Critic’s Voice: First Reads with James Wood. James Wood takes on a special assignment this season—to read a book he’s never read before, then return to the Poetry Center and discuss it. He’s chosen Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, a collection of short stories by David Foster Wallace. 92 Y. Lexington Ave. at 92nd St. 8:15pm.
Victor Lavalle reads and discusses his novel Big Machine with Maud Newton. Greenlight Bookstore. 686 Fulton Street. 7:30pm.
TUESDAY 3/23: I Heart Major Matt. Antifolkers covering the songs of Major Matt Mason USA. Sara Lautman, Nan Turner, Prewar Yardsale, Ben Krieger, Casey Holford, Toby Goodshank, Jeff Lewis, Yoko Kikuchi, Justin Remer, Huggabroomstik, Deenah Vollmer, and surprise guests. Sidewalk Cafe. 97 Avenue A. 7:45-9:00pm.
Horror Happens in Real Life Too: Elyssa East and John Reed. Elyssa East’s nonfiction book Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town, winner of the PEN New England/LL Winship Award in Nonfiction, interlaces the story of a grisly 1984 murder with the strange dark history of Gloucester, Massachusetts. John Reed is the author of the recently released All the World’s a Grave: A New Play by William Shakespeare (Penguin/Plume). KGB Bar. 85 E. 4th St. 7:00-9:00pm.
WEDNESDAY 3/24: George Carlin: A Tribute. As part of the NYPL LIVE series, Whoopi Goldberg will host an eclectic gathering of comedic and cultural icons who come together to celebrate George Carlin’s life, art, extraordinary half-century in comedy and broad cultural influence with readings, anecdotes, memories, personal tributes as well as nostalgic selections from some of the greatest performance art of the 20th century by the guest of honor himself. New York Public Library. Celeste Bartos Forum. 7:00pm.
Here is George Carlin’s infamous skit, “Seven Dirty Words,” which was central to the U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a narrow decision (5-4) affirmed the government’s power to regulate indecent material on public airwaves.
Lapham’s Quarterly: A Panel on Creativity. Lapham’s Quarterly art director Timothy Don moderates a discussion about creativity with poet Yusef Komunyakaa, painter Joan Snyder, and composer Vince di Mura at NYU. Wine reception to follow. Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House. 58 W. 10th St.
In This Together Impulse. To Celebrate the release of Shya Scanlon’s debut poetry collection, In This Alone Impulse, published by Noemi Press, a variety of writers and artists including Terese Svoboda, John Dermot Woods and Nicolle Elizabeth will read selections from Scanlon’s manuscript.
NEWFILMMAKERS: Newfilmmakers presents Christian sex night and an inside view on those megachurches. Communion will be served. Includes screenings of Godawesome, a documentary on a week in the life of one Northwest megachurch, the feature The Christians, and a short film program about funerals. Anthology Film Archives. 32 2nd Ave. 6:00pm.
THURSDAY 3/25: Twestival 2010. Join New York’s New Media set in celebrating Twestival Global, one of the largest philanthropic events to ever happen–there will be Twestivals happening in 300 cities around the world, all in support of one cause, Concern Worldwide. There will be music, a prize auction, and an origami exhibit of unfolding giant Twitter birds. Good Units. 353 W. 57th St. 7:00pm-11:00pm.
FIZZ: Rock & Roll Will Save Your Life with Steve Almond, Nelly Reifler and Keith Lee Morris read. KGB Bar. 85 E. 4th St. 7:00pm.
FRIDAY 3/26: Room #103, Hotel Chelsea. Pale Fire Productions presents James Veitch’s site-specific show centered on the life of Dylan Thomas, which takes place in the room where Thomas once lived, and where Sid Vicious allegedly killed Nancy Spungen. Chelsea Hotel. 222 W. 23rd St. $18. 7:00pm and 9:00pm.
SATURDAY 3/27: David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. 92Y Tribeca. 7:30pm.
SUNDAY 3/28: The Wave Pictures. “Three tousled lads from Loughborough, UK, got their hands on a Modern Lovers album and have created their own gawky, bass-inflected songs that drunkenly two-step all over their Wilde-ian social critiques.” With The WoWz and Polite Sleeper. Mercury Lounge. 217 E. Houston. 8:30pm.
ART: Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. This performance retrospective traces the prolific career of Marina Abramović (Yugoslav, b. 1946) with approximately fifty works spanning over four decades of her early interventions and sound pieces, video works, installations, photographs, solo performances, and collaborative performances made with Ulay (Uwe Laysiepen).
***
News about notable happenings in New York can be sent to rozalia-AT-therumpus.net
Original Notable New York Illustration © André da Loba
