My husband says that Z’EV is an amazing performer. But beyond that he has trouble explaining. He used to hear him back in the 1980’s and seems tempted to go hear him tomorrow night at Issue Project Room at 8PM.

At 5PM he will be conducting a special FREE master class focusing on: “The mytho-poetics of audiology:  ear drum / hammer-stirrup-anvil / labyrinth, drum as traditional trance inducer / the smithy – pythagoras & shamanism / labyrinth as image of return – Initiation, acoustics & psychoacoustics, a phenomenology of sound & consciousness”

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a legend in experimental sound, text, and visual art.

“Z’EV has been exploring ‘spacial poetics’ while creating percussive mayhem since the 1970’s. He is responsible for tons of solo releases and has collaborated with the likes of the Hafler Trio, John Cage, and Psychic TV; he last visited FMU over 25 years ago while living in NYC and working with Glenn Branca and Rudolph Grey among others” – Brian Turner, WFMU

Can you find me in the above picture? It’s sort of a Where’s Waldo kind of game. I’m on the left side of the picture. Only part of my face is showing.

On Wednesday, June 2, the Brooklyn Literary Council, top authors, publishing industry leaders, editors and literary insiders joined the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office to announce more than a hundred of the renowned national and international authors already confirmed to participate in the fifth annual Brooklyn Book Festival, which will take place this fall, Sunday, September 12, 2010, in and around Borough Hall and Columbus Park.

I was there and I enjoyed the white wine, the crudites and my conversation with Electric Literature co-editor, Scott Lindenbaum (full disclosure: they advertise on OTBKB).

In celebration of the Festival’s fifth anniversary, the Brooklyn Book Festival “Bookends” Partnership—made up of cultural institutions and performance venues—will present literary-themed events throughout Brooklyn on Friday, September 10; Saturday, September 11; and the day of the Book Festival on Sunday the 12th. Partners include BAM, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Public Library, Littlefield, Light Industry/Triple Canopy, the Bell House, Book Court, WORD, Freebird, Greenlight Books, Boulevard Books & Café, PEN American Center and powerHouse Books. Programming and events will be announced in August.

I am hoping that there will be a Brooklyn Reading Works event connected with the Bookends partnership. The authors to be included in the BBF include:

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 2010 AUTHORS

Nick Abadzis
Dorothy Allison
Steve Almond
Kurt Andersen
Lemon Andersen
Sam Anderson
Jabari Asim
Russell Banks
Sandra Rodriguez Barron
Colin Beavan
Jennifer Belle
Alafair Burke
Joyce Carol Oates
Rosanne Cash
Continue reading Authors Announced for Brooklyn Book Festival →

Sad news: BKLYN Yard, the place for fun, pop-up events all summer long, is closing down. Here is a letter I received today from MeanRed Productions, producers of those great events at the yard right next to the Carroll Street Bridge. My sense is that some of the events they’ve got planned for this summer will be re-located to other locations.

To our Yardies…

Over the past four years, we have worked hard to create BKLYN Yard. You watched us grow from a small unknown independent venue into a space that hosted the best tacos in NYC, incredible talent (Lee Scratch Perry, Kaiju Big Battel, Dan Deacon & Jose Gonzalez to name a few), the Sunday Best dance series, the Gowanus Harvest Fest, the BK County Fair, Score! Pop-Up Mega Swap, Parked: Food Truck Festival, and countless lobster bakes, pig roasts, BBQs and more. This past Memorial Day Weekend, we were so proud to open our doors and display all the hard work we have been putting into the space to make this summer even better…from our new bar, to our atm, to our bocce court. Thousands of you came out and supported us and made it one of the most beautiful weekends we have had yet, so we are sad to announce, that last weekend was the final weekend of BKLYN Yard in our Carroll Gardens home.

Our landlord of the past four years, who used to share our vision for BKLYN Yard, notified us on Tuesday May 1st, that they would no longer honor our lease which had been in place since early this year. They chose not to give us an opportunity to renegotiate, and requested that we take what we have built, and terminate all of our confirmed plans and schedule for BKLYN Yard this summer.

BKLYN Yard is a labor of love for MeanRed, rooted in our core company values: Love for artists, food, music and community. We are sad to see our passion project go in its brightest year, and are sad to let down all the people who have support and worked with us for the past 3 summers.

But if there is one thing we pride ourselves in, its our ability to think outside the box, to take a leap when there is no net, and to reach our highest visions. We wouldn’t be who we are if we let hurdles keep us down. If we can turn a dim sum restaurant into a nightclub, a loft into a members-only club, and a toxic yard into a beautiful summer oasis… we can do anything.

Rest assured, our renegade spirit and love for pop-up spaces will come alive again this summer — very possibly with the same collaborators and programming you see on our current schedule… And very possibly even better than we had planned before.

Doug Singer, Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter’s Sunday Best series will continue on at another location, including this Sunday with DJ Koze. You can keep an eye on them at  www.sundaybestnyc.com

In the meantime, we want to say:

Thank you for sharing in BKLYN Yard. We hope you’ll continue on this crazy ride with us as we bring you what’s next. Stay tuned, we will pop-up where you least expect it, with the words:

“Built by BKLYN Yard”
With love,

How many interesting cultural  festivals can you fit into one weekend in Brooklyn? I’m not sure but this weekend is chock full of interesting festivals and events. It’s a regular marathon of culture.

The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts was launched in 1993 by Spoke the Hub with events indoors and out-of-doors, Friday through Sunday, June 4th – 6th, 2010 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “Revel in the verdure of early summer at this grassroots, family-friendly celebration of music, theater, art, dance, film and food – both homegrown and from around the world!” This year’s festival includes music and dance performances and workshops, fun and games for children, films on the politics of food, and our first international offering, the song, dance and taiko drumming of The USN International Friendship Group from Hachinohe, Japan. Most events are free and open to the general public. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

The 17th Annual Red Hook Festival with M.U.G.A.B.E.E., La Excelencia, Joseph Webb & Beautiful Fire, Decadancetheater, Cora Dance and over 200 of Brooklyn’s most talented young people. Plus: Community Resources (health services information, job training programs, etc.) from over a dozen local non-profitts; Kayak rides in New York Harbor, face-painting,  art projects, and more and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

Brooklyn International Film Festival runs from June 4th through June 13th. Now in its 13th year, BFF is an international, competitive festival for and by independent filmmakers. Their mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn.” the group writes on their website.Screening locations include, Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg.

The 9th International Tiny Toy Theater Festival at Dumbo’s St Ann’s Warehouse presents an eclectic mix of international and local theater miniaturists, both classical and experimental! This is grown-up theater and some of the work is not suitable for kids.

FILM

June 4-13 at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg: The 13th Brooklyn International Film Festival

Note: indieScreen is a brand new entertainment space located on the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn that features a sophisticated A/V room, a restaurant, and a full bar. “The space has been created for all those New Yorkers seeking out the best in film, music, live entertainment, and cuisine,” they write on their website.

Sex and the City 2 and Solitary Man at BAM

THEATER

This Thursday thru Sunday and through June 13th: Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse Check their website for details.

June 9&10 at 7:30 at the Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse: “Hudson to China.” In the Bronx, the statue of Henry Hudson believes he has found a route to the mythical Orient. Elsewhere, a young man dreams of success by conquering what he fears (the Chinese economy), and an immigrant longs for home. Co-created by Renee Philippi and Carlo Adinolfi. Performers: Carlo Adinolfi, Diana Chang, Zdenko Slobodnik. Original music by my neighbor: Bob Goldberg. www.ConcreteTempleTheatre.com

MUSIC

Friday, June 4 at 7PM: Opera on Tap at Barbes

Saturday, June 5 at 9PM at Barbes: One Ring Zero is led by Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp. The Brooklyn-based band has released six CDs, including their critically acclaimed album, As Smart As We Are, a book-cum-CD, featuring songs with lyrics contributed by such authors as Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, Myla Goldberg and Denis Johnson.

BEER GARDEN

Every Friday at BKLYN YARD: Each Friday evening the Yard becomes a waterfront Beer Garden. Locals can stop in to enjoy a rotating selection of hand-crafted beers and music provided by local DJs / bands.

LOCAL PRODUCE FESTIVAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Launched in 1993, The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts originated as a weekend marathon of music, theater and dance which now takes place annually in various indoor and outdoor venues around Park Slope. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

FAMOUS ACCORDIAN ORCHESTRA

Saturday, June 5 at 6PM: Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival the Famous will be playing at Coffey Park in Red Hook. Note: The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival is produced annually by Dance Theatre Etcetera, and presents work by professional and student groups, free to the public.

FIRST SATURDAY AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Funny Face directed by Stanley Donen with Audrey Hepurn and Fred Astaire (surely one of the best musicals ever).

The winners of tonight’s battle of the bands are Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, who are touring to support their newly releasd album of covers, Two-Way Family Favourites (that’s the cover above).  The practical reason is that tonight’s show is probably the only one that they will do in New York City this year.  The other reason is that I really enjoyed their show in New York last year (you can find my review here).  McGinty & White will open.  Full details and five other worthwhile shows tonight over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

Pre-registration for the Brooklyn Blogfest is now closed. Seating in the Lyceum auditorium is “sold out.”

We’re expecting a big crowd and we can only seat 300 people in the Lyceum auditorium. There is room for the overflow crowd upstairs but you will be watching the event on a video monitor. Those who wish to sit upstairs should line up at 6:30 PM on the night of the event.

Those who have pre-registered should also ARRIVE EARLY and LINE UP at 6:30 PM. First priority for seating in the auditorium will be given to the people who pre-registered. We will wait until 6:50 PM for them to arrive but after that we will let people from the overflow line take any vacant seats downstairs (if there are any) or go upstairs to the overflow area.

Thanks for your understanding. If this isn’t clear let me know and I will try to clarify.

How many interesting cultural  festivals can you fit into one weekend in Brooklyn? I’m not sure but this weekend is chock full of interesting festivals and events. It’s a regular marathon of culture.

The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts was launched in 1993 by Spoke the Hub with events indoors and out-of-doors, Friday through Sunday, June 4th – 6th, 2010 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “Revel in the verdure of early summer at this grassroots, family-friendly celebration of music, theater, art, dance, film and food – both homegrown and from around the world!” This year’s festival includes music and dance performances and workshops, fun and games for children, films on the politics of food, and our first international offering, the song, dance and taiko drumming of The USN International Friendship Group from Hachinohe, Japan. Most events are free and open to the general public. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

The 17th Annual Red Hook Festival with M.U.G.A.B.E.E., La Excelencia, Joseph Webb & Beautiful Fire, Decadancetheater, Cora Dance and over 200 of Brooklyn’s most talented young people. Plus: Community Resources (health services information, job training programs, etc.) from over a dozen local non-profitts; Kayak rides in New York Harbor, face-painting,  art projects, and more and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

Brooklyn International Film Festival runs from June 4th through June 13th. Now in its 13th year, BFF is an international, competitive festival for and by independent filmmakers. Their mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn.” the group writes on their website.Screening locations include, Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg.

The 9th International Tiny Toy Theater Festival at Dumbo’s St Ann’s Warehouse presents an eclectic mix of international and local theater miniaturists, both classical and experimental! This is grown-up theater and some of the work is not suitable for kids.

The following was “Tweeted” by  Joseph C. Phillips, one of the PS 321 teachers who performed last night at the Apollo. Alas, their group did not win. But his tweets from the night really tell the story. The following is in reverse chronological order:

–Daryl Jordan is the winner singing Ordinary People; was good. Heartening that Jesse Miller playing blues 2nd #NYCTeachersatApollo     about 11 hours ago  via Twitter for iPhone

–ok the guy doing the Gato Barbieri impression DOESN’T get booed. Good player but c’mon…#NYCTeachersatApollo about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Stevie Wonder opening up the second half at Apollo, he’s not getting booed!!! #NYCTeachersatApollo about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–in the balcony now having a beer watching the other acts, crowd is tired of booing, last 3 made it #NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–it’s student payback time, another bites the dust, but their is love and support in the GreenRoom#NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–being 1st, we were the sacrifical lambs of the Night booed off but almost made it to the end, oops there’s another out#NYCTeachersatApollo about 12 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–backstage ready to go on 1st, house band warming up the crowd #NYCTeachersatApollo about 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–just announced, 321 Band leads the Night off, 30 minutes to show time #NYCTeachersatApollo about 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–spontaneous break out of teachers playing Jobim and the Circle is Unbroken, good way to break the ice in Green Room #NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Apollo Green room, with everyone getting ready like Queen Latifah’s Beauty Shop, only w/o hot combs (curlers only here)#NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–people already lined up on 125th St. for sold out Amatuer Night show at the Apollo, the tension & excitement mounts #NYCTeachersatApollo about 14 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–yea some teachers have some singing skills, surprising diverse program (blues, bluegrass, rock, blue-eyed soul pop) #NYCTeachersatApollo about 15 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Can we get the surviving members of Apollo 13, lock them in a room w/some oil, tubes, mega sponges & have them solve BP’s mess? about 16 hours ago via web Retweeted by Numinousmusic and 1 other

–Ray 2 and the crew, back-up band at the Apollo, pretty killin’, working through rehearsal #NYCTeachersatApollo about 16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–First thoughts: Apollo is smaller than I thought, I guess TV does add girth, hope I don’t look like Fat Albert up there #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–Apollo Ex. Dir telling stories of Ella, James Brown, etc. booed off stage, ok so that’s going to make us feel better #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–at the Apollo Theatre, downstairs waiting for the dress reh. Many teachers out of school, one grateful, relaxed bunch! #NYCTeachersatApollo about 17 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone

–on to Harlem for tonight’s performance at the Apollo Theatre

Thanks to the Brooklyn Paper for a nice shout-out about the Brooklyn Blogfest.

He doesn’t live in Brooklyn anymore, and he doesn’t blog, but Spike Lee will be the main draw at this year’s Brooklyn Blogfest.

And he’ll be shilling vodka, no less.

On June 8, the iconic filmmaker will make an appearance at the annual blog gathering, held in Park Slope at the Brooklyn Lyceum.

The event will serve in part as a coming out for Lee’s latest joint — a Brooklyn-themed vodka made by Absolut — two days before the official launch party for the liquor at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO.

Absolut approached event organizer Louise Crawford, the founder of the seminal Web site Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, about sponsoring the Blogfest, and she was immediately on board.

“I was impressed that they had done their research and found me,” said Crawford, who added that Lee’s a good fit with the Blogfest because of his “creative energy.”

“One of the themes of the Blogfest is, ‘What is this atmosphere, this creativity, that seems to be rampant in Brooklyn right now?’” added Crawford, who, in addition to being the fairy godmother of borough bloggers, is also a columnist for The Brooklyn Paper.

To fully explore that theme of creativity, mixologists will be concocting cocktails using the new limited-edition Brooklyn vodka — a ginger and apple blend — for bloggers, who tend to be thirstier than the general public.

Continue reading Brooklyn Paper: Spike Lee at Blogfest? →

FILM

June 4-13 at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen in Williamsburg: The 13th Brooklyn International Film Festival

Note: indieScreen is a brand new entertainment space located on the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn that features a sophisticated A/V room, a restaurant, and a full bar. “The space has been created for all those New Yorkers seeking out the best in film, music, live entertainment, and cuisine,” they write on their website.

Sex and the City 2 and Solitary Man at BAM

THEATER

This Thursday thru Sunday and through June 13th: Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse Check their website for details.

June 9&10 at 7:30 at the Toy Theater Festival at St. Ann’s Warehouse: “Hudson to China.” In the Bronx, the statue of Henry Hudson believes he has found a route to the mythical Orient. Elsewhere, a young man dreams of success by conquering what he fears (the Chinese economy), and an immigrant longs for home. Co-created by Renee Philippi and Carlo Adinolfi. Performers: Carlo Adinolfi, Diana Chang, Zdenko Slobodnik. Original music by my neighbor: Bob Goldberg. www.ConcreteTempleTheatre.com

MUSIC

Friday, June 4 at 7PM: Opera on Tap at Barbes

Saturday, June 5 at 9PM at Barbes: One Ring Zero is led by Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp. The Brooklyn-based band has released six CDs, including their critically acclaimed album, As Smart As We Are, a book-cum-CD, featuring songs with lyrics contributed by such authors as Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, Myla Goldberg and Denis Johnson.

BEER GARDEN

Every Friday at BKLYN YARD: Each Friday evening the Yard becomes a waterfront Beer Garden. Locals can stop in to enjoy a rotating selection of hand-crafted beers and music provided by local DJs / bands.

LOCAL PRODUCE FESTIVAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Launched in 1993, The Local Produce Festival of the Performing Arts originated as a weekend marathon of music, theater and dance which now takes place annually in various indoor and outdoor venues around Park Slope. For more information, check out the Spoke the Hub website.

FAMOUS ACCORDIAN ORCHESTRA AND MORE

Saturday, June 5 at 6PM: Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival the Famous will be playing at Coffey Park in Red Hook. Note: The Red Hook Waterfront Arts Festival is produced annually by Dance Theatre Etcetera, and presents work by professional and student groups, free to the public.

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Funny Face with Audrey Hepurn and Fred Astaire and MORE.

Happy June gardening: CasaCara

The Big Book of Small Cool Spaces: Apartment Therapy

Jen Mankin of Bird: Design Sponge

Blackboard brooch: Swissmiss

Our secret hideaway: Adventures in Renovating a Limestone

Israeli author Amos Oz in today’s NY Times:

But Hamas is not just a terrorist organization. Hamas is an idea, a desperate and fanatical idea that grew out of the desolation and frustration of many Palestinians. No idea has ever been defeated by force — not by siege, not by bombardment, not by being flattened with tank treads and not by marine commandos. To defeat an idea, you have to offer a better idea, a more attractive and acceptable one.

Thus, the only way for Israel to edge out Hamas would be to quickly reach an agreement with the Palestinians on the establishment of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as defined by the 1967 borders, with its capital in East Jerusalem. Israel has to sign a peace agreement with President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah government in the West Bank — and by doing so, reduce the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip. That latter conflict, in turn, can be resolved only by negotiating with Hamas or, more reasonably, by the integration of Fatah with Hamas.

Even if Israel seizes 100 more ships on their way to Gaza, even if Israel sends in troops to occupy the Gaza Strip 100 more times, no matter how often Israel deploys its military, police and covert power, force cannot solve the problem that we are not alone in this land, and the Palestinians are not alone in this land. We are not alone in Jerusalem and the Palestinians are not alone in Jerusalem. Until Israelis and Palestinians recognize the logical consequences of this simple fact, we will all live in a permanent state of siege — Gaza under an Israeli siege, Israel under an international and Arab siege.

The following is an excerpt from an essay by author David Grossman in today’s Guardian:

No explanation can justify or whitewash the crime that was committed, and no excuse can explain away the stupid actions of the government and the army. Israel did not send its soldiers to kill civilians in cold blood; this is the last thing it wanted. Yet, a small Turkish organisation, fanatical in its religious views and radically hostile to Israel, recruited to its cause several hundred seekers of peace and justice, and managed to lure Israel into a trap, because it knew how Israel would react, knew how Israel is destined and compelled, like a puppet on a string, to react the way it did.

How insecure, confused and panicky a country must be, to act as Israel acted! With a combination of excessive military force, and a fatal failure to anticipate the intensity of the reaction of those aboard the ship, it killed and wounded civilians, and did so – as if it were a band of pirates – outside its territorial waters. This assessment does not imply agreement with the motives, overt or hidden, and often malicious, of some participants in the Gaza flotilla. Not all its people are peace-loving humanitarians, and the declarations of some of them regarding the destruction of the state of Israel are criminal. But these facts are simply not relevant at the moment: such opinions do not deserve the death penalty.

Israel’s actions are but the natural continuation of the shameful, ongoing closure of Gaza, which in turn is the perpetuation of the heavy-handed and condescending approach of the Israeli government, which is prepared to embitter the lives of a million and a half innocent people in the Gaza Strip, in order to obtain the release of one imprisoned soldier, precious and beloved though he may be; and this closure is the all-too-natural consequence of a clumsy and calcified policy, which again and again resorts by default to the use of massive and exaggerated force, at every decisive juncture, where wisdom and sensitivity and creative thinking are called for instead.

And somehow, all these calamities – including Monday’s deadly events – seem to be part of a larger corruptive process afflicting Israel. One has the sense that a sullied and bloated political system, fearfully aware of the steaming mess produced over the years by its own actions and malfunctions, and despairing of the possibility to undo the endless tangle it has wrought, becomes ever more inflexible in the face of pressing and complicated challenges, losing in the process the qualities that once typified Israel and its leadership – freshness, originality, creativity.

June 4 to June 13: it’s the Brooklyn International Film Festival now in its 13th year and run by my friend Nate Kensinger, who is also a wonderful photograher.

BFF is an international, competitive festival for and by independent filmmakers. Their mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn.” the group writes on their website.

During the festival more than 100 films: dramas, documentaries, animation and short films are shown.

I’ve already privately screened “Colin Hearts Kay” a really fun live action/animation comedy set in Park Slope about two bloggers who fall in love (see above).

Needless to say: I loved its wacky good humor and animation.

Nathan Kensinger and his team culled through something like  2,400 submissions from throughout the U.S. and abroad. Screening all of them is a Herculean task that ultimately results in an interesting selection of films.

Sixteen of the films shown were made by Brooklyn filmmakers. Quite a few of those were shot right here in Brooklyn.

For the first time in 30 years, Chrissie Hynde is playing music with a group not called The Pretenders.  Her new project, JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys will play tonight at Brooklyn Bowl.  You can just hop on the G Train to see this show.  Further details are over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner

The 2010 World Science Festival starts in New York on Tuesday (going through Sunday) and a couple of the most interesting events will be held in Brooklyn at the Galapagos Art Space.

The Search for Life in the Universe, takes place Thursday evening, is an event that goes into the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the universe. We’re going to have a number of very accomplished participants, including Jill Cornell Tarter, who was portrayed by Jodie Foster in the movie Contact, and Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel Laureate. Full details, including ticket info, can be found at: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/the-search-for-life-in-the-universe.

The Science of Star Trek, taking place on Friday evening, will discuss whether the seemingly science fiction elements of the show – time travel, humanoid aliens – could actually become reality. I’ve provided additional details on this event below as well with full details available at: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/the-science-of-star-trek.

Artist Louise Brougeoise died over the weekend at 98. She was an “overnight” sensation at the age of 70, when she was “discovered” by the artworld after a lifetime of making art.

I loved her work  when I first saw it in person at a Brooklyn Museum exhibition in the 1990’s. Her gorgeous sculptures and “installations” in wood, steel, stone and cast rubber had organic, sometimes sexually explicit shapes, that were formal but with strong personal, psychological and historical themes centering on the human body.

Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn wrote about the artist in 2008, when she had a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum. Here is an excerpt. Read more here.

Louise Bourgeois is widely considered to be one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century. Although it could appropriately be called a retrospective, Bourgeois was already the subject of a previous retrospective, in 1982. Louise Bourgeois’s exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York was the first retrospective given to a woman artist at that institution. According to the current exhibit’s notes, the artist took the MOMA retrospective as a challenge since she did not wish to be categorized by her retrospective as being at the end of her career. So, at age 71, Bourgeois changed direction and began exploring new subjects, new materials, new media and new ideas, absorbing from the changes occurring all around her in the art world so that she could head off in new directions.

Among these new directions was her move, in the early 1980s, to a large studio space in Brooklyn. Louise Bourgeois began working in a studio in a converted garment factory at 475 Dean Street, between 5th and 6th avenues, near Flatbush Avenue. An interesting choice, since her family in France had been involved in a tapestry restoration business for many, many years. (See”Art kaleidscope” link below for more details.)

She will celebrate her ninety-seventh birthday on December 25th, 2008. She still holds Sunday gatherings with emerging artists and remains as demanding and challenging to younger artists, as she has been toward her own work.

This was the announcement on the Department of Education website:

The Office of Arts and Special Projects in partnership with the Apollo Theater is pleased to announce the first NYCDOE Amateur Night at the Apollo to be held on June 2, 2010 at the world famous Apollo Theater to highlight the extraordinary talents of our teachers.

 Auditions for individual or group acts in dance, vocal and instrumental music, spoken word and comedy are scheduled for three consecutive Saturdays at sites in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.

All you had to be was a current New York City Department of Education public school teacher, a legal resident of the United States
 and available on the performance date, June 2, 2010.

A group of teachers from Park Slope’s PS 321, who perform at school events frequently, decided to audition. Only 16 acts were chosen and this group made the cut.

No surprise there. This is a veritable  super group of PS 321 teachers (some of whom teach music) including John Allgood, kindergarten teacher; Bill Fulbrecht, kindergarten teacher; Elizabeth Heiser, 2nd grade teacher; Adam Lane, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade music teacher; Frank McGarry, 1st and 2nd grade music teacher; and Joseph C. Phillips, who is a teacher and a serious composer in his own right. He also has a blog and wrote the following about the experience thus far.

Now this was not some group we threw together at the last minute to do the audition. We’ve been playing and performing for a number of years now and actually have done a few gigs. Our repertoire usually consists of old folk, rock, and bluegrass tunes and my role is as clarinet and (sometimes) saxophone player and percussionist. It is great fun and a chance for me to be in the band performing the music instead of in my other musical life, of composing and conducting (although that is great fun as well, just a different experience). So for our audition we performed the song Glendale Train, and things went pretty well. While there were a few judges and one did offer a suggestion after the performance, there was no Simon or Paula critique of our “NYC Teacher Idol” worthiness.

Wednesday is the big night when these teachers step onto the stage at the Apollo and show their stuff. We wish them all the best.

BROOKLYN MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

The 143rd Kings County Memorial Day Parade, the nation’s oldest continuously run Memorial Day parade begins at 11am on Monday, May 31 in Bay Ridge on 91st Street and Third Avenue and travels along Third Avenue to Marine Avenue, up to Fourth Avenue and concluding in John Paul Jones Park on 101st Street and Fourth Avenue. Immediately after the parade, a ceremony will be held in the park.

“GREATER NY” AT PS 1 IN LONG ISLAND CITY

Every five years, the PS 1 Contemporary Art Center assembles a gigantic group show of artists working in and around the city for its “Greater New York” show. Always worth a trip. “Spanning a broad variety of artistic processes and practices today, the works in Greater New York range from explorations in color and form, to examinations of ecological, geopolitical, and sociological interests, to meditations on race, gender, and generational identifications, to discussions of recent trauma and the building boom in New York.”

FILM

Babies, Please Give and Sex & The City 2 at BAM; Iron Man 2, Sex & The City 2, Shrek Forever After at the Pavilion

MUSIC

Monday, May 31, 2010 at 2:30: A Memorial Day concert at Green-Wood Cemetery by the ISO Symphonic Band, featuring select compositions by Green-Wood Cemetery’s permanent residents Fred Ebb, Leonard Bernstein, Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Paul Jabara. Bring a folding chair, a blanket and a picnic lunch. Cookout food, snacks and drinks, as well as Historic Fund books and apparel will be for sale. Admission to this event is FREE. Location: The Grounds of Green-Wood Cemetery at The Gothic Arch of Green-Wood Cemetery.

DANCE

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day Weekend in Brooklyn without DanceAfrica at BAM, presenting troupes from Zambia, Dallas, Philadelphia and Brooklyn’s own BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble will entertain at the Fort Greene venue, performing traditional dance and music to hip hop. The day will also feature film screenings, an art exhibition, and an outdoor bazaar, with nearly 300 vendors from around the world transforming the streets around BAM into a global marketplace offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts and fashion.

ART

Also part of DanceAfrica at BAM: an exhibition of works in BAMcafe by artists Bara Diokhane, Duhirwe Rushemeza, Francis Simeni and Ezra Wube, who all originally hail from various nations on the African continent, will be featured. Each will choose a piece from their oeuvre and pair it with a piece from BAM’s own collection of predominantly American artists. Organized by BAMarts and MoCADA.

FOOD & FESTIVITY

Monday, May 31: The BKLYN Yard in Gowanus is sponsoring PARKED, a festival of the city’s best food trucks, including traveling pizza vendor Pizzamoto, selections from the Greenpoint Food Market vendors, and Rickshaw Dumplings for the main event. For dessert, there’s almost too much to choose from, from Steve’s Key Lime Pie to Robicelli Cupcakes to Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream and the  Green Pirate Juice Truck.

It’s the end of May, which means it’s time for the June Music Calendar over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.  Highlights for the beginning of June include:

The day that every band I like plays in New York (this Friday, June 4th),

Camera Obscura playing a free show in the vault at the Williamsburg Bank Building (Sunday June 6th),

A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the old Greenwich Village club Folk City (Monday June 7th), and

Norah Jones coming to the nabe to open Celebrate Brooklyn 2010 (Wednesday June 9th).

–Eliot Wagner

BKLYN YARD

Sunday, May 30 3-9PM: Sunday Best is a BKLYN Yard party on Sunday afternoons and evenings produced by resident DJs Doug Singer, Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin. Each weekend, they are joined by incredible guests while we get busy eating huaraches, drinking sangria, and dancing it all off. This weeks guest -Michael Mayer (who plays a warm, melodic version of techno) . $8 before 4pm with RSVP@sundaybestnyc.com. $8 tickets available at Resident Advisor. $12 at the door www.SundayBestNYC.com. See Food and Festivity below for what’s going on at BKLYN Yard on Monday.

“GREATER NY” AT PS 1 IN LONG ISLAND CITY

Every five years, the PS 1 Contemporary Art Center assembles a gigantic group show of artists working in and around the city for its “Greater New York” show. Always worth a trip. “Spanning a broad variety of artistic processes and practices today, the works in Greater New York range from explorations in color and form, to examinations of ecological, geopolitical, and sociological interests, to meditations on race, gender, and generational identifications, to discussions of recent trauma and the building boom in New York.”

THEATER AT BARBES

Sunday, May 30 at 7PM at Barbes: The Twenty-Five Cent Opera Company of San Francisco: theater slash performance slash entertainment brought to you once monthly. Featuring new works for the tiny stage by landscape artist Erin Courtney, theater architect Yelena Gluzman, & word contstruction worker Kristen Kosmas.

A FILM ABOUT CONEY ISLAND

Sunday, May 30 at 7:30 pm. “Last Summer at Coney Island” a benefit at UnionDocs [322 Union Ave. at Maujer Street in Williamsburg, (718) 395-7902]. Tickets $9-$20 (sliding scale donation). For info, visit www.lastsummeratconeyisland.com.

THE STATE OF CONEY ISLAND ADDRESS

On Sunday May 30 at 4:30PM at the Coney Island Museum (1208 Surf Ave between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th Street) hear Dick Zigun, the Officially Unelected Mayor of Coney Island, give his annual overview of the current state of affairs in America’s Playground. Zigun is expected to highlight the launch of the New Luna Park, the excitement of the long-anticipated “rebirth” of the amusement area, and the remaining questions about the future of the important historic structures that remain intact in Coney Island’s historic district.

BROOKLYN MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

The 143rd Kings County Memorial Day Parade, the nation’s oldest continuously run Memorial Day parade begins at 11am on Monday, May 31 in Bay Ridge on 91st Street and Third Avenue and travels along Third Avenue to Marine Avenue, up to Fourth Avenue and concluding in John Paul Jones Park on 101st Street and Fourth Avenue. Immediately after the parade, a ceremony will be held in the park.

FILM

Babies, Please Give and Sex & The City 2 at BAM; Iron Man 2, Sex & The City 2, Shrek Forever After at the Pavilion

MUSIC

Monday, May 31, 2010 at 2:30: A Memorial Day concert at Green-Wood Cemetery by the ISO Symphonic Band, featuring select compositions by Green-Wood Cemetery’s permanent residents Fred Ebb, Leonard Bernstein, Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Paul Jabara. Bring a folding chair, a blanket and a picnic lunch. Cookout food, snacks and drinks, as well as Historic Fund books and apparel will be for sale. Admission to this event is FREE. Location: The Grounds of Green-Wood Cemetery at The Gothic Arch of Green-Wood Cemetery.

DANCE

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day Weekend in Brooklyn without DanceAfrica at BAM, presenting troupes from Zambia, Dallas, Philadelphia and Brooklyn’s own BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble will entertain at the Fort Greene venue, performing traditional dance and music to hip hop. The day will also feature film screenings, an art exhibition, and an outdoor bazaar, with nearly 300 vendors from around the world transforming the streets around BAM into a global marketplace offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts and fashion.

ART

Also part of DanceAfrica at BAM: an exhibition of works in BAMcafe by artists Bara Diokhane, Duhirwe Rushemeza, Francis Simeni and Ezra Wube, who all originally hail from various nations on the African continent, will be featured. Each will choose a piece from their oeuvre and pair it with a piece from BAM’s own collection of predominantly American artists. Organized by BAMarts and MoCADA.

FOOD & FESTIVITY

Monday, May 31: The BKLYN Yard in Gowanus is sponsoring PARKED, a festival of the city’s best food trucks, including traveling pizza vendor Pizzamoto, selections from the Greenpoint Food Market vendors, and Rickshaw Dumplings for the main event. For dessert, there’s almost too much to choose from, from Steve’s Key Lime Pie to Robicelli Cupcakes to Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream and the  Green Pirate Juice Truck.

Thursday, June 10th at 8PM, Brooklyn Reading Works presents “People Make Mistakes” an evening of fiction curated by Martha Southgate. Lauren Grodstein, author of A Friend of the Family, Danielle Evans, author of the upcoming short story collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and Martha Southgate, author of Third Girl From the Left will read.

Martha Southgate is the author of Third Girl from the Left, which was published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin in September 2006. It won the Best Novel of the year award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. It was shortlisted for the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy award. Her previous novel, The Fall of Rome, received the 2003 Alex Award from the American Library Association and was named one of the best novels of 2002 by Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post. She is also the author of Another Way to Dance, which won the Coretta Scott King Genesis Award for Best First Novel. She now teaches in the Brooklyn College MFA program.

Lauren Grodstein’s books include the novels A Friend of the Family and Reproduction is the Flaw of Love, and The Best of Animals, a story collection. Her pseudonymous Girls Dinner Club was a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Her work has been translated into German, Italian, French, Turkish, and other languages, and her essays and stories have been widely anthologized.

Lauren teaches creative writing at Rutgers-Camden, where she helps administer the college’s MFA program. She lives with her husband and son in New Jersey.

Danielle Evans was born in Northern Virginia in 1983. Her short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2008, The Paris Review, Phoebe, Black Renaissance Noire, and The L Magazine. She received a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University, an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and the Carol Houck Smith Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. She has taught in the creative writing program at Missouri State University, and has recently joined the faculty at American University in Washington, DC. She is currently editing her first short story collection, tentatively titled Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and working on a novel titled The Empire Has No Clothes. Both are forthcoming from Riverhead Books.

Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House on June 10 at 8PM. $5 suggested donation includes refreshments. Books will be offered for sale.

The Fifth Annual Brooklyn Blogfest, an event I created five years ago, is just around the corner (on June 8th at 7PM at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope). This year it’s going to be bigger and better than ever and that is, in large part, due to the involvement of Absolut Vodka.

When Absolut set out to capture the unique flavor of Brooklyn for its city-themed vodkas, inviting acclaimed film director and Brooklyn native son Spike Lee (Crooklyn, Do the Right Thing) into the mix was a slam dunk. And when it came time to settle on who should take the first sips the choice was just as obvious.

Brooklyn bloggers.

Alot of you are probably wondering how the collaboration came about. Here’s the story:

Note added June 10th 2010: Absolut got in touch with me in February about being a Blogfest sponsor. It sounded like an interesting experiment because I needed some kind of funding for the event, which is an expensive endeavor. Later on, Absolut also asked some bloggers to write a post defining stoop life in Brooklyn (literally or metaphorically) that would be posted on the day of Blogfest. They offered those bloggers a bottle of the  $29.99 vodka and a $129.99 Flip camera (and an invite to the consumer release gala). I’m not sure who signed on for this. Quite a few bloggers refused to get involved. These posts are not meant to be about the vodka but about the Brooklyn stoop. There will be a link to these posts on the Absolut Facebook page. It is important that these bloggers acknowledge this on their blogs and be completely transparent about this so that their readers understand that this transaction occurred.

This was the first year that the Brooklyn Blogfest had a paid sponsor. It was an experiment of sorts and a gamble. There is certainly a steep learning curve when you take on a sponsor and it’s a balancing act to retain the true essence of the event and not tip over into the promotional realm. I acknowledges that the inclusion of Absolut came with mixed results and plenty of mixed drinks. I loved the brilliant Lemon Andersen, a spoken word artist, who performed his ode to Brooklyn and was a big hit with the crowd. Spike Lee, who “collaborated” with the vodka company on the vodka, also spoke at the event. The party was lavish and fun. — Louise Crawford

By adding Brooklyn to the list of cities (Los Angeles New Orleans, and Boston), Absolut tapped into the same rich source of material and inspiration powering all the blogs that will be represented at Blogfest.

There’s a creative energy in Brooklyn and a sense of open-ended possibility. Blogs are just one of the many creative endeavors that have flourished here, but they’ve also been really important vehicles for getting the word out about these new ventures. That’s why it makes perfect sense that Absolut would choose the Brooklyn Blogfest as a medium for broadcasting the message about their collaboration with Spike Lee.

I’m proud to say that since it was founded in 2005, the Brooklyn Blogfest has established itself as the nexus of creativity, talent, and insight among the blogosphere’s brightest lights. This year will be no different as a panel of blogging’s best dissect the unique brand of creativity flourishing here (moderated by WNYC’s award-winning Andrea Bernstein). Also on tap: Lemon Anderson, acclaimed spoken word artist and performer, a video tribute to Brooklyn’s most visionary photo bloggers, special networking sessions for like-minded bloggers (i.e. Blogs of a Feather), the return of the ever-popular Shout-out, when bloggers are invited to share their blogs with the world, and a roof-raising after-party with ABSOLUT^® VODKA cocktails, food and music.

Thursday, June 10th at 8PM, Brooklyn Reading Works presents People Make Mistakes curated by Martha Southgate.  Lauren Grodstein, author of A Friend of the Family, Danielle Evans, author of the upcoming short story collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and Martha Southgate, author of Third Girl From the Left will read.

Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House (Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street) in Park Slope. $5 suggested donation  includes refreshments.

It’s a little pricey but it’s for a great cause and how often do you get to have BRUNCH with STEVE BUSCEMI???

Join Steve Wax, Managing Partner of Campfire, and Board Chair of ISSUE Project Room with a special entertainment event featuring Steve Buscemi and John Hockenberry on Sunday, June 6, to benefit Brooklyn’s ISSUE Project Room.

Hockenberry, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and Host of WNYC’s The Takeaway, will screen clips of Steve Buscemi’s most important films, probing Steve about his impact on films like Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, The Big Lebowski, Living in Oblivion, and Ghost World – all over a gourmet brunch at bussaco restaurant and wine bar in Park Slope.

John says: “Buscemi is a quiet tyrant of artistic fury who threatens to overrun every frame he’s in with the inner desperation he projects even in his most subtle performances”. So we’re calling this unique event Actor as Auteur, looking at how powerful performances can influence a film’s narrative.

All proceeds from the event will benefit ISSUE Project Room, one of the country’s preeminent centers for experimental culture.

“Actor as Auteur” Brunch To Benefit ISSUE Project Room
Presented in Collaboration with SAGIndie

Sunday, June 6
12 pm – 2 pm

bussaco
restaurant wine bar
833 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

$125 Per Person ($95 tax-deductible, three-course brunch is included.)
Seating at this intimate event is extremely limited! Buy Tickets Here!
For more information please call 718-330-0313.

I think the deadest cellphone zone is in my apartment, and in my office (all the places I need to use my cell phone). But Park Slope is full of dead zones. I’ve got an AT&T iPhone and that could be part of the problem.

There’s a cool article in today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal, “The Worst Cellphone Dead Zones.”  It inclues an INTERACTIVE feature online that lets users check the coverage on a block-by-block basis.

Here is a link to the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270562789713490.html

The other day I planned a Brooklyn Blogfest planning meeting at the Brooklyn Lyceum except we couldn’t get into the Lyceum because it was filled with Bored to Death actors and production crew.

I guess I shoulda checked with the Lyceum first.

For the past few weeks they’ve been shooting that popular (and I imagine very funny) show written by Jonathan Ames  in Park Slope. I imagine it’s been a good thing for the Lyceum. In fact, I hear the new floor in the downstairs “auditorium” has something to do with Bored to Death.

Bored to Death: we love you.

Since we couldn’t get in, we had our meeting sitting on the stoop of the Lyceum. While we talked technical details of the upcoming Blogfest, the show’s stars Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Schwartzman came out of the building. Exciting. Is that a cool cast or what. Extras dressed as The Green Hornet and Ghostbuster entered our frame of vision as well. It was really hard to concentrate.

Really hard to concentrate. We were trying to have a serious meeting about Blogfest and all these actors were distracting us.

Yeesh.

Our producer said it was like some kind of vaudeville routine. The whole thing was kinda funny.

It’s the Memorial Day Weekend!  If you are staying in the city and would like to stay up late and celebrate the official unofficial beginning of summer, I can think of no better way to do that then with Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds who will be playing The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 (also affectionately known around here as The Rockwood Colosseum) Friday night into Saturday morning from midnight to 2am.  Details over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

Looking past Memorial Day, June is shaping up to be quite a busy month musically.  It will include the return to performing (after a six month break) of singer-songwriter-pianist Leslie Mendelson.  To celebrate, there’s a video of Leslie playing Shine on Me here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner