In honor of Sukkot, which begins on Saturday, the 3rd of October and will continue for 7 days until Friday, the 9th of October, here's an excerpt from an interview in the current Forward with Park Slope author Jonathan Safran Foer and his brother, Josh Foer about a sukkah they built last year.

J.F.: Our original design idea was a floating sukkah. It was going to have curtain walls and be suspended from above by cables.

JSF: Directly from God’s beard.

J.F.:
Directly from Jonathan’s magnolia tree. I had four pieces of steel
specially fabricated for the project. But that idea got nixed by a
rabbi. You can’t build a sukkah under a tree, you know.

JSF: No. That’s not it. We decided the tree couldn’t support the weight.

J.F.: Right.

In the last few days I have heard Patrick Gaspard referred to numerous times (in the press, on WNYC, in casual conversation) as the Karl Rove of Obama's White House. He is, apparently, behind the decision to give Governor Patterson the heave ho.

Karl Rove was was Senior Advisor and  Deputy Chief of Staff for former President Bush. He was considered the policy maker behind the scenes of that administration.

And what a mess this Paterson thing has become. News that the White House interfered with the New York governor race has created a sticky situation for the Obama administration.

It's too bad it wasn't handled in a more delicate manner.

Still, it's interesting to see that Gaspard is such a powerful force in the White House.

A former resident of Park Slope and PS 321 parent, Patrick Gaspard is the Director of the Office of Political Affairs for the Obama administration. A Haitian-American, Gaspard was also on his transition team after the election. During the presidential campaign, Gaspard was Obama's National Political Director.

Gaspard was the executive vice president for politics and legislation for the 199SEIU United Healthcare Workers, the largest local union in
America.

His job at the union was to help coordinate political activity on behalf of 300,000 members. Gaspard worked for Howard Dean's presidential campaign and Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential bid and for numerous other congressional candidates and campaigns.

It's the Bill and David Show once again. They've been Park Slope's City Council members for eight years and now they're running for their political careers in a special run-off election for Public Advocate and City Comptroller respectively.

OTBKB endorses the Park Slope team in tomorrow's race. Yassky runs against Queens council member John Liu and DeBalsio is running against Mark Green.

You may have had issues with these men during their tumultuous times in the City Council. But they're our guys, like family. Let's hear it for the home team.

DO the Park Slope cheer for David Yassky and Bill DeBlasio! And VOTE! The polls are open all day on Tuesday September 29th. And the turnout is expected to be very low and every vote counts.

"Wow, what a week," Rabbi Andy Bachman told his congregation as they sat in the pews of Old First Dutch Reformed Church on the holiest night of the Jewish calendar.

And what a week it was.

It was the week that the anti-gay, anti-Semitic Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas decided to picket three synagogues in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Tech High School because Brooklyn has more Jews and gays than just about anywhere else in the United States.

The picketing was set for Saturday. But on Thursday (in an unrelated event), the ceiling over the mezzanine of  Beth Elohim's sanctuary collapsed, making it impossible to hold Yom Kippur services there. It will also necessitate a costly renovation. 

Luckily, Bachman and Pastor Daniel Meeter of Park Slope's Old First Dutch Reformed Church are good friends. Bachman called Meeter. Meeter said yes, of course the congregation was welcome in his large, beautiful church built in 1891. They wouldn't even have to cover any crosses. "There are none. We're Calivinists!" Meeter told me.

Meeter was over the moon to have the Jews at the church. That's the kind of pastor he is. He loves to bring people together. He loves inter-faith events. He loves to foster community spirit, religious tolerance and openness. Last year for Martin Luther King Day he organized a full-day program for adults and kids
called "The Audacity of Peace," which included an interfaith prayer service for peace with Imam Salilou Djabi, of the Imam Ali Mosque in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Rev. T. K. Nakagaki, of the Buddhist Church of New York, Rabbi Andy Bachman, of Congregation Beth Elohim and Meeter himself.

So having the Jews over for Yom Kippur was right up his alley and he welcomed the Park Slope congregation with open arms.

On Saturday, as has been reported here and elsewhere, the Kansans did picket Beth Elohim and the congregation's response couldn't have been more perfect. With dignity, humor and a great spirit of openness, the rabbi blew the shofar, spoke eloquently as members of the congregation and the community danced, sang and laughed. A lot.

Even snarky Erica of FIPS was moved by the counter-demonstration:

The events of the week were referred to often during the service. Rabbi Bachman thanked Meeter and the Old First congregation for their hospitality and generosity. Meeter told the crowd that he wasn't sure if he should wear his yamulke or his collar. "Wear them both," one of his church members reportedly told him. Rabbi Bachman praised the space saying it was a wonderful place to pray.

The Yom Kippur service traditionally begins with a mournful
melody called "Kol Nidre." When the music began, a duet of bass cello and piano, the crowd gave itself over to the poignancy of the moment. It didn't matter that they were Jews in a Christian space or that they pray to a different God than their Christian hosts or use a different portion of the Bible. Old First Church was a hall of worship where Jews and Christians were gathered on one of the holiest days of the year.

And it was good.

In response to this post Pastor Meeter had this comment:

"But you know, we do pray to the same God. We tell different stories about
this God, and our stories clash, but it's the same God we tell the stories
about, like two siblings arguing over a story about their dad."

My friend Henry Lowengard is a new member of this cool band from Saugerties, New York. It's an ethereal, psychedelic folk, world music kind of sound. I like it a lot and can't wait to hear them live at Caravan of Dreams, an East Village club, on Friday, October 2nd at 7 pm. 

They should really get a gig in Brooklyn. Dontcha think? Maybe Barbes.

Okay. Check out their songs on their Myspace page. The combination of instruments and players is positively enticing. There's composer and vocalist Elizabeth Clark-Jerez on harp; Tim Allen, an old friend and alumni of Jamie Livingston's Photos-of-the-Day playing ballaphone, frame drum and clarinets; Charlie Shikowitz on violin,chin
cello,guitar,voice and let's not forget our soulmate Henry Lowengard on hammered dulcimer and pianica.

Caravan of Dreams is located at 405 East 6th Street, (212) 254-161

Smartmom wants a new sofa. She’s had the same green leather couch
for, like, 18 years. She and Hepcat bought it just after Teen Spirit
was born in 1989 at Ikea.

In those first months of Teen Spirit’s life, Smartmom and Hepcat
spent an inordinate amount of time at IKEA in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
They were nesting in Park Slope and they needed everything: a crib, a
changing table, sheets, kitchenwares, and a couch.

Hepcat spotted a couch one day on the IKEA showroom. It was called
the Tulka and he thought it looked like “the Warner Brothers couch.”

“You know,” he said, “the couch in the Bugs Bunny cartoons? When you think of couch, this is what you think of.”

Smartmom sort of knew what he meant. It was an Art Deco couch with a curved back that did have a kind of classic look.

They tested it out. Sat on it. Lay down on it. Stared at it and
finally decided to buy it and then waited eight weeks for it to arrive
from North Carolina. And when it arrived, they were thrilled.

Skip ahead 18 years. That couch has fared remarkably well
considering that the Oh So Feisty One used it as a trampoline for much
of her early life. Not to mention the meals that have been eaten on it;
the bowls of popcorn consumed and the number of teenagers who have
slept on it — and Buddha knows what else.

Needless to say, the family is very attached to the green leather
couch. Trouble is, its springs are starting to stick out. And the
fabric underneath the cushions is ripping and it’s a holy mess down
there.

When Smartmom told Hepcat, Teen Spirit and OSFO that she was
thinking of getting rid of it, everyone got mad. There was an atonal
chorus of “What? No! Are you kidding? You can’t!”

“Why don’t we just get it fixed? Do you want me to throw you out when you get old?” Hepcat said.

Smartmom knows that fixing the green couch isn’t the answer. It
would probably cost around $1,000 to have the couch fixed, and that’s
practically what the couch cost in the first place.

Smartmom did some Web window shopping and found a couch she liked at a store called Room & Board

It was called The Andre. The blurb on the Web site said it was
“reminiscent of mid-20th-century modern furniture with its beautiful
welting, tailored button back and dark wood stretcher base.”

Smartmom fell in love with the Andre and stared longingly at the
pictures. She looked at in every color and every fabric texture.

Then last week, Smartmom just happened to be on Broome Street and
made a bee-line for the Andre. She lay down on it just as if it was in
her living room. She wanted to make sure that she’d be comfortable
reading the New Yorker on it; OSFO and Hepcat would be comfy working on
their computers on it; and Teen Spirit’s friends would be comfortable
sleeping on it.

Before she knew it, Smartmom was buying it (She also found out that if everyone hates it she can return it and get her money back).

When Smartmom got home she told Hepcat.

“You what?” he screamed.

Smartmom was hurting. She hated the fact that Hepcat was so
resistant to change. After a few days of arguing, Hepcat got even more
adamant about not wanting the new couch. Finally, Smartmwom cancelled
the couch and told Hepcat that she was leaving.

OK, she wasn’t leaving him. She was merely departing for a long
weekend in Michigan with a friend. They would discuss the couch again
when she got back.

Read all about it next week.

O

Brooklyn Reading Works presents: Young, Gifted and Black (Men) with Clifford Thompson, Victor LaValle and James Hannham. This reading is curated by Martha Southgate.

Where: The Old Stone House on Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street in Park Slope

When: October 1, 2009 at 8 p.m.

James Hannaham's stories have appeared in The Literary Review, Open City and Nerve, and one is about to show up in One Story.
He has received fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, The Blue
Mountain Center, Chateau de Lavigny, and Fundacion Valparaiso. He
teaches creative writing at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and lives
near there. His first novel, God Says No, came out through McSweeney's Books in late May of 2009. An excerpt from the book appears in McSweeney's 31, which looks a lot like a yearbook, binding-wise.

Victor LaValle is the author of slapboxing with jesus, a collection of stories, and two novels, The Ecstatic and Big Machine.
He has received numerous awards including a Whiting Writers' Award, a
United States Artist's Ford Fellowship, and the key to Southeast
Queens. His website is victorlavalle.com

Clifford Thompson grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended
Oberlin College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. His
essays on literature, film, jazz, and other subjects have appeared in
publications including The Threepenny Review, Commonweal, Cineaste, Film Quarterly, The Iowa
Review, Black Issues Book Review, and The Best American Movie
Writing. He is the editor of the H.W. Wilson publication Current
Biography. Thompson lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two
children. Signifying Nothing is his
first novel.

Martha Southgate is the author of three novels, most recently 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. She received a 2002 New York Foundation
for the Arts grant and has received fellowships from the MacDowell
Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Bread Loaf
Writers Conference.  Her July 2007 essay from the New York Times Book Review, “Writers Like Me” appears in the recent anthology Best African-American Essays 2008.  Previous non-fiction articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, O, Premiere, and Essence. She also has essays in the recent anthologies Behind the Bedroom Door and Heavy Rotation: Writers on the Albums That Changed Their Lives. She is working on her next novel, to be published by Algonquin Books. You can visit her website at www.marthasouthgate.co

And here's the schedule for the 5th anniversary season of Brooklyn Reading Works:

October 15:  POETRY PUNCH curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
November 19 at 7 p.m.  YOUNG WRITERS curated by Jill Eisenstadt (note: earlier start time)
December 10:  FEAST: WRITERS ON FOOD curated by Michele Madigan Somerville. A benefit for a local soup kitchen.
January: 21:  TIN HOUSE READING curated by Rob Sillman
February 11:  MEMOIRATHON curated by Branka Ruzak
March 18:  BLARNEYPALOOZA curated by Michele Madigan Somerville
April 15:  TRUTH AND MONEY Curated by John Guidry
May 13:  4TH ANNUAL EDGY MOTHER'S DAY
June 13: FICTION IN A BLENDER Curated by Martha Southgate

The Old Stone House is located on Fifth Avenue at Third Street in Park Slope, 718-768-3195. Directions here.

Here's your chance to go inside Richard Meier's glass condo on Grand Army Plaza. Lots of people are mucho curious about what the apartments looks like and Momasphere (www.momasphere.com) had a great idea.

They're hosting author, Amy Sohn for a book reading of her latest novel Prospect
Park West (Simon & Schuster; September 1, 2009; $25.00)
 on  October 8th, 2009 from 7-9pm at the Richard Meier
On Prospect Park (www.onprospectpark.com).  Book Court will offer discounted copies of the book at the event for $20.

Date:   Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Time:   7 to 9pm
Place:  Richard Meier On Prospect Park (1 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY) 11238)
Price:  Tickets will be $10 online & $15 at the door. For more information and to RSVP/purchase tickets please visit www.momasphere.com/upcoming-events.

Here's the blurb:

Amy Sohn’s private reading of Prospect Park West is sponsored by
Richard Meier On Prospect Park. The newly-completed condominium residences at
Richard Meier On Prospect Park gracefully overlook the location of the
book’s title, Prospect Park West, with spectacular cityscape,
harbor and park views from the signature floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass.
The building’s design by Pritzker Prize winning architect Richard Meier
celebrates the convergence of classic architecture and modern living. Guests
will be treated to an insider’s view of this modernist landmark while
enjoying wine courtesy of Sip Fine Wine (www.sipfinewine.com) and sumptuous hors d'oeurves served
up by Brooklyn's own Melt restaurant. (www.meltnyc.com).The
evening will be capped off with live music by jazz guitarist, Chad Coe (www.chadcoe.com), raffle prizes and gift bags.
  

 Momasphere
creates innovative programs and events that serve to empower, enrich and
enlighten moms, while giving back to the community.  Momasphere offers a forum for activities that promote
personal growth, fun and replenishment, for moms at any stage of life. “Mom groups often focus on children of a certain age range,
but we found that moms with children at any stage have so much to share,”
said co-founder Melissa Lopata. The goal of Momasphere is to address the
"whole mom" (mind, body, spirit) and reawaken & celebrate the
multiple aspects of mothers as multi-faceted women with interests and skills
that go beyond their roles as moms. “We're getting
fabulous feedback. Our mantra, whole women make whole moms, seems to be
striking a resonant chord,” said co-founder Ellen Bari.  A
portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit www.childrenofthecity.com.
 For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.momasphere.com/upcoming-events.

Brave New World is presenting two free performances of The Tempest by William Shakespeare today and Sunday afternoon on the Boardwalk
and beach at Coney Island.

The Brooklyn-based company, which has done site-specific versions of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "On the Waterfront" has made a name for itself performing plays in cool and unusual places around Brooklyn.

This time all the world's a stage, and Coney Island is the place. There will be 1,500 folding chairs on the Boardwalk near the NY Aquarium.

The BNW website warns audience members to remember that there's no Q train service and to leave plenty of time to get to Coney Island.

The show is at 3 pm today and Sunday.

 Mike Mclaughlin formerly a reporter with The Brooklyn Paper is now a Daily News Writer. But he's still an avid reader of OTBKB, where he got tipped to this story.

The bible teaches to love thy neighbor.

That's exactly what one Brooklyn
church plans to do Sunday for a synagogue that needs an emergency space
for Yom Kippur services, the holiest day of the year for Jews.

In a show of interfaith unity, the Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope will open its doors to Congregation Beth Elohim Sunday after a ceiling collapse closed the temple's sanctuary.

"Hospitality is part of our church's mission," said the Rev. Daniel Meeter. "We didn't even have to think about sharing the space."

The synagogue, which counts prominent members such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, was sent scrambling when workers discovered Thursday that a chunk of plaster crashed onto the pews in the main sanctuary.

For help, they turned to Old First, which sits just an avenue away.

Read the rest at the Daily News.

As reported Friday morning on OTBKB, a large section of the balcony of the main sanctuary of Congregation Beth Elohim collapsed on Thursday. Services for the holiest day of the Jewish calendar have been moved to Old First Dutch Reformed Church. Here is a statement from Rabbi Andy Bachman's blog, Water Over Rocks.

The Kansans were true to their word. They showed up at Congregation Beth Elohim sometime between 9 and 10 am on Saturday morning and picketed, as promised, the Saturday morning service.

This topped off a three-day
assault on Brooklyn, which started with a brief rally at Brooklyn Tech in Fort Greene on Thursday. They also planned to picket three other Brooklyn synagogues.

Apparently Brooklyn has been targeted because the borough has the largest Jewish population int he country as well as a huge number of gay people.

Double whammy for the Kansans who believe that Jews—and homosexuals—are the devil incarnate. You can read more about this group from the Westboro Baptist Church. The name of their website says it all:  www.godhatesfags.com,

Friends who were at Beth Elohim during the protest, said that the Kansans were spewing anti-Jewish slogans and holding anti-semitic and anti-gay signs. Rabbi Andy Bachman is said to have made an eloquent speech on the steps of the Garfield Place synagogue. I am hoping that the text of that speech will be forthcoming to OTBKB. 

Any first hand reports would be much welcome!

Shredzilla! 2009 returns to Flatbush so save the date.  This
event is for business owners, people cleaning out their homes
and individuals who want to rid themselves of sensitive paper
and combat identity theft. Half the proceeds go to benefit
Flatbush Development Corp and the important work they've
been doing in Flatbush for over 30 years.  Don't miss the
PS 139 Parents Association sponsored bake sale. Details below.

Date:    October 3rd, 2009, raindate October 4th, 2009

Time:    9am-2pm

Location: Cortelyou Road between Argyle and Rugby Roads in Flatbush

What:  Shredzilla!  Watch all of your sensitive documents get
       shredded into confetti and recycled.

Cost:    $10 per banker's box (10" x 12" x 15") or two standard
        size plastic shopping bags.

Bonus:    PS 139 Parent's Association Bake Sale

Benefit: Flatbush Development Corp.  Over the past 30 years
     FDC has been working with Flatbush  residents to
     improve their community and lives.  Through it's
     youth, housing, immigration, economic development
     and community improvement programs, FDC helps
     make Flatbush a vibrant, diverse and healthy
     community.    http://www.fdconline.org

–Is it good for women to work—above and beyond the economic necessity to?

–How does the rhythm of your day compare to paid employment before children—it is really possible to get anything done?

–What do you see as your next life/career transition?

–Can a non-working woman and a working woman stay close friends?

Whether
you’re thinking of going back to work, you never quit or you’ve been
there and done that – motherhood changes everything. Park Slope Parents and DoubleX present Emma Gilbey Keller, author of "The Comeback: Seven Stories of Women Who
Went from Career to Family and Back Again." http://www.thecomebackbook.com/

Come along and share your thoughts and stories about this life-altering transition.

Date: Monday, October 5th

Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Place: The Old Stone House – in Washington Park (between 3rd and 4th streets) www.oldstonehouse.org

Admission:

–Park Slope Parent FREE (with membership card)

–Non-members: $5.00

Please RSVP at http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/XEMNVEGZMDEDZSJDAWLF/thecomeback

DoubleX
is a new Web magazine, founded by women but not just for women, that
Slate launched in spring 2009. The site spins off from Slate's XX
Factor blog www.doublex.com

The Brooklyn Paper reports that the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it may classify Newtown Creek in Greenpoint as a
Superfund site.

This comes on the heels of a plan to classify the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. The EPA will decide in the next few weeks whether to do this.

If Newtown Creek is classified as a Superfund site, the agency will have the ability to
charge polluters and the owners of polluted land for the clean-up.

A representative from the EPA called the creek one of the "most grossly contaminated waterways in
the country. “By
listing the creek, EPA can focus on doing the extensive sampling needed
to figure out the best way to address the contamination and see the
work through," said said the Acting Regional Administrator of the EPA George Pavlou.

  Here is the joint statement issued today by Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz, Council member Bill deBlasio, Rabbi Andy Bachman, Brad Lander, LAMBDA Independent Democrats on planned protests in Brooklyn by Westboro Baptist Church:

“ Brooklyn ’s diversity is
at the core of our strength as a borough, and Brooklynites are never shy about
expressing who they are. While we support the right to peacefully gather, we
must denounce hate in any form—especially hate from a fanatic cult based
in Kansas
that has shamefully selected these sacred days observed by the Jewish community
around the world to spew its intolerance. Because Brooklyn is home to the
largest Jewish population outside of Israel ,
and has one of America ’s
largest LGBT populations, we know first-hand that these communities and others
often face discrimination and even violence or death at the hands of those who
don’t share our belief that there is more that unites us than divides us.
Therefore, we must be especially vigilant in condemning hatred and discrimination
not only here in Brooklyn , but around the
world.”

As reported in the NY Times, a Russian billionaire today signed a tentative $200 million deal that would make him the 80% owner of the New Jersey Nets and an investor in the team’s new home, an arena planned for Brooklyn.

The race for City Council in the 39th continues.

Green candidate David Pechesfsky is serous about campaigning for Bill deBlasio's seat. Brad Lander won the Democratic primary but he still faces Pechefsky and Republican candidate Joe Nardiello in the general election on November 6th.

This Sunday, Pechesky challenges Brad Lander (and Joe Nardiello) to a game of political croquet at J.J. Byrne Park (Third Street between Fourth and
Fifth avenues). Originally scheduled for Saturday, the event will now take place on Sunday, September 27th from 11 am – 1 pm. According to the Brooklyn Paper:  the winner gets
seasonal vegetables from the local greenmarket.

A benefit for the FDNY Foundation, Fairway is sponsoring a Firefighter Food Face-Off on Wednesday, September 30th starting at noon. Sounds like fun—and lots of good BBQ.

The firefighters will cook their best
ribs, burgers and a dish using a secret ingredient that will be unveiled at the
contest. A panel of judges, including Ray Venezia, Fairway’s Master
Butcher, and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will determine a
winner. Prizes include a $500 Fairway gift card to the victorious firehouse and
$100 gift cards for all other participants, but the true winner is the FDNY Foundation – the official not-for-profit of the FDNY established to
promote Fire Safety in New York City
and the professional development, training, and education of members of the
FDNY.  Fairway will donate 10 percent of all proceeds from a special
shopping night in October to the FDNY Foundation.

  The public is welcome and will be treated to free and
generous samples of all the food prepared for the competition.

The Third Annual Red Hook Film Festival will be dedicated to Robert Guskind, the legendary blogger who created the much missed blog Gowanus Lounge. Guskind died in February.

The festival's opening film will be Blue Barn Picture's special tribute to Guskind.  According to festival planners, "the entire festival is dedicated to Robert Guskind, to The Gowanus Lounge,
and to local storytelling."

The
Red Hook Film Festival takes place on October 3rd and 4th at the
Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition screening room at 499 Van Brunt
Street.  The screenings begin at 1pm on Saturday Oct. 3rd, with "Robert Guskind: 1958-2009" by Blue Barn Pictures, followed by a special 10th anniversary screening of the seminal Brooklyn documentary "Lavendar Lake: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal" directed by Alison Prete.

The
rest of the weekend will feature short film gems from neighborhoods
around Brooklyn, including pieces about a Bushwick tailor, rooftop
farms in Greenpoint, the Atlantic Yards boondoggle, Coney Island's lost
roller coaster, Williamsburg industry, and a whole program of films
about Red Hook!

The screening schedule can be seen online at www.redhookfilmfest.com and at www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival

web: www.redhookfilmfest.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/redhookfilmfestival
facebook: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165019430983

TONIGHT: book launch party for Isabel Hill's new book for children about architecture called, Urban Animals
At the Old Stone House on Tuesday, September 22, 7-9 p.m (Fifth Avenue
and 3rd Street in Park Slope). Here's the publisher's blurb:

Isabel Hill is a
photographer, architectural historian, urban planner and award-winning
documentary filmmaker. Her photographs have appeared in many
publications. She is a principal in Building History Associates, a
small company specializing in reports, photographs and documentary
films on architecture and urban issues.

From the New York Times:

“It felt incredibly,
wonderfully surreal,” Ms. Danticat said in a telephone interview from
Miami. “What artists crave and need most is time. It will definitely
buy some time. It’s wonderful to have a sense of security, especially
in these economic times.”

You can see the entire list of the 2009 MacArthur Genuis Award Winners here.

A "Special Edition" of The New York Post hit the streets on Monday. Published by a group called the Yes Men, the faux newspaper focuses on global warming and other
pressing issues of national and international concern.

It looks like The Post but the stories take on global climate change–a subversive attempt to get people's attention. Photo by Tom Martinez.

This weekend: Greenpoint Open Studios, a 3 day
celebration of a burgeoning arts community in good ol' Greenpoint,
Brooklyn, starting with an evening launch at Transmitter Park with a
video screening, dance performance, and more!

Saturday and Sunday
artists open their studios in public engagement and collaborative
networking. Saturday evening there will be opening receptions at FOUR
galleries with exhibitions of participating artists. Sunday hosts an
artists talk followed by an afterparty at Coco66 with bands and drink
specials. We hope you can join us!

Now at the Old Stone House in Park Slope: Artists consider differing visions of an ideal Brooklyn

Utopia: An ideal place or state, usually imaginary; any visionary system of political, social, environmental, or moral perfection

What would a “Brooklyn Utopia” look like? What is the role of artists in shaping a more ideal Brooklyn?

Brooklyn
Utopias? is a series of art exhibits and public programs in Fall 2009
that engages artists, youth, and community organizations in an urgent
dialogue about Brooklyn’s future:

Group exhibit at The Old Stone House
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 17, 2009, 5:30-7:30pm
Exhibition Dates: September 15-October 31, 2009
Public Hours: Saturday/Sunday 11am-4pm or by appointment
Address: 5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Public Program: “’Do it Yourself’ Utopias:” Artists and community groups consider sustainable Brooklyn Living: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 6-8pm

Thanks to Neil Feldman of  Not Only Brooklyn for this list of interesting cultural events today. If you would enjoy receiving NOB, email NOBevents@aol.com
with the message "Subscribe to NOB" and your first and last name,
so it is legal to add you to the subscription list.

Event: Silent Film Series with Theater Organist Ben Model
hosted by the Brooklyn Chapter, AGO

Place: The Brooklyn Baptist Temple, 360 Schermerhorn St. At Third
Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217

Date: October 10, 2009

Time: 7:00 pm (film length 82 minutes)

Cost: $10 General Admission; $5 Seniors/Students

Website: www.brooklynago.org

 The Brooklyn Chapter of the American Guild of Organists announces
a showing of a series of silent films, accompanied by theater organist Ben
Model. This series highlights the early relationship between the organ and film
in the days before ‘talkies’ entered the American culture. The series begins on
Saturday October 10, 2009, with a showing of The Cat and the Canary (1927) at the Brooklyn Baptist Temple, 360 Schermerhorn St.
in downtown Brooklyn. The admission charge is $10, or $5 for
seniors/students.

The Cat and the Canary,
starring Laura LaPlante and Arthur Edmund Carew, is a film which was very
popular on its first release, and was re-made five times by Hollywood. This
slightly comedic horror film is a perfect way to get ready for Halloween. The
organ of the Baptist Temple, a 1918 instrument by JW Steere & Son, dates
exactly to the era of silent movies, making it the perfect instrument for this
series.

For the past 25 years Ben Model has served as resident silent film
accompanist for The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. He has played
for silents in many other venues around the U.S., has recorded numerous scores
for silent film DVDs, and produces The Silent Clowns Film Series with film
historian Bruce Lawton. For more on Ben, visit his website: www.silentfilmmusic.com

Future films in the series will be:

December 12, 2009, 7:30 pm: An Evening of Charlie Chaplin
Shorts

February 13, 2010, 7:00 pm: The Ten Commandments (CB deMille, 1923)

April 10, 2010, 7:00 pm: The Mark of Zorro (Douglas Fairbanks, 1920)

June 12, 2010, 8:00 pm: My Best Girl (Mary
Pickford, 1927)

The public is invited to attend this series.

Contact: Gregory Eaton, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church,
(718) 875-6960 – church; (212) 924-4686 – home