NYPL Events
NYPL Events: What's Happening 4/16–4/29
Welcome to our bi-weekly update on events happening during the next two weeks at The New York Public Library. With 92 locations across New York City, there's a lot going on! We're highlighting some of our events here, including author talks, free classes, community art shows, performances, concerts, and exhibitions—and you can always find more at nypl.org/events. If you want to receive our round-up in your inbox, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you at the Library soon.
One Book, One New York: Meet the Authors
What's the one book New Yorkers will read together? Hear from the authors of this year’s contending titles—Fatima Farheen Mirza (A Place for Us), Nicholasa Mohr (Nilda), Min Jin Lee (Free Food for Millionaires), Patti Smith (Just Kids), and Jacqueline Woodson (Another Brooklyn)—then check out their books, and cast your vote for #OneBookNY. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment and Buzz Feed Books.
Tuesday, April 23 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Selected Events
Jill Abramson with Jane Mayer: Merchants of Truth
One of The New Yorker's most esteemed reporters Jill Abramson sits down with long-time friend Jane Mayer to discuss her new book Merchants of Truth, which attempts to understand the future of news media that is facing the advancement of technology and changing business models.
Tuesday, April 16 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Autumn Light: Pico Iyer with Kurt Andersen
Following his father-in-law's death, Pico Iyer and his wife Hiroko are called back to Japan to mourn their recent loss. Through his journey, Iyer begins questioning the adoration of people and places despite knowing the impermanence of life. He sits down with Studio 360's Kurt Anderson to breakdown his epiphanic experience.
Wednesday, April 17 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Born to Be Posthumous: Mark Dery with Jennifer Szalai
Author Mark Dery along with book critic for The New York Times Jennifer Szalai set out to uncover the deeply complicated and mysterious life of American writer Edward Gorey— author of silly but sinister books that have influenced a whole generation of creative artists.
Wednesday, April 17 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St
Young Lions Martinis & Manuscripts
Enjoy perfectly crafted martinis while perusing rare gems from the Library's Manuscripts and Archives Division, including Alexander Hamilton's notes on proofing alcohol, at this signature event for the Library's Young Lions—a special membership group for donors in their 20's and 30's.
Thursday, April 18 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Catastrophizing: Gerard Passannante and Michael Wood
Join author Gerard Passannante on an exploration of the dangers of thinking catastrophically in our time, in particular with regard to climate change.
Thursday, April 18 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Mid-Sentence | Kali Fajardo-Anstine with Ivelisse Rodriguez
Kali Fajardo-Anstine talks about her collection of short stories about Latinas of Indigenous descent living in the heart of the American West from her story collection Sabrina & Corina. Author Ivelisse Rodriguez joins her in breaking down the themes of friendship, the mother-daughter relationship, and familial roots that grow at home.
Monday, April 22 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St
This Is Cuba: David Ariosto with Cynthia Carris Alonso
Cuban life is not the same as it once was, but not all changes have been for the better. Alongside a country known for having classic cars, salsa, and cigars, there are speech and privacy restrictions, a rampant black market, and a Soviet-style bureaucracy. Photojournalist David Ariosto will take you on a journey through the transformations this island has experienced over the course of the past nine years, as he shares his images from the dawn of the deshielo.
Wednesday, April 24 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St
David Vaughan's The Dance Historian Is In: Japanese/Pacific Dance
Join the Library for the Performing Arts for an afternoon of films from the Dance Division's Japanese and Pacific dance works—in honor of the late archivist David Vaughan.
Wednesday, April 24 | 1 PM
Library for the Performing Arts
Mid-Sentence | T. Fleischmann and Kate Zambreno
Two emerging writers reflect on life and art through their respective autobiographical accounts that explore the form of the essay, gender and sexuality, and finding community.
Monday, April 29 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St
All That You Leave Behind: Erin Lee Carr with Ta-Nehisi Coates
After the sudden death of her father, Erin Lee Carr uses the lifetime of correspondence they had shared to comfort her and help cope with her loss. This led to the creation of her memoir All That You Leave Behind, where Carr shares with readers the advice her father was extending to those who came up under his care. Joining her will be Ta-Nehisi Coates, author and one of her father's mentees, to discuss the extraordinary legacy of David Carr.
Tuesday, April 30 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Oratorio: I Will Tell You The Truth About This with Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith presents a ten-poem sequence capturing the lives and stories of African American soldiers and their families during the American Civil War.
Tuesday, April 30 | 6:30 PM
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Stonewall Events
Darnell Moore's No Ashes in the Fire: Author Talkback with Imara Jones
As a fourteen-year-old child, Darnell Moore was jumped by three neighborhood boys who attempted to set him on fire because of his sexual orientation. Three decades later, Moore has transformed this and many other life experiences to fuel his ambition as a leader in the Movement for Black Lives and advocate for justice and liberation. He will discuss his growth into these position with LGBTQ activist Imara Jones, as told in his book No Ashes in the Fire.
Thursday, April 18 | 6 PM
George Bruce Library
Fighting Like Hell for the Bronx
In this cross-generational panel featuring contemporary queer and trans Bronx organizers, we remember the legacies of Stonewall legends Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson and the effect they had on problems such as jail construction, displacement, gentrification, and homelessness.
Wednesday, April 24 | 7 PM
Bronx Library Center
LIVE from the NYPL—Justin Vivian Bond and Friends: Stonewall 50 Cabaret
In collaboration with the Library's exhibition Love and Resistance: Stonewall 50, these cabaret performances featuring the most ambitious, creative, and socially conscious entertainers will bring life to the exhibition's themes of political activism, love, nightlife, and the rise of the queer press.
Thursday, April 25 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Storytelling Workshop: LGBTQ Nightlife Through the Years
To celebrate one of the most popular scenes in the LGBTQ, we will be sharing stories about nightlife in clubs and bars. These spaces often offered room for creativity, expression, community, love, excitement, and drama for the LGBTQ community. Share your own stories and pick up some storytelling techniques while listening to others with similar experiences.
Sunday, April 28 | 3 PM
Hudson Park Library
Business, Career & Finance
Recovering Your Power in the Job Market and Achieving Career Success
Career coach Win Sheffield addresses how to dispel some common misconceptions about the job market while providing practical approaches to develop an effective job campaign that explores multiple targets.
Tuesday, April 23 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library, Conference Room 018
Show Up Hard: The Importance of Empathy and Resilience in Business and Life
Shannon Weber brings stories, lessons, and tools from 25 years of social entrepreneurship to help leaders engage and relate with others without losing themselves.
Wednesday, April 24 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library
Financial Planning Day @ SIBL
Learn how to handle your finances in this full day of workshops allowing you to meet with counselors, hear from financial experts, browse the financial fair, and explore the Library's resources.
Friday, April 26 | 10 AM - 5 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library
Tech Connect
Technology Programs and Classes
TechConnect offers more than 80 technology classes at libraries throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island—all for free! There are classes for all students from beginner to advanced, including series courses for those who want more in-depth knowledge.
More Events
Immigrant Heritage Week
Immigrant Heritage Week is a city-wide celebration that honors the experiences and contributions of immigrants in New York City established in 2004 and coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. The New York Public Library joins in the celebration by featuring events through the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
Multiple Locations and Dates
Poetry Month Events
Join us in celebrating Poetry Month by participating in some of the workshops being held through the month of April all around the city. Head to your local branch for writing workshops, poetry discussions, crafts, and more!
Multiple Locations and Dates
Conversation Café @ the Belmont Library: Crazy Political News III
In this third session of Conversation Café, we will continue our talk of current political news while sharing our insights with each other over a cup of coffee! Feel free to invite some friends and family.
Friday, April 26 | 2 PM
Belmont Library and Enrico Fermi Cultural Center
Save the Date
What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape: Sohaila Abdulali with Chiké Frankie Edozien
Pulling from her own experiences and the experiences of rape survivors she works with at the rape crisis center in Boston— survivor, writer, counselor, and activist Sohaila Abdulali tackles some of our toughest questions about sexual violence and how to raise the next generation.
Wednesday, May 1 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd St
The History of Cartography Project: Dr. Matthew Edney
Discussing his years of research on cartography and how it has been practiced around the world through the ages, Dr. Matthew Edney joins us in a conversation about how we should re-frame the way we talk about the history of cartography and the history of mapping.
Thursday, May 2 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Cy Twombly’s Fifty Days at Iliam: Carlos Basualdo with David R. Baum
Together we look back at the life, work, and lasting significance of painter Cy Twombly. After beginning his work in 1977 he was able to create paintings, some depicting Homer’s Iliad, in extremely unique gestural handwritings and diagrams.
Tuesday, May 7 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Read E-Books with SimplyE
With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.
If you don’t have an NYPL library card, New York State residents can apply for a digital card online or through SimplyE (available on the App Store or Google Play).
Need more help? Read our guide to using SimplyE.