May Events Calendar

Tuesday, May 1st
Bluestockings will be closed on May Day for the May 1st General Strike. For more information, visit  http://maydaynyc.org. We hope to see you on the streets!

Wednesday, May 2nd @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Cage & Bussel “Mind-Blowing Sex and Curvy Girls”
Join Rachel Kramer Bussel and Diana Cage as they celebrate women with the release of their two newest– and arguably sexiest– books. In “Curvy Girls: Erotica for Women,” Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of “Dirty Girls,” has put together a sensual celebration of the female form at its most curvaceous, vividly demonstrating that women enjoy sex at every size. In “Mind-Blowing Sex: A Woman’s Guide,” editor, blogger, and media personality Diana Cage provides women of all sexual orientations with the foundation they need to enjoy more gratifying, liberating, and exciting sex.

Thursday, May 3rd @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Sean Burns “Archie Green”
“Archie Green: The Making of a Working-Class Hero” celebrates one of the most revered labor historians and folklorists of workers’ culture in the twentieth century. Capturing many dimensions of Green’s remarkably influential life and work, Sean Burns draws on extensive interviews with Green and his many collaborators to examine important questions at the intersection of radical history, folklore, and worker culture. In the spirit of May Day, this talk will explore the importance of workers’ culture to contemporary organizing.

Friday, May 4th @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Presentation: Curcio & Roggero “Italian Perspectives on Co-Research”
Based on extensive fieldwork carried out through the activist method of conricerca, or “co-research,” wherein both knowledge and political subjects are produced in common, Gigi Roggero situates the crisis of the university and the changing composition of its labor force against the backdrop of the global economic crisis. Through images and materials from co-research with Tunisian activists, Italian researcher Anna Curcio discusses aspects of the revolutionary process in Tunisia, especially the production of subjectivity among youth and the forms and practices of the struggle between the network and the street. This event is co-sponsored by This Is Forever.

Saturday, May 5th @ 7PM – $10 Suggested
Presentation: Grace Cantal-Albasin “IMPUNITY: Gag Us Not”
Few know that the Philippines is one of the world’s most deadly countries for journalists, second only to Iraq. Join supporters of Phillipine journalists as they host Grace Cantal-Albasin for a screening and discussion of “IMPUNITY: Gag Us Not,” her short film on the pervasive culture of impunity and its devastating toll on Philippine journalists, their families, and free speech. Cantal-Albasin writes for the Philippine Daily Inquirer while finishing her MA in Media Studies. Telling stories through documentary is her newfound tool toward social justice; funds raised at this event will help purchase a video camera.

Sunday, May 6th @ 2:30PM – Free
Feminist Book Club: “Resistance Behind Bars”
The Feminist Book Club reads and discusses feminism. We make no claims to any particular feminist platform. Rather, we rely on feminism(s). We read theoretical texts, literature and primary works. All are welcome regardless of gender, political persuasion, and familiarity. We meet on the first Sunday each month. For more information, email feministbookclubnyc@gmail.com. This month’s book (available at Bluestockings) is “Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women” by Victoria Law.

Sunday, May 6th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Lewis DeSimone “The Heart’s History”
Lewis DeSimone reads from his new novel “The Heart’s History,” a love story set against the backdrop of events that have profoundly redefined gay culture. At the center of these events are Robert and Edward, whose touching story becomes a catalyst for their friends to reconsider both their personal choices and the price of assimilation in a world that is losing touch with its distinct characteristics. Michelle Tea says, “It’s about the slow assimilation of a larger gay culture that used to be more angry and badass. It’s a really good book written by a very skilled author.”

Monday, May 7th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Bryant Terry “The Inspired Vegan”
In the spirit of jazz jam sessions and hip hop ciphers, Bryant Terry’s new book “The Inspired Vegan” presents a collage of food, storytelling, music, and art. Join Terry as he shares his favorite preparation and cooking techniques and simple seasonal menus to help strengthen your foundation for home cooking, and to help equip you with tools for culinary improvisation and kitchen creativity. Terry engages a diverse national audience to confront the racial, economic, and geographic differences among eaters; recognize their own privileges; and reverse the negative impact the industrial food system has on our health, other animals, local economies, and the environment. Terry is the author of “Vegan Soul Kitchen” and co-author of “Grub” with Anna Lappe.

Tuesday, May 8th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: “The Enpipe Line”
With Emily Brandt, Alex Cuff, Michael Leong, Jonathan Skinner, and Esther K. Smith
“The Enpipe Line” goes dream vs. dream with Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipelines. If built, these 1,170 kilometer pipelines will carry tar sands oil and its poisonous by-products across Canada, threatening 700 rivers and streams along the way, and the fragile coastal ecosystem at its destination. Originally conceived as a 1,170 kilometer-long line of poetry to match the length of the proposed pipelines, “The Enpipe Line” has grown to over 70,000 kilometers. This book, like the pipeline it opposes, outlines a dream. Unlike Enbridge’s proposal, The Enpipe Line represents the shared desire of living community: that the proposed Enbridge pipelines project never sees the light of day.

Wednesday, May 9th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Dawn Skorszcewski “An Accident of Hope”
In “An Accident of Hope: The Therapy Tapes of Anne Sexton,” Dawn Skorszcewski examines the therapy tapes of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Anne Sexton to illustrate the intricate relationship between her therapy and poetry. Join the author for a reading of selected transcripts from the tapes to offer a unique perspective on the artist’s inner experience and creative process as well as the evolution of psychoanalytic treatment in the United States. Skorczewski has written extensively on the connections between psychoanalysis, pedagogy, and creative expression.

Friday, May 11th @ 7PM – Free
24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalist Showcase
Come out and hear from a dozen of the New York Area’s finest writers. Yes, they are all Lammy finalists and each will read from their nominated works, so join us for a fantastic night featuring the likes of some of today’s shiniest queer writers, including: Jafari S Allen, Serena Anderlini-D’Onofrio, Sally Bellerose, Barry Brennessel, Barbara Browning, Anton Dudley, Sacchi Green, Steven Haas, Michael Hames-Garcia, Paul Legault, Dawn Lundy Martin, Rafe Posey, Glen Retief, Michael Schiavi, Colm Tóibín, Jonathan Tolins, and Bil Wright. Click here for more information.

Saturday, May 12th @ 2PM – Free
Reading: “Goblinheart: A Fairy Tale”
With Brett Axel, Terra Biddlespecher, Rachel Trachtenburg and Supercute!
Take the kids to a reading of “Goblinheart: A Fairy Tale,” which tells the story of Julep, who has wings like the fairies do but feels like a goblin on the inside. Julep overcomes both physical and social challenges in order to live as and be accepted as a goblin. In addition to Brett and Terra reading, Rachel Trachtenburg and Supercute! will play songs for the audience. “Goblinheart” is oriented towards kids ages 4 to 7, and folks of all ages are welcome to the event.

Monday, May 14th @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Performance: Jordan Stern “Remember When We Thrashed the Golf Course?”
Folk and punk musicians shred while you play telephone Pictionary, answer complex math equations, and read cute zines. If you’re lucky, a scavenger hunt will follow. Join Jordan Stern– musician, dumpster diver, planner for the apocalypse– for a fun night of mischief.

Tuesday, May 15th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Rory O’Connor “Friends, Followers and the Future”
Rory O’Connor, author of “Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands and Killing Traditional Media” discusses trends in social media and explores what tech visionaries, media makers, political advisers, and businesspeople are saying about the meteoric rise of the various social networks. About the book, Kirkus Reviews says “An obvious proponent of the online-media revolution, O’Connor pulls no punches and effectively tracks the gains and losses of the movement in clear, energetic language. An erudite, constructive analysis.”

Wednesday, May 16th @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Nerrd Grrl Adventure Series “It’s Always the Quiet Ones: Adventures in Sex Positive Art”
Calling all sex nerds! In honor of the newest Papercut Press release, an scintillating collection of erotic art and writing, the ladies of Papercut are partnering with Shag Brooklyn and other erotica writers, dancers, and activists to discuss making art that celebrates open and consensual sex. Come discuss how these artists and workers in the erotic trade came to make sex into a passion project (pun intended) or focus on the erotic for a living. Audience participation is encouraged and all are welcome. The Nerrd Grrl Series, hosted by Papercut Press, lives at Bluestockings every other month on the third Wednesday.

Thursday, May 17th @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Presentation: KMO “Conversations on Collapse”
The bad news is that business as usual can’t go on much longer. Our growth-based economy is using up the basic resources necessary to keep it going. The good news is that when we can no longer pursue an unrealistic standard of living, we can turn our intention to improving our quality of life. Contemplate the unthinkable with KMO (aka Kevin M. O’Connor), host of the C-Realm Podcast. KMO has conversed and compared notes with authors, activists, NASA scientists, science fiction authors, economists, and economic iconoclasts.

Friday, May 18th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Edith Chevat “The Book of Esther”
“The Book of Esther” shows how individual lives are shaped by social events. When Esther Auerbach sends for her FBI files, she’s forced to remember her life from the politically turbulent period of the Peekskill-Robeson concert in 1949 through the Earth Day celebration in 1985. Though set in the past, The Book of Esther captures something essential about the present– whether it be the Patriot Act, fear, and the Occupy movement. Chevat’s previous novel is “Love Lesson.”

Saturday, May 19th @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Justin Frank “Inside the Mind of the President”
Though he’s three years into his term as President, many Americans feel like they don’t know the “real” Barack Obama. From the idealistic campaigner who seemed to share our dreams and who promised to fulfill our lofty expectations, to the pragmatic politician who has repeatedly compromised on the promises of his campaign, it indeed seems as though there are two Obamas. Dr. Frank brings a new patient into his office, and the results of his sessions are not only fascinating, but also provide valuable insights that will help readers in their frustrating pursuit of the President’s character.

Sunday, May 20th @ 12:30PM – Free
Radical Educators Meetup: Pollock’s “Everyday Antiracism”
Join a group of educators engaged in inquiry of critical texts for a meetup and collaborative discussion of pedagogical values and practices. This month we’ll discuss “Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School” by Mica Pollock. Please contact bluestockingsraded@gmail.com for more information.

Sunday, May 20th @ 4PM – Free
Knitting: Dyke Knitting Circle
Come in and knit, make new friends, drink some tea, and learn a craft at a self-help and member-led group. The Dyke Knitting Circle is open to all levels of queer experience and all levels of knitting proficiency. Bring yarn and needles. Join us any third Sunday of the month.

Monday, May 21st @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Julie Zeilinger “A Little F’d Up”
In “A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism Is Not a Dirty Word,” Julie Zeilinger gives young women smart, sassy, and indispensable information and advice about feminism– offering tips on how girls can use feminism to help them survive high school, encouraging readers to take action on issues that affect women around the world, and discussing why it’s important that men be galvanized to join the movement. Zeilinger is a member of the Barnard College Class of 2015. She is the founder and editor of The FBomb.

Tuesday, May 22nd @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Reading: Susanna Dakin “An Artist for President”
Join performance artist and former candidate for United States President, Susanna Dakin, for readings and discussion of a newly published memoir of her 1984 campaign, “An Artist for President: The Nation is the Artwork, We are the Artists.” More than a quarter century ahead of her time, Dakin had prescient– and at times humorous– ideas as to what we might do to avert the disastrous future the Reagan Administration was setting us up for. Dakin was the publisher of High Performance Magazine, the seminal reference of the performance art scene.

Wednesday, May 23rd @ 7PM – Free
Reading: Nishanga Bliss “Real Food All Year”
“Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health and All-Day Energy” connects sustainable, seasonal eating to health, combining integrative nutrition and the traditional wisdom of Chinese Medicine. Nishanga Bliss will explain how the fresh foods of spring support your liver and renew your energy, and demo the ancient simple art of fermentation. Come sample something sour, get caught up on radical foodie insights from the Left Coast and get your book signed if you like.

Thursday, May 24th @ 7PM – $5 Suggested
Screening: K.F. Harris & Troy Harris’ “No Place Like Home” (2011, 120 min.)
Join director K.F. Harris for an exclusive premiere of two episodes of the documentary film “No Place Like Home: The History of Hip Hop on the Lower East Side,” a documentary celebrating the historical, musical and cultural origins of Hip Hop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A short writer’s/director’s panel on the making of the documentary will follow, ending with a guest performance from one of the stars of the documentary.