Happenings for Week of April 23rd, 2007

Week of April 23rd, 2007

Pen World Voices (C, E, L)
New York Festival of International Literature
April 24th - 27th, 2007
67 events, 162 writers, 45 countries, 21 languages… endless possibilities
For more information and event listings: pen

Monday, April 23rd, 2007

Book Discussion (E, L)
Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons
Since their inception, nuclear weapons have multiplied at an alarming rate, leaving everyone from policymakers to concerned citizens wondering what it will take to slow, stop, or even reverse their spread. With clarity and expertise, Joseph Cirincione presents an even-handed look at the history of nuclear proliferation and an optimistic vision of its future, providing a comprehensive survey of the wide range of critical perspectives. Cirincione begins with the first atomic discoveries of the 1930s and covers the history of their growth all the way to current crisis with Iran. He unravels the science, strategy, and politics that have fueled the development of nuclear stockpiles and increased the chance of a nuclear terrorist attack. He also explains why many nations choose not to pursue nuclear weapons and pulls from this the outlines of a solution to the world's proliferation problem: a balance of force and diplomacy, enforcement and engagement that yields a steady decrease in these deadly arsenals.
@ The New York Academy of Sciences
7 World Trade Center/250 Greenwich Street (@ Vesey Street), 40th Floor
6 - 7p
$20
For more information and to RSVP: nyas

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do (Code: T-MM5LP42-01) (E)
So many people are dissatisfied with their jobs or careers. They’d love to get out but they don’t know where to go or how to get there. Learn how to uncover new career possibilities and take the first steps in finding a career that will make you happy.
@ Makor/ Steinhardt Building
35 West 67th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue)
7 - 9p
$30
For more information and to sign up: 92y

Debra Barsha and Mary Cleere Haran Perform (A, M)
Barsha is that rare talent that sees show business itself as a medium. Singer, songwriter, actress, composer, pianist, and raconteur. Debra Barsha manages to put the undeniable stamp of her own musical personality on the full spectrum of her work.
Mary Cleere Haran has been unanimously adored by critics, comparing her singing to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney.
@ The Night and Day Skylight Room at Biscuit BBQ
230 Fifth Avenue (@ Presidents Street), Park Slope
8:30 - 10:30p
$10 cover and $7 minimum in food/drink
For more information on performers: MaryCleereHaran and debrabarsha. For more information: biscuit

Tuesday, April 24th, 2007

Art Exhibit: Sheila Rauch - Around Home: Watercolors (A)
@ Atlantic Gallery
40 Wooster Street (between Broome and Grand Streets), 4th floor
Free
For more information: atlantic



Book Discussion and Signing (C, L)
Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style
On Bravo’s hit reality show, Project Runway, Gunn is the voice of reason for aspiring fashion designers. In this new guide, he offers frank advice for anyone aiming to improve their personal style.
@ Borders
10 Columbus Circle (@ 59th Street)
7p
Free
For more information: borders

Green Thoughts: Writers on the Environment (C, E, L)
Perhaps the most urgent crisis that we face on the planet is that of the planet itself. The effects of the destruction of the Earth’s natural systems reach across all boundaries of nationality, economics, religion, ethnicity, and language to touch each of us. In the opening event of the World Voices Festival, we’ll hear writers read from the work of other writers on the subject of the natural world. We’ll hear from other countries and other centuries; we’ll hear passionate, lyrical, and compelling voices raised in response to our gorgeous, mysterious, and imperiled earth. With Billy Collins, Jonathan Franzen, Moses Isegawa, Pico Iyer, Geert Mak, Marilynne Robinson, Roxana Robinson, Salman Rushdie, Gary Shteyngart, Janne Teller, Colson Whitehead
@ The Great Hall at Cooper Union
7 East 7th Street (@ 3rd Avenue)
7 - 8:30p
$15
For more information and to buy tickets: pen

Wednesday, April 25th, 2007



Intro to Boxing and Beer (D/F, S)
Come work out your aggression in a fun group boxing training class. We are going way downtown, to one of New York's most esteemed old-school boxing gyms, Trinity Boxing. This is a boxing training class; all the punching is done on bags, not bodies :)
There we will have a dedicated 1.5 hour session with professional boxing trainers, and a get a killer workout! These are not random gym trainers, the trainers at Trinity are also competition boxers, many on National teams and title-holders. We'll really loosen up around the corner in O'Hara's Downtown Restaurant & Pub. We'll throw down pints of Sam Adams, Coors or Yuengling, or well drinks for $3. All of this on a weekday night sure beats the gym.
@ Trinity Boxing Gym
110 Greenwich Street (@ Carlisle Street)
6p
$45
For more information and to sign up: outdoor
Save $5 - after signing up email: info@outdoorbound.com and let them know you found out about trip from Laura’s List.

Gallery Opening and Artist Reception (A, D/F)
Adela Leibowitz: Blackwell
The works in Leibowitz’s most recent series, Blackwell, continue her idiosyncratic style of painting surreal dreamscapes that depict a mysterious blue world. In this series, she is inspired by stories told to her by relatives during her last visit to Iran. By juxtaposing realistically rendered portraits of young girls, animals and other worldly beasts against barren landscapes, Leibowitz is interpreting and recreating the stories relayed to her. Leibowitz researched both the Salem Witch Trials and the persecution of the saints to tell a tale of young girls and women roaming the wilderness and the deserts. The themes of persecution, transformation, martyrdom, and ultimately redemption through trials are explored.
@ Gallery 10G
222 East 19th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue)
7 - 9p
Free
For more information: gallery10g


Courtrooms as TV Entertainment (C, E)
A conversation with Judge Marilyn Miliam of ‘ The People’s Court’ and Judge Alex Ferrer of ‘Judge Alex’
Moderated by Thane Rosenbaum, Director of Fordham Law, Forum on Law, Culture and Society
@ Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center (@ 59th Street)
8p
Free, but must make reservations, seating is limited
For more informationa and to RSVP: tvjudges

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Movie Screening: Egypt Dances (A, C, E)
Screening with commentary by filmmaker Magda Saleh
@ Bruno Walter Auditorium, The New York Public Library
40 Lincoln Center Plaza (between 63rd and 64th Streets)
6p
Free
For more information: nypl

Ending Tyranny: The History of an Idea (C, E)
President Bush, in his second inaugural address, committed the United States to "the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world." Professor Gaddis will explore the deep roots of this idea in American history, together with the feasibility of making it an objective for national and international policy in the 21st century. John Lewis Gaddis is the Robert A. Lovett Professor of History at Yale University and the author of The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past, as well as Surprise, Security, and the American Experience.
@ New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West (between 76th and 77th Streets)
6:30p
$18
For more information and to sign up: nyhistory

A Taste of the Lower East Side (C, D/F, P)
When it comes to food, New Yorkers can be very fickle, and what’s hot today, may not be tomorrow. But, one annual food event continues to grow in popularity: Grand Street Settlement’s Annual Taste of the Lower East Side™. Taste, created and run by the nonprofit as its primary fundraising event, draws in large and loyal crowds eager to feast on a wide variety of foods from some of the hippest downtown dining destinations. And, its all made sweeter because the proceeds make a real difference in the lives of the residents of the Lower East Side (LES) community.
@ The Altman Building
135 West 18th St. (between 6th and 7th Ave)
7 - 11p
Tickets: $125 (in advance only) - $500
For more information and to buy tickets: grandstreet

Guided Cheese Tasting (Code: T-MM5LK22-01) (D/F, E)
Did you ever wonder what makes one cheese better than another? Do you know what to ask when you buy cheese? Do you know where to buy the best cheeses? Get the answers to these questions and more and explore the wide world of cheese.
Makor/Steinhardt Building
35 West 67th Street (between Columbus and Central Park West)
7p
$35
For more information and to sign up: 92y

Friday, April 27th, 2007



Wine Tasting: Wine for the Weekend (D/F)
@ Le Du Wines
600 Washington Street (@ Leroy Street)
5:30 - 8p
Free
For more information: ledu



UniverSoul Circus (A, C)
A show that presents a wide spectrum of black talent to a wide demographic of spectators. To reach deep into our culture and search for what talent and skills lie asleep in the black entertainment experience. We apply our gathered years of experience in the live appearance industry and make a difference, to change the industry we live in, creating growth and new opportunity. Providing a wide range of wholesome yet hip and cutting-edge entertainment experiences. UniverSoul pioneered urban family entertainment with the introduction of UniverSoul Circus in 1994 and remains the only urban family entertainment business in the nation. UniverSoul Circus is the company’s cornerstone from which thousands of families have associated its name with excitement and fun. By creating a new category-“urban family entertainment”, UniverSoul Circus quickly staked its claim in live entertainment history.
@ Kate Wollman Rink, Prospect Park
Enter on Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue - Flatbush, Brooklyn
7:30p
$24
For more information and to buy tickets: circus

LMCC Workspace: Open Studio Weekend (A, C, P)
30 artists, 2 spaces, 1 weekend
This year the Council will open both studio spaces to the public for only the second time since the session began in September. Artists and writers will show work created while in-residence through open hours at the studios.
Starting Friday the 27th with a party 6 - 10p
@ LMCC
Space is located on the 8th floor of the Equitable Building at 120 Broadway (@ Cedar Street) and the 4th Floor of 200 Hudson Street (between Vestry and Desbrosses Streets)
Free, though RSVP is required
Email: openstudios
For more information: lmcc

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Nature Walk: Bloomin' Hike (E, S)
Join the Urban Park Rangers for a discovery hike as they compare and contrast the formal and naturalized areas of Olmsted's Park. First, the Conservatory Garden, one of the finest examples of European-style horticulture. Then over the hill and down the forest trail to Huddlestone Arch.
@ the Vanderbilt Gate (Fifth Avenue and 105th Street), Central Park
11 - 1p
Free
For more information: centralpark

Laura's List Event - A Day in the Park
My folks met here many moons ago and the rest is history. So now it's our turn...
Come and meet other Laura's List viewers. Bring your friends, family, co-workers, pets, etc.. Grab something to sit on (I will provide a couple of sheets). Bring some snacks/drinks to share with others, a book, the ny times, a frisbee or whatever.. Come prepared to have a good time.
Just come hang out in the park, ready to have some r and r, meet new folks and enjoy the day.
Where?
Central Park Tennis Courts - grassy area near courts 27 and 14
Between 94th and 96th Streets (West Side) off of West Drive
For more information:tennis
Time?
1p
Subways?
1,2,3 - 96th Street (@ Bdwy) and walk east to Central Park West - follow directions below
B,C - 96th Street and walk across street - follow directions below
Directions?
(from West Side Park Entrance on 96th Street - sorry East Siders)
Enter park at 96th Street entrance (Stone wall will say - Gate of All Saints)
Veer right as you enter the park - the opposite side of the playground (should be on your left)
DO NOT FOLLOW EAST SIDE SIGNS
Follow sidewalk pathway on right side (you will see wooden barriers), go straight (do not go near benches), as you walk straight you will pass the daffodils on your right side and then 2 lamp posts. You will see the tennis courts from a distance as you are walking.
You will also pass a big rock on your left side while walking on the sidewalk, cross the street (watch for cyclists, walkers, runners, rollerbladers, etc).
You will pass 2 rocks as you pass street onto the sidewalk (a rock on each side of the pathway).
Veer right - you will see courts on left, lamp post on the right.
Cut across the lawn, past the lamp post.
We will be on the grass facing the courts in between the trees
Court 27 will be on the left side and Court 14 will be on the right side.
Look for the bullseye (target) towel and a towel with green and white stripes.
Cost?
Suggested Donation - $5 (day of event)

Just in Case if it's Raining... We'll meet here:
Firehouse
522 Columbus Avenue (between 85th and 86th Street)
1p

Dance Samples: From Tap to Toe (A, C, D)
This four-hour marathon showcases the vibrant spectrum of contemporary movement in New York City dance, ranging from emerging to established companies. There is no better opportunity to see a “who’s who” in contemporary dance anywhere else in NYC, or for the new aficionado to start sampling the variety of forms that dance encompasses.
@ Symphony Space
2357 Broadway (@ 95th Street)
7 - 11p
$15
For more information on performances, bios and to get tickets: symphony




Shemekia Copeland Performs (A, M)
Shemekia Copeland, a roots music superstar. Joining Shemekia is the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, an eight-piece, family ensemble that combines imaginative jazz arrangements with the irresistible funk of contemporary brass bands.
@ Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (Langston Hughes Auditorium)
515 Malcolm X Boulevard (enter at 103 West 135th Street - @ Lenox Avenue)
7:30p
Free, but suggested to make a reservation
For more information and to make a reservation:nypl

I Love the 80’s and 90’s Party (P)
Drink Specials. DLJ spins 80’s & today’s best dance music.
@ CRT Bar and Lounge - Croton Reservoir Tavern
108 West 40th Street (between Broadway and 6th Avenue)
10p
Special admission for Laura’s List viewers, $5
Either email in advance or mention Laura’s List at door
For advance RSVP, email your name to: louismith@optonline.net
Without mention of Laura’s List in advance or at door, $10 admission
For more information email lou: louismith@optonline.net

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Yoga with Timothy Bouldry (S)
What a good way to wake up on a Sunday morning. Clean out the toxins from the night before.
@ Lululemon Athletica
1928 Broadway (@ 64th Street)
8 - 9a
Free
Bring a mat if you have one, if not they’ll have extras
For more information and to sign up: lululemon



Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival)(A, C, D)
With over 200 trees in bloom, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's flowering cherries take center stage during this phenomenal weekend celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events and performances. Hanami is the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season from the first buds to the brilliant blossoms to the petals falling like pink snow.
@ Brooklyn Botantical Garden
1000 Washington Avenue (@ Montgomery Street)
10 - 6p
$8
For more information: bbg



Art Exhibit: Robert Mosses and the Modern City: The Road to Recreation (A, C, E)
Robert Moses (1888-1981) had a greater impact on the physical character of New York City than any other individual, and given how the process of city building has changed since his time in response to his controversial methods - it is unlikely anyone will match him in the future. Robert Moses and the Modern City is the first comprehensive exhibition about the vast program of public works he executed as New York's master builder from 1934, when he became Commissioner of Parks, to 1968, when he was ousted from power. The exhibition is organized in three, thematic parts that highlight Moses's strategies and transformation of the city. He built miles of roadway, awesome bridges, every sort of recreational facility, parks, playgrounds, beaches, pools, a convention center, and in a career-ending crescendo, he set in motion one of the nation's largest slum clearance-urban renewal programs.
@ Queens Museum
New York City Building
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
$5
For more information and directions: queens

Movie Screening: There’s Always Tomorrow (F)
Toy manufacturer MacMurray has everything he could want, yet feels disconnected from his perfect wife and kids. So when former love Stanwyck enters the picture, they both contemplate having an affair. Stanwyck and MacMurray are terrific in their last film together and the film is more intimate than Sirk’s Technicolor operas of despair, with its black and white cinematography giving it a more subtle romance. With Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Joan Bennett.
@ BAM Cinemas
The Peter Sharp Building
30 Lafayette Avenue (between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street)
6:50p
$10
For more information and to buy tickets: bam

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Speed Dating: Creative and Artistic Singles (S)
Ages: Women 30-39, Men 33- 44
@ Madame X
94 West Houston Street (Thompson and La Guardia Streets)
7:30p
Cost: $37 (use the name - Laura when registering on-line and save $5)
For more information and to sign up: dates

Key to Activities

A Art
C Cultural
D Dance
D/F Drink/Food
F Film
E Education
L Literature
M Music
NP Non-Profit
P Party
S Sport