Pencil This In

FILM: A tribute to Jean Genet on film begins tonight at BAM. The focus will be on films inspired by the French writer, as well as Genet's own Un Chant D'Amour. BAM describes the festival further:

A writer, criminal, homosexual, activist, and self-styled renegade, Jean Genet creates incendiary work that offers dreamlike evocations of moral ambiguity in a repressed society, and is rife with homosexuality, outlandish fantasies of submission, and acts of violence. This series offers a snapshot of Genet’s spirit and influence on contemporary gay culture and beyond.

Tonight kicks off with Poison, Todd Haynes directorial feature film debut in which he "masterfully weaves together three disparate storylines to explore alienation, paranoia, AIDS, and repressed desire." This is followed by Un Chant d’amour (A Song of Love), Genet's only film and "an ode to Jean Cocteau."

Tonight through May 22nd, Various Times // BAM [30 Lafayette Ave] // $10 per screening

DISCUSSION: A question many ask every day will be explored tonight: does New York's past have a future? With Duane Reade's, Whole Foods and condos wiping out every ounce of uniqueness in the city, the physical history hangs in the balance. Tom Wolfe discusses the future of New York's past with the author of "Preserving the World’s Greatest Cities," Tony M. Tung.

6:30pm // CUNY Graduate Center [365 Fifth Ave] // Free

THEATER: Take in a pair of radio plays by Irish author William Trevor, about whom The New Yorker once gushed: “probably the greatest living writer of short stories in the English language.” Going Home, written in 1972, goes down during a train ride shared by a beastly prep school student and the school’s assistant headmistress. Mr. McNamara, written in 1976, concerns a dark family secret unearthed by a boy trying to learn more about his deceased father. - John Del Signore

8pm // 92nd St Y [Lexington Ave & 92nd St] // Tickets cost $10 for anyone under 35 years old, $18 for more mature attendees

MUSIC: Last week was a music-heavy one with the kick off of the High Line Festival, Bjork any many other big names taking over New York stages. This week it's time to step back in to the smaller venues. Brooklyn Record points us to Luna Lounge for just such a show:

"Tonight, Brooklyn's own The Lisps return for a homecoming bash at Luna Lounge. Formed in 2005, the self-described post-rockin' vaudeville auteurs have one release to date: last year's EP, The Vain, the Modest, and the Dead. They are joined by fellow NYC acts Salt & Samovar and The Shivers. Double Dutch Will Take You Higher will perform between sets."

7:30pm // Luna Lounge [361 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg] // $10