We hear about a lot of events each week and we can't write one post about each of them, because then you'd be here all day. So we're going to sift through and pick out some gems for the weekdays, here are some of the highlights for this week...
FILM SCREENINGS: IFC Films will hold two free screenings this week for CSA: The Confederate States of America. The new mockumentary that asks: What would have happened had the South won the Civil War? The straight-faced Ken Burns-style documentary is directed by Kevin Willmott and Executive Produced by Spike Lee.
CSA presents an alternate modern-day America land where slavery exists as law, where other non-whites and non-Christians are relegated to reservations, where the country is embattled in a never-ending Cold War with Canada, and the Slave Shopping Network's an institution on TV.
Wednesday // 7pm // Village Voice Promo w/ Director Q&A // IFC Center [323 Sixth Ave]
Thursday // 6pm // NYU Screening w/ Panel Discussion // NYU [721 Broadway, Room 1038]
READING: Barney Ross Was More Interesting Than Youand author Douglas Century tells you why. The story of Barney Ross (boxer, mafioso, gun runner and wanna-be Talmudic scholar) begins with his birth (as Dov-Ber Rasofsky) to Eastern European immigrant parents and covers his the span of his life. This includes his time as a petty thief, a runner for Al Capone and eventually a boxer. Later, Ross worked for the creation of a Jewish state, running guns to Palestine and offering to lead a brigade of Jewish-American war veterans.
Wednesday // Noon // Steinhardt Building [35 West 67th St] // $16
POETRY: Tonight Patti Smith visits Columbia University and delivers some of her new poems, as well as some old songs.
Tonight // 8pm // Columbia University Miller Theater [116th St. and Broadway] // $5
Tomorrow night Patti Smith will hold an open to the public, free poetry reading and lecture at the Great Hall at Cooper Union. The poet, artist, and musician will read from Auguries of Innocence , her first collection of poems since 1979.
Wednesday // 6:30 pm // The Cooper Union, The Great Hall [7 East 7th St] // Free
FILM WORKSHOP: Providing a place for future film giants to show their early work, Teabag Film Workshop will feature four emerging local film makers and their short films. After each film a Q&A with the filmmaker will be held. For those who don't know the venue, it's pretty cool - holding a stage, screen, bar and Internet café.
Thursday // 8-10pm // Silk Road Place [30 Mott St] // Free
