Poetry
Anne Carson
The premiere of “Stacks” and “Bracko,” two original works by MacArthur fellow and poet Anne Carson. Language, dance, and sculpture collide in “STACKS,” a work exploring themes of collapse in the human body, grammar, and everyday objects. In 2007, Carson created the original text, inspired by sculptor Peter Cole’s exploration of piled objects that subvert the tradition of walkaround sculpture. This coincided with Carson’s collaboration with choreographer Jonah Bokaer about collapse in the human body. “Stacks” results in a multi-disciplinary performance, including a live reading by Carson, new choreography by Bokaer, and immersive sculpture by Cole. “Bracko” features Carson’s celebrated translations from “If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho,” with choreography by Mitchell. This performance features a projected backdrop of brackets, which corresponds to the punctuation Carson used in her translations, indicating what was absent on the original papyrus. Thurs., Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. $10, or free with NYU ID. NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. 566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South). 212-352-3101, skirballcenter.nyu.edu.
Reading
Julia Leigh, “Disquiet”
Disquiet is Australian author Julia Leigh’s first title published in the United States and 192 Books is thrilled to host her only New York event! “A powerfull and disquieting novella, a work of fiction so infused with the practices of film that, while each scene is fully and even vividly realized in words, it also translates quite naturally into film, into a visually rich action taking place before the inner eye.”- J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize- winning author of Disgrace. Tues., Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. Free. 192 Books. 192 10th Ave. (at 21st St.) 212.255.4022, 192books.com.
Books
Joel Berg, “All You Can Eat”
A clever and disarming book, “All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America” draws attention to America’s most unconscionable problem: hunger. In the land of plenty, 35 million Americans do not have enough food, and many more eat over-priced, low-quality meals. Join Berg, the executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger for a discussion on food access and ending hunger. Wed., Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. Free. Bluestockings. 172 Allen Street betw. Stanton & Rivington 212-777-6028, bluestockings.com.
Artist Talk
Elizabeth Peyton
Artist Elizabeth Peyton will answer a list of questions contributed by 20 artists, curators, critics, and others who are familiar with her work. From her earliest portraits of musicians like Kurt Cobain, Liam Gallagher and Jarvis Cocker to more recent paintings featuring friends and figures from the worlds of art, fashion, cinema, and politics, including Rirkrit Tiravanija, Matthew Barney and Marc Jacobs, Peyton’s body of work presents a chronicle of America at the end of the last century. Depicting modern life, Peyton’s small, jewel-like portraits are also intensely empathetic, intimate, and even personal. Together, her works capture an artistic zeitgeist that reflects the cultural climate of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. She’s interviewed by Matthew Higgs, an artist, curator, and writer based in New York. He is the Director and Chief Curator of White Columns, New York’s oldest alternative art space. Fri., Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. Free with museum admission. New Museum of Contemporary Art. 235 Bowery. 212-219-1222, newmuseum.org
Storytelling
Mike Daisey, “If You See Something, Say Something”
With his signature style commentary, at once biting and hilarious, Mike Daisey investigates the secret history of the Department of Homeland Security through the untold story of the father of the neutron bomb and a personal pilgrimage to the Trinity blast site. “If You See Something Say Something” takes us on a journey in search of what it means to be secure and the price we are willing to pay for it. Called “The Master Storyteller” for his groundbreaking monologues, Daisey is also an author. His first book, “21 Dog Years: A Cubedweller’s Tale,” was published by the Free Press and he is working on a second book, “Great Men of Genius,” adapted from his monologues about genius and megalomania in the lives of Bertolt Brecht, P.T. Barnum, Nikola Tesla, and L. Ron Hubbard. Through Nov. 30. $40-70. Joe’s Pub. 425 Lafayette St. 212-967-7555, joespub.com.
