The Smart Set is a weekly feature, compiled by Lauren Cerand, that usually appears Mondays at 12:30pm and highlights the best of the week to come. Special favor is given to New York’s independent booksellers and venues, and low-cost and free events. Please send details to lauren [at] maudnewton.com by the Thursday prior to publication, with the date in the subject line.
MONDAY, 4.23: PEN World Voices kicks off a week of intriguing events with authors from across the globe.
TUESDAY, 4.24: “Green Apple Talk #3: Environmentalism Now explores how far the movement has come since the first Earth Day nearly forty years ago. What will the next wave of green culture look like, and how can the individual decisions consumers make have a global impact? Featuring Ramon Cruz, a policy analyst for Environmental Defense, Emily Gertz, environmental journalist and co-author of WorldChanging: A User’s Guide to the 21st Century, Aaron Naparstek, of Transportation Alternatives and StreetsBlog.org and author of Honku: The Zen Antidote to Road Rage, and Anne-Marie Van Dijk (DNA Models), who supports the work of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Orca Network and Natural Resources Defense Council when she’s not walking the runway for Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten, Aquascutum, Libertine and others. Moderated by best-selling author Bryan Keefer. 7PM, FREE [full disclosure, as always: I put this event together just for fun, so y’all come].”
WEDNESDAY, 4.25: Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending reading series presents a sure-to-be-lovely-as-she-is evening with “Kevin Moffatt, Heidi Julavits, Maggie Nelson, with music from
John Wesley Harding.” Highly recommended. 8PM, FREE. Plus, “Two weekly evening lectures are held at the New York Studio School during the regular semester… Art critics, historians or philosophers present pertinent and sometimes controversial subjects in art history and art criticism on Wednesdays. The Evening Lecture Series, although designed for students, has become a major resource for the vibrant art community of New York City. The Lecture Series provides a forum for discussion of issues in art, referring frequently to contemporary exhibitions in museums and galleries. Public access to the series broadens the scope of the evening’s discourse.” On Wednesday, W.S. Di Piero discusses “Painters and Poets” as well as his latest, Chinese Apples: New and Selected Poems, (Alfred a Knopf Inc., 2007). 6:30PM, FREE.
THURSDAY, 4.26: Broome Street’s gonna be cuter than a unicorn sticker when the person least likely to have been a loser nonetheless hosts the “When I Was a Loser” party at Lolita. Take that, West Bushwick!! 6:30PM, FREE.
FRIDAY, 4.27: David Lehman [“I’ve been fucked without a kiss,” she says,/ “and you can quote me on that,”/ which sounds great in an English accent.], Elaine Equi and Mairead Byrne read as part of the MiPo series at Stain Bar. 7PM, FREE.
SATURDAY, 4.28: Take your pick of quirky ’90s romantic heroines, with Minnie Driver (performing songs from her new album, Everything I’ve Got in My Pocket) at the Living Room and Julie Delpy (discussing her latest film project, “which she wrote, directed, edited, produced, scored, and starred in”) at the Apple Store.
SUNDAY, 4.29: At P.S. 1, “Chicago-based publisher Front Forty Press (FFP) showcases several of their recent publications as part of the Fine Print series.” Full details. 3:30PM, FREE [xoxo to Carrie for the tip!].