Monday, Nov. 18
Join the crew from Paths to Pier 42 on the night of the Leonid meteor shower for stargazing, star charts, projections and music, with storytelling astrologer Margaret McMahon and astronomer Barry Gloger. Organized by Milky Way admirer Moira Williams, in conjunction with Mary Mattingly's installation Triple Island, as part of the Paths to Pier 42 series of art events. Pier 42, East River between the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. Free.
What's your poison? A new exhibition "The Power of Poison" may not answer that question, but you can walk through a diorama of Colombia's Chocó lowland forest (which is filled with poisonous species); explore the variety of fairy tales and legends that feature poison; and visit a theater where a live presenter details a real-world murder-by-poison as well as the rise of toxicology, the science of detecting poison. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street. From 10 a.m. - 5:45 p.m..
Take a look at World War I through the perspective of two of today's most creative writers and inquiring minds — eclectic English author Geoff Dyer and graphic journalist Joe Sacco. Dyer's new book "The Missing of the Somme" was described by The Wall Street Journal as a "a lyrical meditation on memory and the meaning of World War I," while Sacco's "The Great War" "depicts the first day of the battle of the Somme… like a cross between Hergé and the Chapman brothers; the Bayeux Tapestry as a silent movie,” according to The Guardian. At 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., Upper East Side.
Tuesday, Nov. 19
Actress and director Anjelica Huston reads from and discusses her memoir "Anjelica Huston, A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London and New York." She recounts her enchanted childhood on an Irish estate, where her father entertained friends such as Carson McCullers and Marlon Brando, and her years as a model and actress living at the Chelsea Hotel in the 1970s. Thalia Book Club, at Symphony Space, Upper West Side from 7.30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20
Naked Girls Reading is a unique live event — a monthly nude literary salon featuring in-the-buff readings by local burlesque luminaries, professional librarians, authors and other Naked Girls. Nothing is sacred, from classic literature to contemporary bestsellers. Under St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Pl., 9 p.m., $20 / two for $35. Advance booking recommended.
Urban agriculture has captured the attention of policymakers, urban dwellers and those involved in the "good food movement." Yet farming in the city, similar to rural farming, is a risky venture that may not be profitable. As a result, many urban farms are formed as nonprofits rather than traditional, commercial farms, which raises the question of what a farm really is. This evening at Bobst Library from 6 p.m., Dr. Carolyn Dimitri will discuss the benefits of urban farming, as well as the challenges facing urban farmers who seek to add to the food that makes up part of the local food system. at NYU, 70 Washington Square Sq.
East Village record and Hi-Fi equipment store In Living Stereo is holding a free Listening Party from 6 p.m. this evening. Jay Rein from Spendor will answer questions and play music on their audiophile quality line of speakers.
Thursday, Nov. 21
Witness American sculptor Richard Serra's large steel sculptures in the two Chelsea Gagosian Galleries in the exhibition "New Sculpture". 555 West 24th Street and 522 West 21st Street, Chelsea.
Join an artist for drawing in the galleries of Prospect Park's Brooklyn Museum. Each workshop allows you to focus on a different object from the museum's collection. Combine conversation and drawing to engage with art in new ways. Workshops are open to visitors of all ages, no experience necessary. $8 materials fee; $7 for members. All materials are provided, and evryone goes home with an original work on paper. Meet in the Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor at 7.30 p.m. RSVP here.
Friday, Nov. 22
Louis Armstrong — one of the world’s most famous jazz musicians — was an international celebrity who could have lived anywhere. Yet in 1943, he and his wife, Lucille, settled in a modest house in Corona, Queens, where they lived for the remainder of their lives. No one has lived in the house since the Armstrongs, and its furnishings remain very much as they were during Louis and Lucille’s lifetime. Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Corona. From 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. $10.
Saturday, Nov. 23
Filmmaker and actress Lena Dunham is hosting an evening of conversation with authors J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. Their most recent collaboration "S." — described as "if Franz Kafka had written an episode of 'Lost'" — has just been released. The event is part of Symphony Space's Thalia Book Club series. Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, Upper West Side. From 6 p.m. $25.
Sunday, Nov. 24
"Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath," showing at The Brooklyn Museum, explores the experience of war with a collection of 400 photographic prints, books, magazines, albums, and camera equipment, bringing together iconic and unknown images taken by members of the military, commercial portraitists, journalists, amateurs, artists, and numerous Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers. Through February 2, 2014. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.
Enjoy an evening of conversation and performances from the creative team and cast from the Broadway musical Big Fish. First a novel by Daniel Wallace, then a movie by Tim Burton, this iteration of Big Fish opened in October, directed by Susan Stroman. Hear backstage stories and songs from the show. From 7.30 p.m. at 92Y's Buttenwieser Hall, Lexington Avenue at 92nd St. Tickets from $29.
