BPL Presents is BPL’s curated cultural program, with arts and culture offerings including author talks, live performances, music, film and visual art exhibitions that explore the critical issues of our time in Brooklyn and beyond.
Center for Brooklyn History
Brooklyn's culture past and present from the Center for Brooklyn History
Upcoming
CBH Workshop | Exploring the Archives with Historian Prithi Kanakamedala
How do historians approach the vitally important work of conducting research in an archive? Where do they start? What is the process? And for those researching under-documented peoples and topics, how do they solve for the silences in the archives?
Join historian…
Jonathan Lethem Discusses Cellophane Bricks & Brooklyn Crime Novel, with Dan Fox
Many know Jonathan Lethem as one of our most celebrated and eclectic writers, whose iconic novels—Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, among many others—play with genres and storytelling modes like a DJ mixing music. But Lethem grew up in his father’s studio, went to art…
Sarah Lewis Discusses The Unseen Truth with Jacqueline Woodson
The award-winning art historian and founder of Vision & Justice uncovers a pivotal era in the story of race in the United States when Americans came to ignore the truth about the false foundations of the nation’s racial regime.
In a masterpiece of historical detective work, Sarah Lewis…
Classical Interludes: Layale Chaker and ETHEL
Deemed a “Rising Star” by BBC Music Magazine, violinist and composer Layale Chaker was raised on the verge of several musical streams since her childhood. She began her musical training at the National Higher Conservatory of Beirut in her native Lebanon, and at the Paris Conservatoire and London…
The Salon at CBH, Curated by Nikole Hannah-Jones
We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Salon. Please understand that we expect a full house. If we reach capacity our staff will admit as space becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure a great experience for all.
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Ian Williams on What I Mean to Say, with Vinson Cunningham
Join acclaimed author Ian Williams as he discusses What I Mean to Say with novelist and New Yorker staff writer Vinson Cunningham.Ian Williams will give the lauded 2024 Massey Lectures about the art of, and need for, conversation, which will be published as What I Mean to Say: Remaking…
CBH Talk | Tommy Silk Discusses "Hidden Landmarks of New York" with Barry Bordelon of the Brownstone Boys
New York is a city of landmarks – more than 37,000 of them. Visitors and New Yorkers alike walk by hundreds of these landmarks daily, often never knowing the rich history behind them. One of these New Yorkers, Tommy Silk, has been photographing and chronicling one landmarked building…
CBH Talk | Celebrating New York’s Ancestors of Latino Poetry: A Conversation and Performance
The work of New York poets José Martí, Salomón de la Selva, Julia de Burgos, Lourdes Casal, and Clemente Soto Vélez has shaped today’s thriving Latino Poetic tradition and our understanding of what it means to be American. These revolutionary voices represent a range of Latin American…
Amanda Jones Discusses "That Librarian"
Join us for a discussion on That Librarian with celebrated author and librarian on the frontlines of the fight against book banning, Amanda Jones, and BPL’s own Chief Librarian Nick Higgins.
One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can…
Teaching Lenape History & Presence in New York City Schools
The Brooklyn Public Library, in collaboration with the Lenape Center, presents a talk to introduce and discuss a new Lenape curriculum developed for PK-12 students.
This curriculum aims to bring Indigenous history to life and address the often overlooked narrative of the Lenape people in…
Dinaw Mengestu Discusses Someone Like Us
The son of Ethiopian immigrants seeks to understand a hidden family history and uncovers a past colored by unexpected loss, addiction, and the enduring emotional pull toward home.
After abandoning his once-promising career as a journalist in search of a new life in Paris, Mamush meets…
National Book Critics Circle at 50 & Brooklyn’s Indelible Influence
The National Book Critics Circle was conceived and founded in April 1974. What began with founding members John Leonard, Nona Balakian, and Ivan Sandrof over drinks at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan became a national conversation between critics. 50 years later, the National Book Critics…
CBH Talk | Still Here, HIV/AIDS
December 1 is World AIDS Day, a time of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV - and a time for all of us to reckon with its long legacy. Almost 40 million live with the virus, 1.3 million acquired it in 2023, and 630,000 people…
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Invoke
Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical Producer), Invoke strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. The…
Classical Interludes: Calidore Quartet
The Calidore String Quartet performs the thrilling last set of Beethoven’s earliest quartets. A wide-ranging emotional journey performed by one of today’s most exciting ensembles.
Quartet in A major for Strings,Op. 18, No. 5Quartet in C minor for Strings, Op. 18, No. 4 Quartet in B-flat…
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