BPL PRESENTS is Central Library's series of arts and culture events, including talks, conversations, and readings with authors, artists and scholars; live music, dance and theater performances; film screening; and art exhibitions. Events are free or ticketed and are taking place at Central Library's Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Cultural Center, unless noted otherwise.
All BPL Presents programs at the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Cultural Center at Central Library are free of charge (unless otherwise noted) and reservations are required for most adult programs. Patrons with reservations will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Unclaimed reservations will be released fifteen minutes before the start of an event; we recommend arriving early. Patrons without reservations will be seated as capacity allows.
Reservations can be made 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week on our website by visiting the program’s calendar entry at bklynlibrary.org/bplpresents or by phone at 718.230.2200 (please see our phone reservation policy for hours and additional details). Reservations can be made up to approximately one hour before the scheduled program start time. The maximum number of seats that can be reserved per event is 3.
The Dweck Center is an accessible venue. To request additional information regarding accessibility or accommodations at the event, please contact Margie Cook: MCook@bklynlibrary.org.
Reservations for adult programs can be made with a BPL representative Monday-Friday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. For weekend events, reservations must be made by 4 pm on the Friday before the event takes place. Any reservations received after 4pm will not be processed. If leaving a message, please slowly and clearly state your first and last name, your phone number, the name and date of the program you would like to attend, and the number of seats you are requesting (maximum of 3).
Upcoming
Raised in the System
Raised in the System is an insightful look at juvenile mass incarceration in the United States, hosted by actor and activist Michael K. Williams, who played Omar on “The Wire.” Williams grew up in...
Fatima Farheen Mirza on A Place for Us
The first novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s new imprint, SJP for Hogarth—and a finalist for One Book, One New York—A Place for Us is a deeply moving and resonant story of love, identity, and...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 22nd
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist, Cheryl...
Classical Interludes: Brooklyn Art Song Society with Martin Katz
A program of Eduard Morike.
No children under 6 will be permitted.
The Review Panel
Leading art critics join in lively debate about current exhibitions around the five boroughs. This month, Kara Rooney, Christopher Stackhouse, and John Yau join moderator David Cohen to discuss:...
Poets Tina Chang, Ilya Kaminsky & Brenda Shaughnessy
Copresented with Brooklyn Poets as a Brooklyn Poets Reading Series event: three poets on their new books.
A timely, stirring, and confident examination of mixed-race identity, violence,...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Silent Movie Matinee: MARION DAVIES: WHAT PRICE PASTRY?
SHOW PEOPLE (1928) 79 minutes
USA
King Vidor’s homage to Mack Sennett’s style of silent slapstick-comedy stars Marion Davies as Peggy Pepper, who achieves success by appearing in...
Classical Interludes: BPL Chamber Players: Kinan Azmeh, clarinet and Jean Schneider, piano
Clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has been touring the world as soloist, composer and improviser. Notable appearances include: Opera Bastille, Paris; Tchaikovsky Grand Hall, Moscow; Carnegie...
Philosophy in the Library: Rivka Weinberg on the Pointlessness of Life
In the May edition of Philosophy in the Library, Rivka Weinberg argues that life is, always and by its very nature, pointless. A point is a valued end and since we humans are agents, it...
Michael Ondaatje discusses Warlight
Copresented with Greenlight Books: From the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author of The English Patient: a mesmerizing new novel that tells a dramatic story set in the decade...
Kahn Humanities Lecture: Valeria Luiselli
Valeria Luiselli discusses the American border crisis and the migrants from Mexico and Central America whose stories inspired her new novel, Lost Children Archive. Luiselli was born in Mexico City...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Press Fest with CLMP and PEN World Voices
Join us at the third annual Press Fest, an indie book fair co-presented by the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) and BPL Presents. Discover remarkable books from small publishing...
Classical Interludes: Daedalus Quartet
Praised by The New Yorker as “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets,” the Daedalus Quartet has established itself as a leader among the new...
Whitman Close Reading & Workshop with Marvin Bell
"Marvin Bell has the largest heart since Walt Whitman."—Harvard Review
Come celebrate Whitman's 200th birthday and learn about the poet's signature style with acclaimed poet Marvin Bell....
A Queer Meeting: Whitman & Wilde in Camden
As part of our Walt Whitman Weekend, join scholar Andrew Rimby for a talk on the curious relationship between two literary giants.
The year is 1882, celebrated Victorian novelist Oscar...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Whitman at 200 Keynote with Mark Doty
BPL's Whitman at 200 weekend will kick off with a keynote lecture by Mark Doty.
Mark Doty’s nine books of poems and five volumes of nonfiction prose include Fire to Fire: New and...
Compagnia De' Colombari's More Or Less I Am
More Or Less I Am is a music- theater piece drawn from Walt Whitman's 1855 "Song of Myself" - conceived and directed by Karin Coonrod with original music by Colin Jacobsen, Kyle Sanna and Eric...
Whitman at 200 Tribute Panel with Eady, Hahn, Ramana, Seshadri
This panel celebrates Whitman's 200th anniverary with responses from poets in remarks written in verse and prose, as well as through dance and song. Panelists include Cornelius Eady, Kimiko Hahn,...
Whitman 200 Lightning Lectures
These Whitman 200th Anniversary "lightning lectures" examine the vast scope of Whitman's legacy on poetry in the 20th century and beyond, and explore critically and swiftly where his vision...
Second Read: Leaves of Grass with Rigoberto González, Harmony Holiday, Karen Karbiener, Timothy Liu
Second Read is a BPL Presents series that reevaluates canonical classic and contemporary work and encourages lively debate around books and reading. This Second Read and other events during...
Poems to Whitman: Readings
Poets Mahogony Browne, Sam Roxas-Chua, Nick Flynn, Ladan Osman, Ben Purkert & Ramya Ramana respond to Whitman in verse.
Mahogany L. Browne is a writer, organizer & educator....
Whitman at 200 Featured Poets: Pardlo, Bell and Francis
In this Whitman at 200 culminating event, contemporary poets read some of their favorite Whitman poems -- and respond with a poem of their own! By highlighting their relationship to Whitman's...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Green Series: A Green New Deal for New York City with Ashley Dawson
May's Green Series features Ashley Dawson, who discusses the Green New Deal in New York City.
The New York City Council recently passed the Climate Mobilization Act. A kind of Green...
Walt Whitman at 200: A Reading of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and Concert
In honor of Whitman’s 200th birthday, we celebrate the Bard of Brooklyn with music and poetry. The Phil Woodmore singers perform music from the era and, at 4 pm, poets Dorianne Laux (Only As The...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Silent Movie Matinee: FRITZ LANG: THE NEW TOWER OF BABEL
METROPOLIS (1927) 148 minutes
Germany
Fritz Lang and writer Thea von Harbou created this visually-iconic sci-fi epic, hoping to make a film that equaled the quality of American-...
Message from the Library with Sonia Sanchez
**Note to all patrons who registered for April 28: Please be advised that due to unforeseen circumstances, Ms. Sanchez's Message from the Library talk has been postponed to Sunday, June 2, at 7:...
The Review Panel
Leading art critics join moderator David Cohen in lively debate about current exhibitions around the five boroughs. This month, we present a Whitney Biennial Special.
Presented in...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
University Open Air
Brooklyn Public Library and Prospect Park Alliance launches the first semester of University Open Air in June 2019. University Open Air is calling for professors, researchers, or academics who...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
Shekere Make and Play led by Cheryl Thomas
Saturdays at 11 am, starting on April 27th through June 21st
Create and learn to play a gourd shekere in this intergenerational 8-week workshop series with master shekere artist,...
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Events for Youth and Families
Looking for BPL’s signature events for families, including author signings, theatrical performances and workshops? Explore our top picks for family events.
Contact Us
BPL Presents
Brooklyn Public Library
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238
bplpresents@bklynlibrary.org
718.230.2200
Past Events
Theater of War: Hercules in Brooklyn, November 2016
Oliver Stone and Ben Wizner, September 2016
Edwidge Danticat and Jacqueline Woodson, April 2016
Alash, January 2016
Slavoj Žižek and Hari Kunzru, November 2016
The Night of the Cookers, February 2016
Viet Thanh Nguyen and Vu Tran, April 2016
Night of Philosophy. January 2017
Salman Rushdie with Joel Whitney, October 2015
John Irving, November 2015
SYBARITE5, February 2016
Yaa Gyasi, June 2016
Brooklyn Public Library gratefully acknowledges the many donors who have provided generous support for BPL Presents programs, including: Los Blancos, Cheryl and George Haywood Endowment for Cultural Diversity, The Kahn Endowment for Humanities Programs, Dr. Beverly S. Jacobs, The Miriam Katowitz and Arthur Radin Fund, Mapleton Endowment, New York State Council on the Arts, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Estate of Pearl S. Reuillard in memory of her parents Yetta and Louis Schwartz, Sandra and Peter Schubert Endowment Fund, Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project, The Weissman Family Foundation, Inc., The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Humanities New York, the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, women.nyc, HBO, Janet Anderson and numerous individuals.
Programs are also supported by Brooklyn Public Library’s Fund for the Humanities which was established through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Hearst Foundation, Inc., Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Starr Foundation, the Leon and Muriel Gilbert Charitable Trust, Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc. and a gift in memory of Samuel and Pauline Wine.
WNYC is a media partner of the 2019 BPL Presents Season.
