Week of April 7

My Documents launch event, thought leadership (jk) and other happenings

It’s a great week for Friends of the List, including Kevin Nguyen’s book launch on Wednesday and Sam Doctor’s comedy show on Monday. Before getting into more of the bests, important book news:

• Karma Bookstore is moving and you can get great discounts on books, posters, ephemera, and ceramics at Karma’s Bookstore online and IRL (136 East 2nd St) now through April 30.

• NYU Press published a book about some of the best New Yorkers we know: Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. Check it out and don’t feel bad about purchasing it.

This Week’s Bests

🆓 = costs $0, 🎨 = art, 🎼 = music, 🎬 = film, 📚= books, 🌳 = nature, 🎭 = performance, 🧠 = extra smart people, 🍸 = drinks available, 🦩 = party/friendly vibe, 🗽= extra New Yorky

🔑 Click the venue link under each listing for full event details.

Monday, April 7

Women Are Working Here comedy show at Q.E.D.

Friend of the List Sam Doctor knows how to hold two truths at once: work is important, and work is often so painfully stupid that you wonder at the point of anything. Cut to Women Are Working Here, her new monthly comedy series run with comedian Rosemary Cipriano. Acts on the lineup are called “Thought Leaders,” and if that makes you laugh then you’re probably the perfect demographic for this show.

Tonight’s edition features five comedians—well worth the teensy $10 cover that you should absolutely pay for this beautiful project.

Q.E.D. (Astoria)
Mon at 7:30p 🎭 🍸

Leonor Fini: Small Faces opens at Nagas

We met Ilian Rebei, the dealer behind Nagas, at a work party a few weeks ago. After relocating his gallery from Paris to Los Angeles, he has since moved Nagas to a historic building in what was once Tin Pan Alley, officially establishing the gallery’s presence in New York. The building and its history reflect the ethos of Nagas, which is committed to showcasing work by “historical and rediscovered artists.”

Their first New York show opening today spotlights the late Argentine-Italian surrealist artist, Leonor Fini. Once featured in Peggy Guggenheim’s 31 Women exhibition in 1943, she never became quite the household name that she might deserve. Small Faces focuses on Fini’s “small-scale drawings of faces” which are “dreamlike and mysterious.” We can’t wait to see these beauties IRL.

Nagas, Nomad
Timing tbd; keep an eye on Nagas’ Instagram profile for details 🆓 🎨

Other Monday events, briefly noted:

• The Naomi Rosenblum ICP Talks Photographer Lecture Series Presents: Johnny Miller and Marysarah Quinn at the International Center of Photography (Lower East Side), 6:30-8p 🎨

• In conjunction with the exhibition, “Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity,” Neue Galerie present Everyday Echoes: Iconic Films of the Neue Sachlichkeit, a series of films from the period. Tonight’s Filmbar screening: Die Büchse der Pandora / Pandora’s Box at Neue Galerie’s Café Fledermaus (Upper East Side), 6:30p 🎬 🍸

• Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities that Shaped a Borough at the New York Historical Society (Upper West Side), 6:30-7:30p 📚

• First Mondays—Lesbians, AIDS, Trans People: The We Won’t Go Back edition of First Mondays featuring Natalie Adler, Carter Sickels, Susan Stryker at Performance Space (East Village), 6:30p doors, show at 7p 🆓 📚

• Julio Torres presents a Live Read of Cruel Intentions at the Directors Guild of America New York Theatre (Midtown), 7:30p 📚

Tuesday, April 8

• 222 Tuesdays at Giorno Poetry Systems (Bowery), 4-7p 🎨 📚 🦩

• An Evening with Neige Sinno on Sad Tiger at Albertine Books (Upper East Side), 6p 🆓 📚

• Russell Shorto and Andrea Mosterman talk Taking Manhattan at the Center for Brooklyn History (Brooklyn Heights), 6:30-8p 🆓 📚 🗽

• Signs Point to Yes do their first fashion show with music and drinks at Marinaro Gallery (SoHo), 6:30p show 🆓 🎭 🍸🦩

• Book Launch: Ecstasy: Poems by Alex Dimitrov (a very talked about collection, right on time for Poetry Month and coming out of winter hibernation to party) at Power House Arena (Dumbo), 7-9p 📚

• Peter Godwin and Marlon James discuss Exit Wounds at the 92nd Street Y (Upper East Side and online), 7:30p 📚

• Cole Escola returns as Mary in Oh, Mary! on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater (Theater District), 7:30p 🎭 🍸

Wednesday, April 9

Kevin Nguyen talks My Documents with Tracy O'Neill at Books are Magic

There are two reasons why tonight’s book launch of Friend of the List Kevin Nguyen’s latest novel will be the week’s best banger. First: Kevin is one of the best people we know—just about every smart writer and media person adores him, and many of them will be at this event. Second: he’s written a hell of a novel that is funny, terrifying, and brilliant. Everybody should buy a copy and read it:

Buy her here or at the event

Tonight, Kevin talks about the book with his friend, the writer Tracy O'Neill. Bonus: get a copy of the bonus magazine, Offline, edited and produced by Kevin to accompany this book.

The prompt of Offline magazine, stolen from Kevin’s IG. Our contribution for this mag is a tiny piece on zoom therapy (would miss and would not miss).

If you can’t make it to Books are Magic in Brooklyn Heights for the event, stream it online here.

Books are Magic on Montague Street (Brooklyn Heights and online)
Mon; 6:30p doors, 7-8p talk 📚🧠🦩

Other Wednesday events, briefly noted:

• Amy Sherald: American Sublime opens to the public at The Whitney (Meatpacking District), 🎨

• Lecture: Nahma Sandrow on Kafka and the Vagabonds at The Morgan (Midtown), 6-7p 🧠

• Queer Happened Here by Marc Zinaman with Peppermint & Linda Simpson at Rizzoli Bookstore (Nomad), 6-8p 📚🗽

• Cabaret night: Benjamin Eakeley with Lance Horne at the Neue Galerie’s Café Sabarsky (Upper East Side), 7p 🎼 🎭 🍸

• Andrea Long Chu on Authority with Arielle Angel at The Center for Fiction (Fort Greene and online), 7-8:15p 📚

Thursday, April 10

• Meticulous Markings Artist Talks Series One presented by Fountain House (Online), 2-3:15p 🆓 🎨

• Conservation Center Spring 2025 Open House at The Stephen Chan House
  Conservation Center at NYU’s Institute of Fine Art (Upper East Side), 5:30p-8p 🆓 🎨

• Opening reception for Chloe West’s Games of Chance at Harper’s Chelsea 512 (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨

• Opening reception for Lizbeth Mitty’s Sapphire Pass at Harper’s Chelsea 534 (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨

• Opening reception for The Human Situation: Marcia Marcus, Alice Neel, Sylvia Sleigh at Lévy Gorvy Dayan (Upper East Side), 6-8p 🆓 🎨

• An evening of readings by the 2025 Whiting Award Winners hosted by Tony Tulathimutte with wine and cheese at McNally Jackson (South Street Seaport), 6:30p 🎭 📚 🍸

• Orchestra of St Luke performs J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion at Carnegie Hall (Midtown), 7p 🎼

• Shanekia McIntosh presents her new poetry book A New Sense of Luxury with readings from other poets/performance artists at Topos Too (Ridgewood), 7p doors 🎭 📚 🍸

• Art Workers are Artists Too: Organized by Sarai Frazier at Performance Space (East Village), performances at 7p, night of music at 9p 🆓 🎨 🎼

• Live music and poetry from Jesse Paris Smith, Rebecca Foon & Nikolai Fraiture in response to ‘Catherine Goodman. Silent Music.' at Hauser & Wirth (Chelsea), 7p 🆓 🎼 🎨 🎭

• The Brooklyn Psychedelic Society presents a screening of Music For Mushrooms at Stuart Cinema & Cafe (Greenpoint), 7-9p 🎬

• Chloe London performances kick off at Triskelion Arts (Greenpoint), 8p (shows run through Saturday) 🎭

• Wild At Heart And Weird On Top: Celebrating The Life Of David Lynch at The Bell House (Gowanus), 8p 🎭 🍸

Friday, April 11

Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor opens at the Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York’s latest is “a first-of-its-kind exhibition that explores over 200 years of social dance in New York City. From the ballrooms of the 19th century to today’s clubs, parks, and streets, Urban Stomp celebrates the energy, creativity, and cultural impact of dance in the city that never sleeps.” The exhibition features “film, fashion, art installations, dance interactives, and rare archival materials.”

The Museum of the City of New York, East Harlem
Fri from 10a-6p 🎨 🗽

Other Friday events, briefly noted:

• The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910 opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Upper East Side), 🎨

• David Zwirner presents Lotus L. Kang’s Already opening at 52 Walker (Tribeca), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨

• Claudia Alarcón & Silät Exhibition Walkthrough with Andrei Fernández followed by an opening reception at James Cohan at 52 Walker St (Tribeca), 5p walkthrough, 6-8p reception 🆓 🎨

• Opening reception for Side Lined group show featuring Keltie Ferris, Brenda Goodman, Marilyn Lerner, Stephen Mueller, Sojourner Truth Parsons, Erika Ranee, and Julia Rommel at PPOW (Tribeca), 6-8p 🆓 🎨

• The Poetry Project presents Hannah Zeavin & Jamieson Webster: Psychoanalysis and Poetry at St. Mark’s Church (East Village or stream online), 8p 🎭 📚

• Michael E. Smith presents A Handful of Eggs at Giorno Poetry Systems (Bowery), 11p 🎭 (and various times through April 13)

Saturday, April 12

• I and You and Who: The Second Person and Creative Nonfiction two-day class kicks off with Alissa Wilkinson (author of the recent, genius We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine at the Center for Fiction (Fort Greene), 12-3p 📚 🧠 (course runs over 2 sessions, Saturday and Sunday)

• Black Earth Study Club: Land as Verb with Andros Zins-Browne, Kyle Mays, Quito Swan, Saba Innab and Zoé Samudzi at the Swiss Institute (East Village), 2p 🆓 🧠

• Opening reception for Xavier Baxter’s Carnage at The Hole (Bowery), 6-8p 🆓 🎨🍸

• Kathleen McDermott’s Repair Shop opens at Open Source Gallery (South Slope), 🆓 🎨

Last call for these art shows closing on Saturday:

• Joan Jonas’ Empty Rooms at Gladstone Gallery on 21st Street (Chelsea), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨

• Becoming Animal, an exhibition of new work by Lyne Lapointe, at Jack Shainman on 20th Street (Chelsea), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨

• Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori’s solo show at Karma on 26th Street (Chelsea), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨

• Léon Spilliaert at David Zwirner on 20th Street (Chelsea), 10a-6p 🎨 🆓

• Louis Le Kim’s Sample Walks at IRL Gallery (Tribeca), 11a-6p 🆓 🎨

Sunday, April 13

Last day to see Franz Kafka at The Morgan

We love this show, which landed on our birthday last year. The archival materials shocked us—we never would’ve pegged Kafka as a fitness junkie/optimization bro, but then again we can’t fault him for his efforts to survive. The documents also reveal what we already know about Kafka’s genius: you can see the original manuscript of The Metamorphosis, and there are hardly any edits on the first page. The story just poured out of him in a complete, perfect fit of writing.

You have one last day to see this show at the Morgan’s upstairs gallery.

The Morgan, Midtown
Sun from 10:30a-8p

Other Sunday events, briefly noted:

• I Can See It All Even With My Eyes Closed: A Virtual Seminar on artist Madalena Santos Reinbolt presented by the American Folk Art Museum (Online), 11a-4:30p 🆓 🎨 🧠

• Second Sundays at Pioneer Works (Red Hook), 12-6p 🆓 🎨 🎼 🍸

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