A Half Century of Hip-Hop
This summer’s grand celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary was beautiful and affirming for longtime fans and practitioners of this perennially maligned and underestimated genre/subculture. Now that the landmark events have passed, what do we make of not just the story of hip-hop but its evolving place in the public imagination? Jonathan Abrams (The Come Up: […]
Reading Wars presented by The New York Review of Books
Reading and writing have rarely been as politicized in the US as they are today. While GOP governors and legislators enact bans on books and syllabuses they see as undermining core American values—targeting works that touch on race, gender, and sexuality—some on the Left have argued for purging syllabuses of once-canonical authors and even altering […]
Scenes from Flight School the Musical
Vital Theatre Company Inc. presents selections from “Flight School the Musical“. It’s the first day of Flight School, where they teach birds to fly. Penguin has the soul of an eagle and is ready to live on the wind. But he wasn’t built to soar, as the other birds constantly remind him. Penguin’s spirit won’t […]
Poetry and Banner-Making with Josh and Matt!
Some letters can’t be delivered in the usual way… What extraordinary journey will you imagine the letter taking? Join poet Matthew Burgess and artist Josh Cochran for a collaborative poetry & banner-making workshop, inspired by their picture book Sylvester’s Letter.
Print with Antique Wood Type
The beloved Kelsey letterpress returns! Come print real antique wood type on a vintage Kelsey letterpress with Dikko Faust of Purgatory Pie Press. Travel back in time and make your own BKBF Children’s Day keepsake.
Fold, Cut & Pop! Make a Book!
How to Make Books and Making Books with Kids author Esther K. Smith and Jane Sanders who illustrated Making Books with Kids will show you how to fold, cut and pop your own book. Then YOU can draw + write your story!
Keeping it Real
First crushes, friendship breakups, big moves, complicated family dynamics and following your dreams : life is full of highs, lows and everything in-between! Come join New York Times bestselling author Janae Marks (On Air With Zoe Washington) critically-acclaimed author and illustrator Stephanie Rodriguez (Doodles from the Boogie Down) and critically-acclaimed and award-winning author Andrew Eliopulos […]
Storytime: Hot Dog by Doug Salati
This dog is hot and needs an escape from the sizzling city summer! Join this pup and his owner on a trip to the beach, where they find their calm restored by the waves, sand, and fresh air. This Caldecott Medal picture book by Doug Salati is a playful read that breathes calm into a […]
Pineapple Princess by Sabina Hahn
What makes a princess? A crown, of course! The princess of Sabina Hahn’s debut picture commands her not-so-obedient subjects with a… rotting pineapple crown? Join this Pineapple Princess as her reign falls into hilarious and sticky chaos.
Who? New! International
Each season, BKBF presents several international debut authors whom we want to shine the light on for our audience. This year we present Swedish author and psychologist Lydia Sandgren (Collected Works, translated by Agnes Broomé), UK based editor and playwright Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi (The Centre) from Pakistan, Nigerian author and queer liberation activist Ani Kayode […]
Cooking Across Borders
Across the African diaspora today, the word “foodways” conjures movement that is both multidirectional and multidimensional. Maria Bradford (Sweet Salone: Recipes from the Heart of Sierra Leone), Kenny Gilbert (Southern Cooking, Global Flavors), and Pierre Thiam (Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen) embody personal and professional geographies that span the U.S., West […]
From Resilience to Redemption
Join three acclaimed authors who explore literature’s ability to navigate the complexities of injustice. Through the pages of The Golem of Brooklyn, Adam Mansbach blends Judaism, humor, and revenge to craft a fantastical story of empowerment that resonates across time. Richard Mirabella’s Brother & Sister Enter the Forest explores childhood trauma and tests the limits […]
Well Behaved People Rarely Make History
A mother of three who plots to escape a Muslim Uighur detention facility; a racketeer who rises in the male-dominated Harlem mafia to fund her community and take on the Italian mob as Prohibition ends; five teenagers hailing from throughout the global south who risk their lives on seeking asylum and a better future. These […]
Illuminating Tales of Urban Wonder
Alejandro Varela, Henry Hoke, Adam Levin, and Hilary Leichter explore urban living in their captivating, city-driven books. Join this panel discussion on community, identity, and the quest for belonging with Varela’s The People Who Report More Stress, a poignant exploration of LGBTQ identities and family dynamics with New York as the backdrop. In Mount Chicago, […]
Breaking All the Rules
Rules are made to be broken, especially when teens are charting their own destinies. Whether they’re looking for love in 1910s Chicago, experimenting with drag, or navigating family secrets from juvenile detention, sometimes the only way to survive societal expectations is to rewrite the rules completely. Bestselling author Krystal Marquis (The Davenports), debut novelist Dan […]
Artificial Intelligence: Will AI Need Us?
Last spring, 2000 scientists signed a cautionary letter warning about the profound risks to humanity if artificial intelligence systems continue to develop unregulated. Benefits from mundane mapping to robot vacuuming, auto-completed texts and editing, as well as sophisticated manufacturing, medical, and military systems, are already in place. That AI will move on to develop into […]
Reading Wars presented by The New York Review of Books
Reading and writing have rarely been as politicized in the US as they are today. While GOP governors and legislators enact bans on books and syllabuses they see as undermining core American values—targeting works that touch on race, gender, and sexuality—some on the Left have argued for purging syllabuses of once-canonical authors and even altering […]
A Half Century of Hip-Hop
This summer’s grand celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary was beautiful and affirming for longtime fans and practitioners of this perennially maligned and underestimated genre/subculture. Now that the landmark events have passed, what do we make of not just the story of hip-hop but its evolving place in the public imagination? Jonathan Abrams (The Come Up: […]
New York Waterfront Diary at The Invisible Dog Art Center (In-Person)
Join photographer Sophie Fenwick, along with Sean Corcoran, curator of prints and photographs at the Museum of the City of New York, writer Eddie Joyce, oral historian Nicki Pombier, and poet Silvina López Medin in conversation. They will be touching on common themes echoed in Fenwick’s unique and evocative portrait of New York’s changing waterfront, […]
