[field notes nyc] things to do in new york: aug 10 - 16

📚 Franklin Park Reading Series: Powerhouse Women
8pm | Franklin Park: 618 St. Johns Place, Brooklyn | Free

“Join us for a star-studded lineup of Powerhouse Women — Deb Olin Unferth (Earth 7), Julie Buntin (Famous Men), Elizabeth Crane (That May Not Mean What You Think), Patricia Park (Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic), Daikon (New Skin), and Rebecca Chace (Talking to the Wolf), sharing newly released fiction! Mingle with fellow lit enthusiasts, enjoy cheap brews, and get a shot at our readers’ latest books in our free-to-enter raffle!”

🎞️ Exhibition Opening: When The Camera Looks
6–8pm | Strother School of Radical Attention: 55 Washington St #736, Brooklyn | Free

“Join us to celebrate the opening of our summer show, When The Camera Looks, featuring short films by Claudia Claremi and The Friends of Attention that re-encounter the camera and screen as technologies altering our relationship to space and time. Anthesis (2023) and The Mirror Image: Attention and Infinite Reflection (2022) each document outdoor gatherings where The Friends of Attention activated protocols engaging with the technological conditions of filming and film-making. In the spirit of these experimental gatherings, we will invite you to a small indoor picnic with a flower arrangement table.”

📚 André Aciman & Sarah Maxwell-McNicol: Call Me by Your Name
6–7pm | Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Heights Branch: 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn

“A modern classic reimagined: a sundrenched graphic novel adaptation of one of the greatest love stories of our time. On the Italian Riviera, Elio welcomes his father’s house guest. Oliver is the picture of arrogance – all billowing shirts and snide comments – and Elio is convinced that Oliver will be someone he’ll grow to hate. Thrown together, a friendship blossoms as the pair spend endless hours walking treelined streets, enjoying sun-soaked lunches, and besting each other at tennis.”

📖 Reading 101: One-Year Anniversary
Doors 6:30, readings 7pm | Night Club 101: 101 Avenue A, Manhattan

“READING 101 celebrates its one-year anniversary. Readings from Mary H.K. Choi, Tony Tulathimutte, Hannah Aizenman, greta rainbow, and Rachel Stone. Music by DJ Jago.”

🎭 International Puppet Fringe NYC — Opening Night (through Aug 16)
6pm | The Clemente: 107 Suffolk St, Manhattan | Price varies

“The International Puppet Fringe Festival, New York’s only international fringe festival dedicated to puppetry, returns August 12th to 16th, 2026, and will once again feature performances by leading puppet makers and troupes from around the world. Produced by Teatro SEA and Grupo Morán (The Morán Group) with the support of The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Education Center.”

🚦 Changing Lanes: Screening and Q&A
6:30–8:30pm | SVA Theatre: 333 W 23rd St, Manhattan | $15

“What does it look like when a neighborhood fights to make its streets safer? Changing Lanes follows the multi-year effort to transform Brooklyn’s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Boulevard and how its redesign—from a four-lane boulevard into a safer, two-lane street with protected bike lanes—became a political flashpoint within the community. Filmed over the course of three years spanning the Adams and Mamdani administrations, the documentary captures a fascinating story of democracy at street level.”

👗 Fashion in Frame: Yves Saint Laurent’s Designs and Photography
6:30–8pm | ICP: 84 Ludlow St, Manhattan | $5

“Join us at ICP for a conversation between fashion historian Raissa Bretaña and ICP Creative Director David Campany on the occasion of ICP’s latest exhibition, Yves Saint Laurent and Photography. Bretaña and Campany will discuss the visual trajectory of Saint Laurent’s career, including his debut haute couture collection in 1962, his foray into film with projects such as Belle du Jour, as well as his ever-increasing presence in front of the camera.”

🔤 Czechoslovak Lettering Tour with Paul Shaw
6:30–7:30pm | Poster House: 119 W 23rd St, Manhattan | $20

“Join design historian Paul Shaw at Poster House for a tour of From Monarchy to Modernity: Travel, Identity, & the Czechoslovak First Republic (1918–1938), focused specifically on lettering. Explore how artists and designers used expressive typographic styles to shape ideas about travel, national identity, and contemporary life. Whether you’re a type enthusiast or new to lettering, you’ll discover fascinating details about the forms, techniques, and cultural context behind the bold, modern lines and colors of Czechoslovakia’s golden age of posters.”

🍷 Poetry and Pours: A Wine and Poetry Tasting
7–9pm | June Wine Bar: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn | $80 ($75pp for Date Night pair)

“Can wine help you taste language? Come find out at Poetry & Pours, an immersive experience that explores the way both wine and poetry can awaken and transform the senses. The event will feature a tasting menu of five seasonal wines from June, a natural wine bar in Cobble Hill, paired with poems hand-selected by local poets Sharon Lin and Stephanie Niu to highlight the sensory qualities, mood, and notes of each glass.”

📺 Emmy’s Round Table and Q & A Panel
6 - 8pm | W New York - Times Square: 1567 Broadway, Manhattan | Free RSVP

“As Emmy season heats up, W New York – Times Square is bringing the pros behind this year’s most talked-about TV straight to the Theater District. On Thursday, August 13th at 6pm, the property will host a live Round Table + Q&A featuring Emmy Award winners and nominees from fan favorites shows including Hacks, Beef, SNL, Sirens, and The Penguin.”