SUN SEPT 12
Noon and 5pm • Free
SPEAKER: AMY GOODMAN
Listen to Amy Goodman speak at the Brooklyn Book Festival this Sunday. At noon she will discuss the intellectual and popular influence of Howard Zinn. At 5pm she will be speaking about the depiction of conflict in both fiction and non-fiction, and the way these events can shape both our identity and engagement with our everyday lives.
Francis College McArdle Hall, 180 Remsen Street in Brooklyn
718-802-3852 • brooklynbookfestival.org
7pm • Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
BOOK PARTY: MICHAEL PARENTI GOD’S DEMON WARRIORS
In his latest book, God and His Demons, Michael Parenti brings his critical acumen and gifted writing skills to bear on the many evils committed in the name of godly virtue throughout history. Not a blanket condemnation of believers, the focus is on the threat posed by fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries.
Brecht Forum, 451 West St
212-242-4201 • brechtforum.org
Showing posts with label Brecht Forum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brecht Forum. Show all posts
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday, October 03, 2008
Oct. 10: Emergency Town Hall: An Offer We Can't Refuse?: Progressives Respond to the Wall Street Crisis
Hi,
We're still in Texas (Temple) but after that bizzare vice-presidential debate last Thursday and the Congressional approval of the taxpayer bailout of Wall Street here is something you should know about.
Friday, October 10, 7:00 pm
An Offer We Can't Refuse?: Progressives Respond to the Wall Street Crisis: An Emergency Town Hall
William Greider, Arun Gupta, Doug Henwood, Naomi Klein & Frances Fox Piven
Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(bt Bank and Bethune Sts)
Seats are limited. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. We're making every effort to convince CSPAN to broadcast this event and we'll also be making the proceedings available for listening online. Watch this space for details.
Co-sponsor: The Nation
The 10 scariest words you’ll ever hear:
“I am from Wall Street and I need your money”
The recent dizzying events on Wall Street and in Washington have left many progressives feeling outrage, unease, and, frankly, bafflement. How dare Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs (which raked in profits of $5.6 billion in 2005 under his watch), come to taxpayers with palms outstretched, demanding $700 billion with no strings attached? What should we make of the dire pronouncements that, should the people refuse the demands of King Henry and his courtiers on both sides of Congress, another Great Depression will be upon us? What are credit default swaps, anyway, and if they're worthless, why should we care? And what is the relationship between the crisis on Wall Street and the foreclosures and job losses gripping working-class communities across the country? To address these urgent questions and move toward a concerted progressive response, The Nation and the Brecht Forum are convening this emergency forum of leading left voices on economics and grassroots politics.
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
We're still in Texas (Temple) but after that bizzare vice-presidential debate last Thursday and the Congressional approval of the taxpayer bailout of Wall Street here is something you should know about.
Friday, October 10, 7:00 pm
An Offer We Can't Refuse?: Progressives Respond to the Wall Street Crisis: An Emergency Town Hall
William Greider, Arun Gupta, Doug Henwood, Naomi Klein & Frances Fox Piven
Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(bt Bank and Bethune Sts)
Seats are limited. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. We're making every effort to convince CSPAN to broadcast this event and we'll also be making the proceedings available for listening online. Watch this space for details.
Co-sponsor: The Nation
The 10 scariest words you’ll ever hear:
“I am from Wall Street and I need your money”
The recent dizzying events on Wall Street and in Washington have left many progressives feeling outrage, unease, and, frankly, bafflement. How dare Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs (which raked in profits of $5.6 billion in 2005 under his watch), come to taxpayers with palms outstretched, demanding $700 billion with no strings attached? What should we make of the dire pronouncements that, should the people refuse the demands of King Henry and his courtiers on both sides of Congress, another Great Depression will be upon us? What are credit default swaps, anyway, and if they're worthless, why should we care? And what is the relationship between the crisis on Wall Street and the foreclosures and job losses gripping working-class communities across the country? To address these urgent questions and move toward a concerted progressive response, The Nation and the Brecht Forum are convening this emergency forum of leading left voices on economics and grassroots politics.
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Foreign Policy of Barack Obama: A Discussion
Thursday, September 18
7:30 pm
An Innocent Abroad?
The Foreign Policy of Barack Obama
Brecht Forum
451 West Street (bt Bank & Bethune Sts)
(212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Refreshments will be available.
Tariq Ali, Norman Finkelstein, Greg Grandin, Christian Parenti, Jeremy Scahill & Marilyn B Young
Tariq Ali--New Left Review, author, The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power;
Norman Finkelstein--author, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History,;
Greg Grandin--NYU, author, Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism;
Christian Parenti--The Nation, author, Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis;
Jeremy Scahill--The Nation, author, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army;
Marilyn B Young, (NYU, author with Lloyd Gardner of Iraq and the Lessons of Vietnam.
7:30 pm
An Innocent Abroad?
The Foreign Policy of Barack Obama
Brecht Forum
451 West Street (bt Bank & Bethune Sts)
(212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Refreshments will be available.
Tariq Ali, Norman Finkelstein, Greg Grandin, Christian Parenti, Jeremy Scahill & Marilyn B Young
Barack Obama’s tilt at the 2008 US Presidency has excited many of those on the left, tantalized by his promises to withdraw from Iraq, introduce a more egalitarian tax system and expand health care. Yet Obama’s commitment to a progressive political agenda remains highly selective. In no area is this more apparent than foreign policy where he has called for an increased military presence in Afghanistan, expressed fulsome support for Israel, and declined to end the embargo on Cuba. So how should the left relate to the global perspectives of the Obama campaign? And what would a genuinely progressive American foreign policy look like?
Tariq Ali--New Left Review, author, The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power;
Norman Finkelstein--author, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History,;
Greg Grandin--NYU, author, Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism;
Christian Parenti--The Nation, author, Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis;
Jeremy Scahill--The Nation, author, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army;
Marilyn B Young, (NYU, author with Lloyd Gardner of Iraq and the Lessons of Vietnam.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Brecht Forum: Internship Opportunities
Summer & Fall Internship Opportunities at the Brecht Forum
The BRECHT FORUM is a place for people who are working for social justice, equality and a new culture that puts human needs first. Through its programs, classes and special events, the Brecht Forum brings people together across social and cultural boundaries and artistic and academic disciplines to promote critical analysis, creative thinking, and collaborative work.
The Brecht Forum is currently seeking interns for the Summer and Fall 2008
Summer dates: July 8 - August 29
Fall dates: Sept 8 - December 12
Interns would assist with all aspects of the day to day operations of the organization. The position will allow participants to develop critical skills such as non-profit management, community outreach & publicity, and video production, along with the opportunity to connect with other local progressive organizations and leading artists and intellectuals. In addition to these valuable life skills, interns will receive free admission to all Brecht programs, classes and special events as well.
Internship opportunities include:
Outreach: Working with the Outreach Coordinator in promoting Brecht Events. Tasks include flyering at special events, posting events to online calendars and bulletins, tabling at conferences and helping to develop & design additional materials.
Space management: Working alongside Brecht staff in preparing the gallery space for upcoming shows, lectures and classes. Helping out with the door at events as well as general space maintenance.
Research: Help develop programs through researching speakers, artists and films for possible events.
Qualifications: This is an opportunity geared to persons who have a strong interest in social justice issues and building progressive culture. Interns will commit to minimum of 10-15 hours a week, with more hours available if needed. Applicants must be detail oriented, have strong online researching skills and be able to work independently. A background in social movement history, and/or previous organizing experience in a related field is recommended but not required. People of color, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, and individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
For more information:
(212) 242-4201 or
Kazembe@brechtforum.org
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street,
www.brechtforum.org
The BRECHT FORUM is a place for people who are working for social justice, equality and a new culture that puts human needs first. Through its programs, classes and special events, the Brecht Forum brings people together across social and cultural boundaries and artistic and academic disciplines to promote critical analysis, creative thinking, and collaborative work.
The Brecht Forum is currently seeking interns for the Summer and Fall 2008
Summer dates: July 8 - August 29
Fall dates: Sept 8 - December 12
Interns would assist with all aspects of the day to day operations of the organization. The position will allow participants to develop critical skills such as non-profit management, community outreach & publicity, and video production, along with the opportunity to connect with other local progressive organizations and leading artists and intellectuals. In addition to these valuable life skills, interns will receive free admission to all Brecht programs, classes and special events as well.
Internship opportunities include:
Outreach: Working with the Outreach Coordinator in promoting Brecht Events. Tasks include flyering at special events, posting events to online calendars and bulletins, tabling at conferences and helping to develop & design additional materials.
Space management: Working alongside Brecht staff in preparing the gallery space for upcoming shows, lectures and classes. Helping out with the door at events as well as general space maintenance.
Research: Help develop programs through researching speakers, artists and films for possible events.
Qualifications: This is an opportunity geared to persons who have a strong interest in social justice issues and building progressive culture. Interns will commit to minimum of 10-15 hours a week, with more hours available if needed. Applicants must be detail oriented, have strong online researching skills and be able to work independently. A background in social movement history, and/or previous organizing experience in a related field is recommended but not required. People of color, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, and individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
For more information:
(212) 242-4201 or
Kazembe@brechtforum.org
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street,
www.brechtforum.org
Monday, June 23, 2008
July 1: Discussion: "Which Way is Left?"
Our very good friend Juliet Ucelli is speaking at an event at the Brecht Forum. This post should not be seen as an endorsement of any sort of vanguard party. I have noticed that each generation of activists re-invents "The Left." But these are good people and it should be an interesting dicussion.
Here's the info:
Tuesday, July 1, 7:30 pm
Which Way Is Left?
the Brecht Forum,
451 West St. (bt. Bank and Bethune sts.)
A new generation of left activists has begun to express the need for more than just single-issue activist groups and ad hoc coalitions. Some are raising the question of building a broad-based revolutionary organization, also known as a party or parties.
In association with Freedom Road's pamphlet Which Way is Left? Theory, Politics, Organization and 21st-Century Socialism, this forum will focus on the above topic.
Panelists:
Kamembe Balagun, writer, blackmanwithalibrary.com, Brecht Forum
Herm Jerome, NY Study Group--Party/Study/Party
Juliet Ucelli, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, OSCL
Kamau Franklin, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Questions to be explored include:
* Why do we need a broad-based, multi-issue revolutionary organization or party?
* What should it look like? Among what sectors should it be based?
* How might such an organization develop?
* What should be the relationship between a revolutionary organization and the mass social movements?
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum subscribers
Here's the info:
Tuesday, July 1, 7:30 pm
Which Way Is Left?
the Brecht Forum,
451 West St. (bt. Bank and Bethune sts.)
A new generation of left activists has begun to express the need for more than just single-issue activist groups and ad hoc coalitions. Some are raising the question of building a broad-based revolutionary organization, also known as a party or parties.
In association with Freedom Road's pamphlet Which Way is Left? Theory, Politics, Organization and 21st-Century Socialism, this forum will focus on the above topic.
Panelists:
Kamembe Balagun, writer, blackmanwithalibrary.com, Brecht Forum
Herm Jerome, NY Study Group--Party/Study/Party
Juliet Ucelli, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, OSCL
Kamau Franklin, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Questions to be explored include:
* Why do we need a broad-based, multi-issue revolutionary organization or party?
* What should it look like? Among what sectors should it be based?
* How might such an organization develop?
* What should be the relationship between a revolutionary organization and the mass social movements?
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum subscribers
Monday, June 16, 2008
June 19: Brecht Forum: Barack Obama and the Left
Thursday, June 19, 7:30 pm
A People's President? Barack Obama & the Left
Brecht Forum
451 West Street (between Bank & Bethune Streets,
Panelists include: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atlantic Monthly, Village Voice;
Doug Henwood, Left Business Observer;
Betsy Reed, The Nation;
Gary Younge, The Guardian/The Nation;
and others to be announced.
The Democratic Party may have unified behind Barack Obama's presidential bid, but the American left has not. Some progressives argue that we should largely silence our concerns about Obama's policy shortcomings, from Israel and Iraq to the economy and healthcare, at least until he gets elected. Others contend that his weakness on these and other issues is simply unforgiveable, and that the left should not be seen in such company. And yet a third group insists that though we should do so without illusions, critically supporting Barack's presidential bid opens opportunities for building progressive politics and perhaps even pulling the candidate in our direction.
...and if you don't leave either more confused or more outraged than you were before, we will have failed!
Our customary panel of eloquent and erudite experts will cover the spectrum of left attitudes towards Obama. We can't promise to resolve the debate. But we hope to make the issues at stake a little clearer, while informing, and even entertaining, along the way.
Refreshments will be served
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Phone: (212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org
A People's President? Barack Obama & the Left
Brecht Forum
451 West Street (between Bank & Bethune Streets,
Panelists include: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atlantic Monthly, Village Voice;
Doug Henwood, Left Business Observer;
Betsy Reed, The Nation;
Gary Younge, The Guardian/The Nation;
and others to be announced.
The Democratic Party may have unified behind Barack Obama's presidential bid, but the American left has not. Some progressives argue that we should largely silence our concerns about Obama's policy shortcomings, from Israel and Iraq to the economy and healthcare, at least until he gets elected. Others contend that his weakness on these and other issues is simply unforgiveable, and that the left should not be seen in such company. And yet a third group insists that though we should do so without illusions, critically supporting Barack's presidential bid opens opportunities for building progressive politics and perhaps even pulling the candidate in our direction.
...and if you don't leave either more confused or more outraged than you were before, we will have failed!
Our customary panel of eloquent and erudite experts will cover the spectrum of left attitudes towards Obama. We can't promise to resolve the debate. But we hope to make the issues at stake a little clearer, while informing, and even entertaining, along the way.
Refreshments will be served
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Phone: (212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org
Monday, April 14, 2008
April 16: BOOK PARTY / FORUM: Ferentz Lafargue
Songs in the Key of My Life
Ferentz Lafargue
Wednesday, April 16, 7:30 pm
BOOK PARTY/FORUM
Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(between Bank & Bethune Streets)
Phone: (212) 242-4201
Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org
Ferentz Lafargue discusses his new memoir, Songs in the Key of My Life. Inspired by the seminal Stevie Wonder novel, he explores connections between memorable songs and memorable moments in his life.
Moderated by blogger and music critic Jalylah Burrell, the discussion will be followed by a book signing, and brief listening party featuring many of the songs from Songs in the Key of My Life.
Ferentz Lafargue is an assistant professor of literature at The New School for Liberal Arts, Eugene Lang College. He holds a PhD in American and African American Studies from Yale University. Born in Haiti, Ferentz joined his parents in Jamaica, Queens in 1981 . His essays have appeared in many collections. He currently shares his thoughts on contemporary events and politics at The Huffington Post.
Suggested donation: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Monday, January 28, 2008
February 8,: BOOK PARTY / FORUM: Urbane Revolutionary: C.L.R. James & the Struggle for a New Society
Friday, February 8, 7:30 pm
BOOK PARTY / FORUM
Urbane Revolutionary:
C.L.R. James & the Struggle for a New Society
Frank Rosengarten
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
In his presentation of his new book, Urbane Revolutionary: C.L.R. James and the Struggle for a New Society, Frank Rosengarten will look at six controversial questions in James's life and work.
BOOK PARTY / FORUM
Urbane Revolutionary:
C.L.R. James & the Struggle for a New Society
Frank Rosengarten
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
In his presentation of his new book, Urbane Revolutionary: C.L.R. James and the Struggle for a New Society, Frank Rosengarten will look at six controversial questions in James's life and work.
Feb. 7: F ilm: NO! The Rape Documentary
Thursday, February 7, 7:30 pm
FILM & DISCUSSION:
NO!
The Rape Documentary
Discussion with Filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
Sliding scale $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
This feature length documentary explores the international reality of rape and other forms of sexual assault through the through intimate first person testimonies from Black women victim-survivors, commentaries from acclaimed African-American scholars and community leaders, archival footage, spirited music, transformational dance, and performance poetry.
Produced and directed by incest and rape survivor Aishah Shahidah Simmons over a period of 11 years, seven of which were full time, NO! is a Black feminist educational organizing tool, which is being used in the global movement to end violence against women and children. Winner of an audience choice award and a juried award at the San Diego Women Film Festival, NO! also explores how rape is used as a weapon of homophobia.
(Aishah Shahidah Simmons is an award-winning African-American feminist lesbian independent documentary filmmaker, television and radio producer, published writer, international lecturer, and activist based in Philadelphia, PA.)
FILM & DISCUSSION:
NO!
The Rape Documentary
Discussion with Filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
Sliding scale $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
This feature length documentary explores the international reality of rape and other forms of sexual assault through the through intimate first person testimonies from Black women victim-survivors, commentaries from acclaimed African-American scholars and community leaders, archival footage, spirited music, transformational dance, and performance poetry.
Produced and directed by incest and rape survivor Aishah Shahidah Simmons over a period of 11 years, seven of which were full time, NO! is a Black feminist educational organizing tool, which is being used in the global movement to end violence against women and children. Winner of an audience choice award and a juried award at the San Diego Women Film Festival, NO! also explores how rape is used as a weapon of homophobia.
(Aishah Shahidah Simmons is an award-winning African-American feminist lesbian independent documentary filmmaker, television and radio producer, published writer, international lecturer, and activist based in Philadelphia, PA.)
Class: Red Threads in the 20th Century
Tuesday, February 05, 7:30 pm
Red Threads in the 20th Century
Mapping the Organized Left & Its Political Impact in the U.S.
6-Session class begins
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
The social rupture of 1968 grew out of—and, at the same time, subverted—the legacy of earlier left political movements. After more than a decade of suppression, the U.S. left reemerged in both new and old forms. Their influence on 20th century social movements–and society as a whole--was much greater than their membership numbers or bases of sympathizers.
This series of discussions will explore the thinking and experiences of some of the main revolutionary and left-reformist parties and trends, from the decades pre-World War I to post-Soviet.
Ethan Young is a writer/editor with a sordid background of radical activism beginning in high school in the 60s. He has since moved to the left.
Red Threads in the 20th Century
Mapping the Organized Left & Its Political Impact in the U.S.
6-Session class begins
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
The social rupture of 1968 grew out of—and, at the same time, subverted—the legacy of earlier left political movements. After more than a decade of suppression, the U.S. left reemerged in both new and old forms. Their influence on 20th century social movements–and society as a whole--was much greater than their membership numbers or bases of sympathizers.
This series of discussions will explore the thinking and experiences of some of the main revolutionary and left-reformist parties and trends, from the decades pre-World War I to post-Soviet.
Ethan Young is a writer/editor with a sordid background of radical activism beginning in high school in the 60s. He has since moved to the left.
Feb. 1: Discussion: Columbia, Harlem & the World
Friday, February 01, 7:30 pm
1968 REVISITED
Columbia University, Harlem & the World
Kazembe Balagun, Thulani Davis, Bryan Mercer, Mark Rudd & Others TBA
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
During the world-wide revolutionary upsurges of 1968, Columbia University was the site of a series of important and interconnected struggles. As the protest movements against the seemingly endless war in Vietnam continued to escalate in size and militancy, Columbia students and community members were simultaneously organizing against the Universities plans to expand into Harlem, displacing thousands of mostly black residents. These campaigns, targeting both the war at home and abroad, led to several interesting alliances and coalitions both on and off campus.
[Having been at Columbia in 1968, I have always believed that if it hadn't been for the coalition between Black and white students at Columbia College the university would have acted quite differently - the police would have been called in much sooner and the rebellion would not have had the chance to build on campus.- Dan]
40 years later the world has changed dramatically, yet we still find ourselves fighting many of these same struggles. Another endless war, a new series of proposed expansions by Columbia, a new generation of activists and organizers who are pushing back on neo-liberalism and empire.
An intergenerational dialogue between former and current student organizers who, drawing on a rich history and the current political context, discuss strategies for moving forward.
1968 REVISITED
Columbia University, Harlem & the World
Kazembe Balagun, Thulani Davis, Bryan Mercer, Mark Rudd & Others TBA
The Brecht Forum
451 West Street
Directions
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
During the world-wide revolutionary upsurges of 1968, Columbia University was the site of a series of important and interconnected struggles. As the protest movements against the seemingly endless war in Vietnam continued to escalate in size and militancy, Columbia students and community members were simultaneously organizing against the Universities plans to expand into Harlem, displacing thousands of mostly black residents. These campaigns, targeting both the war at home and abroad, led to several interesting alliances and coalitions both on and off campus.
[Having been at Columbia in 1968, I have always believed that if it hadn't been for the coalition between Black and white students at Columbia College the university would have acted quite differently - the police would have been called in much sooner and the rebellion would not have had the chance to build on campus.- Dan]
40 years later the world has changed dramatically, yet we still find ourselves fighting many of these same struggles. Another endless war, a new series of proposed expansions by Columbia, a new generation of activists and organizers who are pushing back on neo-liberalism and empire.
An intergenerational dialogue between former and current student organizers who, drawing on a rich history and the current political context, discuss strategies for moving forward.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Jan 17: Brecht Forum: Beneath the Froth of the Democratic Race
Primary Colors
Thursday, January 17, 7:00 pm
THIRD THURSDAYS
Beneath the Froth of the Democratic Race
Kat Aaron, Jean Carey Bond, Laura Flanders & Others TBA
The BRECHT FORUM
451 West Street (Between Bank & Bethune)
(212) 242- 4201
Hillary can only win if she cries. Barack can only talk race if he doesn’t mention it by name. “Change” is the watchword of the day but no one can say what they’ll do that’s different. So how do those on the left relate to the carnival of the Democratic presidential primaries? Is it all just bread and circuses to sell more newspapers and distract from the real issues at hand? Or are there hidden meanings on the campaign trail that we need to unpack and debate? In the first of a new series of rapid response discussions, where the best critical commentators in town take on a hot button issue of the day, the Brecht Forum’s Third Thursday looks at Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond to ask “What’s any of this got to do with us?” Come along and join the conversation.Starting in 2008, join us on the Third Thursday of each month to dig beneath the headlines and late breaking news. We'll have analysts on hand to help guide a lively discussion. Check back for updates on topics and speakers.
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Thursday, January 17, 7:00 pm
THIRD THURSDAYS
Beneath the Froth of the Democratic Race
Kat Aaron, Jean Carey Bond, Laura Flanders & Others TBA
The BRECHT FORUM
451 West Street (Between Bank & Bethune)
(212) 242- 4201
Hillary can only win if she cries. Barack can only talk race if he doesn’t mention it by name. “Change” is the watchword of the day but no one can say what they’ll do that’s different. So how do those on the left relate to the carnival of the Democratic presidential primaries? Is it all just bread and circuses to sell more newspapers and distract from the real issues at hand? Or are there hidden meanings on the campaign trail that we need to unpack and debate? In the first of a new series of rapid response discussions, where the best critical commentators in town take on a hot button issue of the day, the Brecht Forum’s Third Thursday looks at Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond to ask “What’s any of this got to do with us?” Come along and join the conversation.Starting in 2008, join us on the Third Thursday of each month to dig beneath the headlines and late breaking news. We'll have analysts on hand to help guide a lively discussion. Check back for updates on topics and speakers.
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Nov.13: Meet Vietnamese public health doctor/researcher Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong
Here's a note from Merle Ratner that I wanted to share with you:
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7:30 -9:00 pm
A reception for Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong
The Brecht Forum,
451 West Street
(between Bank & Bethune Streets)
A leading Vietnamese public health doctor/researcher on the affects of Agent Orange from Vietnam is visiting the U.S. to attend the American Public Health Association and to meet with people in DC, N.Y. and Boston.
Come Meet Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong and hear about the affects of Agent Orange on the women and children of Vietnam. Dr. Phuong is the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical University of HCM City. She has also established a training program for rural midwives from ethnic minorities living in the Central Highlands who use their own languages to educate people about reproductive health issues.
Hope you can attend and invite your friends and colleagues.
See you on the 13th.
Merle Ratner
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7:30 -9:00 pm
A reception for Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong
The Brecht Forum,
451 West Street
(between Bank & Bethune Streets)
A leading Vietnamese public health doctor/researcher on the affects of Agent Orange from Vietnam is visiting the U.S. to attend the American Public Health Association and to meet with people in DC, N.Y. and Boston.
Come Meet Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong and hear about the affects of Agent Orange on the women and children of Vietnam. Dr. Phuong is the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical University of HCM City. She has also established a training program for rural midwives from ethnic minorities living in the Central Highlands who use their own languages to educate people about reproductive health issues.
Hope you can attend and invite your friends and colleagues.
See you on the 13th.
Merle Ratner
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Brecht Forum: Black August events (early schedule)
Here's some info about the Brecht Forum's Black August program:
Thursday, August 2, 7:30 pm
James Baldwin Birthday Celebration
James Baldwin: Life and Legacies:
An Activist-Artist Round table
With: Kenyon Farrow,Joan Gibbs, Reggie Gossett, Anika Haynes, Hank Williams, Ajamu Sankofa,
Friday, August 3, 7:30 pm
3-DAY MARATHON FILM SCREENING BEGINS
"What We Want"
"What We Believe"
"The Black Panther Party Library"
With: Ashanti Alston, S.E. Anderson, Roz Payne & Others TBA
Thursday, August 9, 7:30 pm
FILMS & DISCUSSION
"Cuba Negra"
Discussion with Filmmaker Ricardo Bacallao
Thursday, August 2, 7:30 pm
James Baldwin Birthday Celebration
James Baldwin: Life and Legacies:
An Activist-Artist Round table
With: Kenyon Farrow,Joan Gibbs, Reggie Gossett, Anika Haynes, Hank Williams, Ajamu Sankofa,
Friday, August 3, 7:30 pm
3-DAY MARATHON FILM SCREENING BEGINS
"What We Want"
"What We Believe"
"The Black Panther Party Library"
With: Ashanti Alston, S.E. Anderson, Roz Payne & Others TBA
Thursday, August 9, 7:30 pm
FILMS & DISCUSSION
"Cuba Negra"
Discussion with Filmmaker Ricardo Bacallao
Thursday, July 05, 2007
7/13: Three-day seminar begins-Capitalism & Other Unnatural Disasters
Here's some excellent info from the Brecht Forum:
Friday, July 13, 9:30am - 6:00pm
29th Annual Intensive Introduction to Marxism: Capitalism & Other Unnatural Disasters
Three-day seminar begins
With Stanley Aronowitz, Bhairavi Desai, Sujatha Fernandes, Forrest Hylton, Lisa Maya Knauer, Randy Martin, Biju Mathew, Rene Francisco Poitevin, Heather Rogers, Anwar Shaikh & Others TBA
The BRECHT FORUM
451 West Street (Bt Bank & Bethune)
(212) 242- 4201
(1, 2, 3 A, C, E to 14th St,
14A, 11, 20 buses to Abingdon Square (where 8th Avenue meets Hudson St)
8 bus to 10th & West Sts
L to 8th Ave @14th St.)
Sliding Scale: $75 - $95
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
In the face of the pervasive war, poverty and environmental destruction that mark our times and even threaten life on this planet, people are beginning to take a fresh look at the complicity of capitalism in perpetuating these ills. Through lectures, readings and lively discussion, in an adamantly open-minded environment, participants will be introduced to Karl Marx' revolutionary critique of capitalism--not to find a ready-made blueprint for change, nor a dogma that excludes other
traditions, but for tools of analysis that can help us to think more strategically and act more effectively.
Friday, July 13, 9:30am - 6:00pm
29th Annual Intensive Introduction to Marxism: Capitalism & Other Unnatural Disasters
Three-day seminar begins
With Stanley Aronowitz, Bhairavi Desai, Sujatha Fernandes, Forrest Hylton, Lisa Maya Knauer, Randy Martin, Biju Mathew, Rene Francisco Poitevin, Heather Rogers, Anwar Shaikh & Others TBA
The BRECHT FORUM
451 West Street (Bt Bank & Bethune)
(212) 242- 4201
(1, 2, 3 A, C, E to 14th St,
14A, 11, 20 buses to Abingdon Square (where 8th Avenue meets Hudson St)
8 bus to 10th & West Sts
L to 8th Ave @14th St.)
Sliding Scale: $75 - $95
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers
In the face of the pervasive war, poverty and environmental destruction that mark our times and even threaten life on this planet, people are beginning to take a fresh look at the complicity of capitalism in perpetuating these ills. Through lectures, readings and lively discussion, in an adamantly open-minded environment, participants will be introduced to Karl Marx' revolutionary critique of capitalism--not to find a ready-made blueprint for change, nor a dogma that excludes other
traditions, but for tools of analysis that can help us to think more strategically and act more effectively.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Annette Rubinstein, 1910-2007
Annette Rubinstein 1910-2007
Annette T. Rubinstein died on June 20 at 97.
The left and progressive forces in the U.S. and around the world have been greatly diminished by her death.
A memorial will be held on Sunday, September 23, 2:00-5:00pm
At the Brecht Forum.
All are invited.
An active socialist for 75 years, Annette was the author of innumerable articles in Science & Society, Monthly Review, Mainstream and Jewish Currents, among others. She wrote the standard progressive introduction to English literature, The Great Tradition: From Shakespeare to Shaw as well as American Literature: Root and Flower, an invaluable overview of that country's literary history. Both emphasize the massive, but officially hidden, presence of the literature of resistance to oppression at the heart of the history and development of modern English language and literature.
In recent years when she was in the country Annette did most of her speaking in classes at the Brecht Forum (New York Marxist School) where she taught since it opened its doors in the Fall of 1975 and continued to teach classes on literature, drama and politics until her last class on Brecht's Galileo this Spring.
In her last public appearance, on the occasion of her 97th birthday in April, Annette returned to the topic of the literature of resistance in her talk and gathered her strength to do an effective public reading in Shelley’s The Mask of Anarchy.
In the 1940s she founded and led the Robert Louis Stevenson school, an innovative primary and secondary school in New York, and during World War II served on Mayor LaGuardia's commission on the status of children in wartime. She was an unsuccessful candidate for congress on the American Labor Party (ALP) ticket in a district on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and also served as state vice chair of the ALP. In 1958 she ran for Lieutenant Governor of New York State as an Independent Socialist candidate. Annette took the 5th amendment when asked by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy if she were a member of the Communist party. McCarthy replied that she was the most charming communist who had sat before his committee, to which she responded, "Aren't you jumping to conclusions, Senator."
Rubinstein was a key adviser to radical New York congressman Vito Marcantonio throughout his career. On his death she edited I Vote My Conscience: Speeches and Writings of Vito Marcantonio 1935-1950.
She also taught widely and was a visiting professor at universities in Eastern Europe and China. Despite her many intellectual and organizational contributions to a global community of activists and left intellectuals, notably at New York City's Brecht Forum, and to Science & Society, Monthly Review and many other publications, she was most proud of her activism. She played an important role in the struggle against racial and class oppression in the New York public schools and would speak anywhere, from street corners to Madison Square Garden.
(I have adapted this from John Bellamy Foster's obituary for Annette at Monthly Review.org)
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