Thursday, May 9
“The Other Annexation: Gradual Takeover of Belarus by Russia” lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. A moderated panel of five speakers discusses the gradual erosion of Belarusian sovereignty and its far-reaching consequences. Information is here.
Beers & Gears from 4:30 to 10 p.m. at REI CX at 181 Morgan Ave., North Point, Cambridge. Free, but register. A mobile bike shop pop-up gives free bike checks outside the REI CX store, followed by a free, social-pace 10-mile bike ride on the newly finished Somerville Community Bike Path. Return to Lamplighter CX taproom for a free beverage. Information is here. (Update on May 9, 2024: This event has been rescheduled for May 16.)
Jamaica Kincaid reads from “An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, or $28.69 with book. During this event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store, the Harvard professor of African and African American Studies and novelist discusses her “ABCs” of the plants that define our world and reveals the often brutal history of colonialism behind them. Kalyani Saxena, associate producer for WBUR’s “Here & Now,” joins. Information is here.
Joan Nathan reads from “My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12, or $50 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of “Jewish Cooking in America” and “The Jewish Holiday Kitchen” discusses her most personal book yet, about her own family’s story. Jewish Women’s Archive CEO Judith Rosenbaum joins. Information is here.
After Dark Series: Teeny/Tiny from 6 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and 21-plus. Meet professor Kevin Chen of MIT’s Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory and get a close-up look at his insect-inspired research, plus learn how to manipulate magnetic fluids and fold your own microscope to take home. Pizzas from Za and local brews from Lamplighter are available for purchase. Information is here.
Clea Simon reads from “Bad Boy Beat” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling author of “To Conjure a Killer” and “Hold Me Down” discusses her new novel about a rookie journalist who discovers patterns in the deaths of some low-level criminals she covers for the newspaper. Information is here.
Jazz pianist Fabian Almazan presents “We Call This Home” multimedia work at 7 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but register. The Cuban-American presents his compositions about South Florida’s “sacrifice zones,” which suffer from environmental and economic neglect. He performs with Linda May Han Oh (bass), Mark Whitfield II (drums) and Samuel Tommie (flute, spoken word). Information is here.
Mary Dearborn reads from “Carson McCullers: A Life” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The author of seven biographies describes how a cache of materials that surfaced in the past decade helped her present the first full picture of the brilliant, complex artist who wrote “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” at age 23. Local poet and literary historian Mary Baine Campbell joins. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville (and continuing weekends through June). $30 and 18-plus. For its final season at the Rockwell, the troupe presents a one-hour version of the Bard’s comedy made even more zany because one actor randomly selected drinks before and during the performance, leaving the remaining sober cast to incorporate, rectify, justify and generally improvise around the drunkenness. Information is here.
Paint Your Pride with Alex Makes Art from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free, but register. A playful night of artistry and community building in a safe and supportive space. Create a mixed media work in paint using various techniques; if you choose, enter it into the Pride Showcase at the library’s Gallery@SPL. Materials provided. Information is here.
Pub Sing from 7 to 10 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and the second Thursday of each month). Free. A pub-style singalong where anyone is welcome to lead – drinking songs, sea chanteys and any song with a singable chorus will be appreciated! Information is here.
““Mermaid Hour”” at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through May 19). $45 to $55 and 13-plus. David Valdes’ fast-paced, funny play about Vi, a busy trans teen balancing a first crush, dreams and a goal to become an Internet sensation, and Pilar and Bird, who try to get it right with their parenting but aren’t often on the same page. Bridget Kathleen O’Leary directs. (Masks required.) Information is here.
Soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome solo and in quartet at 8 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15 to $20. The New York global artist improvises solo and with Boston’s Steve Lantner (piano), Brittany Karlson (bass) and Eric Rosenthal (drums) as part of Boston’s Creative Music Series, which showcases the work of adventurous jazz musicians. Information is here.
Friday, May 10
“It’s Personal” Music Festival: The Sound of Our Stories from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Soloists and student groups including the Gaia and Jasmine quartets explore memoir, travelog, conversation and argument. Information is here.
Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the King Open/Cambridge Street Upper School & Community Complex, 840 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge (and continuing May 11 in Somerville). Free and all ages. Celebrate food and identity over two days with events including a documentary screening of “Off the Menu: Asian America,” demos by local chefs, a Hawaiian dance performance, food vendors, art activities, tastings from local Asian restaurants and a recipe exhibit – and bring a potluck dish if you wish. It concludes Saturday with a sidewalk parade, Holi Festival and color throwing. Information is here.
“In Other Eyes” open mic from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, but register. Interdisciplinary artist Wen-hao Tien selects – with respect – from poems, songs, stories and dances shared by community members and incorporates some into a sculpture for The Foundry yard. Information is here.
Cambridge Art Association’s spring art party from 6 to 9 p.m. at CAA@Canal, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $125. Annual fundraiser celebrating the regional arts community with live portraits, open bar, catered bites, a performance by Digital Soup and silent auction. Information is here.
North Indian classical music at 7 p.m. at the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Mike Jarjoura on sitar and Barinder Singh Banwait on tabla. Information is here.
Dance/Works at 7 p.m at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (and continuing May 11). $5 to $10. Performances feature a range of styles and music, danced and choreographed by CRLS students, plus guest-choreographed works from alumni or dancers in the Boston area. Information is here.
Isaac Arnsdorf reads from “Finish What We Started: The Maga Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The award-winning Washington Post reporter draws on his nationwide on-the-ground reporting to narrate the tale of ordinary Americans’ involvement in Maga’s origins, evolution and future. “Tyranny of the Minority” author Steven Levitsky joins. Information is here.
Doris Kearns Goodwin reads from “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s” at 7 p.m. at First Parish in the Cambridge Meeting House, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square. $12, or $42 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the Pulitzer-winning author describes how a “personal time capsule” of materials she and her husband kept from their time working under Lyndon Johnson became a shared project to chronicle and reassess a decade. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (continued) from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 21-plus. Information is here.
Reel Rock film tour screening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Kendall/MIT Open Space at 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Watch four of the best new films about climbing around the world. Presented with the MIT Outing Club. Information is here.
Back Bay Chorale & Orchestra presents “Fragile Freedoms” at 7:30 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $70. The question “How do we move through, and past, uncertain times?” explored by David Lang’s “The National Anthems” (2014), Reena Esmail’s “When the Violin” (2018) and Franz Josef Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis (Nelson Mass) Hob. XXII/11 (1798). Caron Daley conducts. Information is here.
MIT Music & Theater Arts presents “Fresh: Jazz, Rap and Hip-Hop” at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free to $10. The MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, rappers from the “Rap Theory and Practice” class led by Wasalu “Lupe Fiasco” Jaco and MIT (and area) hip-hop dancers led by MIT’s McKersin Previlus perform. Special guests include Hamilton-Garrett Center’s Drumline and Youth Choir and members of MIT’s Laptop Ensemble. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. Information is here.
Dance Friday: Spring Fling from 8 to 10 p.m. at St. Mary Orthodox Church, 8 Inman St., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20 and all ages. Dance barefoot in an atmosphere of friendship, acceptance and trust to a range of music. Sponsored by the Movement Collective. Information is here.
The Kira Daglio Fine Big Band performs for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $14 to $23. A 16-piece jazz ensemble of up-and-coming musicians play for this social partner dance that includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required. Information is here.
Afro-Soul: The New Vibe from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Dx@Dunster, 33 Dunster St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 and 21-plus. DJ Vyper and DJ Tipsy fuse Afro-beats, neo-soul, house music and reggae. Hosted by Urban Elevation’s Selvin Chambers. Information is here.
Underground Magic with Jonathan Vale at 9:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and 21-plus. Interactive magic and mind reading based on storytelling, philosophy and psychology, producing a connective, collective audience experience. Information is here.
Saturday, May 11
People’s History Walk of Davis and Ball squares from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. meeting at the main plaza of Davis Square, Somerville. Free, but register. Through history and personal stories, a local guide describes how the once-dubbed “Slummerville” has transformed due to demographic shifts and changing trends. Ends at House of Kebab with complimentary appetizers. Information is here.
TC Squared’s New Play Festival at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $25. Fifteen new plays by 15 playwrights, developed in TC2’s PlayLab. Information is here.
LadiesCon from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. An annual celebration of comics, science fiction, fantasy, cosplay and other realms of pop culture with a special focus on women, nonbinary people and the LGBTQ+ community. Information is here.
Mom Loves Art vendor fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free. Foundry-based artist Trinette McDowell brings in vendors selling art and handmade items and offers Mother’s Day card making ($5 fee). Information is here.
Boston Women’s Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Caffè Nero and Shake Shack at 375 Assembly Row, Assembly Square, Somerville. Free. Thirty women small-business owners, makers and artists sell their works and wares outdoors. Information is here.
PorchFest from noon to 6 p.m. Free. Audience members experience live music by traveling around Somerville to see performers on porches and in yards. Musicians perform from noon to 2 p.m. in spots west of Willow Avenue; from 2 to 4 p.m. between Willow Avenue and Central Street; and from 4 to 6 p.m. in areas east of Central Street. Information is here.
Greek GyroFest from noon to 8 p.m. at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 29 Central St., Spring Hill, Somerville (and continuing May 12). Free. Mini version of the church’s late summer food fest, with gyro, chicken kabob, spanakopita, rice, salad, baklava and loukoumades sold and served. Information is here.
Be Free Radio “Joy!” party from 1 to 7 p.m. at Magazine Beach, at the river end of Magazine Street, Cambridgeport. Free. Inclusive and family-friendly dancing on an outdoor dance floor, honoring women in the underground house music scene, led by host and DJ Jenene Cook with DJ Luna del Flor and New York City special guest DJ Mia Phillips. Empanadas from Chiqui’s Kitchen. Information is here.
“The Goldilocks of Black Holes” and “Canine Friends” lectures at 2 and 3 p.m. at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Classroom B, in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Two separate half-hour “spotlight” talks by Harvard postdoctoral students (an astronomer and a neuroscientist). Information is here.
Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival (continued) from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free and all ages. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 2 and 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. (Masks required for the 2 p.m. show.) Information is here.
Dance/Works (continued) at 7 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $5 to $10. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (continued) from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 21-plus. Information is here.
The Sarasa Ensemble presents “Birds of a Feather” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $25. The finale of the chamber group’s 25th year focuses on elements of freedom and improvisation in 17th century music. Includes Rosenmüller, Reincken, Westhoff, Schmelzer, Scheid and Bach (harpsichord concerto in E major), plus a talk by anthropologist Bret Gustafson. Information is here.
Belarusian guitarist Uladzimir Puhach at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $40 donation is appreciated. An acoustic evening with the frontman of J:Mors, a pop rock band formed in 1999 in Minsk. Information is here.
Brazil Night double bill: Receita de Samba and Henrique Eisenmann Trio from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $30. Husband-and-wife duo vocalist Anna Borges and pianist Bill Ward perform pure-form samba and bossa nova along with regional specialties, supported by Fernando Huergo (bass), Mark Walker (drums) and Gabriel Meirelles (percussion). São Paulo-born pianist Henrique Eisenmann improvises with Huergo and Walker. Information is here.
Musica Sacra presents “In Music is Such Art” choral music set to texts of Shakespeare at 8 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $30 to $50. The nonprofit choral ensemble founded in 1959 explores works by composers – 19th century through modern – who have set to music the Bard’s poetry or soliloquies from his plays. Information is here.
Dance Now Boston from 8 to 9:15 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing May 12, 18 and 19). $10 to $50. An annual series creatively pairing dance artists from New York and Boston. This weekend, Boston’s Jimena Bermejo, Lynn Modell, Marcus Schulkind and Tony Williams in tandem with The Bang Group from New York City. Information is here.
A Spring Balinese Gamelan Concert from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Free, but register. This performance will include selections from the MIT Gamelan Class and Gamelan Galak Tika under the direction of Gusti Komin rich with gongs, metallophones, hand drums and bamboo flutes. Information is here.
Sunday, May 12
M.O.M.’s Run at 10 a.m. at George Dilboy VFW Post 529, 351 Summer St., Davis Square, Somerville. Free to watch, $40 to enter if space still available on race day. As a fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Mary O’Brien Memorial 5K run/walk returns after a pandemic hiatus, now partnered with Somerville Road Runners. Information is here.
Mother’s Day Mimosa Cruise from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. leaving from canal-entrance side of CambridgeSide Mall, 100 CambridgeSide Place, East Cambridge. $20 to $30. A 90-minute cruise of the Charles River that includes a mimosa (for guests 21-plus), music and partially narrated tour of the historic and cultural sights. Information is here.
Vintage clothing pop-up market from noon to 6:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. More than 40 vendors, tooth gems, tats, live DJs, screen-printing, free yerba and more, presented by Select Markets. Information is here.
Greek GyroFest (continued) from noon to 8 p.m. at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 29 Central St., Spring Hill, Somerville. Free. Information is here.
“Blood on the Clocktower” game meetup from 1:30 to 4:15 p.m. at Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. Learn and play a party game based on hidden identity and social bluffing that’s designed so every game is different. Similar to Werewolf and Mafia, but players are still involved even after they die in the game. New players welcome. Information is here.
Pollinator garden planning workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and ages 10-plus. Plant-scaper and educator Jean Devine shows how to select plants and design a garden – or even a sidewalk strip – that attracts pollinators and birds. Information is here.
Mother’s Day singing circle from 2 to 4 p.m. The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20. Erica Joos and Milly Roberts have songs for singers of all comfort levels. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 3 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. Information is here.
Diferencias: Renaissance instrumentals from Italy and Spain with Duo Maresienne from 3 to 4 p.m. at Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. $20 to $25. Olav Chris Henriksen (lute and theorbo) and Carol Lewis (violas da gamba) perform ricercars, toccatas, diminutions and dances by Ortiz, Dalza, Dalla Casa, Selma, Kapsberger and others. Information is here.
Tufts Youth Philharmonic from 3 to 5 p.m. at Distler Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. $10 (individual) or $25 (family) suggested donation. John Page directs the last concert of the year. Information is here.
Somerville Open Studios Kids & Teens Art Show closing reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free. Celebrate the artists ages 4 through 13 who painted Somerville as a land of rainbows, friendly monsters, unicorns and magical eclipses, and as the place they call home with their beloved family members and favorite pets. Information is here.
Porch Party Mamas perform at 7 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23 to $25. After playing and singing each other’s songs at their own porch parties, Boston-area musicians Felicia Brady-Lopez, Jane Grondin, Ksenia Mack and Katrin Peterson created their own brand of urban folk, country and blues backed by virtuosic guitar, fiddle, accordion, piano, percussion, banjo and bass playing. Information is here.
Dance Now Boston (continued) from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $50. Information is here.
The Beautiful Band’s “Last Hurrah” from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $12 to $17 and all ages. The culminating show of the Berklee-formed, nine-piece pop-jazz-theater-infused band led by Filipino-Indian singer-songwriter Manisha. Singer-songwriter Ashleiah and guitarist Sam Wyman open. Information is here.
Monday, May 13
Early risers horticulture walk from 8 to 9 a.m. at Story Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., West Cambridge. Free. Staff-led excursions to discover what’s in bloom and any other items of horticultural interest. Information is here.
High on Fire performs at 6 p.m. at The Middle East Downstairs, 480 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $35 and all ages. The 25-year-old doom metal band’s new and roaring ninth album is called “Cometh the Storm.” Yup. Information is here.
Sean Carroll reads from “Quanta and Fields” at 6 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, or $27.63 with book. During this event co-sponsored with the Harvard Book Store, the “Mindscape” podcast host and author discusses the second book in his “Biggest Ideas in the Universe” series. Information is here.
“Ding! Ding!” Catalyst Conversations celebrates 12 years, featuring The Boston Typewriter Orchestra from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $100. The nonprofit presenting intimate and provocative conversations between artists, scientists and the public is fundraising with a concert of typists, followed by a reception, informal conversations and fun activities. Beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres provided. Information is here.
O’Neill Branch Book Group from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library O’Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free. This month’s selection: “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong. Information is here.
PSB Book Club at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge (and held monthly). Free, but RSVP. This month’s selection (same as April’s because club was canceled): “A Thousand Ships” by Natalie Haynes. Information is here.
Juli Min reads from “Shanghailanders” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The editor-in-chief of the Shanghai Literary Review discusses her debut novel that unspools backward in time from 2040 Shanghai to the present, focusing on the lives of the beguiling Yang sisters and their enigmatic parents. “River East, River West” author Aube Rey Lescure joins. Information is here.
Bad Art Night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. An opportunity, just for adults this time, to create art beyond classification. Let your enthusiasm run wild and create your masterpiece with no expectations. A variety of materials are provided. Information is here.
Butoh dance class from 7 to 9 p.m. at SomArt@The Hive, 561 Windsor St., Ste. 401a, Somerville (and every Monday). $10. Instructor Sara June encourages students to find and embrace hidden movements that lie buried beneath years of conditioned behavior in this class in the avant-garde movement form. Dancers at all levels are welcome. Information is here.
Levitation Room performs at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $17. The East Los Angeles quartet’s floating, cosmic songs connect with fellow travelers in the hallucinogenic world of spacey-sounding rock music. Information is here.
Tuesday, May 14
Colm Tóibín reads from “Long Island” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $12, or $38 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of “Brooklyn,” “The Master” and “The Magician” discusses his riveting new novel set in 1976 Lindenhurst about actions taken by a wife and mom of two teens, missing her home country of Ireland, who’s married to an Italian man with a large family who discovers he’s just fathered a child with a local Irishman’s wife. Information is here.
“Green Border” screening and Q&A with Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. The “Europa Europa” director’s new drama tells the story of refugees from the Middle East and Africa caught in a geopolitical crisis while trying to enter the EU through Belarus. Information is here.
The Book Moot discusses “A Short Walk Through a Wide World” at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $29 with the book and registration required. Debut novelist and Ohio librarian Douglas Westerbeke – who serves on a panel of the International Dublin Literary Award – charts the adventures of a woman who journeys the globe to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving. Information is here.
Knitting group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library’s Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave. Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free. Bring yarn and needles and find out what fellow knitters are up to. Information is here.
Art of Translation: The poems of Tuệ Sỹ from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free, but register. Martha Collins and Nguyen B. Chung discuss translating poems from “Dreaming the Mountain” written over almost 40 years by the Vietnamese Buddhist poet (1943–2023) who was imprisoned for 14 years and at one point condemned to death. They read the poems in English and Vietnamese. Information is here.
Obscured Vision: A Night of Sonic Storytelling at 7 p.m. in the Mugar Omni Theater at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. $15 and 18-plus. Sit blindfolded and be transported while listening to four tales with the theme “Escape Velocity” presented by science reporter Ari Daniel and sound designer and composer Ian Coss. Information is here.
Sulmaan Wasif Khan reads from “The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China and the Island Caught Between” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Tufts history professor and author of “Haunted by Chaos” and “Muslim, Trader, Nomad, Spy” discusses how the United States must heed lessons from the past to discover paths that don’t lead to war with China over Taiwan. Information is here.
These Are My Moms comedy show at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and all ages. Mother/daughter duo Heather and Nora Panahi host a lineup of five artists with raw maternal talent, literally and figuratively. Information is here.
Point01 Percent contemporary series from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. A cross-pollination of area musical improvisers. At 7:30 p.m., the J. Pavone String Ensemble of Jessica Pavone (viola), Abby Swidler (violin and viola) and Aimee Niemann (violin) presents original compositions that experiment with indeterminate techniques (such as alternating between metered and time-based scores). At 8:30 p.m., Pandelis Karayorgis (piano), Eric Barber (saxes), Brittany Karlson (bass) and Eric Rosenthal (drums). Information is here.
Romance book group from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. A book discussion group for teens and adults. This month: “After Hours on Milagro Street” by Angelina Lopez. Information is here.
Bluesy Tuesy Social Dance from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at The Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square (and every Tuesday). $5 to $20. This weekly partner blues dance event includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required. Information is here.
Laugh Giraffe Comedy Show at 8 p.m. at Union Tavern, 345 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville (and every Tuesday). Free, but reserve your space. Standup comedy showcase. Information is here.
Kirill Poudavoff Quartet from 11 p.m. to midnight at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. The tenor saxophonist performs beloved songs from the Great American Songbook and originals in an old-school, swinging-hard way with Pavle Zvekic (piano), Arturo Valdez (bass) and Ben Kassner (percussion). Information is here.
Wednesday, May 15
Issachar Rosen-Zvi on “The Precarious State of Israeli Democracy and Pathways Forward” from noon to 1 p.m. at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, 124 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Tel Aviv University delves into various components of Netanyahu’s government’s initiatives to diminish the authority of the Supreme Court and the opposition they encountered. Includes lunch. Information is here.
Valente Branch Book Group from noon to 1 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free. May’s title: “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong. Information is here.
Exhibition Tour: “A Female Landscape and the Abstract Gesture” at 1 p.m. at the Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery, Byerly Hall, 8 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Interim curator Caitlin Julia Rubin leads a tour of this Harvard Radcliffe Institute exhibit that brings together works by four artists – Maren Hassinger, Howardena Pindell, Liliana Porter and Mildred Thompson – who developed innovative abstract languages and vocabularies in the 1960s and 1970s. Information is here.
“Hold” art installation opening reception at 3 p.m. at the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Garden in Radcliffe Yard, 10 Garden Street, west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The name, shape and concepts evoked by the work created by Harvard Graduate School of Design students Curry J. Hackett and Gabriel Jean-Paul Soomar acknowledge the relationship of Black communities and enclosure and embrace of spaces that bring them together. Information is here.
Streetwise speaker series at 6 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville (and every third Wednesday). Free. Co-sponsored by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee and Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets. This month, Katherine Beatty and Darren Buck talk about Bike Bus – a convoy of bicycles getting kids to school. Information is here.
Neel Mukherjee reads from “Choice” at 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. The Harvard English professor and author of the acclaimed “The Lives of Others” discusses his tragicomic novel of three sections, each with a narrative exploring free will. Information is here.
Miranda July reads from “All Fours” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $38 with the book and registration required. During this Harvard Book Store event, the award-winning director of “The Future of Me and You and Everyone We Know” discusses her new novel about a middle-aged semi-famous artist, wife and mother on a quest for a new kind of freedom. Laura Zigman, whose book “Animal Husbandry” was made into a film called “Someone Like You” starring Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman, joins. Information is here.
Book publishing program book launch party from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free. Celebrate the new books “The Mr. Platypus Treasury,” “Macaroni & Tofu’s Sweet Life,” “Natural Selves,” “The Dragon Drought” and “Bug Wars” created at the library’s workshops by teens and tweens. They’ve been professionally printed and can be checked out. Information is here.
CRLS Spring Concert at 7 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $5 to $10. The high school music department’s performances of choral, percussion, orchestra and concert band. Information is here.
John Kaag reads from “American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of “American Philosophy: A Love Story” and “Hiking with Nietzsche” discusses his book about one of America’s first and most expansive pioneer families. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, award-winning author of “Plato at the Googleplex,” joins. Information is here.
Authors Kate Gale, D.C. Frost and Ellen Meeropol discuss their new novels at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The author of seven poetry books, Gale’s debut novel “Under a Neon Sun” is about a community college student stuck living out of her car during the Covid pandemic who finds a silver lining. Frost’s mystery set follows an L.A. police detective hunting for a murderer on a college campus. Meeropol’s mystery involves neighbors digging into the past of the husband of a missing elderly woman. Information is here.
Class of 2024 Night at Dancing Fools from 8:15 p.m. to midnight at George Dilboy VFW Post 529, 351 Summer St., Davis Square, Somerville. $6 to $12. Bring your cap and gown to celebrate your 2024 graduation, of any kind, or wear a T-shirt from any school you’ve attended. Beginners are welcome for the 101 class. Social dancing in West Coast Swing begins 9:15 p.m. with DJs Maria and Bitson. Information is here.
Thursday, May 16
Yoga in the Park from 7 to 8 a.m. at Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register, and ages 5-plus. Enjoy the park on a quiet morning. Leave feeling invigorated and relaxed. Information is here.
“Manifest: Thirteen Colonies” exhibition preview and conversation from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Photographer Wendel A. White, professor of art at Stockton University and a Harvard fellow, discusses photographing objects, documents and books held in public collections to explore the complexities of U.S. history, slavery, abolition, concepts of race and Black life and culture. The exhibition of his work at the Peabody Museum opens May 18. Haverford professor William E. Williams joins. Information is here.
Ibbetson Street Press poetry reading from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free, but register. Local poetry lovers are welcome to join Doug Holder and other published writers on behalf of Somerville’s Ibbetson Street Press for a live reading event. Information is here.
Exploring fun and practical artificial intelligence tools from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. Learn about AI tools, including DALL·E and ChatGPT, through fun and engaging exercises. AI technology can be used to plan a garden, help with crosswords, create art, write poetry and more. Information is here.
Nicholas Kristof reads from his memoir “Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life” at 7 p.m. at First Parish in Cambridge Meeting House, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square. $12, or $40 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the Pulitzer-winning journalist and New York Times op-ed columnist recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world, witnessing and writing about century-defining events. Harvard’s Drew Gilpin Faust joins. Information is here.
Wendy Chen reads from “Their Divine Fires” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor and author of the award-winning poetry collection “Unearthlings” discusses her debut novel about several generations of a family from the early 1900s in southern China to the present day in the United States. Information is here.
How We’ll Live: Sustainable Lifestyles of the Future at 7 p.m. at the blue wing of the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free, but register. The museum’s Center for the Environment explores sustainable lifestyles now and in the future with panelists from the arts, culture and food industries followed by fashion and upcycled modern quilts exhibits, performances and more! Information is here.
Jennifer Kabat reads from “The Eighth Moon” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 25 White St., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The essayist’s memoir about moving to the Catskills, learning about the history of the land and discovering the many ways the past comes alive in the present. Francesca Wade, author of “Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London between the Wars,” and Grand Journal editor and publisher Aaron Hicklin join. Information is here.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” (continued) from 7 to 8:10 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $30 and 18-plus. Information is here.
Tapered Expectations XXI: “Above the Clouds” comedy show from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Cloud & Spirits, 795 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25 and 21-plus. Acquired Taste Comedy’s evening of stellar stand-up features Jaime Aird, Don Yan, Tooky Kavanagh, Ryan Shea and more. One-man band (and bartender) Cory Fong is musical guest. Information is here.
Blues Union May Classes and Dances from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville (also May 23 and 30). $10 to $25. Includes a lesson in the first hour followed by an hour to socialize, rest or practice with a partner before two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner. Masks required. Information is here.
“Mermaid Hour” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $45 to $55 and 13-plus. (Masks required.) Information is here.
The Soul Rebels perform at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $35. The eight-member collective brings a unique blend of funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock with an emphasis on horns (even sousaphone) and drums. Information is here.
Radius Ensemble’s “Epitome” concert at 8 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square. $15 to $35. The ensemble-in-residence closes out its 25th year with Sonata for violin and viola in B-flat major, Op. Posth (1800), by Chevalier de Saint-Georges; “Vox balaenae (Voice of the Whale)” for amplified flute, cello and piano (1971) by George Crumb; “New York Counterpoint” for clarinet and tape (1985) by Steve Reich; and a new work for the ensemble by Elena Ruehr, inspired by Mondrian’s painting “Broadway Boogie Woogie.” Information is here.
MIT’s Middle Eastern Ensemble performs at 8 p.m. at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. The spring concert is directed by Garo Saraydarian. Information is here.
Third Thursdays: CD release concert with Dave Bryant and Friends at 8 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. Bryant first convened the quartet of Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass), George Garzone (tenor sax) and Chris Bowman (drums) in 1989 for a weekend at Somerville’s now-defunct Willow Jazz Club. They reunited for a December 2018 recording session which resulted in the new “Wire and Bone.” They are joined on the recording (and at this concert) by guitarists Kenny Wessel and Eric Hofbauer. Information is here.
A stronger
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fyi ‘Beers & Gears’ event for 5/9 rescheduled to 5/16 due to weather per the link.