Thursday, Jan. 30
Thursday Morning Talks: Brady-Myerov on “Building & Expanding a Business from an Expert in Listening” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20 or $125 (suggested donations for individual talk or series subscription), and registration is required. Brady-Myerov, a former WBUR senior editor and assistant managing editor, is the founder and chief executive of Listenwise, an award-winning listening skills platform. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 88th year. Information is here.
Elliot Wolfson reads from “Nocturnal Seeing” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Center for the Study of World Religions, 42 Francis Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. The scholar argues that we need to pay more attention to three philosophers – Susan Taubes, Gillian Rose and Edith Wyschogrod – in their work to find the midpoint between hope and hopelessness. Harvard’s Shaul Magid and the University of Montreal’s Bettina Bergo join. Information is here.
Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. During this recurring event wander exhibits (including the new one by Joana Choumali), catch spotlight tours, browse the shop, enjoy sounds from DJ C-Zone and buy refreshments from Vitamin Sea Brewing and Suya Joint. Information is here.
ArtsThursdays: Cozy Winter Glow from 5 to 9 p.m. at Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, and RSVP preferred. Explore the galleries, create a paper lantern, listen to the Eureka Ensemble, learn from biologists about migratory bird species, explore the science of biofluorescence from specimens that glow under UV light and enjoy free hot chocolate and churros, beverages for purchase and a raffle. Information is here.
Lunar New Year Night Market from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. Free entry. Enjoy a local AAPI maker market at Upstairs at Bow, a 7 p.m. courtyard performance by NüWa Lion Dance and food and drink specials from Bow Market restaurants. Information is here.
Emily Austin reads from “We Could Be Rats” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but registration is required. The author of “Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead” and the poetry collection “Gay Girl Prayers” discusses her novel about two dissimilar sisters who reconnect by reigniting their shared childhood imagination. Kimm Topping, educator and author of the forthcoming “Generation Queer,” joins. Sponsored with Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
Adulting Made Easier: Group Therapy for Ages 22 to 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and most Thursdays through Mar. 13). $16.50. Six hourlong sessions for emerging adults looking to foster a smoother adjustment into a fulfilling adult life. Information is here.
Members Prize Show opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cambridge Art Association’s Kathryn Schultz Gallery, 25 Lowell St., West Cambridge, and at CAA@University Place, 124 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Awards presentation for work submitted by Cambridge Art Association members and juried by Emerson College’s Shana Dumont Garr. The works stay displayed through Apr. 25. Information is here.
“Janiva Ellis: Fear Corroded Ape” exhibition opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, level three, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Reconfiguring imagery from art historical portraiture and landscape conventions, animation and popular culture, the New York City painter narrativizes “white existentialist mythology.” Her starting point for the exhibition, on display through Apr. 6, were “hard-to-resolve paintings” she “continuously reworked, with long breaks in between” during which time the world changed. Information is here.
“Sounds of Medieval Cluny” at 6:30 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. The opening of an exhibition celebrating the study of medieval architecture at Harvard includes a talk by curator Christine Smith, a Blue Heron vocal ensemble concert that would have been heard in the Cluny medieval monastery, commentary by musicologist Thomas Forrest Kelly and a reception. Also livestreamed. (For what it’s worth, the exhibit is called “Envisioning Cluny: Kenneth Conant and Representations of Medieval Architecture, 1872–2025.”) Information is here.
Harvard College Opera presents “Cendrillon” at 7 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). Free to $20. An operatic adaptation of the “Cinderella” fairy tale with an added focus on hope and perseverance after loss and grief, and the triumph of love. Music by Jules Massenet and libretto by Henri Cain. Information is here.
Vidyan Ravinthiran reads from “Asian/Other: Life, Poems, and the Problem of Memoir” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The award-winning author and Harvard professor discusses his book that leaps between memoir and criticism and an understanding of his life through poetry, and vice versa, as it considers identity in its political and psychological senses. Aruni Kashyap, the director of the creative writing program at the University of Georgia, Athens, joins. Information is here.
Helping Cambridge Live Car-light or Car-free Lifestyles at 7 p.m. at Patagonia, 39 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Green Streets Initiative and Cambridge Bicycle Safety share what’s ahead for both groups regarding safety for cyclists and innovative programs for communities and employers. Early comers can be first at the Otto pizza table and enter a raffle for a new Fifield e-bike. Information is here.
Tyler Wetherall reads from “Amphibian” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The journalist and author of “No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run,” discusses her coming-of-age debut novel – with its deft notes of magical realism enhancing desire, precocity and the intensity of early friendships that have the power to upend lives. Joanna Rakoff, author of “My Salinger Year” and “A Fortunate Age,” joins. Information is here.
Poets Peter Bottéas, Ruth C. Chad, Michael McInnis, Vassiliki Rapti and Brad Rose from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Gloria Mindock. Information is here.
This Music series from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. The first set is Gnats, presenting collective improvisation for koto, trumpet, electronics, distressed field recordings and amplified surfaces; the second set is Borys Uzieblo and The Stars, a septet that “goes on spiritual journeys in their performances, exploring vastly contrasting emotions and experiences” and “with every player room to breathe through free improvisation.” Information is here.
Ryan Montbleau at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $33 to $35. Three nights of performances from a “masterful wordsmith” and frequent collaborator who’s brought “ecstatic live shows and exhilarating sonic versatility” to his fans for 30 years. Brooks Forsyth opens. Information is here.
Friday, Jan. 31
Gallery Talk: Susan Meiselas’ “44 Irving Street, Cambridge, MA” from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but check in at visitor services to join. The 1971 photo series provides an intimate look into individual rooms in the Cambridge boarding house where the photographer and diverse other tenants lived. Talk by curatorial fellow Madison Brown. Information is here.
Randall Fuller reads from “Bright Circle: Five Remarkable Women in the Age of Transcendentalism” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The University of Kansas professor and author of “Emerson’s Ghosts: Literature, Politics and the Making of Americanists” discusses his group biography of Mary Moody Emerson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, Lydia Jackson Emerson and Margaret Fuller – the last of whom lives on in The Port as the namesake of a neighborhood nonprofit. Information is here.
Chris Hayes reads from “The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource” at 7 p.m. at First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St./1446 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $42 with book. This Harvard Book Store-sponsored event is giving the MSNBC “All In” host a break from covering all the breaking news about all the things Trump is breaking. Harvard Law School’s Lawrence Lessig joins. Information is here.
Harvard College Opera presents “Cendrillon” at 7 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). Free to $20. An operatic adaptation of the “Cinderella” fairy tale with an added focus on hope and perseverance after loss and grief, and the triumph of love. Music by Jules Massenet and libretto by Henri Cain. Information is here.
MIT Afro-Latin Ensemble at 7 p.m. at Killian Hall in the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. Coached by percussionist and bandleader Eguie Castrillo, the MIT Afro-Latin Ensemble performs music by El Gran Combo, Ray Barretto, Irakere, Batacumbele and others. Information is here.
John Sayles reads from “To Save the Man” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The American independent film director, screenwriter and actor discusses his eighth novel, which sheds light on the Wounded Knee Massacre and the “cultural genocide” experienced by the Native American children at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, a book called “heartbreaking and magnificent” by “The Sparrow” author Mary Doria Russell. Information is here.
Stand-up magic at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25. The New York show combining comedy and magic returns to the Rockwell, featuring Max Davidson, Tess Tregellas and Jason Silberman. Information is here.
Friday Night Yoga with live music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Museum of Modern Renaissance, 115 College Ave., between Davis and Powder House squares, Somerville. $35. All-levels yoga in a serene, unique venue. Class runs for 75 minutes total with an extended rest at the end, all accompanied by some live piano. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Henry Sir at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville (and Saturday). $20 to $25, and 21-plus. A weekend of performances from an All Canadian basketball player gone comedian, actor and writer. Information is here.
Yulia Musayelyan Quartet and “Strange Times” album release at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $30. The Moscow-born flute and bass flute player performs originals composed during and after the pandemic with pianist Maxim Lubarsky, bassist Fernando Huergo and drummer Mark Walker. Information is here.
“S P A C E” at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 23). $27 to $103. Playwright L. M. Feldman and director Larissa Lury draw on the experiences of women pilots and astronauts over the past 100 years – with The Mercury 13 female pilots at the center – to ask “What future are we headed toward?” Information here.
“How to Talk to a Human” with Jad Abumrad at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $62 to $84. With a mix of audio clips, personal anecdotes and interactive games, the journalist and creator (and former co-host) of NPR’s “Radiolab” demonstrates proven strategies to navigate difficult or high-stakes conversations with confidence and empathy. Information is here.
Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance presents “Antes del Fin” at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $80 (and continuing through Sunday). Modern flamenco dance from a Miami troupe led by the daughter of flamenco dancers Olga and Curro Amaya and grandniece of the legendary Carmen Amaya. Information is here.
Bruno Råberg Tentet from 8 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Performing compositions from 2024’s “Evolver” album and new pieces, the bassist-composer presents a concert with his 10-piece group. Information is here.
Billy Novick and the Shades of Swing perform for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Epic Ballroom, 26 New St., Suite 3, Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. This social partner dance with live music includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes allowed. Information is here.
Saturday, Feb. 1
Black History Month Celebration from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with exhibit halls admission. Features speakers, family activities, cultural performances and community groups from the Boston area honoring the African American experience. Plus free screenings of “ReRooted,” a virtual production delving into the ongoing discussion surrounding natural hair, and 2018’s “Black Panther.” Information is here.
Visible Mending: English Darning from 1 to 3 p.m. at Pearl Street Studios, 226 Pearl St., 3R, Somerville. $55. Learn a fabric mending method that involves reinforcing or reweaving a portion of fabric by hand, resulting in a darn that’s more integrated with the fabric rather than sitting on the top as in surface or square darning. Information is here.
Adventure Improv (family friendly) from 2 to 3 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. Free to $20 and all ages. An interactive musical comedy experience presented by Nova Comedy Collective. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information here.
Blue Heron vocal ensemble presents “The Armed Archangel” at 3 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $10 (low-income tickets) to $40 (general) and $87 (reserved). The ensemble performs Johannes Regis’ Mass based on the tour de force song “Missa L’homme armé,” written for the feast of St. Michael at Cambrai Cathedral in 1462. Information is here.
Brigid’s Day from 4:20 to 5:20 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Musicians Melanie Beth Curran, Jimmy Kelly and Patrick Coppinger bring a crafty “Boston Blowout Brat Bread ’n’ Butter Bonanza Cross Concert” of Irish American music and songs in Irish (as Gaeilge). Honoring saint Brigid, Celtic goddess of the forge, “she who made butter out of nothing,” the group teaches you how to make your very own Brigid’s cross. Information is here.
Harvard College Opera presents “Cendrillon” (continued) at 6 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20. This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by the Seventh Annual Opera Gala ($15 to $25 and black tie attire). Information is here.
The Glo Ball Gala celebrating how the arts connect us all from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $150. This year the Center’s fundraiser is emceed by SparkFM Radio’s Danielle Johnson and includes upbeat brass and percussion from Eguie Castrillo & his Salsa Orchestra and foods and desserts from Bakers Best Catering and Roundtable. Information is here.
We Black Folk: Griot Gatherings at 7 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and also Sunday). $20. Organized by digital media artist and past Folk Collective member Cliff Notez, the program includes performances by Kemp Harris, Grace Givertz, Cinamon, Zion Rodman, Kayla Blackburn, Devon Gates, Chris Walton, Pamela Means and former Folk Collective members Cliff Notez, Naomi Westwater and Lydia Harrell. Information is here.
New Gallery Concert Series: Rekindle at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. Program includes a NewGal-commissioned world premiere by violinist Abigale Reisman accompanied by pianist Sarah Bob; a world premiere by Anthony R. Green for the cimbalom and violin duo Lamnth; a collaboration between visual artist Emily Parent and the flutist and mindfulness guide Jessi Rosinski; and saxophonist Jonathan Suazo performing with his band music from his album “Ricano Vol. 1 Live in 2023.” Information is here.
Sing & Dance Along to Filipino Love Songs fundraiser at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $30 to $45. Six artists perform Filipino love songs live to raise funds for Bagong Kulturang Pinoy’s literacy program for Filipino children. Information is here.
Somerville Songwriter Sessions at 7 p.m. at the cafe at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15. Boston songwriters Jack Byrne, Bailey Harris (originally from Los Angeles) and Talia Rose each play a brief solo set followed by a round robin song swap. Information is here.
Valerie Imparato’s “In Fertility” exhibition opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at Washington St. Gallery, 321 Washington St., Somerville. Free. Mixed media work chronicling the artist’s journey with infertility and in vitro fertilization and exploring themes of isolation, repetition and the inception of life. On display through March 14. Information is here.
“Comedic Timing” book launch with author Upasna Barath from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lovestruck Books, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $40 includes book. The Brooklyn author of a debut contemporary romance novel reads three selected sections from her new book, each paired with a special wine tasting. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Henry Sir (continued) at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $20 to $25, and 21-plus. Information is here.
Zishi Liu 2025 Chinese New Year Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. Saxophonist Zishi Liu leads a celebration of unity, good fortune and the vibrant spirit of the Lunar New Year with 10 Asian musicians, emerging and established, from diverse countries and backgrounds, united by a shared passion for jazz. Information is here.
Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance presents “Antes del Fin” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $80. Information is here.
Giving@First presents six short plays written, rehearsed and performed within just 25 hours at 8 p.m. at Unity Somerville, 6 William St., just off College Avenue near Davis Square, Somerville. $25 suggested donation. The troupe shows off its abilities under pressure (and on no sleep?) to benefit the Mutual Aid of Medford and Somerville, which gets the proceeds. Information is here.
Della Mae all-woman string band performs at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $22 to $25. The Grammy-nominated group features founding members Celia Woodsmith (lead vocalist and guitarist) and two-time grand national champion fiddle player Kimber Ludiker, along with guitarist Avril Smith and celebrated bassist Vickie Vaughn. Information is here.
Unruly Few album release with special guest Music Farm at 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. Free and all ages. The roots-influenced rockers combining “swampy guitar riffs, charismatically authentic vocals and a powerful rhythm section” play songs off their “If You Go Walking” album, inviting Boston’s Music Farm to the party (they just had an album drop, too). Information is here.
Sunday, Feb. 2
Hike to Hall’s Pond from 10 to 11:30 a.m. meeting at the Mass Audubon Nature Center at Magazine Beach, 668 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport. Free, but register and 14-plus. Walk to Hall’s Pond in Brookline and learn about Minna B. Hall and Harriet Lawrence Hemenway, Mass Audubon’s two founding mothers and bird conservation activists (they ended the 19th century practice of wearing birds on hats). Information is here.
Adults with Hobbies: Growing food at home (stop buying herbs from Amazon) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $20 to $40. Try out a different hobby each week in a series with educator and activist Nicole Hicks and friends. Information is here.
Drum and song circle from noon to 1 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and most Sundays through Feb. 9). $10 to $35. All levels are welcome. No experience required; instruments provided, or bring your own. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information here.
Harvard College Opera presents “Cendrillon” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Agassiz Theatre, 5 James St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $20. Information is here.
Meet local authors from 2 to 4 p.m. at Lovestruck Books, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. Greet Northeast-area authors and buy books directly from them. Features Peggy Jaeger (“3 Wishes: A San Valentino Family Romance”), C.W. Rose (“Oceansong”), Kim Swizz (“Barefoot Lake”) and Cecilia Tan (“Daron’s Guitar Chronicles”). Information is here.
Aradia performs at 3:30 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. The self-produced indietronica pop artist plays synth-driven danceable songs sounding like “if the music of Empire of the Sun and Def Leppard were to intertwine with Robyn and Marina and the Diamonds.” Information is here.
Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance presents “Antes del Fin” (continued) at 4 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35 to $80. Information is here.
Rebecca Brenner Graham reads from “Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins’s Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany” from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at Lehrhaus, 425 Washington St., Somerville. $10. The writer and researcher details how the first woman to serve in a president’s cabinet, who was also the longest-serving labor secretary and an architect of the New Deal, helped save the lives of countless Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Information is here.
Personalized, on-demand poetry from Raisa Tolchinsky from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lehrhaus, 425 Washington St., Somerville. Free. The creative writing specialist at Harvard Divinity School and author of the prize-winning book “Glass Jaw,” about the world of women’s boxing, listens to you describe what you’re thinking or feeling and then turns it into a poem on her vintage Smith Corona typewriter, so you can take it home. (It’s something she’s done before, from college campuses to hospital waiting rooms.) Information is here.
Melissa Kassel and Tom Zicarelli Group from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. The singer and pianist perform originals and jazz standards with Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Bruce Gertz (bass) and Gary Fieldman (drums). Information is here.
“Nobody Wants This” television series discussion from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at Lehrhaus, 425 Washington St., Somerville. $10. Talk about why you loved, hated or loved to hate the Jewish rom-com on Netflix. (Be prepared for spoilers if you haven’t finished watching the 10-episode series.) Librarian and romance book reviewer Beth Gallaway Schreiber leads. Information is here.
Monday, Feb. 3
“Exploring the Mind Through Music: Combining Artistic Performance and Scientific Experiment” from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fisher Performance Room in Granoff Music Center at Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. Rice University’s Anthony Brandt discusses collaborations in which artistic performances are combined with brain-body imaging experiments to investigate how the brain responds to learning and creativity. Information is here.
Souleymane Bachir Diagne on “African Art and Universal Museums” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The Senegalese professor of philosophy and francophone studies at Columbia University and the director of the Institute of African Studies was entrusted by the Louvre museum in late 2024 to examine the effect of hosting objects from other places. Information is here.
Kyle Lukoff reads from his fantasy novel “A World Worth Saving” at 7 p.m. at Connexion, 149 Broadway, Somerville. $7, or $21 with book. Sponsored by All She Wrote Books, the author of books for young readers discusses his newest middle-grade novel: an action-packed adventure intertwining elements of Jewish mythology with an examination of the impacts of transphobia. YA fiction novelist Sacha Lamb and special guest Rick Riordan, author of the series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” joins. Information is here.
Picture + Panel: Superhuman Potential with Raúl the Third and Ming Doyle from 7 to 8 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free to $15 and 21-plus. The monthly confab of graphic-novel creators sponsored by Aeronaut, Porter Square Books and the Boston Comic Arts Foundation brings in locals Raúl The Third, illustrator and author of the “Low Riders in Space” series and the “World of ¡Vamos!” books, and comic book artist and writer Doyle, whose work has appeared in works by DC, Vertigo, Image, Marvel, Valiant and more. Calmer Con director Adam Wilson moderates. Information is here.
Figure-drawing basics from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Ste. 102, near Union Square, Somerville. $40. Illustrator, cartoonist and figure drawing instructor Chris O’Neill shares his approach to nailing proportions, making faster drawings, getting loose and having more fun at figure drawing. Information is here.
Rachael Davis and R.O. Shapiro at 8 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $23 to $25. Davis has been singing and songwriting about the hilarious beauty of life from the north woods of Michigan to the Boston music scene and now in Nashville. Shapiro’s journeyed from the East End of Long Island to Austin to San Diego, and Americana is his sound now. Information is here.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
Jennie C. Stephens reads from “Climate Justice and the University” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in room 141 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 32, also known as the Ray and Maria Stata Center, at 32 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free. The professor of climate justice at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and a professor at Northeastern University discusses the potential of higher education to advance human well-being and promote ecological health. Harvard’s Naomi Oreskes joins. Information is here.
“Central Square Shares the Love: Community Mosaic” exhibition opening reception from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. During January patrons created collage pieces sharing what they love about Central Square and its library; the resulting mosaic is on display through February. Light refreshments provided. Information is here.
“The Russian Propaganda Machine: Mechanics of Success” discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Journalist and author Peter Pomerantsev talks on the successes and failures of the Kremlin’s information war, and Nina L. Khrushcheva, professor at The New School, New York, who spent the past seven months in Moscow and traveling around the European parts of Russia, talks about the everyday life of Russians under dictatorship and the state of war. Information is here.
How to Play Dungeons & Dragons: A Beginner’s Workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (also March 4). $30 and 18-plus. Learn the basics of D&D, create a character and explore anything and everything in between. Information is here.
Music bingo from 6 to 8 p.m. at CanalSide Food + Drink at CambridgeSide, 100 CambridgeSide Place, East Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. Test your knowledge of diverse types of music during this game where you’ll mark off songs on your bingo cards as songs from various decades and genres are played; get five in a row and yell bingo to claim victory (or just have fun singing along). Information is here.
Poet Alice Oswald from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Braun Room at Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave., Harvard Divinity School, in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. The first woman to hold the position of Oxford professor of poetry, Oswald reads selections from her own body of work, with a reception following. Information is here.
Betty Shamieh reads from “Too Soon” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The writer and playwright-in-residence at the Classical Theatre of Harlem discusses her literary debut exploring exile, ambition and hope across three generations of Palestinian American women. Tufts University professor Rick Moody, author of 12 works of fiction and nonfiction, including “The Ice Storm,” joins. Information is here.
Libba Bray reads from “Under the Same Stars” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The author of the “The Gemma Doyle” trilogy discusses her YA historical mystery weaving timelines of Germany in the 1940s and 1980s and New York City in 2020. Malinda Lo, author of “Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” joins.
Side Quest book club from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Side Quest Books & Games in Bow Market at 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville. $5 (ticket price redeemable for store credit on day of event). This time, discuss “Faebound,” a sweeping, epic, romantic fantasy by Saara El-Arifi. Information is here.
Smut Slam from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the cafe at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville (and the first Tuesday of every month). $10 suggested donation. An open mic invites participants to tell five-minute, real-life dirty stories. The top three slammers win sexy swag from Good Vibrations. Kat Sistare hosts. Information is here.
Bluesy Tuesy Social Dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the New England Science Fiction Association clubhouse at 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville (and every Tuesday). $5 to $25. Stephen York DJs at this weekly partner blues dance event that includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required. Information is here.
Nigel Wearne at 8 p.m. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $18 to $20. An Australian guitarist and multi-instrumentalist “with a penchant for all things peculiar” influenced by Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Information is here.
Wednesday, Feb. 5
Midday Music and Soup with the Lumanyano Mzi Quartet from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. Sip free, hot soup from Souper Roll Up Café (bring your own mug and get a sweet treat) while listening to acclaimed drummer-vocalist Lumanyano Mzi’s unique brand of South African-infused jazz. Information is here.
Jennifer Finney Boylan reads from “Cleavage: Men, Women and the Space Between Us” at 6 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, or $35 with book. During this Harvard Book Store event, the author of the bestseller “She’s Not There” and 18 other books discusses a memoir that’s not only a deep dive into gender identity, but also a look at the difference between coming out as trans in 2000 – when Boylan transitioned – and the present era of blowback and fear. Information is here.
Olivia Wolfgang-Smith reads from “Mutual Interest” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The “Glassworks” author discusses her new novel set in a post-Gilded Age New York that’s a “timeless queer love story and a meditation on power, capitalism and the flow of history” (says “Outlawed” author Anna North). “My Ex-Life” author Stephen McCauley, of Brandeis University’s creative writing program, joins. Information is here.
Beyond the Telescope: Earth, the Transiting Exoplanet with astrophysicist Jackie Faherty at 7 p.m. in the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with preregistration and ages 14-plus. The senior scientist at the American Museum of Natural History unveils a novel way other civilizations might discover Earth. Information is here.
Dennis Mahoney reads from “Our Winter Monster” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The New York author of “Fellow Mortals” discusses his chilling holiday horror tale about an unhappy couple running from their problems to a ski village getaway, but having to outrun a blizzard to get there. “Shocking displays of gore” ensue (and not the kind from a road accident). Writer and horror author Emily C. Hughes joins. Information is here.
Tonal Eclipse a cappella at 7 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $20 to $25 and all ages. Formed in November 2022 by a group of women and nonbinary musicians. Information is here.
Longy faculty and students present “Fire and Water” at 7 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $35. Musicians stressing the “innovative and adaptable, making art with the instruments and musicians that are in the room” with faculty Andy Kozar, Eric Hofbauer and Tony Leva and Longy students. Information is here.
Poets David Miller, Jan Schreiber and Cammy Thomas from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Jennifer Clarvoe. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatrical’s Show 176 Premiere with Woman of the Year Cynthia Erivo from 7 to 10:15 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 9). $250. The Pudding has put on pun-filled musical spectaculars since 1844, and have honored a Woman of the Year since 1951 (the honoree attends opening night). Tonight the organization premiere’s “101 Damnations” after having presented its Pudding Pot to Cynthia Erivo, the Emmy, Tony, Grammy-winning and two-time Oscar nominee who most recently starred as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Universal’s film adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked.” Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. Information here.
Non-Event Concert Series presents Fred Moten and Brandon López Duo and Noah Campbell Ensemble at 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $12 to $20. A night of jazz, improvisation and spoken word with the area debut of the duo of poet and cultural theorist Fred Moten and bassist Brandon López. In addition, the Noah Campbell Ensemble performs, featuring saxophonist Noah Campbell, trumpeter Taylor Ho Bynum and an unnamed bassist. Information is here.
Thursday, Feb. 6
Thursday Morning Talks: Jim Sebenius on “Dealcraft: Insights from Great Negotiators” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20 or $125 (suggested donations for individual talk or series subscription), and registration is required. The director of the Harvard Negotiation Project advises corporations and governments worldwide on their most challenging negotiations. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 88th year. Information is here.
Lunchtime History: Black Cantabrigians from the 1700s on from noon to 1 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Bring your own lunch and learn from the Cambridge Black History Project about Black communities of many different roots that have maintained a continuous presence in Cambridge for centuries, and their wide-ranging contributions. Cookies provided for everyone. Information is here.
“What’s Next for Museums” from 2 to 2:45 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Museum strategist András Szántó surveys how visual-arts institutions are working to assert their relevance in the 21st century through new approaches to exhibitions, programming, audience engagement, organizational innovation and architecture and design. MIT Museum director Michael John Gorman joins. Information is here.
“Against Haste: On the Heuristic Affordances of ‘Fascism’” lecture from 4 to 6 p.m. in the lower level conference room at Adolphus Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Princeton University professor of East Asian studies and history speaks at this event organized by the Questions of Fascism and Democracy Lecture Series and the Democracy and Its Critics Initiative. Information is here.
Ben Rhodes on “American Foreign Policy in the Trump Era” lecture at 4:30 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 bestselling American author, political commentator and a former deputy national security adviser for strategic communications and speechwriting under president Barack Obama is co-host of “Pod Save the World.” A public reception follows the lecture from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Also livestreamed. Information is here.
Cambridge Cooks: The Life of a Plantain from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free. Dietitian Nutritionist Christine discusses the tropical plantain fruit, its health benefits and how to incorporate it into a balanced meal. Includes a taste test of a few ways it’s cooked around the world. Information is here.
“Materiality: Memory in Cloth” open juried show opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the CAA@Canal Gallery, 650 E. Kendall St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free. The exhibition of work by New England fiber artists runs through May 2. Juried by textile artist Jenine Shereos. Information is here.
Mayors Imagining the Just City, Vol. 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Mayors from several states discuss planning and design interventions to address racial, social and environmental justice. Moderated by Katie Swenson, a senior principal of Mass Design Group. Sponsored by the Mayor’s Institute on City Design and Harvard’s The Just City Lab. Information is here.
Bernadette Atuahene reads from “Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The property law scholar uses the stories of two grandfathers – one white, one Black – who arrived in Detroit at the turn of the 20th century to reveal how racist policies weaken Black families, widen the racial wealth gap and derive profit from pain. Columbia Law School professor Patricia J. Williams joins. Information is here.
Longy faculty recital: Hugh Hinton at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. Hinton presents narrative and programmatic pieces that tell the personal stories of their creators: Schubert, Clara Schuman and Lili Boulanger. For the program’s second half, elaborate concert works by composers of African descent based on African American spirituals, featuring works by Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price. Information is here.
Rosa Kwon Easton reads from “White Mulberry” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. The debut novelist’s portrait of a young Korean woman in 1930s Japan who’s torn between two worlds and must reclaim her true identity to provide a future for her family. “Scent of a Garden” author Namrata Patel joins. Information is here.
Poet Fred Moten from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Keith Jones. Information is here.
The Jar presents “One Nighter with Aparna Nancherla” from 7 to 10 p.m. at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. $60 for a jar of six tickets, and 21-plus. The stand-up comedian and actor brings her dry, existential and whimsical sense of humor to her writing, too – her 2023 essay collection is “Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Imposter Syndrome.” Per the “convener model” of this Boston nonprofit, you buy six tickets, two of which you give to people outside of your circle but you’d like to know better. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $103. This performance is followed (at 9:30 p.m.) by a discussion with MIT’s Sarah Millholland about exoplanets, and what makes planets beyond ours worth looking at. Information here.
ArtsThursdays: Devon Gates and Friends from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Harvard’s John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, 3 Oxford St., just north of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Harvard Yard. Free, but RSVP. The vocalist-bassist-composer presents her octet of jazz rhythm section, string trio, classical guitar and woodwinds, playing new, lush arrangements for her wide-ranging compositions and arrangements that bridge contemporary jazz, chamber and soul. Information is here.
Paragon Jam from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10. Boston’s jazz-rock Paragon Project invites players to bring an instrument, sign up at the door for a placement and perform one or two tunes with the band and in the group jam at the end of the night. Information is here.
A stronger
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