Keep it Lit

It’s no secret: literature is an integral part of the Battery’s identity. From our member curated library, to our efforts to keep bringing the creative minds behind that collection coming back to share their stories, we harbor a lot of pride in our staunch stance as complete bibliophiles. This spring, we have literary events across the spectrum to keep you turning the page. Here’s how we’re keeping it lit:

4/12: Bliss: Transformational Festivals & the Neo Hippie Photographer

Steve Schapiro has captured some of the most iconic images in American history, from photos of Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the march from Selma to a stone faced Marlon Brando ready to make a deal in The Godfather. His latest venture, Bliss: Transformational Festivals & the Neo Hippie, chronicles the lives of modern day hippies seeking out transformation via mediation and festival life. Schapiro will join us for a discussion of his documentation.

4/19: Bring Your Own Book

Reading boosts your memory, reduces stress, improves your vocabulary, and is, frankly, just plain awesome. Unfortunately, making time to enjoy a new book is a luxury that not everyone can always afford - that’s where we come in! Clear two hours off your schedule for a night of indulgent page turning in the library. Bring your own book - we’ll provide the booze and snacks.

4/25: The Science of Booze

All of that fermenting and aging jargon you pretended to listen to on your wine tour of Napa has got absolutely nothing on the boozy knowledge that Adam Rogers is dropping in his New York Times bestseller Proof: The Science of Booze. The award-winning journalist and Wired editor has created a definitive and delightfully readable guide to the technical history behind everyone’s favorite libations and their fun and freaky effects on the human body. Rogers joins us for an intoxicating night of talk and trivia.

4/29: Fierce Pirates, Fierce Drinks

Beloved author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) is an award winning writer whose latest book, We Are Pirates, has garnered many kind words from the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, and Neil Gaiman, among others. Joined by Dan Stone, editor-in-chief of literature and music magazine Radio Silence, Handler will discuss his new tale of family and freedom in San Francisco while whipping up cocktails for Library patrons (notice a trend here?).

6/16: John Markoff: Machines of Loving Grace

As we inch closer and closer to sci-fi fantasies becoming reality, one must wonder ‘where do we draw the line?’ Pulitzer Prize winning writer John Markoff ponders that very question in his book Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for Common Ground between Humans and Robots. The New York Times writer has been chronicling the evolution of technology and robotics for decades, while carefully considering the delicate balance of man versus machine. Join us for a discussion on where humans stand in the future of technology.