The week ahead
Acclaimed author Steven Millhauser will be giving a public reading this week at Skidmore.
Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from the weather (cold, then hot), a 385-million-year-old forest, Brunswick, Steven Millhauser, making sausage, the MP3, Vladimir Putin, writing, and music...
Weather
Here's the paraphrased forecast:
Monday: Cloudy. Cold. Highs around 30.
Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.
Wednesday: Sunny and 50.
Thursday: Sunny, maybe a shower. Highs in the mid 50s.
Friday: Cloudy. Mid 50s.
Weekend: Sunny and cooler.
Not surprised by anything lately.
The 385-million-year-old forest
The New York State Museum has a new exhibit about the Gilboa Forest -- "the world's oldest forest" -- in Schoharie County. A research team that included scientists from the State Museum recently reported in Nature (on the cover, no less) that they had found evidence helping them describe the forest that stood there 385 million years ago. Results from that excavation, including new fossilized specimens, and illustrations are on display until March 20.
Brunswick
Nate Simms' documentary Brunswick, about the tension between development and farming in the Rensselaer County town, will screen at Skidmore Monday evening. Simms will be there for a Q&A afterward. 7 pm Filene Recital Hall.
Steven Millhauser
Novelist -- and Skidmore professor -- Steven Millhauser will be reading from (or expected to be reading) his newest book, We Others: New and Selected Stories, Tuesday evening at Skidmore. We Others is a finalist for both The Story Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. 8 pm Davis Auditorium
Sausage
Jake Quintal from the well-regarded Oscar's Smoke House in Warrensburg will be teaching a sausage making class at Different Drummer's Kitchen at Stuyvesant Plaza Tuesday evening. In addition to going over the basics of sausage making, "Jake will make you his famous sausage and peppers." 6 pm - $65
MP3
McGill professor Jonathan Sterne will be giving a talk about the history of the MP3 format at EMPAC Wednesday. He has a book about the format -- MP3: The Meaning of a Format -- coming out later this year. 6 pm - free
Vladimir Putin
Journalist Masha Gessen will be at UAlbany Thursday as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. She'll be talking about her new biography of Vladimir Putin, The Man Without a Face (review). Here's Gessen's appearance on The Daily Show last week. Putin was re-elected (if that's the word) to the Russian presidency Sunday. 8 pm uptown campus recital hall - free
Write Here
Saturday at the Arts Center of the Capital Region: Write Here!, "a mini conference for and about writers and writing in and around the Capital Region." The event's schedule includes panels and plenaries about the writing life, getting work published, and social networking for writers. 9 am - 5:15 pm - $15 (+ $10 for a box lunch from Nighthawk's Kitchen)
Music
The Magnetic Fields show at Helsinki Hudson on Tuesday is sold out.
Tuesday: Filter at Jillian's
Hey, man, nice shot. 7 pm - $18
Wednesday: Yefim Bronfman at Union College
Acclaimed concert pianist. Part of Union's International Festival of Chamber Music. 8 pm - $25
Wednesday: Celtic Crossroads at Troy Music Hall
"Abounds with fusions of traditional Irish music, bluegrass, gypsy and jazz whilst pulsating with the rhythms of exciting Irish dance percussion." 7:30 pm - $20 and up
Friday: A Night Of Movies & Music with Professor Louie & The Crowmatix at The Linda
Professor Louie & The Crowmatix play a soundtrack to the 1902 film A Trip To The Moon. Also: a doc about Professor Louie's trip through Siberia. And a concert afterward. 8 pm - $15
Saturday Todd Snider at the Egg
Americana/alt-country. 8 pm - $24
Saturday: Grainbelt at Caffe Lena
A CD release show. (Grainbelt includes Howard Glassman from Valentine's, you know.) 8 pm - $12 ahead / $14 at door
Saturday: Nightmares for a Week at Hudson River Coffee House
With: Caleb Lionheart.
These are a just a few things for this week. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!
Look for our "Stuff to do this weekend" post on Friday.
The Arts Center advertises on AOA.
photo: Michael Lionstar
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