May Day & sunny streets ahead—getting ready for a dumb rooftop celebration, a generational HOWL, a block party against reckless AI. In April our culture made more waves as friends flip off stale paradigms. We choose instead to meet offline, where our attention takes new shapes, our imagination expands—where community grows spontaneously, & political possibility too—

And now some quick spring housekeeping—

This bulletin is now accessible via a new domain, nycofftech.com, but it is still run here on Buttondown. A few tips for navigating these calendars as they keep growing: (1) open it in your browser for the most up-to-date version; (2) join this brand-new Signal chat for sparse event highlights, if you prefer that over email; (3) or maybe find me and my friends out in public with print copies. Oh, and (4) don't forget the Weekly Events section at the very end of this message!

All this technical talk leads me to another big announcement—

• So many people from our community are coming together to launch a magazine called Commonality. It's time we spark a new discourse & pave the way for this movement to post-platform life. An open call has just begun, and it's starting broad—so all interested writers and designers with a technocritical slant, please email henry@commonalitymag.com by May 31.

And I wanted to share some art & organizing opportunities as we barrel on towards summer—

• Summer of Ludd. Help is welcome on all fronts! All organizers, musicians, and artists reach out to theofficialsummerofludd@proton.me to learn more, or come to an in-person meeting listed below.
• Luddite Recreations. A live theatrical retelling of the original Luddite story will be performed during SoL and filmed for the Luddite Club documentary. Auditions are happening in the evenings of 5/1 and 5/6, & the next prop build is on 5/9. Email ludditeclubdoc@gmail.com to get involved.
• Call 877-846-HOWL for a surprise.

We're all getting off some sort of tech, all changing our social setups somehow. If you have questions, comments, or want to add something of your own, just reply to this email!

How great it is to share this ground—

—Nick

★ ★ ★

May Events, so far

Fri., May 1 | Flower Moon + May Day @ 7 p.m., Park Slope

Another full moon, another reason to gather. We’ll make a beautiful flower altar: please bring a floral object as an offering. And we’ll celebrate May Day, too, with festivities to welcome the spring.

Email kyletuhr@proton.me.

Fri., May 1 | dumb.co Launch Party @ 9 p.m., The Look Up

Phone-free dancing & DUCKS. Live ducks will be released.

Celebrate the new flip phone by dumb.co (used in Month Offline) & stay for a performance by Danger Boss. Free drinks for dumb users, & a good time for first timers.

Sat., May 2 | Attention Lab STUDY @ 12:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention's flagship "Attention Labs" are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab's focus is STUDY: a glimpse at the power of collective inquiry.

Sign up for any lab here.

Sat., May 2 | We Are Already Gathered @ 2 p.m., East Village

Meta is censoring activists, DHS is scanning travelers' posts, and prosecutors are charging mutual aid organizers with money laundering. While social media can be a valuable tool for sharing information and building coalitions, it is also a surveillant apparatus. We'll get into data collection on activist social media activity, what this means, and what we can do about it.

RSVP here.

Sat., May 2 | Tech Workers Coalition: Ghost in the Machine Screening @ 7:30 p.m., The New School

Ghost in the Machine exposes the buried history of artificial intelligence, not as a neutral system of algorithms, but as a technology shaped by racism, misogyny, and entrenched structures of power. Rejecting the notion of AI as inevitable or objective, the documentary traces how myths of progress and efficiency have obscured deeper political and cultural agendas, revealing the ideological foundations beneath the systems now rapidly reshaping modern society.

Register here.

Sat., May 2 & Sun., May 3 | Leafing Out @ 1 p.m., Prospect Park

Join artist-researcher Kyle Barnes of Chimeras Collective in a leaf-walk through Prospect Park. In early May, this ecosystem is mid-exhale—bud scales dropping, new leaves unfurling, the forest mid-becoming. Together, we’ll move through Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, attending to the leafing out of some of the park’s 193 tree species. Come ready to go slow, get low, and learn some of the stories leaves can tell us about transition and flourishing.

Bring comfortable shoes and a small bag for collecting leaf specimens, optionally a journal. We’ll be outside for approximately 90 minutes, rain or shine.

RSVP here.

Sun., May 3 | Public Service @ 2 p.m., Herbert von King Park

Come dance outside to good DJs for free. It’s the kickoff for everyone’s favorite summer dance party. Here’s the Public Service mailing list for those off (or looking to get off) Instagram.

Sun., May 3 | MENding @ 3 p.m., Prospect Park

Want to do something about the male loneliness epidemic AND textile waste? Learn to repair clothes so they can be worn longer. Join our exclusive Tactical Fabric Reinforcement Squad (a.k.a. sewing circle) and prep for the forthcoming Luddite documentary. 

Also welcome are people who already know how to sew and want to help teach basic skills or assemble materials for the film: ludditeclubdoc.com.

Note: any and all genders are invited to attend but MENding is designed to be a welcoming space for men to learn and ask questions. All materials provided.

Mon., May 4 | "HOWL" Mass Reading @ 5 p.m., Wash. Sq. Park

“HOWL” by Allen Ginsberg in public space. We gather at 5 pm and read promptly at 5:30—

FREE BOOKS FOR THE FIRST 300! organized by the nyc luddites and etymology nerd

Tues., May 5 | Bay Ridge Figure Drawing @ 6:30 p.m., Underland Gallery

Live model figure drawing in Bay Ridge run by luddite artist Amanda Hanna-McLeer.

Tues., May 5 | Burner Phone Zine Launch @ 8 p.m., Future Space Studios Ridgewood

IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD.

Come in your Sunday best. Leave your phones at home. Bring a canned good for the fallout shelter.

We'll have music, readings, zines, and will be judging all attendees on your likelihood to survive the coming disaster (prepare to prove why you belong in the bunker).

Kool-aid and some drinks will be available for "purchase”—otherwise BYOB.

Tues., May 5, 12, 19, & 26 | NYC Mesh Open Mesh Night @ 8 p.m., 53 Bridge St.

NYC Mesh is building an infrastructure commons that is accessible to all New Yorkers. We are a neutral network that does not block or discriminate content or throttle data. We do not collect personal data.

We’re committed to bridging the Digital Divide by connecting under served communities in New York. We stand in opposition to the telecom oligopoly in New York of Verizon, Optimum, and Spectrum ...

Drop in and learn more.

Wed., May 6, 13, & 20 | Attention Activism 101 @ 7 p.m., online

Attention is the touchstone problem of our age. Over the last twenty years, an unprecedented concentration of technical and financial power has successfully monetized human attention. The harms of this new system — in effect, the "fracking" of our most intimate selves — are familiar to all. Less widely understood is the nature of the movement that has emerged to fight back against this historic injustice: ATTENTION ACTIVISM.

In this course, we will survey the intellectual and practical foundations of the nascent ATTENTION ACTIVISM movement. We'll draw on texts by Anna Tsing, Natasha Dow Schull, Shoshanna Zuboff, Tim Wu, and Jonathan Crary among others. What do the extractive incursions of the Attention Economy mean for shared life in the twenty-first century — and how are communities of activists already working to resist them?

A few spots remain! Sign up here.

Fri., May 8 | AI & Environmental Justice @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

A collaboration between Counterstream and the School of Radical Attention. We're not living through an environmental crisis. We're living through two environmental crises: one of our external environment (the climate and planetary system) and one of our internal environment (human attention). These inner and outer worlds are the basis for human flourishing. And they are profoundly imperiled.

The reckless deployment of AI technologies that pollute our atmosphere and frack our minds has made this relationship painfully clear. But the convergence of these two crises presents an opportunity for new (and old) forms of social practice designed to reconstitute the worlds of matter and meaning that make human life worth living.

Join us for an evening of discussion and practice at the nexus of attention activism and environmental justice, featuring a panel of thinkers, writers, and leaders. 

Register here.

Fri., May 8 | SofAI Launch @ 6:30 p.m., telos.haus

What if humans replaced AI …?

Reimagine our technological trajectory in this participatory event. Hosted by artist Sofia Antebi.

Free! RSVP here.

Fri., May 8 & Sat., May 9 | Skin in the Game: Experiments in PlayDating @ 9:30 p.m., MetroRock Bushwick

How Do We Play presents Skin in the Game—a participatory, play-based dating event series that uses principles of attraction to create the optimal conditions to find love. A bubble of facilitated activity that sparks a state of play and childlike openness. Step into a world of games, music, and aphrodisiacs designed to help participants connect on a deeper level and tap into their desires. This experience demands active and authentic participation outside of one’s comfort zone—come curious and ready to play.

No phones! Tickets here.

Fri., May 8–Sun., May 10 | Brown Institute Media Party @ Columbia University

From May 8 to 10, 2026, Columbia University’s Brown Institute hosts Media Party NYC, bringing together 300 journalists, technologists, researchers, and entrepreneurs from around the world to take on the forces reshaping news: AI-driven workflows, shifting audience behavior, and the creators and platforms now mediating how people find information. Talks, workshops, and a hackathon. Register to attend.

Sat., May 9 | Digital Security @ 12 p.m., Peace Cafe

Maintaining digital security is a practice and a process, and one we’d argue is best done in community ✨ These sessions are designed to provide focused time to make headway on what can feel like an overwhelming list of tasks when it comes to digital hygiene! Whether you’re someone who wants to protect your privacy from government & corpo surveillance, or just want to stop giving your data to war profiteers, we’ll have something for you!

All experience levels are welcome, from beginners to those farther along on their digital security journeys 🔑 Starting at 12, we’ll do a teach in on the topics of the day, and then move into co-working / body doubling / locking in, all with the yummiest of drinks / snacks 🫰

Bring your questions, goals, & devices you’re hoping to secure 🔐

Sat., May 9 | Attention Lab @ 5 p.m., Prospect Park

Special edition Attention Lab in the Prospect Park Rose Garden. ATTEND TO THE EARTH!

Sign up for any lab here.

Sat., May 9 | "Event Event" (SoL Open House) @ 5 p.m., 15 Rutherford Pl.

If you want to run and event for SoL, join us for our Event Making Open House! Keep in mind, the deadline to put events in the Luddite’s Guidebook (print calendar for SoL) is MAY 12TH. Like last time, we will have a station for collaging posters, “event is the medium” trainings, and finalizing events. If you want to run an event for SoL but can’t make it, please email theofficialsummerofludd@proton.me.

SoL is a week of free, public, participatory, programming to get people off big tech and into public space. June 28th-July 5th. All over NYC.

Sun., May 10 | Intro to Linux Workshop @ 5:30 p.m., Interference Archive

Join the NYC branch of the IWW for another intro to Linux workshop. Learn from tech and tech-savvy workers how (and why!) to switch from big tech to an open-source operating system. We will provide USB sticks loaded with Linux Mint. Attendees should back up their data before coming or bring an old computer and a charger. Desktops are ok, just plan on coming a few minutes early to set up.

Sun., May 10 | Unplatform Creatives Workshop @ 2 p.m., Central Library

It's no secret that extractive digital platforms have taken over creative life. Creating culture of all kinds has never been more precarious, and imagining a world where you're able to making a living off your art without worrying about appeasing algorithms seems harder than ever. The good news is that a better world is possible—but only if we go there together.

The Unplatform project invites artists, musicians, writers, and all other creatives from across NYC to come together for a conversation where we'll collectively imagine a vision for creative life outside the shadow of Silicon Valley—and, more importantly, think about how to make that vision a reality.

RSVP here.

Mon., May 11 | Newsreel Launch: The Feed Is Cooked @ 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Brewery

Your feed is cooked. You already know this.

The algorithmic feed was supposed to democratize information. Instead, it flattened culture, rewired attention, and left entire generations getting their news from whatever the machine decided to serve. So what actually comes next?


Featuring Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker, Filterworld author), Ava Smithing (Founding Partner of The Attention Studio, host of "Left to Their Own Devices"), Isabel Togoh (editor, Forbes), and Molly Liebergall (Morning Brew) sit down to discuss it. Moderated by Jack Brewster, founder of Newsreel.

Tickets here.

Tues., May 12 | We Are Already Gathered @ 6 p.m., Chinatown

We change our names because of our gender, ethnicity, relationship status, or other identities. As anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies sweep the country, digital surveillance tools are more powerful than ever. We'll explore who knows that you changed your name, what implications this has and what we can do about it.

RSVP here.

Tues., May 12 | Attention Lab SANCTUARY @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention's flagship "Attention Labs" are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab's focus is SANCTUARY: creating social space free from the influence of Big Tech.

Sign up for any lab here.

Tues., May 12, 19, & 26 | Attention Activism 201 @ 7 p.m., Online

ATTENTION ACTIVISM is the collective movement to push back against the commodification of human attention—what we call "human fracking"—and create, space by community space, a world where we can flourish. In this course, we will explore practical strategies for ATTENTION ACTIVISM, drawing on texts by Priya Parker, Paulo Freire, and Deva Woodly. We'll also focus on developing the organizing, facilitation, and movement-building skills required to build groups for ATTENTION ACTIVISM. The bulk of the course will be dedicated to supporting participants toward an organizing project in their own communities.

Participants who complete Attention Activism 201 will be eligible for inclusion in our national organizing coalition. Sign up here.

Thurs., May 14 | NYPL Offline Book Club @ 6:30 p.m., SNFL Room 405

Stop scrolling and put down your phone… SNFL’s Offline Book Club is a space for in-person conversation about the role technology plays in our world. Each month highlights a different book on the topic of technology’s impact on our individual lives as well as society as a whole, followed by an open discussion to share recent experiences and observations.

Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement by The Friends of Attention (2026) is
a rallying cry to fight the commodification of human attention and reclaim our humanity, the product of collaboration between a group of writers, artists, and activists in the vanguard of the movement. 

Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome, but priority will be given to those who register in advance. 

Fri., May 15 | CLOSED AI @ 11 a.m., Sara D. Roosevelt Park

BLOCK PARTY. We’re all quitting ChatGPT together—that’s cause to celebrate. Plus, another data center build, soapboxing, auctions, & more.

This event is a big collaboration between the NYC Luddites, QuitGPT, Sunrise, Purge Palantir, Humans First, and more. The action starts at the Houston St. entrance of the park.

NO NEED TO RSVP; JUST SHOW UP!

Tues., May 19 | websites, n.a.m.a.n! @ 6 p.m., Your Email Inbox

I am going to explain the concepts needed to make your own websites to the best of my ability. Feel free to correct me. I might also go over cooler ways to be online.

Newsletter Advice for Making Adjustments Now is a presentation series delivered through e-mails over the course of an hour. Topics involve small changes you can make to divest away from Big Tech.

RSVP by emailing knavehaven@pm.me with subject heading: "websites naman."

Tues., May 19 | Event Organizer Meetup @ 7 p.m., Wonderville

Join us for the NYC Event Organizers Meetup — a monthly gathering for connecting with the venue hosts and organizers behind New York’s art, DIY, and music events. The goal is to share resources, connect across scenes, and help each other make things happen.

RSVP here.

Thurs., May 21 | Design It for Us Monthly @ 5:30 p.m., Online

Design It for Us (DIFU) is a community of young people (26 and under) from around the world fighting to hold Big Tech accountable and improve our digital ecosystems.

Members are encouraged to attend monthly calls to learn more about state and federal tech policy, join campaigns, and directly advocate for legislative change.

Join here.

Thurs., May 21 | Attention Lab COALITION @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention's flagship "Attention Labs" are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab's focus is COALITION: the collective potential for attention activism.

Sign up for any lab here.

Tues., May 26, Jun. 2 & 9 | Attention Activism 201 @ 1 p.m., Online

Another session of AA201, this time in the AFTERNOON!

Wed., May 27 | Attention Lab SANCTUARY @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention's flagship "Attention Labs" are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab's focus is SANCTUARY: creating social space free from the influence of Big Tech.

Sign up for any lab here.

Thurs., May 28 | Unplatform Creatives Workshop @ 6:30 p.m., 875 Third Ave. POPS

It's no secret that extractive digital platforms have taken over creative life. Creating culture of all kinds has never been more precarious, and imagining a world where you're able to making a living off your art without worrying about appeasing algorithms seems harder than ever. The good news is that a better world is possible - but only if we go there together.

The Unplatform project invites artists, musicians, writers, and all other creatives from across NYC to come together for a conversation where we'll collectively imagine a vision for creative life outside the shadow of Silicon Valley—and, more importantly, think about how to make that vision a reality.

RSVP here.

Fri., May 29 | SoL End-of-Month Meeting @ 6 p.m., 15 Rutherford Pl.

The Summer of Ludd monthly organizing meeting is open to all. Just show up to the Quaker meeting house. One month left until the festival!

Questions: theofficialsummerofludd@proton.me.

Sat., May 30 | Walt Whitman All Night @ 8 p.m., DUMBO

SING THE BODY ELECTRIC! Join Peter Schmidt & Nick Plante at SoRA for a celebration of one of the oldest human technologies: lyric poetry. On May 30th, we'll best hosting an overnight collective recitation of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself—a rapturous ode to the possibilities of pluralistic democratic life. How can the simple act of reading verse aloud bring us together? What kind of world can this create?

We'll convene at 8pm, start reading aloud at 8:30pm, and go straight through to the early morning. Bring a copy of Leaves of Grass, if you have it—though we'll provide if you don't.

RSVP here.

Sun., May 31 | CREATURE EMERGENCE @ TBD

The city calls and speaks of nests, of homes, of creatures remade by circuits and clay. From it, a being borne of refuse, seeking refuge under the blue moon. When it reaches for you, what will you encounter?

More to come ...

Sun., May 31 | Earth Chrxch @ 7 p.m., 15 Rutherford Pl.

Join at 15 Rutherford Pl. for Rev. Billy & friends' monthly service. 1 preacher, 35 singers, and a crowd of earth loving humans. Step into the Fabulous Unknown.

★ ★ ★

Weekly Gatherings

Every Sun. | Luddite Club @ 2 p.m., Central Library

The Brooklyn Luddite Club returns, at its original meeting place. All are welcome. First meeting 4/12.

Email loganlane1@proton.me for more.

Every Sun. | CIRCLE TIME (Parallel Play) @ 4 p.m., Bushwick

You always want to ask people what they're working on at the cafe? NOW YOU CAN! This is Circle Time. Sundays, BYOPP (bring your own passion project) and prepare to share.

Format: Intros → Focus Time → Optional show & tell

Hosted by Rebecca Lipsitch of How Do We Play.

More info here!

First and Third Sun. | Date with Détournement @ 9 p.m., Various Locations

Join public art projects that push back against alienating tech.

First and third Sundays.

sighren.ludd@proton.me if you want in.

Every Wed. | Technocritical Writers Room @ 10 a.m. / 7 p.m., Hybrid

Writers from across the community engage in generative sessions to share stories, visualize futures, and push critiques of digital technology towards new action.

10 a.m. at Jefferson Market Library, and 7 p.m. on a Jitsi call.

Facilitated by artist and organizer Amalia Mayorga. Email rosemayorga@proton.me for more.

Every Wed. | Phone-Free Adelphi @ 7 p.m., Fort Greene

Screen-free night of creativity from 7 to 10 p.m. We turn off our phones, work on something creative (or just read or meditate), then reflect on the experience.

Capped at 15 people. Please only come if you can stay the whole evening!

Stay up to date and RSVP for any week using this form. Email danmaxfox@gmail.com with questions.

Every Fri. | Crafternoon @ 1:30 p.m., Stavros Library (SNFL) First Floor Corner Space

Two hours of freeform crafting and conversation every week at the midtown Manhattan library. Bring your own project. We have tools and materials for sewing, painting, fiber, and paper arts, and are always happy to assist you in finding books related to your creative interests. Walk-ins welcome. More info here.