Another missive from me—

It includes a jam-packed calendar, nonstop weekends through Halloween, new ways to shape this shared culture, & a quick rant that goes like this—

HOURS into the city council hearing on the risks of AI, & familiar plays are on loop—each corporate policy rep. saying they "prioritize safety," saying their tools will cure cancer—a great & noble cause, maybe, but at what cost?—with the data we traded our social fabric for?—the current project of AI relies on an infinite attitude of problem-solving—everything must be FIGURED OUT and FIXED!—it can never just be—presence is outsourced to a know-it-all machine.

Maybe we can get more into it at the panel I'll be on (Oct. 21), or the next BRIGHT FIVE (Nov. 7), or another autumn Event. Thanks to all the Event Runners who are sharing discounts for Off Tech peeps, like MoMI (every Fri.), Brooklyn Contra (Oct. 18), Caveat (Oct. 24), & Newsreel (Oct. 29). As always, there are loads of free, public, participatory Events too.

I hope I will see you at them—

—Nick

★ ★ ★

Resources & calls

★ FREE BULLETIN BOARDS — Introducing the Bulletin Board Project ... IF YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL SPACE IN NYC AND WANT A FREE BULLETIN BOARD FOR YOUR WALL, EMAIL [email protected]! IF YOU WANT TO HELP INSTALL THE BOARDS, ALSO EMAIL [email protected]! They come complete with free thumbtacks, ready for offline news—

★ blind film watching? — don't u like when movies are social experiences?? reply to this newsletter with "social reckoning," "elizabeth holmes," or "artificial" if u want to watch something with off-tech strangers. or if you're looking for a docu, what if u organized a screening of your attention please, complete with yr own participatory exercises & discussion prompts?

★ ai hav ur secrets — if u were at the LET'S GET OFF TOGETHER party during SoL, u might have confessed an ai secret. or mayb u did so in a public park in the bay area or nyc. perhaps yr secret made the cut? worth checking out in any case ☺︎

★ GET ROADTIPS — The Ludds are still on tour, & a second leg will begin soon after in December. If you have any questions or want to recommend more stops, please reach out to [email protected].

★ ★ ★

Rest of October & the November horizon

Various Dates | October Sidewalk Studies—GHOST themed

SoRA's SIDEWALK STUDIES convene members of the public at a group at a bar, park, or other semi-public space for a short close reading of a text. Participants then depart to conduct a Practice of Attention en route to a second location, where they reconvene to synthesize their experience.

In this fashion, SIDEWALK STUDY brings together analysis and embodiment, reading and walking, theory and practice … and does it all in PUBLIC SPACE. Union members, PHD graduates, activists, artists, teachers, students, and humans from all walks of life have gathered under the umbrella of SIDEWALK STUDY.

All of our SIDEWALK STUDIES are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. No homework required! Sign up for any here.

Various Dates | LETTER WRITING CIRCLES @ 7–9 p.m.

Feeling guilty that you never reply to Mom's letters? Come practice the art of letter-writing, in community, at locations all over the city!

We'll create dedicated space and time to read famous letters, write our own, and get some time to hang out, too. Stamps, envelopes, and paper provided.

Different hosts are captaining different days of the week, so reach out for more details (including address) accordingly—

• Mon., Oct. 19, 26 in UWS: [email protected]
• Thurs., Oct. 22 in East Village: [email protected]
• Wed., Oct. 21 & 28 in Williamsburg: [email protected]

Sat., Oct. 17 & Sun., Oct. 18 | Luddite Club Documentary OPEN STUDIOS @ 12–6 p.m., Gowanus

All are welcome to stop by & see the documentary in progress plus other art from the Summer of Ludd! Peruse the flyer for the rest of the info.

Sat., Oct. 17 | GET LOST DAY (no devices!) @ 2 p.m., Prospect Park

Come spend an afternoon getting lost (intentionally!) in Crown Heights. On this Get Lost Day, we'll explore the generative possibilities of wandering with NO devices directing the experience of moving through a place—

Please RSVP for details and secure your spot as we have limited capacity.

Sat., Oct. 17 | CORVID CAPER @ 3 p.m., Greenwood Cemetery

Join the murder for a crow-themed gathering in Green-Wood Cemetery.

Bring a special trinket for the trinket swap, learn to make a quill and a biodegradable bird feeder, and explore the mystery of co-lying.

Wear black.

Meet at the Druid's Circle in Cedar Dell. 40.6514, -73.9906

Sat., Oct. 17 | LUDD LOVERS Zine Party @ 5 p.m., Ft. Greene Park by the monument

LUDD LOVERS! OUR TIME HAS COME!

Wanna date offline? If you submitted a ludd lover personal ad over the past two months, it now exists in a colorful tangible zine that you can get at the park! This chill park hang will be a time to gather all the lovers, get to know each other in new ways, & find collective catharsis in the perils of dating experiences.

The ads are awesome, & I want everyone to find love, but finding love isn't the point; the point is to try to date in new ways, to put yourself out there, to shed the binary-swipe-mindset & meet fellow seekers!!! All lovers are welcome, whether you submitted an ad or not, & we'll have things for you to do no matter what. Dating is vulnerable and daunting, but we will try to make it warm and open and chill.

PS if you want, wear red of some sort so the lovers can recognize each other. XOXO

Sun., Oct. 18 | BrooklynHike II @ 12 p.m., Foot of the Manhattan Bridge, on the Manhattan Side

Why have you not yet walked the entirety of Flatbush Avenue? That's a question I don't have the answer to. But!—

We can answer that question together, on October 18th, when we do just that! We'll be meeting at 12pm in front of the arch of the Manhattan Bridge in Manhattan (in front of the arch), crossing it into Brooklyn, and walking along Flatbush Avenue until we reach Floyd Bennett Park, where the Avenue will turn into a bridge that takes us to the Rockaways. We'll pause for a late lunch around 3pm in Prospect Park. We'll be walking the whole day, so bring whatever you need for that to be enjoyable!

JUST SHOW UP! If you have any questions, or would like to join midway through, send me an email! [email protected]

Sun., Oct. 18 | Brooklyn Contra Dancing LUDDITE NIGHT @ 4:30–8:30 p.m., Camp Friendship

See you for a contra dance for all to see out the weekend, with a visit from one of Brooklyn Contra's very favorite bands! We’re joined by Petrichord’s unique combination of influences from Old Time to Québécois, Classical to Cape Brenton, plus a visit from the amazing calling of Boston’s Harris Lapiroff!

Lesson at 4:30, dancing at 5. Direct testimony from the community: "it has been where I have rehearsed social worlds I like to inhabit and flex the muscle of skills ... beginners not just welcome but fully included."

DISCOUNT AT THE DOOR IF YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE A LUDDITE.

Mon., Oct. 19 | Attention Lab FOR TEACHERS @ 6:30–9 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.

New for this season—each Lab now features Practices inspired by a common theme! THIS ONE'S FOR TEACHERS looking to strengthen attention in the classroom in new ways—

Sign up for any lab here.

Mon., Oct. 19 | The People's AI Assembly @ 7 p.m., Webster Hall

A bunch of people talk AI in a concert hall.

"It’s time to build a tech movement that empowers working people, enriches our communities, and enhances our collective well-being. Join the AI Now Institute and More Perfect Union for the People's AI Assembly, an evening bringing together leading organizers, cultural figures, and policy leaders shaping the frontlines of AI."

Free, RSVP here.

Wed., Oct. 21 | AI Chatbot PUBLIC CONVERSATION @ 10:30 a.m., Brooklyn Heights Library

Yours truly will be speaking at an Event with Kristen Gonzalez, Jon Haidt, parent activists, & more about the need to push back on the proliferation of unregulated, unfettered, creepy, risky, weirdly human-like chatbots.

It's FREE. I would love to see you there—

Wed., Oct. 21 | No Lights, No Lycra @ 7 p.m., Prime Produce

DANCE IN THE DARK DON'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT

PAY WHAT YOU CAN

LOOK OUT FOR MORE

Fri., Oct. 23 | Phone Free Comedy w/ Dan Fox @ 7 p.m., Pete's Candy Store

Phones turn off together, & comedians make you laugh.

Happy hour ends & doors open at 7 p.m.

FREE.

Sat., Oct. 24 | We're Ready to (Dis)believe You @ 4 p.m., Caveat

We’re Ready to (Dis)believe You: (Conspiracy) Theories Debunked is part infotainment and part live variety show. Come for stand-up comedy, true stories, live music, and bullshit-detector games to sharpen your judgment for surviving in this manufactured world of disinformation and misinformation.

PROMO CODE: GETOFFTHEINTERNET ($5 off).

Buy tickets here.

Sat., Oct. 24 | Spooky Synthesizer Show and Tell @ 5–8 p.m., Cornerstone Makerspace

We are pre-gaming the before-halloween weekend with a SPOOKY SYNTHESIZER SHOW AND TELL! Bring some gear you’d like to show off or have others play with. Don’t have a synth? No problem! NO SYNTHS REQUIRED! Just come hang out and play what others have brought :)

Halloween costumes optional but strongly encouraged! RSVP.

Sat., Oct. 24 | Philosophy of Technology Book Club @ TBD, Carroll Gardens

We will be discussing Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology in a big group setting.

Email [email protected] for more.

Sun., Oct. 25 & Sat., Nov. 7 | Pirates of Prospect Park ANNUAL TREASURE HUNT @ 11 a.m. – 3:30pm, Prospect Park

Come join us for a lively pirate themed treasure hunt in Prospect Park. Assemble your mates and form a crew of bold explorers to embark on a quest of puzzles, hidden surprises and a search for buried treasure. Navigate through the park's winding channels solving clues and challenges while competing for glory, bragging rights, and plunder along the way.

Teams can be 3–6 players, or come solo/with a friend and we’ll pair you up. Expect around 3–4 miles of walking in total.

Suggested donation $15 for those who are able. RSVP here.

Sun., Oct. 25 | Autumn Hike @ 11 a.m. via an 8:56 a.m. train, Hudson Highlands State Park (3200 Stearn Rd, Cold Spring, NY 10516)

Join New York-New Jersey Trail Conference's Hudson Valley Trail Stewards on a 4.6-mile hike and over 1,000 feet of elevation along the Bull Hill Short Loop in Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve. Enjoy the views, foliage, and meet other nature enthusiasts.

Wear sturdy sneakers or boots, bring plenty of water, snacks and lunch, and dress to be outside. To get here, take the 8:56AM Hudson Line train from Grand Central to Cold Spring. Left on Main St, left on Fair St, and left on Route 9D. Happy Trails!

Questions or curious about future hikes? Email [email protected].

Sun., Oct. 25 | Attention Lab FEAR @ 12:30–3 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.

New for this season—each Lab now features Practices inspired by a common theme! This one's about FEAR ........

Sign up for any lab here.

Sun., Oct. 25 | CHAOS & ORDER! @ 1 p.m., Manhattan

Drawing inspiration from the practice of the flaneur, we will wander, gaze at, and take in the city and society around us!

On October 4, we met in the West Village to dabble in some Baudelaire and perhaps some Benjamin.

Now on October 25, we will take inspiration from Jacques Tati's film Playtime, and get caught up in the office greyscape of Midtown: How, if at all, do we find ourselves lost in the monotony of mechanized life, with Modernism's obsession with order, optimization, and function? Is there hope for resistance, or at least WHIMSY?!!!!

Hosted by Katie Nguyen, an urban wanderer and facilitator at the Strother School of Radical Attention. To learn more or to RSVP to either (or both) events, email/text Katie at [email protected].

Sun., Oct. 25 | Sewing Repair Café @ 3–6 p.m., Cornerstone Makerspace

Due to popular demand, we are having another session of our sewing repair cafe!

Need help mending something? Want to learn about simple hand stitches? Just want to co-work with needle and thread?

All experience levels welcome. More info here.

Sun., Oct. 25 | contact improv jam & open decks @ 6:30–9:30 p.m., Bushwick

All levels! In a cozy DIY loft with plenty of soft seating on the sidelines & food for purchase

6:30 doors

6:45–7:30: guided warmup $5+ sliding scale (highly recommended for beginners) with Nina, an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of touch, physics, gravity & get comfortable with folks in the jam

7:30–9:30: jam

$10+ sliding scale

If you are a DJ interested in open decks, reply to this email or DM the Event Runners on Luma (rather than IG)

Mon., Oct. 26 | Falling Leaves Moon @ 7 p.m., Fort Greene Park

In October, we celebrate the Falling Leaves Full Moon, as the foliage changes all around us. Reflect in community on transitions and release through a full moon ritual. Bring a leaf or leaf-related craft to add to our communal altar.

We'll meet to the East of the monument of Fort Greene Park. Ritual begins at 7:30pm and goes until 9:00pm. No RSVP, but if it looks like poor weather, email [email protected] for an indoor location.

Thurs., Oct. 29 | HOW TO START A NEWSLETTER @ 10 a.m., online

ARE YOU IN ANOTHER CITY WONDERING HOW CAN WE HAVE AN EVENTS BULLETIN THAT HELPS PEOPLE FORM RELATIONSHIPS OUTSIDE OF THE PLATFORMS?

​HAVE YOU FOUND YOURSELF AMONG OTHERS WHO ARE HOSTING FUN, PARTICIPATORY EVENTS, EXPERIMENTING WITH THEIR ATTENTION, & UPDATING THEIR USE OF TECHNOLOGY?

​THEN COME TO THIS BRIEF WORKSHOP TO SEE IF, WHY &, HOW YOU MIGHT START A NEWSLETTER LIKE NYC OFF TECH.

apply here if this sounds like you.

Thurs., Oct. 29 | Midterm Mania @ 6:30 p.m. – 1 a.m., 100 Sutton St.

★THE CODE FRIEND TAKES 50% OFF FOR NYC OFF TECH PEEPS!★

Newsreel is hosting "Midterm Mania" five days before this year's midterm election. The event will feature programming about this year's election with New York City Council Member Chi Ossé, Vox's Astead Herndon, Morris Katz, the political strategist behind Zohran Mamdani's rise, and NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon, plus several other guests TBA. Then, we'll ditch the mics for a party.

​We have one rule for this event: NO PHONES. TICKETED—buy here.

Fri., Oct. 30 | The Dance of an Open Mind: Toni Morrison's Radical Attentions with Prof. Namwali Serpell @ 6 p.m., DUMBO

Toni Morrison's contributions to literature and American culture are a case study in the powers of human attention: to the possibilities of language, to the complexity of love, and to the pain and beauty of our American inheritance. In this evening of close reading and discussion, we'll take a close look at one of Morrison's essays with novelist, critic, and scholar Prof. Namwali Serpell, author of On Morrison (Hogarth 2026). The close reading will be followed by a Q&A with Prof. Serpell on Morrison's work as a whole.

Namwali Serpell is a writer and a Professor of English at Harvard. She's the author of three works of criticism, Seven Modes of Uncertainty (2014), Stranger Faces (2020), and On Morrison (2026), and two novels: The Old Drift (2019) and The Furrows (2022). She was born in Lusaka and she lives in New York City.

$12 tickets here.

Fri., Oct. 30 | Capture the Future @ 7–9 p.m., Prospect Park

★PHONE-FREE HALLOWEEN PARTY IN THE PARK!★

As we step into halloweekend, join a giant game of themed capture the flag in Prospect Park. Decide the fate of halloween, NYC, and maybe even the future …

Costumes encouraged, but wear something you can move freely in — and bring a headlamp or flashlight, as this will be a phone-free space.

Here's a luma for more information & updates.

Sat., Oct. 31 | Hidden City Halloween "DEMONS OF LITCHFIELD VILLA" @ 7–9 p.m., Bushwick

A groovy DIY halloween party & immersive music show. Organized off big tech—

Read the lore & get a ticket here.

Sun., Nov. 1 | Songwriting Circle @ 3–6 p.m., Bushwick

Come with or without an instrument (we have a piano and some guitars) and prepare a song you have written recently.

Unfinished pieces and rough drafts are welcome—this is an open space to gather ideas and appreciate stories in whatever form they come! We will discuss the craft of songwriting through the lens of a mystery song (ooooh), do some lyric/word games, melody/harmony games, and then do a songshare at the end where everyone gets to play for the group!

There will be snacks, tea/coffee, paper and pencils, and new friends for you to meet! RSVP here for address.

Tues., Nov. 3 | EMPTY SET Issue 2 Launch Party @ 7:30 p.m., Rodeo (1134 President St., Brooklyn)

Empty Set is an annual print magazine dedicated to technology criticism. It's among the best of the scene, if I may break the editorial seal and say so myself.

Replete with live readings & performances. Just show up.

Tues., Nov. 3 | REAL LIFE TONIGHT @ 9:30 p.m., Caveat

It's real life, tonight. Offline organizers Ian and Amelia cohost this fresh take on a late-night show.

★This special election night edition of Real Life Tonight will feature clown, music, tech critical comedy, and a visit from the first ever offline presidential candidate. ★

$15 presale and at the door.

Fri., Nov. 6 | Sabatino @ TBD

Stay tuned until the next newsletter for confirmation—this will be a "little sabbath," a phone-free evening of presence & mingling with SoRA and SPINSTER at a social club in Manhattan.

Sat., Nov. 7 | Dear Dear: An Afternoon with Poet Reuben Gelley Newman @ 4 p.m., Walt Whitman Initiative Tane Poetry Library (91 South Street, Manhattan)

Please join us in our cozy space for our celebration of Reuben's 2026 poetry collection, which renders queer love through the lens of music, art, nature, and politics.

Sat., Nov. 7 | "BRIGHT FIVE" PRESENTATION PARTY! @ 6 p.m., Pete's Candy Store

do you want to hear technologists, writers, & organizers come together to discuss ★VERY FUN THINGS★ like rogue ai, network states, prediction market addiction, & so forth? do you want to sit in a super sweaty historic stageroom in a former candy store?

yes ★★★★

then RSVP here, & email [email protected] if you want to present

Mon., Nov. 9 | How to Start a Letter-Writing Circle @ 7–9 p.m., TBD

Letter-writing is back! And so is taking an active role in shaping our culture. If you love writing letters and want to create space for others to do the same, come learn how.

Facilitated by Connor Griffin, host of many letter-writing circles advertised on this newsletter. Email [email protected] for details!

Thurs., Nov. 12 | THE EMPIRE STATE STRIKES BACK @ 6:30–8 p.m., Collider NYC

A conversation with political leaders taking on Large Machines at the state level here in NY.

This is the launch event for the New York Tech Accountability Project (NYTAP). We'll discuss what states can do when the federal govt is asleep at the wheel on privacy, addictive algorithms, and AI; what it takes to pass progressive tech legislation in NY; and what legislators hope to accomplish in 2027.

Free RSVP here.

★ ★ ★

Recurring Events

Every Sun. | Luddite Club @ 2 p.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

A new vehicle to bring your own Luddite events. Meet on the north side of Tompkins Sq. Park (through the gate between the bathrooms!).

Every Tues. and Thurs. | Druid School @ 5 p.m., Prospect Park

Classes in mysticism, sensory awareness, and deep nature connection on Tuesdays & on traditional crafts, anthropology, and wilderness survival on Thursdays. Meet at the Boathouse at Prospect Park at 5–10 p.m. The classes are free, but donations are welcome.

Every Tues. & Sat. | CDNY English Country Dance & Evening Contra @ Various Times, Church of the Village

All kinds of bands for all kinds of skill levels & a HALLOWEEN PARTY on the 31st!

Here's a PDF with the season's full Tuesday & Saturday schedule.

Learning sessions included, sliding scale always, & consider a membership!

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.

Now capped at 20 people. Please only come if you can stay the whole evening!

Stay up to date and RSVP for any week through this Buttondown. Questions to [email protected].

Every Thurs. | Crown Heights Silent Reading @ 7 p.m.

Celebrate reading in community. We'll read for an hour then chat over tea. Bring any book for yourself!

Facilitated by Connor Griffin, an educator and organizer working off big tech. Email [email protected] for the location.

Every Thurs. | Pick Up Pigeons TRASH CLEAN UP @ 8 p.m., All 5 Boros

Pick Up Pigeons was inspired by looking at trash on the street. We want to touch it and know everything about it. And also put it somewhere else!!!

🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎

Clean up a different neighborhood every week. The meetings are organized off of social media and via a Proton Mail newsletter—more here.

Every Fri. | Crafternoon @ 1:30–3:30 p.m., Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library - 1st Floor Corner Space

Join us for two hours of freeform crafting and conversation. Bring your own project. We have tools and materials for sewing, fiber, and paper arts, and are always happy to assist you in finding books related to your creative interests.

More here.

Every Fri. | Phone Free Fridays @ 2 p.m. 'til close, Museum of the Moving Image

Museum of Moving Image, Light Phone, & Dan of Phone Free Adelphi) are holding PHONE FREE FRIDAYS through December. If you check your phone before purchasing a ticket, you get 50% off general admission.

There will be technocritical workshops every week from leaders in the movement off of big tech.

Every Fri. & Sat. | Fort Tilden & Breezy Point Beach Cleanup @ Fri. 10 a.m. & Sat. 11 a.m., Fort Tilden

Get outside, get some sun, help restore the habitat for the plovers, and meet new people offline! Leave feeling rejuvenated from soaking up nature together!

Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.—trains & ferries can be hit or miss, so show up whenever you can and come look for the group!

Join this Signal chat to stay in communication, ask questions, and find our meeting place.

Every Sat. | Tompkins Distro @ 11 a.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

Eat / make / give out food, drink Tang, meet your neighbors, and also have a lot of fun. RAIN OR SHINE!

Every Sat./Sun. | PLG Trash Club @ Various, Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Clean up your neighborhood with your neighbors! Schedule here. The group also provides a list of trash clubs around the city with regular cleanups.

🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎🗑️🚮☺︎

Sign up for their newsletter so you don't have to keep checking the website or Instagram!

Every Sat. | Internet & Tech Addicts Anonymous @ 2 p.m., 208 W 13th St., Manhattan

Welcome to Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous! We're glad you've found us, and we hope our community can be as helpful to you as it has been for us. ITAA is a Twelve-Step fellowship of individuals who support each other in recovering from internet and technology addiction. This includes addiction to social media, smartphones, streaming video or audio content, games, news, pornography, dating apps, online research, online shopping, or any other digital activity that becomes compulsive and problematic.

★ ★ ★

Well, hello from the bottom of the bulletin! If it was worth all that time to scroll through, perhaps you will consider sharing NYC Off Tech with a friend, foe, beloved, or a stranger ... and maybeeee you could spare a few for a coffee? :)