NYC Off Tech — OCTOBER
just following up to see if you can come to more EVENTS
Hello again,
I just wanted to follow up on my invitation to come to these Events. Please let me know if you can make any!
... && please let me know if you see it too, how the Event is the medium through which we make it through—have you noticed i capitalize the E in Event every time?—that's because it's where the magic happens, where we give each other reason to do things that we don't do when we're computing—where we move from sheer information processing or abstracted problem-solving to textured experience—to taking on whatever happens with the whole body
——Sweet reader, the Event is a spiritual thing, & we need a culture that puts phones away & truly participates——
So come participate in some October Events, like PHONE FREE FRIDAYS at MoMI (starting Oct. 2), a SONGWRITER CIRCLE (Oct. 4), a new monthly presentation party called BRIGHT FIVE (Oct. 15), the long-awaited LUDD LOVER meetup (Oct. 17), & an on-theme capture-the-flag HALLOWEEN PARTY (Oct. 30). For my friends elsewhere, I'm also testing out two workshops on how to start a newsletter for your city to beget more & more Events all over (Oct. 15 & 29).
Don't stay home. Feed yr spirit. Grow the culture—
—Nick
p.s. if this bulletin gets cut off in your email reader, tap the “NYC Off Tech — September” at the top or click this link to open it on the web.
★ ★ ★
Resources & calls
★ LUDDS ON TOUR — Tell your mom, tell a stranger—organizers from the Summer of Ludd are going on tour up the Pacific-Northwest! The R.O.A.D.T.I.P.
From October 8th to the 23rd they are headed up the Pacific-Northwest to talk about Summer of Ludd organizing, the AI Bubble, Public Space & the doo doo mess we find ourselves in today regarding Big Tech. If you have any questions please reach out to [email protected].
★ MONTH OFFLINE OCTOBER — LAST CALL for the 6 pods in different neighborhoods across the city. There's also a waitlist for January, & stay tuned for big public Events that bring all the MOers together.
★ third fourth FIFTH — The Fifth Place is a project by a long-time stranger-experimenter that you might want to participate in. One takeaway from my STRANGERS teach-in last month was that I want to embrace strangers with creative purpose—as potential partners in off-the-cuff thinking, in a game, in a spontaneous art piece—not just saying hi aimlessly.
★ Will school survive? — I'm noticing a lot of university pushes to adjust curricula, programming, & norms to meet students' attentional needs. Miami University has put this together for humanities students, for instance (don't worry—it's funded by a different Altman), and Bard College has launched a physical attention sanctuary on campus. SoRA is a good place to start if you're interested in educational interventions.
★ Everyone can have a book club — Last month I listed Commonplace, who has Events for you to schedule book clubs at. NYPL's Stavros Library helps you do this, too, and they even let you host your club there for free.
★ ★ ★
October Events, so far
Thurs., Oct. 1 | EYECATCH! Exhibition Opening @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO
Join SoRA for the opening of our fall exhibition, EYE-CATCH! (October 1-30), presenting wearable pieces by Jianing Zhao, Nathalie San Fratello, Tanner Kok, Lexi Fujita, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, and Kajal Ramrup that confront the monetization of attention in fashion.
Did you miss the fashion show last month?!?!?! Don't worry—come watch a recap of all twenty looks from the designers, and observe the color, structure, and texture of selected pieces in close proximity. A collection of upcycled SoRA merch, screen-printed by Francesca Barr, will be available only for the night.
This is a free event. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP for building access.
photo by Caleb Bryant Miller for SoRA
Thurs., Oct. 1 | Singles Dating Matching Using Palantir Data @ 8 p.m., Producer's Club Manhattan
Using just your name and phone number, the hosts will use the power of Palantir software to create a full picture and presentation about your best attributes. You do not have to present yourself! Professional wingmen will present and hype you up to everyone.
Note: Data can get polluted so presentations may contain some inaccurate information.
There will be also be a brief demo on the commercial uses of Palantir technology in case you are in the market for a license (Prices start at only $300,000/year).
[ Not free :-( — but tickets here if you are curious. ]
Fri., Oct. 2 | Phone Free Fridays Launch @ 5 p.m. 'til close, Museum of the Moving Image
Light Phone & Museum of Moving Image (and Dan of Phone Free Adelphi) are holding an opening reception w/ light bites & drinks for PHONE FREE FRIDAYS on Friday, October 2nd at 6pm. Free.
Every Friday until December, if you check your phone before purchasing a ticket, you get 50% off general admission.
Opening night schedule:
5:00 p.m. MoMI LAB presents "Free Yourself from Big Tech," a practical workshop facilitated by Prashast Thapan exploring open-source tools, local AI and ways to take more control of your digital life.
6:00 p.m. Gabo Arora of MoMI LAB and the Light team lead a conversation about technology, attention and what a different relationship with our devices might look like.
★(& sign up for the Month Offline happening at the Museum this month)★
Fri., Oct. 2 | Attention Lab FASHION @ 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!
Sign up for any lab here.
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.
Fri., Oct. 2 & Sat., Oct. 3 | Gel Conference @ Accord, NY
The Gel Conference will explore the risks of a Big Tech-dominated society while spotlighting positive, inspiring people and projects who are bringing about rebirth: new ways of creating and living that are charting a path forward.
Gel will take place across a day and a half: Friday, October 2 for speaker presentations, a catered lunch, in-person experiences, and a skate party; and Saturday morning, October 3, for guided community-building.
Hosted by Mark Hurst of the Techtonic radio show, & featuring a glistening line-up of leaders. See more, & SIGN UP HERE!
Sat., Oct. 3 | Community Craft Workshop @ 1–3 p.m., Open Source Gallery, Brooklyn
Whether you're an expert with yarn or just starting out, you are invited to join craftsperson Mary Pat Klein at Open Source Gallery as we share stories and skills in Sáandlaanaay's The 7th Time. As we create together, we'll talk about the significance of handmade items in both our personal and collective histories.
All skill levels are welcome to come craft, share stories, and learn together with community support. This event will take place as part of October's Fall of Freedom. Feel free to bring your own yarn, needles, and hooks; some materials will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Not a knitter? Not to worry, you can bring whatever other crafts you are working on.
Sat., Oct. 3 | Jungle Games @ 4–6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bridge Park
Want to make a game together? Someone once defined play as the capacity to move lightly between worlds. Jungle Games is an ongoing experiment where we are making a game, using the city as our board, with one objective—to find these other worlds. Taking help from a variety of ideas offered to us by thinkers and philosophers and a bit of grounding in game design—we shall come together to tinker with rules.
The event is capped at 15, please rsvp here only if you plan to be there the entire session.
An email with more details will be sent soon!
This is hosted by Samvit, a design researcher and a facilitator who is always interested in your interest—contact him at [email protected].
Sun., Oct. 4 | Makerspace Open House @ 2–4 p.m., Cornerstone Makerspace
Come by for our monthly open house for both Cornerstone Makerspace and Little City Studio! If you’ve never been here before, it’s a great opportunity to check the space out. If you are a regular, come by and say hi!
More info here.
Sun., Oct. 4 & 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 will be meeting in the West Village to dabble in some Baudelaire and perhaps some Benjamin.
Then 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. 4 | Songwriter circle @ 3–6 p.m., Bushwick
I (Lazlo) am starting up a songwriting circle on the first Sunday of every month inspired by my friend Maddie who used to host one! The plan is simple: 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! See you there :)
**apartment can probably fit 15-20 but if there is more interest and weather permits we can move outside...
RSVP for address on unplugg.me.
Sun., Oct. 4 | inner child potluck @ 6:30 p.m., Flatbush
bring a food u really enjoyed as a kid. put ur phone away & eat all the kid food. email [email protected] 4 location
Sun., Oct. 4 | The Art of Leonard Peltier Comes to NYC @ 2 p.m., 15 Rutherford Pl.
Hosted by the Church of Stop Shopping and by the Ad Hoc Indigenous Affairs and the Arts committees of the 15th Street Quaker Meeting House—spend time with the artwork, longtime New York advocates and native friends, and in some way, the person of Leonard Peltier.
More on Peltier's art here. More on the Event here.
Mon., Oct. 5 | Circlesing @ 6:30–9 p.m., South Oxford Space
Musica do Círculo style circlesing in Fort Greene. Singing, body percussion, movement. The focus here is connecting and creating something together, not on the quality of "music" that is made. All are welcome, come play! Doors Open at 6:30pm and start singing at 6:45pm.
NEW DATE — Mon., Oct. 5 | News & Brews #2: Prediction Markets @ 6:30–8:30 p.m., Crystal Lake Brooklyn
★Moved from September!★
Are prediction markets a better way to report uncertainty than another poll, or a casino that pretending to be a newsroom?
When a network puts live odds on screen, is that reporting, or a chyron with a betting line? If the whole country can bet on the news, does anyone still trust the people covering it?
We'll have a phone-free discussion. $15 tickets here.
Mon., Oct. 5 | You Don't Need a Smartphone Book Launch @ 7 p.m., The Strand
Join us for a release event with writer and visual artist August Lamm, discussing her new book YOU DON'T NEED A SMARTPHONE.
Moderating this discussion is notable writer of essays and fiction Catherine Shannon. This event will be hosted in the Strand Book Store's 3rd-floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway on 12th Street.
$13 tickets here.
Various Dates Starting Oct. 5 | 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. 5, 12, 19, 26 in UWS: [email protected]
- Wed., Oct. 7 in Crown Heights: [email protected]
- Thurs., Oct. 8 & 22 in East Village: [email protected]
- Tues., Oct. 13 in Crown Heights: [email protected]
- Thurs., Oct. 15 in Astoria: [email protected]
- Wed., Oct. 21 & 28 in Williamsburg: [email protected]
Tues., Oct. 6 | You Don't Need a Smartphone Book Launch @ 7:30 p.m., Greenlight Bookstore
Filled with moving stories and practical suggestions, You Don't Need a Smartphone proves that living without a computer in your pocket is not only possible but ideal.
Offering guidance on selecting a new phone, navigating without GPS, meeting people offline, and overcoming obstacles like digital tickets and dual-factor authentication, You Don't Need a Smartphone is as urgent and radical as its title, and a new blueprint for a fulfilling life in the Information Age.
Lamm reads from and discusses the book before an audience Q&A and signing. Free—RSVP here.
Wed., Oct. 7 | The Examined Review Vol. 2 Launch Party @ 6–9 p.m., Garnet
Come and celebrate the release of the second issue of The Examined Review!
This event is hosted at Garnet, a restaurant started by MSC alum Benjamin Laufer, opening later this fall. Ticket price includes one copy of the magazine. Drinks will be available for purchase. We'll present a brief reading around 7 p.m.
If you're not able to attend, copies are available for worldwide shipping on the MSCEL's website. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions. $12 Tickets here.
Wed., Oct. 7 | Bateson Double Book Launch and Signing @ 6–9 p.m., The Players Club
SEMINAL THINKERS FOR THIS SOCIETAL INFLECTION POINT!
On Wednesday, October 7th the New York Society for General Semantics is hosting an unusual double book launch bringing together the pioneering work of writer and filmmaker Nora Bateson and her late father, British-born thinker Gregory Bateson. Many of the ideas now familiar in conversations about systems, like "feedback loops", "differences that make a difference", and "orders of change", come from their work.
The launch runs from 6 to 9 PM at the Players, 16 Gramercy Park South, NYC, 10003. It includes short readings from both books, conversation with Nora Bateson and editor Phillip Guddemi, and a signing. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for admittance.
Thurs., Oct. 8 | Attention Lab WORLDBUILDING @ 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!
Sign up for any lab here.
Fri., Oct. 9 | Local Multiplayer @ 2 p.m., Tompkins Square Park, north end tables
Multiplayer gaming used to bring us together. We can make it that way again. Bring a controller, 3DS, or portable gaming setup to Tompkins Square Park to keep the tradition of local multiplayer alive. We'll be bringing a Steam Deck loaded up with games like Kirby Air Ride, Duck Game, and Power Stone — but feel free to bring your own games or consoles to the group (don't forget the batteries to run them!).
Just show up!!! Reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.
Sat., Oct. 10, 17, 24 | Will and Attention Book Club @ 2–4 p.m.
In this memoir, essayist Meghan O'Gieblyn explores the saving power of attention, drawing on writers like Simone Weil, among others.
Facilitated by Connor Griffin, an educator and organizer working off big tech. Email [email protected] for the location and plan.
Connor: "Her last book (God Human Animal Machine) introduced me to my roommates and changed my life!"
Sat., Oct. 10 | SPINSTER: Art-Curious Club @ 3–4:30 p.m., Magenta Plains
For the first meeting of the Art-Curious Club, we'll be celebrating the 10-year anniversary show of Magenta Plains, home of artists like Anne Libby, Zach Bruder, and Ebecho Muslimova. We'll get a tour of the show, which features one work from each of their artists across a range of mediums, the gallery directors will tell you what you need to know about the art market and process of buying art, and we'll hang out with drinks on the Magenta Plains terrace.
We expect this event to fill up, and capacity is limited, so RSVPs are required. Platform and SPINSTER subscribers do not need to apply. If you are not a subscriber, learn more here.
Sat., Oct. 10 | IHATEMYPHONEILOVEMYPHONE @ 6–7:30 p.m., Pete's Candy Store
IHATEMYPHONEILOVEMYPHONE is a performance workshop that combines an interdisciplinary teach-in, ritual healing circle, and comedic theater show into one.
Beyond exploration, this workshop offers people both a history lesson of how we came to live under a techno-fascist attention economy and a way out—by drawing on nervous system regulation tools passed down through generations of lineages in healing arts (somatics)—to regain control of our bodies—so we may regain control of our attention and thus our political agency.
Sun., Oct. 11 | October New Moon Study Circle: Technopoly @ 5–7 p.m., Fort Greene Park, by the monument
You've heard of the oligarchy, but Neil Postman would argue that we are instead (also?) living in a Technopoly: a society that has ceded culture to technology. Join us for a Socratic discussion where we'll unpack what Postman means, debate whether we agree, and reflect on the modern interplay between technology and culture.
No prior reading required! Excerpts from Postman's 1992 text, Technopoly, will be printed out and serve as the basis for discussion.
Please RSVP here so the host can make the right number of print outs!
Wed., Oct. 14 | ARTIFICIAL INTIMACY with Sherry Turkle @ 7 p.m., All Souls Unitarian Church (1157 Lexington Ave., Manhattan)
As AI becomes part of the way we work, communicate, and seek support, it is also beginning to change something more fundamental: how we relate to one another and to ourselves.
What happens when machines can listen to us, comfort us, and even present themselves as companions? What might we gain, and what might we lose, when technology begins to fill spaces once held by human relationships?
Join Jon Kabat-Zinn and Sherry Turkle for a special LIVE conversation exploring these questions and the future of human connection in a hyperconnected world.
Presented by the New Center for Holistic Learning & Wisdomfeed, this is a book launch & book signing for Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk To Machines. More here, & buy a $30 ticket here.
Thurs., Oct. 15 | HOW TO START A NEWSLETTER @ 4–5 p.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. 15 | "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 ★★★★
here is the plan—five presenters are given five minutes each to talk about issues at the frontier of our collective relationship with tech, & the crowd is invited to ask questions. then we will hang out & critique the presentations further
free with a suggested $5 donation—RSVP to get the slate of presenters a week before. & email [email protected] if you want to be one of them
Thurs., Oct. 15 | Offline Book Club: Martyr Loser King @ 6:30 p.m., Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library 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.
Martyr Loser King by Saul Williams with art by Morgan Sorne (2026) is an Afrofuturist fable set in the coltan mines of East Africa during a global cyberattack. This graphic novel critiques technological exploitation while also imagining rebellion and the possibility of transformative change. Reserve the book and register here.
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 | 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 | 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]
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 | No Lights, No Lycra @ 7 p.m., Prime Produce
DANCE IN THE DARK DON'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT
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 | 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 | 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
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.
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.
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.
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!
★ ★ ★
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.
(We won't be having it on Oct. 1.)
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. & 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: https://plgcleanup.org/new-york-trash-clubs. 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.
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