Almost autumn, & it’s one year of this newsletter—

Last September I printed out a couple-page packet with Events like this & handed it to strangers. Here we are now, some of the same still going strong—old weekly meetups off phones, monthly staple spirit food & Summer of Ludd favorites returning—Event Runners are back from August hiatus with new evolutions too.

One can intuit that the more we gather in these ways, the better—but who could ever anticipate where we are now? This culture-making, this creative force that’s taken us, beyond the backdrop of lawsuits piling up, dumbphone sales spiking, platform use declining more than company reps would ever tell us (at least use by humans)—flowing together until it crystallizes: a window to something other than this hypertech acceleration that no one truly assents to.

But here we are now—eyes on more of this, on the newcomers this month, on a seed hatching soon in the East Village …

I love it when the seasons change—

—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.

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Resources & calls

★ don't step on a CRACK — Practice your attention outside in the city with SoRA's Study Corps. They run five free SIDEWALK STUDIES a month—where groups play with short texts in Public Space. Sign up for September sessions here. (I have made many friends through these!)

★ Calling All Illich Heads — Ivan Illich's TOOLS FOR CONVIVIALITY is a core inspiration to our project to guide people off of monopolistic technology. To be convivial is to enjoy "autonomous & creative intercourse" with each other & our environment—interdependence without imposition. Learn more, & consider joining or hosting an Event for his 100th birthday on Sept. 4–6.

★ YOUR M.O.? — Month Offline resumes in NYC in October, & the aim is to start having MORE DIY COHORTS pop up all around in autumn. Learn how you might run your own MO by reading this guide & joining an info session.

★ Go to school very good — boshi's place is running a neat & unique course, & SoRA has just announced their fall seminars.

★ Read books in Brooklyn — Be among the first in a new "PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY BOOK CLUB." The reading list is still being figured out, but the group will focus on theory-heavy books & occasional novels. A couple titles in mind are Heidegger's Question Concerning Technology, Arendt’s The Human Condition, & Labatut’s The Maniac. The plan is to meet in-person once a month. If you might be interested, fill out this form (note: no pressure to fill un-required fields on this google form).

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September Events, so far

Tues., Sept. 1, 15, 29 | Epistolary Explorations @ 7–9 p.m., Crown Heights

Gather over baguette and cheese to write a letter and make new friends. Write to Dad, Grandma, old roommates, or whoever would appreciate hearing from you.

Stamps, envelopes, and sealing wax provided.

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

Wed., Sept. 2 & 16 | Burner Phone Writing Group @ 7:30 p.m., Lalin's

This group meets every other week, sometimes in workshop style. Come work on a submission for the Burner Phone zine—which is entirely offline—or just hang out and free write.

Email [email protected] for updates.

Thurs., Sept. 3 & 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. ]

Sun., Sept. 6 | Fall in Love with the City @ 3–6 p.m., Cornerstone Makerspace

A gallery opening of student work from Little City Studio (our children's maker program). It's also our Makerspace monthly open house/meet and greet. Updates here.

Various Dates | Anna by the Window Screenings @ Various times, New Paltz, Beacon, & Brooklyn

Couldn't make it to the premiere of feature film Anna by the Window during the Summer of Ludd? FEAR NOT! This month there will be a bevy of new screenings paired with fun events such as short concerts, movie trivia, Luddite panels, AI director detector Q&A & more! Go to baggysuit.com to get tix:

• The Denizen Theatre, New Paltz, EVERY SUNDAY IN SEPT, 5pm.
• The Beacon, Beacon, Monday Sept 14th, 8pm.
• The Jalopy Theatre, Brooklyn, Saturday Sept 26th, 8pm.

Anna by The Window (70 mins) is a coming-of-age portrait of a teenager, Ryan over 24 hours in NYC as he attempts to reunite with his increasingly delusional AI-startup-founder brother.

If you want to see this film screening at your local theatre, reach out!: [email protected].

Tues., Sept. 8 | 45th Annual Rope Climb @ 8 p.m., 157 E 37th St. (outdoor POPS)

Come celebrate the 45th annual midtown building climbing competition. We may be blessed with a special appearance, but can for sure promise face painting for the festivities. Cheers to 45!!!

Tues., Sept. 8 & Sun., Sept. 13 | "Can Games Change the World?" Showcase @ boshi's place

Can games change the world? For 8 weeks this summer, 12 students at boshi's place tried to figure this out. This showcase will feature different speculative projects—from analog board game to zine to speculative installation and more—realized in an attempt to definitely resolve this question, once and for all.

In addition to opening night on Tues., Sept. 8 @ 6–9 p.m., we will also have open drop-in gallery hours on Sun., Sept. 13 @ 10–12 p.m.

Tues., Sept. 8 | The Fragility of Borrowed Intelligence: Subtle Risks of AI Dependence @ 6:30 p.m., Manhattan

What happens when the skills, knowledge, and judgment that once lived in people and institutions move into machines?

​Aishwarya Khanduja presents her essay "The Fragility of Borrowed Intelligence," on the two fragilities that follow from overdependence on AI: (​1) economic fragility and (​2) epistemic fragility.

​Followed by a guided group discussion on what human capacities require deliberate protection as we enter the AI age.

Presented by Tusk & Quill. Waitlist here.

Wed., Sept. 9 | Prospect Park Sunset Circlesing @ 6:30–9 p.m., Prospect Park

Musica do Círculo style circlesing in Prospect Park. 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! We'll gather, mingle & snack at 6:30pm and start singing at 7pm. We ask that everyone arrive by 7pm so we can share invitations and ground together before we dive in.

🤲 $5-$15 suggested donation so we can gather like this more often!

🥨 Feel free to bring a little snack to share!

Use this to RSVP & receive the exact location!

Thurs., Sept. 10 | The Trial of Jeff Bezos @ 7 p.m., Vanderbilt Hall, NYU

The authors of Against Tech Oligarchy are bringing together labor leaders and tech critics to pack the jury in the trial of a tech billionaire. Witnesses, some from the oligarch's own companies, will present Bezos’ most notable injuries to the working class. Join us for an event that is sure to be a boisterous, cathartic celebration of working class solidarity and power.

Featuring Kim Kelly, Edward Ongweso Jr., Hamilton Nolan, and others to be announced.

Admission includes a hardcover copy of Against Tech Oligarchy: Worker Resistance in the World's Most Powerful Industry, to be picked up at the event.

Tickets here.

Thurs., Sept. 10 | New Moon Study Group: Amusing Ourselves To Death @ 7 p.m., Ft. Greene Park

This New Moon, we will be engaging in a study of the early media theorists, who wrote extensively about the shift to television culture in the mid 20th century. As we grapple with yet another media revolution—the shift to algorithmically mediated media—what lessons from television culture hold true today? And did we, in fact, ever leave it?

We will be reading excerpts from Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves To Death, followed by Socratic discussion.

Meet by the monument in Ft. Greene Park. Free! Please RSVP so the host can make the right number of printouts!

Sat., Sept. 12 | STRANGERS Teach-In @ 2 p.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

Yours truly is going to do a teach-in on STRANGERS on the north side of Tompkins (past the bathrooms, by the pool).

We are NEW YORKERS! We live in a land of IMMENSE SOCIAL POTENTIAL—but, due to urban planning fallacies, digital machinery, crusty societal habits, and so forth, we leave so much unattended & unexperienced—

More to come, but we'll ponder some Walt Whitman, Richard Sennett, Julia Kristeva, or maybe others—we'll bask in the unpredictability of park encounters—& we'll chip away at the chains of "safety."

What if we had more faith in each other & our ability to navigate complex city terrain? I've sure been gaining faith lately, thanks to you all.

Sat., Sept. 12 | RAD Collective September Meeting @ 5–7 p.m., Lower Manhattan

This monthly meeting of the RAD Collective will consist of:

Monthly AI news, ​Project updates, ​Community discussion + hang out

​Join us to learn more about how New Yorkers can Resist Automated Disempowerment! No AI background required, as always.

Sat., Sept. 12 | soup sets @ 8 p.m. – 12 a.m., Bed Stuy

Four friends present four soups and four dj sets on a rooftop in bed-stuy. Bring your own bowl (& spoon!). Soup available while supplies last, dancing supply is infinite. Featuring dj's from the Let's Get Off Together parties :).

RSVP for location here.

Sun., Sept. 13 | Public Service @ 2 p.m., Maria Hernandez Park

The last Public Service of the year! Some say it's a bit utopian. You should try it at least once.

Sun., Sept. 13 | boshi's spontaneous orchestra @ 2–5 p.m., boshi's place

if you always wanted to play music but was scared of people being too good and precious about things, this is a jam for you, we are mostly not good and definitely not precious.

and you don't need to know how to play anything, we have instruments, and instructions and mostly come up with improvisation game ideas that give some structure

Sun., Sept. 13 | Intro to Creative Coding @ 3–5 p.m., Cornerstone Makerspace

For absolute beginners!

We will be learning the very basics of creative coding using p5.js. Attendees will each use make their own looping animated gif by writing simple code in a browser-based application. No experience necessary.

p5.js is a free, open-source JavaScript library for learning to code and make art. Using the p5.js Editor, you can create, share, and remix p5.js sketches without needing to download or configure anything.

Ages 12+ (we will be doing some math, but it will be fun!); BYOL (Bring Your Own Laptop); $ Pay what you can. RSVP here.

Tues., Sept. 15 | JAMBOREE @ 5 p.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

The Street Jamboree RETURNS!!!!!!!!! This is an open, experimental jam session—a public open mic, ludd culture builder, and a general good time. Starting at 5 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park, under the loving shade of the Hare Krishna Tree, we will be JAMMING and GROOVING with ourselves and one another. It will continue until there are no more acts (rolling sign-ups), and there will be playful participatory facilitation throughout.

Come one, come all! NO AMPs (bc no permits) & NO EGOS!  Whoever you are, YOU BELONG.

Wed., Sept. 16 | Phone-Free Adelphi RETURNS! @ 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 [email protected] with questions.

Wed., Sept. 16 | New Rat City @ 8–9 p.m., Tompkins Sq. Park

A Summer of Ludd favorite returns!

In this 1-hour workshop, we will see rats, and we will be rats. We will learn about rats, and we will learn about ourselves. It's New Rat City, baby. Get to know some of our most misunderstood neighbors.

Hosted by kyle barnes of Chimeras Collective. No RSVP; just show up near the Hare Krishna Tree!

Thurs., Sept. 17 | NYPL Offline Book Club: Resisting Big Tech @ 6:30 p.m., Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Room 405

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.

Resisting Big Tech: The Personalized is Political by Niels Niessen (2025) calls for a collective consciousness of how increasingly personalized online streams colonize our associations. Focusing on four domains of life—home, city, learning, love—it advocates for the need to foster new offline communal spaces. The ebook is Open Access CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Register: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2026/09/17/offline-book-club

Thurs., Sept. 17 | Trephelobia Poetry Circle @ 7 p.m., Fallkill Falls in Prospect Park

An informal, come and go as you please poetry circle, bring your own poetry or poetry you like. Bring snacks/drinks if you want.

Contact Josh for exact location: [email protected], or just show up to Fallkill Falls in Prospect Park. RAIN OR SHINE

Fri., Sept. 18 | Burner Phone MISS WORLD Launch Party @ 7 p.m., The Sultan Room Rooftop

Celebrate the new edition of this local, offline zine.

In issue #10 we pay our respects to the riot grrls, guerilla girls, punk bands, and queer zines who originally inspired us to pick up the copy machine and print the stories being told around us. MISS WORLD is a zine about WOMANHOOD, GIRLHOOD, FEMININITY, and FEMINISM. It's an archive of the experience in 2026.

While we aim to keep our events cheap and accessible, to secure the venue tickets will be sold for $5, which will include one free zine! You can buy your ticket in advance—but since it's a PHONE-FREE event we encourage you to print your QR code in advance—or get door tix to avoid taxes & fees :p

Sat., Sept. 19 | Guided Nature Walk @ 11 a.m., 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 2-mile hike along the Cornish Trail in Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve. Learn about the history of the Northgate Estate Ruins, how to identify native & invasive species, and Leave No Trace principles.

This moderate hike is perfect for beginner hikers, history enthusiasts, and nature lovers alike! 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].

Sat., Sept. 19 | AI and You @ 12 p.m., Brooklyn Central Library, Infocommons

Cut through the hype and doom around AI with the CyPurr cats! This session will go over a beginner-friendly review of how the recent wave of AI tools works before diving into what it means for privacy and mass surveillance. Bring your device for the second half, where we'll opt-out of these settings together and discussing a more private and just future of tech. The event space is located on the first floor of the library.

Sat., Sept. 19 | Out Loud Reading Series: El Gallo de Oro @ 2 p.m., Mil Mundos Books

Come join us at Mil Mundos Bookstore for a free participatory reading of Juan Rulfo’s Gallo De Oro in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month and Mexican independence!

The read out loud series is a bookclub meeting where participating members take turns reading an entire novella (100 pages or less) out loud in a single sitting. Discussion of the material and socializing will follow the reading portion. All are welcome to participate and/or sit in and listen. More here.

Sat., Sept. 19 | EYE-CATCH! Fashion Show @ 6 p.m., DUMBO

Please join SoRA for our inaugural fashion show celebrating wearable pieces by the winning stylists from the School's EYE-CATCH! Open Call. The stylists each showcase four looks inspired by the aesthetics and counter-aesthetics of the Attention Economy, creating twenty looks in total which will be modeled by SoRA's own community members.

In addition to the runway, the fashion show will invite audiences to somatic attentional practices on fashion, followed by an afterparty with light refreshments and music. A photo zone with a digital camera and a merch station with limited-edition upcycled t-shirts will be open throughout the evening to enjoy! Ticketed. More here.

Sun., Sept. 20 | Kings&QueensHike @ 10 a.m., Erie Basin Park

Why hike through one borough, when you can hike through two? Join us as we traverse Kings County and Queens County on September 20. At 10 AM, we'll meet at Erie Basin Park, right next to the IKEA in Red Hook. We'll walk along Brooklyn's and Queens' waterfronts, concluding at the northernmost point of Ralph Demarco Park in Astoria. We'll also break for lunch at around 1 PM in Domino Park. Don't forget to bring ample sunscreen, water, and snacks, and whatever else you'll need to enjoy 6+ hours of walking, chatting, and looking :)

If you have any questions, or want to join midway through, shoot Koll an email!—[email protected]

Tues., Sept. 22 | TEDxCarnegie Hill @ 7 p.m., Dorrian's Red Hand

An outer-space salon started by offline enthusiasts who want to create more places for deep thinking and speaking ... Join us at the iconic Dorrian's Red Hand (2nd & 84th) on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 to hear two talks about the universe beyond earth's atmosphere!

TEDxCarnegieHill is an officially licensed TEDx event series (three events total) all unpacking different elements of outer space - from stars to black holes; from space food to space art- learning from the people who made it happen. This event series was created for the casual enthusiast - no background knowledge is required!

TICKETED ... buy here.

Thurs., Sept. 24 | INFRASTRUCTURE PARTY! @ 7 p.m., Crown Heights

are you an infrastructure nerd? knowledgeable about the hidden workings of our world and itching to share what you know? dying to learn more about possible topics such as internet protocols/electricity generation/supply chains/ai datacenter pipelines/sewer systems/etcccc on brooklyn's okay-est rooftop? come to the infrastructure party!

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format: anyone who wants to share some infrastructure knowledge should prepare a 5–10 minute presentation on a topic of their choice. slides are welcome but not necessary—if you just want to learn rather than present, that's ok too!

email [email protected] for the address or to sign up for a presentation slot ✨

Sat., Sept. 26 | Washington Square Mass Read-in @ 2–4 p.m., Washington Sq. Park

Celebrate reading and make new friends! Free book marks to the first 150 participants. 

We'll ring a gong, read for an hour, then hang out and share book recommendations. Bring a book and a picnic blanket.

We'll be the people reading in the grass.

Sat., Sept. 26 | How to Throw a Party at the End of the World @ 4–6 p.m., Fort Greene Park

Learn some juicy Party Theory, how parties have shaped history, and how to make your own party a roaring success (whatever that means to you). This is a 2-hour interactive workshop, but pop by anytime if you can't make it right at 4.

Hosted by kyle barnes, partygoer and partymaker who recently taught a seminar called The Party at the School of Radical Attention. kyle is also a co-organizer of the LET'S GET OFF TOGETHER parties. Meet to the East of the monument at Fort Greene Park — look for the red hat + red blanket, and email [email protected] with any questions.

Sat., Sept. 26 | Corn Moon @ 7 p.m., Fort Greene Park

September's full moon is the Corn Moon and the Harvest Moon, so let's enjoy a picnic potluck of seasonal dishes. Come gather for a delicious harvest feast and full moon ritual — we'll meet East of the monument of Fort Greene Park. Come ready to eat, dance, commune, and share in presence and sustenance.

Bring an offering for our communal harvest altar: something seasonal and delicious to share with friends and strangers under the rising moon! No RSVP; just show up (plates, bowls, serving utensils also make great offerings)!

Sun., Sept. 27 | 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.

Tues., Sept. 29 | News & Brews #2: Prediction Markets @ 6:30–8:30 p.m., Crystal Lake Brooklyn

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?

​On September 29th, we'll have a phone-free discussion. Guests TBD. $15 tickets here.

Sat., Oct. 3 | The Odyssey Nonstop @ Early Morning Train, Grand Central Station

Hey—you there, you who just scored a fresh pair of used baby blue cowboy boots from Buffalo Exchange—sublimate no longer the desire that led you to this vintage storefront in Williamsburg, and answer the call to adventure.

Join us (Phil, Nick, and pals) on a roundabout journey—an odyssey, if you will—to upstate New York and back for a non-stop, marathon reading of The Odyssey*. We will train up to Beacon and scale the heights of a nearby overlook, voyage down the East River to Rockaway Beach, and end with a great feast, all while reading ALOUD Homer's epic. We may not get lost, but we will lose ourselves in the process, and come home renewed.

(Logistics: Meet at Grand Central Station to catch an early Metro North train. Bring water and snacks. There will be food stops and bathroom breaks as well. LIMITED SPACE, SO email Phil at: [email protected])

(*Daniel Mendelsohn's translation)

Wed., Oct. 7 | Bateson Double Book Launch and Signing @ 6–9 p.m., The Players Club

SEMINAL THINKERS FOR THIS TECHNOCRITICAL CULTURE!

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. A cash bar serving wine and beer will be available.

The launch introduces two new books, conceived half a century apart, both of which explore how we can live, learn and relate to one another and to the wider living world in a time of rapid change. MORE HERE: https://www.nysgs.org/event-6777370

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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!).

Sept. 6—Summer of Ludd Memory Circle! & much more all month.

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 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 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.

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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