Brooklyn Public Library is turning cafes, gardens and park houses into classrooms this summer with a free lecture series that brings university-level talks to seven neighborhood spots across the borough, including The Tiny Cupboard in Bushwick.
The series, called Sips & Scholars, is a partnership between the library and the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, as first reported by BK Reader. Seven public talks, led by scholars from the institute, Pratt Institute and Georgetown Law, are landing in community gathering spaces rather than lecture halls. Every event is free and open to anyone who shows up.
The topics run wide. There is a talk on C.L.R. James and self-liberation, one on Pythagoras and musical theory, another on Sigmund Freud’s political thought, a session on Jane Jacobs and urban life, a close reading of Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” and a discussion of Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment philosophy. Put together, the series covers architecture, political thought, music theory, psychoanalysis, urban history, art history and philosophy.
Talks start at 6:30 p.m. and come with complimentary refreshments. Attendees can also sign up for a library card on the spot, and the series comes with a companion reading list so you can dig into a topic before or after the lecture.
The Bushwick date is at The Tiny Cupboard. The rest of the lineup spreads across the borough: Urbane Arts Club in Prospect Park South/Ditmas Park, Success Community Garden in New Lots, The Brooklyn Firefly in Bay Ridge, Community Carro Center in Gerritsen Beach, Greene Garden in Fort Greene and McCarren Parkhouse in Greenpoint.
The idea behind the setup is access. By hosting expert-led discussions in cafes, parks and gardens instead of academic settings, and charging nothing to attend, the program puts humanities education in front of people who might never sign up for a college seminar. It connects residents with subjects that dig into history, politics, culture and the arts, wherever they happen to live.
Featured image: Bushwick Daily image
