Yuletide Tales
Yuletide Tales is a storytelling show on a holiday theme. It’s about that most jolly time of the year, except when it isn’t.
Hosted by WNYC’s Jim O’Grady, host of Blindspot, a podcast by WNYC Studios and The History Channel.
Join the fun — and share in the schadenfreude — as our stellar lineup of New York City comedy and storytelling veterans wax holiday hilarity.
Featuring:
Ophira Eisenberg, host of NPR’s Ask Me Another, who asks the question, “Who brings Jewish kids presents?”
Adam Wade, Twenty time Moth StorySLAM winner, whose Christmas festivities in 1998 consisted of going to work at Rockefeller Plaza and eating cold chicken fingers from TGI Friday’s.
Andy Christie, host of the legendary Liar Show, with a story about how his dad expropriated presents for his sons from dead residents of his boarding-house on 14th Street.
Angel Yau, a UCB comedian, sketch actor, storyteller and filmmaker from Queens, NY previously featured on Netflix and the BBC.
And others!
Event Details
FREE with RSVP
1 hour
Address
The Greene Space
44 Charlton St
New York, NY
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Shop Trans This Holiday Season
The holiday season is upon us, and Journalist-in-Residence Imara Jones is here with trans-led businesses and shops where you can get your gifts and more. Imara will be joined by entrepreneurs Armani Dae, Jayla Roxx and Devin-Norelle to discuss the path towards starting one’s own business and the importance of shopping ethically and supporting trans-led businesses when holiday shopping.
Lives at Stake is a series of frank conversations by and for trans people about the issues affecting their communities, hosted by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Imara Jones, The Greene Space’s first-ever Journalist-in-Residence. Building off Jones’ storytelling project TransLash, these online gatherings will also highlight the resilience, creativity and artistry that are critical ingredients to trans life, showcasing trans creatives performing their craft.
ASL interpretation will be available during the show.
The trans community, allies and those who wish to learn more are all welcome to join us to share experiences, insights, questions and celebrations by tweeting @TheGreeneSpace and using the hashtags #translash #livesatstake.
The Inaugural Lehrer Prize for Community Well-Being
Join us as we look back on a notable year and honor the nominees of the first annual Lehrer Prize for Community Well-Being. This award aims to recognize a standout idea, individual, effort or group that has contributed meaningfully in the past year to improving quality of life in New York City and nearby areas.
The event will feature Brian Lehrer in conversation with the three Lehrer Prize nominees, along with a special conversation between Brian and Chef José Andrés of World Central Kitchen, along with a performance from violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. The evening will be emceed by WQXR’s Terrance McKnight.
Reporter’s Notebook: Gasping For Justice
While most Americans contend with the risks of gathering with loved ones this holiday season, the over two million people confined in America’s jails and prisons find themselves fighting for survival and to be heard by a largely unaware and preoccupied public — and unconcerned judicial system.
COVID-19 ravaging jails and prisons doesn’t just affect the people incarcerated, approximately 500,000 of whom are jailed only because they can’t afford bail; it’s catastrophic for corrections staff, including officers, chaplains, doctors, nurses and their lawyers. And this is to say nothing of the neighboring communities, which have seen their COVID-19 case and death rates increase in outsize proportions.
WNYC’s Jami Floyd hosts WNYC reporter Karen Yi and Assistant Public Defender from Prince George’s County, Claire Glenn, with special live performances of real sworn testimonies from Prince George’s County Jail by GRAMMY-winner Fiona Apple and award-winning poet and lawyer Dwayne Betts.
Hear how COVID is affecting more than just those behind the bars, and learn what tools you have at your disposal to make positive change happen.
For this Reporter’s Notebook, we team up with the Gasping for Justice initiative led by public defenders, organizers, civil rights lawyers, and people currently jailed in Prince George’s County, MD, to explore the current conditions inside of courts, jails, and prisons, and the indifference by people with the power to do more throughout the country.
Lives at Stake: Trans Day of Remembrance
During this Trans Awareness Month, in the wake of the election, trans politicians are celebrating historic victories, winning elections from Delaware to Oklahoma. New legislation around the LGBTQ+ community could change the lives of transgender people across the country. At the same time, November 20th marks Trans Day of Remembrance, in which we commemorate all of those lost to violence. Sadly, 2020 marks the year when more trans people have been killed than any other year on record. These deaths leave behind loved ones often overlooked by the media.
This month, Jones talks with GLAAD-Award winning journalist Samantha Allen and Melania Brown, sister of Layleen Polanco Extravaganza who died in custody at Rikers Island yesterday due to neglect. We will also be sharing a special, spoken word performance by artist Mojo Disco.
Digital Verse: Nuyorican Poets Cafe x TGS
For almost 50 years, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe has been a vanguard in the world of spoken word poetry and an iconic Lower East Side institution. Now, they join forces with The Greene Space to present a showcase of performers, both established and up-and-coming. Hosted by Caridad de la Luz a.k.a. La Bruja, this show brings together poetry, stories and solo work. Poets include Shanelle Gabriel, Andre “Chulisi” Rodriguez, Tanaya Winder, Tricia DeJesus-Gutierrez aka Phynne, Rich Glinnen, Paul la Torre, Jani Rose, Suzen Baraka.
Podcast Mixtape: How to Citizen with Baratunde Thurston
After deconstructing racism with his 2019 TED talk and exploring black identity in his NY Times bestselling memoir How to Be Black, Baratunde Thurston is breaking down civic engagement with his new iHeartRadio podcast How to Citizen.
WNYC’s Jami Floyd (Senior Editor, Race and Justice) joins Baratunde to discuss his wide-ranging career and what he’s learned from sitting down with activists, revolutionaries and experts about the responsibilities we all have to our country. Special guest Farai Chideya (creator and host of Our Body Politic) also sits down with Baratunde.
To America: A Live Performance in Green-Wood Cemetery
How would you have us, as we are?
Or sinking ‘neath the load we bear?
– James Weldon Johnson, To America
Join us in Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery for a night of performance inspired by the poetry of James Weldon Johnson, who is buried at Green-Wood and best known for his anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Curated by Death of Classical and Green-Wood, it will blend music, history, literature, and dance into a single sweeping, shuddering cry into the night.
Featuring poetry by Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes and Terrance Hayes; stories from the lives of Margaret Pine, the last enslaved person in New York State, a young drummer boy killed in the Civil War, former NY Governor DeWitt Clinton, and others; and music by The Harlem Chamber Players, violinist Lady Jess, singers Danielle Buonaiuto, Freddie June, Paul Grosvenor and many more talented souls. It is a lament, a love song, a prayer, and a plea to America in a time of deep uncertainty, in remembrance of all that this nation has been, and all that it can be.
Join us after the performance for a discussion about the creation of “To America” with Liz Player, Executive Director and Artistic Director of The Harlem Chamber Players and Death of Classical Founder and General & Artistic Director Andrew Ousley. Hosted by WQXR’s James Bennett.
Lives at Stake: State of the Race
LIVE NOW: Imara Jones with Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund 's AndyMarra and WNYC 's Matt Katz discuss recent polling and the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court's impact on trans issues. @translashmedia
Get Lit with All Of It
Watch a live video stream as Alison Stewart, host of WNYC’s All of It, continues her virtual book club series with acclaimed author Raven Leilani. They’ll discuss her novel, Luster, which follows a young Black woman living in Brooklyn who gets involved in an increasingly complicated relationship with an older married man. Viewers are encouraged to submit their questions for the author on Twitter and Instagram. Singer-songwriter, Jensen McRae, will also be performing.
RSVP for virtual program "To America: A Live Performance in Green-Wood Cemetery" Oct 30th at 7PM ET
Join us virtually on October 30th at 7PM ET in Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery for a night of performance inspired by the poetry of James Weldon Johnson, who is buried at Green-Wood and best known for his anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Curated by Death of Classical and Green-Wood, it will blend music, history, literature, and dance into a single sweeping, shuddering cry into the night.
RSVP for FREE here https://bit.ly/2TgjVgi More info at greenespace.org
Death Sex & Money’s Audio We Love Fest: Back Issue
For the finale of Death, Sex & Money‘s Audio We Love Fest, join host Anna Sale for a live conversation with Back Issue hosts Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn.
In their new show, Tracy and Josh share the stories behind some legendary moments in pop culture—including ones that are pretty cringeworthy in hindsight—and go deep on some of people, shows, and songs that changed us forever. Join the nostalgia party and watch as they share some of the moments from the past that are bringing them joy in a tumultuous year.
Who Matters in America 2020? A Conversation Between Kai Wright and Andrea Bernstein
Kai Wright, host of United States of Anxiety, joins Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the Trump, Inc. podcast and author of the New York Times Bestseller AMERICAN OLIGARCHS: The Kushners, The Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, to discuss the tattered state of democracy, the encroaching oligarchy, racism, nativism, voter suppression and how Donald Trump’s central principle of “us” versus “them” has infected all of American government.
Samantha Crain in Performance
Samantha Crain is a Choctaw singer, songwriter, poet, producer, and musician from Oklahoma. Her genre-spanning discography has been critically acclaimed by media outlets such as Rolling Stone, SPIN, Paste, No Depression, NPR, PRI, The Guardian, NME, Uncut, and others. She has toured with First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lucy Rose, The Avett Brothers, The Mountain Goats, Brandi Carlisle, Langhorne Slim and many others.
Blessing the New Tammany Hall
Presented in collaboration with The Lenape Center, The Greene Space will livestream the blessing of the newly revamped Tammany Hall from New York City’s Union Square. The Lenape Center’s Joe Baker and Hadrien Coumans will lead the blessing. This historically Lenape space has served as an icon in the New York City region for centuries.
First Peoples Week: Telling Our Own Story
Director, TED Fellow and White House Champion of Change Madeline Sayet hosts Patricia Marroquin Norby, Associate Curator of Native American Art at The Met — where she is the first-ever full-time curator in the department — actor Tanis Parenteau (Billions) and artist Ty Defoe as they discuss Indigenous storytelling — the mainstream-ization of the concept, their personal practices, and how adding native narratives can help create a more inclusive, and honest, understanding of country and history.
History in the Making: Reflections on Contemporary Issues Facing Native Americans
2020 has been an historic year for Native American rights. From the Supreme Court victory in McGirt v. Oklahoma to Washington’s NFL team finally changing its name, Native Nations and their citizens are celebrating long-awaited gains. At the same time, Indian Country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and Native leaders have joined the call to address anti-Black racism in policing, policy, and even within our own communities.
Journalist and podcast host Rebecca Nagle (Cherokee), host of the podcast This Land, convenes a group of Native leaders as they discuss U.S. Government policies currently at play, the impact of COVID-19 on their communities, and what’s at stake for native peoples in this election.
Panel guests:
Amanda Blackhorse (Diné) is a social worker, mom and was the lead plaintiff in Blackhorse v. Pro-Football; The lawsuit that challenged the trademark of the Washington football team’s racist name.
Amber Starks (Mvskoke) is a salon owner, a natural hair advocate, and a social media influencer at the intersection of Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty.
Abigail Echo Hawk (Pawnee) is a public health advocate, researcher, and the director of the Urban Indian Health Institute and the Chief Research Officer for the Seattle Indian Health Board.
The Great Law of Peace and Treaties of the Northeast
A rich history of peacekeeping and inter-tribal diplomacy existed in the present-day Northeast United States, and traditions thrived that helped lay the groundwork for what we consider to be American democracy. Our host, Iakowi:he’ne’ Oakes, speaks with Kanasaraken Loran Thompson to uncover how a great set of laws and treaties maintained harmony from present day Pennsylvania to Connecticut.
Presented in collaboration with the American Indian Community House.
First Peoples Week: Manhattan Is Lenape
Presented in collaboration with The Lenape Center, host Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum is joined by co-directors Brent Michael Davids and Curtis Zunigha. The group will tune in live from Wisconsin and Oklahoma at their respective Lenape nations, who bring home the understanding of diaspora and forced migrations from present-day New York City.
Further guests include Lenape Center Executive Director Joe Baker, who will speak to real time work and movements happening in regard to these locations; and Todd Poisson, lead architect of the newly revamped Tammany Hall (which pays homage to the Turtle Clan of the Lenape Tribe) discusses the reopening. The Lenape Center co-director Hadrien Coumans also joins.
Digital Verse: Nuyorican Poets Cafe x TGS
For almost 50 years, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe has been a vanguard in the world of spoken word poetry and an iconic Lower East Side institution. Now, they join forces with The Greene Space to present a showcase of performers, both established and up-and-coming. This show, hosted by playwright/director Elaine del Valle, brings together poetry, stories and solo work.
Lives at Stake: Ending Violence Against Trans Women
2020 has been a painful one with a staggering loss of life. Against the backdrop of COVD-19, the reality that the murders of trans women this year, particularly Black trans women, has already shattered last year’s record is a lot to absorb. We will unpack what’s behind this spasm of violence and how to end it.
Jones talks with Beverly Tillery, Executive Director of the Anti-Violence Project, and Mariah Moore, co-founder and co-director of House of Tulip, a community land trust focused on housing solutions for TGNC communities in Louisiana.
ASL interpretation will be available during the show.
The trans community, allies and those who wish to learn more are all welcome to join us to share experiences, insights, questions and celebrations by tweeting @TheGreeneSpace and using the hashtags #translash #livesatstake.
Lives at Stake is a new monthly IRL & livestream/virtual event series at The Greene Space at WNYC/WQXR featuring frank and urgent conversations by and for trans people about issues affecting their communities this Election Season and beyond, produced in partnership with TransLash Media.
An Interview with Dominique Morisseau
Alison Stewart hosts director, playwright and MacArthur Genius Grant fellow Dominique Morisseau for the keynote address of The Public Forum at The Public Theatre’s Creative Activism summit.
Up for discussion:
What does it mean to focus on those who go unheard, and to challenge Broadway’s status quo in this moment?
How can the arts help empower every person with the language and vocabulary they need to create personal change and growth?
How are the arts, and the world, responding to this moment of disruption? From the pandemic to the We See You, White American Theater movement, how are current events shaking the foundation of the creative world?
The Takeaway Presents Every Vote Counts: Wisconsin
After cities and states across the U.S. entered lockdown this spring to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Wisconsin proceeded with in-person voting for its April 7th primary despite guidance by the C.D.C. against gatherings of 50 or more people. The move was widely criticized and images of people waiting in long lines for hours to vote dominated news coverage. A record number of voters did request absentee ballots but thousands weren’t received or were sent back too late.
Five months later, The Takeaway‘s Amy Walter sits down with Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe to discuss what the state is doing to prepare for a safe and secure general election. Craig Gilbert from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will be there to analyze this moment as well.
Are there specific things you don’t understand about the vote by mail process in Wisconsin? Do you have questions about what to expect from in-person voting this fall?
Grab your phone and record a video of you asking your question for Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe. Try to keep it under 1 minute and send to [email protected], Your question might be asked on air.
Reporter’s Notebook: Trump Inc. and The Heist
Reporters Ilya Marritz (Trump, Inc.) and Sally Herships (The Heist) discuss the impacts of one of President Trump’s key legislative accomplishments: the 2017 tax cuts. The pair convenes a group of political experts to examine the legislation’s impact, the economic theory behind it, and the officials who drafted and enacted the legislation.
From Party to Prescription: How Psychedelics are Changing Traditional Psychiatry
Thousands of studies have been published on psychedelics and other historically illicit compounds to treat psychiatric illnesses, but politics, regulatory policies, and stigma have impeded progress. Now, for the first time in nearly 50 years, an unorthodox generation of medications is being developed for psychiatric disorders. Freakonomics Radio’s Stephen Dubner sits down with three leading neuroscientists from Mount Sinai to discuss how drugs like ketamine, MDMA, and cannabis may provide alternative therapies for illnesses like PTSD, addiction, and depression — and why they still face so much resistance.
Freakonomics Radio Presents: Why We Don’t Write Books Anymore
Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, co-authors of the Freakonomics book series, have been spending a lot of their time behind microphones lately.
Dubner started Freakonomics Radio ten years ago on a lark, and the podcast has since become a global phenomenon. Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, launched his podcast People I (Mostly) Admire when he realized that he could only access a handful of people by writing academic papers.
Tonight, Dubner and Levitt tell their stories and take listener questions.
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11
Tonight, we celebrate the launch of the HISTORY and WNYC Studios co-production “Blindspot: The Road to 9/11” with a behind-the-scenes look at the podcast series.
Host and WNYC reporter Jim O’Grady covered the aftermath of the attacks for the New York Times — but the process of making the podcast (which focuses on the years leading up to 9/11/2001) surprised him again and again.
He’ll unpack some of those surprises with editor Jenny Lawton. And members of the production team — including producer Ursula Sommer and technical director Joe Plourde — will pull back the curtain on how they told a story that spanned decades and continents.
Have questions for the Blindspot team? Drop them in the comment section during the show!
(Still) Live from New York: Works from Home, Ep. 8
Climb into our joy machine for 30 minutes and you’ll see what a few local musicians, comedians, dancers and animators can do with nothing but their talents and whatever gear they’ve got in their apartments.
Your esteemed MC Adam Hamway is very much LIVE, and all the videos he’ll introduce to you were curated by The Greene Space team and created by New York City artists while the city has been on pause for social distancing. This month’s edition features musical comedy from Karolena Theresa, Taylor Ortega & Nikki Palumbo, a site specific step dance routine from The Players Club Steppers, Nat Osborn, a musical collaboration dedicated to the American immigrant experience led by Mark Ethan Toporek, and violinist Nathan Schram’s tribute to David Crosby.
Get Lit with All Of It: Emma Straub
Watch a live video stream as Alison Stewart, host of WNYC’s All Of It, continues her virtual book club series with acclaimed author Emma Straub. They’ll discuss her recent novel, All Adults Here, a story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order — and all the other things that follow us into adulthood.
And don’t miss a special performance by Rufus Wainwright, widely considered one of the great male vocalists, songwriters and composers of his generation.
Once again, All Of It teams up for this event with the New York Public Library so that New Yorkers can access the book for free through the NYPL app.
Lives at Stake: TRANS VOTE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARSHA!
Journalist-in-Residence Imara Jones continues her monthly residency in The Greene Space with a discussion on the importance of transgender people of color running for political office.
Campaign 2020 is in full-swing so what exactly is the choice between Democrats and Republicans for trans voters? Since both parties have now completed their party platforms, we will unpack what they have to say about transgender people and their rights. We will also celebrate the 75th Birthday of Marsha P. Johnson, the legendary transgender activist who played a vital role in the Stonewall Uprising as well as the fight for trans equality for three decades.
Jones talks with Reginald Greer, LGBTQ+ Vote Director for the campaign of Vice President Joe Biden; Victoria Cruz, the veteran trans rights activist, victims rights advocate and friend of Marsha P. Johnson; and Elle Hearns, Founder and Executive Director of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
ASL interpretation will be available during the show.
The trans community, allies and those who wish to learn more are all welcome to join us to share experiences, insights, questions and celebrations by tweeting @TheGreeneSpace and using the hashtags #translash and #livesatstake.
