Compiled by Arts Fuse Editor

Our expert critics supply a guide to film, visual art, theater, author readings, television, and music. More offerings will be added as they come in.

Film

Revolutions Per Minute Festival
Through October 19
Multiple Venues

This annual festival celebrates cutting-edge experimental media art that expands our understanding of what the moving image can be. It includes short-form poetic, personal, and experimental films along with video essays, documentaries, animation, sound art, media installations, and audiovisual performances. This year’s venues (linked here) include the MFA Boston, CAM Lab, The Foundry, Boston City Hall.

A scene from Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera.

The Phantom of the Opera with The Invincible Czars
October 13 at 7 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline

The Invincible Czars will bring their signature blend of eclectic instrumentation, adventurous arrangements, and sense of emotional depth to this silent film classic with their new modern soundtrack performed live on the Coolidge stage. The cherry on top: this is also the film’s 100th anniversary.

Independent Film Festival of Boston Fall Focus
October 30-November 5
Brattle Theatre in Cambridge

This remarkable fall series includes 28 quality films in advance of their theatrical runs. Get your tickets early! Full Schedule

A scene from Kwaidan

Kwaidan
October 15 at 7 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theatre

After more than a decade of sober political dramas and socially minded period pieces, the great Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi shifted gears dramatically for this rapturously stylized quartet of ghost stories. Featuring colorfully surreal sets and luminous cinematography, these haunting tales of demonic comeuppance and spiritual trials, adapted from writer Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folklore, are existentially frightening and meticulously crafted.

The New England Animation Festival
October 17 and 18
Park Theater in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

This vibrant celebration of animation showcases a diverse selection of animated films from New England, the United States, and around the world. There are three competitive categories. Screenings include recently 4K restored Fleischer Studio Shorts.

Where to Land
October 17 – 22
The Brattle

The latest from director Hal Hartley is about a successful director of romantic comedies who, feeling in a rut, finds himself looking for a new direction. Thinking that working with his hands, outdoors, in nature, might give him the change of pace he needs, he applies for a job in the local church graveyard. Through a series of misunderstandings, missed connections, half-heard details, and incorrect assumptions, his friends and family—including his devoted niece, famous girlfriend, genial ex-wife, lawyer, building super, and two misguided aspiring filmmakers—all wind up thinking that he’s dying and show up at his apartment for a makeshift pre-wake.”

Gone Running
October 19 at 3:30 p.m.
Somerville Theatre Davis Square

A woman, after the death of her husband, decides to fulfill his last wish to run a marathon in a relay with her daughters. None of them are physically or mentally prepared for the run. An exclusive Boston premiere presented by the Hungarian Association of Massachusetts.

A scene from Laura Poitras’ Cover-up at Globe Docs

The 11th annual Globe Docs Film Festival
October 22‑26 in person; October 26-November 2 online.

This year’s festival expands to twelve days featuring 30 films spanning topics from investigative journalism and photojournalism to the environment, sports, LGBTQ+ and women’s issues, science, healthcare, and social justice. With screenings at the Coolidge, Brattle, and Alamo Drafthouse Seaport and nationwide virtual access. nationwide. Schedule of Brattle screenings  Full Schedule

Life on the Other Planet
October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Regent Theater in Arlington

Director Vinny Straggas’ feature film is an homage to the ’70s and ’80s Boston music scene featuring the music of: Willie Alexander, The Real Kids, The Nervous Eaters, The Neighborhoods, Rick Berlin, Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, The Atlantics, The Stompers, The Jon Butcher Axis, Classic Ruins, Pastiche, Girls Night Out, The Neats, DMZ, Thundertrain, Human Sexual Response, Mission of Burma, Unnatural Axe, Modern Lovers, The Inflicktors, The Lyres, and The Bristols.  Special opening performance by The Nervous Eaters  Trailer

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF)
October 23–26
Capital Theater in Arlington

The festival includes 127 films from 29 countries with many shorts programs. Individual tickets are available through its website, or in person at the box office. Film festival passes are available at the AIFF website. Full schedule

The Tender Bar
October 25 at 1 p.m.
Somerville Theater in Davis Square

The plot: J.R. Maguire moves into his grandfather’s dilapidated house in Long Island, N.Y. where he falls under the unconventional tutelage of his uncle Charlie, a charismatic, self-educated bartender who introduces him to a handful of the bar’s colorful regulars. As the years pass and J.R. grows into a young man, he tries to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer. Directed by George Clooney, the film stars Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Lily Rabe, and Christopher Lloyd. This is a free screening with a discussion to follow with production Designer Kalina Ivanov (The Penguin) and set decorator Melissa Levander (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) about the look of the film.

Pick of the Week

Lee (2023), Amazon Prime

Kate Winslet in Lee.

The film, Lee, starring Kate Winslet, focuses Lee Miller’s time as a photographer in World War II. The narrative is told through a series of flashbacks as she speaks to an interviewer. It also co-stars Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, and Andy Samberg. Winslet was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for her performance. Miller had been a leading model in Paris in the ’20s, and she worked closely with the avant-garde photographer and painter Man Ray. She lived a wild “Roaring ‘20s” life, and loved carousing. Her genre-bending photographs explored portraiture, fashion, still life, landscape, and reportage. She later married surrealist painter Ronald Pemrose. The New York Times recently published an extensive article on Miller to accompany a soon to be published book called simply Lee. Miller who died in 1977 is the subject of a great many earlier books. There is also an extensive archive on her life and work.

— Tim Jackson

Television

Spooky season continues apace. It’s a great month to check out the various horror offerings on streaming channels. Criterion has several horror themed offerings this month, including an eclectic slate of horror films from the 2000s, featuring a mix of big names and arthouse gems including Toolbox Murders, Trouble Every Day, The Others, and May. They’re also featuring the films of horror master John Carpenter, including Christine, The Fog, They Live, and In the Mouth of Madness along with an excellent array of body horror titles (for those who like that sort of thing), including Altered States, Possession, The Fly, Teeth, and Eraserhead.

A scene from Mr. Scorcese.

Mr. Scorcese (October 17, Apple TV+) If you need a break from horror, why not dig into this compelling, five-part documentary series about the guy some folks call the world’s greatest living filmmaker? Martin Scorcese’s life and career are explored via clips from his films, behind-the-scenes B roll, archival footage, and interviews. Opening with a voiceover from the director ruminating on the nature of good and evil — over the Rolling Stones song “Sympathy for the Devil” with juxtaposed images from The Last Temptation of Christ and Taxi Driver — the series jumps right into the controversies generated by  Scorcese’s films, from the ’70s to the present day. Folks who’ve already seen the early career documentaries Italianamerican (1974) and American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978) will find their Scorcese lore augmented with this detailed, complex work. It is equal parts ambitious biopic and loving homage to one of the cinema’s most influential and enduring artists. I’m only two episodes in and it’s blowing me away, so watch for a longer review soon.

Talamasca: The Secret Order  (October 26, AMC) Anne Rice’s novels have been turned into a number of films and series, ranging from dreadful (sorry, I just could not get into The Mayfair Witches) to very good indeed (check out the recent AMC series Interview with the Vampire, now in its second season). This new offering stars Elizabeth Montgomery as the mysterious head of an international network of, well, let’s call them spies. These “watchers” keep tabs on supernatural beings in our midst, and Montgomery is trying to recruit a young man (Australian actor Nicholas Denton, who played Valmont in 2022’s Dangerous Liaisons) whose background and talents make him a natural for the gig. It looks like some good juicy horror/thriller fare with a touch of espionage and international intrigue

— Peg Aloi

Theater

.Quinton Johnson and Kimber Elayne Spraw (foreground) with Isaiah Reynolds, Alaman Diadhiou, and Mikey Corey Hassel in a scene from the Yale Rep production of Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Spunk by Zora Neal Hurston. Songs, arrangements, and music supervision by Nehemiah Luckett. Choreographed by nicHi douglas. Directed by Tamilla Woodard. Staged by Yale Rep at 222 York Street, New Haven, CT, through October 25

“A tall, handsome stranger strolls into town looking for work. With undeniable charisma and divine musicianship, Spunk sets tongues to wagging with admiration and envy. The laws of man, the power of hoodoo, and the divinity of love all collide when he locks eyes with Evalina, already married to the local conjurer’s son. A fable about the triumph of love, Zora Neale Hurston’s play, reaches the stage for the first time.”

FRINGEPVD 2025: ENCORE! Three plays from last July’s FRINGEPVD: TheProvidence Fringe Festival, staged by the Wilbury Theatre Group, 475 Valley Street Providence, R.I., October 24 through 26.

A chance to see the cream of the FRINGE:2025 crop: Morality Play by Lily Mathews, The Farm by Davis Alianiello and When Cayden Came by Charlotte Kinder.

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster written and performed by Manual Cinema, inspired by the books Leonardo, The Terrible Monster & Sam, The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World by Mo Willems. Directed by Sarah Fornace.  Presented by Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University at 180 Riverway, Boston, through October 19.

No doubt another highly imaginative offering from the Emmy Award-winning collective Manual Cinema, which adroitly combines puppetry, live performance, cinema, and music in its productions.  The company uses “hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, oversized book pages, two-dimensional props, furry monsters, and live music to transform the stage into a living storybook. Audiences can choose to watch the action on the big screen, as in a movie, or follow the artists on stage as they bring the story to life in real time.” The plot revolves around “a monster who just can’t seem to be scary. When Leonardo meets Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world, it seems like he’s finally found his match, but what follows is an unexpected journey toward friendship, complete with new challenges when Kerry and her monster friend Frankenthaler join the story.”

Mother Mary by KJ Moran Velz. Directed by Elaine Vaan Hogue. Staged by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, the  Snodgrass Stage, 949 Commonwealth Avenue, through October 26.

“The play, set in 1968 Boston, is a new romantic comedy centered on the unexpected connection between Jo Cruz, a Puerto Rican taxi driver, and Mary O’Sullivan, an Irish American Catholic school teacher. Despite rising tensions between their communities, Mary and Jo find themselves in a close friendship…or is it something more? But their growing connection takes a turn when Mary asks Jo to take her on a risky road trip where there’s no going back.”  Content transparency: Mother Mary contains scenes of sexual intimacy and references to abortion.

Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa, a play with music by Anne Undeland. Directed by Miriam Cyr. Staged by Punctuate4 Productions at the Natti-Willsky Performance Center, 267 East Main St. Gloucester, through October 19.

This is billed as a dark historical comedy, and the description of the set-up of the plot fits the bill: “Take me with you, Wolfie. Please. I can’t do it alone,” pleads Constanze Mozart as she drags the still warm but very dead body of her husband, Wolfgang Amadeus, into the basement in December of 1791. Wolfie had just died in the messiest way possible: covered in vomit, his Requiem in D Minor unfinished, his family watching in horror, creditors at the door.” Arts Fuse review

Will McGarrahan in the Lyric Stage production of Our Town. Photo: Nile Hawver

Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Courtney O’Connor. Staged by Lyric Stage at 140 Clarendon Street, 2nd Floor, Boston,  through October 19.

Director Courtney O’Connor on this production of one of American theater’s warhorses: “Far from a saccharine period piece, I’ve long felt Our Town is a primal scream begging us to fully see, embrace, and deeply honor the beauty and the pain in our community, our loved ones, and ourselves, in our lives in moments big and small. I can’t wait to explore with our artistic community, a combination of faces you’ve seen through many, many moments and ones we’re meeting for the first time. Who we are, who we have been, and who we are yet to be are all contained within each of us, and they all equally share in the rich tapestries of our families, our stories, and our town.” Arts Fuse review

Editor’s Note: Our Town is a “primal scream” — really? Why not address what is happening today — America’s slide into authoritarianism — by challenging audiences with a play that spoke directly to the ongoing crisis? Wilder’s 1942 drama The Skin of our Teeth, a commentary on fascism and humanity’s on-and-off again struggle for survival, would be a far more hard-hitting, and appropriate, choice.

Absurdist Performance for Absurd Times staged by Sleeping Weazel at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, October 18 and 19.

An eclectic revue that says it means to “meet the hysteria of our political moment with an evening of rambunctious chaos through the subversive stylings of virtuosic singer Marshall Hughes, choreographer Peter DiMuro’s performance art duet with Alex Davis, composer/musician Reynaliz Herrera playing her bicycle, and a stark raving mad little play, Naomi in the Living Room, by Christopher Durang.”

Eleanor by Mark St. Germain. Directed by David Ellenstein. Staged by Portland Stage at 25A Forest Ave, Portland, ME, through October 19.

According to the Portland Stage website: This one-woman show is a “peek into the life of one of the most influential women in American History. Eleanor spins a tale of politicians, society, and the small moments between historical giants. Taking us from childhood through the presidency, and from affairs of the heart to affairs of state. This stunning portrait of the first lady we think we know explores quiet, private memories that made Eleanor who she was, an advocate for the underdogs, a paragon of fairness, and, above all, the heart of the country.” Arts Fuse review

John William Watkins and Stephanie Jean Lane in Berkshire Theater Group’s production of Metamorphosis. Photo: Tucker Bair

Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. Directed by Isadora Wolfe. Staged by the Berkshire Theater Group on The Larry Vaber Stage at The Unicorn Theatre,  6 East Street, through October 26.

This highly imaginative script reimagines “Ovid’s timeless tales … set around a shimmering pool of water” and tells “ancient stories of love, transformation and the power of the gods. From the tragic longing of Orpheus and Eurydice to King Midas’ fateful wish, Metamorphoses weaves together myths that remain as poignant and relevant today as they did thousands of years ago.” Arts Fuse review

The Ballad of Little Jo. Music by Mike Reid. Lyrics by Sarah Schlesinger. Book by Sarah Schlesinger, Mike Reid and John Dias. Based on the film The Ballad of Little Jo by Maggie Greenwald. Directed by Katie Swimm, with music direction by Jeff Kimball Staged by The Treehouse Collectiveat the Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts Boston, 539 Tremont St, Boston, October 17 through November 2.

This musical “recounts the life of Josephine Monaghan, who leaves her home and child in Boston to make a life for them out West. With no other resources, Josephine begins to work at a mining camp in Idaho – protecting herself and her family through a series of impossible choices. Inspired by a true story and told through a folk-infused score by Grammy Award-winning Nashville songwriter Mike Reid and Lyricist Sarah Schlesinger, the show explores identity, prejudice, fear, and the beauty and horror of the American West at the end of the 19th century.”

Actor/comedian Chris Grace. Photo: courtesy of HTC

Sardines written and performed by Chris Grace. Directed by Eric Michaud. Presented by the Huntington Theatre Company at the Maso Studio in The Huntington Theatre,  through November 16.

According to the HTC website, this one-man show explores the tragic, hilarious, and important questions of our time: Can we enjoy life if we know how it ends? Does making art actually help? And if Rihanna’s song is called ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ why does the music… stop?” Find out the answers in this anything but depressing show created and performed by actor-comedian Chris Grace (TV’s Superstore, Dropout’s Chris Grace: as Scarlett Johansson).” Arts Fuse review

Misery by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King. Directed by Courtney Sale. Staged by Merrimack Repertory Theatre at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall, 50 E. Merrimack Street, Lowell, through November 2.

Karen MacDonald stars as Annie Wilkes and Tom Coiner as novelist Paul Sheldon in this stage adaptation of King’s nightmare fantasia — via a successful novel and film — of an artist who is haunted by his “number one fan.”

Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Directed by Christopher V. Edwards. Staged by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, through October 26.

ASP Resident Artists Omar Robinson and Brooke Hardman are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. W.H. Auden on the tragedy: “Lady Macduff’s line, “All is the fear, and nothing is the love” might be the motto of Macbeth and at the end of the play it is shown to no longer be true.”

Puntila and Matti, His Hired Man by Bertolt Brecht. Based on stories by Hella Wuolijoki. Translated by John Willett. Directed by Rebecca Wright. Presented by Bard Theater & Performance Program at the Fischer Center, October 24 through 26.

A student production, but we don’t see much of Brecht in these parts, and I have never seen this admired comedy, written in 1940 and first performed in 1948. It is about a hard-drinking landowner, Puntila, who suffers from a split personality: when drunk, he is friendly and humane; when he sobers up he is intolerable– ruthless, surly, and self-centered.  Brecht scholar (and translator) Willett writes in Brecht in Context that the script’s “color and life should bring it to audiences who would never see or stomach one of Brecht’s didactic dramas. And its moral is at the same time pretty plain: neither love or booze, for all their powers, can bring different classes permanently together, and their humanizing effects are of little effect if incomplete.”

1999 by Stacey Isom Campbell. Directed by Genée Coreno. Staged by WAM Theatre at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company’s Campus, Lenox  October 16 through November 2.

The world premiere of a play with a critic at its center. How could it miss? According to the WAM Theatre website, the script promises to “empower audiences with its powerful story of moral courage, memory, and art in the wake of Hollywood’s reckoning. When a student questions the films selected in her course, Emma—a seasoned film criticism professor and producer—is forced to confront a buried secret from 1999. As she reflects on the choices that shaped her career, she wrestles with the legacy of beloved films and the weight of silence. Can she protect her students, honor her art, and still live with the truth?”

LIZARD BOY: A NEW MUSICAL, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Justin Huertas. Directed by Lyndsay Allyn Cox. Staged by SpeakEasy State Company at the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, October 24 through November 22.

Nominated for three 2024 Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the musical “tells the story of Trevor, a lonesome outsider whose skin turned green and scaly after a tragic childhood encounter with a dragon. Since that time, Trevor only leaves his house once a year, on Monsterfest, and that’s tonight. While out on a first date with new crush Cary, Trevor meets a fellow dragon survivor who fears the dragons have returned. Can Trevor accept who he is, help save his city, and keep his big date?”

Cast members in the Gamm Theatre production of Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika: L to R: Haas Regen (Prior Walter), Gabrielle McCauley (Harper Pitt); Background front row, L to R: Jeff Church (Mormon Father), Rachael Warren (Mormon Mother); Background back row, L to R: Tony Estrella (Mormon Son), Rodney Witherspoon II (Caleb) Photo: Cat Laine

Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika by Tony Kushner. Directed by Brian McEleney. Staged by the Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, R.I., through October 19

On the Gamm Theatre website: “The conclusion to Tony Kushner’s epic play, Perestroika picks up where Millennium Approaches left off, diving even deeper into the lives of its characters as they confront illness, identity, and the shifting tides of history. As the AIDS crisis intensifies and personal worlds begin to unravel, heaven and earth collide in a powerful reckoning with hope, justice, and the possibility of change.”

NOTE: Boston area theaters have pretty much decided to ignore what is happening in America and beyond — mounting threats to democracy, the slide toward authoritarianism, the climate crisis, growing economic inequality, the round-up of immigrants, the expansion of internment camps, ongoing genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, etc. The American Repertory Theater tells us that “Wonder Awaits.” I disagree. I have decided to spotlight in each Coming Attractions a stage production, in America and elsewhere, that grapples with today’s alarming realities. Sometimes the productions will be available via Zoom, sometimes not. It is important to present evidence that theater artists are reflecting, and reflecting on, the world around us.

New York-based theatre artists Marion Schoevaert and Danny Bryck blend street performance, dance, live music, and projection with protest in a new piece titled HOME/LAND. Performances will take place on October 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Pier 84 at Hudson River Park, October 20 at 5 p.m, at Washington Square Park, and on October 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Bridge Park. This is a free outdoor multimedia performance / protest event calling attention to the unheard stories and struggles of immigrants and refugees. By blurring the lines between demonstration and performance, opposition and support, refugee and citizen, the piece presents a face-to-face confrontation with the struggle for the right to live in a new home / land.

“Based on Violaine Schwartz’s book Papers, HOME/LAND examines the United States’ divided political climate around immigration, as well as the lived experiences of immigrants. Actors embody chanting protestors, immigration officers conducting interrogations, and refugees recounting real-life stories.  The Rude Mechanical Orchestra will play during the presentation, which will culminate in a dance by New York-based choreographer Hussein Smko, as images of New Yorkers, designed by projection director Young Cheong, are displayed on surrounding buildings and banners.”

— Bill Marx

Visual Art

The painter Allan Rohan Crite was born in 1910 in New Jersey to a poet and a doctor and engineer.  His family moved almost immediately to Boston’s South End, where Crite lived the rest of his long life, much of it in a Victorian row house on Columbus Avenue that served as his home and studio. During Crite’s childhood, the South End was embarking on a long and important chapter in its complicated history: as the center of Boston’s Black community. That community became the focus of his work. “I’ve only done one piece of work my whole life,” he explained, “and I am still at it. I wanted to paint people of color as normal humans. I tell the story of man through the black figure.”

By 2007, when Crite died at the age of 97, the South End was well into a new chapter as a series of affluent, gentrified row house neighborhoods, restored London-style squares, the Boston Center for the Arts, and trendy restaurants— social and economic transformations that Crite, as a local activist, had long resisted. Crite’s work came to be seen as the vivid record of a vanished culture, frequently exhibited as “Boston’s Black artist.” Yet he never had a solo show in any of the city’s major museums.

Allan Rohan Crite, Streetcar Madonna, 1946. Photo: Gardner Museum

Finally the Gardner Museum is opening, on October 23, Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory. Billed as a “tribute to an artist and the neighborhoods he treasured” the show, the museum says, “encompasses vivid depictions of life in Lower Roxbury and the South End, art for Christian worship, and late works that combined neighborhood scenes with religious vignettes.” The Boston Athenaeum, which holds an important collection of Crite’s work, donated in gratitude for a long artist’s residency there, is mounting a concurrent show, Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston, that “explores the works on paper that expanded Crite’s audience and inspired those around him.”

MIT’s List Visual Arts Center opens two fall exhibitions on October 24. Goldin + Senneby: Flare-Up is the first U.S. museum exhibition of the Stockholm-based artist duo Goldin + Senneby. The content includes “issues of autoimmunity, accessibility, and ecology” growing out of the experience of living with multiple sclerosis, a crippling disease  marked by sudden “flare-ups” of nerve damage.

American Artist: To Acorn features sinister themes of surveillance, opacity, predictive policing software, climate crises, radical instability, and authoritarian politics as well as “a vision of Southern California that spans past and future, utopia and cataclysm.” The California-born American Artist (a name legally adopted in 2013) works across sculpture, software, video, and installation.

Uman, first class, window seat, 2025. Courtesy of the artist, Nicola Vassell Gallery, and Hauser & Wirth, ©Uman

On October 19, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum opens Uman: After all the things…, the first institutional solo exhibition of an artist, born in Mogadishu, Somalia, who fled her war-ravaged homeland to live in Kenya, Denmark, Paris, New York City, and now Upstate New York. Uman’s colorful work, which spans painting, works on paper, murals, sculpture, and glass, draws rich inspiration from her African, European, and America backgrounds, from East African textiles and Arabic calligraphy to 19th-century French painting and the rural American landscape. “My work is my own activism,” she says, “just painting my life, existing, living. I don’t need to say too much.”

Argentina-born Jimena Sarno traveled to Peru and in Argentina “to study weaving with the context of Andean cosmology and tradition, in which textiles are bearers of information.” Footage of this experience form the centerpiece, in the form of a 100 foot video projection, in the exhibition Jimena Sarno: Rhapsody, opening at MASS MoCA on October 18. “I have transposed this generative space into a monumental projection,” Sarno says, “in which film montage echoes the weaving process.”

Soundscapes composed by Sarno’s collaborators, including Dirar Kalash and Mhamad Safa, accompany the film. Three additional works in the show incorporate a textile and text library and film, sound, and sculpture.

Exhibition objects are American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard Collection

The Bates College Museum of Art opens its two fall exhibitions on October 24. Precision and Expression: American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard Collection features some 100 works, created between the mid-20th century to the 2020s, by seminal figures in American Studio Ceramics history. They were collected by the director emeritus of the New Orleans Museum of Art, who has long had a home on Deer Island, Maine. Bullard plans to give part of his collection, including pieces with a particular connection to Maine and New England, to the Bates College Museum, in recognition of the school’s robust ceramics program and in honor of his love for the state of Maine.

Shellburne Thurber: Full Circle is the Bates Museum’s “focused retrospective” of a photographer who has concentrated, in particular, on interior spaces, “private, domestic, psychological, or insular,” and their inhabitants. The show begins with early photographs from the 1970s of her grandmother’s home and includes projects involving images of generic back road motels, churches, abandoned and derelict homes and hospitals, and historic sites. “Each photograph invites us into a discarded monument for everyday lives,” the museum says, “carried out in the passage of time at these exact sites.”

 — Peter Walsh

Classical Music

Augustin Hadelich and Alban Gerhardt performing with the late Christoph von Dohnanyi the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Stu Rosner.

Hadelich plays Adams
Presented by Boston Symphony Orchestra
October 16 at 7:30 p.m., 17 at 1:30 p.m., and 18 at 8 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston

BSO artist-in-residence Augustin Hadelich is the soloist the orchestra’s first-ever performances of John Adams’s Grawemeyer Award-winning Violin Concerto. Also on the docket is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

All-Brahms
Presented by Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
October 19 at 3 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston

Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic open their 47^th season with a pair of Romantic favorites—Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 1. Alessandro Deljavan is the soloist in the former.

Yunchan Lim in recital
Presented by Celebrity Series
October 22, 8 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston

Pianist Lim makes his Celebrity Series recital debut playing one of the monuments of the repertoire: Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Hanurij Lee’s …Round and velvety-smooth blend… fills out the program.

Yuja Wang and Vikingur Ólafsson at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 2025. Photo: Robert Torres

Yuja Wang plays Prokofiev
Presented by Boston Symphony Orchestra
October 23 at 7:30 p.m., 24 at 1:30 p.m., and 25 at 8 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston

Superstar pianist Wang returns to Boston to perform Prokofiev’s knuckle-busting Piano Concerto No. 2. Domingo Hindoyan conducts further selections by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.

Cohen conducts Beethoven
Presented by Handel & Haydn Society
October 24 at 7:30 p.m. and 25 at 2 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston

Jonathan Cohen leads H&H in a pair of favorites by Beethoven: the Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 7. Fortepianist Tanguy de Williencourt is soloist in the former.

Goerne & Trifonov play Schubert
Presented by Celebrity Series
October 24, 8 p.m.
Jordan Hall, Boston

Two of the day’s great artists—baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Daniil Trifonov—team up for a night of Schubert: Schwanengesang and the Piano Sonata in G.

— Jonathan Blumhofer

Roots and World Music

Beat scientists Pachyman and Mndsgn. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Pachyman and Mndsgn
October 13, 8 p.m.
The Sinclair, Cambridge

One of the most satisfying purveyors of modern dub reggae is a one-man band from Puerto Rico — Pachyman, aka Pachy Garcia. Now LA-based, he’s mounting a tour with a full quartet that will no doubt bring out the power, glory, and reverb of his records. Garcia will be on drums and will be joined by Javier Perez on guitar, Jordan Brooks on bass, and Diego Gaeta on keys. They’re splitting the bill with fellow beat scientist Mndsgn.

The Gipsy Kings are still at it  Photo: courtesy of the artist

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Emerson Colonial Theater

Perhaps second only to Bob Marley as the biggest world music crossover act of all time, the Gipsy Kings are still at it with their sound that traces its origins to the Spanish Romani people. Key original members lead singer Nicolas Reyes and guitarist Tonino Baliardo now each lead their own groups, though in an apparently cooperative manner (the two touring ensembles even share a website). Reyes and his famously raspy voice will be joined by a band full of flashy flamenco guitarists, including at least two of his sons.

Raga Roots and Rhythm
October 18, 7 p.m.
Wellesley College

Two spellbinding virtuosos of Indian classical music, sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee and tabla player Amit Kavthekar, come together for a deep exploration of the raga at this free concert.

Portuguese fado great Carminho. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Carminho
Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Boston City Winery

One of the most adored Portuguese fado greats, Carminho delivers all of the grand drama the music is known for, but also adds an experimental touch through atmospheric textures under her mesmerizing voice. So it’s fitting that her new record “Eu Vou Morrer de Amor ou Resistir” is a collaboration with art-rock goddess Laurie Anderson that continues to push this traditional sound in a new direction.

Kayhan Kalhor & Kiya Tabassian
October 21
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall

One of the world’s great musical masters, Kayhan Kahlor, plays the kamancheh spike fiddle and the lute-like setar. He’s joined by fellow setar virtuoso Kiya Tabassian for this rare Boston appearance, a ticketed concert presented by Elite Events Hub.

The Modal Mosaic
October 22, 8 p.m.
New School of Music, Cambridge

The Labyrinth New England organization is continuing to feature noteworthy modal music events. This edition looks at how the modal traditions of the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia are linked. Violinist Beth Bahia Cohen, percussionist George Lernis, and multi-stringed instrumentalists Tev Stevig will anchor the presentation and will be joined by special guests.

Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater

Nora Brown, one of the most exciting old-time musicians to emerge in years, is now an undergrad at Yale. But she’s still found time to tour with her frequent collaborator, fiddler Stephanie Coleman for duo concerts like this Global Arts Live presentation. And a lot more people are about to discover Brown’s music: Next month her banjo playing will be heard in Ken Burns’ new series The American Revolution.

Del McCoury Band
Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
Groton Hill Music Center

The leader of what is unquestionably the finest bluegrass band of the past three decades, Del McCoury is showing few signs of slowing down at age 86, and his singing is as soulful as ever. The group recently released a strong new single the Larry Keel song “So Black and White” and added new fiddler Christian Ward, after longtime member Jason Carter left to focus on his solo career. This appearance in Groton is a relatively rare Boston-area appearance for Del.

Dreamers’ Circus in action. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Dreamers’ Circus
Oct. 26, 3 p.m.
NEC’s Jordan Hall

Music writers call some cross-genre music the “Place Between.” That space is often somewhere between jazz and classical, but it can also sit in between classical and traditional folk music. A great example of the latter is served up by Dreamers’ Circus, a genre-smashing trio from Scandinavia which is appearing as part of the Celebrity Series. Violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, pianist and accordionist Nikolaj Busk, and Nordic cittern (lute) player Ale Carr make music that is difficult to categorize but is always enlightening.

Boston Musicians Celebrate Steve Morse
October 26, 4 p.m.
Regent Theater, Arlington

This all-star concert pays tribute to the dean of Boston music writers one year to the day of his 2024 passing. Among the luminaries taking the stage in Morse’s honor are Willie Alexander, Chuck McDermott, Scott Damgaard Combo, Danielle Miraglia, Leon Beal, Woody Giessmann, and the Jesse Williams Quartet. Proceeds benefit Morse’s son Nick.

— Noah Schaffer

Jon Cleary with the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Photo: Steve Rapport

Jon Cleary
October 23 at 8 p.m.
Arrow Arts, Cambridge, Mass.

There’s probably no more unlikely New Orleans local hero than the 63-year-old Englishman Jon Cleary. The pianist, singer, and songwriter moved to NOLA before he was 20 and was soon a regular on the city’s stages, playing with the likes of Earl King, Johnny Adams, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Snooks Eaglin, Ernie K-Doe, Jessie Hill, and Dr. John. He eventually established a reputation that extended beyond the Crescent City, earning a regular spot as part of Bonnie Raitt’s touring band. His piano playing holds up alongside the greats of NOLA keyboardists, and his long-running band the Absolute Monster Gentlemen are able aides and abettors. Oh, and he can sing too.

— Jon Garelick

Jazz

Point01 Percent
October 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Lilypad, Cambridge

Another provocative double-bill from the Point01 Percent folks at the Lilypad. First up is a quintet with pianist Steve Lantner, alto saxophonist Jim Hobbs, multisax player Allan Chase, bassist Nathan McBride, and drummer Eric Rosenthal. They’re followed by a quartet with pianist Pandelis Karayorgis, reedman Dan O’Brien, drummer Michael Larroca, and McBride again on bass.

Dreamkeeper: The Music of Carla Bley
October 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Jordan Hall, Boston
FREE

The Jazz Studies Department at New England Conservatory presents a cornucopia of pieces by the late, great Carla Bley (1936-2023), played by the NEC Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Ken Schaphorst. In her later years, Bley performed and recorded mostly with her trio, but her music for large ensemble (including Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra) is a fount of structural and harmonic inventiveness, lyricism, gentle humor, and subversive wit. The event is free and is also available as a live stream at the NEC weblink above.

Seba Molnar and Edmar Colón. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Sebar Molnar/Edmar Colón
October 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge, Mass.

The Boston Jazz foundation is presenting this unusual double bill with saxophonist/composer/arranger Sebar Molnar and saxophonist/composer Edmar Colón. Molnar’s band will include trumpeter Billy Buss, keyboardists Jiri Nedoma and David Ling, bassist Mike Gary, drummer Tyson Jackson, and the dynamic singer Debo Ray. Colón fronts a quartet with pianist Jiri Nedoma, bassist Youngchae Jeong, and drummer Lee Fish.

Dave Bryant
October 16 at 8 p.m.
Harvard-Epworth Church, Cambridge, Mass.

The harmolodic happenings continue in keyboardist Dave Bryant’s Third Thursday series, this time with the Bryant joined by saxophonists Elliott Levin and Neil Leonard, along with bassist Rick McLaughlin and Bryant’s fellow Ornette Coleman Prime Time alumnus, drummer James Kamal Jones.

John Stein Quartet
October 17 at 7 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston

The superb guitarist and composer John Stein (a longtime harmony professor at Berklee) fronts a dandy quartet with saxophonist Allan Chase, bass guitarist Ed Lucie, and drummer Mike Connors. He’s celebrating the release of two 2025 recordings, Next Gen and Among Friends.

L-R: Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Larry Goldings will be performing at the Scullers Jazz Club this week. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart
October 18 at 7 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston

The venerable jazz organ trio format has rarely sounded more vital than in this band, which has been playing together for more than 30 years: guitarist Peter Bernstein, drummer Bill Stewart, and Hammond B3 man Larry Goldings.

Devon Gates & Friends
October 18 at 7:30
Regattabar, Cambridge, Mass.

The accomplished young bassist, composer, and singer Devon Gates (Harvard College, Berklee, Royal Academy of Music, gigs with Vijay Iyer, Angelica Sanchez, Sara Serpa, and Berklee mentor/colleague Terri Lyne Carrington) leads an ensemble of jazz rhythm section and strings, which should be a strong format for her alluring mix of pop-inclined songwriting and open improvisations. She’s joined by pianist Yujin Han, guitarist Mike Greenwood, drummer Connor Sturge, violinist Angela Varo Moreno, violist Phillip Rawlinson, and cellist Queralt Giralt.

Guitarist Julien Lage. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Julian Lage
October 18 at 8 p.m.
Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, Mass.

The former Gary Burton-sponsored wunderkind, now 37, and with a slew of singular must-hear albums in his discography, celebrates the 10^th anniversary of his World’s Fair with this unusual solo guitar concert.

Cuban-born pianist, composer, singer, and Berklee assistant professor Zahili Zamora. Photo: Robert Torres

Zahili Zamora
October 24 at 7 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston

The Cuban-born pianist, composer, singer, and Berklee assistant professor Zahili Zamora celebrates the release of her beautifully ruminative and wide-ranging Overcoming with a band that includes saxophonist Yosvany Terry, bassist Gerson Lazo, percussionist Keisel Jimenez, and drummers Julian Miltenberger and Yandy Garcia, plus “a special surprise guest.”

Jonathan Karrant: The Johnny Mercer Songbook
October 25 at 7 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston

Singer Jonathan Karrant digs into the formidable book of lyricist Johnny Mercer book, which includes “Autumn Leaves,” “Moon River,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” and “Skylark” with composer partners like Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini, and on and on. Also expect a few tracks from Karrant’s latest, a live album. And the backing band is top notch: pianist Tim Ray’s trio with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker.

Blink will perform at Q Arts Gallery in Quincy. Photo: Driff Records

Blink
October 26 at 5 p.m.
Q Arts Gallery, Quincy, Mass.

Generalizations about the music of saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijksra are bound to fall short, so vast is his sphere of influences and inspirations, but for the sake of argument let’s call Blink his take on Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time, with two guitars (Eric Hofbauer and Gabe Boyarin), bass (Nate McBride), drums (Eric Rosenthal), and the leader’s horn, with that fetching mix of odd tunings and folk-like melodies, and a wonderfully elastic free-jazz pulse. The band — most of whom of have played together in various configurations for years – is celebrating the release of their homonymous debut CD on Boston-based Driff Records.

— Jon Garelick

Popular Music

Patty Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones
October 18 (doors at 7/show at 8)
Chevalier Theatre, Medford

Folk, country, and pop artists from every level of renown have covered the songs of Old Town, Maine, native Patty Griffin. Over the course of her 30-year-long recording career, she has received seven Grammy nominations and won awards for Traditional Gospel Album and Best Folk Album. Her eleventh LP, Crown of Roses, arrived on July 25. Among its numerous guest artists is Robert Plant, who contributes background vocals to “All the Way Home.”  Rickie Lee Jones, meanwhile, won the Best New Artist honor in 1979 and was in the running as recently as 2023 for her album Pieces of Treasure. In addition to her 15 solo albums, on which she has explored rock, pop, jazz, and folk, she is also the author of a highly acclaimed memoir, which I interviewed her about in 2021. Together, these two seasoned and versatile masters of their trade will put on what is sure to be one of the most memorable performances of the year.

The Chelsea Curve, Speedfossil, Cold Expectations, Happy Little Clouds, Corin Ashley, and Eric Barlow
October 19 (doors at 7/show at 8)
The Burren, Somerville

For fans of the local music scene, The Sound Cove Super Sonic Showcase will be like watching The Godfather: one can tune in at any moment and never want to look away. However, it is best in both cases to be present from the start. The Chelsea Curve will use their bill-topping opportunity to showcase the several new singles that they have released this year (including the latest, “Kindawanna.”) The remaining acts will also celebrate fresh material, be it singles by Speedfossil (“Peg Leg,” from the 20-track compilation Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil) and Cold Expectations, EPs by Corin Ashley, or full-lengths by Happy Little Clouds and Eric Barlow.

Madi Diaz with Clover County
October 20 (doors at 6:30/show at 7:30)
Arts at the Armory, Somerville

Madi Diaz is a Berklee-trained musician whose 2024 album, Weird Faith, received a 2024 Best Folk Album Grammy nomination and one of its extractions, “Don’t Do Me Good,” was in contention for Best Americana Performance. That LP (her sixth) included collaborations with — among others — Kacey Musgraves, Jenny Owen Youngs, and Lori McKenna, and the brand new Fatal Optimist finds her sharing credits with the revered Canadian artists Donovan Woods and Tenille Townes and the hugely prolific American singer-songwriters Stephen Wrabel and Steph Jones.

Neko Case
October 23 (doors at 7/show at 8)
The Wilbur, Boston

Neko Case has treated her admirers to a much-appreciated double shot of her brilliance this year. First, there was the January publication of herheart-wrenching and inspiring memoir, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You. Eight months later, fans warmly welcomed Case’s first new album since 2018, Neon Grey Midnight Green. The book’s themes lead the listener to home in on specific lyrics and phrases in the songs, thereby mutually enforcing their significance and adding to their emotional heft. As always, the transplanted Vermonter’s songwriting – carried on the wings of that beautiful bird of a voice – is as emotive and affecting as ever, leading this record to rank alongside the best of her career.

SKORTS with Makeout Palace and tongue love
October 25 (doors at 7/show at 8)
The Rockwell, Somerville

Arriving smack dab in the heart of the holiday season (Halloween, that is), SKORTS’ debut LP, Incompletement, is a tricks and treats assortment of previously issued singles (e.g., “Eat Your Heart Out”), a recently released lead track (“Burden”), and several waiting-to-heard offerings. According to the NYC quartet (two gals, two guys), “Incompletement is a word we made up. To us, it means allowing oneself to live and create in an ever-changing state of impermanence.” Perhaps this impermanence – as well as the band’s ability to make a first impression – was best symbolized by the fact that an amp exploded at SKORTS’ first gig. Lead singer Ali Wallis’s vocals instantly call to my mind Siouxsie Sioux (of Banshees fame), and she and her bandmates effortlessly draw from her and subsequent kindred spirits to conjure up an equally impactful sound. Boston bands Makeout Palace and tongue love will open SKORTS’ set at Davis Square’s The Rockwell on October 25.

— Blake Maddux

Author Events

Stephanie Burt at Harvard Book Store
Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift 
October 14 at 7 p.m.
Free

“Taylor Swift treats her own life as worthy of artistic obsession and grandeur; Stephanie Burt treats her oeuvre as worthy of academic and poetic attention. In Taylor’s Version, Burt not only articulates the force of Swift’s songwriting genius, but—perhaps more importantly—makes the case for her place in the literary tradition. A provocative, sharp, well-argued book for any Taylor Swift fan—or skeptic.” —Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties

Mary Roach at the Harvard Science Center – Harvard Book Store
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy
October 15 at 6 p.m.
Free or $30.80 with book

“We are all replaceable to some degree or another . . . with the exception of Mary Roach. There is no one and nothing like her—singular, bizarre, dedicated, passionate, fascinating. Her writing traffics at the unusual intersection of science, storytelling, and humor. That is a very tricky intersection to navigate, and no one does it as masterfully or consistently as she. I devour everything she writes.” -Jason Alexander, actor/director

Joanne Lee Molinaro at The Brattle Theatre – Harvard Book Store
The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen
October 17 at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $12 or $45 with book

“Joanne Molinaro is everyone’s favorite storytelling vegan cook. On her platform, The Korean Vegan, she’s known for her personal narrative voiceovers, which accompany mouthwatering videos of her making everything from Kimchi to Korean-inspired pasta dishes. Whether it’s a reflection on her relationship with her father over a plate of noodles or a story about learning to love her body as a marathon runner while she bakes dessert, Joanne is always making deep connections with her followers through food. Now, in The Korean Vegan: Homemade, Joanne offers the recipes that she makes most often at home.

As Joanne likes to say, she loves to “veganize” Korean cuisine and “Koreanize” everything else.  This book is a tribute to all the culinary inspirations that have shaped her cooking over the years and incredible flavors they have created. A memory about learning to repurpose leftover rice from her grandmother Hahlmuhnee results in Fried Rice Waffles; a question from her father leads to Joanne learning to make his childhood favorite noodles, Janchi Guksu; her Pesto Tteokbokki combines her husband’s Italian roots with her own; and her love of savory snacks and kimchi helps invent Buffalo Kimchi Artichoke Dip. With her stunning signature photography and tips for building a Korean pantry, Joanne celebrates the magical connections between family, home, and food.”

WBUR CitySpace: Susan Orlean – Brookline Booksmith
October 17 at 6:30 p.m.
890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA
Tickets range from $12.51 for students to $33.85 with reservations for front row seats

“While Orlean has always written her way into other people’s lives in order to understand the human experience, “Joyride” is her most personal book ever — a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head-over-heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including “Adaptation” and “Blue Crush” and confronting mortality. “Joyride” is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta and Jonathan Karp — forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.

Infused with Orlean’s signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.”

Gish Jen at Harvard Book Store
Bad Bad Girl: A Novel
October 19 at 6 p.m.
Free

“Reading Bad Bad Girl, I felt a deep ache for mothers and daughters divided by culture and silence. Gish Jen writes tenderly about a woman carrying old China in her bones while raising a child in America. This story shows how quiet courage can be, and how a ‘bad girl’ is often just a woman who refuses to vanish. Many will find comfort and recognition in these pages.” —Xinran Xue, author of The Good Women of China

Sam Sussman in conversation with Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon at Porter Square Books
Boy from the North Country
October 21 at 7 p.m.
Free

“Sam Sussman is a courageous, honest, compassionate, generous writer, and Boy from the North Country is a remarkable novel. It’s a penetratingly observed exploration of loss and grief, healing and mortality, theology, philosophy, and above all, art—of art as origin and salvation, art as community, seduction, fame, power, holiness. Its language is unguardedly personal, at times uncomfortably intimate, accumulating over and over into moments of stunning poetic force, revelatory insight, heartbreak and wisdom.” —Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angels in America

Fall 2025 Book Launch — Arrowsmith Press
The Scent of Man by Tadeusz Dabrowski, Hungry Ghost by Bruce Smith, At The Same Time by Wang Jiaxin
October 23 at 7 p.m.
Boston University’s Katzenberg Center, 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA
Free

“Dabrowski’s poetry, masterfully translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, moves intimately through spaces sacred and profane, suggesting we are never fully in one world or the other but ever adrift in between. One of America’s most lauded poets, Bruce Smith in his new collection plants one depth-charge after another as the poet offers a language capable of conveying the radical underpinnings of our uncertain times. Wang Jiaxin is a major voice in contemporary world poetry. Intimate, historical, and ruminative, the poems in his latest collection invite readers into a space of multiple cultural convergences as East and West engage in a luminous poetic dialogue.

Boston Book Festival
October 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Copley Square, Boston

“Celebrating the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight, and inspire, the Boston Book Festival presents year-round events culminating in an annual festival that promotes a culture of reading and ideas and enhances the vibrancy of our city. Geraldine Brooks, Patricia Cornwell, Kiran Desai, Maureen Dowd, Hafsah Faizal, Julia Quinn, Shonda Rhimes, Andrew Ross Sorkin, and more headline Boston’s literary celebration.”

— Matt Hanson

Poet Henri Cole will read at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Henri Cole
October 18 at 4 p.m.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Bryant Gallery in South Hall, 1st Floor, 621 Huntington Avenue, Boston

Henri Cole was born in Fukuoka, Japan, to a French mother and an American father. He has published numerous collections of poetry including, most recently, The Other Love (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). That volume was reviewed in the Arts Fuse. Critic Michael Londra wrote that “there are reassuring lyrics here that suggest that, no matter what terror comes along, our noble charge is to fight to the end, joyously.”

Cole has received many awards, including the Jackson Poetry Prize, the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, the Rome Prize, the Berlin Prize, the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, and the Award of Merit Medal in Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is also the author of Orphic Paris (New York Review Books), a memoir. He lives in Boston and teaches at Claremont McKenna College.

— Bill Marx

An Interview with Hip-Hop Producer Arthur Baker
October 20, Noon
Cafe 939 at Berklee

Producer and DJ Arthur Baker was a part of hip-hop’s early days and went on to remix everyone from New Order to Bruce Springsteen. He also produced Rockers Revenge’s smash “Walking on Sunshine.” But before any of that he was born and started his career in Boston where he was a club DJ. Baker recently released a memoir, Looking For the Perfect Beat, and he’ll discuss his early days and lengthy career with fellow early Boston funk master and now Berklee faculty member Prince Charles Alexander.

— Noah Schaffer