22 Talks and Discussions to Attend this November

From discussions with historians and scientists to author meetings and book signings, a variety of top talks and readings happening this November.

1. Part of Target Free Saturday, Brooklyn Museum’s curator will speak about the latest fashion exhibition showcasing the works of designer Jean Paul Gaultier. When & Where: Nov. 2, 6 p.m. at Brooklyn Museum.

2. Experiment with architecture and design to see its effect on happiness. Award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery will be on-hand to explore the striking relationship between the design of minds and design of cities. When & Where: Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m. at the Guggenheim Museum.

3. Woodrow Wilson was sworn into office 100 years ago as the 28th President of the United States. Join biographer A. Scott Berg, who was the first writer ever given access to recently-discovered papers of President Wilson’s daughter and personal physician, for an insightful discussion on our former President. When & Where: Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m. at New-York Historical Society.

4. Delve into the Official History of the Academy Awards with Robert Osborne, author of a book with the same name and host of Turner Classic Movies. When & Where: Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m. at Rizzoli Bookstore.

5. Commemorate the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht with brother-and-sister Ilie Wacs and Deborah Strobin who escaped Nazi Austria with their parents on the last boat to Shanhai during WWII. When & Where: Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of Tolerance.

6. Explore the complexities and and surprises found in Kandinsky’s works of art with author of Kandinsky Catalogue Raisonne Vivian Endicott Barnett. When & Where: Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at Neue Galerie.

7. Julianne Moore has a storied Hollywood career, and she also has is a passionate advocate for children’s literacy. Meet Moore for a discussion about Hollywood, kids and reading and being different. When & Where: Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. at 92nd Street Y.

8. Entitled Skyscrapers, Sacks and Sticks: Ruth Page’s Experiments with Abstraction in the Early 1930s, this talk discusses the American avant-garde dancer. Then, dancer Jennifer Conley will perform with fabric in sculptural ways to evoke geologic processes. When & Where: Nov. 10, 3 p.m. at Noguchi Museum.

9. Discover the inner lives of President Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, who had the strength to support the President despite her own grief and ill health. When & Where: Nov. 11, 12 p.m. at 92nd Street Y.

10. It’s no secret that a dog is a man’s best friend. Celebrate this relationship at the launch of new book No Better Friend: Celebrities and the Dogs They Love with author Ekle Gazzara. When & Where: Nov. 11, 5:30 p.m. at Rizzoli Bookstore.

11. A new series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Spark is a cabaret-style program that pinpoints the relevance of the Met’s exhibitions in today’s world with the help of various artists, scientists and musicians. This particular talk on Painting and Provocation examines Balthus’s 1938 painting Terese Dreaming with a pianist, psychologist, singer/songwriter and curator. Moderated by Julie Burstein, author and Peabody Award-winning creator of public radio’s Studio 360. When & Where: Nov. 12, 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. *Special Offer for Thoughlectuals – Save $5 on individual tickets.

12. Five women writers and biographers get together to discuss the challenges and methodologies of writing biographies, revealing how they got the story. When & Where: Nov. 12, 7 p.m. at Pace University.

13. Mike Tyson sits down for a conversation about his tumultuous life to mark the release of his new memoir Undisputed Truth. When & Where: Nov. 12, 7 p.m. at New York Public Library.

14. Acclaimed biographer Deborah Solomon reads from her groundbreaking new book American Mirror: The Life and Work of Norman Rockwell. Solomon was also a biographer of Jackson Pollock and Joseph Cornell. When & Where: Nov. 13, 7 p.m. at Macaulay Honors College.

15. Director of the Harvard University Center for the Environment with theatre director David Farr of Water discuss the large-scale global issue of climate change. When & Where: Nov. 16, 5 p.m. at Brooklyn Academy of Music.

16. Visit The Frick Collection after hours to view Vermeer’s iconic masterpiece and see a screening of the film “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” When & Where: Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m. at The Frick Collection.

17. Academy Award-winning actress and director Anjelica Huston reads from and discusses her new memoir A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London and New York. When & Where: Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Space.

18. For the first time ever, Lena Dunham, creator and star of HBO series Girls, and best-selling author and satirist David Sedaris come together for an insightful evening of reading and conversation. When & Where: Nov. 19, 8 p.m. at Carnegie Hall.

19. Examine the dynamics of political power play as Robert Caro discusses Lyndon B. Johnson’s career, from Senate Majority Leader to Vice President to having the Presidency. When & Where: Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. at New-York Historical Society.

20. Join a roundtable discussion with scholars Joachim Pissarro, Thomas Crow and curator Barbara Haskell who explore artist Robert Indiana in the context of his contemporaries. When & Where: Nov. 21, 7 p.m. at Whitney Museum of American Art.

21. Elie Wiesel and Ted Koppel discuss God, exile and responsibility on an evening of engaging conversation. When & Where: Nov. 21, 8 p.m. at 92nd Street Y.

22. From book to movie to Broadway, the creative team behind Big Fish discuss the production’s journey. Then, enjoy a sneak peek of the musical when songs from the show are performed. When & Where: Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m. at 92nd Street Y.