Happenings at Jefferson Market Library
By Corinne Neary
Between Life and Death at Jefferson Market Library
Dante’s Inferno: Paolo and Francesca Reading. Painting by Anselm Feuerbach.
For our novella discussion last month, we read Juan Rulfo’s 1955 Mexican classic, Pedro Páramo, which had undergone a new translation by Douglas Weatherford in recent years. Hugely influential in Latin American literature, the book has only recently become more widely known in the United States, garnering a Netflix adaptation in 2024.
As a discussion piece, it is challenging: surreal and hallucinogenic, and populated almost entirely by the dead. As a book built around a literal ghost town where nothing is easy to distinguish, it is both beautiful and inscrutable. And while it may be tempting to give up at times, when there’s really no way of knowing who’s speaking, it can offer great rewards.
Since we have been doing our weekly discussions of Dante’s epic Italian narrative poem The Divine Comedy since last fall, and are currently halfway through Purgatorio, I’m definitely feeling more attuned to narratives straddling life and death. One of the reasons that reading through Dante’s work with our group has been so fulfilling is that many of the concepts are subtle, and there is a tenuousness to understanding them. Through the discussion, we come to a deeper understanding, although we may not always have the same perspective.
Each week in our discussions of The Divine Comedy, though it was written in the 14th century, and chronicles a purely fictional journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, we are wrangling with modern and contemporary psychology and philosophy. Both Dante and Rulfo use the afterlife to, in part, show us who we are in life. And of course, since nothing could be more complex than who we are, why should we expect anything written on the subject to be simple?
As Frank Collerius, the library director, and I were starting to put together our list of film screenings for April and May, this idea of “between life and death” was on both of our minds. One idea we had is a 1944 picture, Between Two Worlds, starring Eleanor Parker and John Garfield, which is showing on Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m. “Nazi bombs rain fire into an English port town. The smoke clears and a disparate group of human beings caught in the blast finds itself aboard a luxury liner headed who knows where. They soon learn their one-way tickets are stamped Heaven… And Hell…”
And for those whose interest is piqued by anything Italian, we are very excited to announce that we will be offering an Italian for Beginners course on Thursdays starting April 23. As we expect this to be in high demand, participants will be chosen by lottery. Stop by the second floor desk at any time between Monday, April 6 and Sunday, April 12 to enter your name. Those whose names are drawn will be contacted by April 15.
As always, check our website for all of our events, including children’s story times, crafts, and book discussions, as well as our usual adult fare of discussions, author readings, and film screenings.
Greenwich House Older Adult Centers
Earth Day Event
April 22, 2 PM until produce runs out!
Greenwich House Center on the Square, 20 Washington Square N
Greenwich House is proud to partner with Sharing Excess on Earth Day for a free, farmers market style produce distribution. We believe fresh, healthy food should be accessible to everyone. Help us reduce food waste while stocking your pantry with high-quality fruits and vegetables. Free and open to the public.
Greenwich House Music School
Dance Clarinets Celebrates the Music of Geri Allen and Carla Bley
Tuesday, April 15, 7:30 PM
46 Barrow Street
FREE with RSVP – Registration: greenwichhouse.org/event/dance-clarinets-perform-the-music-of-geri-allen-and-carla-bley/
Join the Dance Clarinets for a program that explores the intersection of deep-rooted jazz tradition and avant-garde whimsy. This performance pays tribute to two giants of the genre: Geri Allen and Carla Bley, hosted in the intimate setting of Renee Weiler Concert Hall in the heart of the West Village.Featuring the return of soloist Lee Odom, it is an evening of modern jazz that moves between gritty soulfulness and playful, larger-than-life orchestrations, all within one of the Village’s most storied and personal performance spaces.
Elebash Artist Residency and Uncharted Concert Series
April 22, 8 PM: Jacquelene Acevedo & Audry Funk (Rhythms of Resilience)
April 29, 8 PM: DoYeon Kim & Firas Zreik (Unbound Strings)
Now in its 12th year, this acclaimed residency provides a creative sanctuary for New York City’s independent performers, culminating in three nights of world-class performances in our intimate recital hall. This year’s cohort features six boundary-breaking artists: Jacquelene Acevedo, Audry Funk, DoYeon Kim, Firas Zreik, Erika Ji, and Miriam Elhajli.
Greenwich House Pottery
Artist Membership Open House
April 12, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
27 Barrow Street
Admission: FREE with RSVP
Registration: greenwichhouse.org/event/artist-membership-open-house/
This event is designed for artists seeking focused time to develop their work independently while looking to engage with a creative community through a low-commitment, flexible program at Greenwich House Pottery. With live demonstrations, studio tours, and fun, hands-on activities, this is an invitation to explore our facilities, meet our makers, and perhaps even take home a new functional vessel from our pop-up sale.
SPONSORED
Tree Wonder Eco Fair 2026
Saturday, April 25, 12:00–4:30 PM
Northwest corner of Washington Square Park
tiny.cc/TreeWonderEcoFair26
Join Tree Wonder WSP for its Eco Fair 2026 at the English Elm, a free, activity-packed community event taking place in the northwest corner of Washington Square Park. Hosted in partnership with NYU Community Engagement, BEHOLD, and Local Nature Lab, the fair will bring together scientists, artists, educators, and community members for a day to learn, envision, and engage with nature in Washington Square Park!
Spring 2026 Poe Room Event
Friday, April 10, 6-8 PM
New York University School of Law
245 Sullivan Street, Furman Hall, Room 216
(Between West 3rd Street and Washington Square South)
bit.ly/4bnuea6
New York University and Lois Rakoff, Community Director of the Poe Room, present the Spring 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Room Event. Titled “Life at the Cottage: Virginia & Edgar Allan Poe’s Years in The Bronx,” this event will feature Roger McCormack, Director of Education at The Bronx County Historical Society. This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and an RSVP is required. To register, sign up online or reach out to NYU Community Engagement at 212-998-2400 or community.engagement@nyu.edu with any questions.
Steal This Story, Please!
Opens Friday, April 10 – April 16
IFC Center, 323 6th Avenue
ifccenter.com
Undeterred by armed soldiers, smooth-talking politicians, and riot police, journalist Amy Goodman has reported some of the most consequential stories of our time. From the frontlines of global conflicts to the organized chaos of her daily news show Democracy Now!, she broadcasts stories and voices routinely silenced by commercial media. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Deal and Lessin (Trouble the Water, The Janes) take us behind the scenes with the warm, wisecracking granddaughter of an Orthodox rabbi—raised in a tradition of asking hard questions—as she navigates a news landscape reshaped by technology, corporate consolidation, and political assaults on truth itself. Urgent, provocative and unexpectedly funny, this is both a call to action and a celebration of resistance, posing the question: what happens to democracy when the press surrenders to power?
