The Edwardian Ball – a festival of whimsy and wonder inspired by the macabre illustrations of Edward Gorey. Image from https://www.edwardianball.com/
This week’s Curator: Bart Bernhardt of Nerd Nite SF. I guess this week’s accidental theme is that “old is new”. From the women marchers of a century ago, to an Edward Gorey-themed ball, to the happening sex lives of seniors, to the history of Ye Olde Internette that you are perusing now, I hope there is something this week that gives you cause to celebrate the present!
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COMING UP THIS WEEK:
The Fourth Annual Fog City Magic Fest at Exit Theater
Four days of wonder await you. Illusions and close-up magic, for sure, but also storytelling, mischief, contests, and lectures with some of the Bay Area’s most talented stage magicians plus a special appearance by the Grumpy Princess, of YouTube fame.
JAN 23 – WED through JAN 26 – SAT: Various times. Tickets range $20-$100 for the full run.
Quantopia: The Evolution of the Internet
DJ Spooky, the Internet Archive, data artist Greg Niemeyer and many others have teamed up for an extraordinary performance celebrating “the history of the Internet… a tribute to the depth and high stakes of free speech and creative expression involved in our daily use of media.” Hell yes.
JAN 25 – FRI: 7:30pm at YBCA, SF. $29.50 for regular tickets.
A Grand Re-Opening of the Public Domain
Due to Congressional tinkering with copyright extensions to protect Disney’s money-making Mickey Mouse IP, it’s been 20 years since a significant number of works have entered the public domain. But now a huge chunk of works — from H.P. Lovecraft to Charlie Chaplin to Picasso — have become free for you to copy, reproduce, perform, etc. Our friends at the Internet Archive & Creative Commons are celebrating with a whole day of talks, demos, screenings, and more.
JAN 25 – FRI: 10am-7pm at the Internet Archive, SF. $10.
The Edwardian Ball
The glorious annual tradition returns for its 19th year. Aficionados know that it’s more Edwardian for the macabre illustrations of Edward Gorey than the brief reign of King Edward VII. The program promises an extravaganza of music, dance, costumes, art, theater and more. Friday revolves around The Edwardian World’s Faire, and Saturday is the grand Ball proper.
JAN 25 – FRI, and JAN 26 – SAT. Regency Ballroom, SF. $65 and up.
A Walk Along the Glen Park Suffrage Trail
Join historian Evelyn Rose on a stroll through Glen Park and learn about the women there who worked to bring the vote to women, and civic activists who built on that legacy.
JAN 26 – SAT: 10am, Glen Park BART, SF. $10, but $15 gets you one year of membership to the Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project!
(And check out Sunday’s lecture, too!)
Nerd Nites in Oakland & San Jose
A shout-out to my comrades at Nerd Nite East Bay and Silicon Valley. If drinking, cheering, laughing, and learning is your thing, attend your local lecture-in-a-bar series: Monday’s talks in Oakland are on granny getting it on, HIV treatment science, and stop-motion filmmaking. Tuesday’s talk in San Jose are on productivity, evolution, and black holes.
JAN 28 – MON, and JAN 29 – TUES. Oakland ($10) & San Jose (free).
The Science of Climate Fiction
The Interval remains one of the smartest venues with the finest cocktails in SF. James Holland Jones, biological anthropologist and environmental scientist, will be talking about storytelling and how climate change is increasingly a part of our narratives. But can it be useful for inspiring action?
JAN 29 – TUES, 6:30pm. The Interval, SF. $25. (EDIT: Aaaaand it’s sold-out. But we’ll keep it listed here so that you can join the waitlist, and as encouragement to follow their ever-popular programs.)
Black Holes, Exploding Stars, and the Runaway Universe
Dr. Alex Filippenko is one of the most beloved professors at UC Berkeley. He’s spending his 60th birthday with you, dear nerds, at the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture series on a crash course of his fascinating research career.
JAN 29 – TUE, 7:00pm. Foothill College, Los Altos. Free.