Rajesh Nair’s “The Tiger’s Nest,” courtesy of the Octagon Museum
DCist’s guide to lectures and discussions in the D.C. area
This week, early planners rejoice, because we start including next Monday’s events into this week’s TTMB. Also, those regularly interested in some of the more expensive events at the S. Dillon Ripley Center (and other Smithsonian Associates events) should note that the prices listed below are for general admission. If you want double digit discounts, become a member.
Monday:
>> Tonight at 7 p.m., author and social scientist Dalton Conley will be at Politics and Prose exploring “the impact of recent technological and economic changes on professional and personal life,” as discussed in his book Elsewhere, U.S.A.
>> Or, at 6 p.m., head to the 14th Street Busboys for a discussion with author Douglass Blackmon on his book Slavery by Another Name — The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
Tuesday:
>> The Corcoran has a lecture tonight which is sure to be both interesting and stunning. Photographer Rajesh Nair, whose photographs are currently on view at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Headquarters Gallery, will deliver Timeless Existence: Photographs from Bhutan. His work captures “whitewashed fortified monasteries as they clutch the mountaintops they are built upon … remote villages spread around the Himalayan landscape, and … the intricate details of decoratively painted wooden facades and cornices that garnish the structures.” $20.
>> Big Easy fans and just plain drinkers will want to head to the Museum of Natural History’s Atrium Cafe for History in a Glass: Famous New Orleans Cocktails. Learn about the history and making of New Orleans drinks from cocktail historian Phil Greene and master Big Easy mixologist Chris McMillian. Yes, there will be tastings. $60.
>> Or, head to Sixth and I at 7 p.m. for Barbara Cook: Conversations with Legends. The Tony award-winning singer and actress will be discussing her career with Dwight Blocker Bowers, the National Museum of American History’s curator of American entertainment history. $18.
Wednesday:
>> Spend your lunch hour at the National Building Museum learning about Building For The 21st Century: Building Recombinant Ecologies from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
>> At 7 p.m., head to Politics and Prose for a discussion with author and investigative journalist Pratap Chatterjee titled Halliburton’s Army: How a Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionized the Way America Makes War.
Thursday:
>> Head to Transformer Gallery tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for a talk with recent Science Club interviewee and conservation geneticist, textbook author, and National Zoo population manager Jonathan Ballou. Registration required; contact Marissa Long at marissa [at] transformergallery.org or (202) 483-1102.
>> Movie buffs may be interested in checking out Giggles and Sniffles: What Makes a Movie Great? at the S. Dillon Ripley Center from 6:45 to 9 p.m. tonight. WaPo film critic Desson Thomson will explore movie-going dynamics “and treat the audience to clips from a host of great movies, both funny and affecting.” This is a two-night series, and will continue next Thursday. Tickets are $40 each; attendance at both sessions is not required.
>> If you have the day off, the Natural History Museum is holding a Darwin Anniversary Symposium from 12 to 3 p.m. to celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday and 150 years since his On the Origin of Species was published. The day will be filled with panel discussions focusing on “a variety of topics from historical perspectives of Darwin to evolution and medicine.”
