H istorical and contemporary issues rub shoulders even if people really can’t.
Monday, February 15
During the latest installment of the Mondays at Beinecke series, starting at 4 p.m., “Beinecke Library’s Michael Morand will discuss the Plan of the City of New Haven by James Wadsworth, the earliest surviving manuscript map of New Haven. The talk will follow threads of local history from the marks Wadsworth made to sketch a reckoning with history.” Free; registration required.
Tuesday, February 16
“Despite freezing temperatures, it is very busy under the ice of a frozen pond.” So say the organizers of “Life Under the Ice,” a virtual presentation at 2:30 p.m. by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic discussing “how animals like fish, frogs, turtles and beavers survive life under the ice in their frozen habitat.” Viewers can also “meet reptiles and amphibians who stay warm in the Nature Center all winter long.” Free; registration required.
The New Haven Free Public Library’s annual Mardi Gras event can’t be its usual masquerade party offering food and drinks and live in-person entertainment. But it can be a free and virtual “celebration of the New Haven Free Public Library’s role as a vital source of connection in our community,” featuring “appearances from local literati;” “a conversation with extraordinary poets Toi Derricotte, Cornelius Eady, and Reginald Dwayne Betts;” “a presentation of the Library’s Noah Webster Award to Elsie B. Chapman;” and some surprises. 7 p.m. Registration encouraged.
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Wednesday, February 17
In a talk presented by the Branford Historical Society, “Joseph Naylor will explore the settling of Branford in 1644 from the perspective of his ancestor, Mr. William Swaine,” who “led the group of Puritans that came down from Wethersfield to settle what is now our town and was a participant in many major historical events of the era.” Items on the agenda include “the English Civil War, the Pequot war of 1637, and a split among the Puritans into conservative and liberal factions.” Free; registration required.
Thursday, February 18
In a 7 p.m. conversation presented by Madison-based indie bookseller RJ Julia, “leading child and adolescent psychiatrist” Harold S. Koplewicz discusses his new book The Scaffold Effect, which aims to help parents “prevent and counteract the general anxiety and emotional fragility prevalent in children and teenagers today with a new parenting philosophy and strategies that give children the tools to flourish on their own.” Koplewicz’s conversation partner is Wes Moore, “a bestselling author, a combat veteran, and a social entrepreneur” who runs the Robin Hood Foundation, “one of the largest antipoverty organizations in the country.” Free, with “choose your own price” tickets available for those who wish to financially support events programming at RJ Julia.
Friday, February 19
“Whistleblowers around the world have pierced national and international secrecy veils to bring truth to the public. But at what cost and how do they navigate the reality of being a vehicle of evidence that powerful actors wish to quash, discredit or eliminate?” At 11:30 a.m., Khadija Sharife—a senior editor for the African section of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project—and William Bourdon—Edward Snowden’s lawyer and the founder of the Platform for the Protection of African Whistleblowers—attempt to answer that question during “Africa’s Whistleblower Paradox: Lessons from the Frontlines.” Free.
The third annual Yale Africa Film Festival, “highlighting experimental, animated, and fashion films from the African continent and its diaspora,” unfolds across three screening-and-panel sessions starting at 1, 2:15 and 4 p.m. “With captivating cinematography that highlights hybrid cultures and evolving cityscapes, the films reshape internal and external perceptions of Black communities around the world.” Free; registration required.
At 8 p.m. today and 4 and 8 p.m. tomorrow, Yale Cabaret presents live virtual performances of Let’s Go to the Moon, a seemingly family-oriented “puppet musical for Zoom” created by Jisun Kim and Nicole Lang. Here’s the pitch: “Four lonely intergalactic beings set out for the ultimate utopia—the Moon! But what exactly is the Moon? Cheese? A giant Woman? Rocks? A big pile of Space Dust? Their journeys are long, lonely, and labored, until they decide to go and find out together! A musical tale of exploration and puppetry adventure awaits. Blast off!” $6, or $5 for Yale faculty/staff and $4.50 for students.
Saturday, February 20
CT People’s World, Ice the Beef and New Haven Rising join forces for their annual Black History Month Youth March, which starts at 1 p.m. at the corner of Newhall and Bassett Streets. The march precedes a virtual 4 p.m. program tomorrow titled “Georgia On My Mind: The Third Reconstruction,” which includes discussions of ongoing efforts to “finally uproot the poisonous legacy of slavery.”
Sunday, February 21
In a talk organized by the New Haven Preservation Trust, history professor Leah S. Glaser, coordinator of the Public History Program at Central Connecticut State University, makes a case for preserving the Goffe Street Armory, a sprawling brick artifact finished in 1930, which was vacated in 2009 after many decades as the local outpost for the National Guard and the Second Company of the Governor’s Foot Guard. Free; registration required.
Written by Dan Mims. Image, of the Goffe Street Armory, provided courtesy of the New Haven Preservation Trust. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
