8 things to do in New York this week

Are in The Eight-Day Week in The New York Observer, from a conversation about James Baldwin to Ralph Steadman, National Poetry Month, a restaurant with 800 bottles of wine and more. Do keep sending your NYC event listings at least 2 weeks in advance with full details (date/time/address/phone number/price/description in body) to 8dayweek at observer.com and please pass that on to anyone you know organizing cool events in NYC. Thanks for reading!

Ghosts, Bitcoin, a soccer film festival, Hurricane Sandy photos, Emma Goldman and more in this week's Eight-Day Week

I'm so happy that the newly redesigned New York Observer has now put the entire Eight-Day Week section I write in one handy link! This week features ghosts, Bitcoin, a soccer film festival, Hurricane Sandy photos, Dress for Success (started by a student where I used to be a student, NYU Law) and more. Know of an amazing New York City event? Pitch me (as early as possible) by sending the date, time, address, phone number, price and description with the date and event title in the subject line to 8dayweek at observer.com as early as possible (I'll look at it if you don't do that, but it helps a lot). Thank you so much to everyone who's sent me tips. I've certainly learned more about what's happening in the Big Apple in the just about six months I've been writing this than I ever did during the 16 years I lived there! I'm a Jersey girl with a NYC heart and a NJ Transit train nearby (even closer as of tomorrow's move).

Watch new Comedy Central show Broad City with the cast and crew tonight

Head over to Videology in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a free public screening of the debut episode of new Comedy Central Broad City, starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, tonight. Details in The New York Observer - and please keep sending me NYC events for consideration to 8dayweek at observer.com (I need all the info you see in the listings, date/time/location/description/phone number/price).

Have dinner with Real Housewives of New York star Ramona Singer on Thursday in New York

Tonight's event listing in The New York Observer is one I was proud of finding, a dinner with Ramona Singer, star of The Real Housewives of New York City, along with trying her new wine line, Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio, at Chef David Burke at Bloomingdale's. According to her Twitter account, it's been postponed until Thursday, January 23rd, due to the snow, so if you like wine and reality TV, here's an event for you. Keep sending me your event info - I'm on the hunt for Super Bowl related public events from January 29-February 5, and then anything else from February 5 and beyond, to 8dayweek at observer.com - you can check out the other events the section has covered.

3 kinds of ice cream cake tonight at Yum's The Word

Today for The New York Observer, I wrote up the storytelling and ice cream cake show Yum's The Word, which I hope to attend soon. Who wouldn't want to be part of this? Just found out via their Tumblr that there are the homemade ice cream cakes being served: Nutella/Chunky Monkey with Crushed Ferror-Rocher Pieces, Caramel/Butter Pecan with Crushed Graham Crackers, Boozy Egg Nog Ice Cream Cake with Crushed Gingerbread Men. Yum indeed! Keep sending your listings with full details in the body of an email to 8dayweek at observer.com - thank you!

Anal sex memoir The Surrender by Toni Bentley takes center stage

For The New York Observer, I wrote about The Surrender by Toni Bentley, the anal sex memoir as well as the new one woman show opening this week at Clurman Theater in midtown Manhattan starring Laura Campbell - if you go tomorrow, January 16th, there'll be a post-show talkback featuring The Marketplace author (and Best Bondage Erotica 2014 foreword author) Laura Antoniou.

Naked Girls Reading spy fiction tonight in New York

Every day at The New York Observer, and twice on Wednesdays, I share something cool going on in NYC. Tonight both events are in the East Village: tech-geared discussion group Lucid NYC, featuring Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, startup Kinsa and a data contractor, as well as Naked Girls Reading, which features just that - naked girls reading, in tonight's case, spy fiction to go with the theme Spies Like Us. I hope to attend both of these soon.

2013 sex, from ball ironing to Blue Is The Warmest Color to Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom

It's all in my New York Observer year in sex roundup. You can also find my daily picks (with 2 on Wednesdays!) in their Eight-Day Week section - tonight's are The Ramen Burger Effect and Employee of the Month with Piper Kerman and Kathleen Hanna (Hanna was a late addition so it may not show up yet in my writeup), among others.


Amanda Seyfried in Lovelace

Tonight: make a gingerbread house in NYC!

Today I wrote about a gingerbread house making class in New York at Taste Buds Kitchen. Check it out and keep sending me your New York events to 8dayweek at observer.com for this section.

Learn sex appeal secrets tonight in New York at FIAF

Today's New York Observer event is Secrets of Sex Appeal at FIAF (French Institute Alliance Française) featuring Ian Kerner, Dr. Helen Fisher and Liz Prosser. Click through for details and keep sending me event listings for December 18th onward to 8dayweek at observer.com - you can see the information I'd required (date/time/location/phone number/price/description) and get a feel for the types of events covered in the Eight-Day Week archives.

4 cookbook authors DISH tonight at Housing Works Bookstore in New York

Check out the following cookbook authors at DISH tonight at charity bookstore Housing Works, which is also a great place to find holiday gifts. See my New York Observer writeup for details and please keep sending me Eight-Day Week event listings to 8dayweek at observer.com - right now I'm considering events from December 11-January 8, and event organizers, add that email address to your update lists!

Get social media tips tonight from Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook

I brought Gary Vaynerchuk's new book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World with me from New Jersey to Albuquerque to Santa Fe to Austin. I actually planned to leave my copy there because it's heavy but as I began reading I realized I have oodles to learn from it about how to optimize my professional social media use. That's my little personal two cents. More about the book and Gary's event tonight with New York Observer editor in chief Ken Kurson at Barnes & Noble Union Square at observer.com.

Brunch in Brooklyn today with Tionna Smalls

Yesterday I got to write about one of my favorite movies, Preaching to the Perverted, in my New York Observer CineKink writeup, and today I found a fun brunch for those of you in Brooklyn, featuring former Gawker columnist and VH1 star on What Chilli Wants, Tionna Smalls. Please do keep sending me your New York City events, ideally with 2 weeks notice, to 8dayweek at observer.com - I'm doing this until January 8th, though you can always send to that address and find the listings in the print paper every Wednesday and online daily at observer.com. To those not in New York, maybe you know someone who'd like these events. I know not everyone is local, but I'll be posting most of these to spread the word.

Go see Lady Rizo tonight at Joe's Pub for her Violet CD release party!

If you're in New York, go see Lady Rizo's Violet CD release party tonight at Joe's Pub! She gave me the scoop for The New York Observer. Trust me, it'll be an amazing show.

Free story slam and storytelling in New York tonight

It's the How I Learned/Best in Show Blender tonight and it's free! Full details in my New York Observer writeup - I don't think I've heard of another event where you can tell a story and get professional feedback on it for free! Plus it benefits the wonderful folks at Housing Works, whose mission is "to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts."

Sexy nerds and sex geeks: D20 Burlesque in Space tonight in New York

Tonight on the Lower East Side catch D20 Burlesque in Space at Parkside Lounge - my preview iwth all the detials is at The New York Observer. Please keep sending events for consideration (any kind of events you think would appeal to the Observer audience with FULL details including date, time, location, description, price, phone number) to 8dayweek at observer.com for events from November 27-December 25 (I don't know yet if I'll still be doing these after Christmas, but you can always send to 8dayweek at observer.com). 2 weeks notice or more is ideal. Thank you!

Meet Kathleen Hanna and Joan Jett tonight in New York City and support feminist publishing

Tonight you can meet Kathleen Hanna and Joan Jett and support feminist publishing at The Feminist Press Annual Gala Dinner. If I weren't in Albuquerque, I'd so be there. They've published many wonderful books, including The Feminist Porn Book, which I reviewed earlier this year at The Hairpin.

And please keep sending your New York City events for Eight-Day Week in The New York Observer with ALL the details (date/time/location/phone/price/description) to 8dayweek at observer.com with at least 2 weeks' notice!

Sex With Robots tonight!

No, I'm not having robot sex to celebrate my birthday, but if you're in New York, I encourage you to check out the final night of The Sex With Robots Festival by Caps Lock Theatre. There's more info in the link, but really, I think "sex with robots" is all you need to know (or at least, all I needed to know).

Southern Shabbit tonight with kimchi-braised brisket at City Grit

Tonight's Southern Shabbat at City Grit had me at "kimchi-braised brisket." Wish I could be there but I'm getting ready to go on a two-week trip. For my daily event picks check out the Eight-Day Week section of The New York Observer and keep sending me events, yours or ones that might be of interest, with full details and at least 2 weeks' notice, to 8dayweek at observer.com - thanks and do check out City Grit if you're looking for a unique meal and to meet interesting people.

Wordbirds book party tonight at powerHouse Arena

I've been writing up New York City events for the Eight-Day Week section of The New York Observer and one of today's events deserves a special mention. Check out the Wordbirds book party with Liesl Schillinger, and click through to find out Schillinger's favorites, as well as the book itself. I was totally charmed by it, perhaps because I'm guilty of a lot of the tech-related activities (I almost wrote "crimes" but that's in the eye of the beholder). And if you're hosting a NYC event or know of any cool ones, email the details to 8dayweek at observer.com for consideration.