Latest news with #BrooklynPublicLibrary
Eater
12-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
In Brooklyn, a New Home for Food Books From the Black Diaspora
A food bookstore and culinary hub devoted to Black foodways is opening in Brooklyn this fall. The sisters behind BEM have been waiting a long time to have keys in hand. After years of searching and several false starts, Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport are working to build a storefront for food literature of the African diaspora in Bed-Stuy. 'People have told us very explicitly, We need this ,' Danielle says. The duo first launched BEM in 2021, selling books through their online shop and hosting pop-ups. Earlier this month, they announced they finally signed a lease at 373 Lewis Avenue, at Macon Street. According to Danielle, BEM's buyer, the bookstore selection will continue its mission of exploring cookbooks as well as literature in which 'food shows up in big and interesting and rich ways.' All stocked titles are written by Black authors and feature some aspect of food. BEM has already carved a reputation as a valued resource. Aside from cookbooks like the Edna Lewis Cookbook , and newer releases like Crystal Wilkinson's Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts , BEM highlights books like Toni Morrison's Beloved , in which biscuits feature prominently, and Francesca Ekwuyasi's Butter Honey Pig Bread , which recounts the task of baking a cake in lyrical prose. Ntozake Shange's If I Can Cook/You Know God Can , which pushed Gabrielle to pursue Black food writing, was essential, too. Though BEM has taken different forms, the sisters always envisioned it as a neighborhood bookstore. Its name is a riff on their grandmothers' initials. The sisters first made a business plan for BEM in September 2019 as part of the Brooklyn Public Library's PowerUP program. The pandemic forced them to launch online-only in January 2021, despite their having little interest in e-commerce. (It was, in a way, a follow-up to a previous endeavor: The sisters knitted and sold scarves on Etsy.) Over time, BEM started doing longer-term pop-ups and book events that enmeshed the sisters within the food and literary scene. In 2023, Cherry Bombe included the sisters in its Future of Food 50. It's been a winding path for the sisters, who are seven years apart. Danielle is an actor and writer who has tutored, translated, and worked in restaurants. Gabrielle has been a curator and booker for public institutions and festivals. Danielle spent much of her upbringing in New Jersey, while Gabrielle grew up mostly in California. But after Danielle came to New York to go to Barnard, Gabrielle later followed suit, matriculating at her college. They always talked about going into business together, and eventually, they both decided to move to Bed-Stuy. Finding that their conversations so often came back to what they were eating and what they were reading, the sisters decided to pursue that intersection. Though many culinary bookstores exist, such as Archestratus and Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York, 'we were like, why are there no Black food bookstores? ' Gabrielle says. They wanted to honor the Black communities and immigrant communities that have shaped Bed-Stuy, particularly in the shadow of gentrification in the neighborhood. When the store opens this fall — ideally, in time for the season's book releases — it'll make for an especially literary corner; the public library is across the street. The sisters eyed the space for the past couple of years. It was previously home to Skål, a Danish and Colombian cafe that closed in 2022. When the owner wouldn't rent it, however, the sisters had to look elsewhere. In 2024, they considered another storefront in the neighborhood, which pushed them to create a Kickstarter campaign through which 645 backers pledged over $75,000. When that location proved not the right fit, the sisters spent months trying to buy 373 Lewis Avenue through a Small Business Administration loan, only for the seller to have a change of heart. It wasn't a total dead end, of course: The sisters were offered a lease instead. They held out for a reason: A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows floods the spacious room with light, with room for seating outside. At the back of the room is a generously-sized kitchen and a bar counter. The Davenports' dream is for BEM to be an all-day destination where people stop for coffee and a pastry before grabbing the bus, caregivers drop by with kids for after-school snack plates, chefs host supper clubs and teach cooking classes, scholars research from an archive of Black culinary books, and authors celebrate book launches. The publishing industry may always be a risk, but the sisters have proven that there's demand for a place like BEM. And the timing seems right: BEM will join an influx of new bookstore cafes across the borough, most recently including Liz's Book Bar in Carroll Gardens and the forthcoming Bushwick outpost of the East Village's Book Club Bar. To Danielle, the silver lining of all this waiting is that they've had time to build up a community, some of whom are already asking about hosting their events at BEM. This weekend, BEM will collaborate on a Juneteenth event with Nicole Taylor, author of Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations . The sisters think back on the bookstores that shaped them. For Gabrielle, the tall shelves at the creaky-floored Walden Pond Books in Oakland offered the comforting feeling of 'being enveloped.' For Danielle, Denver's Tattered Cover provided a sense of solace during what she calls a 'weird time' in her life. 'There's just so much energy around stories,' she says. They hope to imbue BEM with similar qualities. 'We talk a lot about it being a place for discovery,' Danielle says. 'And I hope it's fun,' Gabrielle adds. 'I hope people come here on a Thursday night to get a drink with a friend, just because it's a nice place to hang out.' See More:
Hypebeast
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
The Moomins Are Getting Their First-Ever U.S. Exhibition
Summary TheMoominsare making their U.S. debut in a new exhibition in New York. Staged at theBrooklyn Public Library's Central branch from June 28 through September 30,Tove Jansson and the Moomins: The Door is Always Openbrings the enchanting world of Moominvalley stateside, just in time for the characters' 80th anniversary. Created by artist and author Tove Jansson, the Moomins have become cultural icons in Finland and beyond. The upcoming exhibition offers an intimte look into her Jansson's whimsical universe, through a Moomin house installation, archival materials and a range of books and animations. Starting with the first book,The Moomins and the Great Flood, published in 1945, the exhibition traces the cartoon into its various theatrical, television and musical adaptations, shining a light these beloved, rotund creatures and their many forms we know and love today. Alongside a gamut of Moomin artifacts, the show pulls back the curtain on Jansson's creative legacy as a queer, political cartoonist and artist in postwar Europe, told through personal letters, illustrations and rarely pieces of ephemera. Whether you're six or 60 years old,The Door is Always Openmarks an unmissable opportunity for Moomin fans of all ages. In addition to the Brooklyn Public Library exhibition, the Finnish darling is ringing in its 80th birthday celebration with a monumental exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum and a full roster of events set around Finland. The free exhibition will be open to the public starting June 28. Head to the library'swebsitefor more information. Brooklyn Public Library – Central Library10 Grand Army Plz,Brooklyn, NY 11238
CBS News
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Brooklyn Public Library kicks off summer reading program to combat learning loss
Brooklyn Public Library aims to keep kids reading over the summer Brooklyn Public Library aims to keep kids reading over the summer Brooklyn Public Library aims to keep kids reading over the summer As the school year winds down, families across Brooklyn are turning to their local libraries to help avoid the dreaded "summer slump," the learning loss that can occur during the two-month school break. The Brooklyn Public Library is stepping up with community celebrations as part of their summer reading initiative to keep young minds active. BPL offers face painting and fun at summer kick-off celebrations The library kicked off its seasonal programming with celebrations across its branches. In Sheepshead Bay, families lined up for face painting and musical entertainment, and children eagerly browsed the bookshelves, preparing their summer reading lists. "I read like a few hours a day," said 8-year-old Elene Gagnidze. Parents, too, are making plans to keep their children engaged with educational activities throughout the summer. "This summer we're staying put in Brooklyn, and we'll be here [at the library] pretty much every time there's something happening," said Jelena Krecelj, who lives nearby. As part of the festivities, BPL partnered with the WNBA champions, New York Liberty, to release 100,000 special-edition library cards. 15,000 books being given away across NYC The kick-off included a major book giveaway aimed at building home libraries. "Thanks to the New York Life Foundation, we are giving out 15,000 books — that's not just in Brooklyn, but citywide," said Fritzi Bodenheimer, spokesperson for the Brooklyn Public Library. "We know that when you have books at home, that has a very direct correlation to your ability to get great education and have a great job later on." Studies show students can lose as much as 20% of the knowledge they gained during the school year over summer break. Library officials stress that regular reading and educational play can prevent that slide. "It helps keep your mind sort of fresh and helps keep you going so you don't have that slide off at the beginning of the next school year," Bodenheimer said. Parents like Sophya Infante say they've seen the effects firsthand. "My father's an educator, and he's always told me that he's noticed that after the summer break, the kids lose that momentum tremendously," Infante said. "So in order to be continuously prepared and not lose any of the previous knowledge, you need to be very active in terms of reading, learning, brushing up on your math skills because it's just so easily forgotten." For many kids, summer is a chance to explore reading on their own terms, browsing books they actually like, not only the ones assigned in school. "I think it's really cool because kids will read a lot. Maybe they get interested in different types of books they like and they don't have," said Elene Gagnidze. The school year may be ending, but this summer, the learning doesn't have to. Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New York Liberty Themed Brooklyn Public Library Cards Debut This June
Ellie the Elephant, New York Liberty's mascot, poses with her new Brooklyn Public Library card in ... More honor of the 2024 WNBA Championship New York City hoopers and readers, your time has come. In honor of the New York Liberty winning the 2024 WNBA Championship and the kickoff of the 2025 WNBA season, The Brooklyn Public Library today announced a collaboration to issue special edition library cards featuring the New York Liberty players, and Liberty mascot, Ellie the Elephant. 100,00 Liberty and Brooklyn Basketball-themed library cards will be available at all branches of the Brooklyn Public Library starting next Monday, June 2. Library cards are free to New Yorkers of all ages and can be used at all 61 branches of the Brooklyn Public Library, as well as for digital resources including ebooks and audiobooks. This partnership is also an initiative to support the library's summer reading programming and promote literacy. New York Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart ("Stewie") poses with the Brooklyn Public Library WNBA ... More Championship library card This Sunday, June 1, The Liberty and Brooklyn Public Library will celebrate their collaboration as part of Ellie's Birthday at the Liberty game at Barclays Center. Fans attending the 1 p.m. game can enjoy book-themed activations in and around the arena, including a Brooklyn Public Library bookmobile on the plaza, offering books for loan to library card holders. Inside the arena, a special photo booth will be set up, and Ellie-themed bookmarks will be given away for free. Each bookmark will include a QR code linking to an Ellie-approved reading list for readers of all ages. Ellie's curated summer reading list includes Brooklyn and basketball themed titles like Lola Joins the Team by Keka Novales, A Kids Book about Equality by Billie Jean King, Love and Sportsball by Meka James, Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson, and Coming Home by Brittney Griner. To further recognize the New York Liberty's commitment to the community, Liberty CEO Keia Clarke will accept the 2025 Brooklyn Public Library Gala Award, presented by Jacqueline Woodson, on behalf of the team at the library's annual gala on Wednesday, June 11 at the Brooklyn Central Library. Ros Gold-Onwude, a national sportscaster and retired basketball player, will host the charitable event, also honoring Google. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver are on the chair committee, among other notable philanthropists and business leaders. Individual tickets start at $1500. The New York Liberty recently broke records with a $450 million valuation, the highest ever for a professional women's sports franchise. The new valuation followed a recently announced investment in the team by a group including supermodel Karlie Kloss, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Metropolitan Capital CEO Karen Finerman, TIAA president and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, philanthropist and private equity founder Gabrielle Rubenstein, and philanthropist Samantha Lasry.
21-05-2025
- General
Ships have been hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for nearly 150 years
NEW YORK -- A Mexican navy tall ship's fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years. Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of a passing U.S. Navy ship hit the span's wires — and vessels continued to clip the iconic New York City structure for many years. But historians say Saturday's crash appears to be the first boat collision with the bridge to take the lives of crew members. Two Mexican naval cadets died and more were injured after the training ship Cuauhtémoc's masts crashed into the bridge as dozens of sailors stood harnessed high up in rigging as part of a public display. 'That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard of a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge,' said Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, part of the Brooklyn Public Library. Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River, connecting its eponymous borough's downtown to Manhattan. The highest point of the bridge's underside is listed at 135 feet (41.1 meters) on average above the water, but it fluctuates with the tides. During construction, a warehouse owner sued state officials — first to stop the bridge and then for compensation — arguing that some ships still had topmasts that exceeded the height. The case made it all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which dismissed the lawsuit, determining that the bridge did not unduly restrict ship navigation. Before that decision, however, at least one ship had already tangled with the still-under-construction crossing. According to an 1878 report in the New York Daily Tribune, the U.S. Navy wooden steam training ship USS Minnesota was headed toward the high point of the bridge after planning ahead and lowering its topmast. But at the last minute, it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship, sending it to an area with lower clearance and striking the bridge's wires. Nobody was reported injured. By the time the bridge was complete, steam ships were transporting the lion's share of goods, and high-masted ships were waning in importance, said Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the author of two books about the Brooklyn Bridge. 'They go from sail ships to steam ships,' Haw said. 'You don't need a huge clearance.' Yet mast strikes continued, including at least two reported in the 1920s — one of which was with the U.S. Navy's flagship USS Seattle, which had 'a little wooden pole that was a little too high," Jean-Louis said. In 1941, the SS Nyassa was bringing hundreds of refugees to New York City when the captain miscalculated the tide and part of its mast was bent into a right angle by the bridge's underspan, according to a New York Times article at the time that described a 'crunching sound.' Among the refugees on board was Hedwig Ehrlich, widow of the Nobel Prize-winning Jewish German scientist Paul Ehrlich, as she headed to live with daughters in San Francisco. As the 20th century went on, ships got taller and wider. And they still required mast-like appendages for observation and communication. A shipyard just north of the bridge, now known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, churned out larger and larger ships during and after World War II, including aircraft carriers that could barely fit beneath the bridge. One photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier leaving the navy yard and passing underneath the Brooklyn Bridge with a mast that folded down onto the ship's deck, specially designed to get out into the harbor. In the past two decades, at least three minor strikes have been reported against the bridge's underside or base, including a crane being pulled via barge in 2012, which tore into temporary scaffolding mounted underneath the bridge. A similar crane accident damaged peripheral bridge maintenance equipment in July of 2023, according to a Coast Guard incident report. None of the modern accident reports document serious injuries. But off the water, the bridge has been a site of tragedy long before Saturday's crash. More than 20 people were killed and countless crippled while building it, including workers injured by decompression sickness, a little-understood affect of working in underwater in boxes sunk to the riverbed. Twelve people died in a panic-driven stampede among crowds visiting the bridge shortly after it opened to the public in 1883.
