May 8th – 15th, 2023
It’s already a week into May and so many fun things have been happening. Went on a wonderful retreat with the High Vibe Women on Saturday for some much needed me time (I’ll be sharing a write up soon!). They sent me home with some Broc Shots that I will be trying this week to kick off my day, looking forward to seeing the difference they make. I am also really looking forward to the 10th Annual Washington Writers Conference. I’m starting to make my summer plans so I’m getting excited for the warm weather!!
Doing
Olivia Jean
What: Olivia Jean, Detroit born n’ bred, current resident of Nashville, TN, first staked her flag with the gothic garage rock upstarts The Black Belles in 2010 and quickly set herself apart from the pack, performing as a side musician to a varied group of stylistically diverse musicians on a variety of instruments, culminating with her debut solo release Bathtub Love Killings in 2014.
Where: DC9 Nightclub 1940 9th St NW Washington, DC 20001
When: May 8, 2023 | 8-11pm
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/olivia-jean-tickets-565418059637
How America Has Confronted Catastrophe
What: Profs and Pints DC presents: “How America Has Confronted Catastrophe,” a historical look at how our culture has responded to incidents involving huge loss, with Cynthia A. Kierner, professor of history at George Mason University and author of Inventing Disaster: The Culture of Calamity from the Jamestown Colony to the Johnstown Flood. It seems like every day there is a hurricane, wildfire, plane crash, or some other calamity that kills people and destroys property. Yet we hear about few comparable events in the premodern era, despite the fact that it was obviously a deadlier, more dangerous time. Why do we hear of so few disasters in premodern times, and why do there seem to be so many now?
Where: 801 E St NW Washington, DC 20004
When: May 8, 2023 | 6-8:30 pm
Tickets: https://profsandpints.ticketleap.com/catastrophe/dates/May-08-2023_at_0600PM
A Trip to Japan – Onigiri (Rice Balls)
What: In this interactive cooking class, Marianne Tshihamba serves dishes inspired by her travels. Japanese Onigiri are a staple of Japanese lunch boxes (bento boxes). They are usually in the shape of circles or triangles so they can be easily eaten with your hands for a fun and savory snack! Onigiri are sold widely across Japanese convenience stores, and they have had a recent surge in popularity among food trucks. They are often filled with intensely flavored fillings to complement the mild flavor of rice. For this class, you will be using umeboshi (pickled plum), pickled daikon, salmon, tuna with Japanese mayo, and salted cod roe.
Where: 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 United States
When: May 9, 2023 | 6-8:30 pm
Tickets: https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/a-trip-to-japan-onigiri-rice-balls/
“Street Reporter” Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion
What: Miriam’s Kitchen, Street Sense Media and American University’s Community Voices Lab invite you to a film screening and panel discussion event! Join us at the West End Library for a film screening and panel discussion event. We will be showing the documentary film “Street Reporter,” an award-winning short film that chronicles the journey of a former MK guest who is now a fierce local anti-homelessness advocate. A panel discussion featuring several community leaders will commence immediately following the screening.
Where: 2301 L Street Northwest Washington, DC 20037
When: May 9, 2023 | 6:30-8 pm
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/street-reporter-documentary-screening-panel-discussion-tickets-623762890597
Wellness Wednesday
What: Work up a sweat in MVT this May! We have partnered with the local Mount Vernon Triangle fitness studios to provide a month of free workouts in Milian Park. Sign up for all the classes listed above that you would like to attend and be sure to bring your water bottles!
Where: 499 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20001
When: May 10, 2023 | 5:30 pm-6:30 pm
Tickets: FREE https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wellness-wednesdays-tickets-621190336017
Profs & Pints DC: Seeking Our Earliest Ancestors
What: Profs and Pints DC presents: “Seeking Our Earliest Ancestors,” with Dr. Amy L. Rector of Virginia Commonwealth University, a paleoanthropologist who has spent more than 20 years investigating human origins on the African continent. What does it mean to be human? That is the primary question that drives the research of Professor Amy Rector, a paleoanthropologist and paleoecologist who also serves as director World Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Where: 801 E St NW Washington, DC 20004
When: May 10, 2023 | 6-8:30 pm
Tickets: https://profsandpints.ticketleap.com/skulls/dates/May-10-2023_at_0600PM
Andy Cohen- In Conversation with Jen Psaki
What: In The Daddy Diaries, the third installment of Andy Cohen’s New York Times bestselling Diaries series, the executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise and host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live” takes on the most important job of his life–father–and boy (and girl!) does he have a lot to say about it! Virtual attendees will receive the event access link three times: 48 hours, 2 hours, and 10 minutes before the event begins. A recording of the talk will become available the following business day and will be accessible for the next 72 hours. Virtual ticket buyers will be emailed instructions for accessing the recording.
Where: In Person: SOLD OUT | Virtual: Ticket: $12, Ticket (free) + Book with Signed Bookplate: $37
When: May 11, 2023
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/andy-cohen-tickets-575017381467
Shadowlands Film Screening & Discussion with Nida Kimani + Bol Coop
What: Shadowlands: Life After Conflict in Lyari, Karachi follows the stories of two residents of the area of Lyari in Karachi, Nawaz Laasi and Amna Baloch. Lyari is one of Karachi’s oldest settlements and is home to approximately 1.5 million people. It has also been labelled one of the city’s ‘no-go areas’ because of the on-going conflicts that have taken place there. Both Amna and Nawaz have lost family members because of the conflict. Nawaz has lost four sons, two to gang violence and two at the hands of the police, and Amna’s husband was killed by the police. Through telling their stories, this documentary sheds light on the on-going ramifications of violence and questions whether peace has truly been achieved for the people of Lyari.
Where: 1811 14th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20009
When: May 11, 2023 | 6:30 pm-8:30 pm
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shadowlands-film-screening-discussion-with-nida-kimani-bol-coop-tickets-627708963407
10th Annual Washington Writers Conference
What: Come for the Books, stay for the Agents. As always, the centerpiece of the annual conference is one-on-one pitch sessions with literary agents from across the country, and this year is no exception! Expert sessions with publishing pros on the craft of writing and paths to publishing. From writing historical fiction to the business of writing and more, the sessions are designed to support your literary endeavors! (Find specific times and locations here.) A chance to make your publishing dream a reality during this time when so many things have been canceled, postponed, or rendered unrecognizable!
Where: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center – 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, Maryland
When: May 12-13, 2023
Tickets: https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/page/the-2023-washington-writers-conference
Long Lunch: DIY Dumplings
What: Take a Long Lunch with Chef Mark Haskell to learn the basics of these classic favorites! You will be pinching, steaming, and chowing down on your very own meat, fish, and veggie dumplings. Always fun and super delicious, learn to make a variety of Asian dumplings, including the wrappers for steaming & frying and accompanying soups & sauces.
Where: 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
When: May 12, 2023 | 11:30am-1pm
Tickets: https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/long-lunch-diy-dumplings-3/
Cycling is for Everyone
What: Join us at Alamo Drafthouse where we will screen the inspirational documentary Chasing History: The St. Augustine Cycling Team, the first cycling team at a historically Black college or university. The 30-minute documentary highlights the formation of the team and their first race. After the documentary, we will have a panel of local bicycle experts discussing ways to get started in cycling.
Where: 1660 Crystal Drive Arlington, VA 22202
When: May 12, 2023 |6-8pm
Tickets: FREE https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cycling-is-for-everyone-tickets-621939055457?utm_source=pocket_reader
Mapping Segregation: A Walking Tour of DC
What: Mapping Segregation in Washington DC documents the historic segregation of DC’s housing, schools, playgrounds, and other public spaces, and the serial displacement of Black Washingtonians. Central to the project is the mapping of racially restrictive covenants, which assigned value to housing and to entire neighborhoods based on the race of their occupants and made residential segregation the norm. Although eventually outlawed, covenants had a lasting imprint on the city. Their legacy was central to shaping DC’s mid-century racial transformation; led to decades of disinvestment in areas where African Americans lived; and influenced residential patterns that persist today.
Where: 1st and R St NW
When: May 13, 2023 | 2pm
Tickets: https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/mapping-segregation-a-walking-tour-of-dc-2023/
Mother’s Day Sip ‘n Paint!
What: Join us for a night of fun and creativity as we put the “wine” in unwind with Christine Vineyard! This class will teach you how to paint with a brush in one hand and a drink in the other (as it should be) For May we are doing a Mother’s Day themed class! Come with your mom, your fellow moms, or your dog/cat moms! All moms welcome This class is a perfect happy hour stop before hitting the dining scene on 8th St or just a great introduction to acrylic painting that can be enjoyed with loved ones! Beer and wine will be provided as we paint a gorgeous heart theme picture. The class is designed as a relaxed introduction to painting, making it perfect for people with little to no prior experience who are interested in learning more. Advanced students are welcome as well to learn new techniques and enjoy the fun! The class will also include basic information on paints, mediums, and brushes. Only available for ages 21+. Valid ID and proof of vaccination will be required upon arrival. The ticket price includes beer and wine!
Where: 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
When: May 13, 2023 | 5:30m-7:30 pm
Tickets: https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/mothers-day-sip-n-paint/
Three by Yeats: short plays celebrating great Irish theatre, music & dance.
What: Get to know the works of Yeats who represents the finest drama and culture from Ireland. Scena Theatre has a rich history of staging Irish plays by many great writers featuring both local and global talent with authentic accents and characterizations.
Where: 2438 18th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20009
When: May 14, 2023
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/three-by-yeats-short-plays-celebrating-great-irish-theatre-music-dance-tickets-611015793687
OUR WORK UNFINISHED: A BLACK COMPOSERS RETROSPECTIVE
What: The Cathedral Choral Society and Heritage Signature Chorale join forces to present Our Work Unfinished: A Black Composers Retrospective. With a full orchestra and Maestro Stanley J. Thurston on the podium, the chorus will offer an exploration of music that reflects the African American experience. The program features Adolphus Hailstork’s Done Made My Vow, an unparalleled, exquisitely moving work that chronicles the Civil Rights journey from Harriet Tubman through Barack Obama.
Where: 3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016
When: May 14, 2023 | 4pm
Tickets: https://tix.cathedral.org/TheatreManager/2/login?event=0
Reading
Author: Rhonda McKnight
Title: The Thing about Home
Description: Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Lowcountry hoping to find a long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Author: Monique Rainford
Title: Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America
Description: A tragedy is unfolding all around us and is receiving well overdue attention. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy than their white peers. But Dr. Monique Rainford is working to better understand these disparities and do something about them. Pregnant While Black is a hopeful exploration of the issues pregnant Black women face in America. Within these pages, Dr. Rainford draws on over twenty years of experience working in obstetrics and gynecology to offer a primer on Black pregnancies and how to better care for them. She shares the successes and testimonies of Black women who have struggled during pregnancy and childbirth, anchoring the stories of these women with carefully researched facts. Despite medical advances over the last twenty years, for black women, the overwhelming dangers of carrying and delivering children remain and it only seems to be getting worse.
Publisher: 1517 Media
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Author: William L. Katz
Title: Breaking the Chainz
Description: Centering Black voices and slave narratives, this illustrated young adult history offers a thoroughly researched account with first-hand testimonies of how slaves themselves a driving force behind their own emancipation were. With a new introduction by Robin D. G. Kelley. Generations of American history students have grown up believing that enslaved people accepted their lot and became attached to their masters, that slave rebellion was rare, and that liberation from slavery happened thanks to the enslavers.
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Author: Sunny Hostin
Title: Summer on Sag Harbor
Description: In a hidden enclave in Sag Harbor affectionately known as SANS Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Nineveh there is a close-knit community of African American elites who escape the city and enjoy the beautiful warm weather and beaches at their vacation homes. Very few know about this part of the Hamptons on Long Island, and the residents like it that way.
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Author: David S. Donaldson
Title: Greenland
Description: A dazzling, debut novel-within-a-novel in the vein of The Prophets and Memorial, about a young author writing about the secret love affair between E.M. Forster and Mohammed el Adl in which Mohammed’s story collides with his own, blending fact and fiction. In 1919, Mohammed el Adl, the young Egyptian lover of British author E. M. Forster, spent six months in a jail cell. A century later, Kip Starling has locked himself in his Brooklyn basement study with a pistol and twenty-one gallons of Poland Spring to write Mohammed’s story.
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Eating
TheSaga: New restaurant from MICHELIN-starred Seven Restaurant Group where Spain meets Latin America with an upscale, all-day restaurant in West End – TheSaga from Chef Enrique Limardo and the Seven Restaurant Group team is now open! Seven Restaurant Group (Seven Reasons, Imperfecto (MICHELIN-starred Chef’s Table), Quadrant and JOY by Seven Reasons). This new all-day concept, located just across the street from Imperfecto and attached to Quadrant at the Ritz-Carlton DC, blends the group’s Latin American roots with Chef Enrique’s six years of fine-dining training in the Basque Country, Spain.
MI VIDA Penn Quarter: Third and largest MI VIDA now open – KNEAD Hospitality + Design and Celebrity Chef Roberto Santibañez opened their third and largest MI VIDA to date. The beloved Mexican concept, which first opened at the Wharf in 2018, continues to grow throughout the city. This 10,000 sqft location boasts major art installations including their iconic custom tree of life, an original ceiling art installation and custom murals. The menu will include their signature authentic Mexican cuisine with tacos, empanadas, enchiladas, family style offerings and an extensive tequila and cocktail program.
Gravitas: A SPECIAL Chef Demo, in homage to Chef Matt Baker’s Mom – Join Chef Matt Baker and Pastry Chef Aisha Momaney for a very heartfelt tribute to Chef Baker’s mom on the day before Mother’s Day, Saturday, May 13th (12 noon). The MICHELIN-starred restaurant duo will teach guests how to make a few of his late dear mom’s favorite things, like party snacks such as Pigs in a Blanket, Twiced-Baked Potatoes, and other dishes such as Artichoke Veloute and Braised Pot Roast with Buttered Noodles. Guests can reserve here, children welcome.
JÔNT/ Press Club x PDT: Experience a NYC Legendary Cocktail Bar for One Night Only – Newly-nominated Tales of the Cocktail 2023 Bar Director Will Patton is thrilled to invite groundbreaking cocktail bar PDT NYC into the JÔNT space on Monday, May 22nd (3 seatings available, 5:15, 7:15 & 9:15pm) while also previewing Press Club, a new luxury cocktail concept coming to DC from the team behind Bresca/Jônt. Guests will enjoy a four0-course cocktail tasting experience featuring Don Julio, Tanqueray and Johnnie Walker with accompanying small bites from the Two MICHELIN-starred kitchen. Reserve here,( $185 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity).
SUMMIT Rooftop: Season Opening Featuring “Partly Sunny” Solar Cooked Menu! – Celebrate summer at SUMMIT Rooftop opening THURS 5/4 with unparalleled views of DC, signature cocktails highlighting the flowers, herbs and garnishes from their lush rooftop garden and the “Partly Sunny” menu featuring dishes prepared in their solar oven. SUMMIT is open Thursday-Sunday. Reservations here.
Crooked Run Fermentation: Key lime pie inspired frozen slushies! – Crooked Run’s popular “True Limes” beer is now available at all locations! Featuring key lime, milk sugar, Mexican vanilla, and crushed nutmeg, this beer tastes just like key lime pie and is available on draught, in cans, or as a frozen slushie!
Lutèce: French brunch items with Oaxacan influence are the perfect balance for Spring. – The quaint Georgetown Neo-Bistro is ready for spring with brunch specials like their Mezcal smoked salmon (w/ brioche, crème fraîche, dill), Caramelized Grapefruit (Fennel pollen, olive oil, black pepper), and of course their Cheese Selection (raspberry jam, walnut raisin bread). Brunch drinks include fresh juices or cocktails like a mezcal Espresso Martini or NA selections like their Espress-NO Martini and Non 4 New York Sour. Outdoor chalets available.
Las Gemelas: May’s “Taco of the Month” features mint, cucumber, and cilantro crema – The May “Taco of the Month” at Las Gemelas is the Tacos Árabes, which feature pork, cilantro crema, cucumber, and mint. It takes inspiration from an old school taco from Puebla, frequently served on pita bread but of course served on handmade masa tortillas at Gemelas made by Head Tortillera, Yesi Neri-Diaz. This taco was influenced by Arabian immigrants from other cultures, and some think it was a precursor to the iconic al pastor taco. Available throughout May.
Lutece: New Spring menu items – Bluefin Tuna Crudo, Pistachio Choux Bun etc.! – Lutèce is rolling out new dishes for Spring! Highlights include a Bluefin Tuna Crudo in which Chef Matt Conroy use rhubarb to bring in Mexican influence and make an agua chili broth out of rhubarb juice and Pastry Chef Isabel Coss’s new Choux Bun with Pistachio praline, sorrel, and burnt vanilla. As local farms add their Spring produce, they will continue to have updates in the coming weeks. Spring drink options include the “Root of The Problem” (rye, greek herbs, pear, bitters) and Violet Colored Glasses (mezcal, elderflower, crème de violette, lime).
Watching
Show: The Tailor
Genre: Drama
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Stream on: Netflix
Show: The Nurse
Genre: Thriller
Release Date: Apr 27, 2023
Stream on: Netflix
Show: A Small Light
Genre: Drama
Release Date: May 1, 2023
Stream On: Hulu
Show: Saint X
Genre: Drama
Release Date: Apr 26, 2023
Stream on: Hulu
Show: Journey to the Center of the Earth
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: Apr 5, 2023
Stream on: Disney+
Show: Saturday’s
Genre: TV Comedy
Release Date: Mar 24, 2023
Stream on: Disney+
Show: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Genre: Self-Help Book
Release Date: Apr 27, 2023
Stream on: Peacock
Show: Leguizamo Does America
Genre: Latin
Release Date: Apr 16, 2023
Stream on: Peacock
Show: White House Plumbers
Genre: Political drama
Release Date: May 1, 2023
Stream on: HBO
Show: Love & Death
Genre: Crime
Release Date: Apr 27, 2023
Stream on: HBO
Show: Drug Lords: The Takedown
Genre: Action
Release Date: Apr 27, 2023
Stream on: Apple TV
Show: The Last Thing He Told Me
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: Apr 14, 2023
Stream on: Apple TV
