The New Yorker Festival

The New Yorker festival is quite possibly one of the most interesting and thought provoking festivals. New Yorker staff writers or editors sit down with notable persons of all different talents in the arts. Here are 13 amazing talks happening over the weekend from the festival list: [Go HERE for full schedule, more information and ticket purchases]
-1. Owen Wilson talks with Michael Specter
Golden boy Owen Wilson will chat with Michael Specter is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Harms the Planet and Threatens Our Lives.” Saturday, October 1, at 10:00 p.m., Directors Guild Theatre, 110 West 57th Street, $35
2. Aziz Ansari talks with Kelefa Sanneh
Aziz Ansari is an actor and comedian and stars on the Emmy-nominated NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” and in the action comedy “30 Minutes or Less.” Kelefa Sanneh joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 2008. “Funny Person,” his piece on Aziz Ansari, ran in the magazine last fall. Saturday, October 1, at 10:00 p.m., SVA Theatre 1, 333 West 23rd Street, $35
3. Arrested Development: A Bluth Family Reunion
The cast of the beloved, twisted comedy Arrested Development—Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Mitchell Hurwitz, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter—will appear with series creator Mitchell Hurwitz for a discussion moderated by television critic Nancy Franklin. Sunday, October 2nd,  4pm, $30 [Photo via]
4. Malcolm Gladwell: The Virtues of Obnoxiousness
We think staffer Gladwell will talk about why being a obnoxious is cool -- yeah, sounds amazing. Sunday, October 2nd, 1pm, $30
5. Scissor Sisters talk with John Seabrook / A Conversation with Music
Scissor Sisters, fronted by the vocalists Jake Shears and Ana Matronic, began performing disco-infused dance-floor music in New York City clubs in 2001. The band’s eponymous début album won three 2005 Brit Awards and was followed by “Ta-Dah” and “Night Work.” This spring, Shears’s musical adaptation of “Tales of the City” premièred at the American Conservatory Theatre, in San Francisco. John Seabrook has been writing for The New Yorker since 1989. His most recent book is “The Flash of Genius: And Other True Stories of Invention.” Saturday, October 1, at 10:00 p.m., Gramercy Theatre, 127 E. 23rd St., $35 [Photo via]
6. A New Yorker Night with the Moth
As if storytelling series the Moth isn’t rad enough on its own, its organizers are teaming up with a ragtag bunch of New Yorker-ers (Ian Frazier, Jane Kramer and cartoon editor Robert Mankoff, among others) for an evening of tales. Friday, September 30th, 6pm, $50
7. The National with Atul Gawande: A Conversation with Music
This Brooklyn band talks about its elegantly dark music with staffer and surgeon Gawande, who frequently plays the National in the operating room. Saturday, October 1st, at 7pm, $35 [Photo via]
8. Peter Schjeldahl talks with Steve Martin
Peter Schjeldahl is The New Yorker’s art critic and the author of several books of criticism, and actor Steve Martin has been contributing to The New Yorker since 1996. Martin has a bunch of books published, and he will most likely be really funny talking about them. Friday, September 30, at 7:00 p.m., $35, SVA Theatre 1, 333 West 23rd Street
9. St. Vincent talks with Sasha Frere-Jones / A Conversation with Music
St. Vincent is the stage name of the singer-songwriter Annie Clark. She released her début album, “Marry Me,” in 2007, which was followed by “Actor,” in 2009. She has collaborated with such artists as David Byrne, Sufjan Stevens, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. She's cute as a button, too. Sasha Frere-Jones has been The New Yorker’s pop-music critic since 2004. His work has been anthologized five times in the “Da Capo Best Music Writing” series. Friday, September 30, at 9:30 p.m., $35 [Photo via]
10. Amy Poehler talks with Ariel Levy
Amy Poehler is a four-time Emmy Award nominee and the star of the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” and was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” including four seasons as the co-anchor of Weekend Update. Ariel Levy joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 2008. She is the author of “Female Chauvinist Pigs.” This is going to be a good one, I promise. Saturday, October 1, at 7:00 p.m., Directors Guild Theatre, 110 West 57th Street, $35
11. Chris Colfer talks with Susan Morrison
Chris Colfer currently stars on the Fox series “Glee,” for which he has earned a Golden Globe and two consecutive Emmy nominations. He will chat with Susan Morrison, the articles editor of The New Yorker and the editor of The Talk of the Town and Shouts & Murmurs. Saturday, October 1, at 7:00 p.m., SVA Theatre 1, 333 West 23rd Street, $35
12. Ellen Barkin talks with John Lahr
Ellen Barkin's new film, “Another Happy Day,” will be released in November, and she will chat with John Lahr, The New Yorker’s senior drama critic. His books include “Light Fantastic,” “Show and Tell,” and “Honky Tonk Parade.” Saturday, October 1, at 10:00 p.m., SVA Theatre 2,  333 West 23rd Street, $35
13. Janet Malcolm with Ian Frazier
Malcolm began contributing to the magazine in 1963, Frazier in 1974. Fingers crossed they will discuss Malcolm’s J-school classic, The Journalist and the Murderer. You journalism junkies will want to be there. Saturday, October 1st, 1pm, $30
1 of 3

The Guest List

More