Today in 1674 a big hunk of modern-day New Jersey was sold to the Quakers, who controlled it as West Jersey for almost thirty years. While the dividing line between East and West Jersey was never fully settled, it was really New York and New Jersey whose borders couldn’t get along. For over fifty years the two English colonies played host to the New York-New Jersey Line War; it wasn’t settled until King George III stepped in during the 1770’s, just in time for the Revolutionary War.

New Classes

Coming Up This Week and Next 
The Design Gym - Street Research: User Research with No Budget and No Permission - understanding people to design for their needs 
Paper Marbling - a couple last minute spots are available 
Tie-Dye Techniques - personalize your wardrobe with this in-depth technique class

Hands On Projects 
Shibori Tie-Dye - take your tie-dye up a notch 
Learn to Knit: A Slouchy Hat - even if you’ve never knit before, you can make a hat (we promise!) 
Kokedama: Make Your Own Living Moss Balls - bring a bit of greenery indoors 
An Introduction to Tapestry Weaving - dress the loom, start the weaving, add a pattern or two, and tie it off 
Floral Design Project: English Garden Baskets - perfect for spring or to brighten up your apartment anytime 
Classic Charcoal Drawing - Level 2 - aimed at those with some prior experience 
Lo-fi Printing: Block Carving - your own lo-fi print studio 
Floral Design Project: Head Wreaths - using a few lovely flowers and some simple techniques, create your very own flower crown

Skills of All Sorts 
Obamacare and Me in NYC: What the Affordable Care Act Means for Uninsured New Yorkers - last session before the deadline! 
Storytelling 101: How to Tell an Amazing Tale - learn the basics to crafting an excellent tale 
Presentation Skills - get over that fear of public speaking 
ABCs of IRAs - juice up your retirement savings with tax-advantaged Individual Retirement Accounts 
Poker for Beginners - shed the beginner label in two short weeks 
Board Game Olympics - from Scattergories to sudden death Jenga

Writing and Publishing 
Get Unstuck: Get Writing, Again - a daylong workshop to up your output 
Screenplay Workshop Intensive - workshop, brainstorm, and conquer the formidable but all-important script outline 
Writing the Villanelle - write poetry, under constraints 
Fact Checking: Making Sure Nonfiction is Truly Nonfiction - tips and processes to keep your facts factual 
Write an 800 Word Essay - the best way to get your stories into mainstream media

Foodish + Drinkish 
Vegetarian Sushi-Making - all the fun of sushi, minus the fish 
Tex-Mex: Demystified - exploring that magical food mashup from the Lone Star State 
The History of Scotch Whisky - how scotch became the world’s most popular spirit 
Breakfast. Manly English Breakfast. For Dinner. - the history of the English Breakfast and what it all means

Social Science 
A History of Royal Scotland - the story of Scotland’s monarchs and their colorful and often bloody role in shaping Scotland and Britain 
Superfund: A Citizen’s Guide - the stories behind the buzzword and how it affects you 
The Biology of Mental Illness - how much we currently know about the relationship between mental illness and brain activity and the huge amount we still have to learn

New York City! 
MADE IN NYC: The Reinvention of Local Manufacturing - what’s being made in NYC today and what you can do to support local manufacturing 
New York City and the American Revolution - a look at the people and places behind some of the war’s overlooked stories 
The NYC You’ve Never Seen - the hidden secrets of our five boroughs 
Grime and Glory: A History of Prospect Park - from its original conception as a rival to Manhattan’s Central Park, through its glory days, decline, and stunning rebirth 
Kill Van Kull Walking Tour - explore Staten Island, with lots of historic neighborhoods, old taverns, and tug boats along the way

Music 
Blue Note at 75: A Cultural History of Blue Note Records - a look back at the jazz label’s influenece and legacy 
Sounding the Planet: Ecomusicology and Advocacy - how music and sound studies can change the way we think about our environment and be used as a tool for advocacy

The Rise of Chocolate: The Heated History of the World’s #1 Candy

Visit us at Littlefield on Tuesday, March 25 for Masters of Social Gastronomy, our monthly lectures on all things food.

This month we’re tracking the story of chocolate from its roots as an ancient Mesoamerican beverage to its current world-championship status. Burning questions of modern confectionery will be answered, and milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate will be settled once and for all.

What: Chocolate, of course
Where: Littlefield, 622 Degraw St, Gowanus
When: March 25, doors at 7:30 sharp
How: Totally optional RSVP

Save the Date! Pizza History at the Brooklyn Historical Society

We’re super excited to be co-hosting a talk with the awesome Scott Wiener, founder ofScott’s Pizza Tours. Come on down to the Brooklyn Historical Society on May 21 for a dose of local pizza history. Get your tickets here.

Scholarly yours,

The Brainery