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Whitney is from LA, but moved to NYC for a fancy degree in studying broken things dead people left behind. She’s an editorial assistant in academic publishing which means she gets paid to be extremely nerdy all the time about most things. With degrees in Classics and writing, you’ll most likely see her on the subway with her head in a book or arguing with someone about the provenance of the Elgin Marbles. She really likes people from history who tell everyone else to fuck off and would like to buy them a bourbon.
Come buy her a bourbon, or buy yourself a bourbon and listen to her talk about women who just said fuck it on May 7th! More details here.
Augi grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to New York City for college in 2008, graduating with a degree in film. He’s a writer and artist obsessed with history. In what might be an unhealthy perspective on the subject, history is most interesting for him when thousands of people are killed—war and political assassinations are his favorites. Spending most of his university days online instead of studying led to this way of reading books as historical objects and history as a narrative. His day job is boring, and in his free time, he writes fiction, makes web comics, and does other generally creative things. You can view more of his work at agustinlopez.com.
And you can come hear Augi get excited about thousands of people deciding to throw in the towel in Military Figures who Said “Fuck It” at SASS on May 7th! More information here.
Sometimes you work really hard on something for a long time because you’re super into it but then it kind of drags out a little too long and you realize it’s time to just say “fuck it.”
Believe it or not, many historical figures have also come to this realization at one point or another, and SASS is here to keep you informed. Our speakers will talk about military leaders who gave up when the going got rough, huge construction projects that were abandoned cause they were tough, and ladies who decided they just had enough.
What you need to know:
Love reading? Here are more details:
Military Figures who Said “Fuck It.”
King Olaf I, Takeda Shingen, and Joseph Stalin all had one thing in common, and Augi Lopez knows what it is.
Ladies who Said “Fuck It.”
Whitney Johnson is going to tell you about some ladies who just weren’t having it.
They Started, but then Said “Fuck It.”
Becky Sandler takes us on a journey through some major construction projects that didn’t quite turn out as originally intended.
Haley is a Midwest transplant whose interest in mental health probably stems from the number of times she watched Benny & Joon as a child. When she’s not being confused for Lena Dunham buying juice, she writes and acts in the theater collective CARROLL SIMMONS, lends her voice to narrating naughty harlequin audio books, and plays with puppies. She studied Drama and Mental Health Studies at an overpriced institution, so the pressure is on to both entertain AND enlighten.
Haley will be joining returning champ Nicholas Gonzales and co-founder Larissa on April 2nd at Public Assembly to give you a Healthy Dose of History. Come for her talk on The History of Mental Health, and stay for the drink specials!
A historical fact a day keeps the doctor away (apples, you had your chance…), so SASS is going to take a look at some of the crazy things our ancestors had to do while trying to stay alive- if what they did didn’t kill them first. Our speakers will cover the history of mental health, how medieval folks dealt with the bubonic plague and the advancement (or lack thereof) of surgical techniques through time.
What You Need to Know:
Love Reading? Here are more details!
Surgery Through the Ages
Remember the good ol’ days when all you needed to amputate someone’s foot was a hack saw and a bullet to bite? Nick Gonzalez does, and he’s gonna tell you about it.
Enough with the Hysterics!
Haley Traub helps shed some light on the dark history of mental health.
Bring Out Your Dead!
If you’re not dead yet, come listen to Larissa Hayden explain some of the curious cures devised over the years in response to the dreaded Black Plague.
Can’t tell you how excited we are for S.A.S.S. Presents: The History of Booze on March 5th, starring these alcohol experts from Urban Oyster.
Brian Hoffman on The History of Beer
Brian is a trained actor (and waiter by default) who in the 10 years he’s lived in New York has developed a passion for the city, its culture, and its food. There’s nothing he loves more than walking through the streets as the neighborhoods, people, and architecture change. In addition to giving tours, Brian has a food blog (Eat This NY) and web series where he searches for the most authentic and delicious food adventures in the city. His last feature entry focused on the best beer in New York City and his research sent him to breweries far and wide to taste their beer. It was brutal work.
David Naczycz on The History of Wine
David is a dedicated urbanist and amateur historian who loves cities and their histories. He has traveled to and lived in a number of cities all over the world and, everywhere he goes, he immerses himself in the history of that place. A resident of New York City for over ten years, David has a special interest in the world’s greatest city and its history. Now, through Urban Oyster, David has found a way to combine all the things that he loves: cities, history, sustainability, and food. David developed Urban Oyster’s Brewery Winery Distillery Tour and did extensive research into the history of wine in general as well as in New York City. He also is the leader of Urban Oyster’s Beer/Wine/Liquor tasting events. A food and beverage expert, he has honed his craft on years of study and hands on experience.
Joshua Wood on The History of Whiskey
Josh grew up in Rochester, New York, and after a short stint in Connecticut called college, relocated to the city. Since then he has been exploring all edges of the city looking for unique culinary opportunities. From out in queens to the heart of brooklyn to the shores of Staten Island, Josh has been tasting his way through one of the best cities in the world and then trying to recreate it all in his kitchen. Additionally, Josh fell in love with beer while learning to homebrew at Wesleyan University, and today is a prolific brewer of tasty suds. Who said you don’t learn anything practical in college? More recently Josh’s focus has turned to liquor as leader of Urban Oyster’s Brewery Winery Distillery tour Josh has jumped feet first into distilling. Not literally, not yet.
As you may have guessed, we are pretty big fans of booze and booze-related endeavors here at S.A.S.S., so we have teamed up with the good folks at Urban Oyster Tours to bring you a lovely evening of lectures about the history of hooch.
Urban Oyster has lent some of their finest tour guides to educate us uwith three lectures on beer, wine and whiskey. These guys know their stuff!
BONUS: The chance to win tickets to Urban Oyster’s new spring waterfront tour.
What You need to know:
About Urban Oyster:
Amazing as it is to imagine now, New York Harbor may have once contained half the world’s oysters. Over time, however, many oyster beds died off due to pollution and over-consumption. Learning from this history, Urban Oyster was founded on the belief that, like oysters, the neighborhoods of New York are treasured resources that require nurturing and cultivation in order to survive and flourish.
Through dynamic hands-on tour and event experiences, Urban Oyster aims to connect people to the local treasures of this great city, and in doing so, promote an appreciation for the neighborhoods we inherit. Our Tours and Events explore how we can live in neighborhoods today in ways that support and value local production and consumption, cultural diversity, historic preservation, and sustainability for the benefit of generations to come.
Learn more here: http://www.urbanoyster.com/
Partners in crime, The Brooklyn Brainery, have graciously offered to fund your next date. Come to The 2nd Annual Sexy SASS on Tuesday, Feb 5th for some awesome lectures AND a chance to win a date for two to the Brooklyn Brainery!
We’ll be playing Missed Connections of History that night, and if your knowledge reigns supreme, you’ll be given a gift certificate that could be used on all sorts of fun dates- like maybe Europe vs. The Censors: How the Movies Got Sexier or MYSTERIOUS BEAST MONSTERS!.
Come! Learn! Play! Win!
