Monday, November 17
Author and environmentalist Terry Tempest Williams discusses Finding Beauty In A Broken World at Politics and Prose at 7. The book chronicles her travels from Italy to the American Southwest and Rwanda as she searches for a meaningful understanding between man and nature.

Tuesday, November 18
Classical music expert Rob Kapilow’s book, All You Have To Do Is Listen, teaches readers how to listen to music from a composer’s point of view. Kapilow will explain his listening method at Borders’ L Street location at 12:30.

Wednesday, November 19
Terry Gilliam’s 1998 adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas screens at 6 in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McEvoy Auditorium. Johnny Depp brings the cult-classic novel to life with his masterful performance of the drug-crazed gonzo journalist. Benicio Del Toro co-stars as Oscar Z. Acosta, Thompson’s lawyer and partner in crime.

Thursday, November 20
The Freer and Sackler Galleries’ Documentaries from Iran Film Series presents President Mir Qanbar at 7 in the Meyer Auditorium. Directed by Mohammed Shirvani, the offbeat film follows Mir Qanbar’s final attempt at winning a seat in parliament. The Iranian film is in Persian with English subtitles.

Friday, November 21
The American History Museum is finally opening after months of delays. Celebrate its newly renovated digs at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning from 8:30 to 10 on Constitution Avenue. A grand-opening festival commences at 10 and continues throughout the day and weekend. Jazz, blues, classical, and Latin music will be played and actors will recreate important scenes from American history, including the creation of the Star Spangled Banner and sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement. Visit americanhistory.si.edu for details.

Saturday, November 22
The Anacostia Community Museum hosts a panel called “Black Baseball: Separate and Unequaled” this morning at 10:30. Negro League legend and hall-of-famer Dwayne Sims will moderate a discussion with former players James Tillman, Albert Weems, and Walter “Rock” Greene. After the discussion, signed posters and baseballs will be available for purchase. Call 202-633-4844 for reservations for this free event.

Sunday, November 23
The American Indian Museum’s “Film Indians Now” series concludes with The Double Entendre of Re-Enactment at 2. Gerald McMaster will discuss the subversive and humorous elements of historical re-enactment, from its origins to its contemporary use by Native American artists as a form of defiance.

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