ART

MOUSE WITH A BIG MASK Go Fish Gallery hosts the opening of “Drawstring,” an exhibit of whimsical works by artist and printmaker Suzanne Sattler. Ms. Sattler is also the founder of the Brooklyn-based company Trooper, a line of hand-drawn apparel, bags, and accessories that features her imaginative, conceptual designs. Thursday, 6 p.m., opening reception, exhibit through Saturday, March 31, Monday–Saturday, noon–6 p.m., Thursday, noon–9 p.m., Go Fish Gallery, fourth floor, 675 Hudson St., between 13th and 14th streets, 212-925-1111, free.

BOOKS

JUST BETWEEN THE GIRLS “Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England” (Princeton University Press), an essay by Sharon Marcus, argues that sexuality among women was more free in the 19th century than today’s readers might assume. Ms. Marcus reads from her book tonight: She describes how Victorian women openly exchanged vows and property, and lived together in long-term relationships, without become societal outcasts. Tonight, 7 p.m., Three Lives & Co., 154 W 10th St. at Waverly Place, 212-741-2069, free.

ASSIMILATION NATION “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner: A Memoir” (Penguin), a memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen, recounts the author’s struggle to assimilate with her American classmates in 1980s Grand Rapids, Mich. She writes through food metaphors, comparing the delicate Vietnamese fare her grandmother prepared every day to the American junk food Ms. Nguyen secretly craved. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 675 Sixth Ave. at 22nd Street, 212-727-1227, free.

MUSIC

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Carnegie Hall presents the Minnesota Orchestra, which performs Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 and “Night Ride and Sunrise,” a symphonic poem written in 1908 that unfolds in three parts. Conductor and music director Osmo Vänskä leads the orchestra. A talk with Walter Frisch, a professor of music at Columbia University, precedes the concert at 7 p.m. Tonight, 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, Perelman Stage, 54 W. 57th St. at Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $26–$88.

PHOTOGRAPHY

WIDE OPEN SPACES Richard Renaldi’s exhibit “The Plains” is a collection of portraits and scenes from the American Great Plains. The photographer visited towns including Laughlin, Nev., Havre, Mont., and, from the selection above, “Thunder Basin, Wyoming” (2005). An art critic for The New York Sun, David Grosz, wrote that Mr. Renaldi’s works “communicate sociological details about an area of the country that, spiritually at least, is about as far as you can travel in America from a Chelsea gallery.” Through March 3, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Yossi Milo Gallery, 525 W. 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-414-0370, free.

READINGS

A FAIRY TALE ENDING Ugly Duckling Presse presents a poetry reading to celebrate the publication of the forthcoming issue of its biannual periodical, “6×6.” Cynthia Nelson, Christina Clark, and C.S. Carrier are among the emerging poets who read from their contributions. In addition to “6×6,” the nonprofit press produces small- to midsize editions of new poetry, translations, and lost works. Tonight, 7 p.m., the Kitchen, 512 W. 19th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-5793, free.

THEATER

BOROUGH OF DREAMS The New York Book Club hosts “Crossing the BLVD: Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New America,” a theatrical performance and conversation inspired by the book of the same name by authors Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan. A selection of newly minted American citizens join the authors in a performance that explores the ongoing debate over immigration policy and portrays the struggle and humor of creating a life in the ethnically diverse borough of Queens. Thursday, 6:30 p.m., NYBC, Visitors Center & Museum Shop, 108 Orchard St., between Delancey and Broome streets, 212-982-8420, free. To RSVP, go to bookclub@tenement.org.

VALENTINE’S DAY

PRETTY UP The Butterfly Studio, a salon and spa, offers complimentary sessions and classes for bridesto-be. The Wedding Library, a research boutique, offers planning consultations, and a floral design company, Felt, dispenses bouquet and decoration advice. Stylists from the Butterfly Studio and Bride’s Head Revisited also offer coiffure tips for the big day. Tonight, 5 p.m., the Butterfly Studio, 149 Fifth Ave. at 21st Street, 2nd floor, 212-253-2100, free.

SOCRATES AROUND THE USA Christopher Phillips discusses ancient Greek philosophy and contemporary America during a reading of his “Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Passionate Heart” (Norton). Mr. Phillips interviewed refugees of Hurricane Katrina, evangelical Christians, casino fans in Las Vegas, and maximum-security prisoners to take a collective look at the way love is perceived across the country. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway at 82nd Street, 212-362-8835, free.

A DARK THEATER The repertory film program at BAM Rose Cinemas, BAMcinématek, presents Valentine’s Day screenings of Preston Sturges’s “The Lady Eve” (1941), about a man who falls in love with a con artist on a cruise, breaks up with her badly, and suffers torment at her hands when she disguises herself to get back at him. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. A three-course dinner with complimentary champagne follows each screening. Reservations are required. Tomorrow, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette St., between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place, Brooklyn, 718-636-4139, $40.

HEARTS OF JAZZ Jazz at Lincoln Center and Samsung present a free Valentine’s Day concert with the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks are offered. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Time Warner Center, Samsung Experience, 10 Columbus Circle at Eighth Avenue, free.

MINTY FURY 826NYC pairs with Altoids Mints for an anti-Valentine’s Day reading to benefit the nonprofit organization. Featured readers include the author of “I Love You More Than You Know” (Grove), Jonathan Ames, a contributor to National Public Radio’s “This American Life,” Starlee Kine, comedian Leo Allen, and a contributor to GQ magazine, Andy Seisberg. Tomorrow, 8 p.m., Altoids Chocolate Shoppe, 350 Bleecker St. at 10th Street, 718-499-9884, free.

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.