ABOUT TOWN

Sister Helen Prejean
The Death of Innocents: Eyewitness Accounts of Wrongful Executions
Weds., February  1 
Thanks to the magic of DNA testing, we’ve learned in recent years that there are an awful lot of innocent people on death row. From that, we can also extrapolate that a bunch of inmates who’d proclaimed their innocence all the way to the chair, the gallows, the gas chamber or the needle were telling the truth. Not all of them of course, but enough to give you pause. Sister Helen Prejean, author of the bestselling Dead Man Walking, is back with a sequel of sorts. She’s still fighting against the death penalty, but now she’s got science as well as morality on her side. 
Cooper Union, The Great Hall, 7 E. 7th St. (at 3rd Ave.); 6:30, free.

David Hackett Fischer on George Washington
Thurs., February 2
The Pulitzer-winning author of an acclaimed history of Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and the events leading up to the battle of Trenton discusses all this a week before the birthday of our first prez named George W.
Barnes & Noble, 2289 B’way (at W. 82nd St.),
212-362-8835; 7, free.

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School
Sat., February 4
This has been described as “a cross between a life drawing class and a cabaret extravaganza.” The models are in sexy burlesque costumes, and there’s plenty of booze. Bring your sketch pad and charcoals. Or not.
Lucky Cat Lounge, 245 Grand St. (betw. Driggs & Roebling Sts.), B’klyn, 718-782-0437; 3-6, $6.

Pamela Des Barres 
reading and signing I’m With the Band
Sat., February 4
It’s hard to believe that Pamela Des Barres groupie memoir, I’m With the Band, is 20 years old. It’s even harder to believe that Miss Pamela is still riding it today. She fucked a lot of rock stars in the ‘60s and ‘70s—Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, you name it. When that was no longer possible in the ‘80s, she started talking about it instead. And talking and talking. Not that I’m With the Band isn’t entertaining—it’s just as sleazy as you’d hoped and prayed. 
Coliseum Books, 11 W. 42nd St.,  
212-803-5890; 6, free.  

Argentine Tango Party
Sat., February 4
Danel and Maria were Madonna’s dance instructors for her role in Evita, which pretty much makes them the Denny Terrios of Latin dancing. Show up at eight for an hour-long beginners tango class. Afterwards, the dancing gets serious.

92nd St. Y Harkness Dance Center, 1395 Lexington Ave. (at E. 92nd St.); 8-2 a.m., $15.

Armond White presents No Greater Glory
Sun., February 5
Leave it to NY Press film critic Armond White to choose the one film in the Critics Circle series that no one’s ever heard of. Frank Borzage’s obscure 1934 picture, based on Ferenc Molnar’s novel The Paul Street Boys and featuring an almost all-child cast, is at once an astute portrait of youth and a powerful anti-war film. A lonely young boy who just wants to be part of something begins to worship the head of a local street gang—and when war breaks out with another street gang, the kid sees what might be the perfect opportunity to get his attention. It’s an emotionally complex film in very simple garb, and one that presaged the Italian neo-realist movement by a good 20 years. But Armond will be giving a talk along with the film, so I’m sure he’ll explain all that. 

Then, if you stick around, at 4 p.m., in a separate showing, there’ll be Greta Garbo in the magical Ninotchka.

New York Film Critics Circle Series, Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Ave. at 36th St., Queens, 718-784-0077; 1:30, $10/$7.50 st. & s.c./5 and under free.

Margo Jefferson on Michael Jackson
Mon., February 6
Margo Jefferson, the Pulitzer-winning culture critic for the Times, has her own new Michael Jackson book out now (On Michael Jackson), in which she studies his life and art in highfalutin’ academic terms. The timing may be a little off, and more than a few people may be asking themselves, “What’s the point?”—but hey, Michael Jackson’s been giving academics something to do since the early ’80s. Part of Columbia’s Theater of Ideas series. 
Miller Theater, Columbia University, W. 116th St. (at B’way), 212-854-7799; 8, $15.

Karenna Gore Schiff 
reads from Lighting The Way: Nine Women Who Changed America
Tues., February 7
Al Gore’s very fetching daughter (and principal confidante, by all reports) appears to talk about her new book on nine influential liberal women, including labor organizer Mother Jones and social security proponent Francis Perkins. It’s said to be a good book—but don’t forget, she’s married.
Barnes & Noble, 2289 B’way (at W. 82nd St.), 212-362-8835; 7, free.

Mark DeMaio Paintings
Tues., February 7-Sat., March 4
The never-boring and always politically incorrect pop artist opens a show of his paintings with titles like “Mad Because He’s Retarded”, “He’s A Bad, Dirty Snowman” and “Sal Mineo’s Dead”. If you like work that’s surreal and over-the-top, stop by.
Synchronicity Fine Art Gallery, 106 W. 13th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), 646-246-8199; call for hours, free.