Saturday, January 5: On the “First Saturday” of 2008, the Brooklyn Museum is going all out with a Middle Eastern culture celebration including the Iranian film “Children of Heaven” (pictured); a reading by Suheir Hammad from Def Poetry Jam; and more.

Sunday, January 6: Moviehouse takes over Galapagos Art Space tonight, showing “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” on one screen and “A Clockwork Orange” on another. Stop by to see animated shorts including “Drink” by Pat Smith, pictured, and to catch attendees dressed as their favorite characters from the feature films.

Tuesday, January 8: Tonight, the Brooklyn Academy of Music kicks off its Spring 2008 season with the first of two Samuel Beckett productions: “Happy Days,” starring famed Irish actress Fiona Shaw. The said-to-be-hilarious production is produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain.

Wednesday, January 9: Twenty notable authors, including Emily Barton and Jonathan Lethem, contributed to “Brooklyn Was Mine,” a new book of essays about the borough, and tonight, three of them — Jennifer Egan, Susan Choi and Darin Strauss — will be reading from their passages in Park Slope.

Friday, January 11: Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello — remember her 1993 debut “Plantation Lullabies” and her 1994 duet with John Mellencamp on a cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night”? — comes to the Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight in support of her latest record.