The SF Main Library is showing A Quiet Passion, the 2016 biographical drama about Emily Dickinson starring Cynthia Nixon.

It's a beautifully restrained film about one of America's greatest poets — her creative brilliance, her fierce independence, and her complicated relationship with a society that didn't quite know what to do with a woman who thought for herself.

This is the kind of thing public libraries do well: functioning as genuine community spaces that make culture accessible to everyone, regardless of income. A free screening of a well-regarded indie film at a beautiful civic building is a public good that actually feels like one.

If you're looking for a free afternoon out that doesn't involve dodging scooters on Market Street or weeping at your rent statement, this is a solid option. Head to the Main Library, settle in, and spend a couple hours with Emily Dickinson. She understood solitude, creative defiance, and the quiet power of saying exactly what you mean.

Check the library's event calendar for screening times.