NYC Readings Roundup :: April 1-7
John Giorno reading in the St Mark’s Church, sometime before the 1979 fire destroyed the Parish Hall.
Editor’s note: Welcome to the 6th iteration of our new weekly series, the Readings Roundup, which you might notice is growing steadily! Sorry if I’m repeating myself to some of you but if this is your first time here it bears noting that it’s long been a pipedream of ours to revive the NYC Poetry Calendar (started in 1977 by Bob Holman) to provide for the community here a true and cohesive overview of the vibrant scene that seems to birth a new event every day.
How does a poet new to New York or just new to the readings landscape figure out where to go, what these different events and organizations represent and offer?
We have a habit of biting off more than we can chew, so even though we have an overwhelmingly robust spreadsheet we’re working on making into an interactive page on the site, in future, we decided not to wait. In the meanwhile, we’ll start small — featuring in particular long running events and venues, making sure always to keep a healthy balance between styles and associations. We are judgement free and love filled, we’re just excited people are writing, reading, and sharing this important form. Come out!
– Lynne DeSilva-Johnson, Poetry/Managing Editor
MONDAY 4/1
7-9pm | 1 drink minimum, no cover
Monday Night Poetry @ KGB Bar
Poets Nate Pritts, Jennifer Fortin and Jackie Clark will read from their most recent collections.
7:30-10pm | free admission
louderARTS Poetry Open Mic / Marty McConnell / Last Chance Slam @ Bar 13
Sign ups start at 7pm. Only poets who are on the cusp to make or not make semi-finals will be allowed to sign up for the slam this week. Featuring Marty McConnell. Arrive early for pre-show workshop [6-7pm], an informal drop in workshop series.
starts 8pm | $8, $7 students and seniors, $5 members
An Evening with Clark Coolidge @ The Poetry Project at Saint Mark’s Church
Clark Coolidge’s longprose was an important avant-garde epic of the 1970s, long unseen by a wider public until now. A Book Beginning What and Ending Away brings this prose work into print. Join Clark and a roster of fellow poets and collaborators for readings and celebration. Featuring Peter Gizzi, Marcella Durand, Miles Champion, Ron Padgett, Bill Corbett, Anne Waldman, John Godfrey, Geoffrey Young, and Thurston Moore.
8-10pm | free admission
Saturn Series Poetry @ Revival Bar
Saturn Series Poetry is a writers’ open mic every Monday night featuring poetry, prose and sometimes a song or two in a great listening room. The styles are varied with poets, playwrights, screenwriters and novelists. Featuring Steve Dalachinsky, Yuko Otomo and Dominick Arbolay.
TUESDAY 4/2
starts 6pm | $8 (drink included)
Word Mix: Karen Moulding & Olena Jennings Read Fiction and Poetry @ Cornelia Street Cafe (downstairs)
A reading of new fiction and poetry by New York writers Karen Moulding and Olena Jennings.
WEDNESDAY 4/3
starts 6pm | $8 (drink included)
The White Swallow Reading Series @ Cornelia Street Cafe (downstairs)
Queer-friendly poetry and prose hosted by Angelo Nikolopoulos. Featuring Michael Dickman, Brenda Shaughnessy and Susan Wheeler.
7-9pm | 1 drink minimum, no cover
Liars’ League @ KGB Bar
Liars’ League NYC is a monthly live literary journal featuring professional actors reading original short stories by both up-and-coming and well-established writers. Hosted by Andrew Lloyd-Jones.
starts 8pm | $8, $7 students and seniors, $5 members
Rachel Levitsky & Aaron Shurin @ The Poetry Project at Saint Mark’s Church
Poets Rachel Levitsky and Aaron Shurin will read from their recent work.
THURSDAY 4/4
starts 6:30pm | free admission, seating is limited. Reservations: 212.229.5615 / nspe301@newschool.edu
Women Writers of the Diaspora with LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs @ The New School (Hirshon Suite)
LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs reads, with book signing to follow. This series moderated by Celesti Colds Fechter, Ph.D, associate dean for Academic Services, The New School for Public Engagement, celebrates the literature written by women across the African Diaspora (African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latina, Afro-European, Afro-Asian, and continental African).
starts 7pm | $10, $7 for students and seniors, free to members
Painter’s Poet: A Talk on Philip Guston by Clark Coolidge @ Poets House
Experimental poet and jazz musician Clark Coolidge discusses Philip Guston’s passion for poetry and wordplay as evidenced by the painter’s series of poem-pictures, which incorporate poems by William Corbett and Stanley Kunitz, among others, against the backdrop of their friendship, collaborations and Guston’s Collected Writings, Lectures, and Conversations, which Coolidge edited.
starts 7pm | free admission
Reading Series: Marie Howe and Alex Dimitrov @ Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House (NYU)
Poets Marie Howe and Alex Dimitrov will read from their recent work.
starts 7:30pm | free admission
Pete’s Reading Series @ Pete’s Candy Store
For ten years running, Pete’s has earned a reputation as one of Brooklyn’s premier reading series. Featuring Jami Attenberg and Teddy Wayne.
FRIDAY 4/5
starts 6pm | $13 (drink included)
The Monthly: Illegal Leaves of Grass @ Cornelia Street Cafe (downstairs)
In honor of National Poetry Month and 420 Day a wild array of poets, comics, dramatists and visual artists hit the stage as Three Rooms Press presents “Illegal Leaves of Grass: An exploration of grass-related ideas from Whitman to Cheech & Chong”. Hosted by Kat Georges.
6-8pm | free admission
Race in Writing and Art @ The New School (Kellen Auditorium)
Featuring LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Robin Hayes, Tavia Nyong’o and Laimah Osman; Hosted by the New School’s Experimental Writing Collective in collaboration with the New School’s Social Justice Initiative.
starts 7pm | 2 drink minimum, no cover
The Glitter Pomegranate Performance Series Celebrates Poetry History Month @ Eve’s Lounge
Hosted by Cheryl Boyce-Taylor and featuring: R. Erica Doyle, Tai Freedom-Ford, Veronica Golos and Rosamond King.
starts 7pm | free admission
Reading Series: Vikram Chandra @ Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House (NYU)
Vikram Chandra will read from his recent work.
starts 7-9pm | $8, $7 students and seniors, $5 members
David Rattray: A Recognition (part I) @ Leo Koenig Gallery
A night of of readings and visual material marking the life, work and ongoing influence of poet and translator David Rattray (1936-1993) on the twentieth anniversary of his death. A second event will take place Saturday, April 6 at 2PM at The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church.
starts 10pm | $10
Friday Night Slam @ The Nuyorican Poets Cafe
NYC’s first poetry slam was held at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in 1989 and 20 years later it is still going strong. Watch poets perform and compete. Judges are 5 randomly chosen audience members.
starts 10pm | $8, $7 students and seniors, $5 members
Laura Henriksen & Julia Bloch @ The Poetry Project at Saint Mark’s Church
Laura Henriksen and Julia Bloch will read from their recent work.
SATURDAY 4/6
1-3pm | free admission
Barbara Novack @ Molloy College (Reception Room, Kellenberg Hall)
Poetry reading and book signing, celebrating Barbara Novack‘s Something Like Life, a new book of poetry. In , 1 pm to 3 pm.
starts 2pm | Seating is limited. RSVP to info@leokoenig.com
David Rattray: A Recognition (part II) @ The Poetry Project at Saint Mark’s Church
An afternoon of talks and readings marking the life, work and ongoing influence of poet and translator David Rattray (1936-1993) on the twentieth anniversary of his death. Featuring Joanna Fuhrman, Robbie Dewhurst, Eileen Myles, Gerrit Lansing, Susie Timmons, Garrett Caples, John Godfrey, Kimberly Lyons, Chris Kraus, Ann Rower, David Abel, Jesse Browner, George Quasha, George Green and M Mark. A second event of readings and visual material about David will take place the night before (Friday, April 5 at 7PM) at the Leo Koenig Gallery.
4:30-6:30pm | $5
The Segue Reading Series @ Zinc Bar
Segue hosts this experimental reading series that has run continuously for 25 years. Featuring Evelyn Reilly and Claire Wilcox.
starts 7pm | free admission
“Washington Square” Launch Party @ Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House (NYU)
Featuring readings by contributors to the new issue of “Washington Square,” the national literary journal produced by graduate students in the NYU Creative Writing Program.
7-11:25pm | ?
Page Poetry Parlor: Browne, Lyons, Poe @ Page 22
“How I Wrote Certain of My Books” featuring Kimberly Lyons, Laynie Browne and Deborah Poe. Food provided, please bring something to drink.
SUNDAY 4/7
starts 5:30pm | $5 admission goes to the readers
Zinc Bar Reading Series: Curated by Lungfull! @ Zinc Bar
Farrah Field and Keith Newton will read from their recent work.
7-9pm | 1 drink minimum, no cover
Sunday Night Fiction @ KGB Bar
The KGB Bar Sunday Night Fiction showcases contemporary fiction from new and emerging writers. Featuring Brian McGreevy and Terese Svoboda.
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Resources:
Poets and Writers (P&W) Literary Events Calendar (Filter by City, State) Poetry Project Calendar
Belladonna* Reading Series KGB Bar Calendar
Nuyorican Poets Cafe Calendar Poets House Calendar
Time Out New York | Book Events
The series is overseen by Managing/Poetry Editor Lynne DeSilva-Johnson and maintained by Taylor Quilty, Exit Strata Program Assistant. Please email editors@exitstrata.com to submit your event/organization with READINGS ROUNDUP in the subject line for inclusion in future listings!
