NYC Readings Roundup :: July 1-7
Pedro Pietri @ St. Marks Poetry Project (1991)
Editor’s note: welcome to the 18th 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 judgment 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
FEATURED EVENT:
Tues–Fri 11:00am–7:00pm; Sat 11:00 am–6:00pm | free admission
The 21st Annual Poets House Showcase Opening @ Poets House
A free exhibit featuring all of the new poetry books and poetry-related texts published in the United States in a single year from over 650 commercial, university, and independent presses.
Look out for our PRINT!: DOCUMENT Series 1 – we’ll be under “E” for Exit!
This diverse and inclusive landscape will be on view through August 3.
MONDAY 7/1
7pm | free admission
Grantland Quarterly no. 6 @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
“Hang out with some Grantlanders and pick up Grantland Quarterly no. 6. Writers Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker, Hua Hsu, Rafe Bartholomew, and Andy Greenwald will all be on hand to read from the latest issue and answer questions.”
7pm | $5 or one “gently used” romance novel
Lady Jane’s Salon @ Madame X
“Lusty literati read some bodice-ripping romantic fiction at this monthly series. Tonight, prepare for much swooning and throbbing with Megan Mulry, Katana Collins and Hope Tarr.”
8-10pm | $3 donation requested
Saturn Series Poetry @ Revival Bar
Saturn Series Poetry is a writers’ open mic every Monday night. This is not a slam. Poets, playwrights, screenwriters and novelists perform prose, poetry and sometimes a song or two. Featuring Anoek and George Wallce. Sign up begins at 7:45.
TUESDAY 7/2
Reading the City: A Night of New York Stories Presented by Capital New York @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
“Join Capital New York editors and writers to celebrate the release of their first e-book, Making the City: A selection of stories from Capital New York, featuring stories about the world of violence behind Chinese food, homeless hustlers, a Palestinian falafel king, political infighting, football heroes, and much more. The characters featured in the selection are famous, infamous, unknown, or invisible, but they’re all part of the same messy project of New York City. Tonight, we’ll be hearing more stories about this both hard to describe and endlessly describable city from Capital co-founder Tom McGeveran, This American Life contributor Starlee Kine, MSNBC host Steve Kornacki, playwright Sheila O’Malley, writer Steven Boone, and hosted by Capital public editor Gillian Reagan, and more.”
Organic Open Mic @ Bareburger (East Village)
Produced by the Inspired Word open mic series, this open mic is open to all types of performing artists – comedians, musicians, storytellers, singers, poets, fiction/nonfiction writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, performance artists, dancers. Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 7pm.
9pm | $3 admission
Penny’s Open Mic @ UNDER St. Marks
Open mic for storytellers, poets, and performance artists of all sorts.
WEDNESDAY 7/3
9am-6pm | free admission
The Gramsci Monument Project @ FOREST HOUSES, THE BRONX
Gramsci Monument is the fourth and final work in Thomas Hirschhorn’s series of “monuments” dedicated to major writers and thinkers of the twentieth century, which initiated in 1999 with Spinoza Monument (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and was followed by Deleuze Monument (Avignon, France) in 2000 and Bataille Monument (Kassel, Germany) in 2002. Gramsci Monument will be located on the grounds of a Forest Houses housing development and take the form of a temporary pavilion with a theater stage, a library of Antonio Gramsci’s books, a public lounge, an internet corner, a workshop area with carpentry tools, and a food kiosk. Daily and weekly programs will include: lectures by scholars on Antonio Gramsci, poetry readings and workshops, open microphone event, art workshops led by Thomas Hirschhorn, field trips organized by the ambassador, and a play, titled Gramsci Body.
Open daily from 9am-6pm. Poetry readings will occur every Wednesday. See calendar for more details.
9:30pm | $13, $10 w/ student ID
ALL THAT! Hip Hop, Poetry & Jazz @ The Nuyorican Poets Cafe
An open jam session for hip-hop, poetry and jazz, ALL THAT! brings together emcees, poets and musicians from diverse musical and racial backgrounds in a forum that is both open and structured, bringing together jazz musicians like Antonio Hart and Weldon Irvine, performers like the Roots, Erykah Badu, O.C., and Rahzel as well as unknown emcees and poets performing on the same stage. Hosted by WiseGuy & Gaston and is brought to you the first Wednesday of every month. All open mic performances are with the live band and/or DJ.
FRIDAY 7/5
6-7:45 | $8 (includes one drink)
The Monthly: Independent Publishers Unite! @ Cornelia Street Cafe
Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes bring together small book producers for this evening of readings. Three Rooms Press, the Unbearables, Kicks Books, In Stereo Press and Great Weather for Media will all be represented.
7-9pm | free admission
Barbara Novak @ Sip This (Valley Stream, NY)
Poetry reading celebrating Something Like Life, a new book of poetry by Barbara Novack, Writer-in-Residence at Molloy College.
7-9pm | free admission
Queer Division IV @ Bureau of General Services–Queer Division
Andrew Durbin presents a night a readings from CA Conrad, Evan Kennedy and Cecilia Corrigan.
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.
SUNDAY 7/7
4-6pm | 2 drink minimum (tea is available)
great weather for MEDIA presents spoke word Sundays @ The Parkside Lounge
Begins with a featured performance by the Jersey City Slam Team & Alice Pero, followed by a poetry open mic hosted by Thomas Fucaloro.
7-9pm | free admission
Edmund White presents 4 Poets @ Bureau of General Services–Queer Division
“Join the Bureau as acclaimed author Edmund White (A Boy’s Own Story) presents four of his favorite young and emerging queer poets: Lonely Christopher (Death & Disaster Series); Adam Fitzgerald (The Late Parade); Angelo Nikolopoulos (Obscenely Yours); and special guest, all the way from Hungary, Andras Gerevich (Tiresias’s Confession). Introductions by Edmund White. After party with dancing and revelry surely to follow at the bar Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie Street).”
7-9pm | free admission
Sunday Night Fiction @ KGB Bar
Sunday’s reading will be dedicated to the works of mid-twentieth century Canadian author Emily Carr.
——————–
Resources:
Poets.org Events Calendar
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
Voice Places | Literary 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!
