13.12.08

The Poetry Brothel - December 13

Are you in New York for the weekend? Need a break from the habedashery? Come visit The Poetry Brothel for a rollicking good time.

The Poetry Brothel
Saturday, December 13th, 9pm-2am
The Zipper Factory
336 W. 37th St (between 8th and 9th Ave.)
$15 (includes one complimentary drink and one free private reading)
Featured reader: Patricia Smith

The Poetry Brothel is the first event of its kind to seduce New York City. A new and dreamlike twist on a poetry reading, The Poetry Brothel is foremost interested in the presentation of excellent, original literature. However, it is also an interactive performance art event based on the concept of a brothel. The "Madame" presents a rotating cast of this city's finest poets (both men and women) engaged in a night of literary debauchery and private poetry readings. Here's

how it works: The poets play "whores," visitors play "johns" (and are also encouraged to attend incognito!) but instead of physical intimacy, the poets offer the intimacy of their poetry by giving private, one-on-one readings in curtained-off areas. For a small fee, all of the resident "whores" are available for private readings at any time during the event. Of course, every good brothel needs a furtive "front" or cover business; ours is part saloon and part salon, offering a full bar, blackjack table (played for prizes), tarot card readings, live painting, and live music, with newly integrated performances and installations from our poets, performers, and artists each month. Each night "The Madame" will also introduce "the new girl," a featured reader who will punctuate the evening with a few special public performances.

Our featured reader for this event will be Patricia Smith, 2008 National Book Award finalist, also up for poetry whore of the year! Other participating poets include Stephanie Berger (The Madame), Nicholas Adamski (Tennessee Pink), Jennifer Michael Hecht (The Professor), Jean Hartig (Alsace), Amy Lawless (Ursula), Matthew Yeager (The Butler), Christie Ann Reynolds (Car), Paige Taggart (Cecille Ballroom), Lauren Hunter (Harriot Van Os), Sarah Feeley (Oola Waistbinder), Aria Boutet (Mome), Caroline Depalma (Amaia), Nina Cheng (The Opium-Eater), Rachel Herman-Gross (Simone), Stavros Lambrakis (Eazy Tamer), Christine Hamm (Scarlet), Steven Panovich (J.), Taryn Andrews and Joey Cannizzaro. Live painting by Ernie Sandidge.


The Poetry Brothel, organized and hosted by The Madame and Tennessee Pink, is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. It is funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a very cool concept. I must get to work on my passport.

Greg Santos said...

You missed a good time, Gingatao. Get to work on that passport! :)