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18 free poetry readings, book signings, author readings in New York City (NYC) Sat, 07/27/2024 - and on...

Not a day goes by in New York City (NYC) without a free poetry reading or a book signing or a book reading by a famous or not yet famous author. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

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Poetry Reading | Civic Speakeasy: Music and Poetry

These events, hosted by Mahogany L. Browne, inaugural poet-in-residence, are dedicated to celebrating the intersection of art and democracy, embracing shared values, and building joyful communal civic traditions through music, poetry, keynote speeches, and reflection. Together, we can foster relationships and rebuild belief in each other. Hosted in collaboration with Citizen University, this gathering is designed for those seeking new ways to strengthen civic culture in their community through art. FEATURING Mahogany L. Browne Eric Liu

New York City, NY; NYC

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Sat, Jul 27
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, July 27, 2024, 07/27/2024, Civic Speakeasy: Music and Poetry

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

Celebrating teen poets.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Jul 30
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, July 30, 2024, 07/30/2024, Poetry in the Park

Reading | Reading James Baldwin

Reading Rhythms is not a book club, it’s a reading party. In a world in which we spend far too much time scrolling, skimming, swiping, Reading Rhythms holds community members accountable to an hour of reading per night, set to a backdrop of ambient live music in beautifully crafted venues. The events weave in thoughtful programming throughout to help readers connect over their books as icebreakers, helping attendees to use literary themes to break down walls between each other. This special Reading Rhythms event will feature selected works from James Baldwin available for attendees in celebration of his 100th birthday.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Jul 30
6:00 pm
Free

Readings, July 30, 2024, 07/30/2024, Reading James Baldwin

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Garden

A bi-weekly poetry program.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Sun, Aug 4
4:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 04, 2024, 08/04/2024, Poetry in the Garden

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

With: Mary Brancaccio, Michael Klein, Bruce E. Whitacre, Shelley Wong

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Aug 6
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 06, 2024, 08/06/2024, Poetry in the Park

Poetry Reading | An Evening of Poetry

Join acclaimed poets Emily Lee Luan and Jimin Seo for a poetry reading and conversation. In Return, Luan "is engaged in the act of looking back... The poems ask: What is feeling? What is melancholy? Can language translate either?" In his forthcoming collection OSSIA, Seo crafts poems written "across English and Korean" that are "rich with grief and radiant with the vivid charisma of specific people, specific love." Seo and Luan will read from their work and discuss themes of translation, diaspora, memory, grief, and history.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Wed, Aug 7
6:30 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 07, 2024, 08/07/2024, An Evening of Poetry

Poetry Reading | A Tranquil Haven for Poetry and Meditation - Outdoors

In the middle of the city's most stressful hustle, there lies a simple oasis of gentle sound, creative energy, and common consideration called Our Echos Be Bloom. This is a tranquil and inclusive haven for a poetry and audio meditation bath to clean out your mind, your chakras, and your soul. Poet in residence Mahogany L. Browne hosts this free symposium, featuring innovative performance artists and wellness activations, further supported with arboreal sculptural pieces and arrangements by local floral designers.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Thu, Aug 8
5:30 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 08, 2024, 08/08/2024, A Tranquil Haven for Poetry and Meditation - Outdoors

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

With: Kate Gale, Erika Meitner, Sebastian Merrill, Jason Schneiderman

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Aug 13
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 13, 2024, 08/13/2024, Poetry in the Park

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Garden

A bi-weekly poetry program.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Sun, Aug 18
4:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 18, 2024, 08/18/2024, Poetry in the Garden

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

With: Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein), Jenny Factor, Daisy Fried, Rodney Leonard, Tom Sleigh

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Aug 20
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 20, 2024, 08/20/2024, Poetry in the Park

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

With: Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein), Jenny Factor, Daisy Fried, Rodney Leonard, Tom Sleigh

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Aug 27
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, August 27, 2024, 08/27/2024, Poetry in the Park

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Garden

A bi-weekly poetry program.

New York City, NY; NYC

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Sun, Sep 1
4:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, September 01, 2024, 09/01/2024, Poetry in the Garden

Poetry Reading | Poetry in the Park

With: Jiwon Choi, Joan Larkin, Alicia Ostriker, Sandra Simonds

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Sep 3
6:00 pm
Free

Poetry Readings, September 03, 2024, 09/03/2024, Poetry in the Park

Poetry Reading | Eight Poets From Near and Far Read Their Work

In 2020, a group of poets and friends from across the world planned to meet up in New York City to give a joint reading. Then the pandemic struck, and that reading never happened. Four years later, they are meeting—many of them for the first time in person. Poets from across the United States, and as far away as Italy, will converge for a unique poetry event. About the Poets Marc Alan Di Martino is the author of Love Poem with Pomegranate (Ghost City Press, 2023), Still Life with City (Pski's Porch, 2022), and Unburial (Kelsay, 2019). His poems and translations from Italian appear in many journals and anthologies, including Bad Lilies, Palette Poetry & Rattle. His translation Day Lasts Forever: Selected Poems of Mario dell'Arco (translated from the Romanesco dialect) will be published by World Poetry Books in 2024. Currently a reader for Baltimore Review, he lives in Italy. Betsy Mars is a prize-winning poet, photographer, and assistant editor at Gyroscope Review. Recent poems can be found in One Art, Quartet, and Autumn Sky. Her photos have appeared online and in print, including one which was a Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge prompt in 2019. She has two books, Alinea, and her most recent, co-written with Alan Walowitz, In the Muddle of the Night. Betsy is currently and sporadically working on a full-length manuscript titled Rue Obscure. Aaron Poochigian earned a PhD in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. His latest poetry collection, American Divine, the winner of the Richard Wilbur Award, came out in 2021. He has published numerous translations with Penguin Classics and W.W. Norton. His work has appeared in such publications as Best American Poetry, The Paris Review and POETRY. He lives in New York City. Bonnie Proudfoot's writing focuses on the intersection of family roles, place, and identity. Her novel, Goshen Road (OU/ Swallow Press) was named the WCONA Book of the Year and was Longlisted for the 2021 PEN/ Hemingway. Her 2022 poetry chapbook, Household Gods, can be found on Sheila-Na-Gig editions, along with a forthcoming book of short stories, Camp Probable. Bonnie's fiction, poetry, reviews, and essays have appeared in dozens of journals and anthologies. Alan Walowitz is a Contributing Editor at Verse-Virtual, an Online Community Journal of Poetry. His chapbook Exactly Like Love comes from Osedax Press. The Story of the Milkman and Other Poems is available from Truth Serum Press. From Arroyo Seco Press, In the Muddle of the Night, written with poet Betsy Mars. The chapbook, The Poems of the Air, is from Red Wolf Editions. Donna Masini is the author of three books of poems--4:30 Movie (W.W. Norton, 2018), Turning to Fiction (Norton, 2004), That Kind of Danger (Beacon Press, 1994)--and a novel, About Yvonne (Norton,1998). Her work has appeared in journals and anthologies including American Poetry Review, Best American Poetry, Poetry, Ploughshares, Paris Review, Five Points. A recipient of National Endowment for the Arts and NY Foundation for the Arts grants, a Pushcart Prize, as well as fellowship residencies at Civitella Ranieri, Bogliasco and Yaddo, she is a Professor of English/Creative Writing at Hunter College. She is currently at work on her new collection of poems, In Cahoots. Barbara Crooker is the author of ten full-length books of poetry: Slow Wreckage (Grayson Books, 2024); Some Glad Morning (Pitt Poetry Series - longlisted for the Julie Suk award), and The Book of Kellls (Cascade Books).

New York City, NY; NYC

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Tue, Sep 10
6:00 pm
Free