The cornerstone of The Poetry Brothel is its event series. A new and dreamlike twist on a poetry reading, The Poetry Brothel is foremost interested in showcasing a diverse roster of emerging and established poets. However, our events are also interactive performance art pieces based on the concept of the prewar brothels in the United States and Europe. Each night The Madame presents a rotating cast of both male and female poets engaged in a night of literary debauchery and private poetry readings. The poets act as "whores," making audience members "johns," but instead of physical intimacy, the poets offer the intimacy of their poetry in private, one-on-one readings. For a small fee, all of the resident "whores" are available for these sequestered readings at any time during the event. Of course, any good brothel need a furtive "front" or cover; ours is part saloon and part salon, offering a full bar with absinthe, live music, live painting, fortune-tellers, gypsies, and gamblers with newly integrated performances and installations from our poets and other artists at each event. Each night The Madame and Tennessee Pink also introduce the "new girl," a featured reader who punctuates the evening with a few special public performances.

Upcoming Events

If you just can't wait until our next full-scale event, come get a poetry whore at the Conference for New Realities, an NYU-sponsored event that will blur your very own line between reality and fiction:

April 9th, 7-10pm
721 Broadway, Manhattan