Readings

Brooklyn Poets Yawp
Apr
10

Brooklyn Poets Yawp

Touted as the “best poetry event in the borough” by Brooklyn Magazine and “one of the most innovative literary events in the city” by Time Out New York, the Brooklyn Poets Yawp is a monthly poetry workshop & open mic held on the second Monday of every month from 6:30 to 9 PM. The event is hosted at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights and also livestreamed via Zoom (closed captions available).

6:00 PM: doors open / open mic sign-up begins

6:30 to 7:30 PM: generative writing workshop

7:45 to 9 PM: open mic

Guests can purchase tickets to attend in person at 144 Montague Street or virtually via Zoom (note: virtual guests cannot read for the open mic). Advance online ticket sales end at 4 PM on the day of the event. After that, tickets for in-person attendance can be purchased at the door until we reach capacity; tickets for virtual attendance will no longer be available. After 4 PM, a Zoom link will be emailed to virtual ticket holders. Participants are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance for in-person attendance, as the event usually sells out. Brooklyn Poets members take $5 off.

Each reader for the open mic can read one poem of 3 minutes max. Participants can purchase one of ten tickets in advance to reserve an open mic spot. Once those tickets sell out, all other participants who’d like to read for the open mic can purchase a ticket to sign up at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis. We usually have time for about 20–22 readers.

One poem at every open mic is declared Yawp Poem of the Month by audience vote. The winning writer earns a Brooklyn Poets tote bag, one of twelve spots in our Yawp Poem of the Year contest and a ticket to our annual Awards Gala in December. We record and publish a monthly Yawpcast, so note that by reading you’re giving us permission to distribute your recording, unless you notify us otherwise. Also note that by participating in the Yawp, you agree to abide by our code of conduct and COVID-19 policy. Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss from our programs any participant found to be in violation of these policies. Thank you for respecting our community.

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[Brooklyn Poets Weekly Class] Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light: On Anger, Devastation and Frustration in Poetry
Jan
14
to Mar 4

[Brooklyn Poets Weekly Class] Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light: On Anger, Devastation and Frustration in Poetry

Saturdays 4-5 PM from January 14-March 4

$23 in advance / $25 at the door or $20 for members

Often in times of distress, it is easy to turn to poems about resilience, light and ongoingness for support. But what about all the emotions in between suffering and salvation that flow and recede—that make us human, feel seen? In this weekly drop-in class, we’ll look at poems about rage, as well as poems about the preceding and peripheral emotions closely tethered to anger, such as frustration, grief, confusion, devastation and empathy. We’ll explore what comes after rage. How does an artist use it as fuel, and what to do when the fuel is gone? How does one move on? Can we make an emotion as complicated as rage “poetic”? Can rage itself be generative/constructive/useful in an artistic practice? Texts will include pieces by Katie Condon, June Jordan, Carolyn Kizer, Ada Limón, Audre Lorde, Susan Nguyen, Kyle Dargan, Rachel McKibbens, Adrienne Rich, Monica Sok, Danez Smith, Franz Wright and others. Sharing will be encouraged but optional. (Note that drop-in classes are not a forum for critique of work; students looking for critique should register for multi-week workshops.)

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BROOKLYN POETS FRIDAY NIGHT OPEN
Sep
23

BROOKLYN POETS FRIDAY NIGHT OPEN

The new Brooklyn Poets Friday Night Open begins with an open mic and culminates in readings by two featured poets. Guests can purchase tickets to attend in person at 144 Montague Street or virtually via Zoom (note: virtual guests cannot read for the open mic).

6:00 PM: doors open.
6:30 to 7:45 PM: open mic
8 to 8:30 PM: featured readers

Advance online ticket sales end at noon on the day of the event. After that, tickets for in-person attendance can be purchased at the door; tickets for virtual attendance will no longer be available. Participants are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as there is limited capacity.

Each reader for the open mic can read for up to a five-minute set. Participants can purchase one of five tickets in advance to reserve an open mic spot. Once those tickets sell out, all other participants who’d like to read for the open mic can purchase a ticket to sign up at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be time for about 15 readers.

First Friday Night Open: September 23
Featured poets: Cassidy Gabriel and Isabella DeSendi

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