Poetry Reading | An Evening of Poetry, Performance, and Music

Austin Alexis is the author of the full-length poetry collection Privacy Issues, which received the 20th Annual Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award. He is also the author of two chapbooks published by Poets Wear Prada. His work has appeared in Barrow Street, Hawaii Pacific Review, The Journal, The Pedestal Magazine, Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Westchester Review, Paterson Literary Review and other journals and anthologies.

Bakar Wilson has performed his work at the Bowery Poetry Club, Poetry Project, The Studio Museum of Harlem, The Asian-American Writer's Workshop, and the Langston Hughes House, among others.  His poetry has appeared in The Vanderbilt Review, The Lumberyard Radio Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Flicker and Spark: A Contemporary Queer Anthology, and The Ostrich Review, among others.

Danny Shot’s WORKS was published in 2018 by CavanKerry Press. His new collection The Jersey Slide is forthcoming from CavanKerry Press. Recent endeavors include being an Associate Editor of A Gathering of the Tribes online (2020-2023) and Poetry Editor of Red Fez (2018-2021).

Eve Packer is a Bronx-born, poet/performer/actress. Packer has published four poetry books, skulls head samba, playland poems 1994-2004, new nails. (Fly By Night Press), and no mask no talk corona poems 2020-2021 from Autonomedia Press.

Daniel Carter is a musician and writer. Since coming to New York City in 1970, he has sought out musicians and situations that encourage free expression. Some of his writing can be found in the following publications: The Tinker: Innovative Arts and Literature Magazine, 50 Miles of Elbow Room, Number One (2000), Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, Dyed-in-the-Wool (2000), Intervalsss: The Poems and Words of Musicians (2000), Sex Sells Magazine (1997), Wandering Archive One (1998). 

Jennifer Blowdryer is a singer and writer whose songs observe in a somewhat detached manner the underworld of punk rock and regular people. She started as front person for an SF Punk Band, the Blowdryers and later co-founded White Trash Debutantes. Throughout the decades and with no knowledge or desire to conform to social norms, she produced and MC’d a 5-year-long worldwide show called Smut Fest, which showcased sex workers' expression and drew on crowds otherwise not known to intermingle.

Kim D. Brandon is a Poet/Artist/Activist/Storyteller. Her work has been included in stage performances, anthologies, and journals. She is a 2021 Brooklyn Poets’ Poet of the Week, and a VONA alum.  She is the founder of Brooklyn Society Writers group and the host of writing workshops for people of color. This year her work centers on the revolutionary power of Black love. A Joe for Annie Mae, her upcoming novel, highlights the transformative power of love in the lives of those who seek it.

Nancy Mercado is the recipient of the American Book Award for lifetime achievement. She has featured at: The Whitney Museum in New York City, the University of Nantes in France, and Casa de las Americas cultural institute in Havana, Cuba among others. Mercado has authored 2 books, 7 theatre plays, has edited 3 anthologies and several literary magazines.

Sheila Maldonado is the author of the poetry collections that's what you get (Brooklyn Arts Press, 2021) and one-bedroom solo (Fly by Night Press / A Gathering of the Tribes, 2011).

Truffles is a cathartic turbid musical collective, with five or four members – perfect for dancing!

Yuko Otomo is a visual artist and a bilingual writer of Japanese origin. She writes poetry, haiku, art criticism, travelogues and essays. Her most recent publications are Anonymous Landscape (Lithic Press), In Delacroix’s Garden: a collaborative book with Basil King (Spuyten Duyvil) and PINK (Lithic Press).