The Poetry Brothel: A Crime of Passion

THE POETRY BROTHEL IS AN IMMERSIVE LITERARY CABARET THAT FUSES POETRY, ACTIVISM, VAUDEVILLE, BURLESQUE, LIVE MUSIC, VISUAL ART, MAGIC, MYSTICISM, AND PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE POETRY EXPERIENCES. 

Under cover of night, The Madame invites you to witness an evening of intrigue, beguilement and murder, darlings. Come investigate, dearests. Take a peek under the covers — whispered mysteries await you. What could be more romantic than a crime of passion this Valentine's Day?

~> Doors open at 6pm, the show runs from 6:30-9:30pm, and doors close at 10pm.

~> Themed costumes and/or vintage formal wear are encouraged but not required. 

~> This event is 21+. 

~> This is a wheelchair accessible event. 

~> The show includes flashing lights, reasonably amplified music, a startling glimpse of your true self, and fog machines.

::::::: ABOUT THE POETRY BROTHEL :::::::

Inspired by the turn-of-the-century brothels in New Orleans, Paris, and Buenos Aires, many of which functioned as permissive spaces where marginalized, fringe, and avant-garde artists could experiment and perform their work alongside sex workers or while also performing sex work, The Poetry Brothel strives to promote empowered sexuality practices and radically open artistic expression. At The Poetry Brothel, a “madam” presents a rotating cast of poets, artists, and artisans who operate within self-constructed characters and share their work through staged public performances, spontaneous immersive eruptions, and, most distinctly, as purveyors of poetic goods, services, and experiences in intimate spaces. Central to The Poetry Brothel experience is the creation of character, which for each artist serves as disguise and freeing device, enabling The Poetry Brothel to be a place of uninhibited creative expression in which artists and audience members alike can communicate more authentically.

Artists performing with the Brothel are women, men, folx, people of color, queer, straight, emerging, established, local, and international, and their alter-egos are faeries, sea creatures, witches, aliens, virgins, whores, and everything in between. Some of the artists within The Poetry Brothel universe perform sex work in their off-hours. Because not everyone can take the mask of being a “whore” off at the end of the night, The Poetry Brothel uses its platform to support sex workers and to educate audiences about the sex industry. Sex and poetry are two of the oldest professions - both feed the human need for intimacy, fantasy, and desire. By entwining these two essentially human elements into a seamless, immersive experience, The Poetry Brothel fosters innovative artistic expression and a culture of consent by exhibiting radical inclusion, consensual intimacy, conscious communication, transparent compensation, and the fundamental value of beauty in all its forms.

The Poetry Brothel is brought to you by The Poetry Society of New York (PSNY). Become a member of PSNY for free or discounted admission to The Poetry Brothel! Visit poetrysocietyny.org/membership for more info. For more information about The Poetry Brothel, please visit thepoetrybrothel.com. 

::::::: SAFER SPACES NOTICE :::::::

Behave with beauty, connect with consent. The Poetry Brothel is a space for everyone to feel welcome. We have a zero tolerance policy for harassment, unwanted touch, homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, or ageist behavior. We are, by and large, a no-contact event: always ASK before touching anyone at our events. If someone is making you uncomfortable or harassing you, please speak to the Madame or event manager. They will believe you, and they will help.