Who: The Poetry Project
What: Forty-third Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Benefit Reading
Where: The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 East Tenth St., 212-674-0910
When: Sunday, January 1, $20 in advance, $25 at the door, 3:00 pm – 2:00 am
Why: More than 150 writers, musicians, actors, dancers, and other artists will take the podium in this annual Poetry Project benefit, this year celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Poetry Project, which “promotes, fosters, and inspires the reading and writing of contemporary poetry by (a) presenting contemporary poetry to diverse audiences, (b) increasing public recognition, awareness, and appreciation of poetry and other arts, (c) providing a community setting in which poets and artists can exchange ideas and information, and (d) encouraging the participation and development of new poets from a broad range of styles.” This year’s forty-third annual marathon boasts another stellar lineup, including Penny Arcade, Jennifer Bartlett, Anselm Berrigan, Edmund Berrigan, Justin Vivian Bond, Steve Cannon, Yoshiko Chuma, Andrei Codrescu, Grace Dunham, Steve Earle, John Giorno, Nick Hallett, Yvonne Meier, Jonas Mekas, Thurston Moore, Eileen Myles, Yvonne Rainer, Lee Ranaldo, Will Rawls, Bob Rosenthal, Sarah Schulman, Elliott Sharp, Tammy Faye Starlight, ynne Tillman, Edwin Torres, Rachel Trachtenburg, Martha Wilson, Anne Waldman and Fast Speaking Music, CAConrad, and Church of Betty, among many others.