Cross Reading Series at WORD Jersey City

A warm tempest of conviviality. That is my impression of this weekend’s impressive congregation of readers and literary bon vivants at the Cross reading series at Word bookstore.

A group of singularly talented poets presented their works. The wry Melissa Adamo (@adamopoeting), who admitted to working on an upcoming chapbook, began the evening. Vincent Toro stormed the podium next with an arresting performance of his politically-charged and personal poems. The animated delivery would have carried the audience away if it were not for our third reader, the deeply insightful Emilia Phillips, whose moving lyrics plumbed the depths of female sexuality and power dynamics in the modern age. Culminating the evening was Ricky Laurentiis, the Ruth Lilly award winner, who read an exquisite series of works from his newly released collection titled Boy With Thorn. This book also won the 2014 Cave Canem Poetry Prize.

Such a wealth of literary talent should not go unlauded. I implore you, learned readers, go forth, and purchase these writers’ books forthwith. Your soul will thank you later. Buy Emilia Phillips’ Signaletics and Ricky Laurentiis’ Boy With Thorn on Amazon. Vincent Toro’s collection, Stereo.Island.Mosaic, is forthcoming in January 2016 from Ahasahta Press.

WORD Bookstore in Jersey City

123 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ

Yours Truly Making A Peace Sign

WORD Books (@wordbookstores): This erudite establishment has been in business for only a short time, but it already serves as the literary focal point of the Grove Street area in Jersey City, a short swim across the Hudson from Battery Park. 

Inside, the bookish will find anything they might desire, from Emma Straub‘s second novel, The Vacationers, to Tolstoy, to George Saunders (who has developed an admirable chin pelt, for a human. Same goes for Tolstoy. Ms. Straub is, sadly, lacking whiskers altogether). From the cafe counter one may purchase any number of pastries or caffeinated beverages, although none are baked or brewed with paper, a strange oversight for a business that deals almost exclusively in such material.

Local literary denizens hibernate at the rear tables, where, on occasion, certain published authors are called upon to stand in front of podiums and speak into microphones.

Though the shelves do appear thoroughly stocked, I don’t doubt a small space could be cleared for my forthcoming memoir, once it finds a publisher. Dear Msrs. at Penguin (@penguinusa), Farrar, Straus & Giroux (@fsgbooks), and Random House (@atrandom): take note of this lovely place, for my sake. I recommend placing the memoir under EDITORS’ PICKS, preferably between Ms. Straub and Tolstoy.