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Pleasure Of The Spoken Word On W. Broadway It’s Sunday night at Bengal Curry, a homey Indian eatery on West Broadway. The soda machine hums incessantly, the air is laced with the pungent smell of curry and a delivery man for Fresh Direct is waiting for his dinner to go. Robert Viscusi, poet, Brooklyn College professor, and the first reader in the Phoenix Readings Series, leaned against the glass case with its rows of steamy dishes and spoke: certain things do not make for good poetry Michael Graves, the founder of the poetry series, lowered his eyes and nodded his head.
A half dozen other listeners, seated around the long tables with their small vases of plastic flowers, also seemed pleased. This evening’s poetry reading appeared to be off to a good start. There are many places to read poetry in the city. From the formal programs at the 92nd Street Y to What’s Da Word, hosted by Brother Earl in Harlem, to the Teabag Poets’ Lounge on Mott Street in Chinatown, you can find poets declaiming nearly every day of the week. “It’s almost as if poets huddle together for warmth,” said Viscusi. “This isn’t Broadway or off Broadway. It’s West Broadway. But there’s still a sense of community here.” Graves, a poet and a CUNY adjunct English professor, began the Phoenix Reading Series in 1995 to “meet other poets and writers” and because “writing can be a lonely activity.” Graves had once lived above the Nancy Whiskey Pub on Lispenard Street and West Broadway and had worked as a clerk at 60 Hudson St, so he liked the idea of making a home for the readings in Tribeca. The series has had a peripatetic existence, however—it was at the World Trade Center mezzanine, Socrates diner, recently closed, and in a bar on West Broadway that is now an elegant restaurant. Despite its modest venues, several well-known poets, including Charlie Smith and D. Nurkse, have read at the series. Dasig, who is in the series line-up next month, says he likes Bengal Curry (“It’s cozy”) and is “very excited” about reading. A service technician for Audi who lives in Harlem, Dasig said that reading makes him feel part of the writing community. “Otherwise, you might as well stay home and be like Emily Dickenson.” Bruce Weber, a curator at the National Academy of Design, brought an upbeat ending to the reading with his poem, “Nice,” which began: nice. i want to make nice with you. After the reading was over, the small group stayed to chat. Stanley Pacion, one of the readers, who also sells vintage and antique jewelry, passed around his card. Viscusi bought one of Weber’s books (Title: “the first time i had sex with t.s. eliot”). There was some shop talk about other poets and poetry events. Graves says it’s not just about how many people come to a reading, or even the quality of the writing that makes it a success. “What’s important is the human intereaction, the feeling of being spiritually nourished. That’s the big part of it.” The Phoenix Reading Series at Bengal Curry, 65 West Broadway. 12/2, 5 pm: Roxanne Hoffman, Jean Lehrman, Fred Dasig. 12/9, 5 pm: Michael Graves, TBA. 12/16, 5 pm: Margo Berdeshevsky, Yerra Sugarman, Claudia Carlson. All are followed by open readings. There is a modest admission, which can vary.
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