There are three things to consider when the New Year’s Day Poetry Marathon sweeps you into its gracefully uncouth embrace — what it is, what it was, and who you will be when it’s over. An untamed gathering of the heart’s secret, wild nobility — over 140 poets together revealing not just that a better life could exist, but that it already does, sexy and wise, rancorous and sweet, big hearted and mad as hell. An avenging engine of resistance and eager vehicle of the nascent year. The Marathon measures its success through insurrectionist reframings of the universe, an in-it-together courage that crafts a community out of the riot of lineages and traditions we all emerge from. This collective effort also helps fund as many as 85 additional events every year — not to mention The Poetry Project Newsletter, The Recluse and legendary workshops. It’s our largest fundraiser of the year, and arguably the most inspired ongoing literary event in the city. Read more about “the Marathon” here.

Admission at door only. Doors open at 2:30pm; event starts at 3pm. The schedule is made available only at the event.

The 38th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Benefit will feature over 140 Poets & Performers: 

Ace Mcnamara, Alan Licht with Angela Jaeger, Alex Dimitrov, Amy King, Ana Božičević, Anne Tardos, Anne Waldman with Ambrose Bye & Daniel Carter, Anselm Berrigan, Ariana Reines, Arthur’s Landing, Barry Denny, Basil King, Betsy Fagin, Bill Kushner, Billy Lamont, Bob Hershon, Bob Rosenthal, Brenda Coultas, Brendan Lorber, Brett Price, Bruce Andrews & Sally Silvers, Bryn Kelly, CAConrad, Charles Bernstein, Christine Elmo, Christopher Stackhouse, Church of Betty, Corina Copp, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Daniel Kent, David Freeman, David Henderson, David Shapiro, David St. Lascaux, Denize Lauture, Dgls. Rothschild, Don Yorty, Donna Brook, Dorothea Lasky, Douglas Dunn, Douglas Piccinnini, Drew Gardner, Dustin Williamson, Edgar Oliver, Ed Friedman, Edmund Berrigan, Eileen Myles, Elinor Nauen, Elizabeth Devlin, Elliott Sharp, Emily XYZ, Erica Kaufman, Erica Hunt & Marty Ehrlich, Erin Morrill, Evan Kennedy, Evelyn Reilly, Filip Marinovich, Foamola, Frank Sherlock, Franklin Bruno, Genya Turovskaya, Gillian McCain, Greg Fuchs, James Marshall, Janet Hamill, Jess Fiorni, Jim Behrle, Joe Elliot, Joe Ranono, John Coletti, John Giorno, John S. Hall, Jonas Mekas, Josef Kaplan, Judah Rubin, Judith Malina, Karen Weiser, Kathleen Miller, Katie Degentesh, Ken Chen, Ken Walker, Kenny Goldsmith, Kimberly Lyons, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Lee Ranaldo, Lenny Kaye, Leopoldine Core, Lonely Christopher, Macgregor Card, Maggie Dubris, Marcella Durand, Mariana Ruiz Firmat, Mark Nowak, Martha King, Matthew Abuelo, Miguel Gutierrez, Mitch Highfill, Mónica de la Torre, Nada Gordon, Nathaniel Siegel, Nick Hallett, Nicole Peyrafitte, Pamela Sneed, Patricia Spears Jones, Patti Smith, Paul Mills (Poez), Paul Legault, Penny Arcade, Peter Gizzi, Pierre Joris, Reuben Butchart, Rickey Laurentiis, Robert Ashley, Secret Orchestra with Joanna Penn Cooper & J. Hope Stein, Shafer Hall, Simone White, Sinan Antoon, Stephanie Gray, Steve Dalachinsky, Steve Earle, Steven Taylor, Susan Landers, Susie Timmons, Suzanne Vega, Taylor Mead, Ted Dodson, Thurston Moore, Todd Colby, Tom Carey, Tom Savage, Tony Towle, Tracey McTague, Tyler Burba, Valery Oisteanu, Wayne Koestenbaum, Will Edmiston, Will Yackulic, Yoshiko Chuma, Youmna Chlala, Yuko Otomo, Yvonne Meier with Aki Sasamoto, Nicole Wallace, Arlo Quint and Stacy Szymaszek.

Admission: $20, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for Poetry Project members. 

Friday

Leopoldine Core was born and raised in Manhattan. She studied writing at Hunter college. Her work has appeared in Open City.

Corrine Fitzpatrick is a Brooklyn-based poet, and former Program Coordinator of the Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church. She is the author of two chapbooks – On Melody Dispatch and Zamboangueña, and her poetry appears in numerous print and online journals. She recently completed the MFA program at Bard College.

I began the week leading up to the 36^th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Reading feeling nonchalant and feeling worried about how nonchalant I felt, but after we got through the first few organizational hiccups I realized the uncomfortable feeling was that of confidence. I knew this year was going to be extraordinary and indeed it was. The performances were electric (Miguel Gutierrez’s dance harnessed the off-the wall energy of the day) and the community response was enormous. I have never seen the Sanctuary so thronged with people. As the great poet Sparrow wrote to us the next day, “The new was new, and so was everything else”. And, wow, we raised over $18,000 this year, which is about $5,000 more than the customary amount. These funds, as you know, allow us to pay the rent, continue our programming and plan for the Project’s future. Thank you for every dollar you spent on admission, food, books or Membership that day.

I made some opening remarks that invoked words written by Allen Ginsberg in his introduction to Out of This World about St. Mark’s being a culture church and a place where many people have been coming for decades to tap into the great accumulation of granny wisdom about poetry, familiarity and gossip. Ah, the true meaning of New Year’s Day! We hope that 2010 holds much promise for each of us and for the state of the world. We appreciate your devotion to our celebration and thank you, again, for being part of the Poetry Project.

Yours,

Stacy Szymaszek

FROM THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

In the five years I have been working in the office, I have never met a marathon quite like Number 36. By 3pm we had over 300 people come through the door. The official head count of 1,250 exceeds recent memory, as does the profit… over $18 grand!

Needless to say, the marathon was and never is possible without the generosity of time and spirit given to the Poetry Project by you, our community-at-large. To the 150 “acts”, 80+ volunteers, dozens of food and book donors and to the attentive and lasting crowd of hundreds, we say thank you! We love you! High-five! Big hug!

Volunteers: Bob Rosenthal, Don Yorty, Douglas Rothschild, Betsy Block, Nick Morrow, Sue Landers, Natasha Dwyer, Christa Quint, Joe Elliot, Diana Hamilton, Eddie Hopely, Elinor Nauen, Will Creeley, Mina Pam Dick, David Kirschenbaum, Ian Wilder, Kim Wilder, Gary Sullivan, Nada Gordon, Joanna Fuhrman, Donna Brook, Tom Savage, Jennifer Keane, Vincent Keane, Van Zimmerman, Kendra Sullivan, Simone White, Barry Denny, Paolo Javier, Greg Fuchs, Jacob Burckhardt, CAConrad, Laura Elrick, Evelyn Reilly, Adeena Karasick, Safia Karasick Southey, Sophie Prevallet, Phyllis Wat, Gail Tuch, Stephanie Gray, Michael Scharf, Bill Kushner, Steve Rosenthal, Patricia Spears Jones, Ed Friedman, John S. Hall, Edwin Torres, Erica Kaufman, Paul Foster Johnson, Ana Bozicevic, Amy King, Geoffrey Olsen, Kimberly Lyons, Lo Gallucio, Akilah Oliver, Laura Jaramillo, Dixie Appel, Lauren Russell, Nicole Wallace, Thomas Seeley, Will Edmiston, Jim Behrle, Todd Colby, Gillian McCain, Kelly Ginger, Nathaniel Siegel, Jeffrey Perkins, Eddie Berrigan, Kathleen Connell, Cori Copp, Brett Price, Evan Commander, Chris Martin, Dee Dee Thompson, Jeremy Hoevenaar, Alice Whitwham, John Coletti, KB Jones, Mariana Ruiz Firmat, Derek Kroessler, Douglas Piccinnini, Erica Wessmann, Ivy Johnson, Dustin Williamson, Kari Hensley, Lisa Ozag, Geoff Mottran, Brenda Iijima, Rachel Levitsky, Nic Veroli, Frank Sherlock, Nicole Peyrafitte, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Pierre Joris, Robert O’Haire, and whomever else I may have forgotten!

Books: Wave Books, Meritage Press, Nightboat Books, Bootstrap Books, Ugly Ducking Presse, Libellum, BlazeVox Books, Belladonna Books, Futurepoem, Karl Gartung, George Albon, Ted Greenwald, Giovanna Frene, Federica Marte, Tracey McTague & Brendan Lorber, Larry Kearney, Narrow House, Gina Myers, Richard Hell, Rachel Zolf, Ryan Murphy, Natalie Lyalin, Matthew Thorburn, Susan Mills, Pierre Joris, Nicole Peyrafitte, Anselm Berrigan, Amanda Deutch, Simon Pettet, and day of donors!

Food & Services: Amy’s Bread, Momofuku/Milk Bar, Porto Rico Importing Company, Grand Daisy Bakery, Magnolia Bakery, S’Mac, Two Boots, Veselka, Curly’s Lunch, The Source, Unltd., Christa Quint, Gillian McCain, and Nicole Peyrafitte!

Davids: I would like to especially shout out the names David Vogen and Dave Nolan, the two tireless gents hunched over the sound board all day (and night) long. Heroes! Champs! Enablers of sound!

Cheers to the dawn of a new decade.

Love,

Corrine Fitzpatrick