In this exciting and community-oriented course, which is open to all students, you will meet the curators and attend readings of such legendary poetry reading series as The Poetry Project, Bowery Poetry Club, Nuyorican Cafe, Cave Canem, Asian American Writers' Workshop, Belladonna Collaborative*, Segue Series, 92nd Y, Brooklyn Rail, and Poets House. Students will research the history of each series, including by viewing and analyzing some of the series' poetry archives. The class will explore the origins, history, and aesthetics of each venue, emphasizing the value of poetry readings and what makes for a successful reading series. In addition, students will also learn how to engage with various poets' performance styles through observation and critique. The class work involves short reviews of various readings, a presentation, a paper on a particular reading venue, and participation in co-curating a final reading with one of the venues we visit this semester. Students do not have to have a poetry background to enroll in this course. This course requires that you must have flexibility in your schedule to attend a certain number of evening readings and also periodic visits to venues during class time.