Tuesday, May 14, 7-9pm Eastern
In person at The Array, DUMBO, Brooklyn
$60
Enroll in this class.
New York City abounds with opportunities for a writer to present their work to a hungry, literary-loving public. But how, exactly, does one go about doing that?
The class is intended for writers of any genre new to reading their work aloud who hope to improve their style and presentation on stage, or anyone inexperienced and curious about how to give a good reading. We’ll share tips and tricks on how to best present your work to the public, drawn from our time as readers and as hosts of reading series. We’ll end with an American Idol style practicum where you will take the stage and read to the room, after which you’ll receive warm, helpful, real-time constructive feedback. Our approach will be hands-on and no nonsense–you will walk away with practical knowledge and, hopefully, a new appreciation for the age-old activity of presenting your work to a roomful of listeners.
Your teachers are veterans of NYC’s live literary scene, with experience in front of the mic as readers at places like Franklin Park, KGB Bar, Ditmas Lit, and others, and as long-time hosts of popular literary series. Brian Gresko is the co-host of Pete’s Reading Series, Brooklyn’s longest running series, and Jeanne Thornton is the co-host of the World Trans Forum open mic at Franklin Park.
Please note that this class is happening at a location in the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, not on zoom.
Enroll in this class.
About the Instructors
Brian Gresko (they/he) is a writer based in Brooklyn, where they co-run Pete’s Reading Series, the borough's longest running literary venue. Their work has appeared in Poets & Writers Magazine, Slate, The Atlantic, Longreads, The Rumpus, and many other publications. Also a stay-at-home parent, they edited the anthology When I First Held You: 22 Critically Acclaimed Writers Talk about the Triumphs, Challenges, and Transformative Experience of Fatherhood. They received their MFA in fiction from The New School, and was the first in their family to attend college, at Oberlin.
Jeanne Thornton is the author of Summer Fun, winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, as well as The Dream of Doctor Bantam and The Black Emerald. She is the coeditor of the Ignatz Award-winning We're Still Here: An All-Trans Comics Anthology, as well as the copublisher of Instar Books and the cohost of the World Trans Forum open mic series in Brooklyn. She has been a teacher for the Sackett Street Writers Workshop since 2017 and has previously taught for Tin House, One Story, and Lambda Literary. More information is available at jeannethornton.com.