Poets in the Bars, organized by Piedro Pietri and Bob Holman, was a series of eight readings celebrating the diversity of urban poetries. The events were held in some of the city’s most venerable literary watering holes, including the White Horse Tavern, The Cedar Tavern, and Mikell’s.

All of the bars were historically linked to the contemporary oral tradition of poetry, and were places where poets have written, given readings, and held court for years. For the readings, an established author was asked to invite a lesser known writer to participate, thereby exposing the audience to a broader range of work.

Multiple Artists

Poets in the Bars

Manhattan

1989