YOUR SUPPORT MAKES OUR WORK POSSIBLE

Here are a few ways you can show your support for The Poetry Society of New York’s mission…

Spring Gala

The goal of PSNY’s Spring Gala is to raise funds and awareness for The New York City Poetry Festival, now in its ninth year. Each summer The New York City Poetry Festival gathers the poetry community of New York City on Governors Island's pastoral lawns for two days of free readings, workshops, book-selling, art installations, performances, and other poetic festivities. One major highlight of the festival each year is its Youth Poetry Festival, which offers children and young adults the opportunity to participate in interactive writing games, to generate new work, and to perform their work on stage alongside some of New York's greatest living writers. Over 14,000 people attended the New York City Poetry Festival last year. With your help, we hope to make this year's offering richer than ever. 

The Spring Gala, to be held at the historic Players Club on Gramercy Park, will include a VIP pre-party & Pomp & Whimsy tasting at 6:30pm, live jazz and a mixer from 7-8pm, a brief presentation and live auction beginning at 8pm, and an open bar and immersive performance elements throughout. Your entertainers and speakers for the evening will include house band the Alex Feldman Trio, dancers Jessy Smith and Cassandra Estelle, typewriter poets Kate Belew & Bri Jurries, speaker & poet N.O. Moore, and poetry performer Diana Goetsch. A photobooth will be on site courtesy of Fitzpatrick Entertainment. Black tie or festive formal attire is encouraged but not required.

We are very thankful for our donors and sponsors, Alexandra Ma, Brooklyn Boulders, Brooklyn Brewery, Chandra Mukerji, DHP, Fifi, Harmless Harvest, Hunt Auctioneers, Island Oyster, JJ Suspenders, Marcia & Matt Bunda, The McKittrick Hotel, Midnights Restaurant, Morgan Lane, Novel Creations, Pomp & Whimsy, Radix Media, Rosalind Resnick, Uncommon Green, Via, Writer’s Rock, Writopia, Zev Rovine Selections, and Zorana Danis. If you are unable to attend this year’s Gala, but you are interested in showing your support of The New York City Poetry Festival, please consider becoming a sponsor of the festival or becoming a member of The Poetry Society of New York. OR, place an absentee bid on one of our fabulous auction lots listed below!

But first, watch this video from PSNY’s 2018 Spring Gala!

Videographer: Ben Cawiezell // @bencawiezell | Editor: Bri Jurries // @brisrslywtf

Auction Lots

The following packages are available for absentee bidding:

Lot 1: Poetry, Champagne, & Oysters at the NYC Poetry Festival

Unlimited beer, wine, champagne, and cocktails for 2 in the VIP tent at the New York City Poetry Festival. 1 of you gets a featured reading live on stage opening for Robert Pinsky. Finish your evening with dinner for two at  Island Oyster.

Lot 2: Boulders, Burgers, & Beers

Learn to rock climb with 2 “Beginner to Badass” Brooklyn Boulders membership packages; spend the day climbing and then indulge in burgers & beers for two at Midnights Restaurant in Bushwick.

Lot 3: Sleep No More Experience

Enjoy 2 VIP tickets on Maximilian’s list and a $100 gift card from Via so you can ride in style to and from the illustrious McKittrick Hotel in a luxury vehicle. Includes front of the line access, complimentary coat/bag check, and a reserved table in the Manderley Bar.

Lot 4: Moonlight with The Poetry Brothel

Moonlight as a poet of The Poetry Brothel. Includes costume accessories by Morgan Lane, Novel Creations, and JJ Suspenders. Comes with VIP Tickets for 3 additional guests + a Poetry Bang: let all the poetry whores read to your guests at once live on stage in front of a crowd.

Lot 5: Greenwich Village Literary Weekend

A two-night stay + dinner for 2 at the Jade Hotel in Greenwich Village + a literary tour of the Village. Visit the homes and haunts Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dylan Thomas, Edgar Allan Poe, Emma Lazarus, Jack Kerouac, and more. 

Lot 6: PRIVATE RooftoP Party

Sunset Cocktail Party for 4 on the roof deck of the tallest building in the city: 1QPS Tower in Long Island City. Includes choice of Sushi and Champagne, Salad and Rose, or BBQ and Cocktails. 

Lot 7: Publish Your OWN Poetry Chapbook

Receive a coveted spot in a workshop & manuscript consultation with esteemed poet & professor Diana Goetsch. Afterwards, Brooklyn based printer/publisher Radix Media will print, saddle stitch and trim 100 copies of your chapbook.

Lot 8: Typewriter Poetry Entertainment Package

Two PSNY Typewriter Poets will write custom, on-the-spot poetry as party favors for your guests at your next event or activation. Comes with a bottle of an award-winning spirit + a set of NYC Maps barware from Uncommon Green.

Lot 9: Catskills Weekend Getaway

Enjoy a 4 day, 3 night stay at a luxurious and romantic 2 bedroom Airbnb in the beautiful Catskill Mountains with up to 5 friends or family members. 

Lot 10: Hudson Valley Weekend Getaway

Enjoy a 4 day, 3 night stay in a three bedroom house with a spacious yard backed up to a nature preserve. In the middle of nowhere. Two hour drive from downtown NYC.

Place A Bid

The following lots are reserved for gala attendees only:

Lot 11: A Week on the French Riviera

7-day stay in a 2 bedroom bungalow in the village of Bouloris, located between Cannes and St. Tropez on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Lot 12: Wellness Getaway in Bali

7 days in a private resort on the North shore of Bali. Includes daily yoga & meditation, all workshops, one massage, 3 meals per day, private accommodation, & waterfall adventure. With daily fresh tropical fruit, multiple swimming pools, kayaking, archery, spa services & a richness of Balinese culture. 

The following lots are reserved for gala attendees who enter our penny auction:

Lot 13: writopia writers workshop for kids

A space in an after school trimester-long workshop or a week-long summer intensive. All of Writopia’s creative writing workshops are run by a published writer or produced playwright who is trained in the Writopia Method. The workshops are joyful, rigorous, small (no more than seven students), and age-based. They offer workshops for kids and teens ages 7-18 years old. The value is $595.

Lot 14: Writers Rock workshop for Adults

These genre-specific workshops are led by published writers, produced playwrights, and successful performers active in their fields. No matter where your story comes from, Writers Rock has a spot for you to tell it. From first novel drafts to final edits, college essays to corporate memos, free verse to sestina, this is your place to hone your craft and meet others doing the same. The value is $595.

An enormous thank you to our 2019 sponsors!

Check out these photos from 2018!