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From the DirectorWe are so excited about the 39th Annual New Year’s Day MarathonReading Benefit. We took planning to a new level this year and formeda Program Committee to curate the event. I think committee work isfun and I found some eccentric people who agree with me. Thanksto the expansive intelligence and curiosity of this team for coming upwith a dynamic and diverse night of poetry and performance: ToddColby, Corrine Fitzpatrick, John S. Hall (Chair), Matt Longabucco,Kimberly Lyons, Camille Rankine, Simone White and The PoetryProject staff. As ever, the Marathon will be the place to be on NewYear’s Day in New York. As a performer, audience member, volunteeror donator of books or food, you will be contributing to The PoetryProject’s effort to remain a vital public forum (with more than 80 readingsper season) for risk-taking poetry. We thank you for your dedicationand support as we look ahead to the big 4-0!–Stacy SzymaszekFrom the EditorHaving the benefit of writing this close to press time, I am happy tospread the word that The Poetry Project is doing fine in the wake ofHurricane Sandy. Stacy reported no power for a week (consistent withthe rest of lower Manhattan) and a cracked tree in the churchyard, butthe Church was spared the flooding that destroyed so much. As of now,readings are happening and, along with the rest of the city, the Projectis grinding back into gear.From the Program CoordinatorDear Readers of The Poetry Project Newsletter, I’m writing to you fromexciting late October where there’s a megastorm named Sandy headedfor New York City. I can see its eye now (just off the Jersey Shore)through the 19th-century telescope in the St. Mark’s Church belltower.When it hits Hoboken I’ll ride the super-secret elevator to the sub-sublevelbelow Stuyvesant’s tomb but for now I’ll continue to coordinatethe program from above ground. This is New Year’s Day MarathonReading planning season here at The Poetry Project and we’ll workthrough even the most perfect storm so that we can be prepared forour biggest event of the year. Check out the calendar in this issue ofthe Newsletter for a partial list of the 140 (!) or so poets, dancers andmusicians who will be performing at the 39th Annual New Year’s DayMarathon Benefit Reading.Our hope is that this New Year’s Day Marathon Benefit Reading, inaddition to being incredibly fun, will provide us with enough moneyto continue on and host the other 80–90 readings we have plannedfor 2013. Of course we PoProj employees can plan and organize allday and night but the Marathon will only happen with your help. It’lltake about 80 volunteers working a couple of hours each to make NewYear’s Day at The Poetry Project as great as it can be. Please send anemail to info@poetryproject.org if you’re willing to donate some ofyour time. Program Assistant Nicole Wallace will answer your email.She’ll be coordinating all the bookselling, hand-stamping, keg-tappingaction that makes the event go. Also, you should let her know if you’rea publisher with books to donate or a chef prepared to whip upsomething special.Thanks for your support—I hope to see you on New Year’s Day!–Arlo QuintThanks to the contributors who worked to get this issue out understrange and difficult conditions. A special shout to Andrew Beccone,who put together a great package of images (appearing on the coverand inside the issue) and text on his Reanimation Library. ProteusGowanus, which houses the physical Library, was flooded in the storm,but Andrew assembled a team to move the collection to higher groundin advance. As Andrew gets ready to reopen, I encourage you to visitthe online collection at http://www.reanimationlibrary.org.–Paul Foster Johnson4 The Poetry Project Newsletter