The Belladonna* Reading Series

A reading series and independent press that promotes the work of women writers who are adventurous, experimental, politically involved, multi-form, multicultural, multi-gendered, impossible to define, delicious to talk about, unpredictable, and dangerous with language.

Belladonna* was founded as a reading and salon series by Rachel Levitsky at Bluestocking's Women's Bookstore on New York City's Lower East Side in 1999. In 2000, in collaboration with Boog Literature, Belladonna* began to publish commemorative 'chaplets' of the readers' work. Erica Kaufman joined Levitsky as co-curator/editor in 2002. Then in 2005, the series moved its events to the downtown performance venue, Dixon Place. Since 2010, the group has operated as the Belladonna* Collaborative, a ten-woman editorial board. The bulk of the group's NYC activity is coordinated by Emily Skillings and Krystal Languell. A list of the entire board can be found here

• curated by Krystal Languell at Dixon Place
• featuring Brian Pietras, Stephen Motika, Mark Wunderlich, Ronaldo Wilson, and Jack Halberstam


• complete recording (1:42:57): MP

• hosted by Emily Skillings and Krystal Languell
• featuring Karl Leone (with Nettie Chickering and Elsa Gil), Mia Bruner, and Christine Shan Shan Hou


• complete recording (54:48): MP3
  

September 27, 2012: Transfeminism in Literature

February 20, 2012: HOT TEXTS, The Way Station, Brooklyn

• introduction by Emily Skillings and Krystal Languell (4:42): MP3
• Rachel Levitsky (13:15): MP3
• introduction by Krystal Languell (2:33): MP3
• Christian Hawkey (20:09): MP3
• introduction by Emily Skillings (3:02): MP3
• Erin Mouré (21:35): MP3

• introduction by Emily Skillings (3:17): MP3
• Jane Kennedy (10:40): MP3
• Hanna Andrews (9:49): MP3
• Jamila Wimberly (10:33): MP3
• closing remarks by Krystal Languell (2:37): MP3

• Anne Waldman and Ambrose Bye (34:15): MP3

• introduction (4:34): MP3
• Caroline Crumpacker (18:32): MP3
• Ana Bozicević (18:20): MP3
• Hannah Zeavin (5:11): MP3
• complete discussion (26:54): MP3

• Harryette Mullen and Barbara Henning (1:30:23): MP3

• introudction by Emily Skillings and Rachel Levitsky (4:04): MP3
• Tsering Wangmo Dhompa (16:12): MP3
• Carmen Giménez Smith (15:11): MP3
• Cecilia Vicuña (19:08): MP3

• Lyn Hejinian and Carla Harryman (1:11:30): MP3

January 13, 2009

• introduction by Erica Kaufman and Rachel Levitsky (4:53): MP3
• Chris Kraus introduces Tisa Bryant (3:26): MP3
• Tisa Bryant (21:29): MP3
• Tisa Bryant introduces Chris Kraus (7:27): MP3
• Chris Kraus (13:39): MP3
• Questions and Conversation (32:00): MP3

December 9, 2008

• introduction to Sarah Schulman (4:36): MP3
• Sarah Schulman (37:40): MP3
• introduction to Robert Glück (5:50): MP3
• Robert Glück with Anthony Russel (37:55): MP3

May 6, 2008

• general introduction (5:14): MP3
• introduction to Marcella Durand (2:29): MP3
• Marcella Durand (15:42): MP3
• introduction to Lila Zemborain (3:58): MP3
• Lila Zemborain with Leonard Schwartz (14:58): MP3
• introduction to Carla Harryman (1:58): MP3
• Carla Harryman (24:19): MP3

April 8, 2008

• introduction to Dodie Bellamy (3:13): MP3
• Dodie Bellamy (34:38): MP3
• introduction to Kevin Killian (5:35): MP3
• Kevin Killian (42:44): MP3

• Erica Kaufman introduces Simone White (2:59): MP3
• Simone White (22:19): MP3
• Rachel Levitsky introduces Jean Day (3:20): MP3
• Jean Day (39:11): MP3

Fiona Templeton's The Medead, Dixon Place, New York

• Erica Kaufman introduces Fiona Templeton (1:36): MP3
• introduction (2:11): MP3
• Prologue (4:10): MP3
• Part One (10:37): MP3
• Part Two (12:05): MP3
• Part Three (18:20): MP3
• Part Four (16:07): MP3
• Part Five (10:46): MP3
• Part Six (2:33): MP3
• Epilogue (1:31): MP3

November 6, 2007

• introduction to Erica Doyle (4:13): MP3
• Erica Doyle (29:16): MP3
• introduction to Tracie Morris (4:04): MP3
• Tracie Morris (26:21): MP3

October 9, 2007

• introduction to Maggie O'Sullivan (3:08): MP3
• Maggie O'Sullivan (37:40): MP3
• introduction to Stacey Levine (3:01): MP3
• Stacey Levine (30:17): MP3

• Erica Kaufman introduces Carol Mirakove (2:31): MP3
• Carol Mirakove with Jen Benka (7:53): MP3
• Rachel Levitsky introduces Harriet Zinnes (3:21): MP3
• Harriet Zinnes (13:57): MP3

May 8, 2007

• general introduction (1:28): MP3
• introduction to Evie Shockley (2:26): MP3
• Evie Shockley (31:29): MP3
• introduction to Joceyln Saidenberg (3:02): MP3
• Jocelyn Saidenberg (26:06): MP3

April 10, 2007

• general introduction (1:22): MP3
• introduction to Anna Moschovakis (2:28): MP3
• Anna Moshovakis (23:23): MP3
• introduction to Rebecca Brown (2:52): MP3
• Rebecca Brown (21:40): MP3

March 13, 2007

• general introducion (3:06): MP3
• introduction to Patricia Spears Jones (2:14): MP3
• Patricia Spears Jones (28:34): MP3
• introduction to Maureen Owen (3:59): MP3
• Maureen Owen (25:20): MP3

February 13, 2007

• general introduction (0:34): MP3
• introduction to Tim Peterson (3:06): MP3
• Tim Peterson (17:19): MP3
• note: Deborah Meadows' portion of this reading is sadly unavailable

• introduction (2:17): MP3
• introduction to Erica Hunt (2:23): MP3
• Erica Hunt (26:19): MP3
• introduction to Akilah Oliver (3:08): MP3
• Rachel Levitsky, Erica Kaufman, and Erica Hunt tribute to kari edwards (7:53): MP3
• Akilah Oliver's tribute to kari edwards (5:33): MP3
• Akilah Oliver (10:27): MP3

November 15-17, 2006: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Women Poets

• November 15
• general introduction (4:27): MP3
• personal introductions (3:05): MP3
• question & answer session (1:00:26): MP3
• some readings, more discussion (38:09): MP3

• November 16
• general introduction (3:05): MP3
• introduction by Sawako Nakayasu (3:22): MP3
• introduction to Takako Arai (2:27): MP3
• introduction to Takako Arai's first poem (1:21): MP3
• first poem (5:27): MP3
• second poem (4:16): MP3
• translation of second poem (2:01): MP3
• introduction to poems three and four (0:51): MP3
• poem 3 (4:09): MP3
• poem 4 (3:56): MP3
• introduction to Kiriu Minashita (2:34): MP3
• "Sonic Piece" (6:19): MP3
• "Border Z: Delete and Rewrite" (6:35): MP3
• introduction to Kiriu Minasita's final piece (0:23): MP3
• final piece (4:05): MP3
• introduction to Kyong-Mi Park (2:52): MP3
• introductory comments by Kyong-Mi Park (0:18): MP3
• first poem (5:27): MP3
• "Weather Patterns" (5:27): MP3

• November 17
• Introduction (5:21): MP3
• Rosa Alcala (6:35): Mp3
• Ryoko Sekiguchi (10:06): MP3
• Cole Swensen (6:12): MP3

October 10, 2006

• general introduction (1:18): MP3
• introduction to A. Rawlings (3:04): MP3
• A. Rawlings (20:32): MP3
• introduction to Margaret Christakos (4:34): MP3
• Margaret Christakos (28:01): MP3

September 12, 2006

• general introduction (2:19): MP3
• introduction to Elizabeth Willis (4:37): MP3
• Elizabeth Willis (25:09): MP3

July 25, 2006

HOT! Festival

• introduction (0:36): MP3
• introduction to Paul Foster Johnson and E. Tracy Grinell (3:17): MP3
• Paul Foster Johnson (10:09): MP3
• Paul Foster Johnson's Quadriga (4:16): MP3
• Paul Foster Johnson and E. Tracy Grinell (4:06): MP3
• E. Tracy Grinell (12:41): MP3
• introduction to Sina Queyras (1:25): MP3
• Sina Queyras (18:18): MP3

May 9, 2006

• general introduction (1:15): MP3
• introduction to Laynie Browne (2:52): MP3
• Laynie Browne (23:10): MP3
• Introduction to Marjorie Welish (4:11): MP3
• Marjorie Welish (31:03): MP3
• introduction to Rae Armantrout (2:40): MP3
• Rae Armantrout (29:07): MP3

April 11, 2006

• general introduction (0:34): MP3
• introduction to Dawn Lundy Martin (2:46): MP3
• Dawn Lundy Martin (24:07): MP3
• introduction to Sharon Mesmer (2:29): MP3
• Sharon Mesmer (31:33): MP3

March 14, 2006

• general introduction (0:55): MP3
• introduction to Melissa Buzzeo (1:58): MP3
• Melissa Buzzeo (18:52): MP3
• introduction to Laura Elrick (3:13): MP3
• Laura Elrick (28:10): MP3
• introduction to Myung Mi Kim (2:59): MP3
• Myung Mi Kim (32:19): MP3

December 12, 2004

• general introduction (1:15): MP3
• Lauren Gudath (21:44): MP3
• Alice Notley (35:26): MP3

September 3, 2004

• general introduction (2:24): MP3
• Joan Retallack (29:15): MP3
• Latasha N. Nevada Diggs (26:27): MP3

May 7, 2004

• general introduction (2:52): MP3
• Jaimy Gordon (30:37): MP3
• Rachel Daley (24:12): MP3

March 5, 2004: Belladonna Translation Series

• general introduction (2:32): MP3
• Lourdes Vásquez (12:35): MP3
• Maria Negroni unfortunately incomplete (2:37): MP3

January 11, 2004

• general introduction (3:05): MP3
• Joanna Fuhrman (20:48): MP3
• Erica Kaufman (13:14): MP3
• Marcella Durand (12:19): MP3
• Rachel Levitsky (17:50): MP3
• Julie Patton (35:42): MP3

February 6, 2004

• Catherine Daly (20:40): MP3
• Nada Gordon (23:41): MP3

December 5, 2003

• Jen Benka (16:07): MP3
• Susan Briante (14:25): Mp3
• Leslie Scalapino (30:42): MP3

November 7, 2003

• Michelle Naka Pierce and Veronica Corpuz (23:59): MP3
• Anne Tardos unfortunately incomplete (20:10): MP3

April 25, 2003

• Elaine Equi (23:10): MP3
• Maggie Nelson (18:57): MP3

March 28, 2003

• general introduction (3:46): MP3
• Brenda Coultas (24:28): MP3
• Suzanne Wise (18:06): MP3
• Lydia Davis (30:23): MP3

January 31, 2003

• Caitlin McDonnell (24:00): MP3
• Eileen Myles (23:05): MP3

October 25, 2002

• Zhang Er (12:12): MP3

September 27, 2002

• Jennifer Moxley (35:21): MP3
• Chris Tysh (31:02): MP3

May 31, 2002

• general introduction (2:18): MP3
• preliminary readings (3:06): MP3
• Tina Darragh (28:52): MP3
• Rosmarie Waldrop (27:50): MP3

April 26, 2002

• general introduction (2:19): MP3
• Kari Edwards (19:22): MP3
• Bhanu Kapil Rider (17:41): MP3
• Anne Waldman (25:35): MP3

March 29, 2002

• general introduction (1:42): MP3
• preliminary readings (8:47): MP3
• Gail Scott (32:26): MP3
• Carla Harryman (14:03): MP3

February 22, 2002

• general introduction (1:32): MP3
• preliminary readings (5:51): MP3
• Norma Cole (24:10): MP3
• Jocelyn Saidenberg (29:34): MP3

January 25, 2002

• Barbara Einzig (26:32): MP3
• Deborah Richards (24:25): MP3

December 7, 2001

• general introduction (1:08): MP3
• Cheryl Pallant (27:45): MP3
• Abgal Child unfortunately incomplete (14:03): MP3
• note: Lynne Tillman's portion of this reading is sadly unavailable

October 6, 2000

• Fanny Howe (30:46): MP3
• Eleni Sikelianos (26:24): MP3

September 1, 2000

• general introduction (3:18): MP3
• preliminary readings (3:19): MP3
• Tisa Bryant (25:43): MP3
• Cecilia Vicuña unfortunately incomplete (12:16): MP3

March 30, 2000

• preliminary readings (9:03): MP3
• Maureen Owen (20:42): MP3
• Betsy Fagin (15:04): MP3

January 1, 2000

• preliminary readings (5:54): MP3
• Kim Lyons (18:44): MP3
• Prageeta Sharma (27:51): MP3

September 24, 1999

• general introduction (4:09): MP3
• preliminary readings (13:50): MP3
• Betsy Andrews (26:18): MP3
• Julie Patton (32:43): MP3

August 26, 1999

• general introduction (4:12): MP3
• preliminary readings (15:52): MP3
• Marcella Durand (20:52): MP3
• Akilah Oliver (24:12): MP3

See also:

• Advancing Feminist Poetics and Activism, a conference presented by the Belladonna Reading Series, September 24 - 25, 2009

Belladonna Reading Series on PennSound Daily

• March 2, 2011: "New at PennSound: the Belladonna* Reading Series and ADFEMPO Conference"

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2010 the author. Used with permission. Distributed by PennSound.