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About Pete’s Reading Series

Who founded the series, and who runs it now?

The series was founded by Mira Jacob and Alison Hart in September of 1999. The first readers were Sam Lipsyte and Sufjan Stevens. Mira and Alison met while pursuing their MFAs in fiction at The New School and they lived near Pete’s Candy Store when it opened (they remain close friends to this day).They passed the torch to writers Jillian Capewell and Lindsay Hood in 2013, and not long after Lindsay left NYC and Brian Gresko replaced her. During the 2020 shutdown the series went on a brief hiatus because Pete’s was closed, and when it returned, Vanessa Chan took over hosting duties from Jill. Today it’s run by Brian Gresko and novelist Temim Fruchter.

What is the format of the series?

Simple: every event features three to four readers. Each one takes the stage to read for about ten minutes. Afterward, books are available from Greenlight Bookstore, and the bar has beer, wine, drinks, and grilled cheese sandwiches for sale, so people usually linger to chat and get books signed.

When and how often is the series performed (and is it seasonal)?

The series used to happen every other Thursday but sometime around 2017 we cut back to once a month, on the third Thursday, between the months of September and May, in order to make the schedule a little less demanding for the curators.

How long has the series been active?

Our 2025/2026 season marks our 25th anniversary. As far as we are aware, only KGB Bar in downtown Manhattan has been running a reading series for longer than Pete’s.

Where can people find information about series on the web?

Instagram is our only online presence. You can find us at @petesreading

What distinguishes the series from others?

Pete’s is Brooklyn’s premier reading series, and the most intimate space in New York City to see big literary talent. The stage at Pete’s is lovely, ringed by lights that make every reader look like a star. Because it typically has bands performing on it, the sound system is top-notch. The crowd is friendly and low-key. The relaxed, social aspect of the series, and the lovely dive bar vibes, are a big part of its uniqueness and charm. There’s a Yiddish term, hamish, which means warm, cozy, familiar, and unpretentious. Co-host Temim Fruchter thinks the series epitomizes hamish.