The New York City Reading Series Census is an ongoing project to catalogue the contemporary literary scene. Any reading series curator in the New York area can take the survey here.
What is the name of the series, and what is the significance or meaning of the series name?
Sackett Street Writers Reading/Event Series. The monthly events that Sackett Street organizes are aligned to the overall mission of the writers workshop Julia Fierro founded to celebrate emerging and established local writers in the NYC area.
Who founded the series, and who runs it now?
Julia Fierro runs it and also obtains suggestions from instructors and other Sackett Street staff on event themes and readers.
What genres or mediums does the series include?
The series includes fiction and nonfiction primarily in addition to having discussions tied into events that are helpful to students and faculty where craft and the publishing industry are discussed.
What is the format of the series?
A reading features Sackett Street faculty and their chosen students or faculty and other published writers. A discussion tends to be centered around a specific topic which can be with writers such as the most recent “Fiction Luminaries” discussion about the work and experience of debuts or the upcoming “Realities of Publishing” talk dissecting specifics of the industry. These discussions/panels also have a Q&A afterwards.
Where does the series take place?
All events are held at BookCourt Bookstore.
When and how often is the series performed (and is it seasonal)?
Monthly with time off taken in summer months (July/August) and holiday season (December/January).
How long has the series been active?
Since a few years after the inception of the Sackett Street Writers Workshop and the long-term partnership with BookCourt. Estimate about 6 years.
Where can people find information about series on the web?
Sackett Street Writers Workshop Facebook Page: facebook.com/sackettstreet.writers/
Do you take submissions, solicit material, or a combination?
Not for the readings. But do take recommendations for published writers to see their work and consider them for an upcoming reading/discussion.
Did you set out with specific goals when the series was launched and have they changed over time?
The core goal has been and continues to be to highlight the Sackett Street family in terms of what students have written with support from peers and instructors, highlight the instructor-student relationship, as well as advertise the strong work by the instructors working with Sackett Street. In addition Sackett Street continually wants to provide a space for writers to see what they can produce, encourage one another, and learn from others’ experiences.
What distinguishes the series from others?
Sackett Street is pretty established in the Brooklyn literary community thanks to Julia’s dedication to helping writers. What makes Sackett Street events stand out is always to emphasize the connectivity in the community and great warmth and support everyone has from those that work within Sackett Street to those who have taken classes. The series always aims to celebrate those within this community in NYC and provide as much opportunities for networking and information as possible to be exposed to local artists and see themselves as one also.
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The next scheduled Sackett Street event is scheduled for Sunday, September 11, 2016 at BooKCourt at 7 p.m. and features conversation between Flynn Berry, Anna Solomon, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Taylor Larsen, and Kim Brooks.