Drink Your Poetry?

Drink Your Poetry?

Lately I’ve seen more and more literary readings, poetry and fiction, arriving in full fledged bars. I’m sure this isn’t a new trend. Places like NYC have been doing this for many years, but it seems like many bar owners in even suburban towns are beginning to host readings on their slow nights. Since the 1990s literary readings have been associated (as far as I have known) with coffee shops. Before they were associated with coffee shops you saw literary readings in books stores and libraries. Has the mainstream moved these literary readings to bars? Does this mean that more and more people are interested in poetry and literary fiction?

I think not. I believe the reason so many bars are now beginning to host poetry readings is simply for the fact that many small privately run coffee houses have fallen to the infection Star Bucks. With so few indie coffeehouses left, many poets and authors are simply requesting that bars and pubs host their readings.

I am wondering if this will not begin to shift the paradigm of writing and readings. Will we see an explosion in literary interest, I would say no, but many of those regulars at the local pub are literary creatures at heart, I believe. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see everyone reading in a bar? Imagine if you walked into order a drink and everyone had a couple of books with them. It would be a different world. Clubs will always be clubs, you can’t read with loud music, but maybe happy hour will become a literary exercise. Imagine the main character of a movie walking into a bar in your next favorite movie and all the patrons are reading? Sorry, I thought I would let my imagination run a little wild there.

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Post your comments below. I’m very interested to see what you think about having a literary reading at a bar. If you know of a local bar hosting a reading, post that in the comments too.  There is also a poll below, just to see where you would prefer to have your reading:

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.