12/30/2024
SMOLDERING TUNDRA: The 28th Alternative New Year’s Day Spoken Word/Performance Extravaganza
January 1, 2025 – Westbeth Community Room – 55 Bethune Street, Manhattan — 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. — free
One of New York City’s biggest literary events, featuring more than 150 scheduled performers, returns to Manhattan this coming New Year’s Day. The 28th Alternative New Year’s Day Spoken Word/Performance Extravaganza takes place on January 1, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Westbeth Community Room in Greenwich Village. This year’s theme is “Smoldering Tundra.”
The Alternative, which continues to be free to the public, features poets, prose writers, monologists, musicians, dancers and other performers in an eight-hour showcase that ranges from some of New York’s most seasoned talents to emerging stars. Each year, a fresh group of performers is plucked from all corners of the tristate area to enliven the Alternative, keep it democratic and transform it in unexpected ways. Readers are encouraged to bring their books and other materials for sale at the event. The event is free, but donations will be appreciated.
The Alternative began on New Year’s Day in 1995, and quickly became one of the most popular events on the city’s poetry and literary scene. Founder Bruce Weber has passed the baton to Pete Dolack, who now serves as the event’s coordinator, ably assisted by a staff of writers, designers and curators.
“The Alternative has always been one of the outstanding events on New York’s literary calendar, and this year won’t be different,” said Mr. Dolack of this year’s event. “As always, we are looking forward to hearing and seeing so many fabulous writers.”
In keeping with its spirit, there will be intervals within the day’s program for audience members (who are not on the featured list) to sign up and perform on the open mic. The Alternative draws an overflow crowd every year.
The Westbeth Community Room is located in the courtyard at 55 Bethune Street in Greenwich Village. The room can be accessed by entering the courtyard between Bank and Bethune streets (room is midway between those streets), just inland from West Street/Route 9A (between West Street and Washington Street).
Buses that stop nearby include the M11, M12 and northbound M20 buses, which stop at Abingdon Square, and the M14A’s last stop is one short block before Abingdon Square. The nearest subway is the A/C/E/L stop at Eighth Avenue and West 14th Street.
Contact: [email protected]
Performers:
Austin Alexis • Amina Susi Ali • Oliver Archibald • Maritza Arrastía • Madeline Artenberg • Oliver Baer • Ron Bass • Mitch Berman • Philip Beitchman • Rafaela Billini • Steve Bloom • Jennifer Blowdryer • Farid Bitar • Julie Bolt • Chris Brandt • Patricia Carragon • Peter Carlaftes • Dorothy Cantwell • Didi Champagne • Tina Chan • Barbara Clark • Douglas Collura • William Considine • Marithelma Costa • Samm Cohen • Pete Dolack • Margarita Drago • Patricia Eakins • Rick Eckerle • David Elsasser • Gita Enders • Bill Evans • Jim Feast • Mariposa Fernández • Bonny Finberg • Cheryl J. Fish • Dorothy Friedman • Kat Georges • Thomas Fucaloro • Don Fuchs • Davidson Garrett • Phillip Giambri • Ed Go • Meghan Grupposo • John S. Hall • Robert Heiger • Judith Lee Herbert • Diana Gitesha Hernandez • Hobobob • Nancy Hoch • Randi Hoffman • Roxanne Hoffman • John Holt • William Huhn • Matthew Hupert • Chris Iconicide • Evie Ivy • Sarah James • Kris Janvier • Gayle (Ice) Johnson • April Jones • Jennifer Juneau • Linda Kleinbub • Steven Klett • Wayne Kral • Ron Kolm • Ptr Kozlowski • Jane LeCroy • Billy Lamont • David Lawton • Susanne Lee • Linda Lerner • Misa Marissa Levey • Mindy Levokove • David R. Lincoln • Veronica Liu • Big Mike Logan • Alfredo López • Fran Luck • Ellen Aug Lytle • Sheila Maldonado • Peter Marra • Mindy Matijasevic • Faux Maux • Sheree McHenry • Prince McNally • Nancy Mercado • C.O. Moed • Lissa Moira • Elizabeth P. Morse • Ngoma • Obsidian • Eve Packer • Denise Pappas • Kathryn Paulsen • Frank Pérez •Mireya Perez • Puma Perl • Coe Perkinson • Robert Perron • Howard Pflanzer • Marie-Claire Picher • Su Polo • Aaron Poochigian • Nicholas Powers • Matt Proctor • Carrie Magness Radna • Juana Ramos • Jill Rapaport • Yarrow Regan • Joe Roarty • Lola Rodriguez • Natalie Rogers • Bonafide Rojas • Robert Roth • Heidi Russell • Thaddeus Rutkowski • Margaret Sáraco • Linda Schwartz • Yuyu Sharma • Susan Sherman • John L. Silver • Joanna Sit • Ella Smith • Pete Solomita • Barbara Solsky • Diane Spodarek • Miriam Stanley • Melanie Taffel • J.M. Theisen de González • Ken Thompson • Zev Torres • Richard Vogt • Anne Waldman • Mas Walker • George Wallace • Sara Wallace • Lehman Weichselbaum • Susan Weiman • Richard West • Steve Wishnia • Francine Witte • Jeffrey Cyphers Wright • Ernest Woodley • Tamara Wyndham • Margaret Yard • Allan Yashin • Susan Yung • Joanie F. Zosike •
