New York City Residency, January 2025: a report

I had a wonderfully intense time in New York City in the first half of January, facilitated by a formal residency at Irish Arts Center awarded to me through a two-part cross-Atlantic residency programme led by St John's Theatre & Arts Centre, Listowel, Co Kerry.

The core component of the residency was an opportunity to work further on my next poetry manuscript using the space and facilities at the Center, located on 11th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood in Manhattan, while feeding off the energy, sounds, images and the general tumult, urgency and creativity of New York City. While my time there was short I was able to add some new elements to the manuscript, but more importantly to begin to think of it and start editing in structural, macro terms. I have for a long time now recognised that I write or make hybrid-form work in book- or project-length cycles, rather than in shorter, standard poem-length forms, even though those cycles are sometimes composed of linked individual pieces, as short or long as they need to be.

Beyond that, through initiatives unconnected with the residency programme, I had the opportunity to present my work and practice in three separate settings, and caught some other gigs, events, performances and shows while in town:

On 7 January I visited Glucksman Ireland House - the centre for Irish and Irish-American Studies at New York University (NYU) - in Greenwich Village, where I gave a talk on experimental / avant / collaborative modes of writing to a class of students from a variety of creative and cultural backgrounds (poets, filmmakers, musicians, economics students) enrolled in the course 'Reading as a Writer'. I read from, presented and discussed my books this is no longer entertainment and Contemporaneous Brand Strategy Document, as well as my digital publication sorry that you were not moved made in collaboration with Kimberly Campanello and Ian Maleney of Fallow Media. Thanks to John Waters for the invitation, and for instigating an exciting multidirectional conversation with the students.

On 8 January I was at the wonderful black-owned, family-run community bookshop Taylor & Co. Books on Cortelyou Road in the Flatbush neighbourhood in Brooklyn, where I read with six other poets in what was a beautiful event organised by Chris Campanioni on the occasion of my visit, and which featured some sharp contemporary poetry. After many years of reading and showcasing each other's work, and exchanging correspondence and books, it was a genuine pleasure to finally meet and read with Chris. At this event I read some cuts from Contemporaneous Brand Strategy Document - which incidentally stands quite close in approach and concerns to Chris' new book of poetry with Roof Books, Windows 85. It was amazing that we had pretty much a full house on what was a bitterly cold night. With thanks to Andrew and all at Taylor & Co. for having us and for making me feel so welcome.

   

On 9 January I made the trek to the Red Hook neighbourhood of Brooklyn, permeated by a decidedly old shipping-yard / warehouse vibe, where I performed as part of a jazz / improv / sound art / experimental poetry bill at the very cool The Record Shop. In addition to being an old school record shop with an emphasis on jazz and international music, its walls, racks and floor full of scattered vinyl, cassette tapes and paraphernalia, in the evenings it doubles up as a regular event venue. Generously curated from Dublin by my recent collaborator and part NYC resident Joanna Mattrey, the gig also featured stunning performances from the Steven Long Group, Nick Dunston, and a Miriam Elhalji / Caroline Davis / Jason Lindner collaboration. For my 30 minute set I bisected a performance from my recent durational project DIAL with a short reading of excerpts from this is no longer entertainment - all leading to a semi-improvised outro devised as an impromptu collaboration with Nick Dunston. With thanks to Kevin Murray and all at The Record Shop for hosting us.

  

While in town I also had the opportunity to attend a stage reimagining of the classic musical 'Show Boat', re-envisioned as 'Show/Boat: A River' at NYU Skirball, courtesy of Irish Arts Center. Then on 11 January I went along to that week's instalment of the Segue Foundation Reading Series at Artists Space in Tribeca, where I had a chance to catch up with Charles Bernstein, one of the most prominent American experimental poets of the past decades. Bernstein and I had read together in 2019 at University College Dublin (UCD) in an event billed 'WARNING! Difficult! Poetry?', and here he gave a great reading alongside the equally excellent Sol Cabrini. And on Sunday 12 January I caught the final performance of the Richard Maxwell / New York City Players production 'Buildings I & II' which took place on the unoccupied, installation-filled 19th floor of 101 Greenwich - a building situated in the heart of the financial district that has been reimagined for gallery, performance & other creative uses. A piece of experimental theatre in two distinct parts, with overlapping characters and themes inviting the audience to make their own connections (I read it as a comment on mortality and the value of physical matter and space in the age of accelerated digital culture, with a particular nod to the advent of artificial intelligence), 'Buildings' was a wonderful way to experience Richard's work after discussing with him forms of experimental theatre and performance during our shared residency in Co Kerry in May/June 2024 - a residency that constituted the first part of the programme that brought me to New York this month.

 

 

Special thanks to Dick Walsh for the curation of this Listowel - New York Residency Programme. It was also lovely to spend time in New York with fellow residents and friends Anthony Keigher (XNTHONY) and Gabriel Graves.