Fashion
‘Straight Girls’ Poetry Night
A literary scene that’s equal parts sincere and wry — starting with the name itself.
Several creative circles merged in the Red Room at KGB Bar in the East Village of Manhattan on a recent March evening. Sipping stiff martinis and enjoying a dedicated playlist of “2008’s top hits,” the intersection of literature, fashion, art and internet filled the room with a throwback, almost Beatnik buzz. They were here for the sixth installment of “Straight Girls,” a monthly poetry reading hosted by the poets Riley Mac and Montana James.
In just a few short months Ms. Mac, 30, and Mr. James, 28, have gained reputations for escaping the sometimes frumpy poetry scene of the outer boroughs. Their knack for pulling together a vaudevillian, stylish repartee is a breath of fresh air for many regular attendees of poetry readings.
“There are a lot of great poetry events in the city, but they can be so insular,” said Meg Yates, an artist who makes work under the name Meg Superstar Princess.
Ms. Yates, 27, praised the two not only for their ability to curate a potent lineup of readers, but also for their effortlessness in organizing a stylish fete that attracts established literary-world figures as well as “scenesters, socialites and artists that don’t leave their house.” The goal, Ms. Mac says, is for the milieu to mirror that of the house parties she would host in high school, which she characterized as “every social clique you could imagine in my mom’s basement.”
The night’s roster included the writer Gideon Jacobs, the poet Jordan Franklin and the digital artist Molly Soda, among others. The flyer with the event’s details featured a photo from the show “Jackass” — which debuted on MTV in 2000.
