No, poetry is not just for the hoity toity snobs of the world. If you subscribe to that way of thinking, I advise you to stop reading, for the personalities and art offered at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe not only represents the brave people bold enough to share their souls on the stage but also the community of which those people are a part of.
Located in one of the more quickly gentrifying parts of the city, the Lower East Side, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe has been both a buffer against the ever-changing city and a bastion of the values it has kept alive and well since its inception in the living room of one of the founders of the Nuyorican, Miguel Algarin. Surrounded by like-minded individuals with a vision for the underrepresented and unappreciated, Algarin and every other founder grew those living room slams into something beautiful. The community born from that living room has kept that essence through and through and provide art and performances to anyone and everyone.
What makes the Nuyorican what it is now is the power and personality of not only the performers but the audience. They control whether your ego is either stroked with their almighty snaps and deafening applause or bruised with their ear – splitting crickets and blank stare. Especially if it’s a Wednesday night for you definitely do not want to be on their bad side as they hold direct power that determines whether or not you advance to the Friday night slam or not. That relationship between the audience and performer however, cultivates the togetherness that is the bedrock of the Nuyorican community.
The community itself has grown and evolved throughout the years, becoming a home for more and more people from different backgrounds and walks of life. The pioneers of the Nuyorican pushed the boundaries of artistic expression and performance, eventually expanding their community beyond the once considered “edgier” Lower East Side into the whole city and beyond. Not only is the audience a clear representation of the diversity present in this city but the performers and in turn, all of the personalities that come in the building as well. The performances reach out to each and every part of the melting pot (or tossed salad depending on how you view the people of New York) that makes up the city.
The heart and soul that the performers show in the Nuyorican, whether it be a poet during one of the many poetry slams, or a Latin Jazz musician, truly shows the impact the place itself has on people. The Nuyorican has always been a haven for those who were rejected by the mainstream or felt like what they were offering was not appreciated, for their work would always be appreciated at 236 East 3rd Street. No matter what you may be perceived to be or considered outside of the cafe, inside of the cafe, you are simply an artist. Even though the demographic has spread, the culture within is still the same as the Nuyorican has stuck to its roots. Personalities in performance can be more than just costumed people in Times Square. The art itself shows the kind of personalities associated with the Nuyorican and all that it represents.
That is some of what I took from my interview with Chris, a performer and staff member at the Nuyorican. To learn more about the Nuyorican from not only a performer but also a staff member’s point of view, listen to my interview below for an in – depth look into the performances and the personalities inspired by the community at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.
