The walk from the 6-train wasn’t far, yet the unseasonably cold October air did me no favors. I could not help but spectacle the thought process of those who walked around without coats, but then again on Halloween comfort isn’t always the first thought. The streets were filled with monsters, ghouls, witches, and surprising amount politicians. I witnessed Einstein and Obama walk into an Irish pub, the infinite possibilities of a potential joke distracted me the entire way to 36 Bowery street. Arriving inside, I was greeted by the warm welcome of fellow Macaulay peers and better yet central heating.  As I took my seat, I wondered what was in store for me on this festive Halloween evening by New York City’s latest emerging artists.

The venue was quaint and cozy, dimly lit and carpets everywhere. The pleasantly comfortable ambiance,  distracted me from being offended by the exuberant of Persian carpets  in the room. When did it become exotic and Avant Garde to decorate the room with my culture?

Event organizer

“Folks, you are all in store for a lovely evening tonight. We have three artists for you tonight. Without further ado, The Dixon Place present the artists Guerilla Lit Reading Series”  

The most memorable readings came from Laura Catherine Brown, reading from her self-published book Made by Mary. I recall Brown’s clothing, it fit the room well. The brown walls complemented her floral patterns. Her costume was obvious, an American Hippie. As Mary introduced the title of her novel, she spoke in a soft voice that pulled the audience in and had them hold their breaths to catch her next word. Brown’s tone of voice and characteristics to me was reminiscent of mother. She looked like a mother, as if she had put her children to bed, right before arriving to The Dixon Place. This image of a mother that I had conjured, made her story seem all the more surprising.

The narrator of the novel was young lesbian women struggling with her partner about surgency. The first tale account allowed the audience to understand the dilemmas and ordeals the narrator faces. The excerpt begins in a doctor’s office, the narrators mind wonders dully around the room. She eventually arrives at the understanding that the gynecologist has just informed her that she is unable to carry child. the narrator turns to her lesbian partner, instead of finding the comfort one would hope for she is meet with emotionally abuse. Arriving back to her apartment, she engages in substance abuse to cope with the emotion distress and toils around trying to find some higher meaning. The story concludes with a memory of the partner pressuring the narrator into mulling illicit drugs into her cervix cavity.

Although the story’s premise is very intriguing, the delivery of Brown fell short. It was difficult to understand the emotional weight of her thoughts due to her raspy poor enunciation. This might be due to lack of practice, Brown did mention it was her first time reciting this excerpt. As a member of an audience, I could not absorb the full content of her reading. Perhaps there is a gap of understanding between reading the words yourself compared to hearing them aloud. Upon reflecting on her excerpt, I noticed that how one says a word is just as impactful as what one is saying. Had Brown just enunciated her reading with more intensity or used hand gestures to convey the narrator’s mental turmoil, the experience of the audience  would be significantly different.

As I walked out of The Dixon Place on Halloween night, I chuckled to myself. So, four Macaulay students walk into a poetry reading-