Join us at February 2025's Free Verse, a PSNY initiative designed specifically by & for LGBTQIA+ creatives, with charles theonia!Arranged in a cabinet of curiosities or in piles of "equivocal objects introduced as bric-a-brac" (George Eliot), a collection "takes out a little bit more reality from the world than it puts back in" (Tan Lin).This generative workshop will be an open space of accumulation. Together, we dilettantes will dip into (and contribute to) a pool of works by artist and writer Joe Brainard and singer and composer Julius Eastman.Some questions we will explore: How can viewers and readers of a text glean its methods and apply them ourselves? How can a text accommodate additions to its collection from its audience? How can we pick up a poem from the floor?Bring an object (single or serial) to show the group.About the instructor: charles theonia is the author of Gay Heaven Is a Dance Floor but I Can't Relax (Archway Editions, 2024), If a Piece Falls off the Poem, Keep It (a Belladonna* chaplet) and other writings on zits, piss, and disco.At The Poetry Society of New York, we believe that true creativity flourishes when all voices are heard, especially those that have been historically marginalized. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity isn't just a statement—it's woven into the fabric of everything we do. We aim to model this commitment for the entire arts industry, creating spaces where everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen, valued, and empowered.PSNY's Free Verse Workshops are a direct response to the social inequities that too often silence BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices. These free monthly workshops offer two distinct, identity-centered spaces: one for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and one for LGBTQ+ creatives. Here, participants can connect, create, and explore their unique identities through poetry, in environments designed specifically for them.We recognize that these spaces are not just about creativity—they're about justice. By centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ experiences, we’re working to dismantle the barriers that have long kept these voices on the margins. Each workshop concludes with a resource-sharing session, where participants can exchange literature, community events, and grants, building networks that extend beyond the workshop.As part of our unwavering commitment to equity, all attendees receive a 50% discount for our Weekly Virtual Workshops—because access to the arts should never be a privilege but a right.If you do not identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+, we warmly invite you to explore other PSNY events.