Willie Perdomo

Join us for a reading from Willie Perdomo, a poet of "lyrical intelligence, ferocious wit, and searching humanity" (Junot Diaz). Through dream song and elegy, alternate takes and tempos, prizewinning poet Willie Perdomo's third collection crackles with vitality and dynamism as it imagines the life of a percussionist, rebuilding the landscape of his apprenticeship, love, diaspora, and death. At the beginning of his infernal journey, Shorty Bon Bon recalls his live studio recording with a classic 1970s descarga band, sharing his recollection with an unidentified poet. This opening section is followed by a call-and-response with his greatest love, a singer named Rose, and a visit to Puerto Rico that inhabits a surreal nationalistic dreamscape, before a final jam session where Shorty recognizes his end and a trio of voices seek to converge on his elegy. Willie Perdomo is the author of Where a Nickel Costs a Dime, a finalist for the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber First Book Award, and Smoking Lovely, a winner of the PEN Beyond Margins Award. His poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Bomb, and other publications. He is an Instructor of English at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Location: Street: 125 Water Street City: Exeter, Province: New Hampshire Postal Code: 03833-2456 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Wednesday, April 2, 7:30 PM Book Launch: Willie Perdomo presents The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon In conversation with author and professor Jessica Hagedorn Introduction by Angel Nafis Reading and reception hosted by Long Island University Brooklyn

Prizewinning poet Willie Perdomo, an alumna of LIU Brooklyn’s MFA program, showcases the dynamism and vitality of his work in his third collection of poems, The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon. Through dream song and elegy, alternate takes and tempos, these poems imagine the life of a Puerto Rican percussionist, rebuilding the landscape of his musical apprenticeship, love, diaspora, and death. LIU Brooklyn hosts the launch of this new collection with a reading by Perdomo, followed by a conversation with LIU professor Jessica Hagedorn (author of Dogeaters and Toxicology). The evening will be introduced by Greenlight bookseller Angel Nafis (author of BlackGirl Mansion), curator of Greenlight’s quarterly poetry series.The reading and discussion will be followed by a wine reception.

Location: Street: 686 Fulton Street City: Brooklyn, Province: New York Postal Code: 11217 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)