Nuyorican Poetry Cafe

I think the last time I was at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe was 2011. I was on tour with a Japanese pop band. We did two nights at The Highline Ballroom. I figured since I was already in New York I'd stop by the cafe to see if I could join the open mic. Unfortunately there was no open mic while I was there but I was happy to have been able to set foot in the cafe. The time I was there before that was ten years prior in 1998, 1999. or 2000. I can't remember exactly. What I do remember is the joy I felt at being in a room full of people who love words as much as I do. The pandemic has brought hardship but it has also brought us something amazing. It brought us an opportunity to connect with others in a way that we could not connect before. Today , on the day today I posted this entry , I was able to participate in an open mic night at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe I did it from my home in Japan. Thank you so much Nuyorican for keeping the fire burning for so very long. May your light continue long into the distant future.

(I took this photo in 2011. The same week I visited Nuyorican Poetry Cafe)