with esteemed poet Jeffrey Cyphers Wright (and a special surprise guest)!

Jeffrey Cyphers Wright is an artist, critic, eco-activist, impresario and publisher, but is best known as a poet associated with New Romanticism and the New York School. He received his MFA in Poetry from Brooklyn College where he studied with Allen Ginsberg and also taught. He served on the Poetry Project Board of Directors at St. Mark’s Church and also taught there. From 1987 to 2000 he ran Cover Magazine, the Underground National. The magazine’s archives are in the Fales Collection at NYU. During this time he also served on the Board at Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Wright is the author of 19 books of verse, including most recently Doppelgängsterfrom MadHat Press. Other titles include Blue Lyre from Dos Madres Press, Radio Poems from The Operating System, and Fake Lies from Fell Swoop. Wright contributes criticism regularly to American Book Review and ArtNexus.

Poems have appeared in various journals including The Café Review, New American Writing, The Brooklyn Rail, The Hurricane Review, Survision Magazine, and Posit among others. Work also appears in the anthologies Best American Poetry; Aloud; Out of this World; Up Late; NYC Insiders; and Contemporary Surrealist and Magical Realist Poetry.

Originally from West Virginia, Wright’s a familiar figure in the East Village in New York City where he raised his two sons. His involvement in saving community gardens resulted in two arrests as well as an invitation to speak at the Sierra Club’s annual meeting. The garden archives are also in the Fales Collection.

Recently Wright received a 2023 James Tate Award for poetry. He has also recieved a Kathy Acker Award for both writing and publishing and in 2021 was artist-in-residence at Howl! Happening. Currently, Wright produces literary events in NYC at various venues including Howl! Happening, Jefferson Market Library, and Lat Mama E.T.C. in conjunction with his annual art and poetry journal he publishes with Lori Ortiz and Ilka Scobie Live Mag!

Wright’s personal archives are held by his alma mater, West Virginia University. His nickname is Uncle Fun.

For an intimate portrait, see Cuckoo O’Clock, A humorous, historic film by artist and filmmaker Luigi Cazzaniga. Commissioned by the New York Public Library and Alyona Glushchenkova.