18th Annual Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading

Three Rooms Press presents

The 18th Annual

CHARLES BUKOWSKI Memorial Reading

Wednesday, August 20, 6 pm at The Bitter End

147 Bleecker Street | NYC | Advance Tickets $10 @ bittterendnyc.com

Poems, Readings & Performance by

Penny Arcade | Jennifer Blowdryer | Frank Messina Puma Perl | Michael Puzzo | Danny Shot | Richard Vetere + Special Guests

Join Three Rooms Press as we celebrate the 105th birthday of legendary poet Charles Bukowski during the 18th Annual Charles Bukowski Memorial Reading at NYC's iconic Bitter End (147 Bleecker Street) on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 6 pm.

The highly-anticipated annual event is hosted by Three Rooms Press co-directors Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes and features poetry, oral history, rare videos, and live performance. This year's event will feature Bukowski poems and tales performed by renowned performance artist Penny Arcade, musician-storyteller Jennifer Blowdryer, monologist Mike Daisey, actor Frank Messina, poet Puma Perl, playwright Michael Puzzo, poet Danny Shot, and playwright/author Richard Vetere, plus special guests. Advance tickets: $10 available at bitterend.com.

Charles Bukowski was considered the champion of outsiders and outcasts of society. His work is still vividly relevant today since Bukowski wrote about the human condition, something that can be applied to any time period regardless of changes in technology, politics, or societal conflict.

Still, one wonders what Bukowski would have to say about contemporary issues, including:

• The current US president

• Artificial intelligence

• Tariffs

• ICE, and more

At the annual memorial reading, performers will consider all this and more while channeling the spirit of Bukowski through his poems and personal stories. In addition to readings and discussion, all attendees have a chance to win Bukowski books, recordings, and other prizes.

Doors open at 5:45 pm. Advance tickets ($10) and more information via Bitter End (www.bitterend.com).