Poetry on the Bowery

On the first day of the new year, hundreds packed into St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery for the 38th annual New Year's Day Marathon Benefit Reading. The event featured over 140 poets and performers, including Patti Smith and Suzanne Vega, among others. The church opened its doors in the mid-afternoon and the readings continued well past midnight-all various reflections on times past. The benefit is the church's largest and likely most inspiring fundraiser, with donations going to fund a variety of events that take place throughout the year.

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