Videos From Parachute Literary Arts Events
WHITMAN WAS HERE: Walt Whitman in Coney Island, June 2, 2019
(Filmed by Kristina Teschner. Edited by Mary Rhymer and Kristina Teschner.)
On June 2, 2019, Parachute Literary Arts hosted Whitman Was Here: Walt Whitman in Coney Island, a festival on West 21st Street and the boardwalk for Walt Whitman's 200th birthday.
Tim Cusack
performs a site-specific response to Walt Whitman's
"As I Ebb'd with the Ocean of Life" in three parts
Coney Island Beach, June 2, 2019
Parachute Literary Arts Walt Whitman Bicentennial Festival
POEM-a-RAMA, Coney Island, May 2015
(Video filmed and edited by Charles Denson)
Parachute Literary Arts curated Poem-a-Rama, May 8, 2015. Poets read on, around, and under the Coney Island landmark Deno’s Wonder Wheel. Students from Parachute's longest running workshop at the YWCA - NYC Girls Empowerment Group in Rachel Carson High School read from their poems alongside many NYC poets and writers.
Amber Atiya reading on the landmark Wonder Wheel just after sunset.
Poem-a-Rama
Coney Island, 2015
Make Poems Here, a poetry making station of three vintage typewriters (right beside Zoltar)
Poem-a-Rama
Coney Island, 2015
Patricia Spears Jones reading under the Wonder Wheel.
Poem-a-Rama
Coney Island, 2015
Bike messenger poet, Kurt Boone reads poetry on the landmark Wonder Wheel for Parachute Literary Arts.
Poem-a-Rama
Coney Island, 2015
Vito Acconci Poetry Installation at Parachute Festival, 2012
Artist, architect, poet, Vito Acconci's poem, "Antarctica" was installed by Amanda Deutch and New York Aquarium staff for two days as part of Parachute Festival 2012's site- specific poetry. The poem could be experienced in a nook, beside the Black Feeted Penguins in the New York Aquarium's outdoor plaza. Poet, Becca Klaver shot this short video of poet, Amanda Deutch enjoying Acconci's words in open air, a living poem.
The Believe Project
Parachute's Believe Project performed at the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday, December 1st, 2012, curated by Amanda Deutch. The Believe Project performed words by Muriel Rukeyser from her play Houdini (Paris Press, 2002). This was the second performance by the Believe Project and this evening comprised of the following poets: Becca Klaver, MC Hyland, Lauren Besser, Audrey Dimola, Holly Burdoff, Julia McIsaac and Caolan Madden. This video was shot by Jeff Peterson.
Eileen Myles reading at Parachute, Part 1
Eileen Myles reading at Parachute: the Coney Island Performance Festival, 2009
NY Aquarium
Eileen Myles reading at Parachute, Part 2
Eileen Myles reading at Parachute: the Coney Island Performance Festival, 2009
NY Aquarium
Akilah Oliver reading at Parachute
Akilah Oliver reading at Parachute: the Coney Island Performance Festival, September 2009
When asked to read, Akilah created a poem especially for the festival using a woman's blog about Coney Island as her source text. The tape ran out before Akilah finished reading her poetry both in this video and in real life. Akilah Oliver was a deeply treasured member of the literary community. We are grateful to have known Akilah and honored to have had her participate in the first Parachute Festival in 2009 at the New York Aquarium. She was a brilliant and beloved poet whose generosity of spirit will be missed by many. Thank you, Akilah.