KGB (bar)
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| Location | 85 E. 4th Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°43′36″N 73°59′24″W / 40.726580°N 73.989923°W |
| Type | Bar |
| Opened | 1993 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
KGB is a Soviet era-themed ("Communist chic"[1] ) bar located in the East Village of New York City at 85 E. 4th Street, New York, New York 10003.
History
[edit]Before its present incarnation, the building had been the Palm Casino, a speakeasy controlled by Lucky Luciano. From 1948 to 1988 it was a private social club for communists and socialists.[2] On the bar's walls are "Stalinist woodcuts, World War II posters, a picture of Valentina V. Tereshkova, hammer-and-sickle flags and the odd Lenin bust and balalaika."[3][4]
Inspired by the Soviet-era memorabilia stored in the building,[5] KGB Bar opened in 1993,[6] and became one of the most popular book-reading venues in New York City.[2] Popular authors read here pro bono on Sunday evenings (fiction), Monday evenings (poetry), and most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.[7] KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York magazine[citation needed], The Village Voice[citation needed], and others.[3]
Reading series
[edit]The bar hosts several regular reading series which include:
- Trumpet Fiction – Literary fiction and arts, held on the second Saturday of every month, hosted by Jonathan Kravetz
- Fantastic Fiction – A monthly speculative fiction reading series at the KGB Bar, held on the third Wednesday of every month, currently hosted by Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel
- Monday Night Poetry Series – Founded by David Lehman and Star Black, this legendary series has lasted more than a decade and features an impressive slate of major contemporary poets in its fall and spring seasons. The series spawned a book, The KGB Bar Book of Poems, in 2000. Currently, the event is hosted by John Deming, Jada Gordon, Susan Lewis, and Tyler Allen Penny.
References
[edit]- ^ Wilson, John (February 15, 1999). "Communist Chic". Washington Examiner. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Collins, Glenn (September 25, 1998). "A Cold War Relic Is a Literary Hot Spot; New Authors Hope Someone Important Is Listening to Them at Bar's Readings". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Woychuk, Denis, Founder & President "KGB Bar: A Brief and Distorted History", Retrieved on March 30, 2008.
- ^ Kortava, David (March 20, 2017). "Russia and Revolution at KGB Bar". The New Yorker.
- ^ Broder, Mitch (March 15, 1997). "Back in the U.S.S.R." The Journal News (White Plains, NY). pp. C1, C7. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Marcius, Chelsia Rose (November 1, 2020). "Read It – Or Weep". New York Daily News. p. 3. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Morris, Bill (July 15, 2001). "Best of New York: The word is out". New York Daily News. p. 10-Lifeline. Retrieved February 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.