‘Why I Am Not A Painter’ Ursula Issue 8 Launch x The Poetry Project

‘I think I would rather be / a painter, but I am not,’ Frank O’Hara wrote, in an arguably painterly poem. In its first theme issue, Ursula magazine explores the vibrant affinities between poets and artists. A collaboration with The Poetry Project in downtown New York, organized by Nicole Eisenman and featuring a riotous painting by Eisenman on the cover, the issue gathers new work by a dozen distinguished poets in a special feature, along with contributions by Jeremy O. Harris, Anne Waldman, Mark Bradford and many more.

The event will feature readings by the following poets:

Bahaar Ahsan

Mirene Arsanios

John Coletti

Benjamin Krusling

Ted Rees

Anne Waldman

Laurie Weeks

Mohammed Zenia Siddiq Yusef Ibrahim

Copies of the magazine will be available for purchase during the event.

This event is free. However, due to limited space, reservations are required. 

 About The Poetry Project

Since 1966, The Poetry Project has expanded access to literature, education, and opportunities for sharing one’s creative work in a counter-hierarchical, radically open space and community. Premised on the vision that cultural action at the local level can inspire broader shifts in public consciousness, The Project is committed to developing and collaborating on replicable program models that challenge persistent social narratives, especially through the verbal reframing made possible in poetry. We do this work through a combination of live readings, performances, lectures, events, and workshops, in addition to literary and critical publications and emerging writers and curatorial fellowship programs.

The Poetry Project is based at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, a vibrant artistic and community space which includes the St. Mark’s Church congregation, Danspace Project, and New York Theatre Ballet.

About Nicole Eisenman                          

Nicole Eisenman lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2018. Her work was included in the 2019 Venice Biennale, 2019 Whitney Biennial, and 2017 Skulptur Projekte Münster in Münster, Germany. Having established herself as a painter, Nicole Eisenman has expanded her practice into the third dimension.

About Ursula Magazine

Ursula is the art magazine of Hauser & Wirth, featuring essays, profiles, films, interviews, original portfolios, and photography by some of the most thought-provoking writers and artists in the world.

Nicole Eisenman, Why I’m Not a Painter, 2023. Oil on linen, 76.2 x 61 x 2.5 cm / 30 x 24 x 1 inches. © Nicole Eisenman