Underground Poetry for Unsettled Times

Underground Poetry for Unsettled Times is a recurring monthly, site-responsive poetry series presented by WhiteBox Portable. Curated by poets Bruce Andrews and Paolo Javier, the series transforms the 42nd Street–8th Avenue transit hub into a public forum for contemporary poetry. Through live readings and performance texts, the program engages commuters and visitors in conversations around social, political, and cultural issues, creating meaningful artistic encounters within one of New York City’s busiest public spaces.

The event will be held outside of the WhiteBox Portable exhibition space, adjacent to the installation above the A, C, and E subway lines at the 42nd Street–8th Avenue transit hub in Manhattan. This open public location allows the performances to directly engage commuters, visitors, and the surrounding community.
The event is free and open to the public, serving a broad and diverse audience that includes daily commuters, neighborhood residents, artists, poets, students, tourists, and members of the general public. The program is designed to engage audiences who may not typically attend literary events by bringing contemporary poetry directly into a highly accessible civic space.
Approximately 75–100 attendees can comfortably gather for the event at one time, with additional commuters and passersby able to stop and engage throughout the performances due to the open public setting.
Setup includes positioning a podium, microphone, and portable speaker system outside the WhiteBox Portable exhibition space to create a designated reading area. Any event signage is installed prior to the program, and the equipment is tested before the readings begin. Following the event, the podium, microphone, speaker, and signage are removed, and the space is returned to its original condition within approximately 30 minutes, in accordance with MTA and WhiteBox Portable site guidelines.