LitWire

Open Mic (Jazz & Poetry)
2026-04-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-31 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-10 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club, 1931 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70116, United States

The Everette Maddox Memorial Reading Series
2026-04-05 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-29 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-22 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-15 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-08 16:30 - 18:00 | Maple Leaf Bar, 8316 Oak St, New Orleans, LA, 70118, United States
Sundays at 4:20 pm
The Maple Leaf Bar hosts the longest continuously running poetry reading series in North America. It is free and open to the public. The poetry series has been a platform for a great diversity of writers to present their work, from the published and well-established to the novice poet alike. The reading series was founded in 1979 by Franz Heldner, Bob Stock, and the consummate poet laureate of the Maple Leaf Bar, Everette Maddox.
The series gained popularity around the same time that James Booker, the flamboyantly wonderful one-eyed piano virtuoso, held court at The Leaf. Everette Maddox, another well-loved outrageous personality of the time, helped popularized the series with his humor, charisma and whit. Maddox ran the series for nearly 10 years, until his death in 1989. Since then, the torch has been carried on by poet Nancy Harris aka “Ape Woman.”
To date, there have been four published anthologies of poets who have read their work at the Maple Leaf: The Maple Leaf Rag (1980), The Maple Leaf Rag 15th Anniversary Anthology (1994), the Maple Leaf Rag III (2006), and Maple Leaf Rag IV (2010).
Additionally, the Maple Leaf is portrayed in many books and stories by New Orleans writers. It is thinly disguised as “The Raintree Street Bar” in the Ellen Gilchrist short story “The Raintree Street Bar and Washerteria” (The Leaf was once a small Laundromat). Poems inspired by the Maple Leaf or about the bar can be found in Mirror Wars and Shards, by Nancy Harris; Body and Soul and Rhythm & Booze, by Julie Kane; and The Everette Maddox Song Book, Bar Scotch and American Waste by Everette Maddox.
American Waste is a collection of Maddox’ final poems, written at the Maple Leaf, Muddy Waters (which was once located across the street) and at the Carrollton Station. Maddox penned the final version of his poems on bar napkins, fliers, and beer coasters which were collected by Hank Staples, the current owner of the Maple Leaf Bar. After Maddox’ death, his friends decided to publish the posthumous collection of poems.
The readings are held every Sunday at 4:20 p.m. If you are going to be in New Orleans and would like to read, please contact us at least a month or more in advance.
For more info, go to: https://www.mapleleafbar.com/poetry-night or contact Nancy Harris on Facebook.

The Magic Mic
2026-04-02 20:00 - 22:30, 2026-03-26 20:00 - 22:30, 2026-03-19 20:00 - 22:30, 2026-03-12 20:00 - 22:30, 2026-03-05 20:00 - 22:30 | Poor Boys Bar, 1328 St Bernard Ave, New Orleans, L, 70116, United States
7 minutes of magic on the mic. Show us your magic, share in the magic of others. Tell your tales, share your songs, make music, melodies and memories with us. ALL ACTs OPEN! Starts at 8pm every Thursday at Poor Boys!

Literary Night At The Coffeehouse
2026-04-02 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-05 19:00 - 21:00 | The Neutral Ground Coffee House, 5110 Danneel St, New Orleans, LA, 70115, United States
All poets, writers, rappers, spell spinners, whisperers, and lovers of the Spoken Word.
Open Mic Poet’s Night every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.

Poets on Poets
2026-04-01 21:00 - 23:30, 2026-03-25 21:00 - 23:30, 2026-03-18 21:00 - 23:30, 2026-03-11 21:00 - 23:30, 2026-03-04 21:00 - 23:30 | Cafe Istanbul, 2372 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70117, United States
Café Istanbul presents Poets on Poets every Wednesday 10:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Doors open for 9:00 pm.

$5 drinks all night long.

Poetry and Espresso
2026-03-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Roots Plants and Coffee, 124 B Erlanger Avenue, Slidell, LA, 70458, United States
Poetry open mic with featured musicians, on the last Friday of every month. Solo musicians are also invited to play the open mic. Free admission. Please arrive early if you want to perform.
Five minute limit for poets. Seven to ten minutes for music open-mic singers and musicians.
Please arrive early to sign in!

Esoterotica: Original Erotic Readings by Local Writers
2026-03-25 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-03-11 21:00 - 23:00 | The AllWays Lounge, 2240 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70117, United States
Every Other Wednesday at The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret 2240 St. Claude Ave. NOLA
21 & Up, $5 at the Door, ID’s & Proof of Vaxx Required
We Strive to Create an Inclusive & Safe Space for Our Audience & Provocateurs.
No Matter Who You Are, What You Desire, or Whom You Love, All Are Welcome
Esoterotica is a revolving cast of local, New Orleans area, provocateurs reading and performing original erotica live, on stage. Including poetry, flash fiction, spoken word, sexy confessions, and more, each show is different, often showcasing line-ups of new writing, never heard before.
Life’s pleasures are a sensory experience, let us delight your imagination and provoke your desires in a variety of styles for your variety of persuasions. Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram @Esoterotica NOLA.
Do You have Something to Share? Email Us to Submit Your Original Erotica or Get More Information & Guidelines at info@esoterotica.com

The Splice Poetry Series: Stella Corso & Sylvia Jones & Leah Nieboer
2026-03-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70117, United States
Stella Corso & Sylvia Jones & Leah Nieboer will read their poems at Saturn Bar on Saturday, March 21st @ 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and is supported in part by http://litwire.org/
Stella Corso is the author of the poetry collections Green Knife and Tantrum along with several chapbooks. She is currently a Visiting Instructor in the Jack Kerouac School at Naropa University. Find recent work at www.stella-corso.com.
Sylvia Jones is an adjunct professor at George Washington University. She also works as poetry editor for Black Lawrence Press and serves as a senior reader for Ploughshares. Her first book —Television Fathers (Meekling Press, 2024) was released last year. Her next book, Dope Callisthenics, is forthcoming from Relegation Books in the Fall of 2026. She earned her M.F.A. from American University in Washington D.C. and lives in Baltimore, MD
Leah Nieboer grew up in rural Iowa. She holds an MFA in Poetry from the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and a PhD in English & Literary Arts from the University of Denver. Her first collection of poetry, SOFT APOCALYPSE, was selected by Andrew Zawacki for the 2021 Georgia Poetry Prize (UGA Press, 2023), nominated for a 2024 Elgin Award, and named a top debut collection of 2023 by Poets & Writers Magazine. The winner of the 2022 Mountain West Writers’ Contest in Poetry, she is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Denver, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts at Mt. San Angelo and the Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Schwandorf, Germany. She now lives in New Orleans and, with Stella Corso, co-hosts The Ritter, a literary & cultural podcast.

Poetry and Espresso
2026-03-20 18:30 - 21:00 | LA
Every THIRD Friday of each month, Roots Plants + Coffee, 124 Erlanger Avenue, Slidell, presents Poetry & Espresso. Dennis Formento hosts. 6:30 sign in, 7:00 begin. Poets & musicians welcome. Free!

Evening Storytime with Michael the Wildlife Detective
2026-03-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Parleaux Beer Lab, 634 Lesseps St., New Orleans, LA, 70117, United States
We’re heading to Parleaux Beer Lab for a cozy Evening Storytime!
Join us on Friday, March 13 at 6pm as local author and Wildlife Detective Michael Birt shares one of his fascinating and informative children’s books with us. Settle in with a pint of Parleaux’s small-batch craft beer (or a juice box for the little ones) and enjoy a family-friendly reading.
Michael will be bringing a special wildlife ambassador to storytime! After the story kids will be invited to get up close with and learn more about this amazing creature!
Support Michael’s wildlife conservation efforts through direct donations to Research Wild! his hands-on conservation education organization.

UNO Creative Writing Workshop Poetry Reading: (W) March 11, 8pm, LA 197
2026-03-11 20:00 - 21:30 | University of New Orleans, Liberal Arts Building, 197, Liberal Arts Building, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, 70148
The University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop will host a reading by poets Gina Ferrara and Burnside Soleil on Wednesday, March 11, at 8 p.m., at the UNO Lakeside Campus, Liberal Arts Building, Room 197. The reading will be followed by a Q&A, book signing, and brief reception.
Campus Map: www.uno.edu/about/campus-map/

Gina Ferrara has five poetry collections: Ethereal Avalanche (Trembling Pillow Press, 2009), Amber Porch Light (Word Tech 2013), Fitting the Sixth Finger: Poems Inspired by the Paintings of Marc Chagall (Kelsay Books 2017), Weight of the Ripened (Dos Madres Press, 2020), an Eyelands Poetry Prize Finalist, and Amiss, also published by Dos Madres Press in 2023. The Rooted and Recurrent, her sixth collection, is scheduled for publication in late 2026 by ULL Press. Her work has appeared in numerous journals including Callaloo, The Poetry Ireland Review, Tar River, and The Southern Review and was nominated for a Best of the Net and a Pushcart in 2024. In 2025, she was appointed Poet Laureate of Louisiana. Since 2007, she has curated The Poetry Buffet, a monthly reading series in New Orleans. She teaches at Delgado Community College and lives near Bayou St. John with her husband, Jonathan Kline, and their bulldog.

Burnside Soleil’s writing has been featured in American Poetry Review, Kenyon Review, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. His first book, called Berceuse Parish for short, is out from TRP: The University Press of SHSU (2026).

Books, Banter & Cider with Belle Point Press Authors
2026-03-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Broad Street Cider, 2723 S Broad St, New Orleans, LA, 70125, United States
Join us for one of our favorite pairings: good books, thoughtful conversation, and a glass (or two) of cider!
Books, Banter & Cider returns for a special evening featuring Belle Point Press authors from the New Orleans area. Step out of the everyday and into a warm, welcoming space with some of our favorite local literary voices.
We will be celebrating the vibrant literary community of Belle Point Press with a lineup of incredible authors: Kirsten Reneau, Justin Lacour, Benjamin Morris, Madeline Trosclair, Todd Osborne, Nikki Ummel, Teresa Tumminello Brader, Constance Adler and Jack Bedell.
Belle Point Press is a family owned and run independent press out of Arkansas who puts their heart into everything they do.
It’s an honor to have so many amazing authors in one place to chat about their work. Please join us for this unique event.
