Testimonials

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Tyler Wetherall

“This reading series is amongst the city’s best. Lisa and Robin go above and beyond; with literary-themed cocktails, costume surprises, and general hilarity, this is so much more than a book event – it’s a brilliant time. I attended as an author, which was one of my most memorable reading experiences, but I’ll definitely be coming back as a guest very soon.”

~Tyler Wetherall

author of Amphibian and No Way Home

Austin Grossman

“Hands down my favorite NYC reading series, whether I’m reading or in the audience. The selection of readers puts genre and literary books, debuts and multi-book award winners next to each other and lets you hear them in new ways. But most of all, Lisa and Robin’s generosity to each author – the Q&A and the signature cocktail – make each event more than a reading – it’s a showcase for who each author is and the uniqueness of the thing they’ve created. Don’t miss it.”

~Austin Grossman

author of Fight Me, Soon I Will Be Invincible, You, Crooked, and We Hate Wizard School

Abraham Chang

“The #YeahYouWrite event was one of the best times I’ve had as a debut novelist! Lisa and Robin put so much time, effort, and care into curating a fun evening for the audience and the featured authors. Great food, custom cocktails, and lively conversation! An absolute blast and I highly recommend participating and attending! I’m looking forward to what they have in store in the near future.”

~ Abraham Chang

author of 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers

Carol LaHines

“There is simply no better reading series than #YeahYouWrite! I espouse this unequivocally! Lisa and Robin are hosts extraordinaire; they have an amazing talent for curating readings and concocting bespoke #Literary Cocktails. I’ve never had more fun at a literary event than during their readings–first at Bo’s, now at Someday Bar–and the audience is the best imaginable.”

~ Carol LaHines

author of The Vixen Amber Halloway and Someday Everything Will All Make Sense

Tim Tomlinson

“In an earlier epoch, I read in the #YeahYouWrite literary reading series held in Bo’s Restaurant, Manhattan. For those who don’t know, “yeah, you right,” is a New Orleanian expression of enthused agreement, the kind of thing you might have heard slurred by Dr. John or a United Cab driver weaving across white lines on Magazine Street. Bo’s had the Crescent City-Big Easy-yeah-you-right thing down, and under the stewardship of Lisa Amico Kristel and Robin Martin, #YeahYouWrite did, too. As a former New Orleanian, I know. The vibe is delightfully informal, partially improvisational, and decisively bonnaroo, and it’s great to see that it’s back, with the same spirit, the same inspired line-ups, in a great new location.”

~ Tim Tomlinson

author of Requiem for the Tree Fort I Set on Fire and This Is Not Happening to You

Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

“Come for the authors. Stay for the dinner. Stay late for the post-reading conversation. Stay even later for the custom cocktails.”

~ Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

author of American Estrangement, Brief Encounters with the Enemy, and When Skateboards Will Be Free

Katherine Vaz

“The #YeahYouWrite evenings are a phenomenal combination of dinner and salon-style gatherings. The brainchild of Lisa Amico Kristel and Robin Martin, these get-togethers headline well-known and up-and-coming authors, and the byword is fun: There are cocktails and mocktails invented for each featured writer, and there’s excellent food in a convivial setting. Above all, there is celebration in a low-key but upbeat fashion about literature, with a particularly lively and entertaining short-answer Q&A between host and panelists. There aren’t many such evenings like these in New York—or anywhere else.”

~ Katherine Vaz

author of Saudade, Mariana, Fado & Other Stories, Our Lady of the Artichokes, Songs of Broken Places and the recently published Above the Salt

Jonathan Durbin

“Welcome back, #YeahYouWrite. I’ve missed your next-level readings and thoughtful #LiteraryCocktails. Here’s to another successful run—I’m looking forward to it.”

~ Jonathan Durbin

Lynn Perzeszty

“

#YeahYouWrite has a very special atmosphere that you can only fully appreciate when you attend, but I’ll try: While enjoying the presentation, you may feel smart and cultured, but you’re also laughing and feeling the warmth within a group of people who are open-minded and looking to learn through literature. Hosts Lisa & Robin are amazing! #YeahYouWrite is mentally stimulating and a whole lot of fun!

~ Lynn Perzeszty

Alice Kaltman

“#YeahYouWrite is by far my favorite reading series to read at or attend. Lisa Amico Kristel and Robin Martin are the hostesses with the mostest(es). There’s nothing better than reading my own words, sipping from a specially brewed cocktail, and answering hilarious and unusual questions about my books. Not a stuffy vibe in the place. #YYW is all support, good times, great food, great drinks, and great literature. What more could a book lover ask for?”

~ Alice Kaltman

author of Alice’s Big Book of Mistakes, Dawg Towne, Staggerwing,Wavehouse, and The Tantalizing Tale of Grace Minnaugh

Matt Sack

“Four years ago, I was beginning my journey into the creative writing world and (as is often the case in NYC) feeling lost. Thank god for Google :). I signed up for #YeahYouWrite’s mailing list, and after I attended my first event, I was hooked. Lisa and Robin cultivated such a fun and inclusive environment. Their passion and belief in grassroots writing continues to shine through in every event – from the ornate (and often hilarious) decorations, to the thoughtful questions they ask each writer, to the delicious cocktails they craft to accompany each author’s reading. Beyond giving me a place to listen to and meet other writers, #YYW has given me a New York family of sorts…a supportive community of creatives and non-creatives united by the magic of words and the feelings they can elicit. Fast forward four years from my first fateful Google search, and #YYW remains a lynchpin in my NYC life. Robin and Lisa are as supportive of my writing journey as anyone I know, encouraging me to participate in open mic readings and welcoming me to the podium whenever I take them up on their offers. I will always be grateful to them and the entire #YYW community. It’s been as beneficial as any other ritual, creative or otherwise, that I’ve embraced since moving to New York.”
 
~ Matt Sack

Marcia Butler

“As I look out into this quiet room filled with book lovers and authors, I cannot help but think of the chaos our world is in. And right now, Paris is really burning with the destruction of Notre Dame. Which makes a space like #YeahYouWrite all the more precious. Because if we can come together and be present for an hour or two – to listen quietly, to immerse ourselves in worlds and characters created by others, to put our busy lives aside for just a moment—then I think we have come to something very special. What a wonderful thing Lisa and Robin have created.”

~ Marcia Butler

author of The Skin Above My Knee, Pickle’s Progress, and Oslo, Maine

Cynthia Manick

“#YeahYouWrite is a reading series everyone should attend! Have you ever arrived somewhere that not only people know your name, but they’ve read your work, and want to give you food, #LiteraryCocktails, laughter, and song? With a mix of genres, the stage hosts a variety of guests, and the audience is ready to listen. Kudos to #YeahYouWrite for creating such a fun literary home.”

~ Cynthia Manick

poet/storyteller/curator, most recent publication: No Sweet Without Brine

Kelly Fordon

“It was a thrill to read at #YeahYouWrite after the publication of my first and second books—Robin and Lisa’s warm welcome, the camaraderie, the amazing food, the personalized cocktails (“Garden with a Lime” for my Garden for the Blind), and the supportive, engaged audience—absolutely a pinnacle reading experience!”

~ Kelly Fordon 

author of Garden for the Blind, I Have the Answer, and Goodbye Toothless House

Clifford Garstang

“I had such a blast at #YeahYouWrite—a room full of diners and drinkers listening to us read, specialty cocktails designed just for our books, a rapid-fire Q&A causing much laughter. What’s not to like? It’s a fantastic combo of literature and entertainment, and I can’t wait to go back!”

~ Clifford Garstang

author of The Last Bird of Paradise, House of the Ancients and other Stories, Oliver’s Travels, What the Zhang Boys Knew, and The Shaman of Turtle Valley

Terry Blackhawk

“Here’s a toast to #YeahYouWrite—one of the most welcoming and ingenious literary reading series I’ve ever enjoyed. Don’t miss it!”

~ Terry Blackhawk

poet and founder of InsideOut Literary Arts Project

Austin Ratner

“In a packed basement at Bo’s Restaurant, the paradigm of the traditional literary reading is being revamped. Now you can watch as the author stands on stage sampling a specially mixed drink, answering rapid fire questions about writing practice, telling an anecdote about a bad review, and, oh yes, reading a few pages. This is the wave of the future.”

~ Austin Ratner

 author of In the Land of the Living