Derangement of the Senses is a multimedia literary reading featuring some of New York’s most exciting writers, storytellers, musicians, and burlesque performers. The result is an atmosphere where new artforms flourish and incredible acts of literary and artistic dynamo amaze and astound. Inspired by the French proto-punk poet Arthur Rimbaud, Derangement focuses on the innovative new genres that are born when transgressive, transdisciplinary collaborations happen. Burlesque performers dance as their favorite literary characters while psychedelic visuals swirl and acoustic and electronic music cacophonously collide. You haven’t seen this kind of literary reading before.

Derangement is hosted by Kevin Carter and Miracle Jones, and it takes its name from a letter written by Arthur Rimbaud, who believed that “a poet makes himself a seer by an immense, long, deliberate derangement of the senses.” Its focus is on the necessity of cross-pollination between artists that work in different genres and the explosive interactions that take place when this occurs. Shows in the past have boasted everything from laser harps and electroencephalographs to cakes and LED butterfly wings. The show began in January of 2010 and previously took place at Happy Ending Lounge in the Lower East Side. Some of New York City’s most talented young writers and performers have performed pieces that recall the NYC theatrical and artistic performance art renaissance of the 80s and 90s while also managing to make that spirit their own in an entertaining, contemporary atmosphere.

Past readers/storytellers have included Rae Bryant, Peter Aguero, Bill Cheng, Elizabeth Crane, Miracle Jones, Ed Champion, Leigh Stein, Steve Zimmer, Arianne Benford, Jeanne Thornton, Meghann Plunkett, Lisa Marie Basile, Sasha Fletcher, and Chavisa Woods. The show has also hosted burlesque performances by Nasty Canasta, Iris Explosion, Anja Keister, Lucille ti Amore, Boots LaMae, and Masae. You can find more at www.derangementofthesenses.com.

Jennifer Michael Hecht is a teacher, author, poet, historian, and philosopher. She has seven published books, her scholarly articles have been published in many journals and magazines, and her poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, The New Republic, Ms. Magazine, and Poetry Magazine, among others. She has also written essays and book reviews for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The American Scholar, The Boston Globe and other publications. She has written several columns for The New York Times online “Times Select.” She is a longtime blogger for The Best American Poetry series web site and maintains a personal blog on her website. She currently teaches at The New School in New York City, and lives in Brooklyn. Her website is www.jennifermichaelhecht.com.

Leslie Goshko official site | Leslie Goshko on Facebook | Leslie Goshko on Twitter | Leslie Goshko on Instagram

Leslie Goshko is the host and creator of the monthly storytelling series, Sideshow Goshko, which has been hailed as a Time Out New York and New York Times “Critics’ Pick”, and also noted as “a well-programmed night” by the New York Times. Sideshow Goshko has been featured on TruTV’s Impractical Jokers, NPR’s Snap Judgment, and in The New Yorker.

A Manhattan Monologue Slam Champion, and contributing blogger for the Huffington Post, Leslie’s stories and comedy writing have appeared on Sirius XM, WNYC, New York Metro “Funny Page,” and more. Her cabaret show “An Old-Fashioned Piano Party with Leslie Goshko” is heralded as a Time Out New York “Critic’s Pick,” and she served as the musical director for NY1 anchors Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter’s live show at 92Y, “Pat and Jamie’s NY.”

Leslie has been featured on two albums: the full-length album for kids’ band “Thunder and Sunshine” (of which she is a member) and on the GlasOnGlas EP “Silver and Violet.” She can regularly be seen behind the baby grand playing live piano karaoke at Sid Gold’s Request Room in NYC. And thanks to the support of many Internet voters, she performed with the cast of Hairspray on Broadway.

Alex Edelman is a New York-based comedian and storyteller who has lived in Boston, LA, and Jerusalem. He has performed in Spain, France, and Israel, where he was one of the founding comedians of the Comedy Basement in Jerusalem, the country’s first English-language comedy club. He recently received the coveted Best Newcomer Award at the 2014 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards and was widely acclaimed as one of the up and coming comedy stars at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You can check out his Tumblr at alexlikestowrite.tumblr.com.

Todd Anderson creates poetic experiences using a projector, code, sound design and a wireless USB keyboard he wears around his neck. He calls this Hotwriting. He is a co-owner of Babycastles, host of the monthly WordHack language+technology series, and has a futuristic ebook forthcoming from Instar Books. See more at toddpoet.com.

Jason Scott Laney is a piano/keyboard player and songwriter living in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to his solo work, Jason performs with the bands Victor V. Gurbo & Co., Mad Meg, and House of Fiction. His website is www.jasonscottlaney.com..

Miracle Jones is from Texas. He is a Sagittarius. He is a very private person. You can read more of his work at miraclejones.com.

Kevin Carter is a writer, technologist, and musician whose work has been featured in Luna Luna Magazine, MAKE, The Fiction Circus, 2600 Magazine, Kerouac’s Dog Magazine, and Divine Dirt Quarterly. His first collection of short stories, Lives of the Saints, was published by The Fiction Circus in 2012. He lives in Manhattan. Read more at shotintoeternity.com.