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At the Poetry Brothel in Brooklyn, Nicolas Adamski dons an eye patch and becomes Tennessee Pink. He’ll take you into a back room draped with curtains, and share with you one of the most personal things that can be exchanged between two people: poetry. He and Stephanie Berger (The Madame) are the founders and organizers of this now monthly soirée. Before we spoke, Tennessee Pink told me that that the kinds of poems he loves best are the ones that “live in the air between the poet’s mouth and the ears of the listener.”

Christie Ann Reynolds (Car) despises blogs and bloggers, though she’s perfectly comfortable with this blogger sharing her work.

Nicholas Adamski (Tennessee Pink) told me he can’t read poetry without his eyepatch. Lazy eye.

Jennifer Michael Hecht was the night’s featured reader. Many of the poems from her book Funny begin with a joke, like this one.

Binh Nguyen’s shared a poem is about his own conception.

Joey Cannizzaro’s mother stopped by brothel that night.

Lauren Hunter (Harriet Van Os) recited her poetry off bedsheets, using light from a spaghetti pot full of Christmas lights.

The next Poetry Brothel will be held at Papa B Studios on September 26 from 9pm - 2am, and will featured reader Valzhyna Mort. The brothel after that, on October 17, will feature Best American Poetry series editor, David Lehman. Check the Brothel’s website for more information.

Now it’s your turn to bare your poetic soul; What poems do you love to read aloud on hot, summer nights?