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.

Jon Reiss has worked at NY Press and Jewcy for the past year, and he’s also a contributor to Spin Magazine, Venus Magazine, Vol. I Brooklyn, Punknews, The Faster Times Brooklyn Based, and Impose. He’s recently finished a novel called Getting Off, and you can read more at jonreiss.tumblr.com..

Myriam Phiro is a French-Canadian songstress performing internationally. Brought to NYC to study performing arts at AMDA, some of her favorite credits include Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, the Arts & Dance national tour of The Crucible, and The Three Musketeers. She now devotes most of her time & love to performing multiple cabaret shows around town including an “Edith Piaf” re-enactment act. She is also now promoting her first EP “My Rêverie…”; which can be found on iTunes. Follow her adventures at myriamphiro.com!

Ivory Fox, known as ‘The Pinup on the Pole’, is a professional pole performer who specializes in burlesque pole. She is known for her clever and athletic routines that deliver humor with a heap of sexy.
 

Ivory Fox official site.

Megan Kellerman is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson’s Creative Writing program. Her work has appeared in Catfish Creek, Emerge, and Symmetry Pebbles, among other journals She received the Andonis Decavalles Poetry Scholarship twice, as well as an MFA Award for Excellence in her major at FDU. You can see more at here.

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.

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.

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.