Co-Producer, Co-Host & Booking Coordinator
New York City, April 2010–July 2011
at The Phoenix, East Village NYC
16 monthly shows • 50–100+ attendees per show
Overview
Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival was a monthly queer literary reading series co-produced and co-hosted by Zed and the poet and performer Cheryl B. at The Phoenix bar in the East Village, running from April 2010 through July 2011. Billed as “serious literature for ridiculous times, curated and hosted by freaks, jokesters, and outlaws,” Sideshow brought together some of New York City’s most celebrated queer writers, poets, comedians, and performers under a different theme each month — building a consistent and beloved community gathering in one of the country’s most vibrant queer literary scenes. Each show drew 50–100+ attendees, held on the second Tuesday of every month, with doors at 7:30pm, reading at 8pm. Admission was always free, with a hat passed which the producers divided up for the performers.
The series launched in April 2010 with Kate Bornstein as the first headlining performer. Over 16 months Sideshow featured an extraordinary roster of notable queer and radical writers and performers — including Ivan Coyote, S. Bear Bergman, Melissa Gira Grant, Kay Ulanday Barrett, Silas Howard, Lea Robinson, Casey Plett, and many others. The series also featured special formats including the Poetry vs. Comedy Variety Hour — a revival of Cheryl B.’s previous series — with poets, comedians, guest judges, and a musical guest. Out-of-town authors passing through New York City regularly sought out Sideshow as a platform, drawn by the series’ reputation in the national queer literary community.
Sideshow ended in July 2011 following the death of Cheryl B., Zed’s co-producer and collaborator, who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in November 2010. The July 2011 show was dedicated to Cheryl and served as both a final celebration of the series and a community gathering in her memory. More than 200 people attended Cheryl’s memorial that same month.
Contributions
- Co-conceived and co-produced Sideshow from the ground up with Cheryl B., securing The Phoenix as a permanent monthly home
- Co-hosted all 16 monthly shows as emcee and co-presenter alongside Cheryl B.
- Curated and booked all performers for every show — selecting from existing networks, responding to author inquiries, and actively recruiting out-of-town authors passing through New York City
- Developed monthly themes for each show in collaboration with Cheryl B.
- Designed and produced all promotional materials including flyers and postcards for every show — including the distinctive carnival-themed Sideshow visual identity
- Built and maintained the Sideshow website at queerliterarycarnival.com (no longer live; now archived)
- Managed all marketing and promotional outreach for every show across digital and print channels
- Coordinated all logistics for each show including venue communications, run-of-show, and performer hospitality
- Produced special format shows including the Poetry vs. Comedy Variety Hour with guest judges and musical guests
- Continued producing the series solo through Cheryl B.’s three-month hospitalization in the final months of the run
Complete Monthly Theme Roster:
Secrets (April 2010) • May (May 2010) • Butch/Femme Pride (June 2010) • Freak Flag (July 2010) • Heat Wave/Erotica (August 2010) • Back to School (September 2010) • Masks (October 2010) • Dangerous Mammals Tour (November 2010) • Family Traditions (December 2010) • Tabula Rasa (January 2011) • Achilles’ Heel (February 2011) • Spring Fever (March 2011) • Siblings / One Year Anniversary (April 2011) • Poetry vs. Comedy Variety Hour (May 2011) • Second Annual Butch/Femme Pride (June 2011) • The Last Sideshow / Cheryl B. Tribute (July 2011)
Select Performers:
Kate Bornstein • Ivan Coyote • S. Bear Bergman • Melissa Gira Grant • Kay Ulanday Barrett • Silas Howard • Grace Moon • Jessica Halem • Susan Herr • Diana Cage • Ignacio Rivera • Lea Robinson • Casey Plett • Tania Katan • Kelli Dunham • Rachel Kramer Bussel • Audacia Ray • Rohin Guha • Aimee Herman • Christa Orth • Shawn Stewart Ruff • Najva Sol • Regie Cabico • Kit Yan • and many others
Official Series Photographer: Syd London
Outcome
Sixteen months of monthly queer literary programming in New York City — 16 shows across a complete themed calendar, 50–100+ attendees each, free admission, and a performer roster representing some of the most significant voices in queer and radical literature. Sideshow became a genuine community institution in the East Village queer literary scene in the year and a half it ran. Its archive at queerliterarycarnival.com documented every show and remains accessible via the Wayback Machine.
Promo photoshoot with Syd London at the Phoenix and nearby in the East Village
L: Performers from the first Sideshow, April 2010: Kate Bornstein, Kathleen Warnock, Cheryl B, Sam J Miller, Seth Clark Silberman aka PhDJ, Sinclair Sexsmith
R: Performers from December 2020: Whitney Porter, Silas Howard, Lea Robinson, Elizabeth Whitney, Cheryl B, & Heather Gold. Bottom row: Sinclair Sexsmith
Above: Promotional flyers with performer lineups; L: Sideshow website; R: Flyer example