Roy Nathanson launches "A Brief History of Our Ears"

Celebrate the publication of this handmade limited edition chapbook with a special reading, performance, and reception

About this Event


Join author, musician, and professor Roy Nathanson for the launch of his one-of-a-kind collaborative chapbook, A Brief History of Our Ears!

Roy will read from the book, followed by a special musical performance, signing, and reception. Copies will be available for sale at the event.

From A Brief History of Our Ears
"My ears began as multicellular creatures crawling slowly in sand. They might have been mistaken for oysters washed up on shore or even mussels, but there were no pearls inside the shells of my ears. For protection, they buried themselves in sand. Even then, my ears could hear the world grinding its savage teeth. Even then, they could hear the animals dying in battle or fleeing from it. When the sea covered them, they floated for ages until they sprouted wings with tiny hairs. Then they joined the flocks of ears rising into the sky, surveilling the earth for a home. Over time, some settled on rocks and evolved into moss. Others landed on trees and shook like leaves until they became leaves. Some just became the ears of the wind. And some collided with other ears and fell to the ground unconscious, stomped on again and again. My ears dove onto the top of my head, where they fluttered like butterflies until I caught them and cupped them to the gluey sides of my face, where they stick out like antennae."


About Roy Nathanson

Roy Nathanson is a saxophonist, poet, actor and professor of text and music at Gallatin College of NYU. His longtime band, the Jazz Passengers, has recorded 10 CDs and collaborated with guest artists, including Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Jeff Buckley, and Jimmy Scott, for whom Roy wrote a variety of songs. Roy has written two books of poetry: Subway Moon (Buddy’s Knife Editions) and Conversations and Other Songs (Madhat Press.) He has collaborated on films and/or recordings with Chantal Akerman, David Cale, Anthony Coleman, Nick Hakim and a bunch of other folks.

Roy is the recipient of Bessie and Joseph Jefferson Awards and grants from Chamber Music America, The Rockefeller Foundation and NYFA. Roy grew up here in Flatbush and during the pandemic, Roy played on his Flatbush balcony for 82 straight days, which led to the founding of the free neighborhood poetry/music program, ‘’Brooklyn Porch Music.” His archives are housed in the Fales Library of NYU.

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