Women Writers to Discuss How to Make It in the Literary World

FLATIRON — Women writers seeking inspiration need look no further than a Flatiron gallery that is hosting shows dedicated to celebrating the work of literary females.

Pen+Brush, located at 29 E. 22nd St., will host two conversations with longtime women writers, giving artists the chance to hear of the successes and frustrations of women working with the written word.  On Tuesday, longtime Random House editor Joni Evans will chat with playwright and performer Mina Samuels about their experiences making a career in writing.

And on Thursday the gallery will host a conversation between Queens-based poet Lauren Amalia Redding and Kate Angus, editor of Augury Books.

The events are part of the six-week “Literary Takeover” series that began in January and is designed to emphasize the “pen” part of the gallery’s focus, according to Dawn Delikat, Pen+Brush’s associate executive director.

“We were always interested in dedicating the space in a larger way to the pen side of what we do, so for our second show we decided to make it all about the literary arts,” she said.

In addition to the events, the Takeover series features several long-term installations at the gallery, including a Typewriter Project booth at which visitors can join in the citywide crowdsourced writing project by sitting down at a typewriter and entering their thoughts. 

The exhibit also includes a graffiti wall, where gallery visitors can write to tell a “story” about what poetry means to them.

Pen+Brush has more than 120 years of history as a gallery advocating for women artists, and in recent years has shifted to act as a go-between connecting women with people in the art market who might want to sell their work.

By showing art directly to dealers and collectors and organizing shows around artists the dealers find promising, the gallery takes an active role in helping women make a living from art, Delikat said.

“The idea is that we are advocating for the merits of women artists not just by self-collecting them ourselves but by connecting them with the larger market,” she said.

“We exhibit them on our platform but we’re also trying to grow the whole platform.”

Joni Evans in conversation with Mina Samuels, at Pen+Brush Gallery, 29 E. 22nd St. between Park Avenue South and Broadway. On Feb. 9 from 7-9 p.m.

Lauren Amalia Redding in conversation with Kate Angus, 29 E. 22nd St. between Park Avenue South and Broadway. On Feb. 11 from 7-9 p.m.