The Kitchen’s series of 50th Anniversary Conversations continues with a roundtable exploring the history of literature and language-based programming at The Kitchen. From the time of The Kitchen’s first literature event in 1976 through to the establishment of its dedicated literature series in 1989 and into the present day, The Kitchen “has presented vanguard literary work, from many points of view, through author readings, spoken word, and other forms of live Literature events.” The roundtable participants Constance DeJong, Jessica Hagedorn, Carl Hancock Rux, and Matvei Yankelevich exemplify the range of language forms cited in this quotation from a 1995 Kitchen press release. Having presented their work in different decades, the participants in conversation will convey both their individual contributions to and reflections on The Kitchen’s fifty years of programming.

To coincide with this roundtable, a Video Viewing Room will be published in early May showcasing work that DeJong, Hagedorn, Rux, and Yankelevich (as a member of the Ugly Duckling Presse editorial collective) have presented or organized at The Kitchen.