YeahYouWrite: A NYC Reading Series with a Twist

On a late September evening, tucked away in the back of Someday Bar in Brooklyn, Lisa Kristel introduces Pakistani-American writer Komail Aijazuddin, presenting him with a literary cocktail inspired by his debut memoir, Manboobs. The lights dim, and he is serenaded by drag queen Nancy NoGood, who struts down the aisle decked out in blue sequins belting out “Tits and Ass” from A Chorus Line, the song the author sings as a child in the opening scene of his memoir. It brings Komail to tears.

#YeahYouWrite was founded in 2015, the brainchild of Lisa Amico Kristel and Robin Luce Martin, fiction writers who envisioned a reading series along the lines of a literary soirée, with dinner, cocktails (or mocktails) based on featured books, open mic slots for emerging writers, rapid-fire Q&A, and author revelations of their worst reviews or rejections.

New York City is packed with literary readings, and publishing companies often expect authors to arrange their own book tours and signings as part of a marketing platform. The business side of writing can feel like a slog to sell books. Lisa and Robin wanted their reading series to feel less like business and more like a celebration. “Writing is a solitary activity,” says Robin. “Hours alone in a room. Social time is essential. We wanted fun readings where authors and readers could gather to build an ongoing community focused on literary fiction.” They’ve hosted over 200 writers in ten years, from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners to first-timers, all to champion the written word.

Lisa and Robin met at the Salt Cay Writers Workshop in the Bahamas in 2014. At the time, Lisa and her husband owned a New Orleans-style restaurant, Bo’s Kitchen and Bar Room on 24th Street in Manhattan. “When I first saw the downstairs lounge,” Robin says, “I couldn’t believe it. This was the perfect space for readings.” Turns out Lisa had been thinking the same thing.

The garden lounge had an Escher-style tessellated tile floor, a hand-painted floral ceiling, and mirrors on either end that gave the space an intimate, boozy Southern elegance. They booked three writers to kick off the series on November 10, 2015: Téa Obreht, David Ebershoff, and Dan Sheehan. That night, Dan spotted the giant lighted marquee sign upstairs in the restaurant that read ‘Yeah You Right.’ It was a light-bulb moment that gave the series its name. “It is a New Orleans expression, you got it, you’re right,” Lisa explains. “The sign was right there, but so familiar to me that I didn’t notice it anymore. Dan pointed out the obvious.”

Another series feature debuted that night, when writer Téa Obreht handed Lisa a list of questions to ask the group of writers at the end of the reading. The rapid-fire Q&A was born, giving insight into each author’s process. “That’s evolved into a database of hundreds of questions,” says Lisa. “They are about craft, writing, and reading in general.”

Lisa, a former computer programmer and graphic designer, is the series emcee, a role that took some time to adjust to. “I was not quite so marvelous at first. It took a few events before I realized I should have something more pithy to say after an author read than ‘That was great.’ I began to take notes and do my best to respond to something intriguing or particularly beautiful, or even funny. Over time, I wasn’t as nervous and began to enjoy it.”

Robin, an actress, is the event photographer and curator. She started by booking writers she knew and loved. “I aim to have a mix of established and debut authors, those represented by major publishers, and others by small, indie houses.” She wanted to ensure there was space for unpublished writers to read, and included short, 2-minute open mic readings in between headliners.

The literary cocktails evolved out of the space. “Since we were hosting in our downstairs ‘Garden District’ lounge—a bar,” Lisa says, “I thought it made sense to present each author with a literary cocktail. From our inaugural event onward, I searched the author’s books for ingredients and drink names. ‘The Lili,’ for David Ebershoff’s The Danish Girl, included akvavit, and the recipe copy linked the drink to that character. Téa Obreht’s ‘Pink Tiger’ (for The Tiger’s Wife) included the difficult-to-source rakija, a Serbian plum liqueur, and Irishman Dan Sheehan and Restless Souls, his Irish novel about Irish mates, called for Jameson Caskmates.”

Lisa determines which ingredients to use, and sometimes they’re imaginary, like tears from an author’s book (in the case of Daniel Magariel’s cocktail “Destiny” for his novel Walk the Darkness Down). She writes the copy and works with the bartender to develop the recipe. “In the last few years,” she says, “I’ve been mining the books for more than ingredients. Each recipe incorporates quotes, turning them into mini-essays that illustrate themes and characters.” During the reading, authors are presented the drink to taste and the recipe to read to the audience, who can purchase it at the bar.

Hearing them recite scathing Amazon book reviews or agent rejections is so hilariously harsh it becomes a catharsis for writer and audience alike.

Lisa and Robin read each book closely to prep for readings. “We make extensive notes while reading,” Robin says. “Mine are marginalia in my hard copy, Lisa takes notes as she reads her Kindle. We start texting ideas right away. At first, my ideas sound wild, but they usually pan out because Lisa can pragmatically execute anything!”

Over time, readings became more theatrical, incorporating musicians, dancers, and props to bring characters, themes, or scenes from the books to life. Robin found a dancer to perform a modern piece for Lauren Morrow’s debut novel, Little Movements, about a black dancer who moves to a small town in Vermont for a chance to become a choreographer. Jazz vocalist Hjordys brought a child slave’s song to life for Princess Joy L. Perry’s historical novel, This Here Is Love, an intergenerational story of slavery in 1700s Virginia. Authors are often moved to tears by the thought and care Lisa and Robin put into producing each event. Austin Grossman, who read from his novel Fight Me in 2024, says: “Lisa and Robin’s generosity to each author –the Q&A and the signature cocktail –make each event more than a reading – it’s a showcase for who each author is and the uniqueness of the thing they’ve created.”

Robin’s experience at the workshop in the Bahamas led to one of the most uproarious elements of the reading series, all stemming from a bad rejection. She received a scholarship to attend on the encouragement of an agent, who then trashed her writing in the workshop. “I left the Bahamas confused, wondering whether I should give up writing.” It took a year to shake off the criticism, and she later published a story penned at that workshop. Rejections are a part of the writing process, and they are a part of #YeahYouWrite. At the end of each night, writers are asked to share their worst rejection or review. Hearing them recite scathing Amazon book reviews or agent rejections is so hilariously harsh it becomes a catharsis for writer and audience alike.

Bo’s was forced to close for good during COVID, and readings stopped for two years. When #YeahYouWrite returned, Lisa and Robin tried out several bars and restaurants across New York City, finally landing at Someday Bar.

The hosts continually embrace new ideas and collaborations, partnering with literary magazines, hosting special events with songwriters, writing colonies, and foundations. Their mascot, a mannequin they dress thematically in banned book jackets, or as Ms. Brooklyn for Brooklyn Book Fest, came out of a 3-day reading and installation at Fahrenheit 451 House in Catskill, New York, in 2022. Close friendships have developed through their readings, and they’ve seen first-time open mic readers become published authors. “This reading series is amongst the city’s best,” says Tyler Wetherall, the author of Amphibian, who read in January 2025. “Lisa and Robin go above and beyond; with literary-themed cocktails, costume surprises, and general hilarity, this is so much more than a book event – it’s a brilliant time.” G&S

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