House Of SpeakEasy

House Of SpeakEasy House of SpeakEasy connects authors and audiences in innovative and sustaining ways.

House of SpeakEasy is grounded in the belief that the ability to read and write enables a person to know their rights, to be confident in their identity, and engage boldly and empathetically with the world around them. Founded in 2013 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SpeakEasy is dedicated to the idea that literature matters, and that the essence of literary culture is the relationship between writers an

d their readers. To foster that relationship, SpeakEasy seeks to: 1) bring authors out from behind the book into direct contact with audiences; 2) ensure that writers are compensated for their work and time; and 3) stimulate the audiences of tomorrow by exposing them to the best writing of today. SpeakEasy provides literary programming to students and communities in underserved communities and delivers literature to "book deserts," areas deprived of bookstores and without access to libraries, via a mobile book truck.

What does "We the People" mean? TONIGHT, 7:00PM at Joe's Pub & Online, John Avlon, James Basker, Terrance Hayes, Max Rud...
06/09/2026

What does "We the People" mean?

TONIGHT, 7:00PM at Joe's Pub & Online, John Avlon, James Basker, Terrance Hayes, Max Rudin, Chyana Marie Sage, and Heidi Schreck take the stage for Seriously Entertaining: "We the People" to reflect on these foundational words, America's 250th, our communities, and our complicated country.

🎟️ Last-call for tickets, take 20% off with code WRITER20: bit.ly/SeriouslyEntertaining
🎥 Watch the live-stream: https://youtube.com/live/t8MN8FDsDxU

“I first performed this little show a decade ago, for an audience of maybe 20 people, mostly friends. I’ve performed it ...
06/03/2026

“I first performed this little show a decade ago, for an audience of maybe 20 people, mostly friends. I’ve performed it during presidential elections, Supreme Court hearings, marches and protests. Every time I walk out there, the world has changed. I never quite know what is going to happen.”

Heidi Schreck () is a playwright, screenwriter, and actress whose play “What the Constitution Means to Me” ran on Broadway for 183 shows, was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and earned Schreck nominations for the Tony Award for Best Play and Best Actress in a Play.

The night of Seriously Entertaining “We the People” the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what “We the People” means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve. Presented in collaboration with Library of America (), Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country.

Featuring Heidi Schreck alongside James Basker () Terrance Hayes, and Chyana Marie Sage (), Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” will be co-hosted by journalist and historian John Avlon () and Max Rudin, president of Library of America.

🎟️ Last tickets are going fast. Get yours today at the link in our bio.

"I first performed this little show a decade ago, for an audience of maybe 20 people, mostly friends. I’ve performed it ...
06/03/2026

"I first performed this little show a decade ago, for an audience of maybe 20 people, mostly friends. I’ve performed it during presidential elections, Supreme Court hearings, marches and protests. Every time I walk out there, the world has changed. I never quite know what is going to happen."

Heidi Schreck is a playwright, screenwriter, and actress whose play "What the Constitution Means to Me" ran on Broadway for 183 shows, was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and earned Schreck nominations for the Tony Award for Best Play and Best Actress in a Play.

The night of Seriously Entertaining "We the People" the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what “We the People” means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve. Presented in collaboration with Library of America, Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country. Featuring Heidi Schreck alongside James Basker, Terrance Hayes, and Chyana Marie Sage, Seriously Entertaining: "We the People” will be co-hosted by journalist and historian John Avlon and Max Rudin, president of Library of America.

🎟️ Last tickets are going fast. Get yours today at bit.ly/SeriouslyEntertaining

Now up on YouTube: Sosena Solomon takes us on a hike up to the rock-hewn churches of Tigray, Ethiopia, giving us a windo...
06/01/2026

Now up on YouTube: Sosena Solomon takes us on a hike up to the rock-hewn churches of Tigray, Ethiopia, giving us a window into her documentary practice.

🎥 Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=RaTmszfqM5E

“I've thought over and over about the entry point to this story—our story of truth, or rather, the way that a truth can ...
06/01/2026

“I've thought over and over about the entry point to this story—our story of truth, or rather, the way that a truth can be crafted. But when the truth is crafted around a lie, the unravelling of that lie leaves a perception where reality feels precarious," writes Chyana Marie Sage in her instant national bestseller "Soft as Bones: A Memoir."

Sage returns to the Seriously Entertaining stage on June 9 for Seriously Entertaining: “We the People." This night, the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what “We the People” means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve. Presented in collaboration with Library of America, Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country. Featuring Chyana Marie Sage alongside James Basker, Terrance Hayes, and Heidi Schreck, Seriously Entertaining: "We the People” will be co-hosted by journalist and historian John Avlon and Max Rudin, president of Library of America.

🎟️ Last tickets are going fast. Get yours today at bit.ly/SeriouslyEntertaining.

Now up on YouTube: André Aciman weaves an elegy to his childhood home in Alexandria, Egypt, sharing what losing the city...
05/29/2026

Now up on YouTube: André Aciman weaves an elegy to his childhood home in Alexandria, Egypt, sharing what losing the city he grew up in taught him about preservation and impermanence.

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/gRH2I6obyiU?si=A2LvRfjs0sD1i8Ij

Terrance Hayes is one of the most formally restless poets of his generation, with his collections spanning nearly twenty...
05/27/2026

Terrance Hayes is one of the most formally restless poets of his generation, with his collections spanning nearly twenty-five years of continuous reinvention.

His poems have appeared in multiple editions of "Best American Poetry" and have won several Pushcart Prizes. He received a Whiting Award and has held fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and currently teaches creative writing at New York University.

The night of Seriously Entertaining: "We the People," the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what "We the People" means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve. đźššđź“š

Presented in collaboration with Library of America, Seriously Entertaining: "We the People" reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country. Featuring Terrance Hayes, he is joined by James Basker, Chyana Marie Sage, and Heidi Schreck, and co-hosted by journalist and author John Avlon and president of Library of America, Max Rudin. 🇺🇸

🎟️ Tickets at bit.ly/SeriouslyEntertaining

“I sometimes call myself a literary archaeologist because I’m trying to dig up things that are hidden or buried in the p...
05/20/2026

“I sometimes call myself a literary archaeologist because I’m trying to dig up things that are hidden or buried in the past,” says James Basker.

A professor of literary history at Barnard College and president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (), Basker works at the intersection of literature and history, drawn to the texts that have been overlooked or suppressed, and finding opportunity for them in society.

The night of Seriously Entertaining: “We the People,” the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what “We the People” means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve.

Presented in collaboration with Library of America (), Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country. Featuring James Basker, Terrance Hayes (), Chyana Marie Sage (), and Heidi Schreck (), and co-hosted by journalist and author Jon Avlon () and president of Library of America, Max Rudin.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now at the link in bio.


America250 WeThePeople

“I sometimes call myself a literary archaeologist because I'm trying to dig up things that are hidden or buried in the p...
05/20/2026

“I sometimes call myself a literary archaeologist because I'm trying to dig up things that are hidden or buried in the past,” says James Basker.

A professor of literary history at Barnard College and president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Basker works at the intersection of literature and history, drawn to the texts that have been overlooked or suppressed, and finding opportunity for them in society.

The night of Seriously Entertaining: “We the People,” the House of SpeakEasy Bookmobile will embark on a tour of the 13 original colonies. This show and tour support an inquiry into what “We the People” means, examining how democracy shaped the nascent United States 250 years ago, and how it continues to evolve.

Presented in collaboration with Library of America, Seriously Entertaining: “We the People” reflects on this milestone, our communities, and our complicated country. Featuring James Basker, Terrance Hayes, Chyana Marie Sage, and Heidi Schreck, and co-hosted by journalist and author Jon Avlon and president of Library of America, Max Rudin.

Tickets on sale now at bit.ly/SeriouslyEntertaining


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