Audible, which has named the Minetta Lane Theatre its new creative home for live performance in New York, will next present Olio Live at the downtown theatre, a live event inspired by Tyehimba Jess' 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection of the same name. The show will be presented February 18 and will feature performances by Jess, Literaryswag founder Yahdon Israel, and more.

Olio Live will be hosted by Jess and Israel and will be recorded live for release as an Audible original later in the year. Tickets are now available here.

The word “olio” means a hodgepodge or a miscellaneous collection of literary or musical selections. In Olio Live, Jess, Israel, and other performers will introduce audiences and listeners to the lives of the African American performers in the poetry collection. At the heart of the event will be meaningful discussions about identity, performance, and history.

Jess is the author of two books of poetry, Leadbelly and Olio. In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Olio won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, The Midland Society Author’s Award in Poetry, and received an Outstanding Contribution to Publishing Citation from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

Israel is a writer, editor, and creator of Literaryswag. He has written for Avidly, The New Inquiry, Brooklyn Magazine, LitHub, and Poets and Writers. He is the Awards VP of the National Book Critics Circle, the host of the Literaryswag Book Club, and the host of LIT, a weekly web series about books and culture.

Audible is currently presenting Colin Quinn's solo show Red State Blue State at the Minetta Lane through March 8. Performances began January 5.