Last month, James Franco was at the 92nd Street Y discussing his portrayal of Allen Ginsberg in the movie Howl, and how he developed his voice for the part. Now the 92Y has an mp3 of Ginsberg himself reading “Mind Breaths” during a 1977 appearance there. They say the poem was inspired by his study of samatha meditation, which Ginsberg has said "is paying attention to the breath leaving the nostril and dissolving into the space in front of the face. There is constant daydreaming and drifting away from that attention to the space." more ›

Man, the 92nd Street Y is on a roll. First Steve Martin drops by to talk about art, and more recently James Franco stopped by and he didn't even make out with a mirror! Below is video from his visit, which almost lost us at "auditory incantation"—but if you push through he flashes that dapper smile talks about Howl, and how he took a class about the Beats. Adorable. And yes, he actually did read Howl, he tells the audience: “I read it to myself in it’s entirety, I don’t know how many times... fortunately it comes in a very small volume so I could walk around New York and just read that out loud, and I did that.” more ›

THEATER: One of the most anticipated theatrical events of the year comes to DUMBO next month when St. Ann’s Warehouse presents a highly acclaimed production of Macbeth by the Polish company TR Warszawa. Staged for just 12 performances at an outdoor theater in the Civil War-era Tobacco Warehouse across the street from St. Ann’s, the bold production “reinvents the classic with a dramatic two-story set, video walls, special effects, and an extraordinary, layered soundscape.” Tonight St. Ann’s artistic director, Susan Feldman, talks with director Grzegorz Jarzyna; the program will also feature a DVD presentation of excerpts from Jarzyna’s previous shows. – John Del Signore more ›