Poet John Amen on the Pedestal at Cornelia Street Cafe Friday, Oct. 16

John Amen, a well-known poet and notable editor of award-winning bimonthly literary journal, The Pedestal Magazine, will read from his new collection At the Threshold of Alchemy on October 16th, 6 p.m., at Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village.

Amen is the author of three collections of poetry: Christening the Dancer (Uccelli Press 2003), More of Me Disappears (Cross-Cultural Communications 2005), and At the Threshold of Alchemy (Presa 2009), and has released two folk/folk rock CDs, All I’ll Never Need and Ridiculous Empire (Cool Midget 2004, 2008). His poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including, most recently, Rattle, The New York Quarterly, The International Poetry Review, Gargoyle, and Blood to Remember. He is also an artist, working primarily with acrylics on canvas. Amen travels widely giving readings, doing musical performances, and conducting workshops. Amen is also well known as the founder and editor of the award-winning literary bimonthly, The Pedestal Magazine (www.thepedestalmagazine.com).

His reading will follow an open reading at the cafe. Poet/racanteour Kat Georges hosts. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.; the open reading begins at 6 p.m. Admission is $7, which includes a free drink.

Cornelia Street Cafe is at 29 Cornelia Street, between W. 4th Street & Bleecker, just around the corner from the W. 4th Street subway station. Phone: 212-989-9319. www.corneliastreetcafe.com