The Unbearables papers

The Unbearables is a diverse group of poets, writers, and performance artists who share the same love for fringe material. They describe themselves as "a loose collective of noir humorists, beer mystics, fusionistas, neophobes, and passionate debunkers." Gathering in bars around New York City beginning in the mid-1980s, the informal group considers their official "founding" to be in 1985 at the Tin Pan Alley Bar in the East Village. The group gradually became more intentional, with expressions as diverse as demonstrations outside the New Yorker building and annual recitations of their poetry lined up along the Brooklyn Bridge. Their material covers a wide range of genres from fiction and illustrations to jokes and erotic poetry. There is not an official leader, but Ron Kolm, a bookstore manager and published author, has worked to keep them organized. Other noteworthy members are Hal Sirowitz, a poet and humorist; Bart Plantenga, a writer who also had his own radio show; and a poet named Sparrow, whose work has been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times. Further details about the Unbearables may be found in the collection itself, including overview and feature articles from the press.