Friends with Benefits: Belladonna* and The Believer Parties Almost Here

All you need is a few duckets and a hankering for a Brooklyn Lager -- yep, it's benefit season, and we don't mean amateur English cricket. So if you're in New York, put these two gems on your calendar: 1) The Believer/McSweeney's Party in the Yurt and 2) Belladonna* Benefit! Surely there's more. But those with poetic inclinations need look no further. First off:

On Saturday, December 3, The Believer/McSweeney's Party will feature an artist talk by Letha Wilson; a talk and screening of video work by Carlos Charlie Perez; Chinnie Ding reading "Pipe Dreaming: What Can Screensavers Tell Us About Our Wishes, Our Anxieties, and Our Obsessions?" from the Art Issue; poet Matthea Harvey reading OF LAMB and projects artwork by Amy Jean Porter; and Molly Young reading "Sweatpants in Paradise: The Exciting World of Immersive Retail" from the Sept 2010 Issue. One question: Will James Franco make an appearance? RSVP here.

On Tuesday, December 13, the Belladonna* Benefit will showcase a performance by Anne Waldman and Ambrose Bye, live auction by renowned auctioneer Erin Ward of Star Benefit Auctions with special assistant Amy King, and a dance performance by the A.O. Movement Collective. What's it all support? Funny you'd ask. More from the release:

The Auction and the Benefit will support Belladonna's 2012 season of publications and events, which share a theme of caring for the material realities of poets, viewing a publishing project holistically. We're referring to 2012 as The Year of Material Lives, and we plan to host combination readings/dinners with ample time set aside to discuss the economic and social concerns of writers, artists, publishers, and other creators. Moreover, in addition to continuing our commemorative chaplet series, we hope to publish five full-length books of hybrid and experimental work in the coming year including new work by Julie Patton, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, R. Erica Doyle and Tonya Foster.

Looks like they've got plenty of items to auction off, including rope climbing and circus arts workshops, two collages by Laynie Browne, a signed copy of Zippermouth by Laurie Weeks, and sets of broadsides. More on admission and location here. Have fun!