Bryant Park Reading Room Hosts A Celebration of Poetry & Healing with Danielle Ofri & Thomas Dooley

Join us at Bryant Park's Reading Room on Tuesday, September 1, from 6:00–7:15 PM for a special Celebration of Poetry and Healing featuring Danielle Ofri and Thomas Dooley. This free evening brings together two acclaimed voices exploring the intersection of poetry, medicine, empathy, and the human experience. Ofri, a physician, author, and founder of the Bellevue Literary Review, is a leading voice on the doctor-patient relationship whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. Dooley, a National Poetry Series–selected poet and longtime hospital poet, leads humanistic medicine programs focused on empathy and the arts. An ASL interpreter will be present for the program.

The Reading Room at Bryant Park is a free, open-air literary oasis in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Open daily from 11 AM to 7 PM through October, it offers a thoughtfully curated selection of books, newspapers, and magazines for visitors to enjoy on the lawn beneath its signature yellow umbrellas or shaded trees. Now through September, the Reading Room offers a lineup of weekly literary programming, including author talks, poetry readings, film discussions, book clubs, and children’s StoryTime.