Hokum Arts

29/05/2026

NEW BLOG POST: my thoughts on the loss of yet another major opportunity for playwrights

https://devonelson.wordpress.com/2026/05/26/rip-yale-drama-prize/

22/05/2026

Any honor and a privilege to be one degree of separation from Mother having trained with one of her original dancers. Still so many FIRSTS coming out of this company and this technique — and I’m honored to carry on the legacy. This exhibition is so vast and pays an homage to one of the key pioneers of discovering new ways to present dance after ballet. Up until November 2026 at Lincoln Center.

14/04/2026

RIP WEST VILLAGE

We used to say goodbye at this corner
After rehearsals and readings and rants
Dreaming of rave reviews
We would one day reach for
At the newsstand
From Habibi with the nice smile

We used to say goodbye at this corner
Pockets full of poker chips
From McKenna’s Pub happy hour
That portal to world peace
Where the bridge and tunnel meet
In the aorta of the big bloody apple

We used to say goodbye at this corner
After a meeting slash clambake
Next to the fire at Art Bar
Our favorite tunes and $5 beers
Before Google moved in
And everybody showed up in vests

We used to say goodbye at this corner
And cruise Andy Cohen
After almost bumping into him
And men would come up to us
Compliment our feet
And ask us to wear lingerie

We used to say goodbye at this corner
You’d take a yellow cab
I’d take the A down to Fulton Street
And wait almost forever for the J
After getting lost halfway there
The sensory overload of it all

We used to say goodbye at this corner
Where major decisions were made
To kiss or to hug
To give a handshake
To exchange numbers
To give in to the transient nature again

We used to say goodbye at this corner
Old Banks turned into shopping
And other tourist traps
Toxic gourmet organic labels
Afforded us an escalated price
Mom & Pops devoured by bastard sons

We used to say goodbye at this corner
When Dollar Pizza Cost A Dollar!
And the 99 Cent place was affordable
Where you could fix any problem
And still have enough for another drink
All that precious New York City junk

We used to say goodbye at this corner
And say hello again later that night
Meeting people we’ll never see again
Uptown where the rich are glitzier
And louder and meaner
And don’t know how to read a room

We used to say goodbye at this corner
And stop for Tylenol and Vitamin Water
That recharge ritual before bed
Setting 5 alarm clocks
Falling asleep to Rufus Wainwright
Wondering if he’s gonna text back

We used to say goodbye at this corner
And then decide to walk to the next train
A few blocks of meaningful conversation
A think tank of passion and deception
Bobbing and weaving again and again
Between the elite and the destitute

We used to say goodbye at this corner
Before Target and Wells Fargo
And we’d share the cigarette we bummed
From that lady from out of town
And she told us she had high hopes
For her daughter’s auditions

We used to say goodbye at this corner
After looking at magazines we weren’t in (yet)
And buying poppers and l**e
And cleaning that guy’s Airbnb for cash
And walking through a couple gardens
Imagining we could someday have ALL THIS

We used to say goodbye at this corner
Back when 23rd Street was the final frontier
And the strip of debauchery
Brought in the more appeasing crowd
Go-Go Dancers and Backrooms
Used to be the West Village local color

We used to say goodbye at this corner
And then I would take a long walk
Following the footsteps of my idols
And reminding myself it was worth it
To risk it all for a precious address
And live amongst the motley of creatives

We used to say goodbye at this corner
But now we only send memes
And the letters P M are anathema
And we don’t know any of the bartenders
The Ubers get more expensive at night
And the $3 subway is crazier than ever

03/03/2026

NEW BLOG POST: Moving on to Substack for my primary blog

Radio killed the Literature Star. Video killed the Radio Star. Internet killed the Video Star. Social Media killed the Internet Star. Influencers killed the Social Media Star. Artificial Intelligen…

09/01/2026

NEW BLOG POST: Reflection on my recent artist residency in Paris

https://devonelson.wordpress.com/2026/01/07/you-cant-take-it-with-you/

Always my first stop: the main artery that is The Seine River to get a glance at the city center. “Do you want to know all the wonderful and exciting things – or do you want the truth?” I qui…

08/01/2026

This is why I do what I do…

31/12/2025

Happy to be the featured writer on NPX right now

The New Play Exchange (NPX) is the world's largest digital library and discovery platform for plays by living writers, created by the National New Play Network (NNPN) to connect playwrights with producers, directors, actors, and readers, offering robust search filters (by cast size, genre, identity, etc.) for easy discovery, recommendations, and fostering connections in the new play sector. It's a subscription-based service providing access to thousands of scripts, serving as a vital tool for the entire theater community to find, share, and develop new works.

28/12/2025