The Global Barfly’s Companion #5 by Kristin Maffei

Bar: Sea Witch Tavern

Location: 703 Fifth Avenue; Brooklyn, NY

Book to Bring: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.

There are no sea witches in Wide Sargasso Sea, but the book itself is magical in is lush language and post-colonial discussion of power. The red and gold that comes up repeatedly throughout the book is the perfect companion to the blue and grey of the Sea Witch’s mural.

Why Writers Love It: This South Slope tavern might just be the thing to bring you out of your writer’s block as you gaze longingly into their giant oval aquarium.

A giant sea mural adorns one wall, while a shark’s jawbone and alligator skull adorn another. The cocktails are reasonably priced, especially during happy hour when everything is $2 off, and the adjacent kitchen makes a mean stack of fries for just $2.75, so you can get a meal and a drink for under $10, something even freelancers could afford.

They show different themed movies most nights at 9 PM, and if the weather is warm, you can pull up a chair on their patio and watch the fish in the few small ponds they have. Plenty of people stop by with work in the early weekday evenings, so if you’re looking for a place to grab a beer, listen to some great music, and get your write on, this could be it.

Caveat Emptor: Just watch yourself on those $6 beer and a shot specials, friends.

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Kristin Maffei is a poet and copywriter living in New York City. Her work has been featured in Works & Days, Mount Hope Journal, and Underwater New York. For more information, visit www.kristinmaffei.com.