2nd Tuesday All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, January 13

I don’t do many Zoom open mics now, but this is one I visit regularly to stay in touch with old friends (emphasis on “old”?). This night we were certainly a senior gathering. Charlie, our host, likes to do the 2-round thing, 1 poem each round.

I started off the list with a poem a fairly recent poem in each round. In the 1st round a Frank O’Hara style piece about running errands, “The Shifting Sands of Errands,” then later one that has become a poem card from the constantly growing series of bus poems, “Bus Riders.”

Tom Nicotera read brand new poems, the first from working at the branch library, “Redtail Hawk Under the Library Window,” dead from crashing into the window; then in the 2nd round a poem based on a memory with his brother in 1957, like a dream, looking at the stars.

Sharon Smith read “13 ways of Ways of Looking at America” inspired by Claude McKay from a prompt from a workshop on “the poetry of presence;" for round 2, “Wind of Change,” waking looking at the leaves.

Sherri Bedingfield only read 1 poem, having to leave early, “Contact with my Brother,” memories of her brother, looking for reconciliation. 

Mark O’Brien read a pastiche of a famous poem by William Carlos Williams that he (Mark) apparently read last month here about a Vermont ice cream company, the poem began, “I have licked Wilcox’s stick;” then a poem about stars & missing his brother.

Ginny Folger said that in her youth she was “Brave” (the title of her poem), but now she worries about breaking the other leg; her 2nd round poem, titled “Sorting Things Out,” was about being in her new place & findings things that can be thrown out. 

Julie Lomoe read the piece she had read at the recent 2nd Sunday @ 2 in-person open mic in Troy, the introduction to her prose memoir about being a painter in the art scene in Soho in the 1960s.

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, read a Cento from a the 2014 collection Seasons of Wisconsin which was a fundraiser at the time; then a poem about a brief warm day in the midst of Winter, the hopeful “It’s Spring.”

If you’ve been to this Zoom open mic held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month it’s likely that you are on Charlie's list & he’ll send you the link when it comes time for next one. However, if you’ve never joined this open mic & think you might like to, send him an email at charlierossiter@gmail.com to ask for the link. You’ll have fun.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, January 11

On to our 16th year doing this, it was only fitting that the co-host, Nancy Klepsch, led off the signup sheet. She read the poem, “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” written some years ago by Renée Good (her name was Macklin at the time the poem was initially published), who was murdered this week by an ICE agent in Minneapolis — I want my City neat: no ICE.

Graydon, who read here a couple times last year, read 2 untitled pieces, the first beginning “Every person has a poem …,” then a piece musing about wanting to be forgotten.

Eric Russell was new here & began with an untitled piece in one long line about a dream hotel (The Dream Hotel is a fascinating & scary novel by Laila Lalami, who read this past year at the NYS Writers Institute); Eric’s 2nd poem was titled “When You Hold On To the Egg Too Long” which was also the poem’s first line. I read my poem titled “2 Dreams,” which was commissioned & inspired by Mark Tremont, who sadly died last January, then a poem based on a sticker on my car, “Fire Elon.” David Gonsalves also read a poem inspired by Renée Good, his own titled “Last Words.” 

Anne Hohenstein returned to the dream theme with a sad, grim memory of her brother & her mother titled “Signal Dreams,” & a workplace piece titled “Confident in the Office of Zombies.” Sally Rhoades read about being in her mother’s 2nd wedding, “My Mother Used to Pray,” from a new poetry manuscript she is shopping around to publishers.

I sometimes have a hard time in understanding what Karen Fabiane says as she tends to swallow some of her words, so I may be wrong about the title of her first poem, “But” a portrait of a friend, then a second poem I’m not sure has a title about mermaids as porn stars, or the other way around. Julie Lomoe read the introduction to her prose memoir about being a painter in the art scene in Soho in the 1960s.

Nancy returned to bookend the afternoon with a poem she wrote with her wife Lauren Pinsley, “George Floyd is There to Receive Renée Good into Heaven.”

Please join us for this open mic for poetry + prose on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 2:00pm at Collar Works, an arts collective, at 50 4th St., Troy, NY — Free! & open to all.

Brushes & Pens, January 9

At Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery in Troy. As it says on their website, “Brushes n’ Pens, an evening rooted in community and creative expression. Through spoken word, music, and advocacy, we gather to listen, share, and explore the stories that connect us.”

Interestingly enough all 3 of the poets reading this night had been at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in Albany in December & I, personally, am glad they were there.

First up was Mena Brazinski, who set the tone for her reading with her first piece, “It’s Been 3 Days Since I Thought About Having Sex,” personal, conversational pieces like telling stories over coffee. While musings about sex were a large part of what she read, there was a poem about her grandmother (“Joan”), one based on the movie “The Princess Bride,” one about a friend from school the title poem from her chapbook Other Things That Burn. Then there was the piece titled “Everyone is Fucking Each Other But Nobody Loves Me,” as well as excerpts she read from a longer ramble, “Pussy.” Very entertaining self-absorption.

Juni introduced themself as “I write poems about being queer & hating the government,” & read a string of longer, discursive pieces, but a bit more in-your-face than the first reader. The first piece they read was titled “Pomegranates Are Concrete,” which is an acrostic poem the poet announced after reading it. Other pieces were titled “Pill Bottle Pavement,” the anaphoric “Ode to Dykes,” “Parrot Among Penguins” (about living & Autistic in DC), “Sonnet for Charlie” (a rhyming piece, a screed against Charlie Kirk, “I can read this, I don’t think the FBI is in the room”), “Royalty Free” (a fascinating prompt to imagine all your past Halloween costumes as tattoos on your body), & a piece from a workshop on manifestos, another poem repeating the line “Our dreams …” Quite a tour of the life & feelings of the poet Juni.

The final poet was Mary Panza whom I’ve been listening to for as long as the poetry scene has taken over Albany, & she included some familiar favorites — she has developed “in-your-face” to a science, starting off with “Kiss My Fat White Ass.” “Fuck the Giving Tree” is a take-down of the Shel Silverstein tale. I’m never sure if this poem has a title, but it begins dramatically enough, “I am dreaming of Vim Vender's London …” stacking up images from film noir black & white, on to a portrait of a neighbor “Free-Balling in Work Pants,” & ending with a piece on the lies we were told titled “Painful Religion.” A great lineup of poets with attitude.

Wavy Cunningham rounded out the night with his rap pieces, backed by his own mix tape, I don’t think there were titles, or if there were they were imbedded in the stream of rhymes & alliterations.

Check out the website of Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery for a schedule of their events, donations accepted — at 147 4th St., Troy, NY  

Third Thursday Poetry Night, December 18

Enid Dame

Sanity Clause was in the house for the annual holiday open mic (but as Chico Marx once said, “everyone knows there is no sanity clause…”), & another tradition was the reading of the great, gone poet, Enid Dame’s, “Holiday Poem.” Tonight’s featured poet was Anna Boughtwood — but first a few of the open mic readers.

First on the list was Avery Stempel reading from a series of poems about walking around NYC, “Train to Penn Station” on the way there. Tom Bonville read about really writing, “Now I Know,” practicing in front of a mirror. — But Sanity Clause forgot what he was doing until reminded by the next reader that Sanity Clause needed to hand out the Xmas gift of poetry to each of the readers. & then we could proceed. 

David Gonsalves' “Touchstone,” a meditation on reincarnation, was inspired by a painting of the Eye of Horus on the side of a barn. Cat Syman was here for the first time, lucky her to join us for the raucous chaos of the holiday event; her poem, “Dear ChatGPT,” is a wish list letter of tasks for the computer to take on, poignant & humorous, satirical. 

Anna Boughtwood is an Albany poet who is active in the re-birth of the zine scene locally. She read a string of generally short poems, each with a succinct introduction, starting with a couple of house poems, the first, “Hell is For House Slippers” followed by a poem from a dream abut a house she will never have. But from then on the poems were nearly all satirical commentaries on the medical industry & her dealing with chronic illness, with such titles as “But Have You Tried Yoga?,” or “Please Arrive by 7:45 AM Reply 1 to confirm” (a satire of the questions on medical forms), or imagining a vacation instead of medical procedures & visits to CVS in “Vacation Leave in Lieu of Sick Leave.” In response to a question, “do you have any good veins?” she imagines the “good vein” on her left arm as a polite, honor roll student, & in response to a biopsy that sounded like an ear-piercing gun she wrote “I’m Getting My Next Biopsy at Claire’s.” Another poem championed the writing of her Diary in spiral notebooks in pen rather than on social media. She ended with recently written work, both love poems, “This Touch the Weight of Us” & a series of micro poems, barely a line or two long each, “Your Touch Loves the Distance.” Richly imagined, humorous, & personal poems well read.

After a short break we were back with the rest of the open mic writers but first I joined the list with an old poem, “Winter Light,” a rant against the season. 

The first of the rest of the list was Juni, whom I’d seen read at Paper Mood in Troy in August; tonight she read a poem responding to a comment from a barely named public figure (i.e., RFK Jr.) who said he had never written a poem (in addition to his remarks on autism), she read a poem to him & “hoped to make a gender neutral bathroom” of his grave.

Elaine Kenyon read a longer piece responding to, & in the style of, Andrea Gibson’s slam poems, on her image, & school bullies. Sally Rhoades is also a regular here, & elsewhere, read a long poem titled, “Long Shadows,” a love poem about hold hands with her husband mixed in with memories of her family — then she did as she does each year, sat on Sanity Clause’s lap. & the final open mic reader of the night Mena, “This Is What I Imagined Chicago is Like (I’ve Never Been to Chicago),” filled with precise images & family memories. 

(At this point I’d like to acknowledge the generosity of the writers who have come to this reading & open mic throughout the year. Your contributions help pay the featured reader & support the work of the Social Justice Center, & this year your donations to the passing of the hat have made it possible to contribute a total of $412 to the Center. Thank you everyone! & Keep Writing.)

This event takes place each third Thursday of the month at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY at 7:30PM with a local or regional writer as the featured reader & an open mic for the rest of us. Thank you again for your generosity & for your words.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, December 14

The last one of 2025, with 4 of the regulars, minus my co-host, Nancy Klepsch.

I started off the sign-up list with a new poem inspired by my reading of a new translation (by Mark Polizzotti) of André Breton’s novel Nadja, “The Blue Wind” part of my series of witches poems; then a holiday piece & love poem to my mother, “Christmas 1945.”

Karen Fabiane has been a long-time supporter of this open mic, showed up today looking for cake — that was last month when she was also here, but she had poems to share & that’s why we were/are here. She had had printer problems in printing our her poems & the lighting in this space was less than optimal, so Sally Rhoades (up next) loaned Karen her cellphone flashlight to read “Pavilion,” an intricate swirl of words; then a memory poem of artist friends, “Someone.”

Sally was next to read from her notebook, a piece written on the train to NYC from Albany, a letter to Oklahoma poet Ken Hada, “Sunrise,” then a descriptive companion piece also written on the train, “The Sun is Setting.” 

Both of the pieces that David Gonsalves read were untitled, the first, on the hieroglyphics of Winter images, the second of the images of hands on a heavy overcoat.

Collar Works is a community arts organization based in Troy & has graciously invited 2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose to use their space at 50 4th Street each month. Please join us & share your written word each 2nd Sunday @ 2PM. Free!

Saratoga Springs Senior Center Open Mic, December 12

Perhaps one of the rewards of aging is the freedom to go to a poetry reading/open mic during the day — while others are at work. Our host, Rachel Baum, began with a poem titled “Assisted Living” by J. Allyn Rosser, which became a minor theme of the afternoon.

The featured poet was Elaine Handly who read poems from her forthcoming book, Heartbreak Grass, from Kelsay Books, in the Summer. She began with a series of poems related to weather, linking the poems with her short intros, “Weather,” “North Country,” “At the Airport,” & “Winter Fantasia.” Then on to one about having a cold, & “Hildegard von Bingen Has an Ocular Migraine” (imagining what the 12th Century abbess, composer & mystic would think of what she saw), & ended with a poem in which everything goes wrong, “Kablooey.” 

On to the sign-up sheet, with Rachel Baum reading her poem titled “Assisted Living.” Many of the poets read poems on the theme of Winter, such as Joanne Levine with a poem about longing for Winter in the Summer. Leslie Sittner picked up on the aging theme with the alliterative “Seven Senior Sins & Their Progeny.” 

Marilyn McCabe said she is not known for writing “love poems” & read an untitled piece that might be a love poem. David Gonsalves returned us to the theme of weather with his short poem titled “Under the Weather.” Elaine Klein read a new poem that also touched on the Winter theme, “Skating on the Milky Way.” This time of year I like to read Enid Dame’s “Holiday Poem,” written in the waning of the last century (“We need each other’s Light.”). Barbara Ungar read “Manifest,” a fantasy/dream of waking in a hospital. 

Jay Rogoff is about to become Saratoga’s Poet Laureate on January 1; he read a poem titled “The Home Garden,” then a new piece based on Zeno’s paradox, “Perfectionism.” Rhonda Rosenheck read 3 Haiku gathered together as “Heaven,” then “For Jane Who Is Becoming a Friend.” Susan Kress’ poem titled “The Art of Disappearing” centered on her parents. 

David Graham returned to the seasonal theme with “Winter Solstice Dreams.” Then Kathleen McCoy dipped into her book Ringing the Changes (Finishing Line Press, 2019) to read “In Dream’s Liminal Land.” Angela Snyder took up the theme of aging to bring the afternoon to a close with her piece titled “When Did I Become Old?”

This open mic takes place each 2nd Friday of the month at the Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY, at 1:00PM — Free! 

Third Thursday Poetry Night, November 20

The featured poet, Sarah Michelle Sherman, did her homework & filled the house with her family & friends — after all, if they don’t come to one’s readings, who will? Tonight’s Muse was the recently gone poet Hal Sirowitz (1949 - 2025) whom I had seen perform at the Dodge Festival in Waterloo Village, NJ, in September 1996. He became well-known with his collection, Mother Said, (Crown, 199), poems of advice from his late mother, Estelle Sirowitz. I read “Crumbs,” which begins “Don’t eat any more food in your room, Mother said…”

On to the open mic list. Elaine Kenyon, host of the Poetry Night at the Schuylerville Public Library on the 2nd Wednesday, read a poem from her project in 2024 to write a poem each day responding to the Word of the Day, this one dated July 11, the descriptive “My Grandfather’s Swank.”

Samson Dikeman was here tonight to support the featured poet; he read his poem “Don’t Blame the Messenger” in honor of the 10th anniversary of when he started working for the US Postal Service, a humorous & touching celebration of a poet/mailman.

The next 2 readers were David Gonsalves & Avery Stempel. I was recording the night’s readers but didn’t notice that the battery had run out until it was time for the featured reader, & I wasn't taking notes, so I have no idea what they read.

Tonight’s featured reader, Sarah Sherman, corrected me during my introduction by saying that indeed she had been a featured poet here previously, on February 19, 2012 & one can find my Blog entry here .

She read a couple poems & a couple longer pieces, i.e., essays, & began with the poem “The Truth is in the Ashes” a breakup piece, about burning the detritus of a relationship; then to a poem titled “I’ll Do It Myself” holding her baby son, after the break up, affirming herself into the future as a mother.  Then on to the longer pieces, “For Those in Attendance at My Funeral,” imagining asking those at her funeral what they will say about her, & again her son; she ended with another long piece, a story of consoling a suicidal friend, “A Flirtatious Interest in Tomorrow,” her intervention saves him, perhaps. Her pieces are dark, but soul-searching, & show that an examined life is indeed worth living.

After the break I read my poem “Red Boots” based on a story a friend told me.

Amanda has been here for the poetry night a couple of times in the past & tonight she read a recent poem, “This Is the Train to Ronkonkoma,” responding to a family wedding she didn’t want to attend, like a woman drinking flutes of champagne on the LIRR.

Sally Rhoades read a tribute/memoir poem, “A Thousand Little Kindnesses” about the neighbors & friends that have carried her through life, from childhood to now.

In spite of my confusion & not reading the name written on the sign up sheet, the final poet of the night was Austin Houston who read a meditative piece, “A Walk Around the Neighborhood.”

The Third Thursday Poetry Night takes place monthly at the Social Justice Center in Albany, NY, 7:30PM, with a featured reader & an open mic for community writers — your donation supports poetry events in Albany & the work of the Social Justice Center.