Poetry + Prose: 2nd Sunday @ 2, June 9

A day of parades, the Pride Parade in Albany, & the Flag Day Parade in Troy where this reading happened in spite of it all. Nancy Klepsch & me, DWx, the hosts, readers & listeners.

I was first up with a clutch of new poems, the first perhaps goes on, "Counting Moons" then "Delete this Poem" (on censorship) & a sound experiment, "My Name." Brian Dorn has a distinctive style in writing & reading his poems & read a bunch of favorites, "Playing for Keeps," "Unglued" ("sort of a love poem," he said), a Sunday poem "3 Days," & "Back in the Day." Mike Connor began with a prose memoir from high school days, "The 32-coup" then the emotional tattoo portrait "Inner Ink." David Wolcott has been taking a class here at the Arts Center on performing written work so recited his piece he's read elsewhere about a drug experience "The Doors of Flagstaff." Tim Verhagen added to the his collection of family tales with a piece about his father (for Father's Day?) who said, famously, "I never loved my kids."

Elizag was fresh from her assault on Saratoga Springs last night, with a couple of short (haiku?) poems, then the slam poem she couldn't finish last night, "Are You Really Working Class?" Howard Kogan outdid himself today in just 2 poems, "I Remember America" with memories growing up in a post-WW II dream/nightmare, then the funny piece riffing off on the latest (or any) catalog from the Omega Institute. Co-host Nancy Klepsch read a piece about schools & gun control.

Lorraine Grund finally showed up here & introduced her new collection of poems Permission to Speak, the proceeds of the sale of which go for child abuse prevention, with a reading of the title poem, then a tender, ekphrastic love poem "Imprint." Ron Drummond was back from a trip to the left coast for a reading of his fiction/essay (that he has tried out here first on the 2nd Sunday) at KADIST in San Francisco at the beginning of May, as part of the launch of the art magazine White Fungus; for us he read a letter about ogling chicks at a cafe.

This series is taking a break for Summer (just like school) & will resume on the 2nd Sunday of September at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy NY, an open mic for writers of prose & poetry. Bring something you've written to read.

SLAM! - Saratoga Literary Art and Music, June 8

As you can see, this was not a "Slam" but a S.L.A.M., but 3 of Albany's finest poets performed in another of Saratoga's problematic "Arts Festivals." This was held on the patio of Sperry's Restaurant on Caroline St. The problem here being Caroline St. -- next door at Dango's was a loud rock band & a booze soaked crowd, not to mention the loud, booze-soaked crowd on Sperry's patio. Not that poetry needs a quiet, sober crowd, as we know. But this was the snooty, over-dressed Saratoga elite who has little interest (or awareness) of poetry.

Jill Crammond was first up, even before the bands, introduced by an enthusiastic M.C. who nonetheless equated "slammin'" with "poetry." This was not a Slam -- no judges, no scores, the poets did sets. Didn't matter, few in the audience knew the difference. But Jill, "blond, pink & beautiful" hit the suburban housewives in the audience with her biting commentary on marriage, the role of women (& men), sex & divorce with a selection of her best "Mary poems," reading against the rock beat next door & the 3-deep chattering at the bar. Not to mention her hair was perfect.

Next up was jazz-singer Donna Singer performing with the Doug Richards Trio. Miriam Axel-Lute is a poet/performer whose work is much closer to Slam than Jill's, reciting most of her poems from memory. Her poems were energetic pieces set in Albany, in New York City, even a little bit of radical economic theory. She ended with a piece that about being LOUD! & was able to get through some of the babble.

Elizag followed, a member of Albany's first Slam team that went on to the Slam Nationals last year. If anyone in the crowd was interested in Slam, Elizag gave them a major dose, beginning with her classic "Meatball" poem, riffing on "motherfucker." She continued in the same vein, baiting the audience until she got to a new poem, a quiz to see if you are truly working class, a powerful piece to deliver to a 1% (or at least 1% wannabee) audience, including a relentless, inarticulate heckler. That reminded me of the old axiom that the best poetry is kind that will cause a fist-fight to break out in the bar.

That was it for poetry, as the Hot 8 Brass Band took the stage. On the way out, Don Levy gave his blessing to the night with his classic assessment: "That was a good reading." I'll give the organizers credit for reaching out to poets to be part of the Saratoga Arts Festival, but Caroline St. on a Saturday night may not be the best venue for it. At least no one got stabbed.

Poets Speak Loud!, May 27

Poets Speak Loud!, May 27 This series is held on the last Monday of the month & so each year it falls on Memorial Day in May. Today we gathered in spite of (or because of) the Holiday in the back room of McGeary's, our busy, attentive waitress was Victoria (a real cutey) & our host was Mary Panza (another real cutey), who was also one of the night's featured poets. But first some open mic poets, eagerly clutching their poems in their fists.

Sylvia Barnard was 1st with 2 poems inspired by her front lawn, Washington Park, "The Morris Dancers" & a set of 8 haikus for the Tulip Festival. Then, abruptly, Lake Sally was created in the form of Guinness, an extra task for beleaguered Victoria. Brian Dorn strode across the lake to read 2 of his rhyming poems that folks have been enjoying, "Agitated" ("…over you…") & what he said was for our featured poets Avery & Mary tonight, "Poetry is Sexy." Joe Krausman's 2 poems were both inspired by birds, the first "People Left Hanging," then a poem written in Yiddish by his uncle, translated by Joe, about a bird in a cage. Cheryl A. Rice read a new poem combining images of an old doll & a medical exam, "Biopsy."

One featured poet, Avery, introduced the other, Mary Panza, both of who celebrated a birthday this past week with a tequila pub crawl, the story of which did not make it into this Blog (to protect the innocent, if there are any). In any event, Mary's set list tonight was essentially the same as her reading on May 1 at Caffè Lena, so go check that out here.

I was the next open mic poet up with a couple of poems for the day, "Memorial Day 1999" & the more poetic, "Patriotism." Karin M-T made an all too-rare appearance at an open mic, but instead of her own poems read 2 exquisite poems by her friend Victoria Moore, who died 8 years ago, "Dog & Pompeii" & "Report My Passing Krakatoa" (I recall a marvelous reading I did with Victoria & a bunch of other women poets at "Miss Mary's Art Space" near the beginning of New Scotland Ave. many years ago). Sally Rhoades read "What If My Father Was a Poet" for fellow poet Mike Burke, then the related "My Mother Was a Waitress," ending with an elegy for a friend, "Is That a Rain Cloud Passing Over Me?" A.C. Everson was the last of the open mic poets with her self-portrait, "Scrabble Slut."

The final feature & final poet of the night was Avery with what he attempted to describe as pieces on the Chakras & Kundalini Yoga, but becoming somewhat incomprehensible in his description. The first piece, "OM, a Kundalini Experience" was performed in very un-OM pressured speech. The 2nd piece, "My Kundalini Rising," was prerecorded, using cuts from the Grateful Dead, Dave Brubeck & selections of Soul music, & his reading of the text sounded like an announcer doing a commercial for a New Age venue like Sounds True or the Omega Institute, in a throaty, overly dramatic radio voice. In addition to being a bit tedious ("soporific" said one of the other poets in the audience), the pieces were marred by notably uninspired phrases such as "unadulterated creativity," "divine union," & "writhing with ecstasy." True spiritual experiences are rendered best in images that suggest what the person felt & saw, rather than in the abstract language of a sales pitch.

Spiritual or not, Poets Speak Loud! happens on the last Monday of each month at McGeary's on Clinton Square in Albany, at 7:30PM, with featured poets & an open mic for the rest of us. Check it out on AlbanyPoets.com.

Sunday Four Poetry, May 26

The house was packed for today's featured poet, Jill Crammond, with a long list of open mic poets, introduced by Edie Abrams. I'd gotten there early before the doors were even open, with a carload of Albany poets, including the perfectly coiffed featured poet, so I ended up at the top of the sign-up sheet.

Seeing the long list I read just one poem (the limit was 3), an old piece I like to do for Memorial Day, "John Lees." I was followed by Carolee Sherwood with 2 new pieces, "The Surprise of 2 Red Roosters" (the surprise was the birds themselves in her poem) & the urban scenes of "Mother Downtown with Bow & Arrow." Dennis Sullivan began with a short love poem, "Musetta," then his more characteristic metaphysical musings of "A Day in May when the Frost Comes" (for his grand-daughter) & "A Disconcerting Fact About Nature" (for Larry Rapant). Lloyd Barnhart also did a poem for Memorial Day, "Collage from a War Footing" on the endless wars & profiteering, ending with reference to the old Pogo cartoon comment, "We have met the enemy, & it is us." Don Levy, whose life is richly detailed on his FaceBook page, wrote a poem about an altercation on FB, "The Right Side."

Dan Lawlor read a poem in rhyme written 20 years ago about how everything is more expensive, "Money's Worth," then a newer piece on Death as a card dealer. Tim Verhagen is known for his hysterical, outrageous stories of his family; today we got a heavy dose, with pictures, of "Grandmama," "Things Mom Used to Say When I Was 6 Years Old," & the poem about his brother, who, like grandmama, took many years to die. Edie Abrams reprised the poems she had read Friday night -- no apologies necessary, Edie, it was good to hear them again. Mike Burke said he pulled his poems "from the vault," the first a character study of an old guy & his Yorkies, then an angry rant on reading the ages of the military killed in Iraq. Brian Dorn brought back rhyme with a love poem, "Luck," & a poem about Schenectady, "The City that Lit Up the World."

Mike Burke introduced the featured poet Jill Crammond, explaining that he earned the honor by beating Dennis Sullivan in a leg-wrestling match -- I would have paid to see that. Jill read poems from her new series about Mary (of the Blessed Virgin type), explaining that she thinks she should become a nun, having heard the voice of the "Blessed Mother." Just listing the titles will give you a sense of what these fine, poignant poets are about, beginning with "How to Wear Rosy Glasses," followed by a couple of list poems, "Mary Goes Camping" & "Mary Prepares for the Storm." Then "Mary & the Greener Pastures" & a trio about a broken heart, "Mary Writes a Prayer," "Mary's Terrible Heart" & "Mary Writes a Personal Ad." Some of these were written for the Tupelo Press poem-a-day project, including one I had suggested to her, "The Pope Writes a Letter to Mary." "Mary & the Commandments" raised the possibility of more than 10. "Mary Waits for the Grass" & "Mary Kneels in the Garden" had her comparing her yard with the "better" yards of her neighbors. Ex-s were coming out of the woodwork in "Mary Does Not Return the Affection," & she ended with a poem from a sub-set of the series, "Mary & the Deer, Part 3." There are lots of "you"s in her poems, like advice, on gardening, on relationships, & her poetry is refreshingly about as far from abstract as a poet can get ("no idea but in things" indeed). It was a one of the best readings in this series, tender, ironic, humorous, -- & did I say her hair was perfect?

Usually at Sunday Four Poetry the featured poet is the last one to read, but due to the packed house the open mic continued. Tim Dwyer is scheduled to read here next year, but showed up today to check out the scene, giving us a sample with 4 poems from his manuscript on Irish themes, "Between 2 Shores," one poem, "Mid-Summer," drawing parallels between the American Indian battles with other tribes & the Irish conflict. Lee Slonimsky had driven up from Red Hook with Tim Dwyer, read 3 sonnets from his book Logician of the Wind with a variety of strange themes: one from the point of view of an atom in a girder in old Yankee Stadium, another at Vesuvius, & a 3rd from the point of view of Pythagoras.

Is it me? Did you ever notice that whenever there is a long open mic list, some poets toward the end of the list tend to read the longest poems? Obeeduid read 3 poems, abstract, philosophical, & long, his last poem, "Anything Can Happen," in multiple parts, was as long as the other 2 combined (& one of those was long too), sort of a "half-feature". Sally Rhoades began with a poem from a visit to D.C., "High Water Mark," then an old poem "The Cardinal" & a recent dream poem "I Could See My Mother." Alan Casline, after some announcements, read poem about a cast-party for a chair (!), then another from wandering around Nashville, & then his poem to the late Jim Williams, "Good-Bye to Shadow Poet."  Joe Krausman began with a fable in rhyme, "Apples," then a humorous piece written many years ago, "My Poem Shop." Bob Sharkey read a piece about the issue of re-building our cities & covering over memories of what the city has been, then "Flying High" about a trip to visit his new grand-daughter & finding a poem in a box.

The last 2 poets rarely make it to open mics so it was a refreshing end to the reading by hearing their work. Sharon Stenson's first poem, "The Chickens" was about freedom, then a poem of lost love, "Tango Del Morte" & a portrait of 4 year old playing a piano for her teddy bear, "The Truth About Mary." Faith Green's poems were short, with quirky titles, "Irregular Yardstick," "The Deja Vu of Love," ending with 2 haikus.

There is one more in this series of Sunday Four Poetry, at 3 PM, at the Old Songs Community Center in Voorheesville, before they take a summer break, then return with a new schedule for the Fall & into next year (including Tim Dwyer).

Poets of Earth, Water, Tree & Sky, May 24

This is a sorta regular series in the non-snow months of the year at the Pine Hollow Arboretum in Slingerlands, that brings in a featured poet & an open mic for the community poets. This night there was a full list of open mic poets as well as a number of just-listening audience members, with Alan Casline, the host, polling each reader for their astrological sign.

Given the title of this reading series I ransacked my list of poems looking for some "nature poems" & began with "How I'm Doing My Part to Preserve the Adirondacks" an urban older piece, then the much more recent, rural "Leprechaun's Cottage." It's funny how some people don't know their astrological sign, say "I'm on the cusp," but in fact your are either one or the other (we're talking Sun signs here, al la daily newspaper horoscopes), so Edie Abrams said she is either a Sagittarius or a Capricorn. She read 3 poems playing to one degree or another on her Jewish heritage, the tender "I Remember" about lighting the yahrzeit candles, then "My Night With Leonard Cohen," & another memory poem, "Day of Rest."

Bernadette Mayer, a Taurus, read a poem she said was so short she had to give it a long title. Obeeduid, a Pisces, read a trio of "big idea" poems, beginning with one about Jim Williams, "As a State of Being," then the hopeful "To What Warmth," & "The Power of Maintaining Life" pondering school shootings. Michael Conner, Sagittarius, read some nature poems, "Auto Moment" (about rain), the rhyming "Almost Spring," & "Post Peak" (Autumn). Phil Good read 2 short seasonal poems, "Above Average Temperature," & another on the confusion of the names of flowers.

The featured poet was Stephen Ellis who read long, philosophical pieces pondering the Big Questions in singularly un-poetic terms, often in what he aptly termed "second-rate abstractions." Obviously he was an Aquarius. The poems were titled "Poise," "Rebel Forces," "I Didn't Know," "Bunny Lake is Missing" (on movie themes, of course), & "God is My Girl Friend" (thinking about existence while in a tent), a notably undramatic reading.

Gene Damm, a Leo, read a couple poems from his travels in China, "Congee" (the pale, rice porridge), & "The Gingko Girl." Brian Dorn, another Sagittarius, read 3 rhyming poems, "Playing for Keeps," "Plain to See" (on subtle beauty), & the environmental "Another Step Forward." Joe Krausman, another Leo, read a poem about Mary Baker Eddy, & taking a shit, & a poem based on a New York Times obituary about a woman funeral director. Our host, Alan Casline, is a Taurus, read "Good-Bye Shadow Poet" (for Jim Williams), then "My Navajo Butterfly Song," & a short poem with the long title "Born Along by the Propitiousness of the Times."

The first Scorpio of the night, Alifair Skebe, made a rare open mic appearance & read a poem to her daughter, "The Writer, After Richard Wilbur's 'The Writer'" then another poem for her daughter, "A Life for a Life," & the simply stated "Spring." The only Virgo of the night A.C. Everson began with a poem on being wrong, "Probable Wonder," then 2 related poems written 10 years apart, on clouds & dragons in the sky, "Surprise Scene" & "Waking."

(left to right) C. Roohan, R. Mendoza

Robin Mendoza, another Scorpio, had popped up earlier in the month at Caffè Lena, began pulling poems from different pockets, first the descriptive "5 Girls," then from another pocket the strange, dream-like "Egg," & a poem about spending all night traveling around New York City, "Christ in the Wilderness." Then he joined his friend, the last reader, Conrad Roohan (a Pisces) in a dual voice reading in a stylized manner of what could've been a song lyric, or a parody of one, I wasn't sure.

This series continues roughly monthly on Fridays into November, at 6:30PM at the Pine Hollow Arboretum, 16 Maple Ave., Slingerlands, NY, sponsored by Rootdrinker Institute, the Delmar Writers Group, & the Hudson Valley Writers Guild.

Nitty Gritty Slam #45, May 21

Now that the Slam team has been selected, nominated, whatever, this was a wide-open slam for anyone to give it a shot & it was refreshing to not see all the same faces.  But 1st K.P. (Kevin Peterson) served as host for the open mic.

First up with a love poem in rhyme ("High Wire") was Brian Dorn, who later made a brief appearance in the Slam. Avery read an homage to Led Zeppelin, a "cocktail of the mind, the soul" (actual phrase), "Time to Flip the Record." Rose Marie also made an appearance in the Slam but for now read a rhyming poem wondering where was the man in her life.

Katie Leach

Katie Leach's poem centered on the image of a kitten becoming a lion. "O.P.P" who later appeared in the Slam as Michael, read a love poem from his phone. K.P. read a new Slam piece he is working on, using such literary allusions to suicide as "a Hemingway" & "to van Gogh." Jess ListenToMyWords read a new piece written today about feeling broken, "A Letter to Myself."

The Slam had 6 of us signed up, for a traditional 6-4-2 Slam, with K.P. as the Sacrificial Lamb earning respectable points with his "Deviant Behavior" poem, il papa Thom Francis our mild-mannered host. At the end of the first round Brian Dorn & I were at the bottom of the pack & eliminated. I had done "Pussy Pantoum" but lost points because I was over time. I have timed performing it between 2 & 3 minutes, but must've read a bit slower than usual (some lines are a bit of a tongue-twister). In any event I wouldn't have beaten the 4th/3rd place place performers, Michael (formerly "O.P.P.") even with his singularly bad performance dropping lines, & Rose Marie. But Rose Marie was the next to go, not enough sympathy for her Mother's Day poem.

Thom Francis, "Love," Melissa, Michael

3rd place went to the poet with the handle "Love", leaving Michael & Melissa to battle it out. Melissa took first place with her series of Slam-style/Slam-coached pieces, ending in the final round with the "small poem" she has done here before.

Speaking of small, it was a small (barely enough judges between us competing poets & the guys running the show) but enthusiastic crowd that didn't need a cheer-leading Slam host insulting us to shout louder, as we've had to endure in the past. But if you want to judge, or not, show up some 1st or 3rd Tuesday at Valentines in Albany, NY for the Nitty Gritty Slam. You can read in the open mic, too. All for $5.00 & whatever you spend at the bar. Sponsored by AlbanyPoets.com.

Third Thursday Poetry Night, May 16

Every third Thursday is special here a the Social Justice Center, but I was particularly pleased to have as our featured poet one of the "greats," Bernadette Mayer. Back in the late-1970's I lived in the East Village in New York City & attended many events at the St. Marks Poetry Project, when Bernadette was there giving workshops. I never took her workshops but read her books & I may even have a copy somewhere of the mimeographed zine she edited "United Artists." But before I go on with the history of modern poetry in the late 20th Century, I need to finish this report. Tonight's muse to bless the night was the mid-20th Century (she died in 1970) "condensery" poet Lorine Niedecker.

& first up for the open mic was another of the greats, Alan Catlin, with a poem about the 1960's, "Sunshine Superman," a portrait of a drug dealer. Phil Good said he brought some tiny poems, didn't know about the one poem rule, read instead "Ellie's Other Weather," a tale of country living. Mike Connor's poem was titled "Rolling," on spinning through another day. Brian Dorn said he likes to read poems appropriate to the Social Justice Center when he is here, so tonight read an anti-war poem, "Out of Whack." Joe Krausman has been reading a book about memory to talk about it for the Friends of the Albany Public Library noon-time book review, so he read a poem on memory, "Losing It." K.P. (Kevin Peterson) tried out a new performance piece about playing Tetris to measure a person's true abilities.

Bernadette Mayer now lives in East Nassau & her new book The Helens of Troy, NY was published this year by New Directions in their new Poetry Pamphlets series . She read a selection from the book, starting with a poem about her neighbor, Helen Green, who was the inspiration for the project, then to the youngest Helen in the book, "Helen Willett Sonnet." The poems are based on interviews with each Helen & includes a photo of each. One of the oldest Helens is "Helen Worthington Bonesteel," a short poem of memories of going to school in a sleigh, & of Troy on fire, as did "Helen O'Neill Davis." "Helen Fuller" is more of a list-poem description. She ended with a poem she said she wrote for me, her "social justice poem -- maybe," "I'm Glad it Was on My Porch," about a warbler on her porch.

After the break, & the accumulation of a fewmore open mic poets, I read my poem about the Gulf oil spill, "Pindar's Shrimp." Jacky K. said her poem, an unsettling, anaphoric piece playing on "Simon Says…" about sexual predation, is untitled, or might be titled "Didn't Say." Sylvia Barnard read a series of 8 Haikus, "Tulip Festival 2013, Albany, NY." James Belfower read from Hannah Weiner's Open House, Day 52, which mentions Bernadette. Matthew Klane, a local "condensery" poet read what he called "Some Words on the Street," short pieces like definitions. Jan Farrell was up next but then couldn't find her poem, so Alan Casline took over & read "Lap Water Off the Roof…" a description, perhaps, of Bernadette's house & garden. Jan came back having found what she wanted to read, a story poem for Mother's Day, "Dear Mom," a jobless man calling home. Kenneth Williams, a new voice & face, snuck in to give us a little baseball history, talking about Jackie Robinson & racism. Although he had gotten here earlier, Kenyatta Jean-Paul Garcia signed up last & so was our final poet for the night with some abstract philosophical musings on language & truth.

Third Thursday Poetry Night takes place each month at the Social Justice Center, 7:30PM, a featured poet with an open mic before & after the feature, $3.00 donation helps pay the featured poet, supports poetry events in Albany & helps support the work of the Social Justice Center.