Saratoga Senior Center Open Mic, January 10

Back to this daytime open mic, with our host, Rachel Baum, who began with a poem titled “Grace” by someone else.

The day’s featured poet, Kathleen McCoy, led off the reading with a poem titled “The Burning Garden,” then “Green and Burning Oak” for her mother after death, both from Kathleen’s book Green and Burning: Glad Agus a Dhó (WordTech Editions, 2016). Then a couple poems from More Water Than Words (Finishing Line Press, 2017), “The Island of Black & White,” & “Multi-Lingual” (for her mother-in-law) with hard-to-pronounce Hungarian words. From Ringing the Changes (Finishing Line Press, 2019), “Larval Dream” (on miracles), “Dreaming of Jesus,” “The Sixth Sign” (from John, chapter 11), ending with a 9/11 poems, “Praying in the Dark” that ends with “… that each breath might be a prayer.” I was pleased to once-again hear Kathleen’s poems in her own breath.

Rachel Baum led off the open mic list with a poem titled “Like Beatniks,” portraits of her parents at a family dinner in a NYC bistro. David Graham read his poem “The Dogs in Dutch Paintings” (the 1st poem he ever read at Caffè Lena) from a recent Caffè Lena collection Table Top Poems, then a poem titled “Love” playing off a famous William Carlos Williams poem. 

Both of the poems that David Gonsalves read contained images of fire, “Evening on Mt. Epilogue”  was a string of random images, while his 2nd poem was about wild fires in Hawaii. Jay Rogoff read one poem, “Over the Underworld,” on the death of a poet/friend. Barbara Ungar’s poem, “Knocked Back,” on grief, sounded like automatic writing, but she said it was a “collage” poem, published in River Harbor Review.

Mary Abbott said this was her first time reading; recently widowed, she has moved here from NYC; she read a few short poems written in the ’90s, many with rhymes: “Happiness 2,” “Just Another Broken Dream,” & “Heat Wave for NYC in July.” Marilyn McCabe read an eco-poem on the death of a baobab tree “Subtraction & Addition.”

Gerry Wichrowski read what we call in the open mic biz OPP (other people’s poetry), nothing wrong with that, ”The Three Kings” by Muriel Spark, & “The Future” by Leslie McNair (watching afternoon TV talk shows). My poem, “2 Dreams,” was commissioned by my late friend Mark Tremont, a community & environmental activist. Rhonda Rosenheck brought the afternoon of poetry to a close with 2 pieces, “One Poet,” written this morning, & a Haiku on the loss of a friend.

This open mic is held on the 2nd Friday of each month at the Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY at 1:00 PM — a featured reader & an open mic, the host is poet Rachel Baum.

Brushes & Pens, January 3

This is a new reading series (started last month) run by folks from Hell Yeah Lit & held at Stacks Espresso Bar in Troy. It was billed as “a mixed media word showcase” due to an informal group of musicians who jammed after the poets were done reading. The MC/host was apparently named Eric.

Poet Anna Boughtwood was first to read; I’d seen her read last year at the Word Fest Open Mic held at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts. She started with “Have You Tried Yoga?” (a poem of pain), “Hunger,” “Good Veins” (having one), a love poem “The Press of the Compass,” then a couple about real estate, one a dream of house as a hell house for revenge. I liked her edgy, quirky poems.

The second reader was introduced by simply the letter “L” who said she had not read any of these poems out before tonight, beginning with one on procrastination. Her poem “Chunky” was about a character in the video game Minecraft (she said); then a memory of a meeting in a dive bar years ago; one titled “Life & Death by Popcorn;” the short poem in rhyme “Canine Dreaming;” & one about her complicated love of Winter.

In contrast to L, the next poet, Michelle Améliore Polacinski, had the longest name on the program, which was too much for the host who introduced her just by her first name. She read her poems from her phone, said many were “unhinged,” beginning with “Somebody Loves the Culligan Water Man,” then to a love poem of sorts, “Follow Me on Social.” “Poem About My Neighbor” was about a well-known Troy street cat; “Climate in September” was in the category of eco-poems. Set in the Mall “100 Fucking Dollars” was a commentary on consumerism, then she ended with what she said was her most “unhinged” poem, the ironic “Everything is Fine.” 

The last 2 readers, Ian Ross Singleton & Natalya Sukhonos, were actually given top-billing on the program so I guess one could say that they were the "featured readers." 

Ian read from his translation-in-progress from a novel by an early 20th Century Ukrainian poet & novelist, Yuri Ivanovych Yanovksy (1914 - 1961), about the sea & hanging out in Odessa. Ian is hoping to have the novel translated & published in English in 2026. Ian’s published novel, Two Big Differences (2021) is also set in Odessa (as well as in Detroit), a gritty, urban, “punk” tale set against the Maidan uprising in 2014 in Ukraine. It’s a work I’ve enjoyed very tremendously, as much about language as it is about the main characters, Valentine from Detroit & Zina, an Odessitka. Tonight he read the roiling section from the end of the novel where Zina drowns in the Black Sea (which is very much a character as well). 

I have heard Natalya read her fine poetry a few times in recent years, including when we read together at the behest of the NYS Writers Institute during last year's solar eclipse. She is author of A Stranger Home (Moon Pie Press, 2020). This night she read unpublished poems, starting with one titled “Ars Poetica with Spider & Keychain” the prefatory poem to a new collection she is working on, then a poem about her great grandmother from Odessa, a dream of apples; on to a piece from a translation project of stories/testimony by Ukrainians. “The Beast” was a poem for her mother, the “beast” is cancer; then a poem about migrants dying in the desert trying to get to a safer, better place, “Over the Border & Then Nowhere.” Her next poem, “Ode to Guatemala” was a happier piece, from a family trip; she ended with a seasonal poem, a reaction to the Winter, “Dear January.”

Although the flyer had advertised “The Musical Stylings of The Freedom Jazz Dancers,” the musicians that were individually introduced were a more informal group that provided an eclectic backdrop to the scattered discussions about the poems we had heard.

All in all, a stimulating variety of poets & poems, in a pleasant cafe setting, not just coffee, but also local & New York State spirits; Stacks Espresso Bar in Troy is at 13 3rd St.

Third Thursday Poetry Night, December 19

The annual Winter holiday version of this monthly event, had as its host the holiday Sanity Clause. Tonight’s feature poet was Barbara Ungar, but first the traditional invocation of the holiday Muse, the poet Enid Dame (1943 - 2003) with a reading of her poem from December 1996, “Holiday Poem.” Each reader was given a gift of poetry from Sanity Clause’s wealth of poetry zines.

The first of the night’s reader was Sylvia Barnard, who read a true story of her aide, Sheila, finding Sylvia’s mother’s crêche. It was a wonderful, unexpected present to have Doug Holiday join us tonight, to read a poem by the recently gone Nikki Giovanni (1943 - 2024) “We Are Virginia Tech,” then he talked about researching his family history, & his new flip book, & the genocide of the Palestinians (books available at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza). Kate McNairy was another poet who returned tonight, with a poem about memory sounding like saxophone jazz. 

Former feature Bunkong Tuon, known to us as BK, came to hear Barbara Ungar & for Sanity Clause, read “How to Defeat Pol Pot” a lesson for his elders from What Is Left (Jacar Press, 2024). Tom Bonville said that the piece he was reading was just finished yesterday & apologized that it was “more prose than poetry” (but then we don’t know where the line breaks are, do we?) “Three Days Before Xmas,” on a train from NYC to Hudson, a chance encounter with a fellow traveler.

Barbara Ungar, author of a number poetry books, after retiring from teaching & raising her son, can now be a full-time writer, read mostly from her new book, but started with some new poems, beginning with “Curriculum Vitae” for her students, a dream poem about teaching; then 2 poems for her late partner, poet Stuart Bartow, “The Triangle Diner,” then an abecedarian poem “After-Life Invitation” a letter to Stu in the beyond. Then on to her new book After Naming the Animals (The Word Works, 2024), poems about the 6th Extinction (which we are currently undergoing), beginning with “Wild Life” (dreaming of polar bears), “How to Age Gracefully” (with more polar bears), & “Weight.” From Part II, “Call Me Eve” the opening poem, & one of the animal poems “Blue Dragon,” & one on her name “Santa Barbara.” On to the last section, about what we are going to do about all this, “Resolutions for 2024,” then ends with yet another dream poem, “Dream Voice.” A wide-ranging, often humorous (or ironic) exploration of the ecological mess we are all in.

After a break we continued on with the open mic, & I read my one of my poem cards “Starting the Wine.” Sally Rhoades read a poem about her grand children (4) “I Am Their History,” celebrating being a grandmother & remembering her own grandmother. David Gonsalves read the light-hearted “Still Life with Half-Eaten Apple” traveling the World. Carolee Bennett was back at the open mic “All I Know About Intimacy Is How We Fail It,” mixing the environment & the weight of the ex. Jill Crammond's “Things I Need to Confess” was a list poem of sorts, self-reflexive, serious & silly too. The poet who signed up as JAC (pronounced “Jack”) performed from memory a love poem, perhaps to himself. 

The last signed-up reader, Shevoné, had been here last month & I guess we didn’t frighten her away; she read a piece she wrote late at night, “FWH,” working through a relationship with advice on how to behave. Nike did not sign up but got courage at the last minute to make something up to recite in rhyme & was urged to come up to the mic to put a fitting cap on the night.

We will continue on into the New Year to meet on the third Thursday of each month at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany to share our written & spoken words, with an open mic & a featured reader — start time is 7:30PM. I want to thank all those who have helped us over the year (& years) with your words & generous contributions to keep this event going, to support poetry events in Albany & the work of the Social Justice Center.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, December 15

Photo by Sally Rhoades

Sadly, this was the last 2nd Sunday open mic at Collar City Mushrooms in Troy — the building they have been renting has been sold & the mushroom farm must move. And indeed they are, they have found a new home at Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, NY. This series originated at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in November 2010, & it has always had a Troy identity, with Troy resident, Nancy Klepsch, & me (Albany) as co-hosts. The COVID pandemic shut us down from March, 2020 to May 2021when we did a few seasons on Zoom. Later in the 2021 when the Arts Center reopened they did not have funding to support being open on Sundays but Nancy & I agreed that Sunday, like Troy, was part of our identity. Avery Stempel had recently opened Collar City Mushrooms on 2nd Avenue, & he welcomed us into his space in August 2021, &, with the exception of a few months in early 2022 back on Zoom, we continued to hold this open mic for poetry & prose each 2nd Sunday of each month.

This Sunday we had an overflow crowd (& an overflowed signup sheet) for our final session here.

First up was Gary, who joined us for the first time last month; he read 2 pieces in funny rhymes, the first a humorous take on filmmaker Michael Moore, “Roger, You, and Me,” then the astronomical “Who Mourns Pluto?” Wayne read a poem that he had read at a 50th year reunion at Vassar College, “Field Studies Benediction,” then a meditation on the existence of God, “How Can There Be Nothing?” Julie Lomoe sang (sort of) 2 pieces, “The Old Crone Blues,” & “It’s the Most Over-Hyped Time of the Year.”

Rhonda Rosenheck read “After the Writing Retreat” about after swimming in the Kinderhook Creek, a funny piece about how her thinking & even her speech changed to match the style of the poems, then a peaceful piece about being in the forest, “Earth’s Watch.” David Gonsalves confessed that he doesn’t like to work from prompts, but tonight read 2 poems from prompts, “Burnt Offering” & “Aardvark.” Tom Bonville read a tender, moving poem, “Christmas Morning” about his mother dying, remembering her life in Europe before the war.

Sally Rhoades read her short memoir “Summertime” about her youth in Westville, NY, recently published in True North: Words and Images from New York’s North Country, an anthology published by the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System. Tom Corrado read another poem from his ongoing series of “Screen Dumps,” this #797. 

Photo by Sally Rhoades

I read a couple poems I'd read at a previous 2nd Sunday some years ago, "Arts Festival Delray Beach," channeling Alan Catlin's poetry, & "Southwest Flight 2095," the hot-pants poem. Co-host Nancy Klepsch read a poem, in accent, “The Woman from Long Island: the Queer Version” then a poem about a friend who died of AIDS years ago, apparently in a drug trial but on the placebo. Kurt talked about the history of Haiku, then read a couple of his own, one on the New Moon, another his “mushroom haiku.” Rita read a poem in rhyme, “Hear the Call of the Wild,” then one titled “Many Moons.”

Maria Diotte read at the first open mic in August 2021 here at Collar City Mushrooms, & returned today to read a poem titled “Clairvoyance.” Erica’s first poem was titled “The Fox & the Burn,” then an emotional piece about the mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022, “Goodbye to Springville.”

It was fitting that the final reader of the final 2nd Sunday at Collar City Mushrooms was Avery Stempel. He announced that his article, “Treating Cluster Headaches with Psilocybin-Containing Mushrooms” was recently published in the recent issue issue of The Mycophile Quarterly (can be found on page 25) a publication of The North American Mycological Association. In addition to farming mushrooms, he has been doing advocacy work promoting the medical benefits of psilocybin. Then he launched into a couple poems responding/commenting on the closing of his storefront in Troy & moving up to Altamont to the Indian Ladder Farms. “I’m Feeling” was what the title says, a litany & performance of his feelings, often loud & dramatic, while “Amongst the Mushrooms” was quieter, a tribute poem community, & his friends & supporters in Troy. As they say, a bitter sweet moment.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose will continue on at Alias Coffee, 219 4th Street, Troy at, well as is says, the 2nd Sunday of each month at 2:00PM. We’d be glad to see you there.

 

Second-Friday Veteran Reading Series & Open Mic, December 13

This fairly new reading series is held at The Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration in Saugerties, NY & is hosted by poet & US Army Viet Nam veteran Dayl Wise. Dayl is also the publisher/editor of Post-Traumatic Press out of Woodstock, NY; over the years he has published my work in anthologies & collections of poems. I was honored to be invited to be the featured poet on this night. He dedicated tonight’s event to the memory of Jim Fallon, a recently deceased buddy.Wayne started us off with a couple songs on his guitar, a Xmas standard “Have Yourself a Merry Xmas,” & a song by Pete Seeger.

I started off my reading with a peace poem from Oil War I “Peace Marchers at the Viet Nam Memorial" then into a variety of other pieces: 2 related pieces, “Tourism” (about the fire at Nortre Dame in Paris) & an older piece, “Church Burner.” Then on to a couple poems each from my chapbooks, Baseball Poems (2019) & Poeming the Prompt (2011), & ended with another, albeit lighter, than what I stared off with, “Buttons Not Bombs.” 

Then on to the open mic, with Cheryl A. Rice leading off with a poem about Long Island, “Oysters Learn to Keep Their Mouths Shut.”  Bruce Weber followed with a poem about his cats, then one about a woman living alone by the sea, & some reflections on the 1950s titled “While Waiting.” 

Joanne Pagano Weber read a short story titled “Nova” a somewhat magical piece about a character taking a cab to Brooklyn looking for blue lights & a green door. Our host, Dayl, read a poem about his experience in Viet Nam & memories of his childhood.

Next was more music by Karen Beth on guitar, a fun song about late night radio & “Taking My Baby Back Home.” Richard Comerford read an alphabet poem I think was titled "Sugar Bush aka Maple Tree.” Alison Koffler read a memoir piece about shopping with her parents & about Green Stamps, then another about her deceased mother, “Calling Mom.” 

Marianna Boncek read a poem from a news story of an young girl in Central America & dedicated it to Leslie Gerber (coming up) who had also written about the same story, then a poem about her deceased father inspired by a slow driver, “My Father on Xenia Road.” Dave Kime read about an incident in the Mojave from his time in the Army, “Tank Trap.” The aforementioned Leslie Gerber did a “mini-feature,” with “Buddha Walk” (micro-fiction), “Outdoor Music,” “Breakfast Mozart on the $19 Boom Box,” “The Trees Sing,” & a love story “Her.”

Judith Kerman read from a new book of poems, like a dictionary, “Xylophone” & “Zenophia,” then a Xmas song, “The Cherry Tree Carol.” Dayl was back with another poem from his combat experience beginning “I was a dancer once…” Guy Reed paid tribute to the late poet/publisher Donald Lev (1936 - 2018) by reading Donald’s poems, “The Workshop,” “The Not-So Great,” “Number 1,” & “I Have Vision.”

This reading series with an open mic takes place on the 2nd Friday of the month at The Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration building located at 24 Twin Maples Plaza, Saugerties NY. The building is a bit hard to find, off to the left after one enters the Plaza, but be patient & bold, it will be worth it.

Writer’s Mic, December 11

This Zoom open mic takes place each month on the 2nd Wednesday & the host is poet Jackie Craven, sometimes in Schenectady, sometimes in Florida, & always a fascinating mix of poets dial in.

Susan Oringel read 2 “alphabet poems,” the 1st from when she was 17 years old, “ABCD Elegy”, a bit of silliness; then from a prompt in a writing group, “An Abecedarian of Plenty,” longer, more like a dictionary poem.

David Graham read just one poem, “Donuts,” his latest poem about a young neighbor’s driving patterns (i.e., doing donuts late at night).

I read the same poems I read last night on the Bennington Zoom, inspired by the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris 5 years ago, the direct response, “Tourism,” & an earlier, more generic poem “Church Burner.” 

Alan Catlin read from his, what must be, considerable archives, “The Hieronymus Bosch Sequence,” in 6 short parts, images from the paintings; then an old bar poem, about a revamped neighborhood bar, a found old poem “The Young & the Feckless.”  

Judith Prest read an intense poem in reaction to the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, “Under the Sign of the Rusty Coat Hanger” a reminder of the horrors of years before Roe v. Wade, tragically back again.

Ellen White Rook dialed in from Maine with what she called,  poems “leftover from the Fall, “Where the Road Was,” reflective & descriptive & “Triptych” with flowers, colors, & the Moon. 

Susan carol Jewell read about being confused by the games that the kids today seem to know so well, “At the Gaming Expo.”

Brooke Joosten was here for her first time open mic, read a short piece without a title, from a prompt about food (making paella), coming back to the suburbs during COVID & walking by the beach. 

Julie Lomoe also began with the same piece she read on another Zoom open mic last night, “Driving in the Darkness” on the anniversary of John Lennon’s death, then on to her favorite holiday parody sings “It’s the Most Over-hyped Time of the Year.” 

Jackie Craven read a couple of absurdist prose poems, linked pieces read together, the main character a the chief officer of the community association, dream-like images of a domestic dispute.

Writers Mic is a Zoom open mic held each 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM Eastern Time; one can find the link on the Writes Mic Facebook page — join us.

All Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, December 10

The host is poet Charlie Rossiter who likes to do 2 rounds of 1 poem per round, & it works quite well. But first, his traditional “Open Mic Invitation/Introduction,” which I reference each time I write about this event. Here it is, courtesy of Charlie:

you can rant/you can chant/you can shout/get it out/get it down/get it off/off your chest/off the page // share your mission/share your glory/share your vision/tell your story/take a moment in the sun/the mic is open!

Charlie put me first on the sign-up sheet & I began in the 1st round with a poem I wrote about 5 years ago after the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, “Tourism,” later I read a related poem, “Church Burner,” written many years ago, well before the Notre Dame fire.

Cheryl A. Rice was back & in the first round read a memoir piece about her father, Long Island horses, & hay runs upstate, “Truck on Fire;” in the 2nd round she read “Subway Swans,” riffing on an image from a poem by Tina Barry.

Julie Lomoe’s 1st round poem was titled “Driving in the Darkness,” a rambling piece about driving to Schenectady to meet with other crones; later she repeated her poem from last month, “November the End of the Movie” a free-flow on the remnants of Halloween & the wild fires. 

For his 1st round poem our host, Charlie Rossiter, was accompanied on guitar by his son, Jack Rossiter-Munley, for “Stuff it Xmas Style;” in the 2nd round, his poem, “Drive Like Tollson,”was a descriptive recollection of an undertaker neighbor who drove real slow. 

Bridget Elder’s pieces where short, & shorter; in her 1st round, one written today on the colors of Winter; in the 2nd round, on the local (Bennington) politicians.

Kate McNairy joined us; she too writes short, enigmatic poems, one with snow titled “Loss” in the 1st round, then one titled “Memory” words & a saxophone.

Sharon Smith read in the 1st round about the grandmothers she never met, based on a simple pen & ink drawing, “Before I Was Born.” In the 2nd round she read “Word Tribe” a poem in her 2022 book Reflection, funny rhymes on the open mic community. 

Mark O’Brien read 2 recent pieces from his ongoing project of poems based on old newspaper articles. In the 1st round, one based on story in the Albany Argus in 1877 about riots to stop trains from going through Jerusalem (now Feura Bush) New York; then from July 1899 a story about a man trying to prevent workers from digging a hole for a telephone pole on Albany’s Maiden Lane (where there are now many such poles).

Sherri Bedingfield read poems about 2 very diverse (& distant places); the 1st round poem was a descriptive piece about a visit to New Mexico, “Coyote Chaco Canyon;” in the 2nd round a piece about visiting the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, “Standing Stones at Calanais” on the Isle of Lewis.

Tom Nicotera’s 1st round poem, “Coyote God,” was about a sick & dying coyote on Sherri’s Connecticut suburb front porch (& references her 1st round poem). Then, at the end of the 2nd round, a short December poem, “The Gift” crows like black bows.

This Zoom open mic is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, starts at 7:00PM, Eastern Time. If you would like to join it & are not already on Charlie’s list, send him an email at 

charliemrossiter@gmail.com & maybe I’ll see you there (wherever "there" is).