2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, September 13

Sunday on 4th Street (positively!), #50, Troy NY, the home of Collar Works which lets poets gather there each month. Both hosts, Nancy Klepsch & Me (Dan Wilcox), were there with a sampling of local poets on the sign-up sheet.

First up, for the first time, was Lkhamaa reading from her phone an untitled piece on marriage & the world. 

My co-host, Nancy Klepsch, started with a new piece written for a former student, suggestions to them on how to be different, to stand out, then a poem titled “Meanwhile,” trying to emulate Mary Oliver (why bother, just be Nancy Klepsch).

Joel Best is a regular reader here, his poems are often a stringing together of images, impressions, even wordplay to create a narrative, this day he said his poems “aren’t about anything,” & read pieces titled “Escape” & “The Mathematics of False Presence.”

Jane Greene said she was a student at Sage College & was here because of a sociology class assignment to step out of her comfort zone & write about it. Her first piece was a break up poem with a title in Italian, her 2nd piece was titled “How to Spot an Angel.”

I read the opening & closing sections of my science fiction poem Meditations of a Survivor (A.P.D., 1991), “Matins & Lauds” & “Compline.”

Thomas Bozzo, since moving to the area some months ago, has made a name for himself in the local poetry scene. The 2 poems he read reflected on his experiences in moving to a new area & trying to meet people. The first was titled “Fear of Missing Out,” the second about making choices in an overbooked calendar, “Filtering Poem.”

Writers may join us any 2nd Sunday of the month at 2PM at 50 4th Street in Troy, for this open mic, 2 poems or 5 minute max for prose. Free & open & accepting of anyone.

Saratoga Senior Center Open Mic, September 11

David Graham filled in as the MC for our usual host, Rachel Baum, who had proposed reading poems responding to the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centers on 9/11/01. David read a poem by the recently gone poet Wendell Berry (1934 - 2026), one from Berry’s Sabbath series, “Now You Know the Worst.”

Ron Pavoldi read a poem that he said was his 1st time in print, “Fiboracci’s Number 9/11/01.”

Janice Cutbush continued the theme with a piece written about her experience as a teacher on 9/11 “Senior AP English Assignment” where the play Hamlet becomes irrelevant.

David Gonsalves’ 9/11 piece was a conversation with a neighbor’s wife, “Tom’s Wife Says,” where Tom had worked “the pile” at the WTC site.

My contribution to the theme was a piece I read out just yesterday, “Matins & Lauds,” from Meditations of a Survivor (A.P.D.), then a 2nd piece as a tribute to the memory of Dolly Parton, “Vaccine Haiku,” from 2022, when we got our COVID shots on the same day.

Leslie Sittner read memoir, not of 9/11, but from 1994, with a jump forward to Trump, perhaps titled “Patriotism Partisanship,” then a letter she had written to a prisoner who had been in her writing workshop & who, by chance, had years before met her brother.

Kathie McCoy said that she also was teaching an English class on 9/11, read “Teaching the Literature of Peace on 9/11.” 

David Graham, too, was teaching a class when the attacks took place, but he was in Wisconsin; he read a poem he wrote on the 11th anniversary, “9/11 Again.” 

Mary Lou Abbott arrived late, said she had been working on 9/11/01 for Goldman Sachs on Broad St. in NYC, only blocks from the Trade Centers, her piece was titled “Eye Witness.”

David suggested that since there was time left that we go around again, if readers wanted, with perhaps a less grim topic. Janice Cutbush read 2 pieces, one titled “Family Reunion,” then one titled “Love Affairs in Two Centuries,” with the pieces of the poem alternating back & forth over time, using the slang & jargon of the times. Ron Pavoldi said that he had similar poem in slang in pidgin, “Old Money.” Amazingly enough, Leslie Sittner also had a poem in slang & idioms, “The Co-ed.” Mary Lou Abbott read a love poem, “Always My Favorite Valentine,” composed of the list of names of other, past boy friends.

David Graham bookended the afternoon of poems with another poem by Wendell Berry, “The Wild Geese.”

This monthly, daytime, open mic takes place each 2nd Friday of the month at the Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY, starting at 1:00PM. You don’t have to be a member, just tell the nice people at the desk that you are going to the poetry reading.

Poetry Open Mic at Paper Moon, September 10

Paper Moon epitomizes the axiom that if you are going to have a poetry reading have it in a small venue (i.e., so that it will look crowded). Indeed, there were only 8 chairs jammed into the tiny space surrounded, floor to ceiling & spilling over unto the floor, by books — a bibliophiles fatal overdose.

It was an open mic only, no feature, 5 of us, including the MC/host, on the list. First up was the stunningly made-up Celeste Sloane who read 2 pieces involving relationships with her family, the 1st an angry rant, perhaps titled “It’s Another One,” another, less angry “I Cannot Tell When My Grandmother Says She Loves Me.”

The date being what it was, I read 2 pieces connected to the 25th anniversary of the attach on the World Trade Center in NYC on September 11, 2001. The 1st was the opening section, “Matins & Lauds,” of a poem-long chapbook published in 1991, Meditations of a Survivor (A.P.D.), a science-fiction poem about a survivor of a nuclear war that has destroyed New York who has found shelter in the World Trade Center; my 2nd poem was a brief tale of my own experience on 9/11/01, “Leaving New York.”

The reader Gareth shared a piece from her notebook  provocatively titled “A Sex Tape for the Elderly,” but didn’t have any copies of the tape to share — I’m still wondering.

The next reader was introduced as “the Cool” Eric, described his 1st piece as “has a title but that is only a place-holder” about how he doesn’t write “poems,” the piece a bit of automatic writing narrative, then a piece with a title, “Spillage,” on writing & schedules.

The host, Mena, read a piece about an incident in middle school & a friend, her love a poem & a flower.

This open mic series continues on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at 7PM, but there are other events scheduled there throughout the months at Paper Moon, 6 Brunswick Rd., Troy, NY — go there & get lost in the stacks.  

All Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, September 8

Charlie Rossiter, he host, out of his living room in Bennington, VT, got this monthly Zoom open mic going with his signature introduction “you can rant you can chant …” & we did. We went around in 2 sections of one poem each section.

I was first up on the signup list with 2 poems related to the upcoming 25 anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001 (where where you then?), in the 1st round with the opening segment, “Matins & Lauds,” of my older poem, subsequently published as a chapbook in 1991, Meditations of a Survivor (A.P.D.), then in round 2 one of my poem cards describing my experience on 9/11 in NYC, “Leaving New York.”

Sally Rhoades recently participated in a poetry workshop in Provincetown with Major Jackson & read this night in the 1st round a piece written there, “The sky was bright this morning…” a celebration of herself, her words, her memories; then in round 2 another new poem titled “Figures Forgotten in Porcelain” a memoir of her father, sitting, waiting for Death.

Sharon Smith began in the 1st round by reading Wallace Stevens’ famous poem “13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” then in her 2nd round her variation, “13 Ways of Looking at the United States,” images & history & baseball, quoting poet Claude McKay’s “America” to end the poem.

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, in his 1st round, read a new one, a memoir, “With the Radio Low” listening on a little transistor radio; then in round 2, 2 very short poems -- "Haiku Tears," maybe just notes, & “Call Me Lucky.”

In Tom Nicotera’s 1st round he read a a love poem from on a trip to Niagara Falls with Sherri, “Incongruities,” about a photo of him holding him a guitar in the Hard Rock Cafe, & list of books on his shelf. In his 2nd round, he said that our host, Charlie, was the first to publish him, a broadside of his poem “Spring Concert 4th Grade Chorus” about his daughter singing, wondering about the background of the diverse kids, wondering about the future.

Julie Lomoe used her 1st round to talk about not being able to find her poem about Windows on the World (a pre-2001 visit to the World Trade Center, & read a recent gloomy list poem. In the 2nd round she read her poem “The Terrors of Motherhood,” published by Moonstone Press in the anthology, The Weight of Motherhood, about the birth of her daughter & more.

The afore-mentioned Sherri Bedingfield read in her 1st round an older poem, “Gridlock,” set in NYC, as the subject of an attempted car-jacking; then, in the 2nd round, a poem written 

mid February in Georgia, a memoir of her father, a description of geese flying over a pond.

I prefer to spend my time at readings with in-person poets — & there are plenty where I live in Albany, NY. But I enjoy this Zoom open mic to hear poets from Connecticut & other parts of the country. It is run by poet Charlie Rossiter in Bennington, VT on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM Eastern time; if you want to get the Zoom link (& are not already on Charlie’s list) send him an email & ask him to send you the link charlierossiter@gmail.com. Maybe I will see you “there.”

Open Mic Night at TheEleven at Lark Hall, September 3

This is a brand-new monthly open mic at TheEleven at Lark Hall for musicians & other performers, including comedians & poets, from a group called Troupe Productions with the host Shannon Tehya. In many ways a throw-back to the earlier days (pre-1988) in Albany when there were many music open mics but no open mics for poets, although the lowly poets were tolerated at the music open mics. The description online for this event states, “Participants are encouraged to prepare two songs to share, with the possibility of a third depending on the volume of attendance,” had no mention of other genres. However, there were plenty of those other performers packing the bar this night. 

Shannon Tehya started the night off with her guitar singing Dolly Parson’s “Coat of Many Colors” as a tribute the very recently gone star. She was followed by another guitar strummer who just did one song that I couldn’t hear through the conversation going around me at the bar. Same thing for poet Mizzy, a rhyming piece at the ocean. She was followed by 3 different guys doing “comedy” — or as the first one, Ryan Anderson, said, “jokes or things that sound funny to me.” The other 2 following were “Ted, an Impressionist,” & Mel Bradshaw who also did “jokes or things that sound funny to me” but not so to the audience. In some ways I was grateful for the conversations around me, but I decided to move to a table away from the bar closer to the where the performers were since there were poets I wanted to hear coming up. The 3 alleged comedians left in a group soon after. Stefan Ivanov was a performer that others in the room seemed to know & part of his performance was tuning his guitar.  

John Teevan III is a writer I’ve seen a number of times at open mic venues, more for his historical prose fiction, but tonight he did a couple pieces in rhyme, one about World War II. He was followed by 2 singers with guitars, first Will B. with a song either by Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie & a long Dave Matthews song. Then Eric-Jon with his own rhythmic songs with clever lyrics. Then, for a break, a singer with a banjo, Carissa O., who said has just learned to play it, she did up-beat songs. Anna Boughtwood is a local poet who has been making the rounds of the open mics & reading venues for a few years now & has been instrumental in reviving the zine scene; she read her poem “Hell is House Slippers.”

I’ve also seen Lo Contompasis at poetry events in the past, but tonight sang Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” her voice strong & beautiful. Brendan McDonough was busy talking with his friends & didn’t realize he was up, then sang & played the guitar for a bunch of rhythmic songs that got his friends dancing. I read a couple of my poems printed on 3x5 cards, “Cafe Society” which mentions the Dunkin’ Donuts down Lark St., & an older love poem, “Decoupage Me.”

Hunter Frost was working the sound here tonight & he & Shannon both with their guitars got some of the audience dancing again with their songs. Sean Lippin was another guitar player doing his own songs, & actually arrived with a obligatory back-pack guitar case. To break things up Nick S. banged out rhythms sitting on his beat box. Then Dark Cartoon bowed a cello & sang original songs about cartoon characters (thus his “name”). 

Kennedy brought us back to poetry with a piece titled “Having a Sin with You” a takeoff from a poem by Frank O’Hara, then a longer, self-reflective “Strawberry Moon.” Areli, apparently part of the Troupe Productions group, played the keyboards that had been sitting there quietly all night. Then a poet with a very poetic name, Phoenix River Wylye, did a couple of philosophical/spiritual poems.

Shannon Tehya ended the night where it had begun with song, this time with a group of other performers, accompanied by guitar, keyboard & beatbox. This eclectic mix of performances — spoken word, stand-up comics, & music with a variety of instruments — will continue on the 1st Thursday of each month at 6PM, at The Eleven at Lark Hall, on the corner of Lark St. & Hudson Ave., hosted by Troupe Productions — drinks at the bar. 

You Me & Poetry, August 22

This show was held at the Fuze Box, 12 Central Ave., Albany, NY one of an ongoing series run by Schenectady Poet Laureate, Sincerely Donnie (Adonis Richards) & Lucid Voices. The theme of the night was “o.p.p.” (i.e., other people’s poetry), although not required. Many did read o.p.p. as well as their own. However, many readers did not identify the author of the  they were reading. Not matter, the night was over-flowing with poetry.

Adonis started us off with a poem by a poet whose name I didn’t catch & by the end of the night I forgot to ask him, but it was titled “Strength” with a memorable line, “I am tired of trading my poems for your applause.”

The MC of the night was the lovely poet who goes by the handle, “I Am Danea,” who also performed later in the evening. The first poet introduced was performer Kareem Ture, with the handle “Your Favorite Underrated Poet,” who performed o.p.p. from memory (author?), then another piece which I think was his own. He was followed by Platt (?) with “a dreaded audience participation piece” (as we used to say in the old days) titled “It’s Not that Simple.” JTDPoet was familiar to me from the open mic scene, & has read at Poets in the Park; he did one of his characteristic positive self-actualization pieces. John R. Tevan III, better known for his prose fiction, read a political rant in rhyme, “The Reverse Opium Wars…” 

Some other poets, not known to me, were not clearly identified, such as Camillia (?) who read a piece titled “Puzzle Pieces,” perhaps o.p.p. Miss Allie read her own piece but it was untitled. Another read, according to my notes, “who would have thought? a love poem?” The “signup list” was apparently kept via text messages between the organizers & the MC so there was nothing I could get my hands on to verify names.

For my turn, I read “Black Einstein” by Moses Kash (America’s Moses Kash, III, Ph.D.) (1945 - 2017) dated 1/3/02, what he subtitled “a prose poem,” a personal portrait & praise piece about himself -- glad to do it for you my friend.

There was a break for some music spun by DJ Trifecta, then a 2nd half that included many of the principal organizers, starting off with Dahoud (?), introduced as “the Stage Manager,” who performed his own piece about a stickup on Coney Island, then some o.p.p. love poems, but sadly, he said the names of the authors too fast for me to catch (& said nothing about them).

There was an enthusiastic introduction for Eros (Logan, who had been at Poetry Jam last night), who did an o.p.p., apparently untitled, a love poem on the theme that a picture is worth a 1000 words.

As he did last night at the Poetry Jam at AMBACC, Jav Rux (aka, Mojavi) paid tribute to other community poets in the house (including me), then did o.p.p., a love poem beginning “I want more…” Our MC, I Am Danea, performed a steamy, graphic, hyper-erotic piece — phew! Aaron (?) performed a couple of o.p.p. by his friends Kareem, & Adonis in the house. 

Miss Elizabeth also did o.p.p., a love poem by I Am Danea, & a couple of her own pieces. The next poet was perhaps named Nioko (?), read from her phone a couple of short, self-reflective pieces. DJ Trifecta said that she was a spoken-word artist before she became a DJ, read a powerful rant titled “Our Bodies Are Political.”

Poet Tai (or Kai?) read rather than performed the lyrics from his own rap songs. Dee Journey, who had also performed last night at Poetry Jam, did a piece from memory that I think was titled “Unapologetically Luminous” in praise of women. Eros was back to cap off the night, having removed his fancy shirt, to a tee underneath, did a piece on Daydreams (erotic ones, of course), & promoted his line of poetic cookbooks.

You Me & Poetry pops up frequently, though apparently not on a regular schedule, & often at the Fuze Box on Central Ave., so check social media regularly for notices. Worth hanging out.

[As always, if I get something wrong — a poet’s name, a title of a poem, or anything else that needs to be corrected — send me an email (it’s in the Blog) & I will humbly correct it.]

Poetry Jam, August 21

This monthly open mic is held at The Alice Moore Black Arts & Cultural Center, 135 South Pearl St., Albany, NY. This night there was a trio of hosts, Mark, Stephanie Robinson, & “Mr. Harris” serving as hosts/MCs, with DJ Landlord. In between the poets there were a series of trivia questions for the audience about notable black figures in history, politics, & entertainment; the entertainment questions were generally beyond me, but I did get a couple of politics & history questions correct.

Those who read/performed were a mix of poets I’ve heard previously, sometime going back to the earlier days of the Albany poetry scene & new faces & voices to add to the history. The first 2 up were poets with whom I am familiar. First Carol Durant with a piece in rhyme about the power of “Our Ancestors.” She was followed a poet who had been featured at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in April, Valerie Temple, aka Bertha Blunt who read her funny, rhyming piece with a lesson on diet, “Sugar Poem,” then a poem she said she has been working on since she was in 8th grade, “Cultivating Love’s Garden.”

After a break for trivia, Ebony Queen gave a lively, erotic performance of 3 pieces, all in rhyme, first the serious “The Willy Lynch Syndrome,” then a sexy description of a “Nubian queen” & a white man, “The Afro-Centric Bond,” & the intensely erotic 1st person “Mistress of Masturbation.” I followed, sweating, & tried to be as energetic with my “hot pants” poem, “Southwest Flight 2095” referencing a song by James Brown.

Dr. Andrea Miranda-Pestana, the Deputy Director of the Center of Law & Justice, announced next month’s Poetry Jam for September 18, with the theme Boriken Night: Celebrating Amefricanity - stories of displacement, pain, joy and collective liberation. Ann Garcia was here to read for her first time, 2 pieces: “Full Disclosure” & a piece that riffed on the Psalm “He Maketh Me…” Stephanie Robinson sang a praise song to Black Men. Samia read 2 untitled pieces, one about warm-hearted soft hands, then a more serious love poem.

Sean Davis performed a somewhat preaching rap on chains, freedom & the need for forgiveness. Dee Journey did a sultry piece with a stage joint, a memory piece on music & smelling the loss of a love in a market place.

Mojavi, now also going by the name Jav Rux, was once the host of an open mic at Clayton’s Restaurant on Washington Ave., Soul Kitchen, back in the late ‘90s; he talked about the old poets of this area, some (like me) in the audience here tonight, then accompanied himself with music off his phone to a rant on how we are taught oneness through the perfect beat (the soul of Black folk), & dance. Logan, who I remembered from an electric night of poetry & music at Proctor’s Theater some months ago, read an erotic piece from his phone, a memory piece about falling in love to (& with) rhythm & blues.

Adonis Richard, also known as Sincerely Donnie, & who is the very busy Poet Laureate of the City of Schenectady, did his often-performed piece on race & how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Victorio Reyes, once the Director of the Albany Social Justice Center, now returned from a teaching gig in Puerto Rico, did a piece titled “Statehood?” piling up the well-worn images of tourist attractions, the victim of colonial exploitation.

Hosts Stephanie & Mark noted the presence in the audience of Charles Touhey, the widower of the activist Alice Green, the founder of AMBACC, with a tribute to the long lasting love of Alice & Charles, & all the good they have done for the community of the City of Albany. Then Stephanie ended by singing Carly Simon’s “You make me feel like a natural woman.”

Did I mention the food? I was too busy scribbling my notes & taking pictures to be able to handle an over-flowing plate & fork, but it sure looked good.

Sorry you missed it? Well, this is a monthly event on the third Friday of each month at the Alice Moore Black Arts & Cultural Center, 135 South Pearl St., Albany, NY, 7:00PM to 9:00PM — donations gratefully accepted.