2009 already! And this monthly event has gradually become "Albany Poets Present Beer & Poetry" -- hanging out at the bar, an open mic sans mic, a few friends reading a few poems, gossiping, showing scars, trading stories/lies, etc. [The picture shows Don Levy reading & a cluster of poets, who didn't read, at the bar.]
el presidente (aka Thom Francis) managed the clipboard & I read first, under the lights by the pool table, the revised "Coffee House Rant," & the pornographic "Tritina," which was inspired by an "assignment" of 3 words from Rob Englehardt years ago right here; it is a half-sestina, which I had to invent to accommodate what I was given.
Don Levy read his old childhood-memory piece about playing Mystery Date with a neighborhood girl, with a characteristically long title, "It's Also John Waters, or ..." [& I missed the rest].
Adam Hoyt has been showing up lately at some of the downtown open mics. His poems are short, with short lines, & rhymes. He began with one about soon-to-be ex-President Bush, then "Strawberry Shortcake," "Shades of Negativity," "Unprescribed Drugs" (as we sat at the bar), & "A Walk in the Clouds."
Moses Kash III came in from the cold & read a just-written piece about Ernest Hemingway -- sort of a mixed commentary & sermon on his suicide (Moses gave me his mss. of the poem if anyone wants to consult the text).
Meanwhile the bar was getting loud down at the end, with a chemically-stressed holdover from the QE2 who was loud enough to be our PA system. We're beginning to like the small group & the drinks, oh, & the poetry.
First Tuesday of each month, Valentines, in Albany, near where New Scotland Ave. starts off. Check out albanypoets.com.
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3 comments:
This looks like fun!
Great time with Dan Wilcox, Don Levy and Therese Broderick at Don's open mic last night. Thanks for talking about all my poetry questions, that was great.
- Tim V.
Could you get a worst shot of my back??? Love, Uncle Don
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