Reading at Pine Hollow Arboretum, October 12

Poet Sharon Stenson (center) with
actors Carol King & Patrick White

This night poet Sharon Stenson presented her performance piece, "Perspective III: Cantata for Two Voices & Horns," only tonight the background music was taped while the voices were provided by actors Carol King & Patrick White. The piece is a dialogue/essay on creativity invoking gone jazz musicians such as Bird (Charlie Parker), Bud Powell, Max Roach, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer. It was succinct & punchy, a jazz duet, well-read by King & White. Though perhaps one had to be old enough to know whom the musicians were that were being mentioned. The performance area was nicely set off by paintings done by Alan Casline.

Unfortunately, the actors had to leave for another gig & during the break most of the rest of the audience left with them, except for the open mic poets & few of the usual die-hards. I was up first for the open mic & followed the announced/suggested "theme" of Jazz Poetry with "Acrostic Jazz," a tribute to Thelonious Monk (whose birthday was October 10) & "The bass player's thoughts…" Susan Riback followed with a found poem, blurbs from a dating site, "Plenty of Fish in the Sea But Not For Me," & a tender piece about an aged couple in a nursing home, "Connie & Cliff." Pine Hollow Arboretum proprietor John Abbuhl shared a few short pieces, the word list of "Completion," the pondering of "What Part Are You…" ("… of knowing?") & the humorous thoughts on death of "Life is Learning."

Edie Abrams began with a wistful poem, "The Jacket," then onto the philosophical questioning of "The Hemlock's Yield." Alan Casline, who served as our M.C., read the very short "Fires" then a piece that was a "re-wording" of the work of Nicaraguan poet Alfonso Cortez (1893 - 1969).

Mimi Moriarty rounded out the night with 3 poems, "Elvis Re-Visited," "Pigeons on Cornice," & her young grand-daughter's description of birth as a series of gates in a poem titled "Questions About Babies."

This relaxed & pleasant series is held on the 2nd Friday of the month at the meeting room of the Pine Hollow Arboretum, Maple Ave., Slingerlands, 6:30 PM, some type of program & usually an open mic.