Third Thursday Poetry Night, September 17

at the Social Justice Center, but tonight without a featured poet, thus the open mic poets were allowed to read 2 poems each. And there was a good list of poets to read, with even a couple of new poets on the list.

Robert Nied

& the new poets were 1st & 2nd on the list, first Robert Nied, with rhyming poems “Talking” & “The Ride Home,” conversations with his son. Then Owen Nied, the son Robert’s poems were about, his poem “The Kitchen Was a Glowing Fireball” about party, then a poem about listening to LPs “Between the Speakers,” accompanied by his finger-snapping.

Owen Nied

  Joe Krausman read a poem he just wrote this morning, in 3 sections: women, art, life each beginning “where did I put…” then read about a visit to the cardiologist “I Got Arthymia.” Don Levy’s poem “St. Kim of Rowan County” was ripped from the pages of the news, then a poem from his trip to Paris this Summer “City of Love & Smoke.”


The second of the familial groups began with Frank Robinson introducing a new chapbook, not of poetry, but about coins, then read a new poem never read before, on the best things about America, good enough for a campaign speech. He was followed by his wife Thérèse Broderick with poems from her childhood, “The Breath Debt” about playing music with her Dad, & “Armful After Armful.” Karen Fabiane’s first poem was from the East Village 40 years ago, “Outdoor Cafe,” followed by a newer piece “Makes A Great Shake.”

Sylvia Barnard reprised 2 poems from her recent trip to Ireland, the first about actually reading a page of “The Book of Kells,” then about the “Giants’ Causeway” in Northern Ireland. Brian Dorn read about the game of Chess in the 21st Century, “My Queen & I,” then “Out of the Shadows,” both from his book From My Poems to Yours (The Live Versions). Kwesi returned with a new poem, “Bullets,” powerful images of racism in America. I finished off the night with a new poem “Naming the Parakeets,” then a snippet from my new book Gloucester Notes (FootHills Publishing).

The Third Thursday Poetry Night takes place each, well, third Thursday of the month, at 7:30PM, at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY usually a featured poet & an open mic for the rest of us, for a modest (or not) donation.