Poems -- & musings on the Albany (NY) poetry scene.
"It's not the Truth, but it's pretty darn close."
October 8, 2017
Troy Poetry Mission, September 27
This was the 1st Anniversary of this monthly open mic (last Wednesday) run by R.M. Englehardt & James Duncan. Tonight there were 3 ! featured poets, Don Levy, Thom Francis & Mary Panza & our host was James Duncan & who began with a piece from his new book, “We’re All Terrorists But …”
Brian Dorn read a piece about the history of minor league baseball in the Capital Region “Dog Days of Summer.” I read the 2 poems published in 2: An Anthology of Poets & Writers from the 2nd Sunday @ 2 Open Mic for Poetry & Prose (2016) “Garrison Keilor” & “Trailer Park.” Eveline Augusto was new to me, sat down on the stool & began with an announcement & a lecture, then a series of poems, the first on what she doesn’t like, then “What’s Left” about what she does like starting with a tavern, & a couple more poems, all mostly lists. Julie Lomoe also availed herself of the stool & read a piece about her age, “Sunny & 75.” Karen Fabiane read 2 fuck poems from her book Seeing You Again (2014) “Fuck the Wind” & “I Fucked St. Joan.”
On to the night’s featured poets, with Don Levy up first, & he began with a poem about a character from the QE2 days “I’m a Fucking Poet.” Then on to more recent poems & times, “Hopper Hotel” & “Ode to South Main Ave.” both about his move earlier this year, & a couple of pieces fresh from the headlines “Just Say No to Nazis” & “Hetero Nonsense.”
Thom Francis read “new poems,” at least that's what he said, & who am I to contradict el presidente? Maybe they were new versions of older pieces, like “Paper Messiah” (a “martyr with a pen”), or the piece about mouthwash covering up parents’ drinking &/or infidelities. Then there was “Aftermath” about Hurricane Katrina, then some favorites “Radio Man,” & “Trucker.” All new poems, if he says so.
Speaking of saying so, Mary Panza said I could save some work on my Blog by just saying “see last Saturday’s reading” so here is the link but she also included tonight “Swingset Memories” responding to a poem by Howard Kogan.
Too bad Rob missed this, it was a good one, & we thank him for starting this unique series at O’Brien’s Public House on 3rd St. in Troy, last Wednesday, 7:30PM, or later -- onward into the 2nd year.
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