2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, February 10

We were kicked upstairs at the Arts Center, which had the advantage of having lots of available sunlight, besides which the room was not named after a corrupt public official, like the black box theater. Nancy Klepsch & I had a full, 2-page sign-up sheet, with new voices/faces, & readers who had traveled from beyond the Capital Region. Nancy began with a nod to “Black History Month” by reading Lucille Clifton’s poem “Homage to My Hips.”

I filled the #1 slot & read my most recent “Birthday Poem 2019.” Theresa Lux was a poetry virgin & comported herself quite well in her debut with a poem about driving to Boston “Fall Racing Season” & one titled “The Tree.” Dave DeVries read his poem “Verboten” based on a book he read about a love affair with the enemy during the Nazi occupation of France. Naomi Bindman returned with a poem about an apple tree “May Surprise,” then the simply titled “Listen.” Mary Ellen Kelleher had been here in December & returned today with a funny piece of “pillow talk,” then read another titled “Bones.”  Bob Sharkey read “Living in the Light Blue” another of his poems about "East Latham," then a poem by the Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka “In the Small Houses.”

It was David Fumarole’s first time here & he read from a chilling short story about a hunting accident, “First Shot.” Rod Wilson kept us in the woods with a poem about fishing for brook trout, then one about being interrupted while reading by a “Click Beetle.” Still another first timer today was Reine McGovern who read about the hands of a newborn in a piece titled “Birth of a Savior,” then in a different direction “Ode to Car.”  Mike Conner read an introspective poem about a time of change in his life “Life Makes Sense,” then one on the death of a friend “Together Alone.” Karen Fabiane is one of the “regulars,” far from being her 1st time here, & read a poem I think was titled “Yawn” about an orange cat & a dog, then a relationship piece “I’ll Get You Tomorrow.”

Co-host Nancy Klepsch’s “Poem from the War” had the poetry of Mary Oliver in the background, then read a funny poem about talking to her machine “Siri.” Cheryl Rice made a rare visit to Troy for this Sunday open mic to read 2 poems about betting on race horses, “Ponies” for the late poet Donald Lev, & “Race Track on Birthday” for her father.  Carol Jewell’s poem “For Ms. Bryant” was for & about an high school teacher. Jil Hanifan’s “St Ann” was about the anachronistic iconography of the mother of Mary the Mother of Jesus teaching her daughter to read, often from books which were not invented at the time of the birth of Jesus — oh well, it’s only Art.

Sean Foley was here for the 1st time with a moving memoir in 3 parts “Pancakes” from childhood breakfasts to being inducted into the Marines. Brett Axel’s first piece was about Sonny the Cropseyville auctioneer, then he read “A Boy’s Hands” for his son.

Laura Ellzey came over from not-so-far-away Bennington VT, where she is a regular at Charlie Rossiter’s 2nd Tuesday Spoken Work Open Mic & read a couple narratives with a twist, one titled “The Betrayal,” the other “The Marriage.” Kenn Ash drove over from Bennington with Laura & read a couple of untitled philosophical pieces, personal musings, with a bit of a smirk. Always entertaining, Tim Verhaegen read another of his signature memoirs about his dysfunctional family, this from when he was 10 years old about visiting his older brother.

It was a full slate of writers reading this Sunday @ 2 @ the Arts Center of the Capital Region on River St. in Troy, NY, with new readers, familiar faces & others we haven’t seen in awhile, which always makes this monthly event special, not to mention the scintillating hosts, Nancy Klepsch & me, Dan Wilcox. Come join us to read poetry or prose on the next 2nd Sunday @ 2PM.