A Night of Poetry: Featuring Local Poets & Special Guests, May 3

This new series at the Electric City Barn, run by Caroline Bardwell, is different each time. The featured poet tonight was Suzanne S. Rancourt, who decided to re-arrange the furniture to fit the intimate crowd & make it more of a workshop, or discussion.

Suzanne began with a reading from her newest book Murmurs at the Gate (Unsolicited Press, 2019), the poems “Venom Sweet Venom,” “Biddie’s Baby Doll” (a grim tale from her days working as a social worker), “Crooked Nose,” & “Impressive Education: Mrs. F. the librarian.” In between we talked process, about incorporating the challenges of our life into our writing. Suzanne then went on to poems from 2 newer manuscripts she has been working on, one poem titled “Photography in Geneva,” another (from “Songs of the Hummingbirds”) “What Are You Thinking.” The conversations continued, on into stories of working in prisons, with both men & women inmates.

Suzanne encouraged us to read something responding to her work & Doug Holiday read Richard Wright’s “Between the World & Me.” I followed with my poem about an alternative existence “Oklahoma Sunday,” & Doug returned with a “Poem for Little Bro (for Cody)” from his collection Kith & Kin.

It was a night of “not just poetry” but the kind of connection between poets/human beings, sharing thoughts & experiences in response to the art & conversations of others.

A Night of Poetry continues on the 1st Friday of each month at the Electric City Barn, 400 Craig St., Schenectady, NY. Check the listing on albanypoets.com.