KAKTUS/Poetry Playhouse Reading & Open Mic, January 25

Now if it weren’t for COVID-19 & the pandemic I wouldn’t have made it to this reading & open mic (the featured poets wouldn’t have made it either) in Placitas, New Mexico, held now on Zoom. The KAKTUS name refers to Kaktus Brewery in Bernalillo, NM where the (pre-pandemic) readings were held. This event is held on the last Tuesday of the month, hosted by poets Jules Nyquist & John Roche. John has passed through Albany a few times in the past, & once was featured at the Social Justice Center Third Thursday Poetry Night.

The first featured poet was also dialing in from Albany, George Drew, who hosted a very early music & poetry open mic at the 8th Step, pre-QE2 open mic days. Tonight he was accompanied at times by Rick Kunz on guitar. George was also promoting his new book Drumming Armageddon (Madville Press, 2020), he said his themes were “Rain,” then “Fire.” He began with “A Rainy Day on Ridge Road” with horses in the mountains, followed by Rick with a song, then another rain poem, sort of a liquid form of prophecy. The Fire section began with a play on fairy tales a piece titled “Bread Alone, an Update.” He dedicated the post-apocalyptic peace poem “Look on it Carefully Children” to Jules & John, then read “Wholly Smoke” where the smoke from fires in Colorado & Canada roll over New York, & Rick sang “The Seeds of War.” George’s poems were incantatory with effective use of repetition, like songs. In a poem starting with a description of a  Matthew Brady Civil War photo, & one of a single solder from World War I he made the point that we are now more “used” to seeing such images of war. George ended by paying homage to the next feature, Carolyne Wright’s book Masquerade with his poem “To Carolyne” about a memory of his mother being struck.

Carolyne Wright was Zooming in from the state of Washington, &, as George had mentioned, her latest book is Masquerade (University of Washington Press, 2021) which she read from. It is described as “… a jazz-inflected, lyric-narrative sequence of poems, a 'memoir in poetry' set principally in pre-Katrina New Orleans and in Seattle, involving an interracial couple who are artists and writers.” She began appropriately enough with “Round at First Sight” & “Blame it On My Youth” playing on “love at first sight” with, again like George, effective, musical, use of repetition. Many of the poems had references to jazz, often using the titles of jazz tunes, such as “Compared to What,” “Betty Carter at the Blue Room,” “Blue Triolets,” ”Bright Moments with the Jazz & You.” The poem that George had referenced was about a fight, her pages thrown out by her lover, the police are called, which she followed with poems replaying the same scene, on forgiveness, ending with “What If” with the same scene again, this time with an alternative ending. Moving, unsentimental poems from the woman’s perspective.

After a short Q&A, John Roche was the host for the open mic portion of the evening for which he drew names from a hat, ultimately there were 21 readers who had signed up either as they registered for the Zoom or during the reading. 

Joe Sorenson started off with a funny rhyme, “Windows,” recently published in the New Yorker. Ellen Sorenson read her poem to the weather “This is a Message” from Braille. Dennis Formento took us back to jazz in New Orleans with “Zitti, in memory of James Black.” Deb Coy commented on her death “In the Event.” Jefferson Carter considered alternatives in “Arbitrary” (why 2 nipples?).

Megan Baldridge read “If Knitters Played in Rock Bands” which were variations on band names using knitting terms (you can find a skeins of her books on knitting themes at the Poetry Playhouse store.   Incredibly enough she was followed by Margo Armstrong whose poem also had a knitting reference. From a collection of jazz poetry Patricia Carragon read “Ruby My Dear” titled after a tune by Thelonious Monk.

Lou Cimalore read about meeting every 2 weeks for poetry in “Alone Together.” Lenora Good’s “Kicking it Up a Notch” was about the joys of flavored popcorn. Carolyn Ostrander’s tender poem “Winter Songs” was from a series of call & responses, this in a hospital ICU, with crows. Susan Newton read a poem contrasting the fires in San Francisco with an ice storm in New Orleans “Fire & Ice.” 

Holly Wilson considered the only solution to perturbing questions to be “Infinity.” Mess Messal’s “Screens Have All the Answers” was a performance piece involving his phone, his tablet, & tears. Brett Nelson read “Might as Well Be Destiny,” expanding like the Universe. Ken Holland, another New Yorker, read “Nuts” about a squirrel’s fine day. Scott Norman Rosenthal’s “Bullying, etc.” considered the Jewish racist dead. 

Steven Concert’s poem was titled & about “Departure”. Alfred Encarnacion, who said he was from South Jersey &friend of George’s, read “Ode to a poet of Daffodils”. I couldn’t remember if I’d signed up for the open mic when I registered for the Zoom, decided to simply wait & lo & behold John pulled my name from the hat, I read “This Birthday is Not Divisible by 10.” Michael Ball finished off the open mic with a memory of his grandfather, “Watch Pocket Theater.”

A varied & entertaining open mic, & two fine featured poets. At one point I noticed there were 49 folks attending the Zoom, quite a fine showing. The featured poets Carolyne Wright & George Drew were recorded so you can still catch them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaFyyEQQIzA. The KAKTUS reading & open mic mic takes place on the last Tuesday of the month, 7:00PM Mountain Time (9:00PM Eastern Time). Be sure to check out Jule’s Poetry Playhouse website to buy books & to signup for the newsletter. 

Third Thursday Poetry Night, January 20

The last time we gathered here at the Social Justice Center for this monthly event was in February 2020. I had hoped we would be back here later in 2021 as venues began to open, but by then the SJC was undergoing renovations to ensure that the 2nd floor didn’t become the 1st floor. Now we are back. Of course there are restrictions, limitations — the capacity of the room is limited, but then this is a poetry event which is why we hold the open mic in a small place; you must be vaccinated; & must wear a mask, except when reading.

Diane di Prima reading, October 2010

I was gratified to see the poets coming in through the door — regulars, irregulars, rare visitors & even a first-timer. The usual rule in the past was one poem! but tonight we went to 2 poems, to celebrate being back here. But before we got started I invoked the Muse, & the list of gone poets has grown in the last 2 years. One of the great gone was Diane di Prima who left us in October 2020 (she had been born in 1934). I first became aware of her from the anthology The Beat Scene (Corinth Books, 1960) with photos by the great Fred McDarrah. Tonight in her honor I read her poem “Nocturne” which had appeared in the book with a different title.

On to the open mic list, with the first reader Sylvia Barnard, who is perhaps the most faithful regular here over the years, sitting in the front “row;” she read a poem that she had read this Fall at the short-lived series on Myrtle Ave., The Holy Local, a poem about remembering her fried Brian, then a new, related piece titled “Death in April,” about watching Morris Dancers in Washington Park on May Day. Therese Broderick will be the featured reader next month, tonight read a poem in a new form, “the duplex,” invented by poet Jericho Brown, about hunting for COVID test kits (& winning “the COVID Lottery”), titled "Out of Stock." 

Lance LeGrys drove down from Vermont with his daughter, Alex, to join the open mic; he had been here in November of 2019 when his friend Lucyna Prostko read as the featured poet. His first poem was based on a documentary film by Werner Herzog about a deaf/blind woman, his poem considering what that experience could be; in contrast his next poem, titled “Living Among Cannibals,” was filled with grim & macabre humor. Alex LeGrys followed suit with a piece titled “The Isolationist,” a grim portrait of a woman. I put myself on the list next with a new, & rare narrative piece “Whistler 2001” about skiing, or not.

Rachel Baum has been showing up at the Caffe Lena Poetry Night (1st Wednesdays), describing herself as a “new” poet, & this was her first time here, her first piece read from her phone, “The Day You Didn’t Leave,” then one on paper “Montana 1975” a sad story of a breakup. Interestingly enough, I made an announcement about the annual Tom Nattell Memorial Beret Toss to be held in Washington Park on January 31, & the next poet was Jan Tramontano who read the poem for Tom she had been writing for him to be read at the open mic when she heard he had died, back in 2005; from her new chapbook The Me I Was with You (Finishing Line Press, 2021) she read a poem about her mother, “Daily Ritual.” Frank Robinson finished off the open mic list with a fantasy/dream box with everything found “Under a Xmas Tree — & we all went Ahh!”

Austin Houston, tonight’s featured poet, had read at open mics in town pre-pandemic, & was one of the readers at Poets in the Park in 2020 & subsequently self-published through Amazon a chapbook of poems Existence: Chaos in Our Own Backyard. He began with a poem appropriate enough for a frozen night, “Code Blue,” imagining death by cold, then a poem that asks (& answers) the question, “What Is Poetry?”  “I am Me” was next, an old poem & he still has the original page written in pencil, then on to a poem about depression, “Forgive Me I’m Just Depressed.” He then went on to a trio of pieces from his book, the poems “Pandemic,” “Corona Madness,” & “Corporate Greed.” Recently the place where Austin works, Huck Finn’s Warehouse, was bought by developers & his next poem was about the uncertainty & stress this process of change had upon him & his fellow workers. His poem, “I Pray for You,” was to & about his Dad who is now living in Florida, then he ended with a poem from his book titled “Meanwhile,” about the daily events that get us through these times. A well-planned reading from a local poet I’m sure we’ll hear more from.

We are so glad to be back on the third Thursday of the month with poetry & the spoken word here at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY, open for sign-up for the open mic at 7:00PM, the reading starts at 7:30PM, with an open mic & a featured reader. Your donation helps support local poetry events & the work of the Social Justice Center.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, January 9

After 5 months back at in-person-readings at Collar City Mushrooms we returned to a Zoom reading due to a recent surge in COVID cases. Nancy Klepsch handled the Zoom sign-ins, I took over the sign-up sheet/intros.

First up was Joel Best with 2 poems, he said he often titles his poems with dates as this one “April 1967” images of doors & windows & trees, then one about the varieties of journeys we take, physical, spiritual, etc. titled “Walking West.” 

Julie Lomoe premiered her new teeth, then talked about the death of her cat & read a piece in the persona of her dog, Sirius, celebrating the cat being gone — I think I can sympathize.

Sally Rhoades read a prose memoir about beginning the study of her body in a performance class, what she learned, responding to abuse, learning her beauty.

Bob Sharkey read “The 4th Wise Man,” a piece using the familiar images of the myth, this about one left behind, missed the rendezvous with the other Wise Men. 

Nancy Klepsch read a piece she described as “really new,” a love poem to her muse beginning in the dark of night, then a Haibun of sorts with 3 haiku & some prose. 

Kate Crofton read a pleasantly charming piece titled “Canned Sunshine” with images from a children’s book, a memory of a kitchen in August, canning peaches as balls of sunshine bringing joy later when opened.

Daniel Sennis also had a brand new piece, a re-telling of the story of Noah & the Arc in repeated rhymes, “Rickety Ass Jewish Yacht,” then a piece about looking for found poetry in receipts, etc., “Finding Poetry in the Trash” & the realization that “this poem is garbage.”

Naomi Bindman began with a playful poem titled “Out of Time” inspired by a Nova episode, a meditation on the concept “the effect of mass is to slow time,” then the tender, hopeful “Love’ s Imprint” holding her daughter when born, then in the ER, & holding her own mother. 

I read an older piece I read recently at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs about an exchange of tee shirts with a fellow poet, “Tee Shirt Poem.”

Tara Kistler read “a little haiku” playing on rhymes of “sand,” “hands,” & “rubber bands.”

Laura Ellzey read about her obsession with yarn, “Fiber Arts,” a brief lesson on the different fibers.

Cheryl Rice read Anne Sexton’s poem “Letter Written on a Ferry Crossing Long Island Sound,” then her poem based on it about her own experience taking the ferry, “Life Preservers.”  

Tina Mazula had originally said she wasn’t reading today, but then was inspired by Julie Lomoe’s dead cat poem & read her own about her cockatiel that she had for 20+ years before it died, then a Rumi poem that had been posted online & her response to it.

So if we have learned anything in the last 2 years or so, it is the necessity of being flexible. Perhaps we’ll be back for an in-person-reading at Collar City Mushrooms, or on Zoom again, but two things we do know it will be on the 2nd Sunday @ 2. Check the Facebook page with that title for details.

Caffè Lena Poetry Night, January 5

2022 was beginning with a busy week of poetry open mics. Tonight a lively audience for the featured poet, Suzanne Rancourt, & the open mic. Our host, Carol Graser, started us off right with a poem by the late Diane di Prima (1934 - 2020), “First Snow, Kerhonksen.” 

Caffè Lena has been live-streaming the featured poet during the pandemic, so Suzanne Rancourt took the stage right at 7:00PM & read mostly from her books,  Billboard in the Clouds (Northwestern Univ. Press, 2004) for which she received the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas First Book Award, murmurs at the gate (Unsolicited Press, 2019) & Old Stones, New Roads (Main Street Rag Publishing, 2021). She is of Abenaki/Huron descent, & a veteran of both the US Army & the Marine Corps. On the mic stand she displayed a photo of a young girl, Judith Hand, who was murdered in 1971 in Farmington, ME; her murder was never solved, & Suzanne read a poem for missing indigenous women & children. She read other poems not in her books, including from a manuscript in progress, forthcoming in 2023. You can find the recording of the reading by Suzanne Rancourt on the Caffè Lena YouTube page here: https://youtu.be/SsoIYLkRRjU

The open mic is not live-streamed, & in fact there wasn’t even a mic in an abundance of caution due to the latest surge in positive COVID cases. First up was Rachel Baum who has been reading here regularly, trying out her new poems, tonight one on family history titled “Alterations,” another on death & dying, “Leaving Florida.” Marcella Hammer followed with a fascinating piece titled “The Immortals,” a fantasy of the gods, which she called “autobiographical,” about what’s going to happen. James Niven read a poem titled “The Body Before the Judgment” from a book of poems he has just published.

Elizabeth Threadgill read 2 pieces she said had been published in a literary journal published for the Solstice, her poems titled “Sleep” & “Adrift.” Michael Carroll said it was his 1st time here (i.e., a virgin) read a poem about being a wage slave, “9 to 5,” then a rhyming paean “Scotch Symphony.” I read just one poem, about a tee-shirt exchange with another poet who happened to be in the audience, “Tee-Shirt Poem” (she was surprised).

Lance Le Grys read a poem about how famous poets — & himself — wrote poems, from his book Views from an Outbuilding (Clare Songbirds Publishing House, 2019), then a new poem on a theme of music. He was followed by his daughter Alex Le Grys who read a poem written in high school, “I Can’t Write Love Poems,” which she said was “a stupid title,” then a portrait titled “Isolationist” (interestingly enough I had seen both Lance & Alex read back in December 2019 at the Social Justice Center in Albany, NY).

Jan Tramontano had featured here in December & hung out at open mics here as well, tonight read “At Paradise Nails” from her chapbook of poems The Me I Was With You (Finishing Line Press, 2021), then a poem not yet in a book, “First Snow,” about being back in New York State from Florida. Jeanine Laverty is a regular here, read a piece from 1999, “For Nellis’ Group, Some Afterthoughts” about a reading with Viet Nam War veterans. 

Monique Hedley read a memoir piece titled “Destiny & Destinations.” Rodney Parrott likes being at the end of the list, read from his sociological series “Walmart at 7AM.” Our host Carol Graser brought the evening to a close with a political piece about Trump’s so-called “patriots” titled “Now is the Time.”

This poetry series at the folk music haven Caffè Lena on Phila St. in Saratoga Springs, NY persists on the 1st Wednesday of the month with a featured poet who is live-streamed on YouTube, followed by an open mic by the fine (or not so fine) poets from near & far who can get there, the featured poet goes on at 7:00PM, it’s $5.00 to get in & you have to be vaccinated — wear your mask!

 

Invocation of the Muse, January 3

This year is already improving — there is booze at The Fuze Box. Not any more chairs in the big empty, character-less box, no music stand, not even a big podium like in the early days of the QE2, but the poetry was good, new readers, new favorites, old-time favorites, like a metaphor for the turning of the year. The M/C is R.M. Engelhardt. 

When I arrived there were a handful of poets signed up, even for #1, & that poet was Gary Murrow, but I didn’t see him in the half-dozen or so poets hanging out. Gary was around the poetry scene at open mic venues, including Valentines on New Scotland Ave. where Rob ran open mics under various names, but Gary dropped out of the scene, except for submissions to the AlbanyPoets online zine Up the River. I haven’t seen him since long before the pandemic.

Rob introduced the night by reading a poem by J.R.R. Tolkien, most of which were pieces imbedded in his much more famous fantasies; apparently this day was Tolkien’s birthday in 1892. Then Rob introduced Gary Murrow but there was no response. I volunteered to read in Gary’s place, having some of his poems in my the morass of poetry in my briefcase. I read Gary’s “Match.com,” “Masters of Fine Arts,” & “Theology Class,” which was dedicated to our host, R.M. Engelhardt, & was written in the style (& theme) of a number of his poems.

The next reader was a first timer here at The Fuze Box, Laura Johnson with a love poem in the form of a Villanelle titled “Skyline,” then another about a female love & drugs & religion. Pat Williams was another 1st timer with a poem about looking into “The Mirror,” another titled “The Meat Grinder” (& guys know what that is).

Joe Krausman has been coming around to open mics here since this place was the punk rock club the QE2 (is it now “post punk”?), read 2 pieces, “Suit Yourself, a Biography” of a doctor escaping to Mexico to die; then his own story in a piece titled “On Being Unemployed in My 40th Year.”

Our host, R.M. Engelhardt read next a couple of poems, for which his reading glasses were tinted, causing him problems later in deciphering the sign-up sheet; his first poem was titled “Poem 113” a grim meandering portrait of John Berryman, then another grim — & preachy — poem “The Blood in Tribulation.”

The featured reader, Brett Petersen, was next, who inexplicably donned an outfit that made him look like the Pepto Bismol Bunny (if there is such a creature). He had copies of his book of short stories, The Parasite from Protospace & Other Stories (CLASH Books, 2020), from which he didn’t read, for sale. Instead, he read a variety of pieces, the first one titled “Mirtazapine” (a common drug used to treat depression), which Brett said “didn’t help,” the piece a series of outrageous images perhaps from a dream or just trying to be outrageous. The piece “Aberrations, Part 2” he said was based on a song his band, Raziel’s Tree, a “sludge rock” group, then one titled “Meme,” & piece he said was from a Twitter post “A Symphony for the Vlad.” He ended with an ad lib that sounded like everything else he had read, random stacks of images strung together, this one, perhaps responding to Rob’s introductory reading of Tolkien, playing on the word “hobbit.” I did buy the book -- support your local poet.

Back to the open mic, the next reader was Matéo, who began with an untitled love poem, then on to long Slam piece (I don’t know if it was only 3 minutes, but it seemed longer) about a relationship argument, “40 Things I Wasn’t Allowed to Say.” Austin Houston considered himself in a mirror, wondered “what is poetry” his answers were the things of life, not literary, then, again a mirror, this time considering why we do the things we do.

Lila Grace was a (poetry) virgin when she walked in, but not when she walked out, read a sexy love poem perhaps titled “If Greed is a Sin…,” then continued with another love poem. Maurice has been lurking here & tonight continued with a poem from his work-in-project “Park Bench Poems,” that he read from last month, poems written for strangers — I'm looking forward to the chapbook.

Next poet Rob introduced was Priya Love, he said he couldn’t read the sign-up sheet, but perhaps that was due to tinted reading glasses. Priya read lyrics for hip hop pieces, the first “Change Free Money” dreaming big & looking for riches with forced rhymes & shouting, then a “free style” with more dopey rhymes, on the same theme of making it big in the hip-hop scene — good luck. The last reader was another regular here, John D. who has a project, he said, of reading his poems here, in random order read “Wait, Panic” & “Invocation.”

Invocation of the Muse has carved out its niche in the poetry month on the 1st Monday of the month at The Fuze Box, 12 Central Ave., Albany, NY, 7:30PM sign-up, 8:00 start, with a featured poet & an open mic for the rest of us. & there's booze for all us drunkard poets.

The Year in Review, December 17

This was billed as “an immersive spoken word event” (I was afraid I’d have to wear a bathing suit but I knew there was no swimming pool at The Linda) “where we will look back at 2021 AND look ahead at what we planned for 2022,” the “we” being our own Albanypoets. In fact, this event was held at The Linda, the WAMC theater on Central Ave. in Albany where in past years Albanypoets had organized many spoken word events, & indeed it was a looking back & a looking ahead. It seems fitting now to be posting this in the first days of the New Year.

There were 8 local poets performing, well-known to one degree or another to the larger poetic community. Peter Hughes, General Manager of The Linda introduced Thom Francis, el presidente of Albanypoets, who was the MC & was one of the performing poets. 

First up to the mic was James Duncan, with poems from/about a variety of places, from Albany, to the NYC “Skyway, to East Greenbush (“Jaws of Memory”). He read (“A Splinter”) about finding a copy of Carl Sandburg’s Harvest Poems in a 2nd hand bookstore in Columbia County; you can find James’ accounts of his visits to bookstores far & near on the AlbanyPoets.com website. His poem “Who Lives Here?” was about where he lives now on Pine Ave. (either South Pine or North Pine), in close proximity to other readers here tonight & audience members. His reading also introduced the night’s multi-media aspect of videos playing behind the readers, shots of local areas, or other places such as NYC that we, the audience, recognized.

Next up was one of my favorite poets who also happens to be local, Rebecca Schumejda, who read only one, long piece, “Advance Directions,” from a book in-progress, but what a moving, intense  experience, looking back into the almost-gone past year. Mixing pandemic rules with images of cancer treatments of her dying mother & husband, with tough images of suffering & death, it was an incredibly brave & tender poem of grief. Like most poets you can find her wonderful poetry books on Amazon.

Matthew Klane, in contrast to Rebecca, read many little poems & he read them from a stack of little pieces of paper held in the palm of his hand. Most, if not all, had titles but if I tried to write all the titles down I would’ve missed the poems. They are satirical political, sociological analysis/critiques of pop culture & news, stories. They are quirky, often humorous & full of the word-play of a natural-born punster. He also seemed to enjoy the video playing behind him, checking to see where he was at.

The vice-President (emphasis on “vice”) of AlbanyPoets, Mary Panza, is a long-term veteran of the poetry wars in Albany, one-time bartender, current massage therapist & Mom. She read a mix of new stuff & some welcome old favorites, beginning with a COVID word-play on forms & numbers, “The Dyslexic Pandemic.” She is proud of having survived South Troy, & read a memoir of sitting on the stoop “Parked Cars,” another on a string of memories from the ’80s addressed to her daughter. She read in her barefeet as she was in the poem “Muscle Memories,” & the poem “Those Black & White Photos” was nostalgia for a more recent time.

Austin Houston published a slim book of poems in early 2021 Existence: Chaos in Our Own Backyard. Tonight he read what he described as “a timeline from 2021” beginning with a piece on Donald Trump, the former President, & the January 6 riot he instigated.  Another piece from the year began, “Forgive? I’m just depressed…” He also read a poem/letter addressed to a young friend who died in a motorcycle accident. Indeed, on a national level & on a personal level, it has been a tough year.

The poet who goes by the name Siena has been showing up on occasion at area open mics & making an impression on the audiences. She also read a couple of “pandemic poems,” one about wanting to write a poem when it is all a memory, another an ode to social workers, reflecting on the drain on herself during the year. Many of the poems I’ve heard her read previously are personal, one about saying sorry, another an angry relationship poem. & the poem she ended with looked back to December a year ago titled “Written for Each Thing We Missed.”

I first encountered Avery Stempel & his performative poetry in the late 1990s, & he continues to write poetry, & has recently started Collar City Mushrooms in Troy (of course). He read a series of poems from a poem-a-day project he did in March 2020 (!), each piece titled with number of the day in the series, images of what’s around him, plastic bags, “salad days & salad bars,” Zoom & his reactions, & on the birth of Collar City Mushrooms. His signature mushroom poem is “Tao de Mogu.” & he ended with the affirmative “From Me to You.”

Thom Francis has been around the poetry scene here even longer than Avery, one might say he grew up in it, & he has been running AlbanyPoets for a long time, his organizing & technological skills making it one of the big presences that put Albany on the poetry & the Slam map. He was introduced by Mary Panza. Like this event, his poems tonight looked back & looked to now & on. Interestingly enough he read 2 poems with a shower in it, one actually titled “Shower” as if it were a confessional in a Catholic Church. He read a poem about moving back to Albany, back to South Pine, titled “Today,” then there were poems about his family tree as a bag of sticks & lawn clippings, & the telling evidence about what is in his pockets.

& then “One More Thing,” a brief history of AlbanyPoets, announcing that this is the last event of AlbanyPoets, that as of 2022 AlbanyPoets would be merging with the older organization, the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, that the AlbanyPoets website will be the website of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, that what we have expected from each organization will be more & better. Stay tuned.