Poetic License - Albany Reading, September 14

Rebecca Schoonmaker

This was the first of 2 readings by poets included in the exhibit Poetic License - Albany which pairs poems & the visual artwork inspired by the poems. The reading was held in the Art Associates Gallery in Albany where the poems & art work are on display. The event included an open mic.

Laura Whalen’s poem, “The Ode to the Blue Milky,” inspired a painting by Deborah Adams, & Laura began her reading with that poem. Then on to other poems, “The Universal Ball” (which she said was “for every dog you’ve ever loved”); “Elegy for E.” (based on Emily Dickinson’s poem #1395) a poem included in an earlier Poetic License at the Poetry Barn; “Marriage” with the image of a roller coaster; & her translation of fragment #2 by Pablo Neruda from a posthumous book of his unpublished fragments.

Brian Liston began with his cinquain, “Rounds,” which inspired Natasha Pernicka to paint. He also read “Synergy,” another cinquain; “The Role We Play,” written on a playing card; “Autistic SuperKid” the title poem of his book; “The Poets’ Ball;” “A New Beginning” for students graduating; a 9/11 poem “Cities Still Standing; “Deal;” “Rebirth”  another cinquain; & “Penny.”

Randall Sutter was the last of the poets included in the exhibit to read & he began with the poem, “Please Wait,” that inspired Rebecca Schoonmaker’s painting; Rebecca is the president of Upstate Artists Guild who had organized the visual art part of the project, including mounting the exhibit at the gallery. His other poems were “Good Medicine;” “Fixed Object;” a couple poems that can be found on the Hudson Valley Writers Guild website, “Eden’s Gardener” & “On Being Remembered;” & a song lyric, “Green Leaves,” for which John Irizarry wrote the music.

Then on to an open mic, & I was up first with 2 poems written about paintings at the former UAG Gallery on Lark St., “The Clever Cleaver” (responding to a painting by Tommy Watkins), & “My Matisse” (responding to a painting by Thomasa Nielsen).

John Irizarry, mentioned above, had driven up with Randall Sutter, he’s a musician, but tonight recited the lyrics to a song he wrote about the murder of students at Sandy Hook Elementary “Who Decides Our Destiny?”

Mary Panza is one of the local poets & artists who worked to make this exhibit happen & has been active in the local poetry scene since she as, well, much younger; her first piece titled “Micro-dosing” was about an encounter with another mother at her daughter’s school; the second piece was untitled, but it began “Water doesn’t judge…” a rant about a reading Mary described as "the bro sausage rant.”

Thom Francis was also instrumental to making this event happen, creating the website, among other things; his first poem was a love poem sharing the joy of gardening, then one that is one my favorites of his “Radio Man” a 9/11 poem.

You can find out more about the Poetic License - Albany exhibit at the website https://www.poeticlicensealbany.com. The event is co-sponsored by the Upstate Artists Guild & the Hudson Valley Writers Guild.