Poetic License - Albany, November 13

A reading/open mic in conjunction with the Poetic License - Albany exhibit at The Fish Market Gallery in Troy. This is the 2nd year of a collaboration between/among the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, the Upstate Artists Guild, & the larger community of poets & visual artists to bring art & poetry together. "Ekphrastic art" is a term describing creative work in one genre responding to work in another; the most common iteration is poetry written in response to a piece of visual art, e.g., a painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. This project involves visual artists responding to poems by area poets, then both the visual art & the poem being displayed together — ekphrastic art. 

This night we gathered in the gallery for a reading of poetry, not all of which inspired a work of visual art, but we were surrounded by sparkling works of art while the poets read their scintillating words. The MC of the event was no other than Mary Panza, a host & participant of many poetry open mics over the years.

The first reader was Don Maurer, who began with his poem in 3 short parts, “Unnatural Acts,” which inspired a painting by Phil Palmieri; he also read a poem titled “Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, 1840” & another in rhyme on season changes.

Chloe Glenn’s poem “The Moth” inspired paintings by Rebecca Schoonmaker & Tina Johnston; she also read an elegy, “The Last Night Walk,” & one titled “What You Left in the Forest.”

As happens in this project a poem selected as a possible source of inspiration may not be picked up by an artist, as happened to Alexander Perez, but Perez who is a frequenter of the many open mics in the area, read a poem, “Kisses from Beethoven,” inspired by his reading the letters of the great composer.

Brian Liston, who also participated in last year’s inaugural Poetic License - Albany, read a series of his short poems, some single words stacked up, including “Struggle” that inspired work by Sven Willets; he also read his poem “Autistic Superkid” that was originally published in Chronogram magazine.

Noah Kucij was a local poet who submitted 2 poems for the event, then died suddenly in April. Tonight, his friend Matt Rector came to honor Noah’s memory & read his poems, “At the Missing Sock Laundromat” (that inspired a collage by Tess Lecuyer), & “Your Photos A Year Ago This Week” (that inspired a photograph by Thom Francis), as well as a poem Matt wrote years ago while hanging out with Noah, “I Got Rhythm #5 -14”.

Rebecca Schumejda’s poem “Unlike Geese,” from her book Sentenced (NYQ Books, 2023) inspired a painting by Jason Martinez, but instead of Rebecca reading the poem, it was read by her daughter Alexis.

Nick, who is a regular here at the weekly open mic, Poetic Vibe, joined as an open mic reader, read 2 inspirational, personal pieces “Transformation,” & “Begin Again.”

The last poet, Ryan Smithson,  read as an open mic poet, but he had also submitted visual work, composed of butterfly wings, inspired by a poem, “Lungs of the Universe,” by Margaret McDermott; Ryan read her poem, then his own poems “The Serpent & the Apple,” & “An Ode to Powdered Donuts.” I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ryan’s moving memoir of his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq, Ghosts of War: the True Story of a 19-year-old GI (Harper Collins, 2009).

Check the Hudson Valley Writers Guild calendar on its website for a list of other exhibits & readings associated with the 2023 Poetic License - Albany project. 

Writers Mic, November 8

Jackie Craven is the host of this monthly Zoom gathering, tonight there were 10 poets/writers gathered to read.

First up was David Graham who said that he can’t seem to get the dogs out of his poems, & started off with a new one “My Dog Waiting” about how his dog is 70 years old in dog’s years, as is David in his years; his next poem, titled “My Apple Tree,” was written when he first got his dog 10 years ago.  Tonight David reminded me of Billy Collins who always seems to end up with a dog in his poem, I like David’s poems better. 

Rachel Baum also started off with a new poem an interesting tale titled “I Got Lost so I Stopped for a Drink in Del Ray Beach;” then on to an older poem that is the title poem from her forthcoming chapbook from Cowboy Jamboree Press, How to Rob a Convenience Store. 

Alan Catlin is recently back from a sojourn on Block Island & read 2 poems written there, a descriptive piece that began “the moon is down…;” then from his ongoing series of work-anxiety poems a transcription of a dream “Dormitory Fire.”

Scott Morehouse always has a bit of outrageous story-telling, tonight he read a satiric story set in a library book mobile where a couple of religious fanatics steal books to “de-sin,” i.e. burn them.

My poems were a mix of the old, “Planting Tulips,” inspired by the park workers in Albany’s Washington Park a few years ago, & the new, “Cafe Society,” contrasting the Albany Dunkin’ Donuts with Paris cafes.

Ellen Rook felt compelled to issue a “trigger warning” (hey, it’s a poem) for “Chain,” about a necklace gift from a friend, images of boys killing a swan, for grandma cook; then her own fears of “Kyphosis,” like her mother’s fear. 

Naomi Bindman read 3 shape poems, for which she shared screen images, “interstices” looking like a wing; “heart space” like 3 half-hearts (picked up by the online Synchronicity); & “Scar Tissue” a poem of her mother, & of her daughter Ellen, inspired by a poem by Richard Blanco.

Mimi Moriarty read “Learning Vietnamese,” written for her niece when she was just born, in 7 parts, hearing a woman speak in Vietnamesee, music for the not yet born, parallel families at once immigrants, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. 

Susan Carroll Jewell read an old ekphrastic poem (something she excels at) titled “A Bucket in the Woods” an imagination of her mother’s ashes.

Our host, Jackie Craven, brought the evening to a close with a short sci-fi poem, “The Human Clock.” 

If you are interested in joining this monthly open mic on Zoom & sharing your work you can find the link on Facebook — it takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30PM. 

St. Rocco’s Reading Series, November 4

It’s full name is St. Rocco’s Reading Series for the Dispossessed, which is more than appropriate since the series has been homeless from a number of venues over its years, but now seems to have found a home at the College of St. Rose, thru the aegis Professor Daniel Nester, who, once-upon-a-time was active with the Albany (community) poetry scene, but has now slid to the dark (i.e., academic) side. But here we were in a meeting room in one of the St. Rose dormitories.

There were 2 featured poets, Kenning JP Garcia & Nancy Klepsch who were each introduced by Douglas Rothschild. Rothschild has been living & working in Albany since about 2005, has run a couple of reading series in that time, but rarely made an appearance at any of the area open mics, unless one of his celebrity poet friends was the featured reader. So it was not surprising that he said he had only just met Nancy Klepsch, who has been an active presence here for many more years than Douglas, what was surprising is that he admitted it. One must wonder if god is punishing him, since in recent years Douglas has a good reason to miss events since he has to now use a wheelchair & gets around only with the patient efforts of friends.

The first featured reader was Kenning JP Garcia, who read from Ghost Notes (“everything is diary notes…” Garcia said), as well as from Suffuse, apppropriating old clichés, with repetitions like a bad text from Gertrude Stein. Garcia read with his head down, a baseball cap hiding eyes, with no information about the texts, reading as if Garcia was on speed, or had a bad case of ADD. It was very similar to his reading earlier this year at The Linda. 

Alexis Bhagat, who with Rothschild & Garcia organizes the series, announced that St. Rocco’s is now less than dispossessed as it will be at the College of St. Rose 4 times a year. Given the uneven history of poetry events at the College we will have to see, but for now it is the marriage of St. Rocco with St. Rose. Bhagat went on to serve as moderator of the open mic; the list of readers kept growing as students wandered in (the open mic was restricted to students at the College).

First up was Luka (or Luca? I didn’t get a look at the sign-up sheet), who read a poem of hope, since, as he said, “we are all breathing the same air.” Tyler read a couple pieces, titled “Swimming Lessons” & “Ode to Step Dad.” Tara K.’s poem titled “Wind” was, I think, a love poem. Savanna read what she said was the result of an assignment to “write a rant,” but what she read was more a description of an encounter with violent person who perhaps was ranting.

Rothschild, as I said above, introduced the 2nd featured reader, Nancy Klepsch. He read a short poem, then into what was more an introduction to the Douglas Rothschild show. Klepsch began with an anti-war poem titled “Children Too” inspired by the well-known poem by Ilya Kaminsky “We Lived Happily Away from the War,” then what she described as a more gentler version, “Home from the War.” Then on to a couple of poems about her mother, “My Mother was Effortlessly Cool,” & one about her mother being from Queens, NY. She included the title poem from her 2017 collection god must be a boogie man, then on to a couple poems from her experience teaching high school, “Miss K Before the Bell (for Xavier)” & “Learning Targets” an ironic play on words on lockdown drills. She ended with the celebratory “Queer Magic,” & another poem of peace “We All Pray for Different Reasons.” Nancy & are co-hosts of the monthly poetry open mic at Collar City Mushrooms in Troy, NY 2nd Sunday @ 2.

At this point a couple students had meandered in & signed-up for the open mic, both with relationship poems. Myasia read “Turn-Off” that was an angry, then apologetic, letter to a partner. Kale’s pieces were titled “Something New” & “Scratch that Question Mark.”

I, for one, look forward to a long, happy marriage of Rocco & Rose. Stay tuned on social media for future announcements — or join my Google email list to receive notices of poetry & related arts events as I receive them. 

HVWG Annual Meeting, November 4

The meeting, chaired by the Guild President, Thom Francis, included a reading by (most of) the winners of the HVWG Short Fiction Contest, a summary of the busy year’s activities, a book give-away table, & refreshments.

This year the Short Fiction Contest was divided into 4 categories: Micro, Flash, Short, & Overall; the contest judges were Faith Green, Bari Falese, & Pierre Desir.

The winner of the Micro category, Jaye Frisina, was unable to attend, their winning piece was titled “Thrown.”

Paul Castellani, who has written 4 novels, read his winning Short story “Mazzolin dei Fiori,” about the gathering of an Italian wine-making family, recalling the past (the title is that of an Italian folk song the family loved to sing).

Alexander Perez is a poet who is active in the local poetry scene. His story, “The Custodian,” was the winning story in the Overall category. It is about a janitorial employee in a Library, told in the 3rd person, who has to take time off so as not to lose his time, ponders what he might do, with the details of his life woven into the story.

Deyva Arthur’s “Gamble Mom” won in the Flash fiction category. The piece centers on a woman struggling with gambling addiction who enters into a bet with god, gambling on the future of her children.

It was a inspiring event filled with good writing. As Thom Francis said “I am always amazed by the tremendous talent that exists in our literary community. This year we were very fortunate to read submissions from some of the great writers that continue to make this such a creative and vibrant corner of the world.”

Check out the HVWG website for listings of literary events throughout the region, calls for submission, profiles of local writers, & everything else literary. You can become a supporter of these efforts by becoming a member of the Guild online.

 

Buddhist Ruminations by Diane di Prima

I first encountered a poem by Diane di Prima (along with the beat-chic sexy photo of her at a poetry reading sitting on top of a piano) in th quintessential Beat text edited by Elias Wilentz, photographs by Fred McDarrah, The Beat Scene (Corinth Books, 1960) sometime in the mid-1960s. It has been in my library wherever I’ve moved in my life. Over the years I’ve accumulated many of her books, including her great pornographic novel, Memoirs of a Beatnik (Traveller’s Companion/Olympia Press, 1969), & her stunning series Revolutionary Letters (Last Gasp of San Franciso, 2007 & City Lights, 1971 - 1980), as well as a couple of her Selected Poems.

In October, 2010 I saw her read at the Charles Olson Centennial Celebration & was able to get my own photos of her (not sitting on a piano). 

Recently Shivastan Publishing issued a beautiful hard-bound edition printed on hand-made paper in India of a bouquet of di Prima’s Buddhist themed poems, Buddhist Ruminations. The book contains 60+ pages, 20 poems, an introduction by poet Anne Waldman, & many old woodcuts of Buddhas, & other illustrations. It even smells great.

I love di Prima’s Revolutionary Letters, which you can find at City Lights Books. Jason Crane has been posting his reading of the Letters at his podcast A Brief Chat.  I would much prefer to hear her read her poems, but I have not found more than a handful of recordings of di Prima herself reading the Letters which is very disappointing (she read, among other works, some of the Letters at the Olson Celebration noted above), but you can buy the book (or get it from your local library) & read them yourself. 

For Shivastan Publishing chapbooks & broadsides visit the website or contact Shiv Mirabito at woodstock108@hotmail.com. You can also find it by visiting the Shivastan Bookshop & Art Gallery, 6 SGT Richard Quinn Dr./Hillcrest Ave., Woodstock, NY — the orange cabin in back.

HVWG Prose Showcase, October 22

This was held at the Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library on New Scotland Ave. before a packed audience, part of a series of showcases of local authors presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild. 

The first reader was Ian Ross Singleton who read from his novel Two Big Differences (MGraphics, 2021) set in Odesa, Ukraine in 2014 during the uprising Euromaidan, the Maidan Uprising. The novel focuses on a woman from Odesa who had gone to the USA & returned to Odesa during the uprising. The author read 2 sections, one a sex scene set in the catacombs of Odesa, the other set during violent rioting in the streets, told in a swirl of surreal images.

Christy O’Callaghan is the former editor of Barzak at the University at Albany. She began her reading with a descriptive, philosophical essay on Autumn titled “Shifting,” then a couple pieces of flash fiction from a series about what people keep in jars, “Seeds,” & “Light” about a woman who lit her house with jars of light from moonbeams, stars, fireflies, etc. — she read it for her husband’s grandmother, Mary Leue, who died recently at the age of 103, the founder of Albany’s Free School.

Keith W. Willis is a long-time member of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild who specializes in writing what he calls “fantasy/medieval romance.”  He recently released the 4th volume in his Knights of Kilbourne series. He read for us Chapter 46 from the 1st in the series, Traitor Knight, full of swords, dragons, servants & a crossbow, seasoned with humor. You can often find him tabling at book fairs & theme-related events.

The readings were followed by a Question & Answers session with the audience. One of the best questions this afternoon was “How do you get from a thought to writing it down?” which I thought was a great question for any author. Feel free to use it at the next author event you attend.

Check out the website of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild for information on readings & other book-related events in the region.

Third Thursday Poetry Night, October 19

The night’s featured poet was Rebecca Schumejda. Our Muse for the night was the late Jean Valentine (1934 - 2020), former New York State Poet; I read her poem “The World Inside This One” from her collection Break the Glass (Copper Canyon Press, 2010).

On to a bit of the open mic before the feature, there were 13 on the signup sheet. First up was Alan Catlin, who hadn’t been here in a while, with one piece titled “Foreign Affairs” about a person he worked with when he was a bartender, who wanted to be in the Peace Corps, because of his father’s experience, but for all the wrong reasons. Sylvia Barnard did a “show-&-tell” with a copy of the year book from a school she started out at but she didn’t graduate from, her poem “Yearbook” about her classmates & her own path to success.

Joe Krausman read on the topic of “insomnia,” like the great poet Wisława Szymborska, & the prospect of eventually sleeping forever. I haven’t seen Don Levy at a poetry open mic since before the pandemic, but here he was tonight to read a poem about aging titled “My Slowing Down” (at age 63). 

The long-standing rule at the Third Thursday Poetry Night for the open mic is one poem, but this night Tom Bonville decided to challenge that, throwing his arrogance into the faces of the 4 poets who had just read before him; I will report on the first of the 3 poems he strong-armed, then report on the other 2 in subsequent Blogs in the next months — the poem was titled “Shopping.”

Tonight’s featured poet was Rebecca Schumejda whose work I’ve been following with interest, glee & great admiration over many years. Her latest book is Sentenced (New York Quarterly Books, 2023) from which she read tonight, beginning with “Then He Begged Me to Go Back with Him to Rescue the Others” a memoir of her brother when he was 8 years old releasing goldfish, then “Three Days Before Sentencing” after he killed his wife. “A Funeral for the Living,” “A Nest,” her daughter finds a bird’s nest, writes to her uncle in prison, “Visiting,” “I don’t want this poem to be about the death penalty, but it is.” She concluded her reading with a funny poem, “Bobby Balls-In-Hand,” from her book about a pool hall she once owned with her husband, from her book Cadillac Men (NYQ Books, 2012). Her poems grab us by the details, the everyday that springs forward to become what is familiar to us all, although our experiences might be vastly different.

After that a break was much needed, giving the audience a chance to buy her books.

I led off the 2nd half of the open mic list with a Halloween themed poem, now a sonnet, “Witches in the Attic.” David Gonsalves followed with his one poem “Evening on Mt. Epilogue” twisting in time. First time reading here was Justin Mitchell, with one poem in rhyme “Running with Wolves” not quite a Halloween poem but a scary poem just the same.

Joan Goodman’s long stand-up comedy routine (over 7 minutes) included a 3-minute + intro with the tedious request to the audience to “pick” which piece she should read; if this were a Slam with its traditional 3-minute time limit where as soon as the performer starts talking the timing starts, it would’ve been enough time to have 2 poets do their thing.

Kristen Day, who hasn’t been here since I can’t remember when, & we were glad to have her back, was much more considerate of the time with her one poem from a prompt “Things That You Say Everyday,” a list of exactly that. Sally Rhoades, a regular here, read one poem from a prompt that she has never read out previously, titled “Small Beer,” read for Alan Catlin, a memoir of her father & the small-town bar he frequented.

Ellen Rook had been a featured poet here back in April & came back to read in the open mic; her one poem was titled “Like Water Into Water,” a lush description of canoeing in the mist. Mary Panza, my massage therapist, & our final poet for the night, read “Bridle” a rant about her wedding dress & its aftermath — if you could see the future then, would you think the same about you? 

The Third Thursday Poetry Night takes place at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY, sign-up starts about 7:00PM, with the open mic starting at 7:30, & a featured poet. Your donation supports poetry events in Albany & the work of the SJC.

 

Sustaining Air: The Life of Larry Eigner, October 16

That’s the title of Jennifer Bartlett’s recently released biography (The University of Alabama Press) of the poet Larry Eigner (1927 - 1997). On this evening Jennifer Bartlett was in conversation with the poet & critic Charles Bernstein at The Flow Chart Foundation in Hudson, NY, with projected images of Eigner & of pages from his manuscript. 

Eigner lived most of his life in Swampscott, MA, & later in life in Berkeley, CA. As a result of birth trauma he had cerebral palsy & nearly all of his 3,070 poems were typed on a manual typewriter with his thumb & forefinger. He was meticulous in his spacing of his poems on the page, even to the point of correcting his published poems, even when only 1 space off.

Bartlett said that the seed of this book was reading the poet Charles Olson’s magnum opus The Maximus Poems. Olson lived in Gloucester, MA not far from where Eigner lived, & was an influence on Eigner’s approach to poetry, particularly through his (Olson’s) essay “Projective Verse.” Bartlett said it took her 17 years to write & publish the book, the first book-length biography of Eigner.

Charles Bernstein described Eigner as “a great poet of the everyday” — a reader can often tell the time of the year a poem was written by his details description of the weather; he also proposed he could be a great poet of New England, against the work of Robert Lowell, writing at the same time, whose work is so different. Bernstein said that Eigner did not "thematize" his disability, that there is “no self-dramatization in Eigner.”

The next day at the Albany Public Library weekly Book Talk, sponsored by the Friends & Foundation of the APL, I delivered my review of Sustaining Air, which we had scheduled much earlier in the year before the book was published. & Jennifer Bartlett, on her way to Buffalo, stopped by & helped me field questions from the audience. One might call it an example of “synchronisitry” — or simply good luck. 

Sustaining Air is a very readable & informative biography of Larry Eigner, an important figure in the mid-20th Center poetry scene. I highly recommend it.