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.