Poetic License Reading/Open Mic, December 5

Thomasa Nielsen - "Slipping on a Note"

The Poetic License — Albany exhibit has moved from its month-long exhibition at The Fish Market in Troy to the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany & this reading was held to bless the new location by some of the poets whose poems are exhibited with the visual art they inspired. As I do at the Third Thursday Poetry Night, I invoked the Muse, tonight Noah Kucij, with 2 poems in the exhibit; I read “Your Photos A Year Ago This Week” which inspired Thom Francis’ photo “Spinning Wheel.” Noah died suddenly in April before he knew he would be part of Poetic License - Albany.

Tom Bonville joined as an open mic poet. While he did not have a poem in the show, he does regularly attend open mics in the area. The pieces he read were titled “Going, Going, Gone,” “Faith,” & “I Want to Be.”

Elaine Kenyon had submitted to the 2022 Poetic License event, but this year her poem “The Peripatetic” inspired art from Tess Lecuyer titled “the peripatetic eye.” This night Elaine read that poem as well as “The Misophoniac,” & an ekphrastic poem “Motherhood Blood-Letting.”

Brian Liston has also participated both years in Poetic License - Albany; this year it was his word-list poem “Struggle” that inspired Sven Willets to create his painting “Conquering Worm;” Brian also read a poem dedicated to Philip X. Levine of the Woodstock Poetry Society “The Role We Play” a tribute to those who have come before us, & one titled  “Internalization.”

I was one of the judges of the poetry submitted & so do not have any of my poems in the exhibit; instead I read my poem “Writing Crows” that had been in the Arts Society of Kingston Poetic License in 2021 & inspired the painter S.L. Rika to create “The Crow Flies.” I also read the short poem “My Matisse” inspired by a painting by Thomasa Nielsen from an exhibit at the UAG Gallery on Lark St. many years ago.

Don Maurer read his poem in 3 parts, “Unnatural Acts,” that inspired the painting by Phil Palmieri titled “Lyme & Corona;” then read a coupe other pieces, “Bruised Fruit,” & the song lyric, “How a Robin Learns the Facts of Life.”

Kathleen Anne Smith read “To Create a Summer it Takes” (from her book Let the Stones Grow Soft, The Troy Book Makers, 2023) that inspired the painting “Beach Cottage Summer” by Maureen Kelly; she also read “Why I Write About My Mother” which is also in her book.

Tom Corrado repeated his feat from last year’s Poetic License - Albany & has 2 poems in this year’s show, “Woman XXXIX,” that inspired a painting by Ann Womack titled “Let’s Ride,” & “Woman XVII,” that inspired Thomasa Nielsen’s “Slipping on a Note.” Tom quoted the American abstract painter, Agnes Martin (1912 - 2004), to the effect that she was happy to have her art leave her studio. Tom also read the poems “Woman XXXVII” & “Woman XL,” all the poems from his chapbook 50 Woman (swimming in happenstance press, 2023) copies of which he gave out to the audience.

You can check out the poems & visual art in Poetic License - Albany at the website. 

If you are reading this Blog soon after it was posted, & it is still 2023, you can find the poems & their accompanying art work in the Gallery at Honest Weight Food Co-op, 100 Watervliet Ave., Albany, NY. Visit the Hudson Valley Writers Guild website for listings of local & regional literary events, calls for entries (including future Poetic License calls), & much more.