2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, January 14

Snow squalls probably delayed some folks from getting here, others perhaps stayed home, but by the time we were done with poetry the squalls had passed & the weather cleared. But I had made it from Albany, as did my co-host Nancy made it from further downtown Troy.

And Rachel R. Baum made it from Saratoga Springs. She began with the title poem of her recently-published chapbook from Bottlecap Press, Richard Brautigan’s Concussion, then a poem titled “I See Your Ghost” from her forthcoming poetry collection How to Rob a Convenience Store (Cowboy Jamboree Press).

David Gonsalves read a poem titled “Last Thursday,” although I’m not sure if that was when it was written, a funny list of notes taken at a conference of the things happening (or not); his 2nd poem was a very brief “Upright.”

I was up next & read 2 very recent poems that had not at that point been typed up, from my current “poetry workbook,” “Kesha-Undaha” inspired by reading the Lankavatara Sutra, another titled “The Origin of Ghosts,” but I’m not sure that’s what it was about.

The proprietor of Collar City Mushrooms, Avery Stempel, who graciously makes his fungal space available for this open mic each month, read 2 pieces from his anthology of mushroom poems that he published a while back, “A Mushroom in the Snow” & “The Mushrooms Are Here.”

Co-host Nancy Klepsch read just one poem, one that I’ve enjoyed hearing previously, & is now available online in Trailer Park Quarterly #14, “Mama I See Your Daughter.” 

Rhonda Rosenheck began with “Wedge” a poem playing on that word, its meanings, & on memory; her 2nd poem was “Asymmetry” from a year ago, about the results of a breast exam.

Anne Hoenstein slipped in towards the end, not someone who reads out often, read some good pieces, “My Daughter’s Walls,” then another piece in multiple parts, a memory, as a letter, to a former/gone lover.

This open mic — no featured poet — takes place on, as its name says, the 2nd Sunday @ 2, at Collar City Mushrooms, 333 2nd Ave, Troy, NY — bring some poems or short prose. & maybe take home some mushrooms for dinner.

[Note: photos by Avery Stempel.]

Writers Mic, January 10

Another popular Zoom poetry open mic with a loyal group of followers, with our host, poet Jackie Craven.

David Graham was the first reader with his newest poem, “Gratitude,” a meditative essay, with an epigraph from American poet Robert Hayden. 

Rachel R. Baum dialed in from Florida with a poem titled “Tiles from Mexico,” with images of flight, addressed to a deceased friend. 

Susan Oringel announced her new book Carnevale (David Robert Books), with the poem “The Stairs at Marion Lodge” about Pyramid Late retreat in Upstate NY.

Mimi Moriarty read her poem “Mummer’s Parade, January 1, 2010” descriptive of the annual event when she visits her family in Philadelphia from her series of poems about the parade.

Catherine Norr dialed in from Arizona & talked about her new chapbook from Finishing Line Press, Goat Farm Road: Poems from the Adirondack Mountains, then read the poem “On the Road to Mountain Cabin.” 

Alan Catlin gave a most uncharacteristic reading (for him) with Haibuns, with hard winter rain, lightening in the forest, a creek floods, not a bar stool in sight.

Scot Morehouse’s humorous (& oh so true) piece titled “Save the Date, or Not” was about a notice for a high-school reunion, his high-school years were endured, not enjoyed he said, pondering when the next will be, & what that would be like.

Susan Jewell read a long, free-ranging poem, descriptions of sound & light, & strangely titled “We’re Sorry to hear You are Moving Away from Golina.” 

I read a piece based on my reading of the Tao, in a translation by Victor H. Mair, “Bright but Not Dazzling.”

Naomi Bindman began her reading with a trigger warning (I think all poems have an implied trigger warning: “this is a poem, it’s about things you don’t want to hear”)a piece of flash non-fiction titled “Echo” about a current echo-cardiogram, remembering an ultra-sound of her pregnancy, remembering dreams of her daughter before she was born.

Ellen White Rook read a poem of flowers & light titled “New Years Again,” then a revised version of one she read previously “Ghost Story.”

Kathleen Herold read an untitled piece about early morning walks at a lake, the colors, the sounds of a loon, filled with sadness.

Jackie Craven read what she described as “a short little bit of absurdity,” beginning, “if my dentist could probe deep enough…” an inventory under anesthesia.

With a time left on the Zoom clock, Jackie asked if anyone had anything else to read & there were 3 takers. First Rachel Baum read a love poem in metrics, “This is How You Love Me;” Sue Oringel read “What I Learned” about working in a restaurant; and Catherine Norr with a piece titled “Matter & Other Reds.” 

If you want to join this open mic held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, you can find the Zoom link on the Facebook page for the group Writers Mic. 

All Genre Open Mic out of Bennington, January 9

Charlie Rossiter welcomed each of us “in” (not sure where “in” was since this was a Zoom event), as he built the open mic list, then forgot to do his traditional rap intro, until Naomi pointed it out to him. We went around in 2 rounds of 1 poem each round.

Bridget Elder ended up 1st on the list, & read in the 1st round a piece about her Mother-in-law’s celebration of life, short shades of blue in rhyme; then in her 2nd round a repeat of a piece she has read “here” previously, a word-play about her words as scarce as hen’s teeth. 

In both rounds I read the poems recently published in Dissent: an anthology to end war and capitalism (Vagabond Books), in the 1st round “A Shill at the Fair,” then in the 2nd round a poem about the 1886 Haymarket riot “Crane Alley,” pleased that Naomi commented that she had taught about the Haymarket riot as a young teacher.

Tim Verhaegen read a piece about a brother who died at 23, “Possessing,” & their conflict with their mother, with the poignant line, “I thought we had more time.” In the 2nd round he read a recently written memoir of college in Cobleskill in 1979, walking with friends, a love poem for Jeanine & a tale of friendship.

Naomi Bindman said that the pieces she was reading in each round were competing poems to submit with a writing sample & wanted our advice; in the 1st round a portrait titled “Crazy;” in the 2nd round “Past Lives,” wondering which was it, a flower, a cloud, a star.  It seemed that most thought either was a good candidates, or maybe submit both?

Our host, Charlie Rossiter dusted off some old poems from his archives. In the 1st round, one he read about meeting a friend “8 Miles off the Interstate … In Panic Lake Wisconsin;” for his 2nd round a memory of a road trip north “At the Second Hand shop in Flim Flam Manitoba.”

Cheryl Rice, dialing in from Kingston, NY read in her 1st round “Sky Dive the Ranch,” then on the 2nd time around a poem inspired by a friend’s photo on Facebook of sand pipers at the beach, “Initiation.” 

Tom Nicotera announced that Charlie & Naomi would be the featured readers on February 15 in the Wintonbury Poetry Series, a monthly Zoom event from the Bloomfield, CT Public Library; one can sign up at bplct.org. The poem he read in the 1st round was a new piece about his brother & a gift he had made for their mother “This Cutting Board,” then in the 2nd round, a poem from his archives, from 1999, “Miracles of Turns.”

Bill Thwing brought out his guitar, reprised the Santa Claus song he did last month, to the tune of “16 Tones” or whatever the source of that was; for the 2nd round he did another song, “E Pluribus Unum,” full of the folkie cliches.

& that was that — if you want to join us each month on the 2nd Wednesday, & you are not on Charlie’s list, send him an email charliemrossiter@gmail.com & he will send you the Zoom link.

Caffè Lena Poetry Night, January 3

A great way to start the poetry New Year with the open mic at the historic Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY. The feature was the Albany activist, poet & hip-hop scholar Victorio Reyes Asili with the the usual open mic for community poets, under the shepherding of host Carol Graser.

Victorio Reyes Asili was live-streamed so you can watch his energetic performance at the Caffè Lena YouTube channel. In summary, he began with selections from his verse novel The Tales of Happiness Santiago, an energetic performance of this visual, urban, surrealistic work — “magic is lonely without company.” Then on to an unimaginable mash-up of hip-hop & traditional white European forms (i.e., sonnets) “Crown Me: an American Mix-tape,” combining sonnets, erasures, prose poems, including the open form “1981” (after Afrika Bambaataa on Planet Rock), & ending his performance with “Sonnet #1,” a mash-up of Woo Tang Clan & Edgar Allen Poe. The Future is here.

Our intrepid hose, Carol Graser, started off the open mic with a poem titled “Shaking Hand” by an Irish poet, & on to the rest of us.

Rachel Baum began with a poem about her father in a rehab center, “Christmas in Florida,” then a piece titled “No Button for That.” Darcy Anne read 2 rhyming odes, one about “Rome New York,” the other “An Ode to Zapata,” a poem on chaos. David Graham read 2 poems about the New Year, the 1st his own from a few years ago, “New Year Full Moon,” the 2nd titled “Small Lesson” by Canadian poet Lorna Crozier.

Next was my favorite father-daughter team of poets; Lance Le Grys read 1st, an eco-poem about golfers titled “Here.” Alex Le Grys, home on break from college in Canada, began with, as she said, “not a very nice poem” addressed to a school friend, “A Galaxy that Doesn’t Exist,” then a poem with a title that explains it all “Listening to Elliot Smith (1969 - 2003) with my Black Cat” (the album she was listening to was “Figure 8”).

A regular here in the open mic, Leslie Sittner, read her descriptive poem “Super Blue Moon” from August, then read a Haiku written by her 15-year old grandson. I read my poem “Writing Crows” that had been in the Art Society of Kingston’s Poetic License exhibit in 2021; then an old poem recently printed in Dissent: an anthology to end war and capitalism (Vagabond Press), “A Shill at the Fair.” Saratoga Spring’s Poet Laureate, Joe Bruchac, read a poem he wrote last night, “Velocity,” an eco-poem, looking to his end.

After a short, refreshing beak, our host Carol Graser returned with a tender poem about her father, “On the 6th Floor of the VA Medical Center.” 

Bridgette Gallagher brought some of her students of creative writing, & set a good example by reading 2 poems, the 1st about teaching creative writing, “I Am the Holder of Stories,” then one for her daughter “Painting Over Pink.” One of the students, Mimi Hrbeck, read next, 2 short, introspective poems.

Carol Schupy Star read 2 poems about the Moon, “Moon Silhouette,” & “Moonlight.” Joan Tepper-Neal was here for the 1st time, read a harrowing poem in 2 parts about being in the hospital to be treated for a prolapse “The Monster.” Brooke a poem on a more pleasant topic, what she would like her children say about her, “Say of Her.”

Elaine Kenyon reads frequently here in the open mic, & tonight read her poem “I Want” responding to a poem someone read here last month, then a poem about being 19 years old — her poems introspective, celebratory. Wendy Daniels also reads here frequently; her poem “Too Soon” was a sad piece from her experience being a military spouse, her husband deployed; then she read a poem titled “Bus Stop” by Kate Baer from What Kind of Woman (Harper Perennial, 2020).

Sam, another one of Bridgette Gallagher’s students, read her poem “The Problem with Pantoums” (comparing the poem to the pain of the World), then the more mundane “Ode to My Upset Stomach” perhaps one of her writing assignments. Mary Ann Rockwell was the night’s last reader; she read “After the Estate Sale,” which she said she had read here previously, but this is version 2, then a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye “Burning the Old Year,” a good choice to end on.

As the new year continues, plan on coming to the Caffè Lena Poetry Night on the first Wednesday of the month, 47 Phila St. — 7:00PM featured poet (live-streamed), followed by an open mic for community poets — doors open 6:30PM — $5.00 (students free).

Third Thursday Poetry Night, December 21

It was a good showing of poets, regulars & first-timers, &, of course, the annual holiday visit from Sanity Clause with gifts of poetry for all the readers, even our featured poet, Suzanne R. Rancourt. Another holiday tradition was our Muse for the night, as always in December it was Enid Dame, with a reading of her moving, emotional “Holiday Poem,” sent out as a holiday card in 1996 from her & her husband, Donald Lev.

First up on the open mic list, as she prefers to be, was Sylvia Barnard, who said she recently attended a poetry workshop & read what she wrote, remembering a dear friend lost to COVID, & she was the first to get a holiday gift of poetry, as did each poet who followed to the mic tonight.

Josh the Poet read a new, self-inspired poem, “Unexpected Poet,” a personal essay on becoming a poet. Tom Bonville read the 1st of 17 poems he (he said) brought, one titled  “Christmas Morning” a description of that morning with his mother in her hospital bed downstairs, she remembering being a girl during World War II, swimming in the River. 

Sally Rhoades followed with a poem titled “When Katie Picks Me up in Her Buick,” about a 2019 trip to Oklahoma, with a flashback to her youth & her father’s Cadillac. Gail Nixon was new here & also new to reading her work in public, tonight she read a poem, “Chaos,” about the pandemic, wondering about the future, & slipped in another, “The Recipe for Diversity,” like a stew.

I have had the privilege in the past to read with tonight’s featured poet, Suzanne R. Rancourt, who had also read at the legendary Readings Against the End of the World here in the late 1980s. She read “a little bit from everything,” 12 poems from her 4 books, but mostly neglected to give the titles of the books from which the poems came. 

She began her reading with a poem titled “Soft,” & the chilling, descriptive  “Mediterranean Blues” reacting to seeing a news photo of a body of a Syrian baby on the beach, said “these are my happy poems." Then a poem for her mother, dying, packing things to take with her “Singing Across the River,” others, “Fabric,” “Voyage.” The rest of her reading was an array of poems from her most recent book, Songs of Archilochus (Unsolicited Press, 2023) asking members of the audience to call out numbers to find pages. The poems included, among others another poem for her mother, “As My Mother Died She Became a Bird,” some poems of place, & ended with “Armistice” for peace, images of leafs & wings, the wind. Her poems are vividly descriptive, read distinctly, slowly, with dramatic emphasis & righteous indignation at injustice, where needed. The audience was attentive, if was somewhat a bit rambunctious, she was not to be ignored nor slept through.

After a break, for book sales, conversations, & whatever else happens at that time, including the largess of the audience to support poetry events & the work of the Social Justice Center, we returned to the open mic list. I started off the list with my traditional Xmas piece, a love poem to my mother, “Christmas Eve, 1945.”

David Gonsalves, former editor & publisher of the poetry zine Tin Wreath read “Broad Stripes” a brief assault on the powerful in defense of the weak. Avery Stempel, proprietor of Collar City Mushrooms in Troy & the January feature here, read “Impressions of Light,” as he said, impressions, in swirling musical words sometimes with no meaning.

Lee, who hadn’t been here in a while, read “For Once,” reacting to all that is going on in the world, wanting to see the decency & kindness, “for once…” 

Toyin was a last-minute signup, a first timer, read a lush love poem, “Dear Valentine,” about the kind of love she wants, hmm um.

Jason wasn’t going to read but was having too much fun not to join in, read “One Hundred Words,” which was exactly 100 words, started with a quote from Mother Teresa. Nisaa was an extra add-on, 1s time reader, read a poem “The Threat of Pleasure” from one of the poetry chapbooks that Sanity Clause had given out earlier.

A fabulous night of surprises, old readers, new readers, & everyone having fun with words, a great way to end 2023 & sail on into whatever 2024 has in store for us. Join u at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY on the third Thursday of the month for a featured reader & an open mic for the rest of us — your $5.00 donation supports poetry events in Albany & environs, & the work of the Social Justice Center.

[A Note on the photos in this edition of the Blog: the photo of Suzanne Rancourt is by me, the rest were taken by audience member & poet, Sally Rhoades.]

Writers Mic, December 13

Poet Jackie Craven organizes this monthly open mic on Zoom & this night there were 9 writers sharing their work.

First up was David Graham with 2 new poems from an exercise of doing made-up responses from Neruda’s “The Book of Questions,” the 1st titled “Left Turns” wondering if all left turns will equal right ones, then responding to Neruda’s question, "How old is November anyway?" David’s answer a speculative poem, “A Charm That Might Work.”

Alan Catlin described his 2 poems as "dystopian landscape/nature poems," the first a response to an ekphrastic prompt in Rattle magazine with “Shadowlands” with film & music; then a descriptive piece “An Assassination of Crows.”

Rachel Baum announced the recent publication of her chapbook Richard Brautigan’s Concussion from Bottlecap Press, poems inspired by re-reading Brautigan after she had suffered a concussion, but she didn’t read any of those poems. Instead she read “His House 1955,” about a photo of her parents house in Levitttown & a wedding; then, she too had a turn signal poem “No Turn Signal” addressing the residuals of an attack on her & her dog by another dog. 

Rachel’s mention of Brautigan inspired me to read my short poem titled “Channeling Richard Brautigan” which is one of my “poem cards;” then a string of short poems from a recent family party in Philadelphia, “Thanksgiving Notes.”

Scot Morehouse added his usual dose of outrageous humor to the open mic with a parody of those family holiday letters this one as if written by a foreigner spammer in dialect, including the family response.

Ellen White Rook read a couple of descriptive pieces about a land preserve in Western Massachusetts, the 1st untitled, the 2nd titled “The Morning After,” with the descriptive line “here stones wander from their walls.”

Susan Jewell regularly responds to & submits poems to the Rattle ekphrastic project, her most recent rejection titled “Friday Morning” about visiting her father in a nursing home, an image of a white owl; then “The Year of Living Dangerously” another ekphrastic poem with images of shadow puppets & references the movie of the same title. 

Jackie Craven’s poem “Decorating for the Apocalypse” was about her ottoman & her response to the TV news.

Mimi Moriarty read 2 seasonal poems, “2 Wise Men & a  Buddha” about setting up the crêche with a replacement figurine for one of the Wise Men; then a list poem “Inventory for Reasons I Won’t Be Celebrating Christmas,” a memoir of past family events.

This Zoom open mic takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM; if you want to join us you can find the link on the Writers Mic Facebook page.