Susan Oringel — Carnevale Book Launch, March 17

This reading & book-signing was held at the Unity Church in Albany on King St. The Senior Minister is the Rev. Brigid Beckman  There was diverse audience in the Sanctuary of friends, fellow members of the congregation, & poets. Sue is well-known in the poetry community, & has a previous chapbook of poems, My Coney Island from Finishing Line Press (2019).

Sue read a hefty selection of about 30 poems from her new book, Carnevale (David Robert Books), beginning, appropriately enough given the setting, with what sounded like a prayer, “Poor Everybody.” Then on thru the book.

There were memoir poems of her parents & Coney Island & food (“Chopped Chicken Livers,” “Not Just Any Old Food,” “My Father’s Workshop,” “Sundowning,” “Mom & Dad Barbecue in Heaven,” etc.). 

The section titled “Carnevale” contains love poems, grieving poems for her late partner Don, memories of good times & later. At one point she paused the poems to acknowledge the support the community of Unity Church provided her during her grief.

The final section of the book, “Beyond Us, Something,” is what might be called “spiritual reflections,” with titles like “Middle-Aged in Spring,” “Jim’s Theology of Ice Cream” (for a former pastor of Unity Church), & others, ending coming full circle with the poem titled “My Coney Island.”

The poems with their stories, little & big, kept the audience in rapt attention, a pleasant way to spend some time on a Sunday “after church.”

Carnevale is available from the publisher’s website or from the poet directly at her readings, & I’m sure your local Independent bookstore can order it for you. 

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