Third Thursday Poetry Night, February 19

Tonight’s featured reader, Ian Macks, in the last half-year has had free-publicity in the Albany Times Union — but not as a poet. During the July 4th celebration in Albany a building on Madison Ave. was burned down by a flare gun being fired through a window. Ian lived across the street & the TU runs a photo of him looking at the building whenever they do a story about the incident, which was most recently in December. We’ll get to his poetry in minute. But first I invoked tonight’s Muse, the gone poet Amiri Baraka (1934 - 2014). A friend recently gifted me a copy of his collected S O S: Poems 1961 - 2013 & I read a late piece, “All Songs Are Crazy.”

There was a packed house, 11 on the open mic list, plus an enthusiastic audience of listeners. Everyone who signed the open mic list did so with just their first name (but I knew the last name of many). The first up was Avery (Stempel), who read a memoir/elegy, of 4 different people, in the details they left behind. Tim (Verhaegen) read about his history of dealing with alcoholics & a recent meeting, “Saturdays,” a rant/description of a couple in Hannafords, & a men’s only support group - phew!

Amanda (Pelletier) gave the audience a choice, the audience opted for the first part of a longer piece, with the repeating line “a breath was caught in her …” about an assault (tune in next month for the promised 2nd half). Kayla read about never writing political poems, but her personal rant was about looking for answers for justice, looking for change -- the ultimate political poem.

Shamyla said that she was a former Albany High School student who had entered a couple of poems to the Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize a few years back when she was 16; tonight she read an intense biographical piece, about deciding that “seize the day” is the way to live.

Ian Macks reads frequently in open mics here. Tonight he read mostly from his book Identity Crises (Recto y Verso Editions, 2024), the poems in the order that they appear in the book. He began with the opening poem, “Our Dreams are Kerosene,” mixing racist incidents with alcohol & weed; in fact he confronts racism throughout the book, as both a pervading theme & a persistent undercurrent. That includes his poems “The Ringing in my Ears” (about the “school to prison pipeline”), “Over the Top, Behind the Back,” “Veins Popping//Inconvenience” (responding to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery), & “Say Hello to the Feds.” Another major theme is that of feeling alienated, particularly in school, such as “Nevermind, forget it…,” “Autonomy Search Party,” & “Orbit.” But he could also be tender, as in “A Mother’s Love” (his parents were there in the audience to support his reading). He also read the four poems published in the recent January 2025 (Volume 7) edition of Paper Moon Magazine, then capped off his reading with “Return to (soul),” searching for peace.

We took a short break, but unfortunately Ian didn’t have copies of his book with him to sell. After which I started off the rest of the open mic with this year’s “Birthday Poem” about that day in Philadelphia. Maria (Sohn) read the contemplative “The Me That is Here” that was inspired by looking at old photos of herself, “same essence different flowers.” Cat’s poem “Lessons in Fear” was based on an encounter she saw on the street, & a litany of her fears, some scary, some even humorous.

Doug was new to this open mic; he performed a piece on growing up, "work work work," & partying, in rhyme, from memory. Austin Houston has read here many times, this night he read “Rest in Peace, Renée Nicole Good,” a love poem to the woman murdered by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Danea was another new voice, who read a poem that was an introduction & mini-bio, about her recent health issues, struggling to stay alive. Caitlin Conlon who will be the featured poet next month, read a tender piece written a week ago & never read out before, remembering sharing a joint, falling in love.

This open mic occurs on the third Thursday of each month at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY 7:30PM with a featured reader — suggested donation of $5.00 to support poetry events in Albany & the work of the Social Justice Center.

Writers Mic, February 11

The host of this Zoom event is poet Jackie Craven whose most recent collection of poems is Whish (Press 53, 2024) - winner of the Press 53 Award for Poetry.

David Graham was up first with 2 new poems, “Wakeup Call after Martha Solano” like an autobiography through school, love & sex, remembering a day in class; his 2nd poem was a Valentine, “Bathtime,” with the tender/humorous line, “she’s going upstairs to bathe, well, I’ll alert the media…“

Alan Catlin began with a poem written just this Monday, “Once in a Blue Moon," an anxiety dream poem, the jumps & surprises of dreams, with kissing sybils; followed by one written today, another dream, “Kidnapping & the Poetry Reading, an Anxiety Dream Poem.” (I think our dreams write, sometimes, better poems than we do, since dreams are often filled with jumps & leaps, the kind of mixing of images that our best poems should have.)

Then I was next & began with my recent “Birthday Poem 2026,” part of an ongoing practice of writing a poem each year about my birthday, this one in Philadelphia with family during the snowstorm; my 2nd poem, “Vernada Delray,” was written in response to Alan Catlin’s fabulous 2011 collection of poems Alien Nation (March Street Press).

It was good to see Naomi Bindman here again; she read a birthing poem, “Patience of Potato,” a lesson from plants; then a brand new poem of loss, “Will You Come Back?” 

Scot Morehouse is characteristically humorous & outrageous, this night he was no different in 2 short stories; the 1st a (not) news-worthy story of 2 competing standup comics turning 100, Mimi & Mami, vying for all the cake; then “Forgotten,” an early 20th century tale of lady’s underwear, with a concluding limerick which are always funny.

Elizabeth Loctman, overcoming problems trying to unmute, read a political piece from inspired by event last month on the murders of Renee Good & Alex Pretti in Minnesota. 

Susan Carroll Jewell read a revised “Living in the City of the Dead” in the duplex form, mimicking the blues using repetitions (that work so well in poems). 

Jackie Craven read an experiment, from a short story into a poem, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” a surrealist mix of the night her mother died (or not?), a gerbil, a mermaid on the couch.

Theonel Mathebula Zoomed in from somewhere across the globe, with a piece about suicide, “If Suicide Wins,” from a series of how it won’t be dramatic, but he wins by persisting with the little things of his life.

With some time left on the Zoom window, Jackie opened it up to one more poem from anyone interested. I opted to read a quite old poem, “Valentine” (this being February). Theo read  “Between 2 Floods,“ dedicated to a friend in Mozambique who was born on top of the trees in a flood in 2000, last month passed away during another flood. Then Naomi, a lighter poem, new, “Lessons of a Broken Left Wrist: Ode to my Non-dominate Hand.”

One can find out how to join this monthly (2nd Wednesdays) Zoom open mic by visiting the Writer’s Mic Facebook page.  Hope to see you “there”.

2nd Tuesday All Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, February 10

With our host, Charlie Rossiter, in his living room — & the rest of us someplace else. He likes to do 2 rounds of 1 poem each round.

Charlie put me first on the list once again (it’s sort of a tradition). I read my annual “Birthday Poem,” this year in Philadelphia for a party & a snow-filled weekend. In the 2nd round I read a recently typed poem from my series from the 1st Trump reign, "What Makes America Great,” this  #45: Antifa. 

Ginny Folger’s 1st round poem was titled “Old Women Dreaming,” imaging lovers from the past; her 2nd round poem, “The Gin Rickey,” was a memoir of Lake Hapatgon, NJ (where I once went for an office party when I worked in NYC). 

In his 1st round, Tom Nicotera read a dream poem “New Year’s Eve” with a crow & snow (note the dream rhyming); later, he read a new poem, “There Are Angels Everywhere” about a couple paying his bill in a restaurant in Brattleboro. 

Bill Thwing dialed in from Western Pennsylvania with a song written last year (which he read as a poem), “Waiting For the Phone to Ring;” in the 2nd round, “Grandpa Harold Went To War” also in rhyme, the Solomon Islands then (WWII) & now.

Sharon Smith read from her new book, stages, in the 1st round “Poem Origin Oddities,” inspired by a remark by Charlie made some years ago about the shape of poems; in the 2nd round, “Bird Meter,” listening to the birds’ song like poetic meter. 

Rachel Baum read from her book of children’s poetry Sit.Stay.Fetch.Sketch. A Book of Artistic Canines, in the 1st round, for “Cocco Chanel,” then for her 2nd round poem, one for Cocco’s cousin, “Christian Dior.” 

Anthony Bernini, in his 1st round, read a seasonal poem about the stream behind his house in Winter, “The Piscawan;” then later, a poem of war & history, “Before Iraq,” i.e., Mesopotamia.

Mark O’Brien began with what he described as a “quasi Haiku,” on losing people in life; in the 2nd round he gave a rambling introduction referencing Richard Brautigan’s Gothic novel, The Hawkline Monster, then into a poem about as slapstick incident with his brothers & a field mouse, “What Are You Talking About?”

Our host, Charlie Rossiter brought up the rear in both rounds, & read from his book, For Now, in the first round one from years ago, “One Summer Day at the Pig’s Foot,” & at the end, the pensive “Listening to William Carlos Williams,” as a form of immortality. 

This wonderfully low-key Zoom open mic takes place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month beginning at 7:00PM, Eastern time. Although Charlie is in Bennington, Vermont, one can dial in from anywhere. If you are not already on his list & want to join the open mice, send him an email (to charlierossiter@gmail.com) & he will send you the link — you’ll like it.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, February 8

It was COLD!! & I wondered if anyone would venture out in Troy, NY to read their writing in a cavernous, old bank building that a reasonable person would guess would be Cold — I was correct about the building but not about the writers: we were 8 writers in overcoats & hats, warmly reading our written words to strangers & friends. Nancy Klepsch & I are the hosts of this monthly open mic.

Rhonda Rosenheck was first on the list with one of her imagined-crime poems, a long piece in ottava rima, then the much shorter & humorous “Later.” David Gonsalves recited his poem, “Four Digital Photographs,” from memory, a rare thing for him, then another piece that he read titled with a string of letters I totally didn’t get.

Nancy Klepsch read a happy poem, “like one of Bernadette’s” she said, a bit of automatic writing, “The View Out my Back Window,” & a poem as a letter to a queer youth who had been murdered, “He Would Have Been 17 Today.” I followed with my annual attempt to write a “Birthday Poem,” then a newly typed addition to my series “What Makes America Great,” #45 “Antifa.”

Anne Hohenstein read “Questions for a Married Lover,” which she described as being written for a friend who was having an affair with a married man, then the simply titled “February 23,”a tender memorial to family members whose ashes are buried together. John was here for the first time, said he had read at Poetic Vibe in the past, his poem “Invocation” had a first line written years ago, then a more recent piece, “A Night Alone …”

Sally Rhoades read a prose piece from her on-going memoir, this about her mother who died a month before Sally found out she was pregnant, about how she found out, at work, that her mother had died. Beth Offenbacker was another poet who was here for the first time, she read 2 related pieces, “Listening” & “Here Are the Questions I’m Living with Now” questions about remaking her life.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose takes place each month at Collar Works, 40 4th St., Troy, NY — free! & friendly.