NaMoPoWriMo, Again

While I haven't been writing a poem-a-day, or writing from prompts, the spirit, like pheromones in the room, have encouraged me to, if not at least to write (what I do anyways), but to publish the pitiful drafts this month.  Here's one from last Friday.  Another "first I do this, then I do that" poem.

GOOD FRIDAY ART WALK

Tom Whalen is sitting on a bench on Broadway

with his dog, & I sit down next to him.

I tell him I have met his daughter & his wife

but have never met him.  He doesn’t answer.

It’s Friday, both “Good” & “First”, so folks

are walking around looking at “Art.”  I talk

to Chris about Buddhism, photos, water & wine.

Uptown, on Lark St., “The Heart was Made

to Be Broken” is for sale at the UAG, & I

meet Lacy growing into her beauty as I watch.

There are babies in backpacks & twitching men

in wheelchairs & beat-off art on the top floor

of the Romaine Brooks Gallery on Hudson Ave.

Tom doesn’t tell me what he knows, but I

suspect his silence is only sculptural. 

Calling All Poets, April 4

"(… and poetry lovers)" is a series in Waterbury, CT at the Silas Bronson Library, run by Connecticut poet & musician Victoria Muñoz. "Calling All Poets" is a popular name for a poetry series. I had been invited to read with 2 other fine poets, both from Connecticut, Virginia Shreve & Baub Bidon.

I like to prepare a program carefully for such readings, especially among strangers, to give them a sense of the different kinds of poems I writer. But this program floated around a core of poems while other selections floated in & out until I was at the podium. I began, though, with a "seasonal poem," e.e. cummings' "In Just Spring --", then I introduced the group to the poets of Albany with "Where Were the Professors?" & "Joe Krausman," then on to "Poeming" & "Looking for Cougars." My political poems were represented by "One Day Longer" & "A Pain in the Neck". On to a more gentle theme with "On a Poem by e.e. cummings," "Freckles," & the poem beginning "This morning when i turn the key…" I ended with another season piece, "What Passover Has Taught Me."

Virginia Shreve began chronologically with a story she heard as a girl, "Knitting Bandages for Lepers" then a tender piece about her father only remembering his wife's hand, "The Guest of Memory." She continued the family connection with a poem written by her brother Paul Shreve, about a girl flying a kite on a beach, then carried that lovely image with "A View of Small Things: Gitaway Island."  Then came an interesting weaving of dog & butterfly poems, beginning with a poem on a dog's view of humans, then one on to chaos theory ("Butterfly Gods"), the philosophical speculation of "The Algebra of Fate," & then tying it up with "Butterfly Effect with Dog" (punch-line: dog eats butterfly). She ended with "Resumé," a poem stitched withe the refain, "did you never …", a litany of bad/un-wise things one could do.

Baub Bidon came up from New Haven, interjecting the energy of hip-hop to the night's reading, studded with musings on on his spoken word forebears, Gil Scott-Heron, Amiri Baraka, the Last Poets. He began with a tribute for Gil Scott-Heron, "a crying poem … a grieving poem … a strong poem … ". After some thoughts on the state of today's hip-hop, he launched into some phenomenal beat-box sounds from his own voice box, the into the piece "Hip Hop is Broken." He ended with a powerful, extended performance, with Victoria on flute, on the epidemic of kids lost on the streets of New Haven, filled with the painful images of teens & children in the thoughts of a "Ghetto Mama."

With the Library set to close at 8PM we had only a little time left for a quick open mic, & all the readers obliged. Tom (Thomas Michael McDade) read a memoir poem "Advice 1966" & a portrait of an old guy with an old car, "Insurance." Miriam's poem "The Calm After the Storm" reflected on the past. Deidre said this was her first time reading her poems in public & shared "A Visitation" (a woman at a bus stop who looked just like her grandmother) then a poem in response to Luke 20. William commented on my reading of e.e. cummings (a fan himself) & love poems & read a couple sonnets, one on Obama, another commenting on a black couple in a museum. Our MC/host Victoria Muñoz read beat list poem of images from a Blues festival, "Blues Cats Everywhere," then the poem "Shout" stringing together a series of advertising slogans.

So if you happen to be in Waterbury, CT on the first Wednesday of the month, check out this reading at the Silas Bronson Library (except for the summer months, I believe).

CATHERINE MARY CONNOLLY, A/K/A MAINSHEETGIRL, 1969-2012

Catherine Connolly, at the QE2, 1991

Sadly, I just learned this today -- another member of our poetry community has gone to that big open mic in the sky. Below is the obituary appearing online; please go to the site & read the touching story there.

Catherine Connolly, at Borders, 1995

I first met Catherine when she was a young poet reading at the QE2 in 1991 & later at other venues around the area, such at the Boulevard Bookstore, Borders, the Palais Royale, Caffe Dolce in Troy, & others. I'm including 2 photos from those days, but sadly have no shots of her since her return to this area a few years ago.






Catherine Mary Connolly sailed away from this Earth on the evening of April 5, 2012, surrounded by her family and wrapped in all of her quilts. Her 42 years were filled with innumerable adventures, far more than most others would ever hope to enjoy.

Catherine had an incredible spirit, and each day she would awaken to impulsively choose the best that life had to offer. She loved to sleep late and never once met an alarm clock that she liked.

For more than four decades, she smiled, wrote poetry, traveled, drank, smoked, sailed, and spent every dime she ever earned. Catherine was generous, compassionate, and kind to all, except for people who ticked her off, and was well loved by scores of family members, friends and co-workers. She had a spontaneous wit, which was largely unedited, and would poke fun at anyone and anything. To say that she was irreverent is a huge understatement.

Catherine was a graduate of Clayton A. Bouton Junior-Senior High School in Voorheesville, New York. She then took seven years to earn a four-year degree in English and Women’s Studies from the University at Albany.

Catherine was a world traveler, having lived in England, where she worked on an archaeological dig. She lived in the Pacific Northwest and Corpus Christi, Texas, aboard her beloved boat, Madrona. She also lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Beaufort, North Carolina; and New York City, before returning to her hometown of Voorheesville, New York.

Catherine had countless friends all over the world, including the insane crew on Sailing Anarchy, many of whom she had never met in person. Her last wish was that people would remember her for her poetry, her compassion and kindness, and her humor.

She is survived by her parents, Kenneth J. and Diane Connolly, of Voorheesville, her sister, Christine Tolbert and brother-in-law, Doug, and nieces Molly and Audrey, and nephew, Alan of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania; her brother, Kevin Connolly, and sister-in-law, Megan, nephews, Zachary and Ethan, of Altamont; nephew Carson Adams, of Clifton Park; and niece Cloe Leininger, nephew-in-law Anthony, and great-niece Olivia, of Fort Lewis, Washington.

Catherine was fearless, and her final act while on this Earth was to smile before taking her last breath. Whatever she saw coming her way must have been absolutely wonderful. Look for her when you get there, she’ll be the one having a really good time.

As an avid reader and writer, it would have given great joy to Catherine to know that anyone who wishes honor her love of the written word would please give to the Voorheesville Public Library at 51 School Street, Voorheesville, New York, 12186.

As a thrill-seeking sailor, Catherine also found pleasure in sharing the joy of the wind and water with others, and anyone who wishes to honor her spirit of adventure would please give to the Spike Perry Memorial Scholarship Fund.org. The fund will provide scholarship money for deserving students from the Perry's hometown waters to learn more about sailing, seamanship and the region's rich maritime traditions.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 2:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the American Legion Post 1493, at 31 Voorheesville Avenue, Voorheesville, New York. All are invited to join us to celebrate Catherine’s brief but remarkable life.

My NaPoWriMo: Update

Just so you know I'm still working at, I figured I'd better post something on my progress. Not sure this was a good idea, a poet-a-day. It reminds me of those survey courses in college where you didn't mind breezing through some minor/minor poet you'd never read again, but also had to breeze through that poet you really wanted to bed down with. But it's becoming useful just to work through the pile of poetry books I've accumulated recently (& not so recently). & I've actually written a few drafts of poem, having nothing to do with the poets I'm reading.

Sonia Sanchez, February 2000

As I've already reported April 1 was Adrienne Rich, April 2 was Robert Desnos. April 3 was Sonia Sanchez, her book Wounded in the House of a Friend (1995), that I bought at Busboys & Poets during Split This Rock. I also found in my archives photos of her taken when she read at the Writers Institute in February 2000, & actually read a couple poems that are in this book.

April 4 was Quraysh Ali Lansana who read recently in the Frequency North series at the College of St. Rose. I read his They Shall Run: Harriet Tubman Poems. But due to traveling on April 4 I actually finished his book on April 5, when I turned to Dorothea Tanning, & her book Coming to That: Poems (2011). I didn't know about her poems until I read her recent obituary. Check out her paintings & soft sculpture at her website. So she got a day & a half. April 7 is devoted to ee cummings, reading the late Ted Adams' old hardbound copy of 1x1.

Here's the poem:

Poem

I am walking downtown in a hoody

a beret, a leather jacket, not

a fashion statement, just practical.

I need to check my Mega Millions ticket

buy this week’s lottery, continue dreaming.

A woman at the bus stop is wearing

a fur coat, variegated white, tan

brown ripples in the breeze

this is real – she looks at me, but

I am walking in the opposite direction.

& find a watch in the middle of the

sidewalk, rectangle face, jewel bracelet

I hope no one will step on it, that

whatever this wrist it fell from

will come back, retrace her steps, say

“here it is,”

               & the fur coat will arrive home.

Nitty Gritty Slam #15, April 3

It was such a slow crowd growing -- who knew if we'd have enough for the Slam, let alone judges (always a problem), but the folks kept on coming in (while even Mojavi the open mic host was late). But AlbanyPoets Thom (el presidente) Francis took over the mic & read a one of his poems ("Gone") then a long piece by Henry Rollins.

By that time Mojavi arrived & introduced mini-Dain "Nervous Cow" (aka Dustin) who did the self-assertive piece "Power of Voice." Jess-Listen-to-my-Voice (Layton) did a new, not-sexy piece about violence on the street, "Nameless." Mojavi read a childhood memoir written in response to Nester's memoir pieces, but he wasn't here tonight.

The Coin Flip

Now the Slam became a 5-4-2 event, with a couple of name changes ("Poetyc Visionz" became "Ghost Writer", or Gnost Writer, & ILLiptical became "The Brock Wizard"). But with me in the mix you can guess who didn't make the 2nd round -- me! When the poetic dust settle it was "Brock Wizard" in third place while Ghost Writer & Shannon "in the money" Shoemaker battled it out, & Shannon pulled out the dick (poem) to win (with me in an exalted position as muse = when in doubt pull out the dick poem).

Lots of beer, lots of poem, lots of fun. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at Valentines on New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY -- 7:30 PM, $5.00 for a stamp on a selected body part. See AlbanyPoets.com for full info.

Poetry + Prose Open Mic, April 1

The confusion over when this was to be held wasn't an "April Fools" joke: this open mic is (usually) held on the 2nd Sunday of each month at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, in Troy, NY. But this year Easter falls on the 2nd Sunday, so this was held on the 1st Sunday instead. That didn't seem to faze the 8 writers who showed up to read, nor the few others that wandered in to listen. But my co-host wasn't there.

I started off with a tribute to poet Adrienne Rich, who died the week before, with readings of a couple poems & passages from her prose work, What Is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry & Politics.

There was a nice mix of poetry & prose writing today, with Bob Sharkey explemptlifying that with a little of each, "Alarm," the story of a person facing a firing squad, another piece of prose, "Bakery," & a poem, a portrait of "Billie." Strangely enough, Harvey Havel's piece was from a fiction narrative & involved the memories of man also about to be executed by a firing squad. David Wolcott saved us from firing squads & took us hopping freight trains & riding the rails in an excerpt from his memoir, "Roseville."

Mary McCarthy was back from Florida & reading for the 1st time here, from her self-published memoir written for her family, about the early days of her marriage, living in Morocco during the Viet Nam war. Howard Kogan read a long narrative poem bordering on prose, considering the alternative paths our intersecting lives can take, "Bit Players 2" (or "too"?), then a poem read for Easter/Passover, "My Awakening," which he said was about working on his "spirituality" (as well as "working on being obscure"). Trina Porte also shared a poem by Adrienne Rich from her collection A Wild Patience Has Taken me This Far then her own poem, in rhyme, "Ophelia & Juliet" as if they were together as lovers & didn't die.

This was Anne Decker's first time here, too, & she read "Valentine's Day," an excerpt of a memoir about her husband in a nursing home. Joe Krausman talked about the work of Robert Walser & read his quirky "Job Application, then his own "Two-Part Invention," referencing Vera Pavlova's view of poems as children.

This open mic is most-usually on the 2nd Sunday of the month, 2PM at the Arts Center in Troy. Free!

Yes, Reading, March 30

This eclectic series continued at the Social Justice Center, Albany, NY with 4 readers/performers. The first half MC was Matthew Klane, offering in addition to some home-brew "Poets' Porter" in the back corner, his characteristic cut-up/word-pile introductions.

Adam Roberts began with poems in what he called "robotics," short-line rhymes, little poems on big pages, peeled off as he read them, some about writing to Obama's daughter about policy, another series about privilege, a White Boy song. Then short poems on the different versions of military "Drones," while his "Character Sketches" were of a beagle, a bee & the sea. He ended with a piece in which he held up cardboard with hand-written lines & phrases, but it was too dark to in the center to see them clearly & folks were sheepishly quiet in reading them out loud.

Kate Sharpira read first from The Bounty: Four Addresses (Noemi Press), poems written while taking the bus to work, then from How We Saved the City (Stockport Flats), "Weird Math 2" (quotes from a Letter to the Editor on a real-estate sting), & "Weird Math 3." "Emotions" is a new project, with audience participation (somewhat). Much of her work, & particularly the last piece, are written in spare, direct statements of fact, trying to make the incongruity of the world around us stand in for the re-working of the world in words.

James Belflower took over the introductions, bringing in Michelle Taransky. Her running theme tonight was "the woods", poems that piled up images, often recycled phrases unfotunately read very flatly. "The Difficulty of Describing Trees" was a poem for poet Robert Haas; there was also "Sorry Was in the Woods," "Do Not Think Timber," & "Fear in the Woods" which she described as about teaching freshman writing, as all her poems were, apparently.

CA Conrad was clearly the most entertaining poet of the evening, not only because of his flamboyant, out-there style. He began with a couple selections from A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon: New (Soma)tics (Wave Books). This is an intriguing, big book, 8x10 inches, nearly an inch thick, & includes some reproductions of hand-written pages from notebooks. The "(Soma)tics" are instructions for writing exercises (printed as white on black), followed by his poem written in response (so to speak). He read "(Soma)tic 1: Anoint Thyself" followed by the poem "Emily Dickinson Came to Earth and Then She Left" & "(Soma)tic 5: Storm Soaked Bread" & the poem, "One Day I Will Step from the Beauty Parlor and Enlist in the Frequency of Starlings." He ended with sections from The Book of Frank (Wave Books), outrageous images that reminded me of the vignettes of William S. Burroughs.

While Kate is a coordinator of a reading series in Providence, R.I, & Michelle worked at reading venues in Chicago & Philadelphia, they both seemed very inexperienced in reading, largely un-dramatic & un-modulated in their presentations, which marred the appreciation of their work. CA Conrad's experimentations on the other hand were successful because of their entertaining material & his equally entertaining presence.

You can find out more about Yes! Poetry & Performance Series at their Facebook page.