Poetry and Spoken Word in Albany This Week

Here is some information on some poetry and spoken word events and open mics coming up this week.  It appears that this month’s VoX at the Fuze Box has been moved from the last Friday to this coming Friday for the holidays…mystery. 

Third Thursday Poetry Night
Thursday, December 17, 7:00PM
Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany

the Poetry Motel Foundation presents Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY

Thursday, December 17
7:00 sign up; 7:30 start
Featured Poet: Urayoán Noel

-- with an open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t.

Your host: Dan Wilcox & the annual visit from Sanity Clause.

Urayoán noel is the author of Kool Logic/La Lógica Kool (bilingual press; a 2006 books of the year selection by el nuevo día) and Boringkén (ediciones callejón/la tertulia, 2008). Other works include the artist’s book Las Flores del Mall (2000) and various text-sound collaborations with composer Monxo López, some of which are featured on the dvd Kool Logic Sessions (bilingual press) and on the cd included with Boringkén.

Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he divides his time between Albany and the Bronx, NY, and teaches literature and creative writing at the University at Albany.

v0x
Friday, December 18, 8:00PM
Fuze Box, 12 Central Ave., Albany

V O X :
ALBANY'S POETRY OPEN MIC
Special Mystery Edition

WHISKEY, RYE & POEMS .
At The Fuze Box

ON FRIDAY December 18th, 2009

Albany, NY's Open Mic For Poets
POETRY & THE WORD
*8pm Start time*
$4.00 Donation Requested

WHISKEY, RYE & POEMS ...
The Mystery "Noir" Edition. Bring your detective prose & mystery poems, even dress the part!

If you don't have any bring some excerpts by your favorite writer.

Hosted by R.M.Engelhardt
FuzeBox, 12 CENTRAL AVENUE, ALBANY, NY
Always Held On The Last Friday of Each Month.

HVWG Holiday Open Mic
Sunday, December 20, 2:00PM
Perfect Blend, 376 Delaware Ave., Delmar

The Hudson Valley Writers Guild will host "Season's Readings," an open mic for writers with a holiday theme on Sunday, December 20, at 2 p.m., at Perfect Blend in Delmar. Writers are invited to read two pieces on holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, etc.) or holiday-related themes, such as kindness or generosity: one piece from a famous or published author other than themselves, and one piece that they have written. Hot coffee and warm words: what a great way to slow down for a couple hours this season!

The Perfect Blend is located at 376 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, at the 4 Corners. Hosts are Jill Crammond Wickham and Carolee Sherwood. There is no cover charge, but please bring canned goods or other nonperishable food items for donation to the local food bank. The event is open to the public. Bring family and friends for a new holiday tradition!

Approximately 30 minutes prior to the event start time, a sign-in sheet will be available for those interested in reading. To keep the reading moving along, please select poems no longer than one page. If reading prose, please limit each piece to excerpts of 400 words per piece.

CONTACT: For more information, email hvwginfo@gmail.com.

For the complete calendar of events, go to www.albanypoets.com/events.  While you are there, be sure to subscribe to calendar so you can always know what is going on in upstate poetry and spoken community.

Busy Week of Poetry in the Area

A busy week here in the upstate poetry and spoken word community.  Here is some information on two of the readings coming up.   For a complete list of events, go to the Events Calendar.

Wednesday, November 18
7:00PM
Cock N Bull Restaurant
Parkis Mills Rd, Galway, NY 12074

You very well may have heard about the Open Mic to be held at the Cock n Bull Wed., Nov. 18 at 7pm-9pm.  I am writing to ask you all to come and share in this fun event.  This isn't your usual open mic.  We are expecting a host of performing artists -- readers, singers, musicians from the community of Galway and beyond.  If you want to share your talent, sign up is at 6:30.  If you want to just enjoy the events, the fun begtins at 7.  Or you can come earlier and have a bite to eat.  The bar will be open for those who wish to have a drink.

This event is sponsored by the Galway Public Library, the biggest little library in the state.  Please come and support the library and have a good time.  It's free, though a small donation will be welcomed.  Oh, and there's free refreshments, compliments of the Cock n Bull. What more could you ask?

Thursday, November 19
7:00PM
Third Thursday Poetry Night
Social Justice Center
33 Central Ave., Albany, NY

Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY on Thursday, November 19 with a 7:00 sign up; 7:30 start

Featured Poet: Barbara Adams -- with an open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t.

Your turkey host: Dan Wilcox

Barbara Adams is the author of two books of poems, and a book of literary criticism on Laura Riding. She is a retired Professor of English at Pace University. Born in Manhattan, she has lived in the mid-Hudson valley most of her life. Her poems appear in the two anthologies of Hudson River writers, "Riverine" and "WaterWrites."

Third Thursday Poetry Night Featuring Bless

The Poetry Motel Foundation presents Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center (33 Central Ave., Albany, NY)

Thursday, October 15
7:00 sign up; 7:30 start

Featured Poet: Bless

-- with an open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t.

Starting his career as one of the original slam poets of the Nyorican Poets Cafe in NYC, Bless has been performing at local poetry venues and was the host of Wize Words at Simply Fish & Jazz.

Your busy host: Dan Wilcox.

When the page turned on poetry event

Dan Wilcox has an article in today’s Times Union where he looks back on the poetry and events that Tom Nattell started here in Albany in the 80’s.

“I returned to Albany in 1986 and found myself at the beginning of the poetry open mike scene that has put Albany on the nation's poetry map. At that time there were a few poets who read at the music open mike at the Eighth Step on Willett Street, but the energizing force was the annual Readings Against the End of the World, a fundraiser for the Albany Peace & Energy Council.”

When the page turned on poetry event -- Times Union

Third Thursday Poetry Night With Georganna Millman

Dan Wilcox sent the announcement for this months Third Thursday Poetry Night on August 20 at the Social Justice Center.

Third Thursday Poetry Night
at the Social Justice Center
33 Central Ave., Albany, NY
Thursday, August 20
7:00 sign up; 7:30 start
Featured Poet: Georganna Millman

Georganna Millman’s poetry has been published widely in poetry journals and her poetry chapbook, “Formulary” was published this year by Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press (Stuart, VA).

-- with an open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t.

Your not-yet-tan host: Dan Wilcox.

Poets in the Park 2009

The 2009 season of Poets in the Park begins this coming Saturday, July 11 at the Robert Burns statue in Washington Park.  Here is the schedule of this years readers from host Dan Wilcox:

Poets in the Park 2009

Saturdays in July at the Robert Burns statue, Washington Park, Albany (at Henry Johnson Blvd. & Hudson Ave.)

July 11, 7PM
Mary Kathryn Jablonski and Randall Horton

July 18, 7PM
LisaAnn LoBasso and Tom Nicotera

July 25, 7PM
Lori Desrosiers and George Wallace

Free! & open to the public (just like the park).  Bring chairs, blankets, etc. to sit on.  Rain site: the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave.

sponsored by the Poetry Motel Foundation & the Hudson Valley Writers Guild

This project is made possible in part through COMMUNITY ART$GRANTS, a program funded through the State and Local Partnership Program of the New York State Council on the arts, a State agency and the Arts Center of the Capital Region.

For more information call 482-0262

3 Guys From Albany On Tour

Got this from Dan Wilcox about the upcoming 3 Guys From Albany tour and information on how you can watch it live on your computer.  Ah, the combination of poetry and technology is fantastic!

As part of our Colorado/Wyoming tour to get to Albany Wyoming as 3 Guys from Albany--our 12th of 18 U.S. albanys--This Sunday, May 3, we will be on a colorado tv show that also streams live to the world via yr computer.

If you've never heard us....or haven't heard us in a while...or seen us...

We go live on CCTV 54 Sunday at 7 pm Mountain Daylight Time.  The show will be streamed live on the internet. That means anyone anywhere can view it

Sunday's Show LIVE at http://cctv54.org

NOTE that's 7 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME

Our complete itinerary, in case you are in the area:
May 3 – Louisville, CO – Appearance on the Poets Co-op, CCTV 54, 7:00PM
May 4 – Albany, WY –   (somewhere, sometime)
May 5 – Cheyenne WY – The Albany Restaurant, Bar and Liquormat, 1506 Capitol Ave., 7:30 PM
May 6 – Denver, CO – Glovinsky Gallery, 800 W. 8th Ave., 7:00 PM, free (for information:  303-587-4237)
May 7 – Loveland, CO – Loveland Museum, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., 7:00 PM, donation (for information:  970-962-2410)

See us in an Albany near you.

Dan Wilcox Talks About the Small Press Reading at the UAG

Dan Wilcox has a new post up on his blog talking about the small press reading at the UAG Gallery last Saturday.  This reading featured poets and representatives from the local small presses that were a part of the New Beginnings show.

Matthew Klane hosted this reading by representatives of small presses with connections to the Capital Region as part of the month-long exhibit at the Gallery. The presses had had their books on display since the First Friday of January monthly art walk, along with an exhibit of photos from "the world's largest collection of photos of unknown poets" by me, Dan Wilcox.

Be sure to check out the rest of the article here.

Forum Follows Function

In this weeks edition of Metroland, there is an article about the local small press  poetry scene.  Thom Francis, Mary Panza, Dan Wilcox, Chris Rizzo, Rachel Zitomer, Matthew Klane and many others were interviewed for this article discussing the current Albany scene, its history, and where it may be going from here.  The article also talks about the recent small press book fair at the UAG Gallery.

Albany Poets (albanypoets.com) is as much an organizational body, networking apparatus, and community of friends as it is a poetry press. “The important thing is that we provide a microphone and a Web site because it is your right to express yourself,” Panza says. “We want to give you the forum to do that.”

Click the link below to read the entire article on the Metroland site or go out and pick up a copy for yourself.

Forum Follows Function - Metroland Online - Feature

Capital Region Poets React to Inauguration Poem

Albany Poets own Mary Panza and Dan Wilcox are featured on the Times Union site reacting to Elizabeth Alexander’s poem at President Obama’s inauguration.

“She was speaking about the immigrant experience. The kitchen table is the meeting place for so many different ethnic cultures in this country. I’m third generation Italian, and in our household everything was decided around the kitchen table,” said Panza, who also hosts the Poet Speak Loud readings on the last Monday of each month at Tess’ Lark Tavern.

Click the link below to read the entire article.

Capital Region Poets React to Inauguration Poem

The Albany Poetry Scenes, As Seen Through Dan Wilcox's Lens

Came across this article on the Best American Poetry blog about Dan Wilcox and how he has been documenting the Albany scene over the years with his camera.

As a relative newcomer to Albany--we moved here from Brooklyn in 2005 when I started teaching at The College of Saint Rose--I was curious to see what the local poetry scenes were like in and around our new hometown.  It didn't take long after going to my first readings that I noticed one dude at every one.  He wore in a black beret, a flash camera around his neck, and lots of political buttons. 

That dude's name is Dan Wilcox, and he was always taking pictures. A peace activist, veteran, and former state worker--everyone seems to be a former state worker up here in New York's state capital--Dan Wilcox is one of the poetry scene's griots. He claims to have the "world's largest collection of photos of unknown poets." Some of the photos are, in fact, of very well-known poets. Here's a mini-exhibition for your viewing pleasure, with Dan Wilcox's commentary.

Veterans’ Reading From the Anthology “Post Traumatic Press 2007”

Where: 'Over The Rainbow', 35 Hudson Ave, Nyack, NY (corner of South Broadway)
When:  Monday May 12th, 7:00 – 9:00PM

Come join us. Open mic, before and after features.  Sign up for open mic before or during reading. We also want to hear your voices!

Post Traumatic Press 2007 is a …

      …searing raw-whisky anthology by military veterans from World War II to Iraq.  New recruits like Jim Murphy who “just got in-country.” And seasoned writers like Richard Boes, Larry Winters and Marc Levy make art from “things that won’t let go.”
     Chronogram - Arts . Culture . Spirit .

Through poetry, prose and song, this book tells the stories of veterans with direct experience of the military. For some, the intense experience of war can only be expressed in writing, while others are driven by the need to say something openly political. The book includes veterans from World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, peace time and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Reading their own work are Vietnam veterans  Walt Nygard and Jerry McCarthy, USMC; Jim Murphy, USAF; Thomas Brinson, Dan Wilcox and Dayl Wise, US Army; and WW II US Army veterans Jay Wenk and Sam Weinreb among others...

PTP 2007 - $10 - Book proceeds to Post Traumatic Press.  Published by Post Traumatic Press, Woodstock, NY. Editor: D. Wise, dswbike@aol.com. Visit web site at www.PostTraumaticPress.org.

‘Over The Rainbow’ is an organic restaurant and cafe that provides a unique and welcoming place to share resources and to build a responsive community voice to social issues.

Caffe Lena Open Mic And Chapbook Release

Two Caffe Lena posts in one day...

The first Wednesday of every month Caffe Lena presents
CAFFE LENA POETRY OPEN MIC on Wednesday, April 2.  Doors open at 7:00PM, reading starts at 7:30. $3.00 admission. 

This months featured poets are contributors from Caffe Lena's first poetry publication, EVERY DROP OF WATER: VOICES FROM CAFFE LENA POETRY STAGE with short readings from A.C. Everson, Barbara Ungar, Francelise Dawkins, Rob Faivre, Therese Broderick, Bob Sharkey, Dan Wilcox, Barbara Garro, Sue Jefts, Kristen Day and Sarah Craig.

Please joins us to celebrate the official release of Every Drop of Water:Voices From Caffe Lena Poetry Stage. In the summer of 2003, Carol Graser stepped forward to revive Caffe Lena's long neglected poetry program. Since then Caffe Lena has enjoyed monthly poetry open mics, each highlighting a featured poet. This chapbook, the first ever released by the coffeehouse , contains poems written by features form the open mic's first two years. some authors will be present to read their work throughout the evening and the chapbook will be available for sale for the first time.

This month is sponsored by: Saratoga Poetry Festival, Dedicated to Poetry in Public.

Reading From The Anthology "Post Traumatic Press 2007: poems by veterans"

On Thursday, April 3, 6:45 - 8:45 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library (451 Delaware Ave, Delmar ) Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Veterans For Peace & Post Traumatic Press presents a reading from the anthology "Post Traumatic Press 2007: poems by veterans", edited by Dayl Wise. The featured readers will  include Dayl Wise, Jim Murphy, Thomas Brinson and Dan Wilcox. 

"Post Traumatic Press 2007: poems by veterans" was put together to tell the stories of veterans with direct  experience of the military.  For some, the intense experience of war can only be expressed in poetry, while others are driven by the need to say something openly political. The contributors includes veterans from World War II, the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, peace time and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Copies of the anthology will be available and proceeds supports Veterans For Peace.

This event  free and open to the  public and will include an open mic for community poets.  For more information, call 518-391-2830. 

 

Upcoming Events at Java Jazz

Here are some upcoming events at the Java Jazz Cafe (318 Delaware Avenue, Delmar).

Thursday, February 21st from 7pm to 9pm, Blue Wilder and Chrys Ballerano, will combine their talents and energy for a great evening of guitar and folk music.

Friday, February 22nd from 7pm to 9pm we are pleased to introduce Rob Skane to our growing group of entertainers - Rob's song and guitar style is truly enjoyable - a great evening for everyone!

AND...

Next week, Monday, February 25th from 6:30 to 8 pm, Java Jazz is proud to host author Richard Boes, reading from his latest work: "The Last Dead Soldier Left Alive".  Richard is a Vietnam Veteran for Peace.  Introductions by Dan Wilcox.

For more information on the Java Jazz Cafe, contact Cathy at (518) 439-1727 or visit their website at http://www.javajazzcafe.net

Michael Bostick at the Third Thursday Poetry Night

The Poetry Motel Foundation presents Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY on Thursday, February 21, 2008 (7:00 sign up; 7:30 start ) with featured poet Michael Bostick.  

Open mic for poets before and after the feature.  $3.00 donation -- suggested, more if you got it, less if you can’t.   This night of poetry is hosted by Dan Wilcox.

Michael Bostick is the author of “Mou-si: Life Lessons and Thoughts Set to Poetry”, published by RoseDog Books in May, and was the subject of a profile about his writing in the Albany Times-Union in October. His poetry explores such varied subjects as social ills, spirituality, alcoholism, love, race and responsibility.

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

There were two open mic commentaries and one post about the difference between print poetry and performance poetry this week over at Dan Wilcox's blog.   There are some very good points about print vs. performance in the comments section from Therese Broderick and Mary Kathryn Jablonski so be sure to check those out, too.

Poets Speak Loud, October 29

So I, Dan Wilcox, ended up being #1 on The List again & read a couple new poems inspired by conversations with other poets, "Consumerism," & "Poetry Prompts." I was followed by Scott Casale, who hasn't been around for a while. Both his poems seemed based on random phrases & images, "Stop Writing a Piccolo's Refund," & "Amarillo Bleu," where the second stanza is a re-arrangement of the first stanza.

Print poems v. Perf' po

Buried in the tsunami of comments on my Blog of October 26 were some musings by Therese Broderick about performing poetry at an open mic. Therese is a thoughtful poet who likes to ponder the many & various issues of modern poetry both in & out of our community. Her comments reflect some of the issues that I have confronted over the years in practice & thought (this is not meant as a point-by-point response to Therese's comments, I'm just bouncing off them randomly).

Albany Poets Presents, November 6

As advertised, this was the challenge laid down by Mary Panza to perform the best dramatic reading of the worst song lyrics and you win a featured reading at the Poets Speak Loud open mic at the Lark Tavern in the future, even if you have already featured. So the hardcore showed up, with the best of tunes & worst of tunes.

Go to Dan's blog to read his complete commentaries and speak or mind in the comments section of the posts.

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

What a busy week it has been on the Dan Wilcox blog.  He posted a blog last week about a recent HVWG event with a small audience and the comments section exploded.  Here is what happened on Dan's blog this week.

Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center, October 18

So then the strangest thing happened -- Dennis Sullivan, our night's feature had left a couple of free broadsides up on the counter by the sign-up sheet & our first poet up, Daniel Scott, who was unfamiliar to what we were doing, picked up one of Dennis' broadsides & read it. What a cool introduction to the night's feature -- how perfect. (Perhaps Daniel will return with one of his own poems soon.)

What If They Gave A Reading & No One Showed Up?, October 20

Even though "Community of Writers" was sponsored by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild there were but 10 of us in the large (then seeming larger) auditorium of the Albany Public Library to hear Russell Dunn, Lyn Miller-Lachmann & Pierre Joris read from their work.

As always, be sure to check out Dan's blog for more on the poetry scene here in the Albany area. 

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

Welcome back to the Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up.  This week we have Dan's comments on Shaun Baxter's open mic at the Night Sky Cafe and a special report from Miss Mona about the Allen Fisher reading at the UAG.

Allen Fisher Reading at UAG Gallery, October 12

I asked my old friend, Miss Mona, to cover this event for me while I was in Philadelphia. Miss Mona used to comment on the gossip scene in Albany years back & has just been growing old since.

Zounds!, October 17

The monthly open mic at the NightSky Cafe on Union St. in Schenectady, with our host Shaun Baxter. I note that Shaun seems to have responded to fact that he is not the shortest open mic host by producing the smallest open mic flyer, just over 3x4 inches. He started us off with Raymond Carver's "Where Water Comes Together with Other Water", then challenged us to parody William Carlos Williams' "This is just to say...", you know, the plums-in-the-fridg poem.

Be sure to check out Dan's blog for more on the poetry scene here in Albany.  Dan also has a post about a recent visit from Charlie Rossiter (of the Three Guys from Albany).

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

We are back with the Dan Wilcox Poetry Open Mic Commentary Round-Up. This week Dan did not comment on any open mics, but he did give his views of the new Behind the Egg reading at the Federation of Ideas and the Banned Books reading at the Albany Public Library.

Banned Books Read-Out, October 6

An annual event at the Albany Public Library, co-sponsored with New York Civil Liberties Union, Capital Region Chapter. John Cirrin, the Public Information Officer for the Library introduced Joanna Palladino who put the event together & was the M.C., with some opening remarks by Melanie Trimble, the NYCLU-CRC Executive Director. As usual, readers from the community picked their favorite of books that have been banned/challenged over the years. Many of these were books for children & young adults.

Behind the Egg at Point 5, October 6

Not quite literally behind the Egg, this series began it's new season with 3 powerful poets from the area, Randall Horton, Cara Benson & Carol Graser. The hosts are Erik Sweet & Daniel Nester

As always, be sure to check out Dan’s blog often for more commentaries of local poetry events, readings, and yes, open mics.

Dan Wilcox Poetry Open Mic Round-Up

Welcome back to the Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up. This is the third edition of the round-up that brings all of Dan’s commentaries from his blog together in one place. This time around we have two open mics and the first Frequency North of the new season.

Albany Poets Presents, October 2

One often wonders whether this open mic really happens or just exists in the fantasy of alcohol & memory. Once some years ago I read a poem here & a lady I had invited told me later that's when she fell in love with me. On some nights the-nameless-we just sat around & told outrageous stories & bought each other beers. On the Road is filled with such lies & similar fabrications. "October in the railroad earth..."

Caffe Len, October 3

I've realized that "October is the Columbus-day month breeding racism & death in the continent..." so I have started including Tom Nattell's "Columbus Fantasies" in my readings. These were poems written in 1992 to commemorate the Indians discovering an Italian mercenary for Spain landing on their shore. After doing a new poem of my own, "Starting the Wine," I did #23.

Frequency North, October 4

This is the third year of this reading series at St. Rose, run by new poppa Daniel Nester. This year the readings have been moved from St. Joseph's Hall auditorium, with the big stage & curtains, to the Library. Same number of people showed up, just looked more crowded. I mean if the same 40 people showed up at the Knickerbocker Arena -- I mean Pepsi Arena -- whoops, no, Times-Union Center -- folks would say, "there was nobody there." Like skinny girls in tight pants.

As always, be sure to check out Dan’s blog often for these commentaries and poetry from Dan and other area poets.

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

Welcome back to our second edition of the Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up, where we list the most recent poetry open mic and reading commentaries from Dan's blog.

Third Thursday Poetry Night, September 20

Another third Thursday at the Social Justice Center, with your fantastic (objectively speaking) host, Dan Wilcox -- hey, that's me. And the muse was the late Grace Paley -- "It is the responsibility of society to let the poet be a poet..." ("Responsibility").

Poets Speak Loud, September 24

Twice in one week the featured poet doesn't make it to his/her reading -- global warming or the war in Iraq -- or just the Full Moon? Robert Milby had car trouble last Wednesday & Barbara Vink had pneumonia tonight. I'm guessing that both will be rescheduled eventually. So the host, Mary Panza read Barb's poem "The tavern keeper" from her new chapbook Heat Wave (Benevolent Bird Press, PO Box 522, Delmar, NY 12054 -- handsewn, individual wood block print covers, edition of 100 copies, from Alan Casline).

Be sure to check out Dan's blog often for more commentary on the upstate New York poetry scene.

The Dan Wilcox Open Mic Commentary Round-Up

Since Dan began his blog where he features his thoughts on the open mics and poetry readings that he goes out to, many people have mentioned his "reviews" while on stage.  With that in mind, we thought we would start a new feature here on the Albany Poets Blog where we would round-up the previous weeks commentaries on Dan's blog.

LarkFEST 2007, Saturday, September 15

I'm not a big fan of these festivals, especially for poetry -- over-priced vendors, the same hot dogs & pizza & lemonade everywhere (I did find some decent clam chowder, overpriced, of course), crowds, wobbly port-a-johns, sanitized bands, cute honeys (oh, wait, that's a good thing). But Albany Poets did the best it could under the circumstances, & I think having poets do short, zingy sets between bands was a good idea.

Poetry and Performance, September 15

This was a reading/performance, organized by Denie Whalen of New York Expressive Arts & co-sponsored by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild. The performers were Elizabeth Gordon McKim & Steve Clorfeine. They had conducted a workshop for New York Expressive Arts earlier in the day & their performance was in the Nia-Yoga space on the main floor of 4 Central Ave. It was perfect venue for these performers, an open space with the city through floor-length windows on one side, mirrors on the other, & a bank of plants & ceramics behind them.

Colony Cafe, September 17

I was proud to be a participant in this reading bringing together writer-veterans who are included in Post Traumatic Press 2007: poems by veterans. I have a great deal of affection for Dayl Wise, the editor, & his co-conspirator/copy-editor/wife Alison Koffler (both read at Poets in the Park this year), & for the other veterans/activists/writers included in the anthology.

Zounds!, September 19

At the NightSky Cafe in Schenectady, with our host, Shaun Baxter (substituting for the substitute host, Liz King, who had been scheduled to host for Shaun Baxter -- or something to that effect). And the scheduled featured poet, the whirling dervish of mid-Hudson Valley (& beyond) poetry, Robert Milby was stuck somewhere else with car trouble.

Be sure to check out Dan's blog often for more commentary on the poetry scene and also for his own poems that he frequently posts, which are always a great treat.