Poets Speak Loud Tonight at Tess’ Lark Tavern

Tonight we will be gathering around the fire, rather the stage, at Tess’ Lark Tavern (453 Madison Ave., Albany) for our monthly open mic for poetry and spoken word hosted by Mary Panza.  This time around we are having a straight-up, old school, no-holds-barred, in between Christmas and New Years Day open mic with no special guests or featured poets.

Come out with your poetry and family holiday stories to share!

Sign up starts at 7:00PM, the open mic begins around 7:45.

Upcoming Poetry Events and Open Mics

We have some annoucenments for poetry events and open mics that are coming up.  Be sure to check these out, there is a lot of poetry going on in the area. 

And just a reminder, in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, we will not be having the Poets Speak Loud poetry reading / open mic.  We will return on Monday, June 29 at the Lark Tavern.

Third Thursday Poetry Night, Thursday, May 21

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

Thursday, May 21.  7:00 sign up; 7:30 start.

Featured Poet: Rebecca Schumejda

Rebecca Schumejda’s newest collection of poems “Falling Forward” was published by sunnyoutside in February. Currently, she is working on a collection of poems exploring the pool hall subulture. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and daughter & works as a teacher at an alternative high school.

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

Beat Poetry Night at Inquiring Minds, Sunday, May 24

BEAT POETRY NIGHT with Donald Lev, Teresa Marta Costa & Michael Platsky on Sunday, May 24 at 5 pm

Local Beat poets Teresa Marta Costa and Michael Platsky will join Donald Lev for a booksigning and reading to celebrate his recent collection, The Darkness Above. All three presenters are veteran poets who have been working in the Beat tradition for decades. Books, cds and chapbooks will be available at a discount, and refreshments will be served.

Inquiring Minds Bookstore, 6 Church Street, New Paltz, NY 12561 (845) 255-8300

Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic, Sunday, May 24

Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic (every 4th Sunday), May 24, 3PM at the Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 S. Main Street, Voorheesville, NY

Hosts:  Dennis Sullivan, Edie Abrams, Michael Burke. 
Featured poet:  Dan Wilcox with Open Mic

For information contact: dsullivan6@nycap.rr.com

VOX, Friday, May 29

V Ω X ! @ The Fuze Box
Albany, NY's Open Mic For Poets, Poetry and the Word
8pm signup, 8:30PM Start time.  $4.00 Donation Requested.

With this Month’s Feature: MURROW (Thom Francis and Keith Spencer)

Hosted by R.M.Engelhardt w/Bruce Richardson & James Washburn- Dr.Sax

Last Friday of every month at the FUZE BOX, 12 Central Avenue, Albany,NY.  More info at www.myspace.com/theblackdooralbany

Reading for Will Christman, Monday, June 1

Rootdrinker Presents Reading for Will Christman on Monday June 1, 2009,  8 pm at Smith's Tavern, 112 Maple Ave., Voorheesville, N.Y.

With Poets from Near and Far : Dennis Sullivan, Therese Broderick, Michael Czarnacki, Tom Corrado, Alan Casline, John Roche, Mimi Moriarity, Susan Deer Cloud, Tim Lake, Paulette Swartzfager, Mike Burke, Walt Franklin & more

OPEN MIC FORMAT: All who want to read bring your poetry.  Reading in honor of famous local poet William Weaver Christman (1865– 1937)

Don Levy at Poets Speak Loud, Tomorrow Night at the Lark Tavern

Brace yourselves! Monday, March 30th at Tess' Lark Tavern(453 Madison Avenue, Albany NY) the feature will be none other than DON LEVY!!!!!!! 7pm sign-up. We start around 8pm.

“Although it seems as if Don Levy has been reading his poetry since the year 1, he started reading his work back in 1988 at the legendary open mic at the QE2 hosted by Tom Nattell.  Don was a co-editor of Open Mic: The Albany Anthology and has been on the boards at different times of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and Albany Poets.  He has been a featured reader at many open mic venues such as Valentines, The Social Justice Center, and Caffe Lena as well as reading in Washington park and at Larkfest.  He has also been a feature at readings in Woodstock, Plattsburgh, and Boston.  He currently runs the live at the Living Room series at the Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Center at 332 Hudson Avenue.  His favorite dead poet is Frank O' Hara.”

Here is some more information on WORD FEST 2009

The online sign-up for the Word Fest Open Mic is ready for you!

We will have the sign-up sheet available at the Poets Speak Loud open mic at the Lark Tavern on Monday, March 30 and Albany Poets Presents at Valentines on Tuesday April 7.

Poets who want to sign up for the Word Fest Open Mic must enter their name and preferred time slot at www.albanywordfest.com . Be sure to check to see if another poet has already signed up for that time slot. Each poet will have between 10-15 minutes to read their work.

The open mic will go all through the night, so tell your friends to come and check it out.

Go to www.albanywordfest.com for more information and a schedule of events for the 2009 Albany WordFest.

Albany Poets TV – Live From Poets Speak Loud, Tonight

After the success of broadcasting the Valentines open mic at the UAG a couple weeks ago, we are going to be streaming tonight's Poets Speak Loud open mic at the Lark Tavern live on albanypoets.com starting at 7:30PM. 

Go to www.albanypoets.com/video.asp to check it out.  And while you are watching, feel free to click on the “Chat” button and leave a comment about the reading. 

This video page also features performances from previous events and readings and is being updated with new videos every couple days.

Recording From Poets Speak Loud Tom Nattell Tribute Now Available

In case you missed last night’s Poets Speak Loud Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss or if you were there and want to take the reading along with you, go to the Albany Poets Podcast page and download the recordings.

Poets Speak Loud - January 26, 2009, Part 1

Dan Wilcox hosts the Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss at the Lark Tavern with poetry and spoken word from Alan Catlin,  A.C. Everson, Julie Lamoe, Mary Panza, Josh McIntyre, Dan Stalter, Cheryl A. Rice, R.M. Engelhardt, and Mr. Lee.

Poets Speak Loud - January 26, 2009, Part 2

We continue the Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss at the Lark Tavern after a little break with poetry and spoken word from Dan Wilcox, Jason Krane, John Allen, Tess Lecuyer, Todd Fabozi, Chris Brabham, Amanda Rose, D. Rizzo, Shannon Shoemaker, Sylvia Barnard, and Scott Casale.

Poetic tribute to Tom Nattell - timesunion.com

The local poetry scene has been getting quite a lot of coverage over the past few weeks.  Today, the Times Union has a post on its Creative Capital blog about tonight’s Poets Speak Loud tribute to Tom Nattell (pictured on the right with Allen Ginsberg in 1990 in front of the QE2).

Until his death in 2005, Tom Nattell was the undisputed dean of the Albany poetry scene. Even though he was battling cancer, the 52-year-old Nattell was slated to be the featured poet at the inaugural installment of “Poets Speak Loud,” a monthly series of open-mike poetry readings held at Tess’ Lark Tavern in Tavern. But Nattell passed away on the morning of his scheduled 2005 reading, and the evening was transformed into a tribute to the poet and his belief in the power of poetry to build community. That first “Poets Speak Loud” evening was capped off - literally - when the poets paraded to the statue of poet Robert Burns in Washington Park, where they placed a beret atop Burns’ bronze head - a beret similar to the one that Nattell frequent wore.

Click the link below to read the whole article by Greg Haymes.

Poetic tribute to Tom Nattell - Local arts - Creative Capital - timesunion.com - Albany NY