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

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