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.
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.
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.
