Fresh on the heels of the publication of his new collection of poetry, R.M. Engelhardt has announced that he is bringing the School of Night open mic series to The Berlin in Troy.
School of Night, “An Open Mic For Poets, Poetry & The Spoken Word”, has come and gone a few times since it began in the 90s. At the time, it was one of the most highly attended open mics in the area. Engelhardt and Dr. Sax (musicians James Washburn and Bruce Richardson) welcomed many great poets and spoken word artists to the New Scotland Avenue stage. After leaving Valentines, the series took place at the Fuze Box on Central, Red Square on Broadway, Ballingers (now the City Beer Hall), and Pearl Street Pub. Most recently Rob was the co-host of the Troy Poetry Mission at Elixir 16 with James H Duncan.
Engelhardt explains why he is bringing back the series and what we can expect with this reboot.
The reason I decided to bring back “The School of Night” is because in truth it’s spirit never died. SON was/is more than just an open mic or poetry reading. It had the blues, jazz, slam, spoken word. We had goth, noir the beat generation, surrealists, Bukowski & even Edgar Allan Poe. School Of Night doesn’t truly live in any place and time and so, in essence, it’s not even a reboot. We had themes, new & old poets and writers as well as music by Jim & Bruce. It’s now been over 20 years and we are still all here alive and well in the 21st century. There are no announcements at this moment but come out on September 25th and we might just have a few surprises for you.
I chose The Berlin because it’s at a crossroads. (Okay, actually I just love the place) and it’s ambiance and it’s the perfect setting for what SON is about. Poetry and an atmosphere where you can feel the words. This time around will be just as it once started many years ago at Valentines. One host, whiskey & a great staff at the bar. James Duncan (friend & co-host of The Troy Poetry Mission) currently has his hand in a large number of projects and may be visiting from time to time. We look forward to having an amazing evening of poetry, magic, and transfiguration not to mention top-shelf whiskey and speakeasy old fashioned drinks. Bring your poems!
The School of Night kicks off on Wednesday, September 25, and will continue on the last Wednesday of each month at The Berlin (2 King Street, Troy, NY). Sign Up 7:30pm/Start Time 8pm. A $3.00 donation is requested.
