Way back in ancient times (i.e., 12 years ago) when Word Fest started, it was just a stumbing toddler in Thatcher Park in the Fall, a grand open mic of everyone & anyone who wanted to & could sign up, a poetic, shall we say, cluster fuck, the alcohol induced birth of the brain-child of […]
WordFest 2013, Day 6: Open Mic, April 19 Read More »
They packed the house tonight at the Social Justice Center for the second standing-room-only event of WordFest. Of course it helped that there were 18 featured poets, students from the Poetry in Performance class at the College of St. Rose. But there were also 17 poets signed up for the open mic, loyal regulars, some
WordFest 2013, Day 5, April 18 — Third Thursday Poetry Night Read More »
This night’s piece of WordFest 2013 was a free screening of the 2011 film Louder than a Bomb at The Linda on Central Ave. This is from the press release for the film: “Louder than a Bomb is a film about passion, competition, teamwork, and trust. It’s about the joy of being young, and the pain
WordFest 2013, Day 4, April 17 Read More »
It was the WordFest edition of the regular Nitty Gritty Slam, a special Haiku slam, & perhaps one could also say the “Jackie Robinson Slam” (42 being his number). My kind of Slam — hard to make a Haiku last 3 minutes. But first the open mic, hosted by Christopher the Poet, as effervescent as
WordFest 2013, Day 3 — Nitty Gritty Slam #42 Read More »
One has to wonder “what the frack is going on?” but of course it is only WordFest 2013, with “Poets Against Fracking” at the UAG Gallery, day 2 of this week-long event sponsored by AlbanyPoets.com. Kevin Peterson was busy taking notes & V-P (“very pretty”) Mary Panza did the intros for this featured band of
WordFest 2013, Day 2, April 15 Read More »
Editor Jill Crammond (left) with poetry co-conspirator Carolee Sherwood As I have been wont to say during April, “In Albany, every day is Poetry Month.” Especially today as the week-long WordFest 2013 starts, & this is my second poetry event of the day. It was the “book launch” for the new poetry journal Up the
WordFest 2013, Day 1, April 14 Read More »
Mary Panza put on her sexy high-heels, then made sure we noticed, as we gathered in the Back Room of McGeary’s, chasing out the interlopers on their way to the Palace Theater movie or the Capital Rep. Hey, all the theater was here! The featured poet,…
Poets Speak Loud!, March 24 Read More »
The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza was the scene of the book-signing of R.M. Engelhardt‘s latest (his 13th he says) book of poems, The Resurrection Waltz. Just that morning the Metroland Readers’ Poll was published & Rob, a perennial contender in this rite of Spring, tied for 2nd place with, of all people, me —
Book Signing: The Resurrection Waltz by R.M. Engelhardt, March 14 Read More »
Always high on my list of the monthly poetry events to join in, listen, read, with our host & my passenger, Don Levy. Tonight the open mic list included a covey of regulars, with a visitor from afar & a couple of shy listeners — as it should be. Tonight our featured poet was Alan
Live from the Living Room, March 13 Read More »
Imagine my surprise to wake Thursday AM to a message from Thom il papa Francis that Mary Panza, R.M. Engelhardt & I had won the top 3 spots in the 2013 Metroland Annual Readers’ Poll for “Best Poet”. Then it dawned on me, I had not voted. I mean, I didn’t even know to vote. Somehow
Metroland Readers’ Poll, 2013 Read More »
It was with fear & trepidation that I went to this Slam, nervous that someone would read one of my poems, that I had missed the obituary, but then, even dead, no one would probably read my poems, & no one did, not even me. Kevin Peterson, getting used to being the MC at poetry
Nitty Gritty Slam #39 – Dead Poets, March 4 Read More »
This is always a “don’t miss” open mic for me, not just for the poetry, or Ms. Mary Panza’s acerbic tongue, but also the fine bar-food & drink & enchanting wait-staff here at McGeary’s. There was quite a crowd tonight of regulars, some from as…
Poets Speak Loud!, February 25 Read More »
The Hudson Valley Writers Guild supports the efforts of writers in all genres by sponsoring readings, workshops, and contests and providing a number of valuable resources for the entire literary community.
