Hosting the Haven Readings Last Evening

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(with international romantic poet-friend Kadrush Radogoshi)

Always a pleasure. A full house at the Upper Crust. I was the mic hostĀ for 4 scheduled readers and 7 open stage readers. ‘Twas a lot of fun as usual, a reactivation of my note-taking, teacher, and conference speaker skills.

Jo-Ann Godfrey rhythmically read wonderful +ve and -ve memories of her childhood, parents, and grandparents which were unfailingly honest and interesting. Joyce Harries, another elderly lady, took us through many possibilities and what-is as she shared and reviewed her past, sprinkling choice images across our consciousnesses. Nancy Mackenzie brought a special mind-blowing quality and imagination to her poems about far away travels abroad. Hers was a dynamic poetry of the depths, spiritually, sensuously resonant and deliciously fulsome. Neil Meili was another perspective poet of concisely rendered ironic memories and unexpected juxtapositions.

Among the guest readers were Robin Smith, who was a student in my 1971-72 Ed CI class with a significant influence–Professor Glenn Martin (who published my first magazine article), and Kadrush Radogoshi (another poet-friend whose work I’ve help translate into English), who read a tender romantic poem. On another Stroll note yesterday, my workshop on poetic sensibility was approved by the Stroll committee and goes on a Saturday in November. ‘Twill be a remarkable, challenging session with input from 12 other poets.

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