POETRY: Robin E. Sampson in Stamford this past week

It's an adventure careening across the winding paths of Route 124 and 137 on the way to Stamford. The destination was  the Stamford Town Center Barnes and Noble  which has a once a month poetry series run by Frank Chambers. This month the feature was Robin Sampson of  Wednesday Night Poetry, Shijin and editor of  Poetry Liner Notes, She gave a nice tight reading,  with a well-planned set that  seemed to have something of an emotional arc. It was smoothly executed with no paper rattling, no indecision, no apologies.  Well done.  Read some of her short poems in Bent Pin:

 Loom     Staring Back    Tangible Rain    
The Christmas Letter Life    The Sentence    Throw It To The Wind

-- Mar Walker

Tinnitus - these ubiquitous bells

This quiet morning, with a low sun and odd grey sky, I clearly hear the roar of highway and also a ninth chord of bells inside my head.

For many years I've had a common and incurable phenomenon known as tinnitus - which is a ringing sound in your ears, often related to hearing loss, blood pressure, allergies, or sometimes brought on by dozens of different medications.

I think of it as the hum of the universe. I guess more properly it is the hum of the "innerverse."  I find it comforting to  know everything is circulating and my inner machineries are on with their usual whirl .  On most days  this ever-present accompaniment fades to the background, becomes unnoticed. Today I am noticing it more than usual, though  I don't find it unpleasant.

Not everyone is amused by this malady. It drives some people crazy and they go to great lengths to find a cause and to mitigate the sound, sometimes with electronic devices that make still more static sounds. For me, as for many, the cause is unknown.

It's funny how what one person finds comforting, drives another to distraction. Life is like that I guess, what with all the little preferences we hold.

The photo is a reflection of a patron at the Blue Colony Diner in Newtown. The overall effect of each tiny light, with its reflection in the double-paine glass, reminded me a little of the layered ringing sound. She also appears to be covering an ear.

Comments are welcome.

-- Mar Walker

"Science is the poetry of reality" - from Symphony of Science

Another tuneful statement from Symphony of Science.com:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cd36WJ79z4&w=560&h=349]

Securities commission goes after "psychic" investment counselor forfraud

Some things are just too far out to be believed. Yet always someone believes them.....   Here is a link to a story on a National Public Radio blog, about the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) going after a self-declared "psychic" investment advisor for fraud.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/03/sec_sues_psychic_for_securitie.html

Poet Laurel Peterson at Blue Z

Poet, and Norwalk Community College professor Laurel S. Peterson featured for the Wednesday Night Poetry Series last week.  During her reading, at one point I laughed so hard I lost my grip on my coffee cup which fell to the floor creating a lake of coffee.  It was during a poem where she was describing various things she contemplated doing to other women who pursued her husband....   I imagine she also is a fierce defender of battered or abused women - she is a co-founder of the Fairfield County Women’s Center. She also started the  women’s studies program at the college. Her chapbook, "That's the Way Music Sounds,"   from Finishing Line Press (July 2009) is available through Amazon.

Visit her webpage at http://www.laurelpeterson.com/  where you can read a few of her poems.

-- Mar Walker

Slam Sculpture: You Gave My Poem A Two?

Opinion differs wildly and widely on what is meritorious or not....

In a poetry "Slam"  - a competitive poetry reading scored like the Olympics, there is a panel of judges who rate each poem from 0-10. It's supposed to be half for the poem itself, half for the performance - though that is pretty much tossed away in practice.

 In that spirit, this person is appalled that his slam poem/performance has been scored as a TWO out of TEN by one of the judges.....

 This sculpture is of polymer clay, painted and mounted on a stone tile.  It's better then ten years old and is owned by poet Faith Vicinanza.

POETRY: Leslie McGrath, Allison Joseph, two great readings last week

Last week was a great week for poetry as far as I can see.

Thursday night and Sunday afternoon respectively there were readings - a reading by  Leslie McGrath at PI New Haven at the Institute Library, and a reading by Allison Joseph at Labyrinth Books (both spots are in New Haven). I came away with two books of poetry  that I really like, and a feeling of expansive celebration from having deeply enjoyed everything!

The first book, Opulent Hunger, Opulent Rage is by Leslie McGrath who now coedits Drunken Boat -  an online journal of the arts. (It's multi-media in many ways). Her poetry is sumptuous, rich in sensual detail and metaphoric nuance. Her in-person reading style is earthy and warm as well.  A line I loved is "I am the cake. I do not fear the knife."  from her poem Self-portrait on a Milkglass Cake Plate. And just as a coda -the cover painting on  Opulent Hunger, Opulent Rage is by artist Doug Aaberg, design by Kirkby Gann Tittle. Nice job on the rich warmth with embodies the work. 


The second book is Voice: Poems by Allison Josephs who edits Crab Orchard Review. Her poetry has the strength of caft, surprise, and unexpected images. Her reading style is quiet and personal, yet clear and  revealing of meter, and occasional rhyme, in the most natural sounding way.  A line l like from the book is "If there is a poem in you, get it out by any means necessary - use pliers if you must, grab it with your bare hands." from her poem Extraction.  I like the cover image and would love to know its method but no artist is listed just an online photo purveyor.

 Allison has for years and years run the Creative Writing Opportunities mailing list which shoots out all sorts of opportunities including submission and manuscript calls, Adjunct professorships, artist residencies and numerous contests. She told me this was a labor of love, and I have to say to has enabled so many to get their work published.  


Now that i have talked about the poets, I have to talk about the venues. PI New Haven's Third Thursday Open Mic (formerly Word of Mouth) is at the Young Men's Institute Library on the second floor (around 847 Chapel Street? next to the tattoo parlor). Visit http://thepoetryinstitute.com for more information on this series and directions. Labyrinth Books, which is filled floor to ceiling with all sorts of books you won't find at suburban chainstores, has some wonderful events coming up..http://www.labyrinthbooks.com/events_calendar.aspx  

-- Mar Walker