Poetry Whoa!
Well, shaesinister sent an email off last Friday saying that he has decided to move to California. With mstegosaurus shipping off to Massachusetts, that has officially broken our little triumverate up. I have to say, I am going to miss them both terribly. They have both been very good friends and supporters to me and I think we are all going to be diminished by their loss.
This year, I wasn't felling the poetry vibe as much. I was taking that as a sign to go back to touring improv festivals and teaching, again. Now, I don't feel right about up and leaving the local poetry scene with so many folks leaving as well. After all, Jim is back in NYC, David hasn't been around since the 2007 team, moxi has been absent doing band stuff, Repo is in Asia, Garet checked out a while ago, Grey is focused on school, and God knows what Frandsen is doing. Cody, Michael, and Josh are still very active, so it's not like everyone has pulled the ripcord, but I'd feel like a dick to leave in such turmoil, especially with the venue move still being so recent.
So, I nutted up and pulled hosting duty last Saturday, even though I had spent all Friday night performing in improv shows and left my wife for a second night in a row. I do have to say, it was fun. I got help from Z with setting up the PA, sorted through my chapbooks (because of Shae's sage advice to not just read your own shit while emceeing) and read some stuff by Derrick Brown, javabill , and truthbealiar , and had a solid open mic reading. There were at least 6 or 7 new folks, plus a return by Hampshire poet AJ, and some spotty representation by the veterans/regulars of the scene. And, I do a hell of a job as an emcee. It's something I am good at and have cultivated in my years as a performer, and I do enjoy it I'd just rather be a performer. I encouraged the audience to let a poet know if they liked what they said. That's the best feeling in the world and I loved watching the small exchanges taking place of people complementing each other. Just lovely.
So, while we are missing our giants of the scene, the show continues to go on. I wish it could be different, with all the ghosts of performers past showing up and making the place rock, but the hum of last week's performance still put a smile on my face.
-Jesster
This year, I wasn't felling the poetry vibe as much. I was taking that as a sign to go back to touring improv festivals and teaching, again. Now, I don't feel right about up and leaving the local poetry scene with so many folks leaving as well. After all, Jim is back in NYC, David hasn't been around since the 2007 team, moxi has been absent doing band stuff, Repo is in Asia, Garet checked out a while ago, Grey is focused on school, and God knows what Frandsen is doing. Cody, Michael, and Josh are still very active, so it's not like everyone has pulled the ripcord, but I'd feel like a dick to leave in such turmoil, especially with the venue move still being so recent.
So, I nutted up and pulled hosting duty last Saturday, even though I had spent all Friday night performing in improv shows and left my wife for a second night in a row. I do have to say, it was fun. I got help from Z with setting up the PA, sorted through my chapbooks (because of Shae's sage advice to not just read your own shit while emceeing) and read some stuff by Derrick Brown, javabill , and truthbealiar , and had a solid open mic reading. There were at least 6 or 7 new folks, plus a return by Hampshire poet AJ, and some spotty representation by the veterans/regulars of the scene. And, I do a hell of a job as an emcee. It's something I am good at and have cultivated in my years as a performer, and I do enjoy it I'd just rather be a performer. I encouraged the audience to let a poet know if they liked what they said. That's the best feeling in the world and I loved watching the small exchanges taking place of people complementing each other. Just lovely.
So, while we are missing our giants of the scene, the show continues to go on. I wish it could be different, with all the ghosts of performers past showing up and making the place rock, but the hum of last week's performance still put a smile on my face.
-Jesster