Saturday Night Rundown
Wednesday night I read at Teachers & Writers downtown. It was an unusual gig for me in that it was a poetry reading instead of a slam. I was nervous, but people liked me. Then Lynne Procope got up and read and I was deeply impressed, and a little embarrassed that the work I read wasn't more literary! She inspired me very much, though, and that's the point.
Thursday Chad Anderson gave me a ride to Providence (he was headed north for work anyhow). The Providence feature was amazing! It was just as good as the Urbana feature! People loved me. They laughed and gasped and talked to me and bought lots of books. Jared gave me an incredible introduction. I'm kind of shy to repeat what he said, but suffice it to say it moved me very much. I really love that guy. I know he rubs a lot of people the wrong way, and granted I've never had to work closely with him for extended periods of time, but he's always been a staunch supporter of mine - and that certainly can't be said for all the veterans in the scene.
The slam itself was fabulous, and although it ran very long, almost all the audience stayed 'til the end. Chad performed an incredible poem that I hadn't heard, about the way the human ear works. Christopher Johnson hit three classics I'd caught at iWPS. Jared performed two of my favorites in his body of work, his rumination on the people he's loved and lost, and the gorgeous, heart-wrenching spin-off on Sage Francis' "Sea Lion", which he dedicated to me. The latter is not only my favorite of Jared's poems, but totally relevant to me right now. In it, he talks about touring, and unintentionally sacrificing love for art and politics...
The next day I walked around downtown Providence before catching a bus back south. It's really a lovely city, and its commitment to the arts is apparent everywhere, from the very existence of AS220 and RISD to the style of its little stores and cafes, to the window fronts filled with crazy art. I'm looking forward to going back.
Today my high school crush took me to some of his favorite spots in Brooklyn. I drank some spicy hot chocolate, we gossiped and confessed and theorized and I tried not to stare too hard at his pretty, pretty face. Today was a good day. Ima get me one of those I-Heart-NY shirts at this rate.
Tonight I rest. FINALLY.
Thursday Chad Anderson gave me a ride to Providence (he was headed north for work anyhow). The Providence feature was amazing! It was just as good as the Urbana feature! People loved me. They laughed and gasped and talked to me and bought lots of books. Jared gave me an incredible introduction. I'm kind of shy to repeat what he said, but suffice it to say it moved me very much. I really love that guy. I know he rubs a lot of people the wrong way, and granted I've never had to work closely with him for extended periods of time, but he's always been a staunch supporter of mine - and that certainly can't be said for all the veterans in the scene.
The slam itself was fabulous, and although it ran very long, almost all the audience stayed 'til the end. Chad performed an incredible poem that I hadn't heard, about the way the human ear works. Christopher Johnson hit three classics I'd caught at iWPS. Jared performed two of my favorites in his body of work, his rumination on the people he's loved and lost, and the gorgeous, heart-wrenching spin-off on Sage Francis' "Sea Lion", which he dedicated to me. The latter is not only my favorite of Jared's poems, but totally relevant to me right now. In it, he talks about touring, and unintentionally sacrificing love for art and politics...
The next day I walked around downtown Providence before catching a bus back south. It's really a lovely city, and its commitment to the arts is apparent everywhere, from the very existence of AS220 and RISD to the style of its little stores and cafes, to the window fronts filled with crazy art. I'm looking forward to going back.
Today my high school crush took me to some of his favorite spots in Brooklyn. I drank some spicy hot chocolate, we gossiped and confessed and theorized and I tried not to stare too hard at his pretty, pretty face. Today was a good day. Ima get me one of those I-Heart-NY shirts at this rate.
Tonight I rest. FINALLY.