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SLAP-HAPPY / John Berbrich: new york city readings
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Solas is a bar on East 9th Street in Manhattan. Apparently Madonna worked there as a waitress before making it big. Anyway, I've just seen a notice that one of my favorite science fiction authors, Samuel R. Delany, will be giving a reading at Solas--tonight, unfortunately, so I won't be able to attend. The event began @ 7:30. If I left now (it's 8:00) & drove like a fiend, I might be able to get there by 2:30, just in time to sweep up the drunks. I hadn't seen Delany's name in some time. He's reached his mid-60's now, w/ plenty of years of good writing ahead of him. Delany grew up in Harlem, & was the first black science fiction author I ever heard of. He's written many novels, some of which I loved--Nova, Triton, & the colossal Dhalgren. And he's a master of the short story, having penned "Aye and Gomorrah," "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones," "The Star Pit," & "Driftglass." Just the thought of these gems recalls memories of great literary moments in my youth. What's his connection to poetry? Well, he was married to the poet Marilyn Hacker for 18 years. Delany wrote somewhere that he loved modern poetry but couldn't or wouldn't write it himself. Still, he appreciated good work, & tried to keep up w/ the latest. I have a few of his novels, both old & new, that I haven't read yet. They seem to me like gifts waiting to be opened.
Not too far away, at the Bowery Poetry Club & Cafe (between Bleecker & Houston), our old friend Janice Brabaw performed last night, reading from her new poetry book, Universe, Disturbed. Janice read w/ SLAP at the Partridge Cafe in Canton when she was in town a couple of weeks ago. Everyone was impressed w/ her passionate, dramatic readings. When I get the scoop on the Bowery show I'll let y'all know how it turned out. Janice is a busy lady, planning a poetic barnstorming tour of Boston early next year. She's also planning to publish an expanded version of Universe, Disturbed, adding an additional 20 pages.
One more thing--there's a SLAP meeting tomorrow night at the Unitarian Universalist church in Canton @ 6:30. The assignment is to write a poem of prophecy. I've actually got mine done. Everyone's welcome. See you there.
Not too far away, at the Bowery Poetry Club & Cafe (between Bleecker & Houston), our old friend Janice Brabaw performed last night, reading from her new poetry book, Universe, Disturbed. Janice read w/ SLAP at the Partridge Cafe in Canton when she was in town a couple of weeks ago. Everyone was impressed w/ her passionate, dramatic readings. When I get the scoop on the Bowery show I'll let y'all know how it turned out. Janice is a busy lady, planning a poetic barnstorming tour of Boston early next year. She's also planning to publish an expanded version of Universe, Disturbed, adding an additional 20 pages.
One more thing--there's a SLAP meeting tomorrow night at the Unitarian Universalist church in Canton @ 6:30. The assignment is to write a poem of prophecy. I've actually got mine done. Everyone's welcome. See you there.
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