St. Lawrence Area Poets

Okay, there's a lot going on.  First off, the next SLAP meeting will be held on this Tuesday at the UU church in Canton, that's at 6:30.  There was a communication snafu (isn't that an awfully interesting word?), but in the end Canton is the official venue.  On Thursday we have our first open-mike poetry reading of the season, scheduled for 6:30 at the Asian World Import shop in Potsdam, on Main Street between the Fields & the Roxy.  We had a couple of great readings there last winter, & hope to get this reading season off to a good start. 

And Wednesday night Nancy & I start our 6-week creative writing course at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council in Potsdam.  To clarify, we are teaching the course.  The classes are scheduled for Wednesday evenings, 6:00 - 7:00.  You can sign-up for just one class or all six, whatever you like.  Call the Arts Council at 265-6860 for details & to register.

The SLAP poetry newsletter is out & distributed throughout the Canton - Potsdam area.  I'll have some on hand to pass out at Tuesday's meeting & at the reading on Thursday night.   

I attended the Poetry for Peace reading at SLU last Tuesday.  The turnout was modest, but we had a good time.  Theo Hummer read a Wallace Stevens poem, after which I read one of my own compositions, "Begin Again."  John Martin finished up w/ two poems by Dylan Thomas.  The reading was followed by a lively discussion.  The theme was "Starting Fresh."  The next reading will be held on October 13th, w/ "Surprises" as the theme.  More info later on.

And on a personal note, I've finally started a dreambook.  All those dreams that I've had over the years--I wake up, tell one or two people, & then the dreams are gone, disappeared into the ether of my brain.  But now I've bought myself a nice little notebook, w/ a cover of swirling blue, green, & purple dream-patterns.  So I actually wrote down one dream I had on the morning of 9/11.  Here it is:

     we must be in Japan

     we're trying to cross the road, but all

     these Japanese people are traveling like

     cars down the street

     on foot

     & sequestered into two groups

     first women, then men

     and they're all dressed up

     and only like 18 inches tall

     we finally cross the street

     I'm w/ two kids I think

     we try a door, the sidewalk is

     flanked by buildings jammed-up tight

     together

     the kids open a door & we are expecting

     a store but it is someone's apartment

     w/ plain furniture & a small Christmas Tree on a table

     we withdraw quietly & I recall

     one of the shrimpy Japanese men had

     looked at the kids & said something

     about a "little f*ckin' rat"

     I was so surprised I couldn't punch him

     Plus he's short, so short.

And that's it.  See y'all soon.

Music listened to while writing this blog: Blondie & Pat Benatar

Beverage: port wine

Weather: first frost this morning....sun going down now....