St. Lawrence Area Poets

The most recent SLAP meeting featured a quartet: me, Nancy, JeanMarie, & Jon Ignatowski.  We compared poems from the April one-poem-a-day challenge & just generally spaced out on jawboning philosophical conversation.  The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday June 8th at the UU Church in Canton at 7:00.  There's a reason for the time change but you'll have to guess what it is.  The next Challenge (formerly known as the Assignment) is to write a stream of consciousness poem while listening to music, preferably without words.  Now the idea is to listen to some 3-minute pop tune (like the Hawaii Five-o theme) not some lengthy Wagnerian Magnum Opus.  Ready, set, go! 

I've lately come across two local college publications, & the time seems propitious to compare & contrast them.  The publications are Grasse Roots, the Spring 2010 issue, published at SUNY Canton, & Blueline, the 2010 issue, published at SUNY Potsdam.  First Grasse Roots, edited by Kirk Jones.  It's 80 pages of poetry, prose, photos, & artwork produced by the SUNY Canton community, students, faculty, & alumni.  There's no indication what issue number this is, nor who took the gorgeous cover photo of burning red autumn foliage reflected in an unrippled  body of water, presumably the Grasse River.  Among other notable works is a poem by Jessie Scott called "Beauty of a Butterfly," actually shaped like a butterfly.  I can honestly say that I don't know anyone included in this edition.  A few of the names sound vaguely familiar, but that's it.

On the other hand, many of the names in Blueline sound familiar.  Editor Donald McNutt has participated in at least two SLAP open-mike readings. Intern Kelly Frost is a regular Slapper, who never ceases to amaze me w/ her ability to memorize poems quickly & accurately.  The authors presented are mostly from New England & New York, but others range from all across our wide nation.  The poems & stories maintain a focus on nature, embodied by the spirit of the Adirondacks.  The cover is a blue pastel within which is a box containing a photograph of one of those endless vistas of the Adirondack Mountains, lumpy variegated hills receding into the distance. Several lengthy book reviews are included, of which two of the best were written by Nancy Berbrich.

Both of these journals are worth reading.  I feel lucky to live in an area w/ such a vibrant educational community.  Think of it--four top college names within roughly 10 miles.  Somehow I feel that SLAP needs to be involved a bit more w/ these institutions.  Institution might be the wrong word.  But imagine a poetry slam (or poetry SLAP!), w/ contestants from all four colleges competing for the prize.  Hmmmm.

Anyway, that's it for tonight.  Have a good week, & good luck w/ the Challenge.

Soundtrack: Django Reinhardt

Beverage: Sam Adams Scotch Ale

Weather: Hot, sun going down

Miscellaneous: Barefoot in the Head, Brian Aldiss

Contact John at ataraxia1114@aim.com