Another amazing open mic - lots of great poets including Amy and John, part of Jane's entorage from Syr-accuse, then James - father of Amanda (see below), then James' partner Jann, then Bill, the well-known minimalist poet, who promises he has some less than minimal stuff. We're ready, Bill, we like what we've heard so far. Then some of the grandslammmers - Colin, Rich, and Kate, played the open mic card, unafraid of overexposure. And at last, the incomparable - Amanda - burning up Juna's - fire, fire, somebody call the fire-department!
And then the slam. Amanda also sacrificed - setting the bar high. Karen went first. Karen is an IC student - refered to our slam by Ithaca's former poet laureat and teacher, Katharyn Howd Machan. Karen got the most people's choice votes of anyone. Then came Jane, Jane hosts a weekly open mic in Syracuse every Monday at the Coffee Pavilion. Then Andy (me), then Kate from Cornell ( - aka K Rose - who has her first CD out - "Everything Human." I just listened to it - it's phat! I'm playing it again. E-mail Kate to get a copy.) Also performing in the grand slam was Rich from Norwich - who won. (Rich organizes poetry and other events (notably the Chenango Arts Festival) in the Oxford, NY area - an hour or so east of Ithaca. He has a great deep voice and a cool neo-Kerouac style.) Then came Sonya, from Elmira College; then Colin - from IC. Everyone tonight was awesome.
We also had a very fine audience, who donated to help pay the $400 fee for Ithaca to send a team to Austin for the National Poetry Slam this summer. Thank you audience.
Mina emceed the slam. Richard took the first round, Karen and Kate tied for second, then Sonya. Karen took the second round, then Richard, Kate, and Sonya. Richard took the third round. Kate and Jane tied for second. Then Karen. The winners were Richard, Karen, Kate, and Jane. Sonya was the people's choice. Andy and Colin are alternates. There was a cool poet who read the night's final poem, but I didn't get her name.
So, it was another great night at Juna's. A couple of my friends came, including K - who has been in hiding ever since she kept time in '04. Also Leslie, who left me a draft of her novel, "Cold River Junction," which I'm sure will be on my great book page as soon as it is published.
Tonight I did new poems: "She Wants Peace," which bombed. I couldn't read it very well, because I forgot my glasses. Then, "Bite," which I had memorized, which did a little better, tying for fifth in the second round. Then "Miguel," which took another fifth. OK, I didn't win, but I did win, because Ithaca has a great team going to the Nationals. Our scene is mad cool, with an evolving Ithaca style.The Nationals wll be in Austin again in 2007.