Monday night, some people decided they were just too good to show up. The rest of us soldiered on with Writer's Community, so dedicated are we to our craft.
And though this is not exactly the order in which things happened, while Laura Relyea was supposed to be soundchecking for a show that hadn't started when I left Doc's at 10 (sorry, Laura--If I had planned my evening around the show, I would have stayed), and while Andrew Clark-Kennedy was asleep, face-down in a plate of rice pilaf, they happened:
Peter Cavanaugh read David Berman's poem, "Self Portrait at 28."
Garrett Cox read three original poems, which, after the lively discussion about the purpose and importance of titles, he seems to have titled, "Windows Chairs and Stares," "Rockafellar," and "Narrate Old Lives as Mine." (Garrett, we weren't saying you had to title them, but thanks for sparking the discussion.)
JoyAnn Hirschy read a story by Elizabeth Baines, called "Compass and Torch."
Kim Bortnem read "The Odd Woman" by Gail McLivin, which writing it now, doesn't seem like the way Kim wrote the name down. Maybe you could help me? Anyway, she read the story by the woman with the mystery last name, and followed up with a poem she wrote about and titled "Tetris," which she wrote when she really should have been working.
Joe Betts read two poems from David Baker's book Midwest Ecologue.
Shaun Gannon would like for us to find and listen to a few songs from Tomato and Underworld, which he kindly provided a link to. He'll read the lyrics for us next week. Just so you know, when you click the link, it's for a .zip file, so it will likely download automatically. If it's a virus, Shaun, we may have to eat you alive. And it's the week of Halloween, so don't rule out the possibility. (By the way, what's the "P" stand for?)
I, (meaning Matthew Trisler) read, to close the evening, a letter of complaint about a halloween party that took place in a Tokyo subway this weekend.
But this leaves out two readings, which I have left until the end for a reason. Because there's a theme. It's Poe. Who is the reason for the season, as well we all know.
Sean Orlosky read Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amantillado," and he did so in a festive accent which sounded more Romanian to me than Italian or French, as I thought the characters were supposed to be. But no matter. It was appropriately spooky. Vlad Dracul would be proud. He'd still impale you, but that was sort of his schtick.
Lastly, Thiana Rarick, a proud member of the English Theory Club, read Poe's "The Conqueror Worm," by way of advertising the club's Edgar Allen Poe reading. More info in its own post.
After all of that, I sadly packed up and left. I turned the lights off and shut the door, making sure it was locked, without being reminded to--unlike some people.
Maybe next week, Andrew and Laura will deign to grace us with their presences. Pssh.
(No hard feelings. The sound guy didn't show up for Laura's show 'til late, and Andrew really did fall asleep eating dinner. Which is pretty funny.)
