Poets in my house

Billy the Blogging Poet showed up at my house last night for a hastily scheduled poetry reading featuring Ron Whitehead and Clement Mallory. His impressions are posted here.

There was plenty of burgundy flowing, but Clement stuck to water. I counted 15 people in attendance. At the end, I passed my "Nation" ball cap and collected $22 for each of the featured poets.

Ron has been in Winston-Salem visiting his daughter and son. His daughter’s house caught fire on the morning of the reading causing untold smoke damage but thankfully no lost lives. The day’s trauma only made Ron more determined to read.

It was like old times for me.

I met Ron when I was 17 years old in 1992 when he showed up unannounced at a poetry and music festival I organized at the Monterey Volunteer Fire House down the road from my parents’ home in Kentucky. Ron set up a reading for me at the University of Louisville, published a chapbook and poster for me, and took me on the road to various poetry marathons — dubbed insomniacathons — around the country. Later, in 1998, I published Ron’s mytho-poetic autobiography, "Beaver Dam Rocking Chair Marathon" on Mark Stosberg’s and my short-lived Tilt-A-Whirl Press.

It’s a blessing to be in the presence of inspiring poets like Ron and Clement, and to have friends show up on short notice to nourish the culture.

Quentin Richardson graciously provided me these photographs.

UPDATE: JazzzyTina.com at Blogsboro.com has this write-up and photo portfolio covering the event.