Performance Poets Association Poetry Reading

The Performance Poets Association is a non-profit group that is dedicated to bringing poetry, poets, and other forms of related art forms to the public. Each year they hold numerous events, and workshops aimed at supporting local poets and exposing the public to their work. In addition, they hold a poetry contest each year and publish an Annual Literary Review that features the poetry of the contest winners as well as the featured poets of the group. One notable contest winner in 2007 was Nassau Community College's esteemed Professor Christina M. Rau.

On a cold Tuesday night I ventured somewhere I never expected to go, a poetry reading at Barnes and Noble Booksellers on the Miracle Mile in Manhasset. I was uncomfortable as I entered the area where the reading was going to be held. There was some confusion as no chairs were available for the attendees. I sat on a bench next to an elderly man and waited for the group to set up. Everyone seemed to know each other. I definitely looked out of place, at 19 I was probably the youngest in the room by 10 years or more. The man next to me introduced himself, his name was Cliff. He asked if this was my first reading, and I told him why I was there, he smiled and took his place. To my surprise he turned out to be one of the founders of the Performance Poets Association, Cliff Bleidner. It was Tuesday night November 10th and the featured poet was Stefanie Lipsey. I read some of her poems on line prior to attending the reading and did not enjoy her style, but decided to leave my judgement until I heard her read. The evening was hosted by another one of the group's founders, Joan Magiet. She started the evening off by reading on two of her poems. Joan Magiet is very soft spoken. The poems that she read were in free verse and about her own life experiences.

Stefanie Lipsey is a young mother who grew up in Merrick on Long Island. Her poetry is written from experiences in her lifetime. The poems that she read were written in free verse and the tone varied from mournful to humorous. There was no use of rhyme. Stefanie Lipsey writes about everything and anything. Her reading is animated and easy, she is comfortable speaking in front of the group. The poem "Crossing Sunrise Highway" expresses the frustration of a mother trying to get across the road with her young child. The act of crossing Sunrise Highway is compared to playing a game of asteriods with a stroller. "College Remix", a poem about returning to College as an adult was entertaining. The main focus was about how things change and return again to be the same, and how you can reinvent yourself. The use of the word Ginormous and its similarity in sound to the word vagina brought laughter from the attendees. Honestly, I didn't get it. "After Baseball Practice" and "Balloon Boy" were poems written about stories in the news. "Balloon Boy was a bit of a parody of the actual events, and "After Baseball Practice" was a somber reading about a young boy who died after attending practice. The sight of the child's face in Newsday, (the boy was the son of someone she knew) was painful to see and that pain is expressed in the lines of the poem. "The Textbook Stuff" was written about the textbooks that were used in schools when the poet was young, and how they portrayed teens and women. The books were unrealistic and misrepresented the reality of being a woman. "Passage of Time" revisted motherhood and how quicky time goes. This poem used imagery to project her jumbled memories of her children through time. "His Method" was about her reaction to her homeless and disturbed uncle. This poem used vivid descriptions of his appearance and actions to bring you into his world. "Homeland Security" was about how she no longer felt safe when her husband was travelling after 9 -11. Stefanie Lipsey read a total of ten poems and kept the pace moving and the mood light. The following two poems were the ones that I enjoyed the most. "Begging for Ritz in The Dakotas" was based on a childhood experience that she had while visiting Mt. Rushmore, and had a very reflective tone. Her family shared their Ritz crackers and cheese with a homeless man. The line "He was a veteran," says it all. "Legend of A Housewife" made me think about the poem "A Supermarket in California". In her poem Stefanie Lipsey is refers to speaking to Emily Dickinson as if she were there.

After the featured poet finished there was an opportunity for audience members to read their own poetry. This is when the night bcame interesting. Several people had signed up to read and each one was allowed to read two poems.


Walston Browns' poems were about his trips to Spain. The first one used imagery to describe the beauty of the country. The second, about being reborn as a bull and what not to do, was long and drawn out. He spoke in a very monotone voice and there was no real reaction from those listening.

Daniella Burnett introduced herself, by showing her second book of poetry "Timeless Allure" which was recently published. The first poem that she read was about a trip she took to Venice. The poem used imagery and was written in a romantic style, very flowing and soothing. The poem "Unspoken Pledge" was an ekphrasis, she wrote the poem based on a picture of the setting sun.

MJ Terelli read to poems that were both dark and disturbing. The poem "Mary Mother of God", was about a lost child and contained many connotations referring to the Bible.

The readings took a different turn when Paul Haloo ( not sure of spelling) came up with his guitar. He described himself as a singing poet. He began with "Listen to the Mockingbird" which had a repetitive verse, that ending up turning his poem readin ginto a sing-a-long. Everyone was singing with him and his voice was similar to that of Johnny Cash. When he finished the group asked for one more song, he is a music therapist for children and shared a song called "Eureka"which contained many rhymes. It was quite funny to see a group of grownups enjoy singing this childrens song so enthusiastically.

Two additional poets read. Russ read free verse about riding a motorcycle and it was quite bizarre. Cliff Bleidner ended the night with two poems one of which I believe wasa Haiku.

My first poetry reading turned out to be a much more enjoyable experience than I had expected. I really admire the way each of the poets was able to stand in front of the group and share their original work. There was no judgement, no right or wrong, and no criticism. Each poet was given respect and recognition for the works that they read and you could see how much they value what they created as they shared it with us all.

Adrienne Rich Video

Adrienne Rich is a world renowned poet who is a woman who was able to speak her mind, and share her private views and opinions to the world through her poetry. The video biography of Adrienne Rich includes several photographs of her through the years. In each photo she looks thoughtful and shares a slight smile with the camera. Adrienne Rich lived a very typical woman's life early in her career. She married, and gave birth to 3 sons. Her private life changed when she decided to divorce her husband. The type and tone of her poetry changed along with these changes in her life. She went from writing metric works to free verse, and her tone became angry and confrontational many pieces. Adrienne Ric had been described early in her life as a princess living a fairytale. She was actually living a false life. Rich wrote "Diving Into A Wreck" and the title poem in that collection of poetry reflected her feelings on gender and sexual orientation. The video shares with us the various awards that Adrienne Rich has received. One very intriguing fact was her refusal to accept the National Medal of Arts Award in 1997, as she felt that the administration of the U.S. at that time did not share her political views and her artistic feelings. One point that is not emphasised in the video is that Adrienne Rich, whose poetry expresses many views of the feminist movement of the 1970's, left her heterosexual life and began to live a lesbian lifestyle that continues today. The poem that is read at the end of the video was disturbing, yet expressed very true and stark views of the unfair way rape victims are viewed and treated in our society.

"I Was Stolen"

"I was Stolen", by Charle Simic is a great example of a surrealist poem. The speaker is living in two worlds, one which is reality and one which is fantasy. In which world is he happier, and why does he have the need for an alternate life? It appears that he is bored with his "silver spoon" upbringing and is longing for the mystery and adventure associated with the lives of gypsies. The speaker of the poem is a child, probably an adolescent, struggling with growing up in an austere environment. The line "One of my fathers was singing in the bathtub; the other one was painting a live sparrow the colors of a tropical bird.", is a real enigma. Which father was which? Was the father of his real life longing for the same things as him; could he be the one painting a live sparrow? The author leaves this open to individual interpretation and provides excellent visual images scattered throughout the lines of the poem.