Jan Figurski, the musician/poet we all so enjoyed at the Oct. 2nd event, will reprise his role as musician Jan 2nd (Thursday), prior to  featured poet Carrie Lee Connel's reading. 

In October, Figurski sang his own compositions, played acoustic guitar and blew an incredible blues harmonica, accompanied on piano by Geoff Johnson and on drums by Kevin Heslop.  

In January, from 6:30 to 7:00 and again during the intermission, Jan will perform solo.  Pure, acoustic Jan Figurski. 

Figurski has one published recording: Screen Door Slam, Live at the Tostal. He currently plays mandolin, guitar, and harmonica, and has sung with a variety of acoustic roots groups, including Paper Moon, and Love Child. 

Interview with Jan Figurski leading up to his Oct. 2013 featured reading.
Biography relating to Figurski's poetic career

Biography of Carrie Lee Connel, Jan. 2nd Featured Poet

THE EVENT

WHERE: The Mykonos Restaurant at 572 Adelaide St. North, London, Ontario. The restaurant has a large, covered terrace just behind the main restaurant, which comfortably holds 60 poetry lovers. Mediterranean food and drinks are available. Overflow parking is available across the side street and in the large lot one block north, in front of Trad’s Furniture.

WHEN: Thursday, January 2nd. Most of our events are held on the first Wednesday of the month, but this time that is New Years Day, a holiday. 

LIVE MUSIC: Jan Figurski will perform, beginning at 6:30 as well as later during the event.

FEATURED POET: Carrie Lee Connel will begin reading shortly after 7:00, followed by a Q&A.

OPEN MIC: Following the featured poet, there is about 1.5 hours of open mic. Each open mic poet has five minutes to read (which is about two good pages of poetry, but it should be timed at home). Those who want to read will write their names in a spot of their choosing on a list at the book table at the back. They will also be asked to check 'yes' if they don't mind being photographed and videotaped during their reading. (Note: First come, first served. There are fifteen spots.)

RAFFLE PRIZES: Anyone who donates to London Open Mic Poetry Night receives a ticket for a raffle prize, three of which will be picked. The prizes consist of poetry books donated by Brick Books and The Ontario Poetry Society. Donations are our only source of income. We still haven't paid off our initial debt.

There was a little Greek restaurant just south of Oxford east and Adelaide of flat white sign hanging above the stout four-step-set of stairs reads Mykonos in blue letters. 

Open Mic poetry night in there Wednesday featured Jan Figurski who tread jazz, blues and radio-friendlies through the laughing air of wine-pouring and food coming or having arrived and hot before the readings began. 

Jan’s musical accompaniment consisted of Geoff Johnson of Big Picture, who battered the electric keys with a shootist’s decisiveness and the rhythmical integrity of a skilled carpenter, and I, who intended to keep drum kit rhythm under the current of Jan under siege and telling us, blowing blues through harmonica and the music happening and on. 

Time infringed, though, as it does, and with characteristic gentleness, Dawna, our host and the seamstress of these monthly evenings, took the podium and told us so, handing the mic to David Paul, sincere friend of Mr. Figurski, and we were under way. 

Jan began with the sensitive poet’s promise of intimacy; he took the audience to a vulnerable place with all the emotional momentum of a man of the blues, giving the audience a frock and his personal truths, an emotion-laden reel of raw images, his the harmonica resonating still, before ruddying his demeanor and loosening his face and ours with good humor and a few final poignant words. 

Following hearty applause, Dawna seamed either side of the fifteen minute intermission into the evening and we were into the open mic.

The readers ranged from first time readers to familiar participants, future featured readers and past and the communal act of our sharing was a pleasure to take part in.

With a final seam and some just applause, Big Picture took the stage, the dancing began and a joyful group raised arms in OPA to celebrate the victory of yet another open mic at that little Greek restaurant we know as Mykonos. 

Kevin Heslop

Kevin Heslop has an interesting prose style, so during the easy days of summer I asked him if he would like to take over my job of writing the summaries of our open mics. Well in those lazy, hazy days of summer he thought yes that would be fun and agreed. 

Kevin didn’t really realize what he was in for until it all came down on him at once. All right after that first Sept. 4th open mic, right when he was going to write his first summary. 

For starters, there was the stress of registration for his first full year at Western (English and philosophy), and immediately his first classes.  And then everything else he had jumped into. Here’s an email to me Wednesday: “Got a poem into the paper at western today, and I've got two articles going into  tomorrows and thursdays editions. And that's on top of class hours and homework   (just got back from a 3 hour class this evening). So…” And he’ll be a drummer in the university jazz band. And then there’s soccer. And not to forget his constant discharge of poems, which, though rapid, still takes time. 

So I suggested, to Kevin’s relief, that he skip this first summary. I don’t want to be the cause of some 21-year-old guy having a heart attack. Assuming that’s possible.

So no Heslop summary until after our second open mic of the season, October 2nd, featuring Jan Figurski. 

However, any day now we have a batch of videos coming out, taken at last week's open mic. Erik Martinez Richards, our esteemed videographer, is working on them as we speak. As with Kevin, this is Erik’s first shot at his new job for the open mic. It’s his on-the-job training, as he has never done this kind of fussy work before, only your normal vacation shots, etc. But his learning curve is steep, as you’ll see.