Everything came together perfectly for the first time in our three seasons. A great introduction by John Tyndall and a wonderful reading by feature Patricia Black were only the first, large stepping stones across the pond. The next step was so easy it wasn't even noticed by most people: It was the lack of loud, live music, which has always in the past seriously hampered the buzz of conversation. The audience was too busy talking to notice it was missing. This was the first time, as well, in which we used two co-hosts during the one event. I opened it with a subdued, straight-forward introduction to the evening and, when Patricia was finished reading and all the questions and answers had come to a halt, the other co-host, Joan Clayton, stepped forward and her energy took the open mic section to the next level. Her introductions to the readers and her little comments after them also helped to unify the event. And then luck added its own finishing touches to this particular event: The progression of open mic readers was so perfect, each in exactly the right place to only add to and not subtract from those on either side, that a newby to the series could easily have thought it had all been planned. When it was over, it felt perfect. We stood around in the glow of it, not wanting it to end. Linda and I packed up and slowly headed home. I spotted a MacDonald's and we stopped and sat in the car for half an hour licking ice cream cones and chatting about the people and the readings and this little community of poets we're a part of.
Stan Burfield, organizer
Stan Burfield, organizer
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