I attend at least two poetry readings a month in New York City. A few venues I check on periodically like The Bowery Poetry Club and Cornelia Street Café—both are fabulous spaces that lend themselves to the intimacy between a reader and an audience. So when the time came that I decided to curate my own series, I turned to Angelo Verga, poet and best friend of the NYC poetry scene.
My role models for participating in the community at large are many, but they include Francisco X. Alarcón, Scott Hightower and Martha Rhodes. Over the years I have been amazed at how generous these poets have been, as educators, mentors and champions of other poets.
Alarcón was my old professor of Chicano literature at UC Davis, and he rallied the troops on a number of occasions to make us go public with our poetry. Once he even took us to the local radio station, where we all arrived dressed up for the stage. Only afterward did we all have a laugh about how the only people that saw us looking good were the radio engineers. But many heard our voices.
Hightower was an inspiration from the first time I heard him talk about mentorship at an AWP in D.C. back in 1997. He bumped into me at an elevator and asked, “So you’re a poet?” That was the first time anyone had ever considered me in that light, and since then, I still turn to him for moral support.
And people better show some mad respect at Martha Rhodes for all that she does for poetry, from directing Four Way Books, to curating countless reading series in the city, to checking in with people during the good times and the not so good times.
I’d like to challenge every poet to do his or her part as well. Belief in the ivory tower is an excuse for laziness, for sitting around selfishly waiting for others to put in the muscle. I come across too many writers who hide behind their art and this misguided sense that “the writing comes first.” I agree with them that the writing comes first, but when it’s the only thing that comes, that’s a problem. It’s the Henny Penny syndrome, indeed. And then folks find themselves surprised that when they finally throw a party (or a career) nobody shows up.
The Quetzal Quill is my own humble effort, besides my book reviews and my seats in various literary institutions. I invite poets who have recently published a book, and usually poets whose books I have reviewed favorably.
I call it my traveling cabaret because it takes place wherever I happen to be, and so far it’s been in L.A., Austin, and Urbana, Illinois, but mostly Manhattan, and then, exclusively at the Cornelia Street Café.
I invite you to come to the Café for the next event this Saturday, September 22 at 6pm ($7 cover). I’ll be hosting three fierce poets: Cathy Park Hong, Aracelis Girmay and Eduardo C. Corral. I’ll see you there!
You run a fantastic series, Rigoberto. Congratulations to you!
Posted By: Oliver de la Paz on September 17, 2007 at 1:43 pmReport this comment
If you were never good at the social aspect of writing and only good at isolating yourself how do you convert from one of those my work is my excuse types? What good is it if you go to reading but you get nervous or claustrophobic? Is overcoming social fears as much a part of writing as grammer?
Posted By: Jacob on September 18, 2007 at 9:53 amReport this comment
I’ve had the pleasure of attending one of these last May.
Posted By: Francisco Aragon on September 18, 2007 at 5:58 pmIf anyone is in Chicago tomorrow, the 19th, New York-based Puerto Rican poet Urayoan Noel, who is a wonderful reader, will be reading for PALABRA PURA at the California Clipper.
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Hi Francisco,
Posted By: Emily Warn on September 19, 2007 at 10:28 amThanks for letting us in Chi-town know about this. What’s the address and exact time of the PALABRA PURA reading?
Emily
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Jacob…
Posted By: Rich Villar on September 20, 2007 at 12:19 pmI think the short answer is, you have to do what you feel comfortable with. It’s undeniably a part of every writer’s life to get out and press a little flesh, because unless you plan on pulling a Walt Whitman and self-publish your genius, you should really try to get people behind your work…and you, of course.
An aside: This doesn’t always resonate with writers, and for good reason: there’s a fine line between “pressing flesh” and “kissing ass”…two very distinct schools of thought when it comes to getting out on the scene (and poets practice both, don’t get it twisted.) What’s important to keep in mind (for me, at least) is that you have to make those vital HUMAN connections, to have those kinds of intellectual and personal exchanges with other writers that are so very important to the writers’ life. I feel that if I have to leave my brand-new, fly-ass apartment for a poetry reading, I want to know and like the reason I’m going. I like being with real friends, and I like making real friends, but I don’t care to schmooze, bamboozle, or drink myself senseless (another poet cliche.)
Speaking directly to the social phobia stuff: It’s like any other phobia. Diving in headfirst and exposing yourself to it will at least make the anxiety die down a bit, if not eliminate it altogether. That, and once you realize that you’re among friends (even if only one or two), hanging out becomes quite a joy. What can I say man, you just have to face your fear head on and trust yourself not to freak out. It helps to remember that you’re a writer first and foremost, and that the social aspect, however important it may be, is temporal in the long run.
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Alas, Emily: I only now saw your follow-up query about PALABRA PURA.
Posted By: Francisco Aragón on September 30, 2007 at 1:49 pmI’m in transit back to DC…
For future reference: http://guildcomplex.org will always have info on this Chicago series.
We have two more readings left in 2007: October and November. Then we take a break
in December.
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