Gilbert, Kinnell, Dickinson (not Emily) and Bidart: Reviews by Twilite

A Tribute to Jack Gilbert
April 29, 2007
APE ltd Gallery,
Thornes Market
Northampton, MA

Tributes can be maudlin affairs with lots of tedious gushing and fawning over the honoree, who is often drawing his agonal breaths. Maybe that's what tributes are supposed to be, and maybe there was some of that here, but by god, I'm glad I didn't miss this one. The whole thing built steadily, with the readers, and the stories, and the poetry, just getting better and better. Everyone read a Gilbert poem and one of their own, and offered some personal recollections. Kerry O'Keefe recalled a story of how one of Gilbert's poems had finished off her marriage. Doug Anderson's reading was wonderfully expressive, and Henry Lyman was sage and erudite and soulful at the same time. The afternoon built to a crescendo when Gilbert himself read a piece, "Sing Going Down". Impressively moving and effective, Gilbert gathered his powers and delivered the goods. If one reading of one poem can sum up a lifetime of work then this was it. Simply amazing.
Twilite's rating - 9.2
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Galway Kinnell and Josephine Dickenson
Smith College
April 24, 2007

Galway Kinnell is god, well maybe not the God, but definitely a poetry god, at least to me. Even though he is 80 years old this year, he remains at the height of his power and relevance. Wow, just unbelievable! I was a huge thrill to hear him read and to talk with him afterwards and have him sign a book for me. He is a most gracious and wonderful man. He has found an incredible protegee in Josephine Dickenson. What an unexpected pleasure. She completely blew my mind with her earthy, deep poetry and heart felt delivery. Nothing artificial here.
Twilite's rating - 9.4
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Frank Bidart
Smith College
April 17, 2007

Frank Bidart has an amazing cobra head, stilted, elliptical poems and a delivery in which he punctuates the reading using his free hand like a sock puppet. He lets the words hang in the air for effect, carving space like some partially deranged puppeteer. With his dark clothes and contrived persona, he cuts an odd figure to say the least. I'm not quite sure what to make of his stuff. His long piece, "Giselle", I found self-indulgent and lacking in music. Interesting, I guess. Good, but certainly not great. Somewhat perplexing.Twilite's rating - 7.9

Naomi Shihab Nye at Smith by Kat

Wednesday night I heard a wonderfully life-affirming poetry reading by Naomi Shihab Nye... have you read anything by her? I think you would like her; what a beautiful and caring person. She's the type who can have everyone waiting at an airport gate start talking to each other. She goes up to soldiers and engages them in warm conversation, then writes empassioned anti-war poems with the conviction of a mother who cares for the world so much it hurts.

Poets.org features this beautiful description of her writing:
The poet William Stafford has said, "her poems combine transcendent
liveliness and sparkle along with warmth and human insight. She is a c
hampion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work
enhances life.

"From Nye's poem "Streets"
If we stand quietly enough evenings
there grows a whole company of us
standing quietly together.
overhead loud grackles are claiming their trees
and the sky which sews and sews, tirelessly sewing,
drops her purple hem.
Each thing in its time, in its place,
it would be nice to think the same about people.

Bach's Birthday & Blue Guitar Gallery by Twilite

Bach's Birthday Bash and the Rites of Spring!
Poetry and Music Performance
Harry Azmitia and Saundra Dubow, Poets
Lynne Camenga, Violin - Sonya Lawson, Viola
Westfield Atheneum
March 21

On rare occasions magic occurs. There are those moments in life and art that completely blow yer freakin' mind. This performance caught me totally by surprise. Lori Desrosiers poetry, read by Saundra, captured something like a sunny day from childhood, elusive and ebullient and brilliantly performed. Harry hit the mark with his well read, traditional verse straight from the inner soul. The music was delicious compliment, especially the expressive violin of Lynne Camenga, and Sonya Lawson capped off the evening with her toneful renditions of Bach on a Dali inspired, ergonomically correct viola. What a triumph!

Twilite's rating - 9.4

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Poetry Reading and Performance - Karen Randall (art and poetry), Christina Svane, Bill O'Haire, Erica Russo
Blue Guitar Gallery, Easthampton - March 31, 2007

Is it possible for Twilite to be taken aback? The short answer is yes, absolutely! Guitar virtuoso O'Haire provided effective backdrop to the abstract, atmospheric poetry of Randall, while O'Haire's better half, Svane, performed almost yogaesque movement, poetry in French, and something that sounded like Middle Eastern wail. It was all brilliantly weird as we all sat around in a circle on the floor and didn't really watch or listen, but experienced. I even got up during the "open" part of the performance and read a poem which fell almost completely flat. Apparently, I just couldn't dial in my mojo to the appropriate cosmic strangeness. Oh well, just give 'em hell!

Twilite's rating - 8.4

Naomi Shihab Nye at Smith College 4/3/07

POETRY REVIEWS WESTERN MASS

I went to hear Naomi Shihab Nye at Smith College on April 3, 2007. What a pleasure to experience her sincere, poignant and image rich poetry, peppered with humor. I was particularly touched by her narratives of women in war and her anecdotes of her life. She told us that when we need to look at language in a new way we should talk to people older than ninety and to children under three. This was a delightful, moving and inspiring evening.
Lori's rating five stars out of five. *****