Mic check!
So…last night was the first OWS Poetry Anthology event that I’ve attended since back in the fall, when we were meeting in Zuccotti Park. Unlike our previous outdoor meeting grounds, the warm lovely space at St. Mark’s Church in the East Village comes equipped with an actual microphone, though some still preferred to use the classic call and response of the people’s mic. I, on the other hand, was glad to embrace amplification, which is such a comfort compared to competing with the overwhelming vocal presence of nearby jackhammers that tirelessly pounded along the Library end of the park months before. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t shout away in the freezing cold all over again and into forever to be a part of this. I would.
People shared some truly lovely work, and I especially enjoyed the enthusiastic readings by OWS librarians Filip Marinovich and also Stephen Boyer—whose piece whirled us into an interactive spiritualist lightshow about conspiracy. I read from my pentametric epic-in-the-making, rather late in the evening, and stayed until the final poet read, around 1AM. Another beautiful night in the Revolution. I can hardly wait for what’s next.