Madwomen in the Attic is a writer's workshop hosted at Carlow University, so there was a wide range of experience between the beginning poets and the 10-year-past-MFAs (Daniella Buccilli). Some of the newer poet's poems were real good- Callie DiSabato had a great one about reversing street-harassment wherein she describes shattering someone's teeth with her dislocated (objectified) breasts.
I drank 2 beers and read during the open-mic portion; there are going to be open-mics after every reading in the Series. I introduced my poem as "a dirty poem" and "I wasn't sure if it would be ok to read this" to a crowd of 40-50 somethings. After I read Jimmy Cvetic had some words; "Let me tell you some things about sex poems", we all laughed, etc. Here's a link to my poem, I still have to revise it, I think after the third stanza it loses energy.
I would post a link to Callie's poem! But I can't find her information anywhere. This the trouble of the modern age-- not all information is instantly accessible. I'm diving through the channels right now... possible soon that such a link will appear.
After the reading I talked to poet Wendy Scott --we used to go to the same church-- she discussed how "pittsburgh poets tended to be narrative". I mentioned Bukowski, just having seen Bukowski Tribute Night over at the Brillo Box a week or two ago. We have a bunch of Labor poets here in Pittsburgh, a lot of them "bukowski-like": Jason Baldinger, Scott Silsbe, so on, but even the decidedly non-bukowski Madwomen seemed for the most part Narrative. Although Julie Cecchini I think had a very good poem based around puns--- "trowel and error".
[[ Why are the madwomen non-bukowski? As host Jimmy Cvetic (described as "Bukowski with a badge" on his book's amazon) said to close the reading: "usually I make women not so happy but I *doffs hat to the madwomen, applause* I'm glad to have these ladies" (paraphrased). My point is that there's a gender distinction in pgh poetry, subtle or no... consider The Haven's upcoming gender-based events... ]]
That being said over at Stephen Lin's Celebration of Language events at The Mr. Roboto Project, we've had a couple of non-narrative poets with a keen performative edge:
- Brian DiSanto, who sings his song-like poems off-key in the manner of half-remembered song lyrics, check out his bandcamp
- Andre Dupont yelled poems over loud industrial loops
Both these poems didn't need narrative to pull me in. Are there others? Will there be more? Is non-narrative poetry alive in Pittsburgh? Terrance Hayes, at least, is here...
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