MELVILLE AND ROBBINS AT TALKING LEAVES

7pm at Talking Leaves, 3158 Main St. Free

On Thursday (5/21), “Into this first and oldest cradle / I invite you, reader” to come to Talking Leaves for a discussion of Sherry Robbins’s book-length sequence of poems—or, The Whale—that interact with Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. The discussion will focus primarily on four chapters from Moby-Dick (“Loomings,” “The Whiteness of the Whale,” “The Symphony,” and “The Chase—First Day”) and on four related poems in or, The Whale. The event is inspired by The Year of Melville, held by Brian Lampkin (founder of Rust Belt Books), at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC, where there will be a three-month reading and discussion of Moby-Dick. The Melville and Robbins discussion is the perfect opportunity for readers to ponder the ways in which Melville has become relevant to our time. David Landrey of Talking Leaves invites anyone to send comments and/or poems that relate to the texts to the Melville and Robbins Facebook event page leading up to the discussion. “Leap from the boat” and attend this thought-provoking conversation.

Open Reading Series Featuring Josh Smith

7pm at Empire State College- Appletree Mall, 2875 Union Rd. free

Josh Smith is self-described as the “savior of the Buffalo poetry scene.” His career trajectory is an interesting one. He started off as the lead singer of a metal band, “Banned From Canada,” but quickly attempted stand-up comedy as an alternative. Nevertheless, he is one with the microphone, and so it all came together when he combined the two very-different art forms to become a spoken-word poet, offering powerful words and exciting poetry readings. He has won several “Best of Buffalo” awards and has traveled far to be heard. The Appletree Reading Series, hosted by Carole Southwood and Jim Maurino, runs the last Tuesday of each month at Empire State College’s Cheektowaga location in the Appletree Business Park. On Tuesday (5/26 at 7pm), Josh Smith will be the featured poet. There are also ten open mic spots, lasting five minutes each. Sign-up begins at 7pm, so bring your best poetry and grab a mic. The show begins at 7:30pm.

POST SCRIPT

5/21: Book Club—1pm-2pm at Crane Branch Library, 633 Elmwood Ave. Join a thought-provoking discussion of the book The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. Free.

5/24: Pure Ink Poetry Slam—6:30pm at Gypsy Parlor, 376 Grant St. Come out and enjoy the atmosphere as local poets compete at the Pure Ink Poetry Slam. Sign up closes at 6:30pm.