> by heather cook

The National Beat Poetry Festival is a non-profit organization that is committed to promoting literacy and provoking conversation pertaining to the Beat history. The Beat Generation, composed of poets, free thinkers, and literary geniuses, opened new means of expression in the early 1940’s, and its legacy continues today by way of merging Beat awareness with contemporary, cutting edge poetry and expression. NBFP—in collaboration with individuals, organizations and universities and colleges—is dedicated to bringing Beat-themed readings, workshops, plays and radio shows to venues throughout the U.S. On Friday and Saturday (9/25 and 9/26), the National Beat Poetry Festival is coming to Fredonia.

Friday, hosted by Vincent Quatroche, the Beat workshop and Q&A session will be held on the campus of SUNY Fredonia in McEwen Hall, room 209, 5—9pm. On Saturday, the Beat reading will also be on the campus of SUNY Fredonia, but at Jewett Hall 101, 2—6pm. This reading will consist of performances by students and poets from all over America. There will be live music from Izikhotane and an opportunity for students to read their works.

Read the featured writers’ bios:

Colin Haskins co-founded The Connecticut Beat Poetry Festival with Yvon Cormier in 2008. In Connecticut Haskins has solely created and hosted the still ongoing Spoken Word Series. He created and managed many programs including, One Soldier One Poem (honoring CT’s passed War Veterans), World Language Night, and Pawetry, a fundraiser to assist animal shelters. He founded the Legends of Poetry. Haskins has published six books of poetry and has published the Ekphrastics book of poems for The New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT.

Dianne Borsenik

Dianne Borsenik is active in the northern Ohio poetry scene and regional reading circuit. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous publications, including Rosebud, Slipstream, and Great Lakes Review. She won first place for two years in a row at the Best Cleveland Poem Competition, and her poem “Disco” was chosen by Lit Youngstown to appear on their tee shirts and on Youngstown Summer Festival of the Arts 2015 tote bags. Since 2011, as NightBallet Press, she has published books for poets across the country. On September 19, 2015, she produced BeatStreet Cleveland as part of the National Beat Poetry Festival. Dianne lives with husband James and dogsons Bodhi and Michel-Angelo in Elyria, Ohio.

William F. DeVault is an American born poet and author referred to as “The Romantic Poet of the Internet.” Editor and publisher of “amomancies” a literary/photography fusion mag sometimes called “the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition of literary magazines”. Sixteen book, five CDs, collaborations with other poets and Dutch hardcore techno recording artist Ophidian, podcaster, his catalog of poetic works is estimated at over 24,000 poems, most of which are not slated for publication until after he dies.

Marci Payne is a North American author, photographer, and musician living in New Jersey. Her main influences are American Roots music, Russian Authors, Japanese monster movies, and Italian food. Marci is active in the Atheist and LGBT communities, enjoys nature and travel, and especially writing about herself in third person singular. She lives alone with her memories and imaginary cat, Lump.

Michael L. Kilday

Debbie Tosun Kilday is the current President of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association, CAPA. She is an author, poet, artist, nature photographer, illustrator, book cover designer, graphic artist and an expert high-roller slot player. She is a Connecticut native and resident. Debbie is the author of several books, has won several awards for her writing, and has appeared regularly on TV and radio.

Michael L. Kilday is a 1972 graduate of Boston University with a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education. He worked as a high school English teacher for a short period of time. Michael also worked for a few years as a newspaper journalist. For 36 years, he worked as a software engineer for a large Northeastern health insurance company, retiring in 2014. Michael writes substantively on social issues and concerns in an effort to help others to understand the more complex and substantial problems that face our world today. One of those topics encapsulated his experiences as a ‘citizen’ of Woodstock Nation as one who embraced the 1960’s counterculture movement. From his experiences as a Yippie, he wrote A Yippie’s Lament, published in 2012. In May of 2013 it won the CT Press Club award for nonfiction book of the year. As it turned out, the unpublished volumes of poetry he had written throughout the 70’s and 80’s contributed as ‘deep background’ material to the character and execution of that narrative. Call it personal development of the narrator. He ventures onward until all questions have answers.

The National Beat Poetry Festival is free and open to the public. Help NBFP unite the Beat Generation and today’s literary voices in order to produce the voices of tomorrow—see you at the event on Friday and Saturday.