Everybody's A Poet

If you belong to a visual arts organization in Buffalo, such as CEPA or Hallwalls, you are probably familiar with the concept of a “member” show. In these annual events, all members of the organization who would like to have their visual work displayed in a gallery setting are given the opportunity to do so. Jury and audience prizes are awarded to participants, sometimes alongside other more specific awards, like “Best Portrait,” “Best Landscape,” and so forth.

So, you might ask, what is a “Members Poetry Reading?” Answer: It’s members show for writers.

This winter, Just Buffalo asked all of its members to submit a poem for the members reading. All of the poems have been collected and will be printed in an “exhibition catalog” to be given out to audience members at the event. Audience members will have time to sip their wine and nibble on some cheese as they cast their critical eyes upon the poems. They will also get a chance to listen to the poems being read by their authors. At the end of the reading, audience ballots will be collected and counted and an audience prize awarded.

The first annual jury prize will be chosen by none other than R.D. Pohl, editor of the poetry page at the Buffalo News. Pohl has been reading the entries since the deadline passed a month ago and will give an introduction to the winner of the jury prize. Both winning poems will be printed in Artvoice in the coming weeks.

The list of potential readers includes a host of local literary luminaries, which should make for a fun evening of readings:

Larry Bachman
Ansie Baird
Curtiss S. Butler
Richard Cimbalo
Brenda J. Cowe
Gordon Crock
Joanna Dicker-Bachman
Linda Drajem
Diane Evans
Kenneth J. Feltges
Sally A. Fiedler
Carrie Gardner
Gene Grabiner
Betty Jean Grant
Peter J. Grieco
Jorge Guitart
George T. Hole
Barbara D. Holender
Loren Keller
Joyce Kessel
Gunilla T. Kester
Bruce H. McCausland
Florine Melnyk
Perry S. Nicholas
Joe Nickell
Luis Nieves
Barbara Nowak
Caroline Parrinello
Teresa Peipins
Marc Pietrzykowski
Vonetta T. Rhodes
Sara Ries
Rosa Rojas
Jane E. Sadowsky
Karen Sands-O’Connor
Carl Schneider
Jennifer Schnick
Kathleen Shoemaker
Judy Stadler
Patricia Stinger
Valencia Thomas
Ruth Thompson
Carol A. Townsend
Joan M. Van de Water
Paul A. White

The first annual Just Buffalo Members Poetry Reading takes place Saturday, March 14, at 7pm. (Readers registration is at 6:45pm.) It’s in CEPA’s Flux Gallery in the Market Arcade Building, 617 Main Street (832-5400). Admission is free.

—michael kelleher