Monday After Work

Plotnik played piano for his good friend, poet and fellow Tiaposian Will Walker last night at Bird and Beckett Bookstore. There were two poets reading. Plottie played the people into their seats at the start (the bookstore has a fabulous Kawai upright in the store, in tune and ready for these occasions -- you just have to remove all the excess self-help and musty travel books from the bench and case so you can raise the cover enough to expose the keyboard to play it). The first poet read, then Plot played some more and Will got up to read.

It was a fun evening, with Mush, Silent B. and ex-Tiaposian Jeff Kennedy in attendance, and when Will was done the Open Mike began. There was a rather obvious plea from the book shop owner for all in the audience not to get up and flee before the unknown poets took the stage, so we all hung in there for another ten minutes and it was only mildly excruciating.

Listening to poets read or recite their poetry is fine. Talking to poets afterwards can try the most patient soul. It's mike fever in reverse -- if they are nervous and therefore brief while performing, afterwards they may choose to review every step of their writing process with you, including the medicines they take and the inspirations they receive, generally at midnight, and what is and isn't on TV at that hour.

Plotnik knows about this -- he is sure he has done it too. The rush of relief when you get off the stage sometimes translates into a stream of unintentional Yakkkety Yakkk.

Not Will. His new poem about listening to a kid's cartoon show when he was a child, while his father lay in the other room, is an essay on how to say what you have to say without belaboring it. There appears to be a tradition at these readings that no one claps after each poem, but Will got an ovation after that one.

Plotnik knew Will was going to be reading from his book of Saint Plotniko poems, "Wednesday After Lunch," so he picked out a list of songs about our city beforehand, not knowing how much time he was going to be given. As it turned out, he could only play one of them before Will came on, so he chose a legato ballad version of "Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair" which has a surprisingly beautiful melody when played slowly.

Fun night.