I want to make a kind of a unique post about the amazing time found at Poetry At Tech on Thursday...but that post will be a bit later, as I have a bit of "honing" to do on what I'm working on for that(hint: it's in the word: found)...for now, a brief overview:
I knew the range of poets was great(Katie Chaple, Jon Goode, Collin Kelley), but I had no idea how spirited and lively --how fresh-- all three of the poets' work would be.I suspect it reflects Tom Lux's genius in choosing this particular mix.
Katie Chaple(who I first met at a Publishing Workshop she taught, with Travis Denton at Tech, some months ago)was marvelous, Jon Goode(a stellar spoken-word champ)was his usual strong self, and dear Collin Kelley gave the best reading I've ever seen him do!
One poem of his was deeply, deeply affecting for me personally: "Spring Hill"...Terry Graves, his uncle, was a co-worker of mine, from 1983-1987, and we remained friends long after that....and I met Collin Kelley in 2003....The entire, eerie story of Collin's and my "connection" to one another, is told in one of my early posts to My Blog...

The rest of the evening was marvelous, too. Generous Tom Lux treated a large group of us to dinner at Las Palmeras, a wonderful Cuban restaurant.
It was fun for me to be still, and be quiet--something I seldom do--because I could take in all the wonderful, exuberant conversation going on.I kept hearing "Spain", "Paris" and "Brazil" being bandied about on the far left end of the table, while to the right of me, discussions about vegetariansim, and Gypsee Yo, and New York went on.
At one point in the evening, at our loooong table, with several conversations happening simultaneously, I heard one person say:"I'll have..." just as Collin Kelley answered an obviously different question, with this answer: "Paranoia."
Just before we readied ourselves to get up from the table, I heard someone at the very end of the table murmur"Was it pre-meditated? I heard she was beaten to death..."
I smiled weakly and said "It seems the conversation on the end has taken a rather dark turn.."
Apparently, a man had been accused/convicted of killing his wife, I did not get the details, but it illustrates what a diverse exchange of ideas, gossip, etc., was being encouraged!

And the view from the "party-condo"--spectacular!
I felt like I was falling-in-love with the city of Atlanta, all over again.
The buildings of Atlanta are not all that tall, but sometimes they can appear rather sinister, or foreboding.But not Thursday night.They were simply spears of light.
A dark oak stretched itself across the pale sky, and the conversation went on for hours.
It was great to catch up with Rupert Fike, Kodac Harrison, and Mike Dockins.

Inside the condo,I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of two guns--rifles, I believe, and a mounted fish, a "target-man" sheet, and hundreds of classic and modern tomes, lit magazines, and photos-- all set in one amazing room--a sort of kinky library.

Definitely a night to remember.Fondly.