Loose Leaf Notes

I covered the inaugural Little River Poetry Festival in Floyd this weekend and was completely won over.  I’m still feeling the goose bumps and the earth shaking from the featured poet readings.  Thanks to all the poets who came and shared their talent with Floyd!  Read more about The Little River Poetry Festival HERE and look for photos and a story in an upcoming Floyd Press.

Here, festival co-founder Jack Callan, reads Fields of Daniel, from his book Little River on the Milky Way, a collection of poems inspired by and written in Floyd. Daniel was in the audience to hear this poetic tribute. This is the first 9 of 18 parts.

Featured poet James Bane read his powerful poem about rape culture (among other poems). I missed taping the beginning where he says, “There are three American reactions to rape” and held his hands to his eyes, ears and mouth in a “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” motion.

Featured poet Tanya Cunningham enlisted the help of her husband for her first poem, which was about teaching her 16 year-old son that “doing 62 in a 55 can be a life of death situation” for young black men and included the refrain, “May I reach for my registration?  I am reaching for my registration.”

I would trade my life for a revision, featured reader Toni Wynn said in one poem, read at the LRPF Friends Meeting House.  I have another clip of Toni reading that’s lighter, easier to see, but this one is the bomb. Turn it up.

Ekphrastic Poetry in Action. Poets on the river. Judith goes first. – Read more about the Little River Poetry Festival HERE and look for a spread in an upcoming the Floyd Press.  Update: HERE is the story I wrote that appeared in the paper.