This week, Thom Francis introduces us to local poets Alyssa Michelle & Christa DeMarco. These two dynamic writers shared their work at the Brass Tacks poetry open mic at The Low Beat in Albany on February 19, 2019.

+++++

One of the casualties of the pandemic was a local venue that was home to many literary events. The Low Beat played host to the Nitty Gritty Slam, Word Fest, the Brass Tacks open mic series, and other poetry and spoken word shows until it closed in 2020. 

For years writers gathered together on the first and third Tuesdays to share their work and speak their mind. Featured readers from all around the country joined local, community poets on Central Avenue for events that engaged and inspired. No matter who you were or where you came from, everyone was welcome on that stage to speak their truth. 

On February 19, 2019, Alyssa Michelle and Christa DeMarco came out and did just that in front of a receptive audience. 

Alyssa is first up to the mic with two poems, “Humble” and “The Other Side of the Bed” which is, as Dan Wilcox noted on his blog, “a pile of the clothes she is going to wear tomorrow rather than a lover.”

Christa DeMarco then took the stage and read an untitled poem with a lot word-play on personal and environmental themes. She finished with a piece detailing her day job as a home health aide.