Next Up to The Mic

Next Up to The Mic

By Hudson Valley Writers GuildArtsPerforming Arts
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Next Up to The Mic episodes

  • Talking Observations, Underserved Neighborhoods, and Poetry Changing the World with Mojavi
    Mojavi has been one of the most visible and active poets, hosts, and organizers in the area for decades. He began writing at a very young age and over the years has worked tirelessly to bring poetry and spoken word to venues all over the country.Mojavi was one of the many local poets who got their start at the QE2 open mics and quickly was able to build his own community of artists and writers in the Capital Region.In 2011, he was one of the original organizers of the Nitty Gritty Slam series and coached the very first team from Albany to go the National Poetry Slam in 2012.In his conversation with Thom Frances, they talked about not giving up on your dreams, how addiction changed neighborhoods in the 80s and 90s, and if poetry can still change the world.But first, we start off with Mojavi performing his piece “Around My Block” at Poetz Realm Slam in Bridgeport, CT on July 11, 2012.
    11 min
  • Talking Haiti, Heritage, and Culture with D. Colin
    D. Colin is a Haitian-American multidisciplinary artist who works in poetry, theater and visual art. She is a Cave Canem, VONA and NYS Writers Institute Fellow as well as the author of Dreaming in Kreyol and Said the Swing to the Hoop. Her work has appeared in Trolley, Ink & Nebula, Jaded Ibis Press, and Porter Gulch Review. She is the 2022 Excellence in Arts & Letters Award recipient for UAlbany’s Alumni Association.On April 18, 2018, D. Colin was featured at the Albany Poets Presents reading series and read her poem “Up Ahead We’ll See.”We talk about that poem, her Haitian heritage, and how she brings her cultural identity into her art.
    11 min
  • Talking Political Writing, Post-Pandemic Arts, and Finding Home with R.M. Engelhardt
    R.M. Engelhardt started sharing his poetry at local open mics in the early-90s and has since been a driving force in keeping the poetry and spoken word alive and well in the area. He has hosted a number of readings and events over the years and continues to welcome writers new and old to the stage.In this clip, Engelhardt reads “DeGeneration” at the Borders Open Mic on January 25, 1995. This poem was recorded for the CD, “Volume: A Compilation of Poets, Live”, produced by Mary Panza and Steve Clark chronicling the poetry scene at the time at such venues as the QE2, Margarita’s, and Borders.We talk about political poetry, what the arts community looks like in a post-pandemic world, and how he landed at Lark Hall for his monthly open mic.
    10 min
  • Talking Identity Politics, Bernadette Mayer, and Social Justice with Nancy Klepsch
    Nancy Klepsch is a local poet and a teacher. Her poems have been published in Oberon, 13th Moon, Poetry magazine, Salvage, 200 Proof and Chronogram among others, and online on Barzakh and Albany Poets. “god must be a boogie man” is her first book of poetry and is available from her website at nancyklepsch.com. She has been reading at featured readings or open mics in the Albany area for the past 20 years. Klepsch is the co-host, with Dan Wilcox, of the Second Sunday @ 2 open mic for poetry and prose at Collar City Mushrooms in Troy, NY.On April 12, 2015, Nancy read her poem “A Queer Horse” at the “Up The River, Issue Three” launch reading at McGeary’s.
    10 min
  • Talking Local Poetry, Feminism, and Motherhood with Mary Panza
    According to her bio, “Mary Panza has been a mainstay on the Albany poetry scene since 1988. She has been witness to countless open mics, naked poets, fires, drunks, chapbooks, career changes, organizations (both coming and going), festivals, and great poetry and spoken word. ”Mary hosted two long-running open mics – 5 years at Borders in the late-90s and the Poets Speak Loud series at the Lark Tavern and then McGeary’s for 15 years until the pandemic hit in 2020.Last December Mary read her poem, “We’re Barefoot People,” at the first “Year in Review” spoken word event at The Linda.
    10 min
  • Talking nature, writing, and mushroom farming in the Collar City with Avery Stempel
    Avery Stempel has been coming out to local poetry readings and open mics since the late-90s. Since then, he has been featured at many regional literary events. Last December Avery graced the stage at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio in Albany, for the Year in Review show. There he read, as some have called it, his “signature mushroom poem.”When the pandemic hit and his job as manager of EMPAC at RPI came to an end, Avery shifted his focus to a dream that he shared with his girlfriend, Amy. Together they opened a mushroom farm in Lansingburgh.
    11 min
  • Talking poetry slams, sharpening metaphors, and community with Elizabeth Gordon
    Elizabeth Gordon is a poet, artist, educator, and now an organizer and host of a monthly poetry slam series at Cafe Euphoria in Troy.In September 2011, she came across an event listed on the Albany Poets website that looked interesting that was taking place at Valentines – a gritty rock and roll club in Albany – and she decided to check it out. What she didn’t know was that open mic and poetry slam would change her writing forever.At that open mic, she read two poems composed from the text on the back of an aspirin bottle & Murphy’s Oil Soap. And the rest, as they say, is history.
    11 min
  • Talking Pool Halls, Trailer Parks, & Zines with Rebecca Schumejda
    Rebecca Schumejda has worked hard over her time as a writer and editor to make poetry accessible to everyone, not just those in academia. She herself graduated with a BA in English and Creative Writing from SUNY New Paltz and a MA in Poetics and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.Rebecca is the author of the following full-length books: Falling Forward (sunnyoutside press), Cadillac Men (NYQ Books), Waiting at the Dead End Diner (Bottom Dog Press), Our One-Way Street (NYQ Books) and the following chapbooks: The Tear Duct of the Storm (Green Bean Press) Dream Big, Work Harder (sunnyoutside press), The Map of Our Garden (verve bath press), From Seed to Sin (Bottle of Smoke Press) and is the co-author of Common Wages with Don Winter (Working Stiff Press).In her writing, she often tells the stories of the working class. She once took a job as a waitress for her book, Waiting at the Dead End Diner (Bottom Dog Press), and got inspiration from the people who walked in the door and sat at her tables.In her book, Cadillac Men, Rebecca writes about the regulars who frequented the pool hall she and her husband opened in Kingston, NY. She read about one of those characters, Mikey Meatballs, at Restaurant Navona in Albany on October 19, 2016.
    11 min
  • Talking Poetry, Baseball, & Collaboration with Dan Wilcox

    Dan Wilcox has been a major part of the local poetry community since the 1980s. He was a member of Three Guys from Albany with Charlie Rossiter and the late Tom Nattell. He is a familiar face at many literary and art events in the area, almost always with his camera in hand as he claims to have the world’s largest collection of photos of unknown poets. He currently hosts the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center on Central Ave. in Albany, NY.

    On October 16, 2018, Dan shared his poem “Waiting for Jacqueline Robinson” at Brass Tacks open mic at The Low Beat. Dan has a few poems about baseball – in fact, he has a chapbook, “Baseball Poems”, dedicated to the sport. I wanted to know more about the intersection of poetry and baseball and what inspired him to write that poem about his daughter maybe one day becoming the first female major league baseball player.

    10 min
  • Episode 23: Matthew Klane Live at The Linda

    On this episode, we are highlighting the great Matthew Klane who was one of the featured poets who was part of the "Year in Review" event at The Linda  on December 17th, 2021.

    Matthew Klane is co-editor at Flim Forum Press. His books include Canyons (w/ James Belflower, Flimb Press 2016), Che (Stockport Flats 2013) and B (Stockport Flats 2008). An e-chapbook from Of the Day is online at Delete Press, an e-book My is online at Fence Digital, and a chapbook Poetical Sketches is available from The Magnificent Field. He currently lives and writes in Albany, NY.

    12 min

About Next Up to The Mic

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Next Up to The Mic is a Hudson Valley Writers Guild podcast featuring readings and performances from the poets, writers, and spoken word artists that have appeared on stages all across the region.