Second Stop on the Improbable Places Poetry Tour


Jennifer Jean (left) with Colleen Michaels (right, next to mic.)





Nothing makes an Improbable Places Poetry Tour more improbable (and unpredictable) than kids, especially if they are my kids and they are swimming in a pool!

The second stop of the poetry tour brought us to the Cabot Street YMCA's indoor swimming pool. I did not read or swim last night, but I was well represented by my kids who insisted on going swimming during the poetry reading.

It was great fun to see a few poets swim as part of their performances.

What I love about these improbable venues is that they take the poet and the audience out of the usual comfortable settings and make the environment part of the experience.

Colleen Michaels, director of Montserrat College of Art's writing center and poet extraordinaire, did a fabulous job as host. And, that's her daughter, Eliza, playing with my kids in the pool. The acoustics with the splashing became a bit of a distraction, but all of that became part of the event, which felt more like a happening than a reading.

What a great mix of poets, Montserrat students, community members, and kids who come out for a fun night of poetry!

Be sure to watch the video from the first stop at the bicycle shop.




The amazing Dawn Paul!



Margaret Young



Montserrat student


Comments

RobynBradley said…
Seriously, woman -- you are a rock star! All of your booked readings in 2011 are such an inspiration. Hope to attend one or two! :)
Jessie Carty said…
this is such a neat idea! thanks for sharing the photos. I don't know if I'd be daring to put on a bathing suit in front of my poetry friends :) which is funny, cause we bare a lot more in our poems, don't we?
January said…
Jessie, I totally did not want to shave my legs. I was anti-swimming, but it was optional. Now if I had a wet suit, that would have been a different story.

Can't wait to see the video.
January said…
Thanks Robyn! I said I was going to slow down next year but it hasn't happened yet. Ugh.

Hope you are well.
J.D. Scrimgeour said…
So sorry I missed this. Brilliant idea. Pics are awesome.
January said…
It was a lot of fun. Can't wait to see what Colleen thinks up for the next venue.

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