Next Up to The Mic

Thom Francis welcomes Erren Geraud Kelly to the stage for a reading at The Linda, presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and literary journals Hobo Camp Review and Trailer Park Quarterly. +++++On August 5, 2023, the Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, played host to a special event featuring poetry and spoken word presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly. That night, Kelly read a series of memoir poems grouped together under the title “8-Track Tape Reminders,” along with poems about Tyre Nichols, Bessie Coleman, and women who have caught his eye - a patrol officer in a homeless shelter and a woman in a Starbucks.Erren Kelly is a two-time Pushcart-nominated poet from Lynn, Massachusetts. He has been writing for 33 years and has over 300 publications in print and online in such publications as Hiram Poetry Review, Mudfish, Poetry Magazine (online), Ceremony, Cacti Fur, Bitterzoet, Cactus Heart, Similar Peaks, Gloom Cupboard, Poetry Salzburg, and other publications. His most recent publication was in Pyrokinection Literary Journal; he has also been published in anthologies such as Fertile Ground and Beyond The Frontier. His work can also be seen on YouTube under the “Gallery Cabaret” links. He is also the author of the book Disturbing The Peace on Night Ballet Press. He received his B.A. in English–Creative Writing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Thom Francis welcomes Trailer Park Quarterly editor Daniel Crocker to the stage at the Brass Tacks poetry series at The Low Beat in Albany, NY, on July 16, 2019. +++++Trailer Park Quarterly is an online zine that “envisions itself as a place for real writing, something that an actual human being might want to read.” The project’s editors, Rebecca Schumejda and Daniel Crocker, began in the small press world in the 90s and have published poets work since in both digital and paper formats. On July 16, 2019, Daniel was one of the featured poets at the 1 year anniversary celebration of the Brass Tacks poetry reading series at The Low Beat in Albany.Daniel Crocker is a Missouri-based poet, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in over 100 publications, including The Los Angeles Review and The Chiron Review. He is the author of numerous poetry collections and chapbooks, including Leadwood: New and Selected Poems, and was the first winner of the Gerald Locklin Prize. Crocker also edits The Cape Rock, co-edits Trailer Park Quarterly, and hosts the podcast Sanesplaining, exploring poetry, mental illness, and pop culture.

Thom Francis welcomes Toledo, Ohio poet John Dorsey to the stage for a reading at The Linda, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, hosted by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and literary journals Hobo Camp Review and Trailer Park Quarterly. +++++John Dorsey has written many poetry collections, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw's Prayer, Tombstone Factory, Appalachian Frankenstein, Being the Fire, Shoot the Messenger, Your Daughter's Country, and Sundown at the Redneck Carnival (Spartan Press, 2022). His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and the Stanley Hanks Memorial Poetry Prize. He won the 2019 Terri Award at the Poetry Rendezvous. On July 27, 2022, John was one of the poets who shared their work at The Linda as part of a two-night event series presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly.

This week, Thom Francis welcomes poets Dan Wilcox, James H Duncan, & Melissa Anderson to the stage for a special “Ghost Poems” event at the Art Associates Gallery in Albany on October 27, 2022.+++++On October 27, 2022, local poets, writers. and artists gathered at the Art Associates Gallery on Railroad Ave. in Albany to celebrate Fall and Halloween with a special reading event called "Ghost Poems." This week, in the spirit of the season, we are going to hear from three of the poets who shared their work. First up is Dan Wilcox, whose poem, Witches in the Attic,” was only a week or so old.Next up to the mic is James H Duncan with a “true story about the ghost in the guest room closet," and another Halloween tale titled “October 31.” And finally, Melissa Anderson read a piece titled “The Snake, or the Dream of the Werewolf,” a meditation on tragedy.

This week, Thom Francis welcomes poet Carol Graser to the stage. Carol shared her poems at Albany Poets Presents that took place on February 21, 2018 at Restaurant Navona in Albany. +++++In the late-2010s I hosted a series at Restaurant Navona on New Scotland Ave in Albany. At these readings a poet would share their work and then they would answers questions from me and the audience. On February 21, 2018, the great Carol Graser was the featured poet. Carol Graser is the author of the poetry collections Prayer for the Sorrowful Brain (Kelsay Books, 2025) and The Wild Twist of Their Stems (Foothills Publishing, 2007). She hosts the fourth Tuesday of the month open mic poetry reading at Caffe Lena, a series that she initiated in 2003.For the reading part of the evening, Carol began with “Poem Read in a Dream,” then on to a wedding poem for her son “Dissolving the Distance Between You.” A couple poems from when she worked at a bookstore, the first in the “persona” of a haiku, and then a poem about eating lunch in Congress Park. Ending with “Ghost of Ambitions.”  Carol will be reading this Sunday afternoon st Saratoga Arts as part of the weekend-long Saratoga Book Festival.

This week, Thom Francis welcomes poet, writer, and long time local open mic host  R.M. Engelhardt, who read his poems, with accompaniment by Will Nivens, at The Linda on August 8, 2021. +++++In the summer of 2021, as venues were re-opening to in-person performances post pandemic, poets and spoken word artists were invited to share their work and the stage with some of the area’s best musicians at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Center, in Albany.On August 8, poet R.M. Engelhardt kicked off an amazing evening of poetry and music headlined by The Dust Bowl Faeries. Engelhardt read is poetry with accompaniment by guitarist Will Nivens. R.M. Engelhardt is an American poet, writer, and author who lives in Upstate NY. His work often explores themes of love, loss, and social commentary, and he has published several collections of poetry and short stories. Engelhardt's writing style is known for its lyricism, intensity, and emotional depth, and he has been praised for his unique voice and perspective. He has also been involved in various artistic collaborations and performances, and has read his work at numerous venues and events. His work has been published by such journals as Retort, Red Fez, Rusty Truck, Sure! The Charles Bukowski Newsletter, Thunder Sandwich, Fashion For Collapse, 2nd Avenue, The Angry Poet, Black Noise, Winedrunk Sidewalk, Full of Crow, The Outlaw Poetry Network, The Rye Whiskey Review, Fishbowl Poetry Press, The Black Shamrock, Trailer Park Quarterly, Spillwords, Dumpster Fire Press, Punk Noir Magazine & in many others. 

This week, Thom Francis welcomes poet Alina Pleskova, who shared her work at a spoken word event sponsored by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Trailer Park Quarterly, and Hobo Camp Review at The Linda on August 5, 2023.+++++Alina Pleskova is a poet, editor, and Moscow-born immigrant turned proud Philadelphian. Her first full-length collection, Toska, is now available from Deep Vellum. She co-edits bedfellows magazine and is a 2020 and 2022 Leeway Foundation grant awardee, as well as the author of the chapbook, What Urge Will Save Us (Spooky Girlfriend Press, 2017). Her writing has appeared in American Poetry Review, swamp pink, Peach Mag, the tiny, and elsewhere.On August 5, 2023, Alina was one of the poets who, along with Rebecca Schumejda, Kenning JP Garcia, Erren Geraud Kelly, and Victorio Reyes Asili, shared their work at The Linda, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, as part of a night of poetry and spoken word presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and online literary journals Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly. That night, Alina read from her recent collection of poetry, Toska. According to Deep Vellum, her publisher's website, the title of the book derives from “the Russian word which denotes a melancholic longing without a singular cause, longing for a better world than the late-stage capitalist hell we live in,”. Local poet Dan Wilcox wrote on his blog about the reading, "She is clearly the center of her poems, but in the sense of a person surrounded by images in the world, as opposed to some self-absorbed philosophical ponderings; an example would be her poem “I Forgot What I Returned For” about being in an airport on her birthday. I particularly liked this line from one of her poems: “I want the class war to start, but everyone is too tired.”"To learn more about this year's reading featuring poets from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Trailer Park Quarterly, and Hobo Camp Review, visit hvwg.org.

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to three local poets - BradQuan Copeland, Gripp, and S.L. Maurice - who took the stage and shared their work at the Poetic License Poetry Reading & Open Mic last September at the Fish Market in Troy. That event was just the first of two readings that are part of Poetic License 2025, a joint project of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and the Upstate Artists Guild. +++++It was a beautiful early-fall evening in Troy when poets and writers gathered at the Fish Market for a special evening of poetry and spoken word. Local poet and photographer Dan Wilcox hosted the Poetic License Poetry Reading & Open Mic, welcoming some of the writers whose work inspired the art lining the walls of the North Central Troy art space. While not in the exhibit themselves, poets BradQuan Copeland, Gripp, and S.L. Maurice took part in the open mic portion of the night and were warmly received by the audience.  First up to the mic is a relative newcomer to the local open mic community, BradQuan Copeland, who read two poems, ““Phantom Vision,” from his new book “Rebirth,” and “Blood of Tender Flame.” The next poet up is Slam Quphoria’s very own Gripp. They shared two pieces, “Azinam” and “Still Sleep.” And finally, the great S.L. Maurice stepped to the mic with two poems of his own, “Vibrant Sounds, Colors, and Motion,” the title poem from his new book, followed by “Spins on Change.” For more information on Poetic License and this year's deadlines and events, go to poeticlicensealbany.com. And while you are there, you can read the poems and view the art that is featured in previous shows.

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to poet Nancy Byrne Iannucci, who was one of the featured readers at the Eight Poets event at The Fish Market on Saturday, October 11, 2025. That day, Nancy was joined by poets from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review, and Paper Moon.+++++The Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Paper Moon, and online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review joined forces to present Eight Poets, an afternoon of poetry and spoken word at the Fish Market in Troy, NY on Saturday, October 11, 2025. One of the poets who shared their work on that beautiful fall afternoon was poet Nancy Byrne Iannucci. Nancy read her poems “Freedom,” “Granddad’s Garden,” Just as They Were About to Bloom,” “Taking Back Eden,” and “We Tried to Fly” and discussed the inspiration behind them.Nancy Byrne Iannucci is a poet and librarian living with her cats, Nash and Emily Dickinson. Her work appears in journals such as THRUSH, Hobo Camp Review, San Pedro River Review, and Hole in the Head Review. She’s the author of four chapbooks and is currently working on two new collections of poetry.Hobo Camp Review editor James H Duncan introduced Nancy to the audience.

This week on Next Up to the Mic, we’re returning to August 12, 2019, to hear Dan Wilcox read two poems at “The Past in Poetry” reading held at the Olde English Pub in Albany in collaboration with Historic Cherry Hill.+++++Historic Cherry Hill preserves more than two centuries of Albany history, using family papers, photographs, personal belongings, and the stories of the people who lived and worked there to connect the present with the past. “The Past in Poetry” invited local poets to do something similar—exploring history through memory, imagination, family, and place.For this episode, we’re featuring Albany poet Dan Wilcox.Dan has been a fixture in the Capital Region poetry community for decades. He hosts the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in Albany and is a member of the poetry performance group 3 Guys from Albany. He’s also a photographer and longtime documentarian of the local poetry scene, joking that he has "the world’s largest collection of photographs of unknown poets."His work has appeared in Chronogram, Poetica, Post Traumatic Press, and numerous small-press journals and anthologies. He also publishes poetry through his own A.P.D. imprint, and his chapbook boundless abodes of Albany reflects his longstanding connection to the city and its people.At “The Past in Poetry,” Dan approached history from two different directions. In “Therese’s Balcony,” he blends an imagined past with fantasy. Then, in “Where Were the Professors,” he turns his attention to a history he knows firsthand—the early days of Albany’s poetry scene.Dan hasn’t simply written about Albany’s poetry community. For decades, he has been part of it, photographed it, published it, hosted it, and helped preserve its history.