Interning and Performances

I'm having a wonderful time with my internship. I actually get to get out and do things because I can finally make the time. Beforehand my paying job would get in the way of any events I'd like to go to.
I attended a performance of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later in October. At the end of the month I went to my first midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Shows that I live in the middle of nowhere, seeing it took until now for such a thing to happen. Of course the venues were very happy I was covering those events.

I also went to a wonderful show presented by the Adirondack Center for Writing. Word! It was held in conjunction with a high school writer's retreat, where three professional performance poets gave workshops to students. These poets, Roger Bonair-Agard, Rachel McKibbens, and Samantha Thornhill, then gave a free public showing at Bluseed Studios. All three were fantastic live and just as wonderful to meet. I purchased some books and had them signed. I really should share some of the photos sometime soon. I can't wait for next year's show.

The other weekend I attended a blues rock concert at one of the local bars. Last weekend I attended a storytelling concert to benefit First Night activities. My latest article, which will be out on Wednesday is for an upcoming concert with folk artist Anais Mitchell. The interview was wonderful. I had to do an email interview because of scheduling issues, but the responses she gave me were wonderful. I wish I could have put everything in. Hopefully I'll get to speak with her in person on Friday after the show.
If anything these experiences are showing me how much I have my roots in this town. I'm not saying my hometown is the best place in the world, but it is home for me. I see the bad, but I also see a lot of the good about being here. I see a very strong art community, as a regular at Bluseed's open mics I see a supportive group of artists.

This past Thursday was another Open Minded Mic Night at Bluseed. As always I had a great time. I've actually decided I'm going to have my more performance oriented poems filmed to share on YouTube. I enjoy the instant gratification I get after a performance. Especially since when it comes to doing submissions you have to wait a while for a response, and usually you're at the whims of a publication's editor. I understand that's the business and it's not going to stop me from submitting when I get the time. As of now I'm taking a break from that for school since I don't have much time to pour over journals and decide what poems to send in. My focus right now is more on writing the poems themselves. I'll save submitting for winter break.

Okay, I'll wrap this entry up before it gets too long. I'll share videos of my performances soon. I promise I'll try to update my blog more, maybe get my other half to design a better layout for me. I like green, but I want something more reflective of my own personal style.