Igneus Press In-House Trio LIVE Performance of the full text of George Keenen’s RECORD.
RECORD is a poem originally published in the 1970’s using traditional rubber-stamp methods, handed out to friends and co-conspirators in the underground San Francisco literary scene as part of an infiltration of spiritual communities and academic institutions.
Igneus Press has published RECORD as an off-set publication merging the traditional minimalist aesthetic of Igneus publications with George Keenen’s run-away-into-the-silence-of-chaos mid-20th century New York look and feel.
RECORD, by George Keenen, is available in a limited edition run of only 200 books. Order yours now, in the Igneus Press online bookshop. Buy your copy here.⠀
Elizabeth Gorden McKim, featured reader at the Speak Up at Walnut Street Cafe, was also sharing news of her new book from Leapfrog Press, Lovers in the Free Fall.
Only in today’s post-COVID world could you just walk into a virtual space that just starting existing and yet (one feels) you have always belonged to. This is how I felt last Wednesday, Sep 30, when I logged into the Speak Up at Walnut Street Cafe Zoom meeting room broadcast out of West Lynn, MA. Except I was lounging on my deck in Bellingham, WA.
Featured reader Eliz McKim shares a connection with my father, founder and late publisher of Igneus Press. He always told me I needed to ‘get with’ Eliz, and so when I saw her feature and book release advertised on Facebook, I ‘got with’ Eliz. She moved me, made me cry, laugh; transported me to a place in my soul where I hadn’t been since sitting on the porch with my Dad back in June before he died. THE ORAL TRADITION!!! The SPOKEN WORD!!!
David Somerset, who hosted the reading graciously and Zoom-ed effortlessly, asked all who showed up whether they’d like to read. So I joined in, honour of honours, to read poetry in the presence of Eliz. Peter Urkowitz did a live action sketch of features and open mic readers.
Live-action sketch by Peter Urkowitz of the featured readers Nancy Bulger and Elizabeth Gorden McKim at the Walnut St. Cafe Speak Up Wednesday night poetry reading.
I chatted privately with other readers, such as Robert Whelan and Susan Demarest; Susan sent me her poem, ‘Golden Plover,’ and we traded emails. I mean, getting this much action in month eight of stay-at-home quarantine is really a boon! I want to say a big thank you to the Speak Up crowd, and I really look forward to getting over to West Lynn, MA, one day for a cup of coffee and bit of the Vincent Ferrini aura still floatin’ around that neck of the United States…
Nancy Bulger and Elizabeth Gordon Mckim were cofeatures at the Wed 9/30/2020 Speakup! Eliz released her new book from Leapfrog Press, Lovers in the Free Fall. Speak Up is a spoken word open mic a the Walnut Street Cafe in West Lynn. They welcome poets, storytellers, comedians, activist, artists, musicians and others who want to be heard in a supportive community environment. Each Wednesday they welcome a featured performer at approximately 8:30. Before and after the main feature they have five minute slots available for sign up.
