Street closings for a Poetry Marathon? Who ever heard of such a thing!!? When we got hold of the press release for the 20th Anniversary Java City Poetry Marathon in Sacramento, California, July 2006, we put out a call for a poet-journalist to bring you a live report, and here it is, from the inimitable Mike Gullickson.
~Bob Holman & Margy Snyder
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LIVE FROM THE SACRAMENTO POETRY FESTIVAL
There was a large opening-day crowd at the Sacramento Poetry Festival, which ran from July 28 - 31, 2006. It all began under a 100-year-old tree 20 years ago -- appropriate because Sacramento is the city of trees, having won that honor when they surpassed Paris by planting more trees. The shade is welcome in the summer heat of California’s Central Valley, both for walking around the town and for sitting outside listening to poetry. Collateral listeners (those who pass by wondering what’s going on) are numerous, and may find themselves amazed that they actually like what they are hearing.
As in any poetry readings, the styles varied immensely, but the audience’s enthusiasm never waned. When the 20th anniversary Poetry Marathon ended, host and organizer B.L. Kennedy was dancing around the room shouting “Poetry Now! Poetry Now! Poetry Now!” The energy of the host and the moment flowed through the crowd, making us all believe poetry is now!
The Marathon took place at Java City Coffee Shop on 18th and Capitol -- the same venue as the very first Poetry Marathon and the 10th Anniversary. District Manager Jan Jacobs said, “All the credit goes to B.L. Without B.L. this event would never have happened.” I told her that without the venue it also would have stalled, and she agreed that the owners, Tom Weborg, Sandra Singer and Karen Ewing, also deserve credit for being supporters of the arts. Indeed. At the opening ceremonies, Tom Weborg said that the Poetry Marathon had put Java city on the map and helped their business become more successful than it had ever been. Great news! Tell your local venues about “The Poetry Solution!” Let’s organize marathons in other cities!
More than 150 poets read in the Marathon. All styles were represented. D.R. Wagner wrote, “Promise me we can always find our way here, through these words and images to where there is only this poem... Promise me...” (from “Promise Me,” quoted by permission of the poet). There were other poems that will never leave my life -- poems about the Three Stooges, poems about Picasso, poems about the war and the end to wars.
The Marathon was covered by local television and radio, and broadcast on the Internet by Sactomusic.net, available around the world. That is a consolation when you are the 5:00 a.m. reader to a very small live audience. But the hose of this a.m. reading, Michael R. Gorman, said “Can you imagine a better way to watch the sunrise than listing to and reading poetry?”
I personally attended about 24 of the 72 hours -- but I made it a point to go evenings, mornings, afternoons and after midnight... so I feel I got a representative idea of the Poetry Marathon as a whole. 18th Street was blocked off to traffic so a tent could be set up to shade the listeners. At any given time people just passing by would stop in and listen for a while. After midnight the event moved indoors. The acoustics were great both in- and outdoors.
Imagine a beautiful summer night spent listening to poetry under 100-year-old oaks. Imagine!
There were too many poets to mention, but I’ll credit B.L. Kennedy and Frank Andrick with some exciting poetry and performances. Here are a few lines from my poem:
WHAT IF
This marathon
This moment in time
This chain of events
Was nothing more than a prelude
To a rebirth of humanity
A rebirth of understanding
There is only love
That keeps us alive?
What if
This is where it began
And you were here?
Love and peace to you all,
Mike Gullickson
POETRY NOW!
Mike Gullickson has published in Affirming Flame, X, Divercity, Kedemi, Barnwood Press and many other mags. He is a regular contributor to The MAP of Austin Poetry and has been poetry editor for The Enigmatist and Snap. He has a chapbook with his wife Joyce, called Bridges. He has also read on NPR.
