An evening of poetry and music

Please join us for an  evening of poetry and music.

^{The event takes place in the Willa Cather program room on the first floor}

Barry Wallenstein, poetry is the author of eleven collections of poetry, the most recent being It’s About Time [New York Quarterly Books, 2022].  A special interest is his presentation of poetry readings in collaboration with jazz.  He has made twelve recordings of his poetry with jazz, the most recent being Lisbon Sunset (2018) and Lisbon Sunrise (2022). He is Emeritus Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at the City University of New York, an editor of the journal, American Book Review, and advisory editor of BigCityLit. Since retiring from CUNY, he’s been part of the faculty at the Center for Learning and Living, a continuing ed program for seniors.

Ken Filiano, bass performs throughout the world, playing and recording with leading artists in jazz, spontaneous improvisation, classical, world/ethnic, and interdisciplinary performance, fusing the rich traditions of the double bass with his own inventiveness. Ken’s solo bass CD, Subvenire (NineWinds), received widespread critical praise. His ever-expanding output also includes performances and/or recordings with artists including Bonnie Barnett, Rob Blakeslee, Bobby Bradford, Roy Campbell, John Carter, Connie Crothers, Joseph Jarman, and Sheila Jordan. Ken has been a guest lecturer, performer, and workshop leader at various institutions in the United States and Europe. He earned a MM from Rutgers University and is currently on faculty at Mansfield University. Ken has often worked with Barry.

Alicia Ostriker's most recent poetry collection is The Volcano Sequence and After: Selected and New Poems 2002-2019 (University of Pittsburgh Press). She was New York State Poet 2018-2021, Joyce Carol Oates noted: “Alicia Ostriker has become one of those brilliantly provocative and imaginatively gifted contemporaries whose iconoclastic expression, whether in prose or poetry, is essential to our understanding of our American selves.”. Ostriker’s books of criticism include For the Love of God: The Bible as an Open Book (2009), Dancing at the Devil’s Party: Essays on Poetry, Politics, and the Erotic (2000), and Stealing the Language: The Emergence of Women’s Poetry in America (1983) An online collection of essays on her work is HERE. 

Jeffrey Cyphers Wright, poetry received his MFA after studying with Allen Ginsberg. A New Romantic poet, he is also a publisher, art and literary critic, eco-activist, impresario, filmmaker, and artist. He is author of 19 books of verse, including Blue Lyre and Party Everywhere. His latest work, a book of sonnets and artwork called Doppelgängster, Self Portraits in a Funhouse Mirror is from MadHat Press. Other work appears in the anthologies Best American Poetry; NYC Insiders; and Contemporary Surrealist and Magical Realist Poetry. He has received a James Tate Award and a Kathy Acker Award for publishing and writing. He is the publisher of Live Mag! and you can see his puppet shows on Youtube.