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This week, Thom Francis welcomes Hudson Valley poet Cheryl A. Rice to the mic. Cheryl was featured at the Eight Poets event at The Fish Market on Saturday, October 11, 2025, where she was joined by writers from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review, and Troy-based bookstore Paper Moon. +++++ On October 11, 2025, Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review, in partnership with Paper Moon and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, presented an afternoon of poetry at The Fish Market in Troy. Eight poets read that day, including Cheryl A. Rice, who shared work from an upcoming collaboration with Jason Baldinger, along with other poems from her collections. Rice is the author of Love’s Compass and My Minnesota Boyhood, and co-author of Until the Words Came with Guy Reed. A Best of the Net nominee, she also founded the Sylvia Plath Bake-Off, a unique mix of poetry and baking. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and journals, and she has been a fixture in the Hudson Valley literary community for over forty years.

Thom Francis welcomes poets Mojavi and Poetic Visionz who shared their work at the 2024 Word Fest Open Mic at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts on April 27, 2024. +++++ When two long-time area spoken word artists, who have since moved away, walked in the front door of the Sand Lake Center for the Arts, Word Fest Open Mic host Mary Panza made it a point to add them to the list. Today, we are going to hear from those two incredible poets. Mojavi, who was the host of the Soul Kitchen series at Clayton’s Restaurant in the late-90s and the founder of Urban Guerrilla Theatre after that, read some childhood memoirs. Poetic Visionz who was one of the original Nitty Gritty Slam poets a decade ago, representing Albany at the National Poetry Slam, took the stage with his deconstructive word-play. You can find more information, photos, and videos on all of the Word Fest events on the Hudson Valley Writers Guild website, hvwg.org.

This week, Thom Francis welcomes poets Francesca Sidoti and Anna Boughtwood to the mic. They shared their work at the 2024 Word Fest Open Mic at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts on April 27, 2024. +++++ The Word Fest began in 2001 in Thatcher Park as a one-day open mic, bringing together poets from all over the region to share their work. Over the years, the event grew into a week-long celebration of poetry and spoken word with workshops, poetry slams, featured performances, and, of course, the open mic. For the first time since 2019, the Word Fest Open Mic returned on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts with an afternoon of incredible featured spoken word artists and open mic readers.  Today we are highlighting two of those poets - Francesca Sidoti and Anna Boughtwood. Francesca J. Sidoti’s poetry has been published in Chiron Review, Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Viet Nam Generation, Moonstone Arts’ “Nikki Giovanni Tribute”, and other literary magazines. Upcoming publications include the Deep Overstock Fiction Podcast, which will feature her reading her work for the “Romance” edition. Sidoti has been the recipient of several awards, including the 2021 Dorn Space Poet of the Year. Her 2023 book, Civil Twilight and Other Transitions, are currently available. Anna Boughtwood lives just over the Dunn Memorial Bridge from Albany. Her writing has appeared in Sad Girls Club, Dipity, Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Dime Show Review, and East Jasmine Review.

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to Albany-based poet and writer Ian Macks. On March 19, 2019, Ian was the featured poet at the Brass Tacks poetry and spoken word open mic series at The Low Beat in Albany, NY. +++++ Currently based in the Capitol Region of NY, Ian Macks originally hails from The Bronx. As a youth, Ian was non-verbal for most of his first decade on Earth. This early point of view manifested into Ian's emotional sensitivities on love, loss, racism, and hardship. Now, Ian's distinct voice and literary light shines whenever he takes the stage and performs his work at various open mics and events in the area.  Ian's debut chapbook A Loss and Gain of Comfort was released in 2014 and his full-length poetry collection, Identity Crisis, was published in 2024 by recto y verso editions, inc. On March 19, 2019, Ian was the featured poet at the Brass Tacks series at The Low Beat. 

This week, Thom Francis welcomes D. Colin. On August 12, 2021, she performed at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio for an evening of music and poetry with local singer/songwriter Caity Gallagher.  +++++ In our area, we are very fortunate to have a multidisciplinary artist of Haitian descent whose work spans poetry, visual art, and theater with the talent of D. Colin. She is the author of the collection of poetry Dreaming in Kreyol and the playwright behind Simone: A One-Woman Show and Psalm 91: Releasing Religion. As a teaching artist and curator, she creates spaces for storytelling and healing. D’s work has been showcased all over the world in publications, performances, and exhibitions.  Her mantra is simple - Be inspired. Then inspire. 

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to poet Shelby Hafener. They were one of the featured readers at the Eight Poets event at The Fish Market on Saturday, October 11, 2025. That day, Shelby was joined by poets from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review, and Troy-based bookstore Paper Moon. +++++ Online literary zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review presented an afternoon of poetry and spoken word at the Fish Market with Troy-based bookstore Paper Moon and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild on Saturday, October 11, 2025.    Eight poets took the stage that day and shared their work that afternoon including Shelby Hafener who read “God Bless the Forever War,” “This House,” a poem about her grandmother, “Different” in commemoration of  National Coming Out Day, and “New Moon Child.” Shelby Hafener (she/they) is a free form poet based in Troy, NY. Her works are inspired by their life as a lesbian, struggles with mental health, and a response to the world at large. She uses poetry as a form of expression, showing herself to the world in a way that makes sense. Their first collection of poems is titled “two years under my teeth” and was self published in 2023. Hudson Valley Writers Guild Vice President, Mary Panza, introduced Shelby to the audience.

Thom Francis introduces us to Howard Kogan & Malcolm Willison who read their poems at the Up The River, Issue Three launch event on April 12, 2015 McGeary's in Albany, NY. +++++ For over 15 years, the Albany Word Fest was a sure sign of spring. Taking place every April to celebrate National Poetry Month, the Word Fest featured readings, open mics, workshops, and more to showcase the poets and writers in our area. The Up The River launch event was an annual tradition, kicking off the week of poetry and spoken word with the contributors of latest issue of the literary journal reading their work. This week we will hear from two poets who shared their poems at McGeary’s on April 12, 2015.  Howard J. Kogan is a poet and retired psychotherapist. His poems have appeared in Still Crazy, Occupoetry, Poetry Ark, Writer’s Haven, Farming Magazine, Literary Gazette, Pathways, and Up the River. His book of poems, Indian Summer, was published in 2011. Malcolm Willison is a manuscript editor and teacher who has been writing and publishing poetry for quite a long time in and sometimes about New Orleans, Key West, New York City and upstate New York, and other places around the world. You can access all eight issues of Up The River by going to uptheriverjournal.com. 

This week, Thom Francis welcomes Melissa Anderson to the outdoor stage at Mojo’s Cafe for a special reading celebrating poets and writers from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and two online journals on October 5, 2024. +++++ Between publishing her poetry, performing her work on stage, and running Slam Euphoria, Melissa Anderson is a force in the local poetry community. On a beautiful fall afternoon in 2024, Melissa was joined by poets and writers from the HVWG, Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly at Mojo’s Cafe in downtown Troy.  Melissa is a writer, artist, and craftsman. Now a furniture maker by trade, she has worked variously in theater, the fine arts, and leather production, all of which influence her poetry. Like the constellations, she sees poems as navigational, both records of the past and maps forward to the future. Her poetry explores the beauty in the banal and how the things we make help define who we are and the places we call home. Her first collection of poems, Dogstar Poems, was published by Main Street Rag in November 2024. Renowned poet Jared Singer said of Dogstar Poems, “Melissa Anderson’s first book of poetry is an elegy for all she has lost and a treasure map to what she hopes to find. Using clever metaphor and a love for the small moments she invites her reader with her and shares all she has found. She reminds us that simple doesn’t mean easy and even winter, even death is finite.”

Thom Francis welcomes Mary Panza and Charlie Rossiter to Poets Speak Loud stage at McGeary's for the annual Tom Nattell Memorial Reading and Beret Toss on January 28, 2019. +++++ On Monday, January 28, 2019, poets and writers from all over the region gathered at McGeary's in downtown Albany for the annual Tom Nattell Memorial Reading and Beret Toss, paying tribute to one of the founding fathers of the local poetry and spoken word community.  This week we are going to hear from two of the poets who took the stage that night - Mary Panza and Charlie Rossiter.  Mary Panza was the host for the long-running Poets Speak Loud series, shared a newer piece “No One Escapes the Pain of Being a Person” then on to a couple of older pieces, the memoir of herself over time “Those Black & White Photos,” and then her response to an interviewers question “Why Poetry?” Mary has been a permanent fixture in the Capital Regions poetry/spoken word community since 1988. Her first time reading on the stage of the legendary QE2 cemented her love for performing.  She had hosted a number of open mics including a five year run at Borders in the 1990's and a 15 year run with Poets Speak Loud at the Lark Tavern and then McGeary's Irish Pub from 2005-2020.  She had her heyday with publishing her work in the 90's when small zines were king.  She has published three chapbooks with poet Gina Grega and five small chapbooks with the late Paul Weinman.  In 2005, she was elected Vice President of Albany Poets.  She has hosted an endless amount of events from poetry, music, spoken word to the extraordinary recycled fashion shows that were Discard Avant Garb.  She has a blog entitled Housewife Tuesday since 2012 that can be found on the Albany Poets website.  She is currently working on staying as sane as she can in an insane world. Charlie Rossiter, who runs a monthly open mic in Bennington, read a poem “On Reading My Brother’s Facebook Post” pondering his childhood and the mentality of Trump supporters. Charlie has a long history of writing and promoting poetry.  In Albany, NY in the 1990s, he was host/producer of Poetry Motel a local television program that featured poets being interviewed and reading from their work, which ran for over 100 episodes.  In 2000 he co-founded and hosted www.poetrypoetry.com a website that features poetry reviews, commentary, and live recordings of poems by the poets who wrote them.  He spearheaded an all-day poetry reading on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, and has organized events for 100,000 Poets For Change. Charlie has been awarded an NEA fellowship for poetry, and his books are available  at  www.foothillspublishing.com where descriptions and sample poems may be perused. Charlie Rossiter also hosted the Poetry Spoken Here podcast.   

This week, Thom Francis welcomes Jason Baldinger to the mic. He performed shared is poetry at the Fish Market in Troy as part of the joint reading put on by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly on October 11, 2025.  +++++ Every year the Hudson Valley Writers Guild teams up with literary journals Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review for a reading to showcase a few of the amazing writers that contribute to their online and print publications. Last fall, Mary Panza hosted the annual featured reading at the Fish Market, a community arts project space run by the Arts Center in North Central Troy, NY. Poet, photographer, and TPQ co-editor Jason Baldinger was one those poets whose work - both poetry and photography - was highlighted that October afternoon. He shared a mix of poems including collaborations with poets James Benger and Rebecca Schumejda.  Jason Baldinger is a poet and photographer from Pittsburgh, PA. He is the co-editor of Trailer Park Quarterly and co-runs The Odd-Month Reading Series. He’s penned twenty books of poetry the newest of which include, American Aorta (OAC Books) and, Waiting on Hummingbirds with Kansas poet James Benger. His first book of photography, Lazarus (OAC Books), was released in 2023. His photography can also be found in the ekphrastic collaboration, "Hope is a Prison" with poet Rebecca Schumejda (OAC Books), and "The Night Window" (Kung Fu Treachery). His poems and photos have appeared across a wide variety of online sites and print journals. You can hear him read from various books on Bandcamp and on lps by The Gotobeds and Theremonster.

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to local poets Alyssa Michelle & Christa DeMarco. These two dynamic writers shared their work at the Brass Tacks poetry open mic at The Low Beat in Albany on February 19, 2019. +++++ One of the casualties of the pandemic was a local venue that was home to many literary events. The Low Beat played host to the Nitty Gritty Slam, Word Fest, the Brass Tacks open mic series, and other poetry and spoken word shows until it closed in 2020.  For years writers gathered together on the first and third Tuesdays to share their work and speak their mind. Featured readers from all around the country joined local, community poets on Central Avenue for events that engaged and inspired. No matter who you were or where you came from, everyone was welcome on that stage to speak their truth.  On February 19, 2019, Alyssa Michelle and Christa DeMarco came out and did just that in front of a receptive audience.  Alyssa is first up to the mic with two poems, “Humble” and “The Other Side of the Bed” which is, as Dan Wilcox noted on his blog, “a pile of the clothes she is going to wear tomorrow rather than a lover.” Christa DeMarco then took the stage and read an untitled poem with a lot word-play on personal and environmental themes. She finished with a piece detailing her day job as a home health aide. 

This week, Thom Francis welcomes Judith Kerman to the mic. She shared her work as the featured reader at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in Albany, NY, on August 21, 2025. +++++ For over 20 years, Dan Wilcox has hosted the Third Thursday Poetry Night, welcoming poets and writers from all over the region and beyond. This open mic with a featured reader series has seen hundreds of poets take the stage and share their work with a vibrant audience of artists, writers, and creators young and old. Whether it’s your first time reading poetry in public or you have been around the local literary community for years, the Third Thursday Poetry Night always feels like home.    Last August, poet Judith Kerman was the featured reader. As host Dan Wilcox noted on his blog, “She began, & continued, with poems that pretend to be, or are, definitions, from her book Definitions; her first example was “Diaspora” in nine small parts, images, obliquely, historically responding to the dictionary definition.” She continued with the philosophical “Algorhythm” and “Canned Soup,” a prose poem and meditation on soup. She wrapped up her set with “Scoliosis,” “Why I Never Married,” and one final definition poem, “Israel,” in 10 tiny parts. Judith Kerman is a poet, performer, and artist who has published ten books or chapbooks of poetry. Her most recent work, Definitions, was published by Fomite Press in 2021. She has published two translations from Spanish: A Woman in Her Garden: Selected Poems of Dulce María Loynaz (White Pine Press, 2002) and Praises and Offenses: Three Women Poets from the Dominican Republic (BOA Editions, 2009). Kerman was a Fulbright Scholar to the Dominican Republic where she translated poetry and fiction by Dominican women. She was also awarded the Abbie M. Kopps Poetry Prize and an Honorable Mention from the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award.

This week, Thom Francis welcomes Victor Clevenger to the mic. He performed at The Linda as part of the joint reading put on my the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Hobo Camp Review, and Trailer Park Quarterly on July 23, 2022.  +++++ Collaboration is crucial in the art and literature world. Working together with other writers, publications, and organizations help build a bigger, stronger community. A few years ago, the Hudson Valley Writers Guild began an annual reading series featuring writers from the Guild and online zines Hobo Camp Review and Trailer Park Quarterly. In July 2022, contributors from all three shared their work over two nights in Troy and Albany. Today, we are going to hear from poet and editor Victor Clevenger, who took the stage at The Linda in Albany, NY. Victor’s work has appeared in print magazines and journals around the world, and has also been nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology and the Pushcart Prize. He has published several collections of poetry including A Finger in the Hornets’ Nest (Red Flag Poetry, 2018), Corned Beef Hash By Candlelight (Luchador Press, 2019), A Wildflower In Blood (Roaring Junior Press, 2020), Scratching to Get By (Between Shadows Press, 2021), and 47 Poems (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2022).  

This week, Thom Francis welcomes local writers Carlton Wells & Rhonda Rosenheck to the mic. They shared their work at the Poetic License Poetry Reading and Open Mic at the Honest Weight Food Co-op on Friday, November 7, 2025. +++++ For four years, the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and the Upstate Artists Guild have worked together on the Poetic License project, bringing together poets and visual artists from the Capital Region and beyond. With the beautiful, inspired artwork as a backdrop the words filled the air at two readings supporting the shows in both Troy and Albany.  On November 7, writers Carlton Wells and Rhonda Rosenheck shared their work in front of a full audience in the Community Room at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany. First up to the mic is Carlton Wells who read a sonnet with a lot of word play and then his poem “Wino in the Garden.” Local writer, editor, and educator Rhonda Rosenheck was next with two poems “All the Wonders,” a poem that was picked by an artist to be included in the show, and “Earth’s Watch.” The call for poetry submission for the 2026 edition of Poetic License will be announced in early-spring with the exhibits taking place in the fall. For more information on the Poetic License project and to view the art and read the poems, go to https://poeticlicensealbany.com 

This week, Thom Francis welcomes local writers S.L. Maurice & Shannon Kauderer to the mic. They shared their work at the annual “Year in Review” event at Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery in downtown Troy on Saturday, December 6, 2025.  +++++ Early last month, poets and writers got together for the “Year in Review,” the Hudson Valley Writers Guild’s Annual Meeting and Open Mic at Mojo’s Cafe in Troy. A full range of writers took the stage that afternoon to share their poetry and prose, and today we are going to hear from two of those writers.  First up is S.L. Maurice, who been very active in the local community by leading writing workshops, hosting events, and serving on the HVWG board. At the “Year in Review,” Sam shared two poems as a preview of his featured reading at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in Albany on January 15.  Next up is science fiction writer and co-founder of the Albany Writers Group Shannon Kauderer. The Albany Writers Group runs two Sunday evening write-in sessions every week in East Greenbush and Clifton Park. Shannon read an except of a short story that was recently published in “Catskill Chaos.”