“A poem is never finished.”   Ron Bremner

What an excellent adventure! To see and hear my gifted friend and poet Ron Bremner give a spirited reading from his new book, Hungry Words at the Bowery Poetry Club and Cafe. Ron is a cherished member of my Poetry Appreciation Group, along with his son Raymond, a gifted writer, too, who sometimes joins us.

Ron’ poetic range amazes me: He’s penned everything from a hilarious takeoff on a poetic classic to moving ballads to jarring absurdist riffs. So when I heard Ron was celebrating his book launch at The Bowery Poetry Club and Cafe – truly, a palace of poetry! – I knew I wanted to listen and celebrate.

While we writers love to commune with our muses, it’s so important that we also get out and about – that we nourish our own wellsprings of creativity by sharing with fellow writers the fruits of their own inspiration and labor. Sitting that evening sipping wine and letting Ron and two other gifted poets’ words pour over me, I felt so happy to be exactly where I was. It made me see anew why “being there”at live events matters:

Celebrating together counts: I love my fellow scribes, my writing tribe! Showing up, let Ron know that I value his writing and appreciate his hard work. Getting a book of poetry into print is no easy feat. Hungry Words – love that name! — published in a bright, beautiful paperback by Alien Buddha Press – love that name, too! — is a joyous result, one I wanted to share in. Francesca, Ron’s lovely wife and also a lovely writer, and I were friendly faces in the audience – always a boost at a reading.

Occupying space with kindred spirits is uplifting: There is something about being in  live audience at a reading, a play, or a concert that can’t be beat. We’ve all experienced the transfer of energy that passes from performer to audience – what a powerful feeling! When we share in art communally, each of us is nourished in mysterious ways. Listening to Ron and two more fabulous poets, Dorothy Friedman and Neil Silberblatt, inspired and encouraged me to pull out my own poetry and polish it.

Exchanging ideas can improve your craft:  After the readings that evening there was a Q&A with the performers – I learned so much! At dinner later, I was surrounded by poets! Just listening to all the shoptalk was instructive. Being among poets, I recited a poem of my own from my children’s book and Neil Silberblatt, a wonderful poet and one of the readers that evening, improved a line for me by giving me a word with a better beat. What a gift!

Bravo, Ron! For more on his poetry, visit:

Hungry Words: https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Words-R-Bremner/dp/1724991140  Absurd: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/…/absurd-r…/1129548558…     Also on Amazon Chambers of a heart: http://newferalpress.com/

Let’s celebrate our successes together! Let’s be there for each other as we all write on!