Dobbie Reese Norris woos the crowd at Open Mic at Village Books.

Dear Writers:    

July was a hot month! I’m talking about more than the weather. If you were at July’s Open Mic at Village Books in beautiful Fairhaven WA, then you know of what I speak. If you missed it, my condolences, and here’s the recap:

Harvey Schwartz

Masterful poet Harvey Schwartz launched this night with an account of adventurous life in a 1960s commune. Part an examination of trust and part examination of the art of hitchhiking, this tale was a wonderful trip back to the Woodstock era.

Angela Belcaster came next with an excerpt from her gorgeous story “Mindcraft,” forthcoming in Tampa Review, and a perceptive study of a younger brother who experiences the world differently than many of us. Nicely done, Angela!

Dobbie Reese Norris joined our group—welcome, Dobbie!—and shared his mesmerizing poems, including “Water Closet Intimates,” “The King Has Clothes,” which he wrote after crossing Bellingham Bay, and also “B-Flat Blues.”

Vince Landi came to read “Saguaro,” a short story on its way to becoming a play and likely to be another “serial” of our open mic, Vince told us. Great, because I’m already hooked. Plus he brought visuals of the different type of cacti on view in this story. Continue reading →