Date: Thu 02-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Vicinanza-poetry-Chat-House

Full Text:

The CT Poet Finds A New Home, Right In Her Backyard

(with cut)

BY SHANNON HICKS

The Wednesday Night Poetry Series will return to Newtown on January 7, when

the three-year old poetry reading program takes up residence at The Chat

House, 49 Church Hill Road. The move will mark the return of one of the

state's most successful performance poetry programs.

The series is a forum for poets and poetry enthusiasts of all levels to share

their works, listen to readings by featured writers, and even critique each

others' works. The series was started three years ago by Faith Vicinanza, a

Newtown resident who has, in the last five years, broadened the definition of

poetry and popularized the art form of slam poetry in the state.

The series meets weekly, featuring accomplished poets and an open mike

session. Open mike runs from 7:30 to 8:15 pm, followed by the featured poet

reading his or her work for 30 minutes. After a short break, a second open

mike session is held, allowing more poets to share their work.

The second open mike runs until everyone has had a chance to read, or 10 pm,

whichever comes first. Recently, the second open mike session has evolved into

a round table discussion, with feedback encouraged from everyone attending.

There is no admission charged.

When the program returns to The Chat House (426-3770) on January 7, the

featured poet will be Colin Haskins, a poet and artist who resides in Meriden.

Mr Haskins has contributed original visual art to the Artists Against AIDS

fundraiser, founded The Hemlock Club, most recently co-founded Isis Liberty,

an ancient Egyptian study group, and has a number of chapbooks published.

Mrs Vicinanza's nickname is, very appropriately, The Connecticut Poet. Nearly

single-handedly, Mrs Vicinanza has been responsible for bringing slam poetry

into The Nutmeg State, as epitomized by the 1997 Connecticut Poetry Festival,

a five-day event in Middletown during August, and the state playing host to

the 8th Annual National Poetry Slam Championship. Faith is also the editor of

The Connecticut Poet , a newsletter which lists readings across the state.

Three years ago, Faith began coordinating a local poetry series, something

which would feature professional poets reading their works, along with an open

mike segment where up-and-coming poets could share their pieces as well. She

has wanted to have a program based in her home town because most of the events

she organized were nearly an hour's drive.

"It was a disappointment that we didn't have poetry in our own neighborhood,"

Mrs Vicinanza said last week. "There is a huge performance poetry following in

Connecticut," continued The Connecticut Poet, who was determined to have some

of this following in her own backyard.

The Wednesday Night Poetry Series debuted at The Book Review in Newtown in

1994. The series continued for about nine months at the book store, but when

the store's owners decided to no longer keep the business open on weeknights,

Faith needed to find a new home for the series. Her first option was to move

the series to a different day and time -- to Sunday afternoons -- but, says

Faith, "I just knew that wasn't going to work out well." So the series, and

its followers, moved to Dr Java's Caffeine Emporium, a coffee house in

downtown Bethel.

The Wednesday Night Poetry Series began picking up speed, performing to packed

houses week after week. "The place was filled front to back, standing room

only," related Peter Vicinanza, Faith's husband and the program's co-host.

Even after ownership of Dr Java's changed hands the series was allowed to

continue. Unfortunately, some differences in how the program should be managed

-- probably the most conspicuous regarded restricted vs unrestricted readings

(a polite term for censorship, says Faith), although there were difficulties

with the time of the program, and even how late the weekly events sometime ran

-- arose, which led to the Vicinanzas again looking for a new home for their

series.

Enter The Chat House, a coffee house on Church Hill Road in Newtown which

recently changed hands. New owner Al Doceti was very enthusiastic about

hosting the poetry series when he heard about it.

"One of the regulars mentioned to me Faith had wanted to bring the program

back to Newtown," Mr Doceti said this week. "When I heard they were looking

for another place, I was more than happy to volunteer my place. I think it's a

great thing, a great thing for Newtown to have.

"I enjoy bringing the arts to Newtown, or any place I can. Any time I get an

opportunity to do so, I do it.

Mr Doceti says he may find the nerve to get up and read at the microphone

himself one night -- the business' owner loves poetry and has even had his

writing published, in the 1994 edition of The National Book of Poetry -- but

says he is looking forward to enjoying the quality poetry the Vicinanzas'

program has built a reputation for presenting. Faith makes a point of knowing

each poet and the poet's work before she will schedule anyone as a feature

artist for the series.

"A lot of poets are looking for a stage," said Peter Vicinanza. "We're getting

more poets who are calling us now. It's very exciting."

In upcoming weeks, featured poets will include Eileen Albrizio, host of the

"All Things Considered" on Hartford-area's CT Public Radio and a reporter with

feature stories on NPR's "Morning Radio" as well as someone who has won more

poetry slams in the state than almost anyone, on January 14; the following

week the spotlight will be on Marianela Medrano, a Spanish poet (a translator

will be working with Ms Medrano) who received an individual artist award by

the CT Commission on the Arts in 1996; and in April, former Newtown resident

and local writer Polly Brody will return to her former home town to do a

reading.

On March 11, nationally-known poet Marc Smith will be in town. Mr Smith, a

poet Mrs Vicinanza is clearly thrilled to have returning to the series (he was

the first poet featured when the series moved into Bethel), is the founder of

Chicago's popular Uptown Poetry Slam, a grassroots revival of poetry that has

expanded into 50 cities around the world.

Mr Smith will be in Connecticut for one week in March. When he contacted Mrs

Vicinanza to coordinate his appearances in the state, she was asked to

schedule three appearances for the full-time poet.

"I told him I would take the job," Mrs Vicinanza laughed, "but only if he

promised one of the venues would be mine!

"This is a great opportunity."

For the foreseeable future, performance poetry has found a new home in

Newtown. The Vicinanzas, and poets everywhere, are very excited about the

perspective.

"We were afraid initially to move, but response has been very good," said

Faith.

"This is our baby, our home base so to speak. We're very proud of where this

program has gone in three years."