Susan Allison was on her home court and among friends as she read from her new volume of poetry, Down By the Riverside Ways (Antrim House Books).
The Buttonwood Tree, which Allison founded first as Ibis Books in 1989, was the location for the book launch.
Anyone who knows Susan, understands her soulfulness and spirituality feeds a furious curiousity, and I for one, was pleased to learn that she bends that inquisitiveness to the creation of poems which are witty, musical, handsome and touching.
Allison only read a few (the "crowd pleasers" she noted), but dramatically, and invited those of us crowded into the Buttonwood Tree's performance space to join her in sampling the lovely h'orsduevres laid out for the occasions.
My apologies for the disastrously low-fi phone photos. After a long vacation, my camera battery was re-charging.
When anyone ever talks about the presence of the arts in Middletown, the Buttonwood Tree and the enduring force behind it, Susan Allison, is among the reasons why.
ReplyDeleteSunday's poetry reading was a surely a moment to remember in its history. Dressed head-to-toe in a beautiful velvet gown and red patton leather shoes, Susan was as scintillating as the champagne. Her poems delighted us all, even the 5-year old sitting next to me who wanted to know who Sisyphus was. Let's make sure we post that next winter.) Her poems of Middletown capture the serenity and grit of living in a city by the bend in the river. I really enjoyed myself.
Susan is a municipal and national treasure. She's one of the people that make Middletown so great. Thanks for a lovely afternoon and for choosing to do your art in and about our town.
Truer words could not be spoken about the beauty of Susan Allison and how lucky we are to have her here in Middletown. I regret not having been able to attend!
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