
This past Saturday night, fifty-plus hearty spirits crowded the Mediator Fellowship Hall in Providence, RI, braving the churlish end-of-February weather for a night of shiny music, shimmering poetry and shaking prose. It was shaking’s maiden voyage public-wise, a shakingdown cruise so to speak. Everyone survived. Yea, I dare say even flourished__ to the delight of the writers and presenters (Jericho Brown, Marita Andrade, Jo-Ann Reid, R.A. Stovetop Lawson, Liz Carter, Scott Duhamel and shaking editor Mr. Don), and a trio of fine singer/ songwriters (Mark Cutler, Chris Monti and Anthony Loffredio).The next one’s already on the drawing table; check these pages for announcements of more shaking evenings to come.
You can ask anyone and they will tell you that I’m an optimist. I have the ability to make friends with douche bags and assholes and frequently, I have given money to the most sickly drug addicts and drunks begging on the street. Some people think it’s wrong, but I say, “So What?” Just like Miles Davis. Forget about lending, I believe in giving. I wrote a song about that.

