Easton Book Festival 2025 - Saturday 10/18 at the IF Museum

Late Saturday afternoon and into the evening, there was a reading and Fusion Art event at the IF Museum on N. 4th Street. I emceed the reading, Shalom Neuman masterminded the art action. The first part of the reading, NYC based poets and writers, some notably from the Unbearables and Pink Trees Press, and the Fusion Art event was dedicated to the Unbearable, Hal Sirowitz, author of Mother Said: Poems and other books, who sadly passed away the day before. 

The readers in the first part were Allegra Parks, Ron Kolm, Anthony Haden-Guest, Dorothy Friedman August, Lee Klein, Leah Kogen-Elimeliah,  Jane LeCroy and the artist Karen Orange Neuman reading from Hal Sirowitz's book, Mother Said: Poems.

 

 

 

After the Fusionism event, there was an open mic, introduced by Lynn Alexander. The readers were Garrett Flanagan, Rebecca Reynolds, Ernest Woodley, Sienna Mae Heath, Marc Sloan, Willow Marsh and yours truly, who also emceed.

 

Patrick on electric piano and Bernard on acoustic upright bass provided very appropriate musical backgrounds.

I am happy to say that all the readers were terrific and their readings were excellent. It was an excellent event.

Delicious and much appreciated food and beverage was generously provided by Daddy's Place on Northampton Street and Antonio's Pizzeria and Restaurant on South 3rd Street.

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Easton Book Festival 2025 - Friday 10/17

I drove out to Easton PA on Friday. I got there early enough to pick up Ron Kolm at the bus station, We had a pleasant early supper at the Easton Public Market. Afterwards, we wandered over to the Centre Square- I don't know why but that's how they spell Centre - where an open mic was about to start. Crossing the street, Lynn Alexander, one of the organizers and a leading light of the Lehigh Valley literary scene saw me and waved me over. She was organizing the reading with Darrell Parry, another bright light of the Lehigh Valley Literary scene. Andy Laties, one of the founders of the festival and co-owner of Book & Puppet Co., an excellent bookstore and small event space, was wandering around, as well. The festival, in its seventh year has grown to be an October happening in Easton, a week-long series of engaging free readings, panels, performances and demonstrations mostly within downtown Easton.

The good and the bad of the open mic is some readers really have some great stuff to read, others go on too long, but everyone who wants to has their moment in front of the mic and we listen.

Here's a few photos from  around the reading. I got a good one of Darrell, an okay one of Andy taking a video with Ron sitting on the edge of the fountain deciding what he would read. The only shot I got of Lynn was her rushing in front of a reader adjusting the mic. Oh well.

There was an opening of local artists at the IF Museum's downstairs gallery.  Gaia, Andy's partner was there as was Anthony Haden-Guest. Leah Kogan-Elimeliah was there representing Pink Trees Press, whose founder and publisher Linda Kleinbub could not be there herself, along with her new friend, Allegra Parks.

At Centre Square

At the IF Musuem

Later, on the street, where I was stopped by three young fans of my storytelling.

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