Resplendent in a glittering jacket of red & green sequins, Mark William Butler, playwright, composer and former Irish American Writers & Artists Board member, hosted the organization’s festive annual Holiday Salon & Party, on Dec. 8, at the Ellington with his usual verve and affinity for all things Christmas.
The first presenter to step to the mic was John Munnelly who warmed up the packed house with a cover of “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds, followed by his original song, “Happy Christmas.” (Check out John’s new songs at johnmunnelly.substack.com and order his excellent hot sauce at Hattwood.com, a great stocking stuffer.)
Next up was Suzanne McConnell who read a poem recalling a Christmas homecoming on her father’s farm in Arkansas. Suzanne is the author of “Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style” by Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell, which incorporates the wisdom of her esteemed former teacher. Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she has recently completed a novel to be published in the new year.
Ray Lindie shared a story called “The Christmas Bullet” recounting a childhood memory of the upper westside, circa 1945. A somewhat harrowing tale of daring leaps over bonfires, a snowball fight with Two Ton Tony, and a broken arm resulting from a gunshot wound, the young Lindie survived it all thanks to sheer dumb luck and the loving care of his grandma.
Mary Lannon, Associate Professor at Nassau Community College, has published stories in a variety of literary magazines. Her novel “Tide Girl” was a finalist for the 2023 PEN\Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. She read from her essay “Bone China, William and Mary, and Me” reflecting on the seldom used contents of her Irish grandmas’ china closets and the ironic popularizing of such elegant collectibles by Queen Mary II (a/k/a Princess of Orange). Mary will host the upcoming IAW&A salon on Jan. 13 at the Ellington.
Santa Claus (Richard Butler) then joined the party to rock the room with a performance of “I’m Sick of All the Toys!” a driving number from the musical “Ugly: A Christmas Sweater Story” — book, music and lyrics by Richard’s brother Mark, the salon host. An award-winning actor and director with decades of experience in New York, New Jersey and San Francisco theatre, Richard and his talented brother (who supplied the recorded orchestra accompaniment) brought the first half of the salon to a rollicking close.
Vienna Carroll next brought us her rich, soulful sound rooted in the Black church—the source of her earliest musical inspiration. Blending forgotten stories of Black heroes with traditional spirituals and freedom songs, she creates a sound she calls Afro-Future Roots Music—a funky, modern take on Black Folk music. Her captivating appeal has earned her performances with her band, “The Folk,” at prestigious venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York City's iconic Bitter End. Find out more at viennacarollmusic.com
Playwright, novelist & IAW&A stalwart John Kearns who shared a bit of “the sea breeze that was childhood” in his poem entitled “Gillian’s Wonderland Pier to Close." The amusement park on the Ocean City, N.J., boardwalk went out of business last year. Another piece, excerpted from his novel, Worlds, describes a visit to the Christmas light show at Wanamaker's department store in Philadelphia in the early ‘70s. The light show has been preserved for this year after a major fundraising effort.
Actor/playwright/musician John Paul Skocik told “The Perfect Christmas” story — about his dad’s valiant but not entirely successful attempt to fulfill young John Paul’s yearning for a Tyco train set known as the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. As John noted, “Sometimes not getting what you think you want might be its own kind of gift” — in this case a cherished memory of a loving father (and a great story).
Darlene Costello is a psychiatric nurse practitioner based in the Hudson Valley, and sister of the late Brendan Costello, the sorely missed President of IAW&A. Since the loss, Darlene says that grief seems to have chased her into a creative corner, resulting in her having written, produced and acted in two plays for the Newburgh NY Fringe Festival this year. She read an excerpt from a Christmas story Brendan wrote for his niece and nephew in 2009, called "The Jenkinses, the Mice Who Were Stirring.” and another from her own story-in-progress, “Next Stop,” inspired by a childhood memory, about a deaf father and his two children on a train ride at Christmas time.
Richard Butler returned to close the show with a kinder, gentler version of his Santa persona, captivating the audience with a lovely rendition of “Santa Has a Present Just For You,” another original song by Mark Butler. You can find out more about Mark’s seasonal adventures at coolchristmasshow.com
The first salon of 2026 will again be at the Ellington restaurant on 105th & Broadway, on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Excellent menu, great bar and admission free.
