Black History Month on the upper westside blew in on an almost balmy 35º breeze, bringing a happy crowd out to the Ellington restaurant on 105th & Broadway for a unique Irish American Writers & Artists salon— Crosbhóthar: a Black Irish Storytelling Journey—hosted by Myss Uneek.
Leading off the roster was debut presenter DA, an audio voice-loop artist. Wearing a tunic, pants and matching hat in an eye-catching print, he invited the audience to hum, chant and sing along with his musical critique of ultra power, royalty, wars and, in particular, “The Rich Rich.” Having warmed up the room, DA left us with a final call for unity and to “live life consciously.”
Logan Reyes then took the stage to read a passage from James Baldwin’s speech, “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity” delivered in 1962 at the Community Church NYC. Baldwin writes: “The poets, by which I mean all artists, are finally the only people who know the truth about us. Soldiers don’t, statesmen don’t, priests don’t, union leaders don’t. Only the poets.”
Seemingly on cue, Pushcart Prize nominated poet Vaughn M.Watson read six short poems from his collection, “Going Out and Being Normal.” (Available at www.Press53.com). The second, "fear of falling" is ostensibly about figure skating —timely during the current Olympics, yet really about the desire “to return to the me I used to be, / to sail; / to keep time knowing." Another selection, ”Poem About Being Black (for myself),” laments: "Being a person of color /is a series of moments . . . /comprised of/ very bad days/ or maybe/ it's just / as simple / as wrong place / wrong time."
An award-winning slam poet, host Myss Uneek brought along her two sons, both poets in their own right. Fourteen-year-old, Mr. Hoyt, provided a memorial poem for IAW&A’s late President Brendan Costello printed on the evening’s program and asked it be read silently by all. He then performed a piece focusing on Trayvon Martin. DWhy, older brother of Mr.Hoyt, offered a tribute to the late McCourt brothers, Malachy and Frank. “From ashes to history, from laughter to art” the poem referenced many of the “infamous McCourts”published works. Brotherhood, familial and metaphorical, was the theme and spirit of the salon. Adam Reyes (brother of Logan Reyes) began his turn with a reading of the famous Langston Hughes poem, “Harlem.” It’s abiding question,”What happens to a dream deferred” underpinned the four original poems Adam presented.
Another fresh face at the salon was Vivienne Sayers O’Callaghan, from Cork, a social media content creator and promoter of Irish culture, language and arts. She recited a short poem by Seamus O’Neill, in Irish and English, about tolerating sticky jam on door handle , because one day the little hands that put it there will be gone. Check out Vivienne’s website at www.viviennesayers.com.
Host Myss Uneek studded the evening with mini-bios of mixed race luminaries, such as Paul McGrath, Grace Jones, Phil Lynott, Mariah Carey and the immortal Frederick Douglas. She closed the salon with a stunning performance of her poem “Class Lesson 100.” It’s available on youtube.
