Michael Rumaker reads ...

at the Spirit of Black Mountain College festival last month. Abby Wendle and I worked on her recording of Mike's session at the Hickory Museum of Art this afternoon, and she posted his reading of "The Fairies Are Dancing All Over the World" at her blog. We had to do a good bit of noise reduction, and the room in which he read was a cavernous space; given both facts, the recording came out pretty well.

Notwithstanding sideways rain and a gas shortage that had us checking out every station we passed to see if it might have working pumps, the Festival was a treat. At least that was my take. I really enjoyed hearing some of my favorite poets read, delving into the zaniness of Cilla Vee's Cage-derived "Modus Operandi", and listening to Mary Emma Harris illuminate the complex history of the college we all had come to honor, just for starters. And there was much more.

There'll be lots of audio to post in the weeks ahead, first from Abby's audience recordings, and later from the "official" recordings, most of them patched from the PA mixing boards. This clip from Michael's reading is just the start.

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Photo of Michael Rumaker at the home of Rand Brandes by Abby Wendle, using Mary Emma Harris' camera.

The Spirit of Black Mountain College

For the last year and a half folks at Hickory's Lenoir-Rhyne College, including the apparently tireless Rand Brandes, have been working with the Hickory Museum of Art, Asheville's own Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, and other organizations to put together a festival honoring Black Mountain College. The web site's now up, so do go have a look.

Poets will have major roles in the festivities, just as they did in the life of Black Mountain College.

It'll run from September 25 thru 27, and promises to be quite the celebration. More to come in the weeks ahead ...