Wednesday Night Open Mic The Wednesday Night Open Mic Poetry Reading founded in 1989 as "The Spa City Poetry Reading" and is believed to be the world's oldest continuous Wednesday open mic poetry reading. Printed articles about this local event have appeared in local newsprint, and in publications throughout the U.S. including People Magazine. It is often hosted by the man who founded The Poet’s Loft, Bud Kenny. *Featured Poets please download this Performance Contract here.

Bud Kenny Returns The Featured Poet begins @ 8PM Following the 30 minute presentation will be the Open Mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2 Poets interested in being the featured poet at the Wednesday Night Poetry Readings should contact Bud Kenny at 501-881-4885.

FEATURED POET

Tricia Anne Baar February 15th, 2012 Henderson State University English professor Tricia Anne Baar will be featured at The Wednesday Night Poetry Readings February 15 at 8pm in The Poet’s Loft 514-B Central Avenue in Hot Springs. Following her performance will be the regular open mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2. A native of Arkadelphia, Baar received her MFA in writing poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2006. While working toward her degree she studied with several noted poets, including Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowship winner Mary Ruefle. In 2011 Ruefle won the William Carlos Williams award from The Poetry Society of America. Prior to pursuing her degree, for 20 years Baar was a bartender at some of Hot Springs popular night spots, including The Ohio Cub and Mollies. “But poetry has always been my passion,” she said. “So I decided to do something about it.” While Baar cannot recall when she wrote her first poem, she does remember what piqued her interest in writing. “When I was a little girl my grandmother gave me a book of Irish poetry. She read some of them to me and I was hooked.” When asked what inspires her to write, Baar replied, “The absurdity of the world--of life—and I don’t mean that in just a negative sense. It’s just that whenever I witness something strange, I always wish someone was standing next to me so I could say, ‘Did you see that?’ Poetry is my way of sharing those experiences.” In her fifth year of teaching at Henderson, Baar currently lives in Hot Springs with her husband Shawn and a Scottish terrier named after the gladiator Crixus.

23rd Anniversary of Hot Springs Wednesday Night Poetry February 1st, 2012 February 1 will be the 23rd anniversary of Hot Springs Wednesday Night Poetry Readings. In the past twenty three years not a Wednesday has gone by without an open mic poetry session taking place in the Spa City. To mark the occasion the man who has kept the tradition going, Dr. Paul Tucker, will be the featured poet. His presentation will begin at 8pm in The Poet’s Loft at 514-B Central Avenue. Following his performance will be the regular open mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2. Founded in 1989 by Bud Kenny, the first readings were held at the Groto Restaurant in bottom of Spencer’s Corner. “Over the next eight years we drifted from one place to another. We got flooded out, burnt out and shut out of some of the best places downtown,” Kenny said. “After three years of running the readings, I called it quits. It was Dr. Tucker who stepped in and kept it going.” In 1997 Kenny opened The Poet’s Loft on the second floor of a historic building owned by Dr. Tucker and his wife Suzanne. The coffee house/performance venue is in the heart of the art’s district with a stage in a bay window that overlooks the National Park. In 2011 it was named America’s premier poetry venue at the National Poetry Awards in Dallas, Texas. “Here again, the Tuckers saved the Wednesday readings,” said Kenny. “They gave us this beautiful space to use – rent free. This venue could not have survived if they hadn’t done that.” Dr. Tucker said, “The use of this building to promote poetry is my gift to Hot Springs.” Originally from Winfield, Kansas, Paul Tucker attended the Naval Academy at Annapolis. After graduation he joined the Air Force and flew in Korea. Then he went to the University of Oklahoma where he studied medicine, specializing in neurology. He has lived and practiced in Hot Springs for more than thirty years. Recently semiretired, Dr. Tucker now has more time to relax and participate than before. “It was a pain knowing at any moment my pager could go off and I’d have to jump up and rush out to the hospital.” He said, “I don’t have to worry about that anymore.” His retirement has also yielded a collection of his poems in a book titled In That One Moment, which will be available at The Poet’s Loft Wednesday night.

Keith Franklin January 18, 2012 FEATURE POET IS A PENCIL THIEF Keith Franklin, who has published two books of his poetry and performed in nine different countries, is this Wednesday’s feature at The Poet’s Loft 514-B Central Avenue. Following his 8pm performance will be the regular open mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2. His poem “I Steal Pencils”, which evolved from an improve session at the Loft, was turned into a short film in 2004 in Great Brittain. That year the BBC awarded it “Short Movie of the Year.” A native of Southern California, Franklin began writing poetry in the 4th grade. “Miss White showed us some two line quatrains then told us to go home and write a poem. The other kids came back with two line quatrains about their pets, and parents, and stuff like that. They all got their poems pinned up on the wall. Mine was a free verse about our loud neighbors beating their kids. Miss White scolded me, said I shouldn’t write about that kind of thing and wouldn’t put my poem up with the others.” Keith said, “So I’ve always been an off-the-wall kind of poet.” Franklin moved to Hot Springs with his family in 1980 and started participating in the Wednesday Night Poetry Readings in 1994. Since then he’s been part of the many slams, festivals and other poetry events that have happened in the Spa City. During a 1999 festival he befriended master Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, who invited him to be part of his birthday celebration in 2000. The event, which was broadcasted on national Russian TV, was a collection of poets from around the world performing their works. Following the program, several of the poets put together a box of used pencils and gave them to Yevtushenko for Keith. Following that program, Yevtushenko left for a remote retreat to work on a thousand page manuscript. When he got there, the master poet discovered the only writing instruments he had was Keith’s box of pencils. “I’m honored he had to steal them.” Currently a social studies teacher at Mount Ida Middle School, it has been more than two years since Keith has been featured at The Poet’s Loft. “And I’ve got a few surprises planned.”

Marck Beggs January 25, 2012 SEXY VEGETARIAN FEATURED AT POET’S LOFT Dr. Marck Beggs, professor of English at Henderson State University, will be the feature this week at the Wednesday Night Poetry Readings in The Poet’s Loft 514-B Central Avenue in Hot Springs. Following his 8pm performance will be the regular open mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2. In 1998 Beggs was a member of the team that represented Hot Springs and The Poet’s Loft at the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas. He started writing poetry in high school, but didn’t take it seriously until he got to college. “I was in a writing class and for the first time someone critiqued me. Instead of just saying, ‘That was nice.’ Someone told me what was wrong.” Beggs said, “I liked how that felt. Someone really listened and cared enough to help me grow. So I don’t hesitate to tell a student ‘That sounds trite. Write it better than that.’” His M.F.A. was earned at Warren Wilson College and his Ph.D. at the University of Denver. In addition to teaching and writing poetry, Dr. Beggs writes and sings his own quasi-folk songs as part of a duo group called “Bohemian Sauce”. They performed at the Loft last Saturday night He cites Walt Whitman as a major influence in his work and has authored three collections of his own poetry. The last two: Catastrophic Cords (2008) and Libido Café (2004) were published by Salmon Poetry in Ireland. He will have copies of Catastrophic Cords for sale Wednesday night, but will give copies of Libido Café to those attending his performance. Marck Beggs lives with his wife Carly in a cabin beside an Arkansas pond. “I’m sort of like Henry David Thoreau, but with technology.” In 2009 he was named one of the “ten sexiest vegetarians over 50” by PETA. Of the award, Beggs says, “Well, they haven’t seen my wife. Now there’s one hot tomato!”

Donny Eskridge January 11, 2012 A new Hot Springs resident, songwriter Donny Eskridge, will be this week’s feature for the Wednesday Night Poetry Readings at 8pm in The Poet’s Loft 514-B Central Avenue. Following his performance will be the regular open-mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2 Originally from Gallatin, Missouri, the 53 year old learned to play guitar from his father when he was fifteen. “The back of my first guitar was nailed on with carpet tacks.” Eskridge said. “And because I was left handed, Dad had to string it backwards.” He was initially motivated to learn to play and sing so he could impress a girl in his home town. “Her name was Robin and I wanted to play “Rocking Robin” for her.” Professionally Eskridge has played with night club bands in California and Missouri. His final gig was in the 1990’s and it lasted ten years. “The club scene wasn’t for me. So I quit.” He started writing his own songs in his mid-twenties and counts Simon and Garfunkel and James Taylor among his early influences. “I think of songs as poems set to music.” Eskridge said. “I love the challenge of making the words rhyme and setting them to music.” Eskridge moved here from Missouri in June to be close to his mother and sister. “I learned about The Poet’s Loft on line before I moved to Hot Springs. I feel at home here.”

December 21, 2011, 8pm Mike Fraz A native of New Orleans, Fraz interest in music began as a youngster in the early 1960’s. He would sneak out of his parent’s house at night to listen to some the Big Easy’s renowned blues artists at a club called Gloria’s Living Room. “They’d give me a big over coat and let me hide in the beer cooler,” Fraz said. “Listening to the likes of Willy Tee and Allen Toussaint, I was hooked. I wanted to be a blue’s man.” Mike started writing his own music in the 1970’s while playing keyboards with the southern California band “Brown Stone.” He wrote the lyrics for the song “Needs” which Play Boy Records released in 1972. “In 1988 a friend gave me a book by poet Charles Bukowski and it changed my life.” Fraz said. “That’s when I realized my song lyrics that didn’t rhyme were actually poems.” At the time he was traveling the race horse circuit as a groom, which is how he came to Hot Springs. “It was during the 1997 Oaklawn meet that I discovered The Poet’s Loft. The first time I walked in the door they were getting ready to do a poetry slam. Bud Kenny was the loft keeper then and he asked me to be a judge. I didn’t know anything about slam poetry, but I said I would if he’d give me a cup of coffee. That experience broadened my poetic horizons even further. After listening to the likes of Keith Franklin and Lisa Martinovich I realized poetry had no boundaries.” In 2000 Mike Fraz served as Keeper of The Poet’s Loft for six months. He plays professionally at both the Ohio Club and Embassy Suites in Hot Springs.

December 14, 2011, 8PM Chuck Dodson Local writer, musician, filmmaker and visual artist Chuck Dodson will be the featured poet this week at 8pm in The Poet’s Loft 514-B Central Avenue. Following his performance will be the regular open mic sessions for all poets. Admission is $2. Dodson, whose mother taught him to play the piano when he was 3, started writing song lyrics at age 5. But he didn’t start writing poetry until much later in life. “I was invited to be the feature at the Wednesday Night Poetry Readings in 1997.” Dodson said. “From then on I was hooked. For the next two years I wrote at least one poem every week so I’d have something new to read on Wednesday night.” In 1999 Chuck was a member of the team that represented Hot Springs at the National Poetry Slam in Chicago. The CBS News show “60 Minutes” did a story about the slam and it opened with a portion of one of his performances. In that segment Dodson received more air time than then US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, who was also featured on the program. Following his graduation from Hot Springs High School, Chuck toured internationally as a keyboard player with Grammy Award winning gospel singer Russ Taff. Then in the 1980’s he started working in recording studios in Nashville and elsewhere as a producer. In 1985 he began a relationship with the Miss America Pageant as an arranger, coach and consultant for contestants from across the nation. In his 20 year relationship with the pageant 87% of his contestants won either a crown or preliminary award. “I guess because I didn’t know what I was doing, it made the women I worked with stand out.” Dodson said. “I think it’s that way with my poetry too.” After so many years of producing and arranging for other artists, in 2010 Chuck released a CD of his own titled “The Wildwood Sessions”, which will be available at his performance Wednesday night at The Poet’s Loft.

December 7, 2011, 8PM Tom Wilkins   Tom has been a catalyst for countless projects not only throughout our downtown area, but throughout our city for over 25 years. Having opened a family Music and Comedy Show in Historic Downtown in 1987, Tom has been a leader and entrepenuer for the Tourism and Community itself. The Arkansas Walk of Fame, The Bath House Show, The RayLynn Theatre, the Veterans Memorial of Garland County, Countless Parades and Family Festivals such as Spa Blast, Veterans Parade and Christmas Parade, Farmers Market and a long list of other events all have Tom's thumbprint on them. Chosen in 2010 by KARK TV and the Governor as one of 12 Outstanding Community Leaders Tom has been awarded a wall full of honors and recognitions for his 25 years of service to Arkansas. He is a past recipient of the Hernando Desoto Tourism Award and the Tourism Person of the Year award. Over the years it is estimated that Tom has been largely responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for community causes of all kinds. Although his Entertainer awards are well documented, few people know that Tom is an avid poet and writer who, until now, has kept his works somewhat private. This 17 time Sentinel Record "Entertainer of the Year" will slam or be slammed on Poetry Night. He was there for the first one at the old Rod's Pizza and will again return this year under the direction of long time friend Bud Kenny.

POEMS If you send us a poem we will publish it after it is reviewed. We would like to see poets submitting poems to our blog. All accepted poems will also be published on the blog to give people the chance to comment and give feedback to the poets and writers who post there. The Loft Blog

PLUNDERING THE POET’S LOFT It was her second trip to the stage, and I was adjusting the microphone for her when I whispered, “This time go slower.” She was fourteen or fifteen, and her poem was on her phone where she wrote it. “I always do my poems fast! “That’s the way I always do it!” She said it so quick I had to pause to ponder it She was pleasant to look at. “Pretty” is what most would say. So she could have just stood there on stage and said nothing, and that would have been okay. But that’s not why either of us were here. We came to go beyond the surface. She to express in words what brews in her soul. Me to absorb what has been brewing in there. The soul is a sacred place! It’s everyone’s virtual and spiritual gold mine, and this is not a venue for casting pearls before swine. I had built the stage and was adjusting the microphone so I could reap the pleasure of her treasure. But she ripped me off as so many others before her have done. Her words were a blur of syllables, vowels and consonants with a certain amount of rhythm, meter and I think some rhyme. Like I said, it went by so fast I’m not quite sure. This is not a house of prostitution. I don’t come here just to get my rocks off. I come to take some gems home with me too. So I wish you would slow down that I might gather some from you. {bud} Dec. 2011 Find this poem on our blog and send your feedback to Bud

The Wednesday Night Open Mic Poetry Reading Everyone is welcome. It is NEVER cancelled no matter what! Convenient parking-food-drinks-more... Time: 8pm Sign Up: 6-8 pm on the night of the reading We advise you to get here early if you want to perform. The sign up sheets are limited to 30 performances and they fill up fast. Admission: $2 donation Includes: A Featured Performer/s who performs original works for 20 minutes. Round 1 of Open mic (3-minute performance time limit). Round 2 of Open mic (6-minute performance time limit) . CHECK CALENDARS FOR FEATURES (click here) Open mic poetry music and comedy. Come hear poems about life-forgiveness-hope-healing-love... Witness art that will change your lives forever! You'll laugh-cry-applaud-cheer and have the time of your lives The Poet's Loft commends all performing artists with a positive message this is the most hospitable open mic this state has never seen. Come out every Wednesday to perform or support-everyone is welcomed. Sponsored by the entire Spa City entertainment community supporting cultural events that unify the entire community. Enjoy our entertainment auditorium, tea garden and social room with table games. There is something for all ages.