What Transpired at the June 1 Edition of Get to the Point

Haven’t done a GttP summary in many moons—not because I don’t care to, but because the shows are so in-the-moment that when I wait to collect my thoughts about them, I realize I’ve forgotten half the details. Definitely a live experience. I could print out every word that was said last night, and it would make a heck of a book, but it wouldn’t be the same.

I forgot to bring a ukulele—horrors!—but, miracle of miracles, one of the performers, Will Ianuzzi, had a banjolele with him. So I loudly resonated my way through the Velvet Underground’s “Beginning to See the Light” on banjo uke. Perfect way to start what became a clattery evening rife with musical history references.
Lys Guillorn drew our attention to the impending James Joyce holiday Bloomsday (June 16) with an original poem that included several modern phrases with a Joycean flair.
Craig Gilbert had some of his insidious comedy rhymes about ill-fated folks and their fraught faces.
Vanessa Fasanella read some amusing and heartwarming tales about her children, her husband and herself.
The Three Elements appeared twice—the first time with Billy K on vocals, then later in the evening with Steve Bellwood. While Billy or Steve spoke, Tony Juliano drew cartoons and comments on an overhead projector and Will Ianuzzi provided musical accompaniment on an accordion and the aforementioned banjolele.
A newcomer to Get to the Point, Chris Coleman, read several sweet poems.
Franz Douskey told tales of Memphis, early rock & roll, and his lost teen years.
Saul Fussiner had a new story, about his recent introduction to martial arts.
I read a myth about the Hydrades, who bring the rain. (Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabula 182).
Bad jokes about rain, taken from the internet, were told.
Jason Krug of the band Grimm Generation read, sang and played. This was his first appearance at Gttp, and he innately grasped the sense of the room, with listen-in-close lyrics, a hint of darkness and an impressive steadiness.
Live Mike Cooper, who hosts his own monthly Cafe Nine talk show, subjected us to a failed monologue from the last episode, with additional self-deprecating commentary. This was a cool deconstruction of an underappreciated literary form.
A woman named Annie, celebrating her birthday at Cafe Nine with friends, read some comedy bits she’d scribbled on her phone.
Karen Picone Ponzio read a batch of arresting modern odes.
David Pilot had poems and stories and grace and charm. I like putting David up there late on the bill. He has a calming presence.
The evening ended with a one-act by Ken Carlson, a golden-age-radio sci-fi pastiche featuring Saul, Craig, Karen and me in the cast plus Ken himself doing sound effects from his phone. Next month Ken wants to do a longer radio-theater-like piece, running before Get to the Point, at 7 p.m. July 3.
Despite the rains, this was the best attended Get to the Point show since the fall. I quipped onstage that the shows all tend to happen on the coldest days of their respective months—though most writers don’t mind cold and desolate themes. In any case, it was nice to see so many people come out. We have even higher hopes for July.