OMG

That's the subject line from Bob Holman's adorable letter to us about the opening night of our exhibit, "Portraits of Poets, 1910-2010." The note itself begins, "THANKS A 1,000,000 for the historic (well, it felt that way, I mean God Marie Ponsot reading "The Fish" and Yusef, Frost and Galway's "Oatmeal" and Howard's Moss!) Event last night!"

Thanks to all who contributed to this galvanizing experience. Galway Kinnell came down to New York from his home in Vermont, and Sapphire made time for us when the success of the film, Precious, based on the novel Push by Sapphire, is placing so many demands on her time.

Shall I go on shamelessly quoting Bob Holman's letter? Why not? He's so dear! "The exhibition is extraordinary in its variety and smarts. The way it's hung is so idiosyncratic that you can't help but see each piece as part of Yeats' gyres, reforming and reformulating, telling stories, spinning lineages."

For those who couldn't visit the exhibit during the ten days it will have been up, January 5th-15th here at the National Arts Club (courtesy of the generosity of President Aldon James), you can get a great sense of it from photographer Jill Krementz's extraordinary literary and pictorial report.

I've been pleased to hear from many of the artists in the show (Star Black, Marion Ettlinger, Chris Felver, Paul Gordon, Duncan Hannah), including photographer John Sarsgard, represented with his images of many of the second-generation New York School poets as well as Nuyorican Poetry Club founder Miguel Algarin and Bowery Poetry Club founder and impresario Bob Holman. John wrote, "My sports-minded friends would call your show a home run, perhaps even a home run with the bases loaded. I can't imagine how it could have been better."

Perhaps that's enough crowing for Wednesday, January 13th, but if you can't broadcast good news in a Centennial year…

We're off to a great 2010 at the PSA. Stay tuned to our news, and if you would like to receive a brochure of Centennial events and programs, address your email with snail mail address included to brett@poetrysociety.org.

And here are some photos by Tanveer Badal of the evening: