On Thursday, Feb 29 at 8 pm, Hyde Park Theater offers a tempting opportunity
to catch up with Austin’s performance poetry scene, with six of the more
talented local writers together on one stage, reading in a high-energy,
round-robin format. David Jewell, who wrote the love poem featured in Richard
Linklater’s Before Sunrise, is often funny, always listenable, both
laid-back and intense at once — like when my late husband used to order a cup
of coffee with his beer. Marlys West, voted 1995’s Best Poet by Chron
readers, thinks interesting thoughts on surprising topics and presents them
in a disarmingly modest, sharp, and straightforward way. Glosso Babel features
John Cutaia backed by a truly hot, mostly percussion band; John is brave,
sincere and all-boy, tackling his feelings on subjects like poker, football,
and topless bars (he will be accompanied on this last by dancer Susan Kjar).
Helping out John as well as presenting his own work will be Thom the World
Poet, himself the Captain Kangaroo of the Austin’s spoken word scene, and
probably the closest thing to a real wandering troubador you will meet in this
century. Also performing will be Albert Huffstickler, the undisputed Grand Old
Man of Austin poetry — his work is so damn fine — and Tammy Gomez, whom I
haven’t had the chance to hear but has been getting raves from those who have.
It should, by all accounts, be quite a night. — Marion Winik
This article appears in February 23 • 1996 and February 23 • 1996 (Cover).