Mid-South Poetry Festival

I had a great time at the Mid-South Poetry Festival in Memphis, TN. Ann Carolyn Cates invited me to be Workshop Leader and to provide musical entertainment at the pot-luck Festival Party the night before. I had the pleasure of playing on a beautiful Baldwin grand/player piano in Sarah Hull Gurley's lovely home in Germantown. My selections were The Rose, Time in a Bottle, You're the Inspiration, You've Got a Friend, Vincent, Georgia, Chopin's Etude in E, Grieg's Nocturne in C, Chopin's Nocturne in e minor, and others.

Saturday went well. I presented my first workshop, "20 Ways to Loose Your Muse." I think the participants came up with some wonderful poems, and/or the makings of them. There were people from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas! I really enjoyed getting to know them; the Poetry Society of Tennessee are a friendly, talented group. I was also pleased to meet Russell H. Strauss, President of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies,  and Randy Stoker, President of PST.

left: JoAnn, Frances Cowden (Grandmother Earth), Betty (right)

front: our party hostess, Sarah, Randy and Russell 

JoAn and me

      

   

The Foyer

Front Door

                     

                                        The Baldwin I played

      

Russell Strauss, President of NFSPS and Randy Stoker, Pres. PST

                                                                            

                                   Randy Stoker, President PST announcing winners                                                                                                                                                                          

                       

 

Ann Carolyn Cates (center) and JoAn Howerton (right)