Poets and Writers released the first Centripetal of the 2009-2010 school year Tuesday, December 8. Plymouth students, along with a handful of faculty turned out to the monthly poetry reading at Mandarin Taste this past Tuesday. This month’s open mic doubled as the release of Centripetal, Poets and Writers’ collection of poetry, micro-fiction and original images.
In the relaxed atmosphere of the Mandarin Taste Lounge, veteran and first-time readers shared their poetry and memoirs with a warm and welcoming audience. The night began with a few short readings, including one from first-year Connor MacDonald who read his piece, “Adrenalin.” Next up, Robby Binette read “Help Wanted: Butcher Boy For 460 days,” one of his contributions to this semester’s issue of Centripetal. Binette also shared a new piece he’d written titled “Retail Bitch”about the jobs we hold today and how they differ from the jobs of our parents’ generation. He spoke of how, when our generation was younger, we “shopped in stores we were destined to work in.” He says that he writes poetry because it gives him a reason “to get out of bed every single morning.”
Co-presidents of Poets and Writers, Alexandria Cappello and Lisa Riley presented the award for the best piece of poetry in this issue of Centripetal. The prize, a fifty-dollar check, was awarded to Lauren Hess, who at the request of the crowd read her piece, “Snowman In The Sun.” After a short break for mingling and some free food, the poetry readings continued with the reading of, “Flee,” written by Janel Forcier. Joey, a first time reader, read a poem as well as an excerpt from a memoir he wrote for a class. He captivated the crowd with his high school experiences as a wrestler.
The overall turnout to the event was outstanding. Students and faculty filled the venue with a flow of people coming and going all night. The mixture of new readers and seasoned poets on the mic made for an enjoyable night for all. Everyone in attendence was encouraged to grab a copy of the new Centripetal. “This semester, Lisa and I worked hard to make these editions special, so people can get into reading awesome poetry and fiction again,” noted Alexandria Cappello, co-editor of Centripetal. The edition was indeed special, since the publication returned to a simple chapbook style binding from a stitched binding that had been used for the past few years. Of the three hundred copies printed, the first one hundred copies are special edition. The first one hundred copies are stamped “special edition” and labeled from one to one hundred.
Poets and Writers publishes Centripetal once a semester, submissions are open to students, alumni, faculty and friends of Plymouth State. For more information on submitting your work for the next Issue or to pick up a copy of the newest Centripetal, stop by the Poets and Writers’ office in the HUB or email the staff at poetswriters@mail.plymouth.edu.