I just went to my events page to add an upcoming event, the 2021 Newburyport Literary Festival and I saw that the last “upcoming event” in that list was the 2020 Newburyport Literary Festival, which was cancelled. Whoa.
Now, truthfully, I have participated in events since then. In January I read at an online launch of the Powow River Poets Anthology II, a reading at Temple Etz Hayim last October., and a Light poetry reading over the summer. But, like most people, I haven’t gone anywhere to read or hear any poetry in almost a year now.
Attending online readings has been pretty cool at times. I got to hear Leslie Monsour read, and that almost never happens because she lives in California, and I live in New Hampshire. I’ve seen New Yorkers and Canadians and New Mexicans and Vermonters all read in the same reading.
What will it be like when we finally are all back in one room? Will we miss access to our wider audiences? Maybe so. But I also think there’s something hardwired in our brains that wants to see people in 3-D and hear voices not coming through a speaker.
So the 2021 Newburyport Literary Festival is on my events calendar. I hope to either see you or “see” you there.
