Poet's Winter Getaway at Cape May

Karen walks into her shadow. Cape May 2008.

Last weekend, Cape May, New Jersey was THE place to be for all up and coming poets. And the trio of Three Rooms Press poets who attended -- Jackie Sheeler, Karen Hildebrand and Kathi Georges -- made the most of a beautiful thing. Writing poetry in the mornings, workshops in the afternoons, dancing at night. It was all there.

One real highlight was a wonderful workshop with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn. His comments were dead-on in most cases, and he didn't pull any punches (gulp!). He let you know how to make a piece better through application of precise poetic techniques that most teachers and critics tend to be much more general about.

With Cornelia Street Cafe's Angelo Verga in attendance, along with former Manhattanite (now Philadelphia poetry prof) Lisa Grunberger, and the man with the world's cleanest bathroom, Greg Moglia, New York was well represented. The open reading (10-midnight) was a blast both nights. So nice to attend an open reading where most of the material is really great! Sharing the dance floor with the New Yorker's new favorite poet James Richardson was a treat--you should see his moves on Wild Cherry's 1976 hit "Play that Funky Music." Whew! Tore it up!

Below are a few pix. For more photos, plus more information on the phenomenal Stephen Dunn, see Karen's blog.

Can anybody say, "Road trip?!" JS is world's greatest driver.

Guess who's from New York? From left: Lisa, Greg, Angelo, Karen and Jackie.

All he needs is a little soup. Can't anyone give him a little soup?

Workshopping with phenomenal poet James Richardson.

Sunrise? Sunset? Either way, it's a nice place to be.