A Pittsburgh Community

Ed Ochester was shaky. I saw it when he first managed to climb the stairs at the edge of the stage. There was no hand railing so he reached for air, hoping that would hold him. He managed to walk up the stairs to the stage, but after booming out his poems, decided it was easier to sit on the floor near the edge of the stage and hop down. Decided it was easier to ease his whole body onto the floor instead of stilling two shaky legs. His body is betraying his mind. The book he read from vibrated uncontrollably, which was in contrast to his steady voice. It was hard watching someone you admire show their realness to you. It was hard not to want his physical condition to match his poems: bold, strong, sure.

It was Poetry for Obama yesterday (I don't know if that was the official name, I may be making that up) at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. There were probably 20 or so poets who read for four minutes each. Yes, four minutes. That's approximately one long poem, or two medium-length poems, or three shorter poems, or four short poems. And that's also approximately the way I like it. Continuous droning from one poet makes me sleepy and this was just the right length to keep things fresh and at attention in my mind.

And, in the midst of all the people, all the reading, I managed to walk away with a new chapbook from a Pittsburgh poet that caught my attention: Debrah Bogen. Her narratives absolutely make me hold my breath, which in poetry, is a good thing for me. Living by the Children's Cemetery was $2. Yes, on a table of $10 poetry books I managed to walk away with a hand-held narrative beauty for $2.

Her poems are so real to me. They're grounded in roots and family and place:

The moon’s/stuck in a milk bottle and ancient horse/track hangs on the porch where my grandfather drank

I've been looking for "my" poet. You know, that one defining person that has done what it is you wish to do. I haven't found them yet, but Bogen is writing in that same style that I've found myself in for the past 10 months and she's doing it beautifully.

But back to Obama. I'm not much of an Obama supporter. There's something there, aside from the Democratic rhetoric, that I just do not trust. The Pittsburgh writing community loves him though. One writer even said "I believe Obama is a writer at heart." Well, yes, maybe, but can he lead a country? Maybe not. I don't think so. And if he can, I don't know that he can do it well. But these poets think he can, and since all proceeds from the reading went to the Obama campaign, I was careful as to what I was buying.

The poet turnout was amazing for this event: Jim Daniels, Ed Ochester, Jan Beatty, Lynn Emanuel, Judith Vollmer (be still my heart!), and they read such well-placed poems. Vollmer read, what was arguably the best piece, from a torn piece of computer paper, and two writers read from nothing, opting instead for reciting their pieces from memory.

The sense of community, especially the writing community, is strong in Pittsburgh. Their collective voice rivals major cities whose writing community lacks the loyalty found in these writers. They are Pittsburgh-natives, and those that aren't may as well be. They write about it, live in it, fight for it. This pull they have in the community is relieving, mainly because other cities lack that loyal bond that Pittsburgh is grounded in. They are amazing writers who support one another, regardless of style or background or education. They support one another because that is what's needed to build a community, that is what's needed for loyalty and respect to exist.

And Ochester? He came to East Liberty from Shelocta, Pennsylvania, a desolate speck on Route 422 lined with farms and family restaurants. He drove 90 minutes to read for 4. And he did it better than most.