So you think poetry readings are sedate affairs, with tweedy, bespectacled poets calmly reading to an elite, emotionless audience?


That's not been the case in Albany, at least according to poet Mary Panza.


"There was this guy who would do readings naked in a catcher's mask," said Panza. "Every time he showed up, he would wear sweat pants and take them off when it was time to read." Panza isn't expecting any nude poets at 2005 Albany Word Fest, the annual area poetry event held by Albany Poets Inc. But there are no limits on poets who want to perform at this weekend's event.


"It's an open forum for your expressions," said Thom Francis, co-founder of Albany Poets. "The performers are setting the course."


This year's Word Fest is the first since 2003; organizational changes within Albany Poets forced the postponement of 2004 Word Fest, usually held in September, said Francis.


"We've built this up, and now we want to bring other communities in," said Panza, who's been part of the Albany poetry scene since the late 1980s. "It's not just happening in Boston or New York. It's happening right here."


"I think the main purpose is to increase awareness of what we're doing," Francis said. "We want to invite people to come in."


That wasn't happening. Formed in 2000 to promote poetry and spoken word in the Capital Region, Albany Poets had become exclusive, drawing an inner circle to events such as Word Fest, which was held at John Boyd Thacher State Park for two years before moving to Valentine's Pub in 2003.


Albany Poets reorganized last year; a board of directors was formed, dedicated to increasing local and regional awareness of the Albany poetry scene.


All of which was good news to Francis, who like many poets began writing during his teen years as a way to process his angst.


"In a lot of ways, poetry is therapy," Francis said. "The final step, the resolution, is through reading it on stage."


One of Word Fest's new components, Saturday's "High School Open Mike" is an afternoon poetry reading for teens at the Lark Street Bookshop in Albany. "Right now, there aren't many places for kids to share their work," said Francis. "We want to give them a voice."


The fest's feature events begin tonight with a Lark Tavern cocktail party, followed by a Word Fest open-mike reading at the Firlefanz Gallery. The reading was staged at the gallery to attract poets who aren't comfortable in a bar, said the organizers.


"We've got 54 people who signed up to read," Francis said. "There are many people on that list who we don't know."


Bringing it together


Word Fest's centerpiece is Saturday night and features poetry and music by local artists. The event at Valentine's Pub has been remade from an eight-hour outdoor session into a streamlined showcase for local poetry and music. The featured poets Panza, Francis, Marcus Anderson, Emily Gonzalez, The Poet Essence and Leo appear on "Didn't I Hear You Read," a new poetry/spoken word CD by Albany Poets. The CD, to be released the same day, features a dozen local poets reading over electronic music created by Leo, who produced the recording.


"It kind of brings the poets to the artists," said Panza. "Everyone knew everyone else, and now the musicians and the poets have split off. We're trying to bring it all together."


Which, to Francis and Panza, is the whole point of Word Fest.


"There is a lot of creativity going on here, and it stays in our small group," Francis said. "We want to let people know that this type of thing is going around here."





Michael Lisi, a local freelance writer, is a regular contributor to the Times Union.


THE WORD ON FESTIVITIES


The following is a list of Word Fest activities. For more information, check out the 2005 Albany Word Fest Web site at http://www.albanypoets.com/wordfest:


TONIGHT


Kick-off cocktail party: 5 to 7 p.m., Lark Tavern, 453 Madison Ave. Free. (Scotty Mac performs at 11 p.m. at the Lark.)


Open mike : More than 50 local poets will read their work. 7 p.m., Firlefanz Gallery (292 Lark St.). $3 admission fee suggested.


SATURDAY





High school open mike: Open to Capital Region high school students, who are invited to read their poetry. Participating students will have their work published in an upcoming Albany Poets anthology. 1 to 4 p.m., Lark Street Bookshop, 215 Lark St. Free.


Word Fest's main event: Featuring poetry by Leo, Emily Gonzalez, Mary Panza, Marcus Anderson and others on Albany Poets' new CD "Didn't I Hear You Read." Musicians set to perform are Mother Judge, Kate McKrell, Joe Glickman, Jon Krakat and Jared Funari. 7 p.m. to midnight, Valentine's Pub (17 New Scotland Ave.). $7 admission; 18 and older.


MONDAY





"Poets Speak Loud": Albany Poets' monthly open-mike event, hosted by Thom Francis and Mary Panza. Cheryl Rice is the featured poet. 7 p.m., Lark Tavern. $3 admission fee suggested.