Poetorium @ Starlite

Poetorium at Starlite Poetry Open Mic & Reading Series Featuring Paul Richmond, Janet Aalfs, & Robert Eugene Perry

Sunday, December 1st @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Starlite Bar & Gallery, 39 Hamilton St, Southbridge, MA 01550

Please join us for a special Sunday triple feature edition of our monthly open mic and featured poetry reading series The Poetorium at Starlite hosted by Paul Szlosek and Ron Whittle. It will be a full evening of poetry and spoken word starting with a brief interview on stage with our three featured poets Paul Richmond (Massachusetts, USA, & Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate), Janet E. Aalfs (2003-05 Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA) and Robert Eugene Perry (Author of Earth Songs,and Sacred Mystic Dance) followed by poetry readings by our features, a short intermission, and then an open mic (with 5-minute slots for each reader). Admission is free, but a hat will be passed for donations to pay our feature and compensate Starlite for the use of their space. For more information, please get in touch with us at poetorium@mail.com or visit our website.

Paul Richmond was awarded Beat Poet Laureate by National Beat Poetry Foundation for, Massachusetts, USA, & Lifetime. He performs nationally and internationally, solo and with “Do It Now.” Paul has eight books, More information can be found on www.humanerrorpublishing.com

Janet E. Aalfs is a multidisciplinary artist, arts educator, and activist. Poet laureate of Northampton, MA (2003-2005), 8th-degree black belt, and healing movement instructor, Janet is founder and director of Lotus Peace Arts at Heron’s Bridge/Valley Women’s Martial Arts, a non-profit community school since 1977. She is the recipient of awards for her teaching as well as prizes for her poetry, and has been featured at many events including the Dodge Poetry Festival. Janet enjoys performing spoken word combined with martial arts dance that she calls Poemotion©. Her poems have been widely published, including 3 full-length collections, most recently What the Dead Want Me To Know (Human Error Publishing, 2022), and several chapbooks.

Robert Eugene Perry is a native of Massachusetts and the author of six books. His most recent collection of poetry Earthsongs, was published by Human Error Publishing in 2022. A combined re-release of his earlier chapbooks was released as Sacred Mystic Dance on his own imprint Metaphysical Fox Press in 2024. His poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies & publications, he was a finalist in the 2023 Beals Prize for Poetry and his poem Heard Steet/ Hadwen Park in Winter was a winner in WCPA’s 2024 Poems in and out of Places. Perry has emceed the monthly Open Mic at Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster, MA (USA) since May 2017. For more information, please visit Robert Perry’s Site.