the Fiddling Poet & friends

I assume most of you have settled in to this year's conference and are equipped with thinking caps securely placed on head . But a mere halfway into the week, some may find they could use a break from all the hoopla to relax and enjoy the good company we're all keeping here at ASLE. Tonight, many of you may even venture out into the Greater Spartanburg area and get a taste for what this modest metropolis has to offer. Interested? Well, aside from restaurants and shopping of all shapes and sizes, Thursday night is a great night here in Spartanburg for live music. Aside from ASLE's own Mongrel Dog jam session tonight in the Wofford Pavillion, there will be plenty of other venues to explore. It's "Thirsty Thursday" at Wild Wing Cafe of Spartanburg featuring drink specials and live music from Sonic Marvel (not to mention buffalo wings galore). Spartanburg's own "Music on Main" will play host to band Jackson Crossing. Music on Main is a great opportunity to delve deeper into our jamming music culture and wander the streets of downtown.

But if you're looking for something a little more relevant, be sure to stop by the Marriott Hotel featuring Alaskan-native Ken Waldman. You may have seen his book/CD table in the Roger Milliken Science Center with friend, Jim Clark of Barton College. Clark and Waldman, who calls himself "The Fiddling Poet," have published many works and produced a few albums between the two of them, all catering to an environmentally and socially aware crowd. Waldman plays the "old-time appalachain fiddle" along with his own poetry collection. Niether are from Spartanburg, but hold close ties with friends in the area. This conference is a first for Waldman, who says he is "here for the networking" (I think he came to the right place!). Clark, however, is a long-time ASLE member who hasn't been able to attend most conferences due to locational conflicts. Tonight, Waldman will be playing with friend and Spartanburg-local John Fowler.

Be sure to stop by the Nomadic Press table. They've got CDs available for sampling and plenty of poetry and other writings to browse.

-Hannah Ranck

Comments

[Christina Healey]

Waldman has a poem for every occasion. I especially liked his sonnets of George W. Sounds like a fun evening!