Court Green 8 - A Tribute to Frank O'Hara
Wyatt Danz
On February 16th, Columbia's English Department hosted a launch reading for the annual poetry publication "Court Green". This year's collection is the 8th installment in the Court Green collection and features the work of over 80 poets. The 2011 release is a tribute to Frank O'Hara, a pioneer of the New York School of poetry.
Held at Hokin Hall; Rm. 109 at 623 S. Wabash, the reading was a celebration of the books completion. Ten contributing poets took the stage one by one, reading selections of their work then finishing with their favorite O'Hara poem. Most of the poems in Court Green are an homage to the influence of O'Hara and many directly reference the poet. As a fan of his work, I was excited to hear which of his poems other poets respected and how he influenced their writing.
A dark and looming auditorium, Hokin Hall was set up with a podium on stage flooded with the room's only source of light. There was a joyous mood set by the readers, who all seemed happy to be a part of the event. I loved hearing their words spoken from the source, it gives poems life and clarity when read exactly how they were intended.
Overall the event was a big success and I was happy that I attended. I wish some of the poets had more time to share their work, as they mostly stuck to one or two poems. As a tribute to one of my favorite poets, I enjoyed the reading from start to finish. I would have been happy if the event lasted longer, I could have easily stuck around for another hour.
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