A Poetry Reading in Detroit

In mid-January I went to a poetry reading in Detroit, MI. It had been a long time since I had been to any sort of reading.  I first learned of the event when my sister messaged me that August Smith would be in Michigan as part of a two day reading tour. I know August through my sister. They went to college together and were part of the Kalamazoo poetry scene. I have some of his early chapbooks, handmade bound with twine, but I’d never seen him do a reading before. It had been several years since I’d seen August when visiting Texas. He lives in Austin but is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Besides poetry he is also a musician and podcaster.

The poetry reading featured August Smith, Keith LLC, and Mason McClay. This was the first of two readings that August was doing, the other being in Chicago. The other speakers I was unfamiliar with and looked forward to seeing them perform.

I reached out to August asking where the venue was and he wasn’t exactly sure. The flyer for the event said it was at Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead. When I looked up where it was located all I could find was that the mobile home was mobile and sometimes changed locations. So, on the day of the reading I left early to figure out where it was. It turns out Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead is a sculpture by Mike Kelley where he made an exact replica of his childhood ranch home. That is quite a sculpture. It is now a permanent installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). 

Now I don’t go to Detroit often, usually only for concerts with friends. The worst part of Detroit is figuring out parking. I drove to the MOCAD and found it was closed while they renovated the space. Even the parking lot was closed off and filled with construction equipment. 

I ended up parking at a fast-food place and called the museum to find Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead.  The museum told me the main building was under construction but Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead was still open. After circling the area several times, I spotted the homestead behind a chain link fence. I ended up leaving my van in a sketchy-looking parking garage with lots of signs saying they were not responsible for loss of possessions or damage to vehicles.    

I walked a couple blocks to the location. It was sunny outside but it was still January in Michigan, it was a cold day. The reading began at 3:00 pm, I arrived early to check out the space. Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead had certainly been made permanent with sidewalks built around it, a functioning toilet, and a fully operational garage.

Inside I learned that there was no cost for entrance and there was currently an exhibit going on. The exhibit was called “Heartland” by Mary-Ann Monforton. Using plaster, paint, and mesh she created many sculptures representing symbols of American ambition.

I walked around looking at them while waiting for the event to start. I was alone staring at the sculptures, even the speakers hadn’t arrived. Soon people showed up and I found the performance was to be held in the garage. The lights were low and I took a seat at the end. A table was set up with a mixing board and microphone. An overhead projector displayed on a wall behind the table shapes of poetry in motion. They moved too fast to read.  As more people showed up, so did the speakers. 

I didn’t know what to expect from the reading. The flyer for the show said it would be a multimedia performance going from 3-5. There was no introduction, no greeting, no applause from the audience. They just went straight into the performance.   

First up were members of Keith LLC. They read some poetry and then a short play. At one point one of them played either a glockenspiel or a synthesizer. While this was happening the display of poetry shapes continued in the background. It was certainly an avant-garde performance.    

Keith LLC is a small press run by two guys, Matthew Hodges and Zan de Parry.  The press releases mostly experimental poetry chapbooks. On their website store they also have sold out listings of art books, posters, and t-shirts with wrestlers on them.  It seems they are willing to release whatever they find interesting or fun. 

Next up was August Smith.  He read four poems.  The first two were from his newest book, Visitors From The Red Star, published by Apocalypse Confidential. This poetry collection is all about aliens and alien encounters.   The second two poems were written only a couple days before and are titled “John Donne” and “Baby”.  The most impressive element of his performance was that he recited them from memory rather than a sheet of paper or his phone.  He stood out as the only performer to do so.

The last person performing was Mason McClay. His performance was interesting and more in line with the avant-garde nature of Keith LLC. The shapes of poetry flashing on the wall were some of his works. Later this year Keith LLC will be releasing some of Mason’s poetry and visual art. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA's Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center where he studies the emotional and thought structures of psychosis, dreams and traumatic memories.

And that was the end of the reading. It was shorter than I expected, but it was worth the drive to spend an afternoon meeting and learning about new artists. Afterwards I caught up with August for a little bit. I had to decline the offer to go out with him and the rest of the readers as I had an hour and a half drive back home. 

Luckily my van was still in one piece in the parking garage. On the drive home I told myself I need to go to more readings, whether in person or online. Writing is mostly a solo activity, as is reading, but a public reading…that is where the written word gets to be shared beyond just discussion and analysis.  And that is what I want more of.