Thursday, March 20, 2014
Saying goodbye to The Rapp Saloon reading that used to be.
Santa Monica CA's Rapp Saloon poetry reading began in 2000 at the International Youth Hostel (where it remains to this day). I was fortunate enough to be one of its hosts; today, it was announced that the reading will be cut back in May from every Friday to the first and third Fridays of each month. It now serves a less artistically diverse, more attuned to high-culture audience than it used to (when most factions of the LA/OC poetry communities commingled). And perhaps The Rapp will maintain its current following for years to come. But I mourn the now-official death of what it once was.
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I featured at the Rapp last week, for the first time ever, and only six people showed up, including me and the host. Very disappointing.
ReplyDeleteNow, the reading's reduced to Peggy's first Friday and Elena's third Friday. Beyond that, it seems to have been difficult to draw consistent attendance every week of the month--unlike in past years. I hosted for six months last year, and had, at best, a couple of months with fairly decent turnout. Meanwhile, I fear that most poets just shrug their metaphorical shoulders when readings get into trouble and either cut back,, as the Rapp has, or disappear altogether.
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