When Los Angeles patrons of art and poetry vote with their absence.

Last night, famed artist Rachel Rosenthal appeared at West Hollywood's Book Soup. Just a few people turned up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Rosenthal

In my case, I only discovered this because my wife and I were in the store to shop for books. Wondering if Book Soup (which I've aired mixed feelings about in the past) still prints ads for its in-store author appearances in any local media.

Over a week earlier, a poetry reading hosted by Michelle Angellini in Silverlake (which had some rather welcome eclectic multiple-poet bills) had its plug pulled by the venue's owner.

And, like some of the rest of you, I share responsibility by not making time to patronize the latter (irony: I was booked to feature there in September) during its short life.

Time to allude to the cliche about trees falling in forests with no one around to notice.
[UPDATE 6/20/10--Read the sobering news about Ron Dvorkin's long-running reading at Encino's Barnes and Noble being canceled after this month due to the store deeming it a "non-revenue producing" event. I attended (and on occasion read in the open) a few times and can attest to its popularity and the diversity of poets who attended and/or featured. Knowing that Ron, if he decides to continue, will manage to find another San Fernando Valley venue.]

Current and former Los Angeles poets looking back at the previous decade.

1998 was the year I became active in Los Angeles poetry. It was a time when poetry readings came in a selection of rock-and-roll, hip-hop, folk-radical agitprop or chamber music. And, on occasion, readings could blend all of the above.

2008 is a year where Los Angeles poetry is mostly chamber music (with occasional exceptions such as Fairfax's Da Poetry Lounge and the Wednesday night readings at the Unurban Cafe) that can, at its soporific worst, remind one of the sound of water being poured into a glass.

Recently, the Onyx Cafe, an everyone-can-participate Los Feliz reading dead since 1998, staged a reunion at the Echoplex in Echo Park. A documentary film may surface someday of the reunion.

Ex-L.A. poet Larry Jaffe, who co-hosted Poetic License with the late Donn Deedon, was a beneficiary of the Onyx's legacy. Here's a link to his latest project--UNPROTECTED POETRY 10 YEARS AFTER: www.lgjaffe.com/unprotectedpoetry

Rick Lupert, a veteran of the local scene, has finally acted on a suggestion I (among others) made to him years ago and reissued his second book--I AM MY OWN ORANGE COUNTY--consisting of poetry written between 1990-97. More information on the book can be found here: http://poetrysuperhighway.com/iamooc.html

Reissues are all well and good for reminding the public of work done in the past. And 10th anniversary celebrations are a valuable opportunity for seeing now-mostly-retired poets make rare reappearances and for poetry hosts (such as Ron Dvorkin, who recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as host of the Barnes and Noble reading in Encino) to make note of their longevity in a changing scene.

After the celebrations are over, questions remain:
What kind of poetry scene will we be looking back on in 2018?
Inclusive or ultraexclusive?