State Representative David Bly, MN District 25B

Storytellers
A mix of whimsy, humor and poignant meditation captured the audience at the “Real Lives Aloud” event presented by a group of Northfield storytellers lead by Paul Krause and Don Forsberg. Other storytellers were Bernadine Hughes, Mary Flaten, Carol Fridrickson, Victor Red Oak and Bill Gurnon. I enjoyed several of the Artswirl events though I could not make all of them. This event was a particular delight because as the show title implies it is living art - works in progress. Artists boldly practicing their craft right in front of an audience that they can feel and play to. It takes courage and confidence to perform this way.

Jazz night
I took in another set of performers at the ArtOrg Jazz Series Steve Jennings, Karl Koopman, Jeff Baily, Tim Snow and Alicia Wiley
entertained an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd at the upstairs Rueb.

Writer’s Night
On the following night I joined eight other writers in the NAG Seasonal Writer’s night in Central Park. This evening’s theme was Errors and Comedy, which may have been chosen by the judges, Philip Spensley and Leslie Schultz, because the current NAG theater production being performed at the park was Shakespeare’s ‘Comedy of Errors’. To carry that connection further the first reading was Steve Swanson’s series of Shakespearian Sonnets, titled ‘On Buying My Grandson Laertes His First Used Car.’ I enjoyed hearing Steve’s mid-American voice and syntax in iambic pentameter, it was an excellent blend of craft and regional sensibility an excellent choice capturing both humor and human erring to the start the theme off.

David Fierke read a satirical prose piece, ‘God’s Gravity’ blending a subtle humor with error’s of thought and perception. David is a very precise writer and I enjoy hearing his prose. Sharol Nau read her poem, ‘Cacophony of the night’ and then I read a poem and an exerpt from an essay. Here’s the poem:

MAGIC

A crow sits watching me from the blue spruce
The sheen from his feathers reminds me of the
greased black hair of the toughs from my childhood

They were bigger, smoked cigarettes, wore white
t-shirts and blue jeans, and watched menacingly
waiting for a chance to frighten or intimidate

They hung around Lee’s Used Car Lot on the corner
a small brick building with a very small lot, a few cars
In the big office window Lee kept exotic primates

with big eyes they watched the children loitering
before school - The children of course looked back
until their greater interest in each other took over

A bushy haired brown skinned girl used to chase
the other children and play at being retarded so they
might tolerate her - When I didn’t run away she

glowered at me and told the big boys to beat me up.
They pushed at me blew smoke but then left me alone
Curious, I followed her home up a steep hill she

turned and yelled at me to go away, but I kept following
She found a path in tall grass, her feet found old stone steps
covered over - In the shade of trees at the top of the hill

an old woman head wrapped in a kerchief sat by a fire
she looked at me in a stern and watchful way - A crow
flew down and waddled around her as she sat - “He wouldn’t

leave!” The girl said - The old woman lifted her head and
looked at me in a way that made my heart grow cold and my eyes
tear up - The girl stroked my golden hair and the old woman

slowly pulled the kerchief from her white head and said
“There is no one here, so what you are looking for
must be inside you” - I blinked and the kinkachoo blinked

Lee came out from the little building and said, “Don’t stand
too close to the glass he doesn’t like it if you get too close”
I stepped back and almost fell over the black crow

In ‘A cake for the Bishop’ Nancy Cantwell tells a humorous story of preparing a cake for a celebration of Bishop Whipple, renowned First Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota.

After a brief intermission Marc Robinson read his story, ‘The Superhero: Or Jonah and the Bass’ by far the most outrageous and humorous of the stories, about a not so simple morning walk to the mailbox. Doug Green read his poem, ‘School Choice’ not really about the politics of schooling but the frustrations of modern life. In the ‘Root of Absent-Mindedness’ Tom Swift explains his unfortunate absentmindedness is not really his own fault but can be traced genetically to his mother’s unusual condition at least he hopes that’s true.

The final piece was by far the most poignant. David Maitland, retired Carleton College Chaplain, in ‘Unfinished Business’ wonders as he faces his nineties what more is there for him to learn about life. He writes with honesty and wisdom of his mistaken belief that he understood the suffering of others. It was not until he grieved for the loss of his wife Betsy that he understood what he could not have previously known. He learned also that the public tears he shed, though embarrassing to him were immensely helpful to others. It was indeed a inspiring and a pleasure to share the stage with this talented group of writers and share with the audience our efforts.

The Play’s the thing

‘Comedy of Errors’ a delightful play of mistaken identities, director Susan Carlson did a great job casting believable twins. The story rambles its way through a series of mishaps involving two look-a-like merchants and their look-a-like servants, which culminates in a revelation of twins separated at birth that would fit easily into the University of Minnesota study.

Thanks to all those who worked so hard to bring this play and Shakespeare in the park to Northfield, I know it has been a labor of love for many years and we are the beneficiaries. Thanks also to all those who made the ArtSwirl event a success.

I feel greatly enriched by the small number of events I was able to take in.