Uniting the City

14690023
Originally uploaded by Philly Literary

PHILLIES PITCHER THROWS NO-HITTER

This is the greatest sports town in America.

Watching the Game

14690025
Originally uploaded by Philly Literary

THE PHILLIES BEGIN THEIR RUN
Among all the spots to watch the baseball games, one of the best is outside the Wanamaker ticket office on 16th just south of Market Street. At least, I watched one of the games of the crucial series with the Braves a couple weeks ago which decided the division. I was among an eclectic group of homeless, and guys in suits just got off work, all who shouted on every Phillies hit or made play. This is a sports-mad city, and right now for the town the universe is in harmony, the planets aligned.

Quick Report

--ON THE MAD POETS FESTIVAL IN MEDIA PA.

The Mad Poets Festival Sunday featured as wide a variety of poetic styles in one place as I've seen. The amount of talent surprised me.

I arrived a bit late, and left early to catch a train back to Philly-- but while I was there the event was fun and fast-moving. Mad Poets Chief Eileen D'Angelo is as good an organizer as I've seen-- she does so unobtrusively and makes it look easy. Poets efficiently enter and exit the "stage," nonappearances are virtually unnoticed-- time strictly enforced by taskmaster Missy Grotz-- the result is that poets are shown at their best, there's not one dull moment, and everyone has a good time.

I scribbled a few notes re the event and the individual poets on my way back, which I'll be posting in a few days, with photos to follow shortly. I looked up from my scribbling just as my train pulled into the University City stop-- revealing very close downtown Philly looking like a painted backdrop-- an angle of the town I'd never seen. I should've gotten off there and snapped a photo for this blog! Oh well.

Reminder

The big Mad Poets Festival is tomorrow in downtown Media, PA. 50+ poets headlined by past Poet Laureate Daniel Hoffmann. I'll be reading for five minutes, scheduled to go on at 2:15. (Event goes from noon to five.) If I can grab a camera from somewhere I'll be snapping photos-- hope to get several for this blog. Price of admission is one nonperishable food item. For more info see
www.madpoetssociety.com

There are two big events in Philly area Sunday: the Eagles, and the Poets!

See ya there!
-Karl Wenclas

The Salesman

14690017
Originally uploaded by Philly Literary

Entrepreneur Jan Sklaroff caught recently on the streets of Center City hustling for somebody.

Mad Poets Festival

I'll be at the Mad Poets Festival this Sunday, October 3, noon-to-5pm at the Media Borough Hall in downtown Media PA. I may even read at it-- don't know for sure at this writing-- but at least I'll be in the audience taking a note or two for this blog, maybe snapping photos. I hope to meet some writers!
*************************************
(NOTE: Festival admission/"ticket" is one nonperishable food item for the City Team Ministries. Presumably the food item will eventually perish when somebody in need eats it!)

Hilary Hahn Sighting

I was privileged to see Hilary Hahn in rehearsal at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall in 2008, thanks to an invite from a friend. Hahn is not only the greatest violinist on the planet, she’s the most beautiful. Hilary attended Philly’s famed Curtis Institute of Music. Last week while sitting in Rittenhouse Square I saw Ms. Hahn with entourage walking across the square. I also thought I’d seen her walking down 17th the night before--  though about that I may have been mistaken! The point: You never know who you’ll see in Philadelphia.