The Little-Known Goba Related Chapbook

Songs of Innocence and Sam Adams was a  collaborative chapbook between Friends of Poetry comrades Ron Goba and Prabakar T. Rajan. This was given out as part of a special Stone Soup Poetry benefit held at Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain on May 20, 2012. 

 

Sadly, Prabakar wasn't able to make it back from India to the states for the event. Fortunately, Tom Daley tagged in and recited Prabakar's poems alongside Ron. It was a fun event, and I regret not being able to organize more readings like this when Ron was still alive.

 

My girlfriend designed the cover for the collection, which was especially generous of her given that I planned the event to take place the same weekend as her birthday. I've learned since. 

 

She always like this cover and how the placement of the photos made it look like that Ron's arm was comically extra long. 

They are planning a tribute for Ron Goba for National Poetry Month. I plan to make more copies of this collection (and possibly more!) for this event. For those who can't make it, I will gladly pass on a PDF file.

Remembering Ron Goba

 

Like most people in the Boston poetry scene who have been around long enough, my first experience with Ron Goba was seeing him perform at the end of the open mic at the Cantab Lounge for Wednesday's Boston Poetry Slam. 

A Decade of Patron Emeritus

Last Sunday marked the first day my first ever full-length collection was made available from FootHills Publishing online. It is a book that would never have been created if not for a series of wonderful events that took almost a decade to bring me to the moment I never thought I would see as a poet. 

Another Workshop Sunday

Ron on the word "Fecund." Sounds like fuckin'.

Now that we got the choice quote, here's some quick moments at the workshop from yesterday.

Ronday is My Favorie Day of the Week

Prabakar and Ron, mid-workshop.

Another productive day at Doyle's yesterday with Ron, Prabakar and the gang.

I would share choice quotes, but I'm pressed for time, and I want to use the best ones for a future poem.

I will be sharing an edited poem. One that frequent visitors of this blog are actually familiar with.

I made a rank amateur mistake and am appropriately embarrassed by it. I'll share as soon as I can.
 

Scenes from Yesterday's Workshop With Ron Goba

Ron at the helm.

Too many "Ron-isms" to report. We had seven people total at the Doyle's table. That has to be a new record. I have to try and put them into a poem.

Scenes and Words from Sunday's Workshop

For me, the last high point of National Poetry Month was Sunday's workshop at Doyle's with Ron Goba and the group I've come to call The Usual Gang. Here are some pictures I secretly took and quotes I recorded from yesterday's get-together. 

Another Great Workshop

Another workshop. Two months in a row! I hope to make this a regular thing for this entire year.

A Moment With Ron

From our monthly gathering at Doyle's in Jamaica Plain.

Going over Ron's latest "DWS" poem, Prabakar brought out these (likely to be removed) lines.

this old man walks three miles to

buy the Mega Millions Powerballs tickets

doesnt own a car  (sic)

Prabakar thought the lines seemed too "self-pitying."

Ron shot back, "That's because you're not a walker!"

As a fellow walker, I roared with laughter and respect.

You keep walking, Ron. It helps keep us both alive.

I Need to Take Down More Quotes

Best exchange before the post-reading Q&A/discussion/argument session at Doyle's Cafe​ featuring Ron Goba.

Me (to Prabakar Thyagarajan​): "You're gonna start a fight over syntax?"

Prabakar: "Poets have died for less."

Ron and Cheti

I've heard of the man known as Cheti before, but after years of near-misses at events where he was scheduled to appear then had to cancel the man is practically an urban legend. All I knew is that this former schoolmate of Prabakar T. Rajan is a longtime supporter of both Prabakar and Ron Goba as well as the Friends of Poetry and late lamented Goba Salon. Yesterday, I finally got to meet the man/myth/legend.

Cheti is a photographer who commissioned Ron to write a poem based on a photograph he took of a dancer, which Cheti called "Salome."

I wish you could see this. It was quite amazing to look at.

After a beer and some conversation, Ron was ready to give it a go...

with a quick introduction from Prabakar, who also moderated the event as a whole.

It started with the poem below and then moved on to several other poems that touched on Salome,  John the Baptist, and his late wife Sue.

After the reading, there was some discussion of the poem and Ron's writing process, which led to debate, which Ron enjoyed. Here's just a small sample of that discussion.

Prabakar Thyagarajan Will be at Stone Soup

Ron Goba reading and Prabakar on the open mic? Sign me up.

I wish I had copies of this chapbook on hand.

 

Stone Soup Fundraiser, May 20th

I've put so much work into this event coming up this Sunday.  Ron Goba and Prabakar T. Rajan.  At least, that was the original plan.  Unfortunatley Prabakar, is unable to make it into the states in time for the reading.   Luckily, friend and well regarded poet/teacher Tom Daley will fill in and read the set that Prabakar was scheduled to read (a great choice).  And of course Ron will be there to celebrate Stone Soup, poetry in general, and the release of the limited edition collection, Songs of Innocence and Sam Adams (available for a minimum $1 donation).  Please attend this event.  This could be the prelude to another Stone Soup venue and future events in a great location.  The more of you there are, the better the event will be.

May 20th: Stone Soup Benefit at Doyle's Cafe With Features Prabakar T. Rajan and Ron Goba

Join us on Sunday Night, May 20th, as Stone Soup welcomes your voices and a special focus on two amazing poets on the Boston Scene as Stone Soup holds it's first fundraising benefit in years to help keep the reading series more self sustaining and better benefit it's feature poets. Admission to the event is $3. A special collection of poems both features will be reading that night will be on sale for the suggested donation of $1. The open mike will begin no later than 7:30 PM with the features going on around 9:00 PM.

Prabakar T. Rajan was born at the Cantab sometime in 2003 and even following his departure from the states he continues, with audacity, to inflict his poems regularly on hapless audiences like The Cantab and the Brookline Booksmith. He even released his full length poetry collection, A Slice of Water, through Friends of Poetry. His only saving grace is that he has the good sense to truly enjoy the open mike, where he savors and steals from poets better than he. No true poet is safe from him. That could well be the most generous epitaph he merits.

Ron Goba is a retired english teacher (a career he began in 1958), a member of Friends of Poetry, and the author of such collections as The Music Box, The Custom of Quoting Someone, and Collage As Silkscreen. For several years, he was known as the doorman for the weekly Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab. In 2011, he released Swan Song, a small collection of poems, to coincide with his reading at the Cantab on the eve of his birthday.

Coming Soon...

Prabakar T. Rajan at The Cantab

From the poet's farewell feature at The Cantab Lounge on November 4, 2009. I'm glad I'm finally able to get these up.

The videos were mixed with audio by DJ Muse, who mixes music and records the events for the Boston Poetry Sam every Wednesday.


"Nantucket"





"English Teacher"






And "He Never Quite Got The Pulitzer"

My poem For Prabakar T. Rajan

Before Prabakar's reading at The Goba Salon this past Friday, Tom Daley emailed several of us, asking us to bring work (by ourselves or others) to read in honor of Ron's guest of honor.

I haven't been as close to Prabakar, Ron Goba and Keith Nystrom as others in the poetry scene, but I've become closer as I've joined their Friends of Poetry workshop since my own Goba Salon reading. I owe so much to Prabakar for not only inviting me to read for the salon (he had booked the talent for Ron since the two founded the series) but for being the person who first verbally gave me the invitation to join the workshop.

It was keeping this in mind, as well as trying in some way to honor his wish that he'd rather hear poems about his friends than about him, that I wrote the poem below, based on the first time Ron, Prabakar, Keith, and myself were at the same workshop together a couple of weeks ago. I jotted down all the quotes as I heard them during the workshopping of Ron's poem and mine, making very few alterations.


Salon Poem

Ron's poem sizes up
pointed, loaded weapons
for a Sigmund-style salvo,
says, "I was entertaining bazookas,"
clashing phallic cymbals,
asking us to compare sounds.
Keith suggests a big black fanny pack
down by the poem's center
to help keep weapon partially concealed.
Even so, could you still stand up
with said poem on stage
and not be asked to step down?
Ron scoffs. "Even Ashberry
played with hs dictionary."
Prabakar scimitars my failed sonnet,
finds the Kafka I'd sneak in at college,
rewrites one stanza into
a well wrought urn to keep it in.
Ron leans forward: "What an incredible birth."

Prabakar T. Rajan Says Farewell at The Goba Salon, December 18, 2009

Prabakar says farewell to the Boston poetry scene courtesy of the Wollaston, MA venue he helped to found with friend Ron Goba.

I have these going up on Facebook, but I wanted to make sure Prabakar could see these. Not everyone has Facebook accounts, or can even access them if they have work computers.



Vicki Murray got the brunt of my pics while
documenting the Round Robin given that she was
directly across the room from me, and it was awkward
to take pictures when we the salon sits in a circle.


Tom Daley and Prabakar listen to the Round Robin
before the feature.


Prabakar reads as dear friend Ron Goba listens
intently, his glasses off just about any time a poem
was being read by anyone.


The applause at the end of the feature.


As I knew from first hand experience, there is a
discussion after the feature reads. For Prabakar, who
has been booking for the Salon for a couple of years,
the discussion was lively, even feisty at times.



And this was all before the second round robin,
where both poetry and tributes were read for
Prabakar, even by a friend of a friend who just
met him.




Keith Nystrom, co-documentor.







Kieth going super sleuth.


Like a ninja!




The break before the 2nd Round Robin.


Anthony Baldor is just as happy to see me
with a camera as most people are (not very).


Back to the circle.


Michael Mack in the audience. He did an impromptu
reading of a poem about his father which he was
able to have relate to Prabakar.




Ron reads the final poem of the night.


Back to the photos. Prabakar poes with Ron and
Gabrielle Fee and her mother Isabelle, both of
whom knew Prabakar from his day job as a doctor
and were indebted to him when Gabrielle was ill.




You pose enough for me, and inevitably, more
people want to join in.




Some other faces at the reading: Eric Howes.


And Sue Goba, co-master of the house.






Keith without camera. I hope he sends me the
photo he snuck with me behind Prabakar.


And Jade Sylvan.


Fact: Naming Jade Sylvan in your blog will
garner you 30 extra hits!


Prabakar signs a book for new friend Lynne Sticklor,
who couldn't be in the audience that night.


Nate Connors says goobye to this photo session.