Bellmore Library Hosts Tuesdays with Poetry

Lorraine Conlin, host of Tuesdays with Poetry, introduced the featured guest at Bellmore Memorial Library on Tuesday evening, saying, "He didn't write Angels and Demons. He's not that Dan Brown."

Winner of the New Criterion Poetry Prize for his book, "Taking the Occasion," published by Ivan R. Dee, Dan Brown told the audience, consisting of many poets, that he planned to share "poems that I don't read as much and see if they'll work." A recipient of the prestigious Pushcart Prize, Brown explained that his poems tell stories. He went on to read several poems from his collection, including, "On Brooklyn Heights," "Love Story," "Girl Watching," and "Designer," stirring the audience to ooh and ahh and offer a lot of applause.

Brown, whose poetry is included in a number of anthologies, works at IBM in Manhattan, and studied music at Cornell. His online appreciation of Bach's music can be viewed at www.whybach.com. The poet, who is from Baldwin, has been writing poetry for about 35 years, writes free verse and poems with rhyme and meter.

Brown said, "I try to do for New York's way of speaking what Robert Frost did for New England talk."

Those in attendance included Barbara and Carl Hasper of Massapequa.

"Carl is the poet," Barbara was quick to say. "He started writing after he retired as an electrical engineer."

Eager to share the spotlight, Carl introduced another poet in the audience, Dr. Dawson.

"I like to write both serious and comical poetry," Dr. Dawson said.

"He (Dawson) has a poem about every single president's wife," Barbara added.

Along with several other audience members, creative writing teacher, Mary Haughey from Lindenhurst and North Bellmore's Carol Lustgarten, author of the self-published book "Stormy Sky," participated in the evening.

Tuesdays with Poetry is on the last Tuesday of every month at Bellmore Memorial Library, from 7 to 9 p.m.