April 2020 Poetry Night of Songs & Stories

Songs for Writers

Sign Up to Write/Read
Mar 1 (Sun)— Poems Due to Maribeth
Apr 14 (Tue) Reading at Night of Songs and Stories 

From Ethan Joella and Gail Comorat—We have posted links below to songs chosen by our vocalists. Email Maribeth to let her know which song you would like to use as inspiration for your poem: [email protected]. 

• Up to five poems will be accepted for each song.
• Three poems for each song will be selected to be read by the poet on Apr 14. These will be chosen through a blind reading by an outside judge based on the best use of the song. 
• Poems are due Mar 1 and should be no longer than 300 words.​

You can focus on a memory the song has for you, write a response to the song, or write about your particular connection to the artist or time period. You might pluck a line or refrain from the song, or even watch the song on YouTube and write about your reaction to the performance. Write a poem with metaphors and questions and leaps—all those tools we talk about that make up a compelling poem. The goal is to not dig into your folder of written poems, but to instead write something brand new about your chosen song. 

I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I’ll die like a poet.--Bob Dylan
 
Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.
--Kurt Vonnegut

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Song #1 
"Convoy" by CW McCall and Chip Davis
https://youtu.be/lqYTX7parRw

Song #2
"Brilliant Disguise" by Bruce Springsteen 
There are many other songs with the same title, so start with the Springsteen links to ensure that you are listening to the correct song.
The original 1987 video: https://youtu.be/idnJnjV_8rg
From VH1's "Storytellers" series, acoustic with wife Patty Scialfa: https://youtu.be/ZI622KkUHaI
From "Springsteen on Broadway" (2018, audio only): https://youtu.be/24Zrp78gshU
From a live E Street Band performance with Scialfa, 2016: https://youtu.be/6WWPQktp21M
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Song #3
"Hard Times Come Again" by Stephen Foster
Simple vocal rendition by sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella: https://youtu.be/PGca52zSLWE
Full orchestra/chorus with Irish vocalist Tommy Fleming: https://youtu.be/s5T0vy0-Oak 

Song #4
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
 https://youtu.be/m5TwT69i1lU
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