Talking With Poets: Don Levy at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts

Thom Francis welcomes poet Don Levy who shared his work at the 2024 Word Fest Open Mic at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts on April 27, 2024.

The Word Fest first took shape in 2001 as a one-day open mic in Thatcher Park, bringing together poets from across the region to share their work. Over the years, it has expanded into a week-long celebration of poetry and spoken word, incorporating workshops, poetry slams, performances, and its signature open mic event.

After a break since 2019, the Word Fest Open Mic made its highly anticipated return on Saturday, April 27, at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts. The evening showcased powerful performances from featured spoken word artists and a dynamic lineup of open mic participants.

In today’s episode, we are thrilled to highlight Don Levy, a long-time area poet and former host of many open mics in the 90s and early-2000s, At the event, Don read a new piece, “My Queerness,” and some old time favorites such as the once-televised “Lobsters at the Grand Union.”

You can find more information, photos, and videos on all of the Word Fest events on the Hudson Valley Writers Guild website, hvwg.org