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   The Poets' Co-op hosts an Open Reading the First Thursday of every month each Spring & Fall. The readings are held in the artistic splendor of the Loveland Museum from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The Loveland Museum is located at 503 N. Lincoln Avenue (corner of Fifth & Lincoln in beautiful Downtown Loveland). (If our "ticker" did not automatically pop up to give you the latest information concerning the next open reading, click here). Click to read about all of our 2008 Fall Series Poets. (You can also still read about the 2005 Fall Series poets, 2006 Spring Series poets, 2006 Fall Series Poets, 2007 Spring Series poets, 2007 Fall Series Poets or 2008 Spring Series Poets as well.)

   Readers & listeners embrace all styles of original poetry and range in experience from first time readers to published and polished professionals.  Participants have ranged in age from 8 to 80.  A common love for the muse creates a nurturing community for readers and listeners.

   These readings include a new poetic challenge each month, and showcase a different featured reader. (You can check our virtual coffee house for the latest Poetic Challenge Phrase and even post your own Challenge Poem there.) Readings are hosted by M. D. Friedman. Complimentary snacks will be graciously provided by HENRY'S PUB (234 E. 4th St.).

   Readings often offer poets an opportunity to record their performance for posting on our web site. (All recorded sound files are in MP3 format). Some of these are big files so if you are on a phone line, it is best to save them to your hard drive first, and then open them in your MP3 player software . (Don't forget to also visit the special studio recorded selections at www.mp3poetry.com featuring many internet poets from around the world. These include several experimental spoken word MP3's as well as several more with musical backing recorded at Mad Dog Music Studio. )

   We also host live TV poetry readings on the first Sunday of each month from 7:00 - 7:30 pm in partnership with Boulder County Comcast Cable Channel 54 and the Cannon Mine Coffee Shop.  The Poet's Co-op TV Show features both Colorado and National Poets with an emphasis on performance poetry. You can download or watch I-Pod ready video excerpts from these shows or the full half hour program for free at www.videopoetry.org.

  Please contact our host and event coordinator, M. D. Friedman, if you are interested in becoming a featured poet at one of our readings.  

   Be sure to check out our Special Tribute in honor of Gene Hoffman & our Top Ten Downloads at the bottom of this page.

NEW excerpts from our last reading. (Click to subscribe to this podcast and/or put into I-Tunes.)

(Archived recordings of our past open readings are posted alphabetically both by the poem's title & by the poet's first name):

1. Two of Swords by Katherine West
2. God the Song by Katherine West
3. Dating by Dwight Loeschner
4. Honestly by Dwight Loeschner
5. We the Living by Dwight Loeschner
6. Fruition by Marisa Beahm
7. Synonym by Marisa Beahm
8. Bells by Marisa Beahm
9. The Listening by Maggie Rowlett
10. Return to Eden by Maggie Rowlett
11. Classic Cat by Maggie Rowlett
12. Letter from the Mad House on Yankee Station by Gordon Holladay
13. Monsoon Wind by Gordon Holladay
14. Gunboats on the Mekong by Gordon Holladay
15. Underground Gallery by Joanne Burke
16. Wildlife by Joanne Burke
17. Exotic Bird by Joanne Burke
18. Lovely by Joanne Burke
19. Happy Birthday/While the Wait (a pair of poems) by Mariamne Engle Friedman and Katherine West
20. How Can We Age Gracefully... by Donald Searle
21. March11th, 2007 by Donald Searle
22. Spring Fly By by Caroline Orman
23. Pizza Parlor by Caroline Orman
24. I  Love Paris by Caroline Orman
25. Colored by M. D. Friedman
26. Never Ask A Poet Directions by M. D. Friedman

My apologies to anyone who read after M. D (especially to our featured reader, Cameron Scott). All poems that followed at the May 1, 2008 reading were lost due to technical difficulties. Please come read them again in the Fall so we can archive them. Thank you for understanding.

   The following are the current top ten downloaded poetry mp3's from our Open Reading archive (all of them averaging over 500 downloads each):

1. Dandelion Pasture (with Mariamne Engle reading the second voice) by Katherine West
2. Doors by Katherine West
3. You Talking to Me, Pilgrim by Jeffery Franklin
4. God Father by Fred Wagela
5. I Am What I Am (with Katherine West reading the second voice) by John Blair
6. Spice by Jeffery Franklin
7. The Squirrels by Tom Cornwell
8. The Question by Diana L. Royce
9. I Met Her at a Poetry Reading by Ray Foreman
10. Restraining by Diana L. Royce

1. Found at Exhibit of Found Art by M. D. Friedman (See photos of Gene Hoffman's St. George in Aluminum, Rusted Metal & Car Reflectors, Gene Hoffman's
   Winged Tiki & Gene Hoffman's Kachina ).
2. Two Poems for Gene Hoffman by Gordon Holladay
3. Icarus Triptych in Rusted Metal & Aluminum by M. D. Friedman (See a photo of Gene Hoffman's Icarus Triptych in Rusted Metal & Aluminum).
4. Two Poems inspired by the art of Gene Hoffman by Mariamne Engle recorded live on Dona Stein's Poetry Show . (See photos of Gene Hoffman's On Thoreau & Gene Hoffman's The Trophy ).

 

   Our last CD featuring live readings from the Java Lounge is now available at our Online Store. (This CD is a compellation of live readings recorded at the Java Lounge Open Readings and experimental studio recordings recorded at the Mad Dog Music Studio. This is our first CD release and represents a wide range of poetic styles typical of a night at one of our Open Readings. )