A Thank You

Realizing that I have a certain prejudice, but my feeling was and is that last night’s celebration of NYBT’s first year as a literary rag was a screaming success. The parting comments were all positive and there is a strong possibility that, if we make it through another year, we’ll have another. My present housemates criticized me some because I made no effort to save the banner I’d spent four hours cutting and stringing together yesterday, but conceded my points about the lack of storage and we’d want a new approach for the next one anyway. Some things are built to be discarded in fairly short order.

Many thanks are in order. First and foremost, to the Clarks, proprietors of the Galeria 409, for doing so much to support the arts in Brownsville. And then just as hearty thanks to the fine poets and writers who participated. I should be able to post a photo gallery sometime by tomorrow afternoon and probably sooner. And thanks to everyone who attended. Virginia Gause, keeper of the Valley’s Arts Calendar, and husband George came down from the great city of McAllen, for instance.  And many more came. There were a few who I didn’t take opportunity to greet, and I apologize to them on that score–it wouldn’t have been the same without them. I’m still working on my hosting skills.

It was a pleasure to watch  a group of fifty or so raptly attending to live literature from Edgar Clinton, Jr., and Kathy Raines and Robin Cate and Mona Sizer and  Roberto Cruz and Eugene Novogrodsky and Brenda Nettles Riojas and Meliton Hinojosa and Doug Trenfield. Thank you all for your contributions to the evening’s entertainment. We were entertained. Thank you. Photos will follow.

And the musicians. Yes, I was one of those and proud in this instance to be so. But without Joel Humphries and John Goggin, I would have been a pale reed trying to whistle in slight wind. And Sandra and Chet Mink added an excellent musical surprise to cap the evening. Everyone who spoke to me complimented the music. Would that I had brought my cajón and congas and rhythm bag with all the sticks and gourds and ringing bells so that more could have participated. Well. Better planning for the next one, eh?

Thanks again to all who came, who helped, who participated.

See you next year?

-Stan Raines