So Welcome to The Frozen Mic our brand new newsletter about the Last Wednesday Series open mics at Twisted Pepper in Dublin (www.bodytonicmusic.com/thetwistedpepper) and Rocky Sullivan’s in Brooklyn (www.rockysullivans.com) and the Chapters and Verse open mic at the Hammersmith Ram in London (www.hammersmithram.co.uk). The idea of the newsletter is to capture the open mic event as it happened, and preserve it – hence the frozen mic – frozen as in time!! For future newsletters we will be asking people to, if they so wish, submit their own comments/ reviews about the open mic, as well as reviews of books of those who read at the open mic.
The newsletter will also incorporate the work read in the ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ challenge at the open mic – which is where we take something from fact – a newspaper story, a street sign for example – and ask participants at the events to write a poem or some short prose on the subject for the next open mic. The suggestion from the audience for the first challenge in January was the theme of Unions, so that will be in the ‘Stranger than Fiction’ part below, along with the challenge for next month.
But first, some time for the ‘science bit’ – the housekeeping announcements. Firstly, all exits are virtual, and the escape button may work! But seriously, we will try our best to publish all views and submitted work without any censorship, but work deemed to be of a racist or other type of bigotry in nature and/or likely to cause active insult or incitement o hatred are likely to be excluded. In addition, while intelligent criticism is welcome, personal attacks on individual readers also may not be published. And, finally, be aware that, apart from our own editorial section of the newsletter, the content is not necessarily the opinion of the Seven Towers Agency, anyone involved in the agency, or any attendees at the open mic. What is will reflect, however, is our commitment to freedom of speech and expression which is strong and heartfelt.
The other thing is – and don’t say you weren’t warned. This newsletter including all the photographic content is copyrighted. You can contact us at frozenmic@seventowers.ie with regard to the content and use thereof, but we will not be happy if it is used without authorisation. Copyright details are under the written work or on the final page.
Now, to get on with the frozen bit!
Editorial
So off we went in our brand new exciting venue in Dublin at the Twisted Pepper in Middle Abbey Street, with our own stage. And our MC Declan was very comfortable at the mic with a stage all to himself! As the evening progressed we were reading to the Mic to the background buzz of mosquito music from the band downstairs– or was it a telltale heart beating of the other underground life sharing the space with us? All symbiosis and overlap!
Sandra Harris opened the evening with a stalker guardian angel – called Brian, who has legal authorisation signed ‘God’; but did not necessarily keep his side of the bargain. 
After Sandra it was the turn of Phil Lynch, fresh from the Tongue Box. Phil read ‘February’, celebrating the beginning of Spring, followed by ‘Not an Illusion’ (which is featured on one of the Upstart posters (www.upstart.ie), Phil read a union poem (for the Stranger than Fiction feature), drawn from his experience being tortured by/sorry working for the civil service. The poem is called ‘Strike’. He finished with ‘An Almost Love Poem’; Oran Ryan was next – with something on unions – the union between a hand and a man(!!) ‘How Alexander Wurmgrind saved the World’. He then read an extract from ‘Killing people is Easy’ one of the Ten Short Novels by Arthur Kruger. 
After Oran it was the turn of Ross Hattaway, who had an almost complete silence – holding of breath if you will- as he adjusted the mic! Anyway Ross thought he would celebrate the season, and the impending election with ‘Black and Tanka’; he continued on his theme with ‘The Need for Leadership’, with includes disrespecting the novelists – though he was quick to make reparations with his ‘Political Manifesto for the Prose Party’; and then it was a State of the Nation address with ‘Towards a Civil Peace’ inspired by the wordless Spanish National Anthem. Ross’ gift was from Jack Gilbert, an American poet – the poem was ‘To see if something comes next’.
After a short break it was the turn of Eamonn Lynskey who, began with his contribution to the Guardian Angel theme opened by Sandra – with ‘Bons Secours’. This was followed by ‘For Rachel” about the impact of the death of a student when he was a teacher. This was followed by ‘My Prayer”, and about preferring to be ‘down here’ – as the stereo –types of heaven are all wrong for him. He finished with ‘I get tired of myself all the time’., though of course, none of us do, but then we don’t have him inside our heads all the time – even when we’re asleep! After Eamonn it was the turn of Helen Dempsey who started off with ‘The Flautist’ , which, due to cut backs, is now the whistler (as apparently is the actual flautist!) 
Her next poem was about a special immersible designed to enable archaeology in the Dead Sea – a mysterious poem from something so factual and scientific, good feat! Helen’s final poem was for the upcoming election – called ‘Democracy’. After He;en it was the turn of Roger Hudson – fresh from a reading trip to San Francisco (and yes, we’re jealous) – with a poem he had read at a graveside for the person it was written about – ‘Last Victory of a Determined Woman, for Yvonne’. He also contributed to the Union theme with ‘Political Wasteland’ Roger followed this up with a piece drawn from anecdotes from a production by a drama group he had been involved in – and with a bit of a song! He finished with ‘In Pretty Prague’ about the hard work of holiday. After Roger it was the turn of Bob Shakeshaft who read poems with a kind of unity – stretching to fit into the theme of union (which Declan expanded to include unions of any type!) Bob started with ‘Why’ about the Dr Neary scandal (the telltale heartbeat appeared to get palpitations to coincide with this poem, with a muted dramatic drumbeat backing Bob!); his next poem on the same theme ‘Safe Nest to Tomb’ written in the voice of a woman about mourning her inability to give birth. He finished the triad with ‘Celebrate the Arrival’ about the celebration of a birth’. Bob read as his gift one of Noel O Briain’s love sonnets.
After a short break it was the turn of Steve Conway, who did do his little piece for unity of new writers – plugging the books for sale at the open mic! He followed up with a story that is not quite fiction, not quite fact – it was a story based on a dream he had about two years ago – life on a houseboat – with unrequited love and exquisite torture! After Steve it was the turn of Eileen Keane reading from a very long short story in progress called Hair – and as usual stopping in mid flow leaving us to wait until next month. I think we may have to institute a flash fiction rule for Eileen to help us with this month of torture!! After Eileen it was the turn of Olive Collins who read two short prose pieces – Departures, with Ed imagining his life to come in the metropolis of Dublin following the death of his father in unlikely circumstances, and Blue Eyed Boy . After Olive Anne Tannam came to the mic, reading from her recently published book Take this Life following another theme that had emerged – of people who were absent; Anne’s poem was in memory of her aunt Joan who died in February two years previously; the next poem was a new poem – called ‘Today my 88 year old father said . . .’ Her gift poem was a lyric by a musician, Pierce Turner from Wexford – about anticipating Spring. After Anne it was the turn of Eoin Hegarty making a return to the open mic after a long absence – due to the interference of the damned day job!! – though Declan decided not to hold it against him. Eoin picked up on a theme about anticipating Spring, His first poem was ‘Meanings’, this was followed by ‘Derivatives of Snow’. Then he finished with ‘The Bounce of Water’ about skimming stones.
After a short break – an and apology from Declan for extending the theme of the unions and introducing the Stranger than Fiction Theme for March (poem using only words in a story about horse racing, or a short story using a headline from a horseracing story) then it was the turn of Liz McSkeane who read Atlanta about an encounter in the airport. After Liz it was the turn of Karl Parkinson – for whom the mic just wasn’t tall enough!! He performed ‘The Tear’ about the death of his father, plugged his pamphlet published by Wurm in Apfel (J), then read ‘In the Block of Flats’, followed by ‘A Nightmare Vision of a Possible Future City’ – with a bit of Lou Reed. After Karl it was the turn of Peter Sheehan making his debut at the Last Wednesday Series with three poems – ‘Moths’, ‘September Moon’ and ‘Five Robertsville, Cork’ (just so you know, Peter is not from Cork – he’s from Kerry J). After Peter it was the turn of Nicky Mullins – who is from Cork, and who was also making his debut at the Last Wednesday Series with a series of love poems, incl one about the 56A. And the final reader for the evening was Mike Flynn – who is not from Cork. He read ‘Prolapse’ about a heifer with difficult birth, ‘Stalker’ – wondering what it would be like to have one – and maybe being one, sort of.
And meanwhile, across the pond, the snow monster decided to leave our open mic alone this month, for a change, which allowed novelist, short story writer and poet Tommy Frank O’Connor to guest at the open mic in Rocky Sullivan’s, Red Hook in Brooklyn, where the twin event was hosted by MC Lisa McLaughlin. And all reports describe him as magnificent! Lyssa Kiernan also read here – fresh from her Irish residency section of her MFA with Stonecoast University, Portland Maine. And, as if the readings weren’t enough, Martin Hayes turned up at the end with his fiddle and played in the front room (the open mic taking place in the theatre space at the back.)
And, as if that wasn’t enough – our new Chapters and Verse open mic in the Hammersmith Ram in Kings Street in Hammersmith – on the last Sunday of the month got off to a roaring start with this month’s MC Eamonn Lynskey (making a lie of the vicious rumour that you have to me a McL(a)oughlin of some form to MC at our open mics!). As well as a brand new open mic, Eamonn’s open mic also had a brand new amp!! Shiny stuff all round. Readers at the open mic with Eamonn were Betty Pearce (YetiBetty), Jessica Lawrence and John Clarke). And this was followed by the Sunday Trad Seisuin at the Ram.
The Frozen Mic 