is the grass any bluer...

is the grass any bluer...
...in Cincinnati!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sunny Montgomery Selected as ELandF's Bangin’ up a Storm Poet!


by Kim Thomas

A few weeks ago ELandF Gallery was seeking a poet for their Bangin' up a Storm nursing home tour and posted this ad: "Kickin' Poet to read at 8 Lexington Nursing Homes in 8 hours! to be followed by a public reading a the Morris book shop."

Now, I don't know about y'all, but when I hear the word "poet" in the local realm these days, I always think of my friends at Holler Poets Series, Eric Sutherland's brainchild, John Lackey's artistic muse, mainstay act at Al's Bar -- and then my thoughts turn to Donna Ison with her Myrtle: Saint Gone Wild, Devine Carama, Helen Roach Thompson, Erin Cutler, and many, many more -- but really and truly, the person that always comes to my mind when someone mentions the word poet to me right here, right now is Sunny Montgomery. That is most likely due to the fact that Sunny IS a sunny person: she's friendly, she's gorgeous, she's thoughtful, but best of all, she's a smart smart lady with a great sense of humor.

Also, Sunny actually reads my Ace Weekly articles...then she'll repeat stuff back to me that she's read or make a funny reference to my writing when I see her out and about at the Green Lantern, Fish Tank, Lynagh's, Natasha's -- and all the other cool places in town where the fun happens.

So when I learned that Sunny Montgomery was selected by ELandF Gallery as The Kickin Poet hereinabove described, I was ecstatic, knowing that these folks at the nursing homes were in for a real treat! Sunny will absolutely deliver what everyone wants: an entertaining literary delight.

Sunny: “I’ve been a writer since I was a little girl and I’m always searching out new ways to share. I’m certain this project is going to be incredibly inspiring for everyone involved and I would LOVE the chance to share my greatest passion with a part of our community (nursing homes) that we do not get to socialize with enough. Because after all, society is only as strong as all of its members cooperating together, right?"

Mick Jeffries, Host of Trivial Thursdays on WRFL is excited to announce by tweet: "Poet Sunny Montgomery will be discussing her tour on #trivialthursdays NEXT week, July 9 edition!" @wrfl http://bit.ly/4L2Ko

Below is the ELandF Bangin Poet schedule, and I would encourage you to find a facility on this list where you may know someone, attend the reading with them, or bring it to their attention.
If not -- and for those of you who may be looking at an empty summer filled with nothing but long hot workdays -- I guarantee that you can find someone at these homes who never, ever gets a visitor. I play piano for a nursing home worship service, and for 12 years I have become acquainted with quite a few lovely souls who fit that description. It's my belief that if you should visit just one person, once a week who may be in that situation, both of your lives will be immeasurably improved, probably forever.

This is such a worthwhile cause, and my applause goes to ELandF for continually finding creative avenues for local artists to contribute in a positive way to our community. Here's the list:

July 15 Schedule *media/public is welcome at most nursing homes but please contact nursing home in advance. Media is invited to our 12pm reading at Richmond Place nursing home (Versailles Rd., Lexington)

*8:30am Winchster Center, Winchester
*9:30am (tentative) Rose Manor Nursing Home
*10:30am Richmond Place
*11:30am Latitude Artist Community
*12:00pm Homestead Nursing Home, Versailles Rd. (media, public invited)
*3 more nursing homes in pm TBA
*7:30pm the Morris book shop, Last stop- public reading

Contact info for Bangin’ up a Storm poet Sunny Montgomery is available upon request!
Partners: The Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, the Morris book shop.
Want to help start a nursing home arts program?
Those who wish to create a regional nursing home arts program are encouraged to meet on July 29th, 2pm at the Lexington Senior Center.
Contact ELandF or The Nursing Home Ombudsmen Agency of the Bluegrass for more info :)

pray for peace, y'all,
Kimmy

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