Video filmed and edited by Montserrat alumnus Jack Moffitt '12.
On Oct. 1, 2012, poets, Beverly locals, the Montserrat community and many more headed to Wayne's World of Automotive Services on Park Street in Beverly to take part in the Improbable Places Poetry Tour's most recent pit-stop! 20 poets shared their engine, tune-up and spark-plug inspired readings with a packed house. The night was the kick-off for the new school year's Poetry Tour, which is now in its third season. The garage even had a car up on the lift where set the stage for the night!
"It was a very gritty event," said poet Januray O'Neil, writer for the Poet Mom blog. "You could hear the commenter rail passing a few yards away. Lots of atmospheric noise on a quite street for some reason. The Improbable events do a great job of bringing together local businesses with people from all parts of the surrounding community. And, for readers, the location generates the theme, which makes the reading incredibly special and unique."
"Poems about cars--all makes and models, all sorts of things you can do inside and outside of them--were spoken and shared. We live in a car culture, after all, and that's something the reading celebrated. Who doesn't have a story about a car?"
The tour is Montserrat's way of bringing together student writers, local poets, area businesses and enthusiastic listeners to celebrate the power of poetry and community. At each tour stop a new venue and theme is selected.
The tour would not be made possible without our Montserrat College of Art's incredibly talented and driven Writing Studio Director Colleen Michaels, who is responsible for making each and every tour stop bigger and better than the one before!