BELLOWS FALLS-The Rockingham Free Public Library (RFPL) continues its collaboration with cooperatively owned Flat Iron Coffeehouse to present poetry and music on Saturday, March 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. with poets Ryan Skrabalak of Kingston, New York, and Beverly Ketch of Northampton, Massachusetts, and acoustic music with Stella Kola, the band Ketch leads, which features members of Western Massachusetts's psychedelic-folk-experimental music scene.
Skrabalak most recently released his poetry collection, National Lube (SpeCt!, 2024) and has published a host of other books of various sizes. He edits Spiral Editions, a poetry micropress and cassette label. In addition to writing poetry, editing and printing others' works, and producing cassette releases, Skrabalak is also a freeform radio disc jockey and a long-time cheesemonger.
Ketch has been featured in poetry anthologies, and recently penned her own poetry book, Nickel Coin Queen, published in 2024 by Looky HERE Press in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Ketch penned a play, The Hunter, the Maiden and the Stag, performed in 2019 in Greenfield.
Ketch sings and writes music for Stella Kola and has played in bands such as Bunwinkies, Jow Jow, and Weeping Bong Band. She says Stella Kola's songs are "informed by the region's misty grottos and orchards […] while shapeshifting into captivating new forms."
Initially a duo formed in 2019 as a songwriting project between Ketch and musician Robert Thomas (founding member of Sunburned Hand of the Man), the project steadily swelled to a sextet. The lineup now consists of Ketch on vocals, Thomas on acoustic guitar, Wednesday Knudsen on flute and saxophone, Jen Gelineau on viola, Jeremy Pisani on guitar and synths, and Jim Bliss on bass.
Skrabalak and Ketch will sell and sign copies of their poetry books at this free event.
The Flat Iron Cooperative Coffee House is located at 51 The Square in Bellows Falls. Refreshments and copies of the poets' books will be for sale. For more information, contact RFPL at 802-463-4270 or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.