Scott Reads RSS Poetry, originally uploaded by cogdogblog.

Scott Leslie (whose own Northern Voice reflection is a must-read) had an awful slot for the Friday night Wiki-Tiki party open mic. He was something like the fifteenth speaker (seemed like the fiftieth), he came on after a break and the energy of the party was waning fast. (The edubloggers were gaining strength, were still there two hours after literally everyone else had left, but that’s another story.) I remember thinking when Scott hit the stage that the emptying, desultory, dazed air of the barroom felt like a Tom Waits song. People were cross-talking obliviously when Scott began to speak, and showed no signs of shutting up. I had been watching Scott patiently but nervously wait his turn for what seemed like forever, and was cringing inside… If it was a fight, and I was a referee, I might have stepped in early.

Then, all that Mr. Leslie did was absolutely nail the freaking thing with a short, punchy and absolutely hilarious reading of “Trackback Love”. I’m so grateful that Alan recorded most of it. If you haven’t seen it, really, go watch it now. Check out that reaction.

As for the identity of the “Technorati Slut”, all I’m prepared to say is that every narrative element of the poem is factually accurate.

Tags: northernvoice, nv08