Niagara Falls Down while Poet Reads Downtown: a recording

The inimitable Jordan Fry hosted a reading at the new and very cool artspace in downtown Niagara Falls that's away from the spray and froth of the water.

Did I really do an impression of George W. Bush as a loose floorboard, Madonna as Bertrand Russell pretending to be a dog?

The huge space, called Four Triple Five has a cafe/ gallery, a stage for music, and, upstairs, an interesting little bookstore called The Book Nook where the reading took place. The 4555 is a reclaimed space in a very empty downtown. Evidently the building was vacant for more than twenty years. A number of interesting arts-related spaces have opened up in Niagara in the absence of more commercial ventures being interested in using these locations in an unprofitable, neglected part of town. There is a lonesome, melancholy yet hopeful charm to the long vacant streets and wide sidewalks, and to the curious and stalwart enterprises which populate this uncared for part of the Falls.

I read with Adam Getty and John Stiles.



Here is a recording of my part of the reading.

barwin reading in Niagara Falls.mp3 5.6 Mb