This night’s intermedia spoken word performance is a spontaneous collaboration among a poet and improvising musicians. We are invited to celebrate Amendment Nine’s publication of No Asylum, a new book of poems by Nicholas Karavatos.

Beat legend David Meltzer (author of David’s Copy: Selected Poems [Penguin 2005,] Beat Thing [La Alameda 2004], and No Eyes: Lester Young [Black Sparrow 2000], among many others) writes on the back cover of No Asylum:

"Nicholas Karavatos is a poet of great range and clarity. This book is an amazing collectanea of smart sharp voiced political poetry in tandem with astute and tender love lyrics. All of it voiced with an impressive singularity."

Fresh-off-the-press copies of No Asylum will be available at the book launch performance.

Accompanying the poet on stage will be Mark Weston (drums), Jeff Kelley (guitar), and Shao Way Wu (bass):

Nicholas Karavatos currently teaches literature & creative writing at American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. He has also taught in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman and in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeff Kelley, who originally brought Wax Hands to our community gatherings, is a sharp-witted songwriter & guitarist known from such bands as Dreadful Grapes, The River Rocks, Primordial Stew, Deltron 9, Fred & Wilma, The Miracle Show, and his innumerable solo acoustic appearances. From fireside folkie to electrified freak-out, Jeff Kelley is an aural delight of eternal energy.

Mark Weston has drummed in the North Coast’s most evocative worldbeat and alt-prog bands. A percussion luminary, the rest of the world knows Mark Weston from his good times with Chris Berry and OJ Ekomode.

Shao Way Wu is a bassist – The Bassist – and performs locally with jazz groups Zu Zu's Petals and Inkling. He teaches part time at his alma mater, Humboldt State University.

Richard LaPreziosa designed No Asylum for Amendment Nine & Nicholas Karavatos. An upstate New Yorker graduated from Sacramento State University, Richard LaPreziosa is a singing-songwriting guitar-shaman who has been regionally appearing everywhere all time with such bands as the Jazz Monks, The River Rocks, Deltron 9, The Replacements, The Miracle Show, and Eyes Anonymous. He appears here tonight as the sacred typesetter & graphic designer.

Amendment Nine is a new publishing project out of McKinleyville, California.

No Asylum is printed by Bug Press.

Admission is a whopping $3 but your ticket stub gets you a $3 discount on the book available at the show.