Poet Aaron Belz founded Observable Readings in 2003. He continued to run the program until he moved from the area about five years later. At that time, the St. Louis Poetry Center took over, and appointed teams of curators to plan and organize the events. This year, two new curators, Stephanie Schlaifer and Steve Schroeder, have taken charge of the program. They are the third team to take on the responsibilities and were chosen by their predecessors, Katy Didden and Rickey Laurentiis.
“I’ve read for Observable a couple of times, so that’s how I became acquainted with [St. Louis Poetry Center] originally,” says Schlaifer. “Katy asked me if I was interested. She had already asked Steve Schroeder if he wanted to do it, and he was already on board, so I thought about it and said, ‘Sure, why not?’”
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In order to choose which poets to bring in each season, the curators each make a “wish list,” see if they have any poets in common and go from there.
“We basically chose people whose work we liked; some of whom we know, and some of them we’ve never met,” says Schlaifer. “We’re bringing in a couple of people that I know; one is a great friend of mine from graduate school, and another is one of my former professors who used to teach at Wash. U., Erin Belieu.”
The curators also have to consider budget and distance, and try to include a variety of local, regional and national poets. This season there are 18 readers, four of whom are locally based. Several of the readers are located close enough that they are able to drive in, but there are also a few readers who are flying in for the event. “We just chose people whose work we liked and who we respect and went from there and started inviting people,” Schlaifer explains. “I’m pretty much excited about everybody that’s coming.”
The St. Louis Poetry Center’s Observable Readings kicks off its 10th year on Monday, September 9 with Belieu and Lee Ann Roripaugh. The next event will be held on October 14, and will feature the works of native St. Louisian Lisa Ampleman, Ansel Elkins, and Erika L. Sánchez. The public is always invited to join the poets for dinner at 6 p.m. in the loft at Llywelyn’s Pub. After each reading, the poets will have books for sale and be available to for signings. Though admission to the event is free, diners will pay for their own food and drink. There will be a bartender serving drinks during the event, but attendees are encouraged to eat before or after the reading.
This year’s series will be held on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 in the upstairs loft of Llywelyn’s Pub at 4747 McPherson. The series runs from September through December, and February through May. For more information, contact the St. Louis Poetry Center at 314-973-6875, or go to stlouispoetrycenter.org.
