5 Women Poets too academic

Accidental Pentameters and Occasional Words," performed at the John Waldron Arts Center Saturday, marked the annual performance of "Five Women Poets", a 28-year-old writer's group that has actually grown to include eight poets instead of five.\nThe basement of the JWAC where the event was held, boasted hard wood floors and an intimate seating capacity of approximately 50 people, which was the perfect size for the event. But the fact that the poems were delivered behind a white podium with flowered plants positioned around it, gave me the feeling of being in church listening to a sermon rather than a poetry reading. That's not to say the poems themselves were necessarily sermons, but rather, the spoken delivery of "Five Women Poets" tended to be a style doused with academic flavoring.\nThe poets ranged modestly in writing style, drawing on the concrete experience or the abstract metaphor, but with the kind of spoken consistency that numbs the hearing rather than allowing it to blossom. Highlights of the reading included Antonia Mathew performing a poem about a phone call to her daughter in China, during which she wore a pink silk scarf from the country to set the mood. Anne Haines performed an amusing piece in which she questioned what the whales might be saying on a soothing CD that she owned. Out of all the poets, Patricia Coleman had the best reading style for this setting, formalized but still expressive. Many of the poets appeared stiff and rigid while reading.\nIn truth, I kept waiting for someone to take the mic in hand and break away from the podium and its constraints. But no one ever did that. While it was worth the three dollars admission to taste a little bit of word culture, I certainly didn't walk away incredulous at the value I got for my dollar. Perhaps I just hate podiums. \nThe members of "Five Women Poets," give readings separately and jointly with non-members throughout the year.