Robin Eichleay Macomb County Community College

A warm handful of poets, poetry lovers, and friends gathered at Macomb County Community College's Sterling Heights campus last Wednesday evening to hear the words of Detroiter Robín Eichleay n one of a series of brave poetic events that are being organized this year with the help of MCCC instuctor Bill Cox.

Eichleay has been writing poetry at least since the early 60's, when he was at WSÜ's Montieth College and reading and making poetry books at the Detroit Artist's Workshop, just off campus. Never one to hanker for an ivory tower, he has since been active in film work, advertising, design, publishing (at the Detroit River Press), and as a novelist.

Still, his writing is as refreshing and entertaining as it ever was. He started with some poems he'd written last fall. They were extremely clear, thoughtful, and slow, like a man working very hard, trying.

Then came a love poem from last winter, presenting the image of love making with none of the all-too-frequent languid contortions. These are acrobats bounding off walls for the hell of it. The language is flexible and juicy. A lot of fun. The poetry audience laughs.

Then a prose piece where bullets stop for re-takes. This seems easy for Robin. It pleases him.

Now he doesn't seem to be making time for his writing-his writing is making time for him, giving him a lot more room. To play around in. I had a good time.

Watch for the next reading at MCCC- this is one unique treat!

-Jim Wanless

The sound of Art Blakey and His Jazz Messengers is still in my ears this morning after their Sunday night appearance at Baker's, and it is a warm feeling.

Blakey is perhaps the ultimate in tasteful and tightly-ccordinated jazz rhythm. The drum parts on all his songs are carefully orchestrated things of beauty, perfectly augmenting every other instrument with just the right texture and percussive color.

The legendary drummer looks to be in his 50's, but his age doesn't matter that much. His fire is usually kept on low, but it's there when he needs it and