Hugs, thanks, love and experiences

A big hug and thanks to everyone who participated in Poetry Scores' 2008 Experiential Auction, which we held last night at Atomic Cowboy.

I did little of the detail work myself and am waiting to see the list of winners and prices, but to this pain-medicated observer the big-ticket items seemed to be horseback riding with Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a case of custom homebrew by that beautiful man Anthony Brescia, and Dana Smith paints your band performing live.

I remember the winner of Dana's painting, because he was reached via my cell phone at a remote location to see if he wanted to raise his advance online bid (which had been beat by another bidder at Atomic Cowboy) - and he did raise his bid to clinch the experience. A bigger hug and warmer thanks to the great musician and producer Eric Hall for investing in Poetry Scores and for appreciating Dana's work.

For fun, I have posted, above, my old sketch of Eric performing live with his band Peanuts at The Tap Room, and signed (with love) by the guys in the band. No one would pay for that piece, now would they, though my donated experience (a trip to Alice Neihardt's horse farm and the chance to pray in a prayer garden designed by Black Elk) attracted a tiny bidding skirmish, as distinct from an all-out bidding war.

There were more bidding wars than in the previous two years - many experiences themselves experienced competition at the bidding table - though no one high roller emerged, along the lines of Gillian Noero (2006) or Tom Danforth (2007).

What most pleases me is to see Poetry Scores finding its place in the mutually supportive creative arts scene that helps to make St. Louis a very livable city. We don't have much money in this scene, but we have plenty of ideas and an affection for one another and one another's work. This is all very valuable. And I simply can't wait to hear what comes of people's experiences, and to post them up here for the world to share!