Saturday, March 28, 2026

April 16 The Kindness Session Returns to Poe Cottage

 


The Bronx County Historical Society is presenting "The Kindness Session," a free poetry workshop on recognizing the difference between kindness and cruelty to channel that in our writing on Thursday, April 16 at 6 PM till approximately 7:45. The Poetry Workshop takes place at Poe Cottage, 2640 Grand Concourse, in the Bronx. Subways near the Visitors Center are the 4, B, and D train at the Kingsbridge stop. Buses to the Center are Bx9, Bx22, Bx28, Bx38, and BxM4 (Express bus). The Poe Visitors Center is up the Hill from the Fordham Metro North train stop. 

Led by area poet Anne Leighton, the Kindness Session will include sharing works from classic and contemporary writers including Edgar Allan Poe, Naomi Shihab Nye, the Bronx’s Peppy Castro, Charlie Iris, Mary Oliver, John Masefield, Emily Dickinson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as selected poems from attendees.

 

Once the attendees discuss poems, they’ll be encouraged to think of incidents where they recognize kindness from life experiences, friends and acquaintances, and how it affected their lives. From there, writers will be encouraged to create a first draft of poetry. Writers will read their poems, and be encouraged to revise the poem in the days, weeks, or months to come.  

 

Anne Leighton appears on the Grammy-nominated album, “Healthy Food for Thought: Good Enough to Eat,” (Audio & Video Labs) reading her poem “Feed Your Parents Well.” She’s contributed to The Indie Collaborative, The Literary Parrot, and Elephant Journal. Her poetry book “The Leighton Explosion” made enough of a profit to use her earnings to record an original song, “Got My Eye on You, Santa,” which found her a publishing deal with Sheer Music South Africa/Downtown Music, USA. Anne's performed in the Bronx at ART in the Basin, Johnny Zs, and throughout New York State including NYC's Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Peter Max's Studio. Visit workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com.

 

For more information, please reach out to Anne at LeightonMedia@aol.com

BCHS Home bronxhistoricalsociety.org

 

workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com/2024/10/bronx-historical-society-presents.html

Monday, March 23, 2026

The Levins on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

 It was a pleasure to interview my friends Ira Scott Levin and Julia Bordenaro for my Inclusion Interview Show. Ira and Julia are The Levins who specialize in harmony and making the world a better place. I've attended some of their performances and "Checking Inward" online events. Join us. https://youtu.be/k7J4rshkw8s?si=uagRpPg0FqbnuoWN


Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Michael Harrison on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

  I'm psyched to interview Michael Harrison on my Inclusion Interview Show. I've been a fan of his since the early 1980s, and his career predates that. In addition to being a spectacular spoken word artist with Gunhill Road, he's innovated both album and talk radio.



Friday, February 20, 2026

Drummer/Author Rob Mitzner on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

 


I love the joy and sense of humor Rob combines with a lucid sense of ethnomusicology to his work. (I've had him work on some of my still-unreleased poetry projects, too) He's translated these talents into two books on professional gigging for drummers.  His latest book is "Drummer A-Z: MORE Stuff You Can Use." I had the pleasure of interviewing him.

Monday, February 16, 2026

Jane Getter on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

 


Jane Getter, leader of The Jane Getter Premonition on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show. She loves how inclusive the Prog Community is to people. There are music lessons in this interview, about song ideas, listening, determination, sending the elevator down. Full disclosure: Jane and my artist Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius are sharing the bill at The Iridium on March 1.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Dayna Steele on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show


 https://youtu.be/hBv_53NAygk?si=-1KhOOyvDnOP0aGn

Radio Hall of Famer Dayna Steele has been on my wish list for interviews since I discovered her daily column "Today's Facts," which tells the truth in easy-to-read sentences on what's happening in the world, humanity, and politics. I met her when she connected her friend, astronaut Cady Coleman with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson for a flute duet of "Bouree" from space. Dayna's written books, run for Congress, acted, and is a major superstar radio host in Houston.

Monday, February 9, 2026

The Cynz' Cyndi Dawson on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show


 Cyndi Dawson and I talk about music, animals (dog and cats), TV, winter, friendship, discipline, Hoboken in the latest Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show.