Much has happened here since we last saw one another at The Naked City Coffeehouse in Allston.  In June 1992, we moved the coffeehouse from the 'hallway in Allston' to the 'basement of OCBC' (Old Cambridge Baptist Church) at 1151 Mass. Ave., Harvard Square; and soon after we changed our venue time to Thursdays – 9:00 p.m. to 12 midnight.

Then in May 1998, we moved to the Harvard-Epworth Methodist Church, at 1555 Mass. Ave., on the other side of Harvard Square, Cambridge, and upgraded our name to SQUAWK Coffeehouse (to match our magazine, SQUAWK Magazine). We now have a wrap-around wood balcony and cathedral ceiling.  The acoustics are exquisite!

Our web presence continues to evolve (since 1999) at http://www.angelfire.com/music/squawk. Due to the website people come check us out when they are in Boston – singers and pickers from England, Ireland, Australia, and Japan, as well as poets and musicians from around multiple regions of the USA – either to perform or to be an audience.  It is also very exciting to see so many people come to the coffeehouse to perform for their very first time ever, like Tracy Hammond did just last night!

In the past year Mick Cusimano got hold of a camcorder, and is beginning to splice together footage of us in action!  He plans to post clips of his films on the website.  Go, Mick!

You will notice too that SQUAWK Magazine is now on-line.  We have begun to chronicle our history from the early days, and reprint excerpts from previous in-print issues on our website.  I would like to post part of the interview I did with you in Issue #51, and reprint your poem "Butya's Tavern" with your permission – plus we can do a weblink from our site to yours.

We've been going, every week, since 1988!  Wow, a twinge of nostalgia, and a surge of optimism for the future – we're still bringing our collective talents and energies together!  In the words of the "coffeehouse activist" Lee Kidd, "We push COFFEEHOUSE CONSCIOUSNESS, we promote PHONETIC LIQUIDITY, we envision UNHINDERED UTTERANCE." Here we are, it's the 21st century, who knows what will happen next?

Our SQUAWK email is mcusiman24@yahoo.com.
 
Peace,
 
Jessa
 

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hey there again, Jessa and Squawkers--
 
took me a while to get back to you...i was out of the country from may 4 until a couple days ago...a group of us from school went to russia (st. petersburg)...it was amazing, and far too much to describe here (but certainly another time)...
 
and wow...i am touched, and honored, that you want to run part of that interview and butya's tavern again...very cool...
 
i remember the move from allston to OCBC...that was shortly before I moved down here, and i managed to make it to one or two coffeehouses over that way...  i'm hoping to get up to boston for a conference in the fall...if i do, I can't wait to look y'all up (right...i am after all, in the south now)...
 
there's not a whole lot here in terms of poetry and open mic, but our small factions keep growing...there is a small section of norfolk (ghent) that comes closest to harvard square, but it's still limited...what they have here is good, make no mistake, but it's not like boston where you can find something every single night...
 
i also hope to send in some new stuff for SQUAWK sometime soon...love your website!!
 
okay...love to all, keep truckin...

Squawking In The South,

tom
 
-Tom Williams