The Mad Poets Blog

Richard Moyer, of Berwyn, currently hosts the open mic poetry series at the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne. Richard has been published in more than 25 small books including The Main Street Rag, The Schuylkill Valley Journal, Willard and Maple, The Endicott Review, Free Verse, The Pink Cadillac, Small Pond Magazine of Literature, The Mad Poet’s Review and others. He has an AB in English from Harvard, an MH (Master of Humanities) from The University of Richmond, and an MA in English from Temple.

Richard is a rare blend of poet and business enthusiast.  “I have been writing poetry off and on all my life — or at least since my sophomore year at Harvard in 1950,” he explains.  His favorite poet is William Carlos Williams, and his favorite poem “The Red Wheelbarrow.” “I sure wish I’d written this poem,” he says.  (Don’t we all!)  He adds that his favorite hobby is following the stock market. “I love to turn on the TV late at night and listen to Bloomberg and what is happening in the Asian Stockmarkets.”

Richard has been a member of the Mad Poets Society for 10 years, having been introduced the group by a friend and former MPS member. He’s been opening the open series at the Gryphon for about five years.  Each month, about five to seven poets gather in the upstairs room at the Gryphon.

“I start off the meeting with a reading from an established poet and then everyone in a circle reads their poems for another two hours,” Richard explains.  This series is special because it allows poets the opportunity to really practice reading and hearing their own poems.

The group meets about four times per year. The next open mic reading at the Grypon is scheduled for September 21 at 7pm.