This was my first reading that I have ever been to and I have to admit I was extremely tired before the reading even began. Joseph O'Connor's presentation captured my undivided attention naturally through his articulation and natural speech. What he did to hold on to our attention was to throw in a couple of jokes such as the non-alcoholic mini bar before the session began and his coke that he drank was stronger than the alcohol. He was a funny man.

One of my favorite parts in his presentation was the actual love letter of a Irish soldier fighting for an American cause writing to his beloved woman in Ireland. Not only was the actual piece already captivating, the way Mr. O'Connor read it was inspiring, almost like an actual scene and the actual thoughts of the soldier being played while writing the letter. My favorite line of the poem came at the end, where he stated, as best as I can remember, "even though if you don't love me, my love will still be here for you." Although it was sounds mushy and somewhat of a cliche', the line ended the letter with a boom and instantly tied everything said in the letter together.

My favorite part of his presentation was the poem inspired by a room in Baruch and the day, September 11. His flow was amazing. Not only did he rhyme, he made the poem so melodious, exactly like a song, more specifically a rap song to my ears. He didn't studder or break the rhythm once during his 8 minute poem; he kept it going almost flawlessly. Just by the way he read made an impact and inspirational. He celebrated the cultural diversity in NYC and all the crazy things that happen within this beloved city in his poem. My favorite line in that poem was, as best as I could remember, "fly Pakistani wearing that Armani." It was funny, serious, and all the things in between within that one poem.