Poetry News

****POETRYNEWS****
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Here is your Poetry News for the week of October 26, 2009.
Spoken word events are so prolific in the Pioneer Valley and beyond,

all you need to do is flip over one of the turning leaves and you'll find a poem.
Scroll all the way down for more poetry in CT, Boston, NH and VT.

THIS WEEK check out (scroll down for details):

Wed. Oct. 28 - Saundra Dubow Azmitia at Westfield Athenaeum, 7pm
Thu. Oct. 29 - Karen Johnston & Oonagh Doherty at Green St. Cafe 7pm


November 30/30 Challenge

30 Poems in 30 Days: The Challenge is On!

Northampton poet laureate Lesléa Newman is issuing a challenge to the poets of the Pioneer Valley: write 30 poems in 30 days to raise money for literacy.

Newman got the idea from National Novel Writing month. “Fiction writers write a novel during November,” she explained. “So why not have poets do something similar and raise money for a worthy cause at the same time?”

Poets will download from the Northampton Arts Council (http://www.northamptonartscouncil.org) website pledge sheets and sign up sponsors who donate a dollar amount per poem. “A dollar a poem, a nickel a poem, any amount will be appreciated,” Newman said. Poets will also get a prompt sheet containing 100 poetry ideas to inspire them, such as “Write a love poem to an inanimate object” and “Write a poem that will change the world.”

Poets will write their first poem on November 1st and write a poem every day through November 30th. On Wednesday, December 2nd there will be a public reading and celebration at Forbes Library and all poets who participated in the project are invited to come read a poem that came out of the project.

“It’s a lot of fun,” says Newman, who has written 30 poems in 30 days before. “Remember, they don’t have to be great poems. They just have to be poems. But you may very well surprise yourself.” Newman plans to participate in the project herself, and is actively looking for sponsors.

Money raised from the 30 Poems in 30 Days project will be donated to the Center for New Americans (CNA), a non-profit community-based education and resource center for immigrants, refugees, and other limited English speakers in the Pioneer Valley. The organization offers free English classes, free literacy classes, free child care for students, family literacy, and many other services. Newman’s goal is to raise $3,000 for CNA’s Family Literacy Project. “Thirty poets who each find 3 sponsors to pledge a dollar a poem will almost do the trick,” she said. Newman fully expects to meet and exceed her goal. “There are a lot of poets in the Pioneer Valley,” she said. “And a lot of people committed to raising money for literacy.”

Anyone can participate in the project, regardless of writing experience. To receive a pledge sheet, or to find out how to sponsor the poet laureate, click here.

(Visit http://www.northamptonartscouncil.org to download pledge sheets and for more information.)

To find out more about the Center for New Americans, visit www.cnam.org.

Westfield Poetry

BOOK PRESENTATION BY WRITER AND ACTRESS

Saundra Dubow Azmitia, author of “Do it Differently, Do it Differently!” will speak about her memoir on Wednesday, October 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Westfield Athenaeum.

Coming of age in the forties and fifties under the thumb of a “titan” of a mother whose ambitions for wealth and security for her daughter focused on steering her into marriage with a “good catch,” Saundra wavered between her own instincts and society’s values. Resisting her mother’s traditional standards of a woman’s “proper place” and limited horizons, Saundra struggled to honor her mother and still carve out a meaningful life for herself through the arts and theater. Saundra last appeared in Westfield as Gertrude Stein in a play written expressly for her.

Jarita Davis Poetry Reading
Westfield State College Speaker Series
Monday, November 2, 7pm
Scanlon Living Room
Westfield State College
Westfield, MA

Dr. Jarita Davis is a poet and fiction writer of Cape Verdean descent, raised in North Haven, CT and currently living in Falmouth, MA. Dr. Davis's project, There Should Be More Water, is a cycle of poems examining the shifting identities of Cape Verdean and Cape Verdean-Americans whose culture is marked by a continual migration to and from their island origins. Her work highlights the influences that New England and American culture has had on Cape Verdean immigrants, as well as the influences that Cape Verdeans have had upon their New England communities. A discussion and book signing will follow the poetry reading.

WORD AT THE Y

(POETRY WRITING CLASS)

This class will read great poetry from the canon of modern

American poetry, and use this work as a jumping-off place for their

own writing. This will be a supportive and positive environment in

which to write and discuss poetry. The emphasis will be on

generative writing rather than critique, and promises to be fun as

well as interesting. All levels of poets are welcome.

The next session begins on November 2, 2009

Cost of each 7- week session:

Facility Member: ..........................................................$48

Limited Member: ..........................................................$65

Non-member:..................................................................$70

Day/Time: Mondays 6:30-8:00PM

To register, call the YMCA at 413- 568-8631

Holyoke/Springfield Area Poetry

Starving for Art Presents
open mic Tuesdays
@ Blue Fusion Bar and Grille
487 St. James Ave
Springfield, MA
doors open at 6pm for social hour.
Showtime is 7-9pm
All poets, musicians, singers, and visual artists are welcome.
This event is free
For more info visit http://www.brendaschild.com/

Anthology on Bullies and Bullying

Call for submissions!

Go to: http://www.teatrovida.com/calling-all-writers.html

Journey on the Page

Proprioceptive Writing® with Tzivia Gover

2nd Tuesday of the Month, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 9

$65 for 4 Sessions

Holyoke Location (Highlands neighborhood)

To pre-register: or 413.532.8354

Proprioceptive Writing® is a meditative form of writing that allows you to know

yourself more fully by exploring on paper the territory of your mind, memory and

emotions. This writing practice will help you synthesize emotion and imagination,

generating authentic insight and joy.

Proprioceptive Writing® is a regular, disciplined practice in a quiet environment.

This unique method frees the writer within and helps to:

• Focus awareness and build self-trust
• Write and speak with strength and clarity
• Awaken the senses and emotions
• Bring increased energy and power to the creative process
• Focus and deepen the thought process

Tzivia Gover is an author, educator and certified Proprioceptive Writing Teacher.

Visit www.tziviagover.com or email

Word in the Valley and Beyond

Call for Submissions!
Go to: http://www.nohoanthology.blogspot.com

Jane Schneeloch Reading at Jones Library

On Sunday, October 25, at 2 PM at the Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst, poet and playwright Jane Schneeloch will read from her new book of poems, Climbing to the Moon, Finishing Line Press.

A native of Springfield, Schneeloch taught English for 35 years and is now the office manager for the Drama Studio in Springfield. Climbing to the Moon, a collection of poems inspired by the art of Georgia O’Keeffe, is her first chapbook. One of her O’Keeffe poems received an honorable mention in the 2008 Springfield Library Poetry Contest. Her other poetry has appeared in Common Ground Review; Equinox; Hello, Goodbye; Peregrine; Poetic Voices Without Borders; Shine; and Survivors Review. Her play In Hiding was produced in 2008 at the Drama Studio.

Schneeloch began this collection after first seeing O’Keeffe’s painting Black Abstraction at Pat Schneider’s writing workshop. Its utter simplicity and geometric forms spoke to her, and she began to examine and write to other of her works. After reading Roxana Robinson’s biography of the artist, she visited O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu, New Mexico, where she studied the artist and took in the amazing landscapes that surrounded her. The chapbook comprises twenty-six poems that reflect not only her New Mexico work, but also paintings she completed in New York. Schneeloch’s poem inspired by O’Keeffe’s painting Brooklyn Bridge will soon be published in a collection of poems about the bridges of New York City.

Schneeloch will be joined by other Amherst Writers & Artists authors, who will each give a short reading from their own work. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY .

Next business/sharing meeting Thursday November 12, 6:30pm
ALL POETS OF ALL TYPES AND AGES are welcome, bring one of your original works to share,
(12 to 15 copies will=2 0usually be enough for all to share) The meeting is held at Lilly Library community room and begins at 6:30 PM. Poetry presentation and discussion begins at 7PM

WRITING GROUP
Rich Puchalsky and friends meet every 3rd Thursday
at Lilly Library community Room
at 6:30 PM.
See Rich for details, this group is currently open to join.

LASTLY PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING AS A MEMBER
OF FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY. THE FEE IS $15.00 FOR THE YEAR
FROM SEPTEMBER TO AUGUST. Your membership supports our Fall festival,
SILKWORM our annual journal, (these first two items also are supported in part
by the Northampton Arts Council via a grant)
our website http://www.florencepoetssociety.org/,, our po box, the annual contest,
the JAN SLAM, our spring art gallery reading. and our summer reading
at William Cullen Bryant homestead.

For more information:
Email us at or check out our web
page at http://www.florencepoetssociety.org/



Florence Poets Society Readings:

Listen to "Twilite's Poetry Pub" now Weekly!
Enjoy the "Pub" with Carl and Tom every Wednesday from 9-10 am
on Valley Free Radio, WXOJ 103.3 fm, Northampton and now
with improved streaming at http://www.valleyfreeradio.org/ !!!
Poetry to the people!
WXOJ-FM LP 103.3 and streaming at http://www.valleyfreeradio.org/.
Bringing to you a variety of interesting poetry and music!

-----------------------------
All events are free and open to the public except as noted
For more information, Call Tom at (413) 584-5914
or email at:
or: or visit:
http://www.florencepoetssociety.org/
or visit: http://www.tommytwilite.com/

POETRY A LA CARTE
on WMUA-Amherst 91.1 FM
5pm to 5:30 pm on Tuesdays this Summer,
streamed live at http://www.wmua.org/.
The program, hosted by Daisy Mathias,
includes reading aloud from past
and contemporary poets, and occasionally
features live interview and
poetry-reading with a local poet.

Poetry at the Leverett Library

6:30 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month,

Poetry reading at the Leverett Library.

75 Montague Rd. Leverett, MA

Greenfield/Shelburne Falls and North

ARMS LIBRARY READING
Third Friday Prose and Poetry Readings.
7 p.m. at The Arms Library,
Corner of Main and Bridge Streets,
Shelburne Falls, Mass.
413-625-0306.

Held in the upstairs Reading Room, readers should arrive a
couple of minutes early to sign up for a reading slot, and then
have five minutes to share their work.
The building is accessible by entering at lower level
and taking the elevator upstairs.

ALL SMALL CAPS

Monday, October 26th the Deja Brew (57 Lockes Village Rd, Wendell) will open their doors at 6:30 for the fi reading of our 4th season of All Small Caps and you will have a chance to catch up w/ us and everyone else. As usual, the Brew will have a full menu available, and we will begin the Open Mic around 7 or so, followed by a break, and the featured readers will begin at 8.

Speaking of featured readers, we have excellent poets for your ears:
C.A. Conrad
Susie Timmons

Collected Poets Series

The Collected Poets Series highlights the work of established and emerging poets. Each event showcases the remarkable local poets of Western Massachusetts and the finest regional, national, and international talent. The series is usually held every first Thursday of the month.

(Please contact Lea Banks at this email or 413-625-6702 for more information).

Mocha Maya’s Coffee House,
47 Bridge Street,
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
413-625-6292.
Wheelchair accessible. Free.

See www.collectedpoets.com or www.mochamayas.com for more information.

2009 Series
Nov. 5 April Ossman, Peter Waldor, and Pamela Stewart
Dec. 3 Mary Koncel and Kate Greenstreet

The Collected Poets Series highlights the work of established and emerging poets. Each event showcases the remarkable local poets of Western Massachusetts and the finest regional, national, and international talent. The series is usually held every first Thursday of the month. See http://www.collectedpoets.com/ for more info about upcoming events.


_____________

Writing Groups
for beginning and experienced writers
Come write in an encouraging supportive environment, experience the
deepening and growth of your own writing, and contribute to the deepening
and growth of others' writing. No experience necessary--only the
willingness to put pen to paper.

Groups meet weekly in Greenfield, are ongoing, and open to all genres. We
follow the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method,
http://www.amherstwriters.com/.
$125 per 5-week session,
6 - 8 people per group.
To join or for more info
call or email Ann McNelly: 413 772 2375,

________________

News from Mo and Booksmyth Press

The web site can be accessed with this address:
http://www.thebooksmyth.com/
Web site: http://www.thebooksmyth.com/ submission guidelines now available

The Equinox is available at http://www.thebooksmyth..com/



Word in the Berkshires

Power of Words, Open Mic

November 17^th, Tuesday

7pm to 8:30 pm

Hosted by Garfield Reed.
This is an open opportunity to share poetry,
readings, music and other spoken word.
Free and open to the public
Berkshire South Regional Community Center
Crissey Rd. Great Barrington, MA
Every third Tuesday of the month.
Please call Garfield at 528 4127 for more information.

Meet These Local Authors and Illustrators

Saturday, November 7th, 10-12

at the Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield, MA

For information call 413-229-7004

Sponsored by Friends of the Bushnell-Sage Library

Sheffield. FICTION, POETRY, AND NONFICTION FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, AND ADULTS

Please join us to meet and greet our Berkshire talent! Books available for signing.

David Anderegg

Michael Ballon

Ann-Elizabeth Barnes

Milton Bass

Ruth Bass

Karen Berger

Cheryl Blackburn

Roy Blount

Jim Bouton

Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez

David Carriere

Sharon Charde

Roselle Chartock

Michael Citrin

Jim Ciullo

Steve Donaldson

Emmanual Dongala

Bernard Drew

Susan Dworkin

Marshall Jon Fisher

John Friedman

David Giannini

Louisa Gilder

Michelle Gillett

Richard Greene

Barbara Shook Hazen

Elizabeth Hess

Ben Hillman

David Hodge

Gina Hyams

Miriam Jacobs

Brooke Janis

Jana Laiz

Gary Leveille

Tracy Mack

Sue MacVeety

Kenneth Markel

Marlene Marshall

Charles Parton

Sonia Pilcer

Doreen Rappaport

Seymour “Rob” Robins

Jacqueline Rogers

Bob Ronnow

Andrea Scott

Charles Steinhacker

Matt Tannenbaum

John Toffey

Jessica Treat

Daniel Valenti

Leslie Wheeler

Irene Willis

Richard Wise

Please join us to meet and greet our Berkshire talent! 48 Main Street (Route 7) just south of the center

Books available for signing.

For information call 413-229-7004

In Words, Out Words in Housatonic

In Housatonic, MA there is an open mic for poets and performers
of all styles and ages.
1st Tuesday of each month at
the Deb Koffman Gallery
137 Front Street,
Housatonic, MA 01236. “In Words, Out Words.”
is hosted by John Meeks and there is usually
a $7 suggested donation for heat and electricity.
There are snacks there provided by whoever wants to bring them.
The sign up technically is at 6:30 however the way it works is a
lottery system. If you go to check it out once, then you can put
your name on the contact email list. The following month you
get an email reminding you of the upcoming event.
If it’s your first time performing at In Words, Out Words,
you are guaranteed a spot on the roster as long as you reply
to the reminder email. If you’ve performed there before then
you are put into the lottery system and randomly names are selected.
Sometimes there are still slots open at the door.
The open mic begins at 7 and the featured performer goes on
for about 20 minutes. It usually lasts until between 9 and 9:30.



Zeitgeist Gallery Pittsfield

Monday Poetry Nights
6 to10pm
648 North Street in Pittsfield
call Alan Nidle, the Director at (857) 991-8448 for detail

Lee Writers Group
(every 2nd Tuesday of the month)
at the Lee Library Conference Room.

Develop and hone writing skills through constructively critiquing
others as well as receiving helpful hints and suggestions.
This forum will host a variety of short stories, poetic compilations,
insightful and original essays, and other varieties of writing similarly
tangible in length. The purpose of this group is to embody character
and narrator through obsessive directive fervor with written and
spoken words.
The group will meet every second Tuesday sharing original works
via recitation and distribution and should be prepared to accept
constructive feedback and be able to, in return, deliver such
feedback in a respectable and deliberate manner.
Contact
or call 413 243-8116 for further information.



Word in Ware/Palmer

Carpe Stylum! (Latin for Seize the pen!)
meets every Wednesday 6-8pm, usually at the Ware Library
but some meetings are held elsewhere.
This group includes poets, short story writers and novelists.
All are welcome.
Call LuWanda Cheney (413) 277-9676 for a schedule.



Word in Worcester:

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
October 26th, 7:30PM

Clark University

Dana Commons, Second Floor Lounge

at the corner of Maywood and Florence Streets

Worcester, MA

508-793-7479

Professor Jeffers will present from and discuss her latest project, a book-length series of poems that imagines the life and cultural milieu of the 18th-Century African-American poet Phillis Wheatley, and addresses the challenges of scholarly research when engaging an artistic subject.
www.clarku.edu/offices/publicaffairs/news/press/articles/higgins09fall2009.cfm

The Little "a" Poetry Series
at the Q Cafe, 362 Chandler St in Worcester, MA.
We run the reading every Monday night, the sign-up list for
the open mic goes up at 7:00pm and we get started shortly thereafter.


Worcester Storytellers
Worcester Storytellers meets on the second Friday of each month at the Village Arts Gallery
(1 Ekman Street, Worcester). The reading starts at 8:00 p.m. There will be an open mic followed by a feature.
Worcester Storytellers never charges a cover. They ask you throw some money into the basket to support the artists who feature. For more info please contact [email protected]


The d'Alzon Arts Series: Poetry Reading
takes place at Assumption College (500 Salisbury Street, Worcester) in the Emmanuel d'Alzon Library on the third Friday of each month during the academic year. The format is an open mic for the first half-hour or so, a short break with refreshments and then 2 featured poets.. The reading starts at 7:00 p.m. and typically runs for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Readings run throughout the school year.


New Name - Same Great Poetry
The After Nine Poetry Series - Every Thursday Night
The The After Nine Poetry Series, formerly The Spot,
is a weekly poetry reading in the Ship Room at the Hotel Vernon
(1 Kelly Square, Worcester).

The reading is held in the Ship Room of the Hotel Vernon (1 Kelly Square, Worcester). The official start time is 8:00 p.m. but honestly, things get going closer to 9. Maybe this week will be different.

21+ and proper id is required

Poets Asylum

This week the Poets' Asylum will hold a just-for-fun Open Slam. This will be a two round slam with all the usual rules in play. There will be a small cash prize for the winner. Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it. Slam poetry can be moving, funny and deadly serious, sometimes all in the same poem.

Poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it. Slam poetry can be moving, funny and deadly serious, sometimes all in the same poem. If that sounds like a good time then join us for some great words.

Come on down to Jumpin' Juice and Java (335 Chandler Street, Worcester). The reading starts at 6:00 p.m. No cover; please throw some money in the bucket to support the feature.



The Dirty Gerund
There's a new poetry reading in town! The Dirty Gerund Poetry Show will be held every Monday night starting at 8:30 p.m. The reading is being held at Ralph's Chadwick Square Diner (148 Grove Street, Worcester) and is hosted by Rushelle Frazier. There will be an open mic every week with a mix of poetry s lams and featured poets.
No cover; donations accepted. 21+
Please join us at our new home,


Shakti Women's Writing Pact
The Shakti Women's Writing Pact meets
every Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at
the Java Hut (1073A Main Street, Worcester).
Shakti was created with the intention of enhancing women's
sense of belonging within the poetry community through the
an unmoderated writing circle.
For more information please contact Sou MacMillan at
.

THE ECLECTIC WORD, Radio Show
Poet and journalist Victor D. Infante hosts The Eclectic Word, an
Internet radio show that will delve into literature's fringe with poets,
satirists, alternative journalists and even (gasp!) bloggers. We'll be
stepping off the beaten path of literature, taking a close look at the odd,
the eccentric and the cutting-edge. Should be fun.

The show will run at 7 p.m. EST the first and third Friday of every month,
as part of The World Wide Word Radio Network. You can listen to the
shows live, or you can download it later for your listening convenience.
So give it a listen! It's going to be a blast!


CT POETRY
-------------------------------------------------------
Visit the CT Poet Online calendar,
updated weekly: http://www.poetz.com/connecticut

Riverwood Poetry Series Presents

Underwood Cafe, featuring Geri Radasci and Alexandrina (Sandy) Sergio

Thursday, October 29, 6:30 p.m.

Wood Memorial Library

783 Main Street

South Windsor, CT 06074

www.woodmemoriallibrary.org

860-289-1783

Presented by: Riverwood Poetry Series, www.riverwoodpoetry.org.

Entertaining and thought-provoking poetry in a relaxed, café-style atmosphere. Featured Poet, Open mic, Refreshments. Admission is free: donations gratefully accepted. Donations of non-perishable foods will also be accepted for the benefit of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.

About the featured poets:

Geri Radasci's third poetry collection, Tightrope Walker, is based on works of art. These new poems are intensely personal and impressionistic, not bound by the confines of their sources, although they also throw new light on a wide variety of artwork. Ms. Radacsi has been a journalist, English teacher, communication/media specialist, and freelance writer. Currently, she is Associate Director of University Relations, Emerita, at Central Connecticut State University. Alexandrina Sergio's new collection, My Daughter Is Drummer in the Rock ’n Roll Band offers a rich variety of moods: the sad poems contain moments of wry wit, and the overtly humorous or raucous poems contain deeper undercurrents. Ms. Sergio traces her passion for poetry to her mother’s habit of mixing the works of Celtic poets into bedtime tales. As an English teacher, Sandy coached prize-winning student poets. Subsequent careers in mental health and philanthropy-consulting encroached on writing time, but retirement has allowed broader opportunities.

Riverwood Poetry Series Presents:

Undead Poets' Halloween Party

Saturday, October 31, 6:30 p.m.

The Buttonwood Tree

605 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457

www.buttonwood.org

860-347-4957

Presented by: Riverwood Poetry Series, www.riverwoodpoetry.org.

Can the bards be dead when their words are undying? “No!” cries Riverwood Series, mysterious medium of Connecticut poetry. Come on down, place your hands upon the table, and experience Poe, Millay, Service, Sexton, and more as Riverwood embodies his—or is it her?—favorite dead poets this Halloween. Plus! Make your own favorite poet “undead” in the open mic. You can even come in costume, if the spirit moves you… Suggested donation $3.00. Donations of non-perishable foods will also be accepted for the benefit of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.

News From Antrim House
Antrim House is pleased to announce that poems by Norah Pollard will be read by Garrison Keillor on “The Writer’s Almanac” this coming Thursday and Friday, October 29 & 30. Most public radio stations carry the program. If you are unable to hear Norah’s poems (“The Sum of a Man” and “She Dreamed of Cows”) on the radio, you’ll be able to listen to (and read) them online at writersalmanac.publicradio.org, where you will also find ancillary information concerning poet and poem.

In addition, Rennie McQuilkin’s poem “The Digging” will be featured on “The Writer’s Almanac” this coming Tuesday, October 27.

Another way to help Norah celebrate her new book, Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom, will be to attend her reading at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 15. It will be part of a new poetry series, Poetry on the Line, at the Windsor Art Center, 40 Mechanic St. in Windsor, CT (“the place where verse, artwork and the main line meet”). Norah will be reading with Steve Foley, whose 2007 poetry collection, A Place at the Table, is a book not to be missed. Steve is a splendid reader, as is Norah, so do come to hear them, along with a flute & cello performance by Minta White and Michael Linert. The program is free and will be followed at 3:15 by a reception at which you can join lots of area poets and lovers of poetry as we circle our wagons against these barbaric times.

Nancy Eimers Read as Part of A.K. Smith Series
Nancy Eimers, an award-winning poet and creative writer, will read from her work as part of the ongoing Allan K. Smith Fall Reading Series at Trinity College. The event is free and open to the public. A book signing and reception will follow.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 4:30PM

Reese Room, Smith House on the campus on Trinity College

115 Vernon Street, Hartford, Conn. 06106

Nancy Eimers is the author of three collections of poetry: A Grammar to Waking (Carnegie Mellon, 2006), No Moon, winner of the 1997 Verna Emery Prize (Purdue University Press), and Destroying Angel (Wesleyan/University Press of New England, 1991). She has been the recipient of a Nation “Discovery” Award, two National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships and a Whiting Writer’s Award. Her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and literary magazines, including Best American Poetry 1996, Poets of the New Century, The New Bread Loaf Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry, The Extraordinary Tide: New Poetry By American Women, Paris Review, TriQuarterly, and Field. She teaches creative writing at Western Michigan University and at Vermont College, and she lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Tracy Quigley at 860/297-2568, or by email at .

From The Bushnell’s Big Read Program:

Dead Poet Slam

For Middle- and High-School Students

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Bushnell’s Autorino Great Hall

7:00 – 9:30 pm

Doors open at 6:30pm

Admission is Free

Cash Prizes for the Top 3 Poets

($50 / $75 / $100)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore

— from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Many consider Edgar Allan Poe the founder of the horror / suspense genre. We’re celebrating his 200th birthday with a special poetry slam. For middle- and high-school students, the Dead Poet Slam dispenses with most of the traditional slam rules to encourage both new and practiced slam poets to experiment with poetry and Poe.

What is a poetry slam? It’s not a boxing match, a poetry reading, or an open mic. It’s definitely not the poetry you remember from grade school. A poetry slam is a competition. Poets sign up to compete and judges are randomly chosen from the audience to score. The goal of the poetry slam has always been to seek a wider audience for poetry, to inspire people from all walks of life to listen to poetry, to appreciate and to respect its power.

Here are the rules:

§ Poems can be any style but must relate in some way to Edgar Allan Poe; e.g., the poet himself, his life and times, subjects or emotions one might find in the horror genre then or now.

§ Each poem must be an original piece performed by the author.

§ For the Dead Poet Slam, participants can read their poems.

§ For the Dead Poet Slam, props are okay.

§ For the Dead Poet Slam, costumes are not only okay, they’re encouraged.

§ For the Dead Poet Slam, musical instruments and prerecorded music are allowed

§ Performances are timed and should not exceed 3 minutes. After a ten-second grace period, a half point is deducted for every additional 10 seconds. The judges do not subtract points. The scorekeeper handles it.

§ Timing starts when the performance begins, usually with the first utterance of sound from the performer.

§ Each poem may only be used once during the competition.

Thanks to a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, admission to the Dead Poet Slam is free. Poets who wish to perform must sign up at The Bushnell the night of the event. Come early. Space is limited.

Wintonbury Branch Poetry Series & Open Mike

my time my place my creativity

Third Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. Fall 2009

Hosts: Marilyn Johnston/Tom Nicotera

You're invited to evenings of poetry to stir your heart, soul, and your creativity!

November 19 enjoy a poetry reading and a film screening with guest poet, Wally Swist, winner of two fellowships from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Mr. Swist will read from his several books, noted for their richness of nature imagery of the Connecticut River Valley, then we will view the documentary film, In Praise of the Earth, regarding his work, recently released in The Poets of New England Series (Amherst: Aims Video, University of Massachusetts). Film-maker, Elizabeth Wilda, will also be on hand with the poet for a Q & A after the screening.

Finally, on December 17, come celebrate “Family Night” during the holidays with a special mother-daughter duo. Maggie Green, poet, nurse, and singer, reads with her daughter, Nora Pasco. Maggie Green is a long-time Hartford-area poet, veteran of local poetry venues with publishing credits including Rattle magazine. Nora Pasco, a student at Tunxis Community College, is a gifted young poet of high promise whose work has recently been published in Freshwater.

An open mike and light refreshments follow the featured poet at each event.

Wintonbury Branch Library 1015 Blue Hills Ave

Bloomfield, CT 06002

860-243-8855

www.prosserlibrary.info

Mishi-maya-gat Spoken Word & Music Series

at Manchester Community College

Great Path Academy, Community Commons (Use Parking Lot B)

Manchester, CT 06040

Sponsored by MCC Foundation / Hosted by Stephen Campiglio

2^rd Thursday of each month / 7-9 p.m.

Free and Open to the Public

For more information and directions: www.mcc.commnet.edu/faculty/spoken.php or call (860) 512-2824

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

7:00 p.m. - ZENO’S EROS, progressive rock/jazz/folk/spoken word

Taking its influence from the Beat and Surrealist movements, Zeno's Eros merges poetry, song, jazz, progressive rock, and folk music. The Zeno’s Eros project was founded in 2001 by award-winning spoken word artist Gabrielle Zane, Master Teaching Artist of Connecticut and Chicago Grand Slam Master winner, and nationally known progressive guitarist Ludent Tremmel, formerly with The Anglion Audio Theatre. The group grew into a quartet with drummer Win Schmitt and bassist Paul Tanner, and recently added Dawn Cook on acoustic rhythm guitar to create a dynamic five-piece band. Along with exquisite four-part harmonies, you have an ensemble from somewhere beyond that which can be named. For more information on the band, please visit their web site at: http://zenoseros.home.mindspring.com. You can also hear samples of their work on: http://www.myspace.com/zenoseros.

8:00 p.m. – Featured Poets: NANCY KUHL and RICHARD DEMING

Nancy Kuhl’s second full-length collection of poems, Suspend, is forthcoming in 2010 from Shearsman Books; her first book, The Wife of the Left Hand, was published in 2007. She is the author of two chapbooks, The Nocturnal Factory, published in 2008 by Ugly Duckling Presse and In the Arbor, which was a winner of the Wick Poetry Chapbook Prize. She is co-editor of Phylum Press and Curator of Poetry for the Yale Collection of American Literature at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. She is also the author of two exhibition catalogs, Intimate Circles: American Women in the Arts and Extravagant Crowd: Carl Van Vechten’s Portraits of Women, which are distributed by Yale University Press. For more information on Nancy, please visit her web site at: http://www.phylumpress.com/nancykuhl.htm.

Richard Deming is a poet and a literary theorist, whose poems have appeared in such journals as Sulfur, Field, Indiana Review, and The Nation, as well as Great American Prose Poems: From Poe to the Present. He is the author of Let's Not Call It Consequence from Shearsman Books, which was the winner of the 2009 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. Currently a lecturer at Yale University, he is also the author of Listening on All Sides: Toward an Emersonian Ethics of Reading from Stanford University Press. Along with Nancy Kuhl, he is co-editor of Phylum Press. More information on Richard can be found on his web site at: http://www.phylumpress.com/richarddeming.

POETRY POTLUCK
at
The Sanctuary

Do you love poetry?

Would you like to be part of an ongoing poetry discussion group offering food for the mind and the heart?

If so, come and join us on the first Sunday of each month from 4.30-6.00 PM. Our next meeting is on Sunday, October 4, 2009, at the Yurt at The Sanctuary in East Haddam, Connecticut, to discuss poetry and build community.

This is not about sharing our own work but instead offers us a chance to share the work of poets we love, so you don’t have to be a poet to be part of this group. Just come and bring your love of poetry and a poem you would like to share.

Hosted by Greg Coleman, Suzy Lamson, and Edwina Trentham

For more information call 860-319-1134.

Directions to the Sanctuary for Poetry Potluck
on Bogel Road – Look for sign: Labyrinth & Yurt
(it’s a dirt driveway)

FROM HARTFORD: Take I-84 East towards East Hartford. Take exit 55 onto Route 2 East towards Norwich. Take exit 16. Go RIGHT onto Route 149. Turn LEFT onto Route 151 (Plains Road). Turn LEFT onto Daniels Road. Turn LEFT onto Bogel Road.
Phone number: 860-319-1134

FROM NEW HAVEN: Take I-95 North towards New London. Take exit 67; stay to the LEFT at the fork on the ramp. Turn LEFT onto Route 154 (Middlesex Turnpike). Take Route 9 North towards Middletown. Take exit 7 onto Route 82 East. Turn LEFT onto Route 154 (Saybrook Road). Turn RIGHT onto Route 82 (Bridge Road). Turn LEFT onto Route 151 (Town Street). Turn RIGHT onto Daniels Road. Turn LEFT onto Bogel Road. Phone number: 860-319-1134

FROM NEW LONDON: Take I-95 South towards New Haven. Take Route 9 North towards Middletown. Take exit 7 onto Route 82 East. Turn LEFT onto Route 154 (Saybrook Road). Turn RIGHT onto Route 82 (Bridge Road). Turn LEFT onto Route 151 (Town Street). Turn RIGHT onto Daniels Road. Turn LEFT onto Bogel Road.
Phone number: 860-319-1134

FROM MIDDLETOWN AND POINTS WEST:
Take I-84 East to exit 27 onto Rte 691. Stay on 691 when it becomes Rte 66 East headed toward Meriden. Go all the way through Meriden and Middletown onto Rte 9 South. Take exit 7 onto Route 82 East. Turn LEFT onto Route 154 (Saybrook Road). Turn RIGHT onto Route 82 (Bridge Road). Turn LEFT onto Route 151 (Town Street). Turn RIGHT onto Daniels Road. Turn LEFT onto Bogel Road.
Phone number: 860-319-1134

Boston Area/Cape Cod Poetry Info:

* * *
the Poetry Session at O'Shea's
7 to 8:30PM Every Third Thursday!

The Poetry Session at O'Shea's is a free monthly all-ages open mic
for poets and lovers of poetry held in the Back Room
at O'Shea's Olde Inne. 348 Main Street,
Rte. 28 West Dennis, MA 02670 Free
Contact Info: Gregory Hischak

The Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts

Presents

Poetry Series at the Brockton Library

304 Main Street. Our website www.gbspa.org

Celebrating Poetry One Saturday Every Month

Sat. Nov. 21- Wendy Mnookin & Daniel Tobin

Our workshop and venue are free, the seats comfortable, the refreshments delicious.

12:00 - 2:00 Poetry Writing Workshop

1:30 - 2:00 Sign up for Open-Mic Reading

2:15 - 3:15 Open-Mic Reading

3:30 - 4:30 Feature Poets

During Open-Mic Reading share your own poetry

or read from works of your favorite poets

Upcoming Features (For information on the following poets click on our website)

Sat. Nov. 21- Wendy Mnookin

Daniel Tobin

Sat. Dec. 19 - Faye George

Everett Hoagland

Sat. Jan. 16 - Fred Marchant

Raena Camacho

WEDNESDAYS at the CANTAB

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Central Square's world-famous Cantab Lounge
presents weekly performances from local and national poets, as well as a
chance to present your own work in the open mic or poetry slam.
DJ Muse spins before the show and between poets.

Upcoming features include:

• Wednesday, October 28
New Yorker Caits Messiner and local poet (and longtime Cantab co-host!) James Caroline could each be characterized as intimate, vulnerable, and deeply intense —touring together as Gold Fails, audiences can expect to be bowled over both emotionally and visually by their passion and craft. This accomplished pair will finish their country-wide circuit here at the Cantab. Open poetry slam in the 8x8 series.

• Wednesday, November 4
It’s been more than three years since Prabakar Thyagarajan began delighting, puzzling, and electrifying Cantab audiences with his incredibly dense and thoughtful work. In addition to being one of our most attentive listeners, Prabakar’s own work shows a meticulousness of word choice that is no less than astounding, every time. Join us for his farewell feature before he leaves us for parts East. Open poetry slam in the 8x8 series.

• Wednesday, November 11
With nearly a decade as a California slammer under the moniker “Ratpack Slim,” as well as a Finals Stage appearance with Hollywood at the 2005 National Poetry Slam, Rob Sturma has bent himself to the page in recent years, acting as poetry editor for Kotori Magazine and GetUnderground.com. Since landing a book deal with WriteBloody Publishing, he’s been taking his Tom Waits meets Shappy-esque show on the road to support his latest release. Open poetry slam in the 8x8 series.

• Wednesday, November 18
2009 Women of the World poetry slam champion, a three-time National Poetry Slam finalist, and four-year curator of the highly regarded louderARTS slam, Rachel McKibbens might be the busiest poet in New York. Relentlessly prolific, brutal, and innovative, she brings us her first published book of poetry, Pink Elephant. Open poetry slam in the 8x8 series.

Last Thursday Open Mic
at The Cultural Center of Cape Cod

307 Old Main St.,
S. Yarmouth, MA
co-hosts Joe Gouveia and Barry Hellman:
The last Thursday of every month, 7pm.
Open mic and featured poet.
Bring your own refreshments.
Arrive early to sign up for open mic.
For updated info on this and other Cape activities go to:
http://home.comcast.net/~bmhellman

_____

The Chapel In The Pines in Eastham
Biannual Poetry Open Mic (April & October)
10AM-Noon
October 25, 2009.
Hosted by Barry Hellman
Free & Refreshments Served
Read Your Own Work
Or Just Come to Listen
Plus this time around: A Featured Poet!



Tony Hoagland (that's right, Tony Hoagland)
will be the Featured Poet
at Open Mic Night at The Cultural Center of Cape Cod in S. Yarmouth
7PM October 29, 2009.
Co-Hosted by Barry Hellman and Joe Gouveia

CHECK OUT http://home.comcast.net/~bmhellman
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DETAILS
ABOUT ALL OF THESE EVENTS.

The Pleasure of Poetry

with Ada Jill Schneider

at The Somerset Public Library

every Wednesday in September, 2009 at 2 PM

1464 County Street

Somerset, MA 02726

(508) 646-2829

Free

Participants are invited to bring a favorite poem

or two to read aloud and share with the group.

Tea and cookies will be served.

Guest Reader on Wednesday, Sept. 30

Janice Miller Potter, author of Psalms in Time

Lowell Poetry Slam and Open Mic Every FIRST Thursday at Brew'd
Awakening! Only poets can compete in the slam and win the prize...
but the mic is open to musical performers as well.
Whether you come to perform, compete or just enjoy some coffee
and great local talent, don't miss this event!
7:00pm - 9:30 pm
*Sign-up between 6:30-7:00*
The event is free and open to the public—so come on down for an evening
of good company and some terrific regional voices!
Brew'd Awakening Coffeehaus
61 Market Street
Lowell, MA 978-454-BREW
For more info, please email

* * *

SATURDAYS

The Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts
Presents
Poetry Series: at the Brockton Library
304 Main Street. Map it! New website!! www.gbspa.org

Celebrating Poetry One Saturday Every Month
This is a Free Event
with really comfortable chairs and divine refreshments

12:00 - 2:00 Workshop with Danielle Legros Georges
1:30 - 2:00 Sign up for Open-Mic Reading
2:15 - 3:15 Open-Mic Reading
3:30 - 4:30 Feature Poets

During Open-Mic Reading share your own poetry
or read from works of your favorite poets

* * *
OPEN BARK
meets @ the Out Of The Blue Art Gallery,
106 PROSPECT ST. (the home of Stone Soup)
CENTRAL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE.
SIGN-UP AT 8:00pm
OPEN MIC STARTS @ 8:15pm,
FEATURE @ 9:00pm
Come and perform or listen!

Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam Sunday Night!
Cambridge Common
1667 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
$5 Cover Every Sunday
Poetry Slam: 8:00 pm,
Feature: 9:30 pm,
Open Mike: 10:30 pm
617-547-0759 http://poetryjam.org/


_____ MONDAYS
Stone Soup Poetry
Stone Soup Poetry meets from 8-10 p.m. every Monday at the
Out of The Blue Art Gallery (located on 106 Prospect Street in Cambridge)
with an open mike si gn-up at 7:30 p.m.
http://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/

_____ TUESDAYS
Newton Free Library Poetry Reading Series
The series meets the second Tuesday of every month open mic after features.
Starts 7PM For complete information go to
http://newtonfreelibrarypoetryseries.blogspot.com/
Director: Doug Holder http://authorsden.com/douglasholder

* * *
Cambridge Community Television
Tuesdays at 11:00 PM Saturdays at 10:30PM
Catch the latest from the Boston Poetry Slam I
NFO:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LETRA Poetry Nights
in LAWRENCE MASS
Every TUESDAY at
Julio's 99 Club
99 Essex Street Lawrence, MA
Doors open at 7pm open mic starts at 8pm
Admission $3.00
For more information or for directions please call
Michelle Richardson at 978-423-7045


Gypsypashn's Poetry Caravan
at Bestseller's Cafe
24 High Street
Medford, MA. 02155
Third Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM.
Free refreshments open mic.
The Poetry Man' hosts
The Main St. Cafe, North Easton MA.


VT/NH Poetry

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