Poetry News April 11, 2011

*****POETRY NEWS*****

Here is your Poetry News for the week of April 11, 2011.

Poetry events are bursting into flower in the Pioneer Valley and beyond! Scroll all the way down for more poetry in CT, Boston and other areas.

To receive Poetry News in your email or to post events write to lori@thepoetrynews.com
Send announcements to lori@thepoetrynews.com by Wednesday for Thursday publication. Please send in a text-only announcement, preferably in the form of a news release.

THIS WEEK in Western MA and Vicinity:
Tue. April 12 - Smith Poetry Series presents Edward Hirsch, Wright Hall, 7:30pm
Wed. April 13 - Ekphrasis workshop with Maria Luisa Arroyo, Springfield Library, 12:30pm
Wed. April 13 - Gail Thomas & Sally Bellerose at Green Street Cafe, Northampton, 7:30pm
Wed. April 13 - Matthew Zapruder at Elms College, Alumni Library Theater, Chicopee, 5:30pm
Thu. April 14 - Florence Poets Society Meeting and Poetry Share, Lilly Library, Florence, 6:30pm

This is just a sampling. There are many other poetry events in Western MA, Boston, CT and beyond this week - Please scroll down!

HOLYOKE/SPRINGFIELD AREA POETRY

Matthew Zapruder at Elms College
Thu. April 13, 2011, 5:30pm
Alumni Library Theater, Elms College, Chicopee, MA

Matthew Zapruder is the author of three collections of poetry: American Linden, Come on All You Ghosts, and The Pajamaist. The Pajamaist was selected by Tony Hoagland as the winner of the William Carlos Willliams Award from the Poetry Society of America.

His poems, essays and translations have appeared or are forthcoming in many publications, including Open City, Bomb, Harvard Review, Paris Review, The New Republic, The Boston Review, The New Yorker, McSweeney's, The Believer, and the Los Angeles Times.

The reading will begin at 6 o'clock, with a brief reception at 5:30.

Art & Poetry: Denise Fontaine-Pincince
April 17, 2011
Artist & Poet, Denise Fontaine-Pincince, presents Haiku Thank You, a haiga exhibit in haiku & Mixed Media at the Western New England College Art Gallery, April 17 ─ May 21st.
Artist Reception: April 17th from 1-3 p.m.
Gallery Talk: April 19th @ 7:00 p.m.
1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA
For info call 413-244-3290.

Phoenix House Poets
Poetry Reading
April 25th, 6:30pm
Springfield Public Library Community Room
220 State Street, Springfield.

BING Arts Center
Open Mic and Western Mass Poetry Slam at the Bing Arts Center located at 716 Sumner Ave, on April 30th 2011 @ 7:30. $7 cover cover charge will help cover the cost of getting the Bing open and Community Against Hate Cultural projects for conscious artists. Hosted by Soulfighter

Barnes & Noble Open Mic
Open mic poetry at Barnes & Noble by the Holyoke Mall at 6:pm
This open mic is ongoing the first Monday of the month. No reading in December.

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/

SPRINGFIELD LIBRARY - WORKSHOPS & READINGS
Please save the following dates! Thanks to Jean Canosa Albano, Manager of Public Services at the Springfield Library, Maria Arroyo just learned that she will receive a Massachusetts Cultural Council honorarium through the City of Springfield for the series of Saturday poetry workshops she will be facilitating at the Library.
And on an unrelated note, please bookmark her new website: marialuisaarroyo.weebly.com

Poetry Workshop
Wednesday, April 13, 12:30 -2:00 pm
"Ekphrasis: Writing Inspired by Art",Tower Square, Springfield, MA ($10 fee & pre-registration required. For more information, contact me directly or stop by the Gallery for a registration form.)
Be inspired to write by the compelling pieces of art that grace the walls of the Artist Square Group Gallery. The session is facilitated by María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras", an award-winning poet, educator, and teaching artist.

Teatro V!da Youth/Young Adult Open Mic
Saturday, April 16th, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Given the success of the Teatro V!da (www.teatrovida.com) youth ensemble members' 1st open mic last month, they are returning to host a second one and invite all youth and young adults (12-24) to a welcoming space to share poems, performances of dance or music, or any creative medium! Other adults are also invited to support our young people's performances.
Location: Springfield Central Library Community Room

Poetry Reading
Saturday, May 21, 2011 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Come read your original or favorite poems, or come to hear the poetry of others in this family-friendly poetry reading. Spanish and English poems are welcomed! Emcee María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras", is a poet, educator, teaching artist. Pre-registration is required for readers. Location: Springfield Central Library Community Room OR Rotunda

Ekphrastic Poetry
Saturday June 4, 2011 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Matthew Jaquith 413-263-6828, x221 mjaquith@springfieldlibrary.org
Ekphrastic poetry is poetry--usually dramatic--written in response to a work of visual art. Beginner and intermediate poets alike are invited to attend this workshop to write original poems in response to the paintings displayed by local artists including Mirtha Quiroz, Caren McKenzie, Narelle Thomas, and Awilda Oxios. The session is facilitated by María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras", is a poet, educator, and teaching artist. Location: Springfield Central Library Community Room

Poetry Publishing for Beginners
Saturday, June 11, 2011 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Matthew Jaquith 413-263-6828, x221 mjaquith@springfieldlibrary.org
Interested in learning about how to prepare poetry submissions for different poety markets? Which markets are legitimate and which are scams? How many poems are to many? What's a chapbook? Should I self-publish? Come to this session for an open and honest dialogue with award-winning poet María Luisa Arroyo about any poetry related questions. María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras", is a poet, educator, and teaching artist. Location: Springfield Central Library Computer Lab

Poetry Writing Workshop
Saturday July 2, 2011 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Matthew Jaquith 413-263-6828, x221 mjaquith@springfieldlibrary.org
Come join a community of poets to read, listen, share, and comment on poems written by other artists. All levels (beginners to advanced) are welcomed in this adult workshop. The session is facilitated by María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras". María is a poet, educator, and teaching artist. Location: Central Library Community Room

Poetry Writing Workshop
Saturday August 6, 2011 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Come join a community of poets to read, listen, share, and comment on poems written by other artists. All levels (beginners to advanced) are welcomed in this adult workshop. The session is facilitated by María Luisa Arroyo, author of "Gathering Words: Recogiendo Palabras". María is a poet, educator, and teaching artist.

POETRY IN THE VALLEY AND BEYOND

Friends of Palmer Library
Poetry Reading
April 26, 6:30pm
Library Community Room
1455 North Main St., Palmer

Poetry at AMHERST BOOKS
Poets Bessy Reyna, Jessica Treat and Jan Conn will read from their recent work
Sunday, April 10 at 4 p.m., at the bookshop, at 8 Main St., Amherst. 256-1547.

Haiku Poets’ Society of Western MA
Poetry Reading
April 27, 7:00 pm
Forbes Library Community Room
20 West Street, Northampton.

SUNDERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Poet James Tate will read from his work
next Wednesday, April 13th at 7 p.m.
at the library, 20 School St., Sunderland. 665-2642.

Earth Day: Facing our Present and Future with Poetry and Song
Come join 12 valley artists (listed below) as we all listen to their poems and songs, and respond by sharing our grief, anger, and fear about the state of our world—and our hopes and visions for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable future.
Friday, April 22, 7-10pm
Northampton
Unitarian Universalist Society, 220 Main St.
in wheelchair-accessible Social Hall downstairs (b.y.o. pillows for plastic chairs)
(Donation requested to cover costs)
or
Monday, May 2nd, 7-9:30pm
Greenfield
Second Congregational Church, Court Square
(Near intersection of Main and Federal Streets)
in wheelchair-accessible Social Hall (b.y.o. pillows for metal chairs)
(Donation requested to cover costs)
For more info contact John Berkowitz, Shelburne poet/activist johnpberk@gmail.com

Forbes Library Weekly Poetry Discussion Group
On Mondays during the academic year, The Forbes Poetry Discussion Group meets for a close reading of contemporary poetry, often of poets coming to the Smith College Poetry Center just prior to their reading. Upcoming poets likely to be included are W.S. Merwin, Anne Carson, Edwin Hirsch, Michael Klein, Donald Morrill, Maxin Kumin, selections from Galway Kinnell's Book of Nightmares, and poems by Mary Ruefle. Any cancellations will be made via postings at the library. Free and open to all.

Poetic Recovery Open Mic and Feature
Every FRIDAY night 7:30- 9:30 pm
Thirsty Mind in South Hadley MA 23 College St.

Green Street Poetry Series
Green Street Café, Northampton, Massachusetts
Green Street readings now take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. 7:30 pm
Upcoming Featured Poets:
April 13 - Gail Thomas & Sally Bellerose
April 27 - Maya Smith Janson & Carole Potter
May 11 - Gian Lombardo & Ed Foster
May 25 - Lea Banks & Deborah Bernhardt

If you are interested in reading at Green Street, send a note with bio and sample poems to
Maria Williams-Russell at mariawilliams@gmail.com

GALLERY OF READERS SERIES
The Gallery of Readers Series presents
Jonathan Wright & Rebecca Rice reading from their work
April 10, 2011 at 4pm
Neilson Library Browsing Room, Smith College, Northampton
Refreshments will be served. Open to all.

The Gallery of Readers began in 1990 and takes its name from its first location, in Northampton's Forbes Library art gallery. The readers in the series are participants in Robin Barber's and Carol Edelstein's writing workshops.
For more information on other events in the series, please visit http://www.galleryofreaders.org/galleryofreaders/current.html

Series Schedule:
April 10 - Jonathan Wright & Rebecca Rice
May 1 - Bob Susskind, Frank Schwartz & Teresa Whitaker
June 5 - Ginny Rohan & Steffi Schamess

SMITH POETRY SERIES
presents Edward Hirsch
Tue. April 12, 2011
7:30 p.m. Wright Hall

Karen V. Kukil, Associate Curator of
Special Collections at Smith College,
will give a general introduction to Plath's poetry
Coolidge Museum
Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00 pm
Forbes Library

Linda Pastan
Wednesday, April 13th at 8:00 pm
Amherst Books, 8 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002

The Visiting Writers Series (VWS) at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst is pleased to announce the schedule for Spring 2011.
For more than 40 years, the VWS has brought outstanding poets and writers to the university campus for public readings of new work. The VWS is sponsored by the MFA Program for Poets and Writers and the Juniper Initiative, and made possible by support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the University of Massachusetts Arts Council, the Vice Provost of Research & Engagement, the College of Humanities & Fine Arts, and the English Department.

All readings are on Thursdays at 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall. All are free and open to the public. Information about past readers can be found at the Visiting Writers Series website: http://www.umass.edu/english/MFA_VWS.htm

Full schedule:
Thu. Apr 7 James Haug & Brandon Downing

Please join us for the 11th annual Juniper Literary Festival: New Writers/New Writing
April 15 & 16, 2011
University of Massachusetts Amherst
For ten years the Juniper Literary Festival has celebrated some of the nation’s most exciting authors, books, and publishers. The 2011 Juniper Literary Festival: New Writers/New Writing will introduce audiences to vital contemporary writing and explore issues essential to the future of American literature. A unique national event, the festival will celebrate and contribute to the literary richness of the Pioneer Valley. The festival will offer readings by a dozen acclaimed authors who have recently published their first or second books, including Timothy Donnelly, Michelle Hoover, Travis Nichols, and Kiki Petrosino. There will also be roundtable discussions, a press fair featuring dozens of the nation’s most exciting literary magazines and presses, and a keynote panel with the Poetry Society of America’s Alice Quinn and the National Book Foundation’s Harold Augenbraum.

All events will take place at the UMass Fine Arts Center and be free and open to the public.
Please visit http://umass.edu/english/MFA_JuniperFestival.htm for additional information.

FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY
The next business/sharing meeting is Thursday April 13, 2011 6:30pm
ALL POETS OF ALL TYPES AND AGES are welcome, bring one of your original works to share,
(12 to 15 copies will usually 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
Martina Robinson and friends meet every 3rd Thursday at Lilly Library community Room at 6:30 PM. This group is currently open to join.

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING AS A MEMBER OF FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY.
THE FEE IS $20.00 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.net/,, 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 FPOETS@localnet.com or check out our new web page at http://www.florencepoetssociety.net

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: tommytwilite@gmail.com or: FPOETS@localnet.com or visit: http://www.florencepoetssociety.org/

POETRY A LA CARTE RADIO SHOW
on WMUA-Amherst 91.1 FM
Mondays from 6:00 to 6:30pm
WMUA is ably run by students, and the Programmer, who has the unenviable job of arranging a continuous, live, on-air series of shows, 24 hours a day, is hard-pressed to get coverage when the UMass students are on vacation. (DJs are usually about half students and half community members). Hence the change in schedule.
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. Area poets are invited to read. For more information contact Petriana at 413. 549.9336 or by email at pmonize@hcc.mass.edu

The Woven Word Summer Creative Writing Program for Middle and High School Age Writers
Contact: Lynn Bowmaster, 584-3373, 113 Bay Rd., Lrbowmaster@gmail.com.
Session I: July 18-22, 9 - 3:30, Session II: August 1-5, 9-3:30

Now in its fourth year, the Woven Word Summer program provides a supportive environment for each writer to explore their own writing voice. We write in the morning at our house and head to our houseboat on the Connecticut River for lunch, recreation, and more writing in the afternoon. Most days involve 2-4 short writing sessions and allow writers to continue long pieces as well as playing with short pieces. The focus is on fun and creativity, not grammar and spelling.

GREENFIELD, SHELBURNE FALLS AND NORTH

Growing Older: Valley Poets on the Joys and Challenges of Aging
The public is invited to hear six valley poets, in their sixties or older.
The free event takes place on Tuesday, April 26, 7pm, in the social hall at the Whately Congregational Church, 177 Chestnut Plain Road (Main Street) in Whately, between Northampton and Greenfield.
Poets reading their work are Mary Clare Powell, Greenfield; Robert Bagg, Worthington; Susan Middleton, Ashfield; Dick Greene, Northampton; Sasha Berman, Northampton; and John Berkowitz, Shelburne.
After each poet reads, the audience will be invited to respond with how they felt about each poem and what it expressed about aging. Copies of the poems will be available for the audience to read while the poet is reciting, and also to take home.
The building is wheelchair accessible, and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact John Berkowitz, 413-625-6374 or johnpberk@gmail.com.

New Open Mic 3rd Thursdays in Northfield
All ages are welcome to share poetry and hear local poets at a new monthly open mic.
at Northfield Coffee and Books, 105 Main St., Northfield, MA., 8pm
This month's featured reader is Trish Crapo, followed by 5-minute open mic readings. The series
will take place on the third Thursday of every month, and is sponsored by Bernardston poet and track & field coach Jim Bell. Arrive a little early to sign up.

Reading/Fundraiser to Benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Sunday, March 27, 2011, 3pm, 9 Mill St., Greenfield, MA
Surrounded by Lindy Whiton's photo documentary, Leo Hwang-Carlos, Karina Pretto and Jessamyn Smyth will read their poetry. Donations will be accepted for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Franklin County.

ALL SMALL CAPS
Monday, April 25
Feature Readers: TBA
Please bring your work, work you admire and want to share, or just come listen to the featured readers. The reading will be held, as usual, at the Deja Brew (57 Lockes Village Rd, Wendell). Doors will open at 7 and the open mic portion of the reading will begin at 7:30, followed by a short break, followed by the featured readers. There will be food and drink available. If you need directions, a peek at upcoming readings, etc., please look-see our blog: allsmallcaps.blogspot.com.

We will also have copies of our fourth! ASC Anthology available for purchase. If you pay the upper end of our sliding scale, $5, you will receive a copy of the Anthology.

Greenfield Spoken Word
April 19th, 7pm
At 9 Mill St in Greenfield
Doors open at 7:00
Open Mic at 7:30 – Ten five minute slots
Book signing and selling of local writers works
Come out to read
Main Readers Read for 20-25 minutes
Bring your chap books to sell
We will have tables at no cost
Hope to see you there

Documentry and Poetry in Shelburne Falls
Friday, April 15 and Saturday April 16, Shelburne Falls, a new and powerful documentary will be shown called "The Vanishing of the Bees". It's about the alarming decline of bee populations of all kinds all over the world, called 'Colony Collapse Disorder'. At both events, after the film and before the discussion, Shelburne poet John Berkowitz will read his poem "Honeybees: This
Century's Canary in the Coal Mine?" 7pm, Memorial Hall on Bridge Street, free.

Paula Sayword and Janet MacFadyen
April 28^th, 6pm, at Boswell’s Books, 10 Bridge St. Shelburne Falls
Open Mic to Follow.
Slate Roof poets Paula Sayword and Janet MacFadyen will read from their work at 6pm, Thursday, April 28^th, at Boswell’s Books, 10 Bridge Street in Shelburne Falls. Slate Roof Press is a member-run press committed to publishing Western Massachusetts poets. Designed by the poets themselves, Slate Roof chapbooks feature letterpress covers, special papers, and hand-sewn bindings. There will be time to inquire about Slate Roof membership and to learn about small press publishing, chapbook design, and promotion.

The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information call Boswell’s Books at 866-670-4799.

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.

Collected Poets Series
$2– $5 suggested donation. Mocha Maya's Coffee House, 47 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370, 413-625-6292. Wheelchair accessible. See www.collectedpoets.com or www.mochamayas.com for more information.
2011Series:
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH:
APRIL 7 - John Hennessy & Caroline Knox
APRIL 21 - Gary Metras & Stephen Philbrick
MAY 5 - Diana Gordon & Leslie Harrison
JUNE 2 - Chard deNiord & Thomas Lux
JULY 7- Catherine Sasanov & Pat Schneider
No CPS Readings in August or September
OCTOBER 6- Joan Houlihan & Timothy Liu
NOVEMBER 3 - Patricia Lee Lewis & Special Guest
DECEMBER 1 - Peter Covino & Daniel Hall
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.

WORD IN THE BERKSHIRES

Jerry's Place Poetry
There will be 2--one hour poetry programs starting at 1:30 pm at the
Pittsfield Community television station on Federico Drive, Pittsfield
Mass. A Jerry's Place production.This is an ongoing reading every third Thursday.

OUTSPOKEN!
Pittsfield's Monthly Performance Series and Open Mic
- Outspoken! hosted by matt mcfadden, is held the 3rd Thursday of every month.
- Micro Theater (311 North St. in Pittsfield, Greylock Bldg. upstairs among the ArtOnNo studios - Up the block from Jae's Spice - Entrance to theater is around the corner on Union St. thru Orange door, right next door to Mary's Carrot Cake.
- 8 pm ($5 suggested donation)
- Interested open mic performers can sign up for 5 minute slot by
e-mailing matt at mcfaddensrus@yahoo.com
- Those needing more information can e-mail the same address

Power of Words, Open Mic
Third Tuesdays 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 at 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.

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 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 details

WORD IN WORCESTER

The d'Alzon Arts Series: Poetry Reading
March 18 features Tim Mayo
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.

THE POETS ASYLUM
Sunday, April 10:
Join the Poets' Asylum this week for our regular open mic and a feature by Billy Tuggle. Tuggle, aka Karma, Threesixty, is a vocalist, performance poet, mentor, student, and HipHop culturalist. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Chicago multimedia arts collective PolyRhythmic and, in 2009, co-founded the Chicago Four Star Poetry Club with Andi Kauth. Billy has co-hosted "In One Ear" at the Heartland Cafe since 2008 with Pete Wolf. As of 2010, Billy is a member of the Arkansas Grand Slam organizing committee. He has represented the Chicago area at the National Poetry Slam 7 years running.

Come down to the Front Room at WCUW (910 Main Street, Worcester). Remember, the reading now starts at 7:00 p.m. ; doors open at 6:30 p.m. No cover; donations accepted to support the feature. Don't skip this one, we think you'll regret it!

The Dirty Gerund
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,

CONNECTICUT POETRY
Write to Terri Klein at ctpoetnews@yahoo.com to get the new CT Poet newsletter in your email.
There is an online version of the CT Poetry Calendar at http://poetz.com/connecticut

Dick Allen at CCSU
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Connecticut Poet Laureate Dick
Allen will be at Central Connecticut State University on Monday, April 11th
at 12:00 pm (noon) in Founders Hall.

A Reading by Dana Gioia.
4/11, This year’s annual Peter Brazeau Poetry Event brings the former Chairperson of the National Endowment of the Arts for a reading of his poetry. Gioia currently directs arts and culture programs for the Aspen Institute. Interrogations at Noon, Gioia’s third volume of poetry, received the American Book Award.

7:30, Crystal Room, Mercy Hall, Saint Joseph College.

Poetry Potluck
is alive and well at our new home at The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, Connecticut. We are continuing with our scheduled day: the third Sunday of the month, and same hours: 4:30 to 6 p.m. It's a different location, but one with
heat, light and plenty of room - plus munchies and tea/coffee are available for purchase. Donations requested to support The Buttonwood Tree. I invite you to attend, try out our new place.

It happens on the third Sunday of each month at The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown from 4:30 to 6 p.m

WordForge Reading
Next up:
Monday April 18, 7pm—John Peck and Lisa Taylor
The Studio @ Billings Forge, 563 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Parking available next to Firebox restaurant or along Broad Street. Free event.

Workshop for Adults
March 26, April 2, 9, 16 and 30: Poetry writing workshop for adults 55 or older (“Love, Longing and Laughter”) offered by poet Bessy Reyna at the Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., Hartford, CT. This program is part of the Library's Art and Archives series: Master Classes in the Arts and Humanities for Older Adults. Saturday mornings from 10 to 12:30. Free but registration is required and begins Mon., Jan. 31. Parking is available on the parking deck adjacent to the library on Arch Street, as well as on the street. Please contact bmiller@hplct.org or call Hartford History Center 860-695-6347.

Wintonbury Branch Poetry Series & Open Mike/ Spring 2011
Celebrating 15 years! "my time" "my place " "my creativity"
Third Thursdays-- 7:00 PM

We will celebrate National Poetry Month on April 21 with a salute to Rennie McQuilkin, "senior statesman" of poetry in Connecticut. Founder of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and of Antrim House Books publishing company, he will read from his most recent collection, The Weathering, winner of the Connecticut Book Award for Poetry 2010.

A warm, supportive place to meet fellow poets and share your poems! Refreshments and an open mike follows each featured poet.
Wintonbury Branch Library, 1015 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT
860 242-0041 www.prosserlibrary.info "Wintonbury Branch"

INESCAPABLE RHYTHMS POETRY SERIES
Real Art Ways, 7pm
56 Arbor St., Hartford
Ongoing: monthly, second Wednesday
Feature: TBA. Series format: a featured poet gives a half hour reading (7:00pm) followed by an open mike (7:30pm), in which members of the audience are invited to share their work. The series takes its title fromthe Wallace Stevens poem, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." Stevens, a major American Modernist poet, was a Hartford resident. More info: Contact Andrea Henchey at ahenchey@hotmail.com .

Calling All Poets ( . . . and poetry lovers)
hosted by Victoria Muñoz
Silas Bronson Library - 267 Grand St., Waterbury, CT 06702
First Wednesdays - 6:30 pm
Spring Series Line-up
May 4 - Polly Brody & Jean Sands
June 1 - TBA

Potluck Poetry
is a monthly gathering of local (and not so local) writers who come together to share their work and listen to others. Original work preferred but not required. Please bring a small donation or dish to share and an open spirit to our beautiful space.
3rd Sunday of every month 5- 7pm.
Yoga Center of Collinsville (860) 693-9642, 10 Front St, Ste 102, Collinsville, CT 06019

Central's Lunch-time Poetry Hour: Minnesota poet Mark Conway reads at CCSU on Monday, March 14th from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm in New Britain CT. Come have a free lunch and listen to recent finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards read from his new book, "Dreaming Man, Face Down." Free and open to the public.
Monday, March 14th, 2011, Marcus White Living Room campus of CCSU in New Britain, CT
12:00 pm (noon) to 1:30 pm. Poet Mark Conway performs from his new book, "Dreaming Man, Face Down"

A Workshop in Exploring, Understanding, & Composing Haiku,
conducted by Stanford M. Forrester
Saturday, April 16, 2011, 9:30AM-5:30PM with lunch break. Attendees can either bring lunch or buy lunch on campus
Saint Joseph College, Lynch Hall/Room #125, West Hartford, CT
Register by e-mail to Stanford M. Forrester: bottlerockets_99@yahoo.com
(Limited space so please register soon) Price: $60.00 cash or check (pay at door.)
A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to a local food kitchen. (No charge for Saint Joseph College students)

2011 Writer's Circle Retreat at Wisdom House
You’re invited to apply to attend the 2011 Writers Circle retreat, to be held at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Conn., from June 2-5, 2011. The event, which is open to writers in all genres and of all experience levels, has been held annually for nearly 20 years. While the group’s organizers are still fleshing out the 2011 agenda, the schedule typically balances optional group activities (critique sessions, workshops) with plenty of free time for writing. The venue offers clean, simple rooms and good food in a serene wooded environment. For more details on the retreat, visit our Web site at www.thewriterscircle.org. For details on the venue, visit www.wisdomhouse.org.
DETAILS
Dates: Thursday night, June 2—Sunday afternoon, June 5, 2010
Location: Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT
COSTS: It’s official: Rates are the same for 2011 as they were for 2010 (and actually lower than they were in 2008 and 2009): Specifically:
Three-night retreat (Thursday-Saturday nights), single room: $324
Three-night retreat, shared room: $264 per person
Two-night retreat (Friday-Saturday nights), single room: $217
Two-night retreat (Friday-Saturday nights), shared room: $177 per person
Day guest (Friday or Saturday): $75
The fee covers your room, all activities and all meals except Thursday dinner for three-night attendees (you can either pick up something on your own or join the group at a nearby restaurant).
TO REGISTER: Space is limited, so if you’re interested, please register soon! Please fill out the online application at www.thewriterscircle.org so that we have your correct contact information, room requests and meal preferences.
A $100 deposit is required to hold your place. Once you’ve filled out the online application, send a check for your deposit to:
Susan Lamson, P.O. Box 109, Waterford, CT 06385
Make checks to Susan Lamson, NOT to Wisdom House. At this time, we are unable to take electronic payments—only personal or bank checks. Once we’ve received your deposit, we’ll provide you with a username and password so that you can access the private 2011 retreat Web site.

Wednesday Night Poetry Series
April 13, 2011 - Jasmine Dreame Wagner & Cabinet of Natural Curiosities
Jasmine Dreame Wagner’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in New American Writing, American Letters & Commentary, Verse, Blackbird, 
Colorado Review, Indiana Review, and other literary magazines. A graduate of Columbia University and the University of Montana, she has received grants and residencies from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Hall Farm Center for Arts & Education, and Kultuuritehas
 Polymer.

An interdisciplinary artist as well as a poet, Jasmine seeks to investigate “the hidden narratives of manmade landmarks: abandoned industrial areas, vacant lots, fences of wildlife refuges, decommissioned military structures, exurban space that has fallen into
 disuse.” Using a variety of mediums she explores “the shadowy pockets of the post-industrial landscape and the natural life that persists in the 
face of environmental degradation and decay“. Jasmine performs and records folk and experimental music as Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. Her third album, Blue Highways, willbe released by For Arbors / For Satellites in Summer of 2011. Cabinet
 has performed at the CMJ Music Marathon, the Olympia Experimental Music Festival, free103point9’s Wave Farm, and Missoula, Montana’s New
Lakes Poetry Reading Series.

The Wednesday Night Poetry Series (WNPS or Wedpoetry) meets at “The Garage,” at 53 Church Hill Road, Newtown. See our venue page for directions. For 16 Years and counting: poets, spoken-word artists, monologists and storytellers, acoustic performances by songwriters and musicians are welcome! Read your own work or works by your favorite writers. OPEN MYK SIGN-UP starts at 7:30 PM / OPEN MYK – 7:45 PM /FEATURED READING – 8:45 PM We are a warm, friendly environment for 1st-time readers!

RIVERWOOD AT THE BUTTONWOOD TREE
Last Saturday of Jan, Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June. ( NO poetry in Dec., July, Aug.)
Time: 6:30 PM
Riverwood Poetry Series presents the Saturday Night Poetry
The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main St., Middletown, CT
$5 suggested donation or $3 with a non-perishable food item for the benefit of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Open mike follows feature.
More info: www.riverwoodpoetry.org

ANYTHING GOES!
The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street, Middletown, $3.00 - $5.00 suggested donation
Ongoing: every Monday
This open mike, hosted by J-Cherry, is a warm group that encourages personal development--come play with us! You'll find Phill is available to drum along if you like. We have a piano and congas or BYO instrument, poem, dance, or whatever artistic piece of yourself you'd like to share. We're all in this together--let's have some fun and create ourselves anew! More info: thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com; http://www.buttonwood.org; (860) 347-4957.

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 Annual Fund Campaign / Hosted by Stephen Campiglio
3rd 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, APRIL 14 [PLEASE NOTE THIS DATE IS A 2ND THURSDAY EXCEPTION TO THE USUAL 3RD THURSDAY FORMAT]

7:00 PM. – VORTEX OTHER DIMENSION ENSEMBLE with Todd Brunel, bass clarinet & saxophone; Garrison Fewell, guitar; and Robert Bethel, cello
8:00 p.m. – Featured Poets:JOHN SUROWIECKI and SHARON BRYAN

John Surowiecki is the author of three collections of poetry, Barney and Gienka (CW Books, 2010), The Hat City after Men Stopped Wearing Hats (Word Works, 2007), and Watching Cartoons before Attending a Funeral (White Pine Press, 2003), as well as five chapbooks. His verse drama, My Nose and Me, won a Poetry Foundation Pegasus Award. He worked for many years as a freelance writer and presently teaches Credit-Free poetry and literature courses at Manchester Community College.

Sharon Bryan has published four books of poetry: Salt Air, Objects of Affection, Flying Blind, and the most recent, Sharp Stars, available through BOA Editions. She also edited Where We Stand: Women Poets on Literary Tradition, and, with William Olsen, Planet on the Table: Poets on the Reading Life. She has taught as a visiting poet at many universities around the country, including the University of Connecticut in Storrs in spring 2010, and is currently on the faculty of the low-residency M.F.A. Program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

BOSTON AREA/CAPE COD POETRY INFO:

MASS POETRY FESTIVAL
Salem, May 13-14
For info go to:http://masspoetry.org/the-festival/

A Poetry Workshop with Martha Collins:
'Sentence and Line': Thursday, April 28, 10am - 4pm at The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth. $75 per person. Register by calling the Cultural Center at 508-394-7100.
At 7 pm, she will be the Featured Poet at the monthly Poets’ Corner Open Mic hosted by Barry Hellman and Joe Gouveia. Study with this master teacher and poet during the day and come hear her read in the evening. Arrive before 7 PM to sign up for the open mic. Bring your own refreshments- and a friend!

CANTAB LOUNGE
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, April 13
Michael Mack graduated from the Writing Program at MIT. His poems have aired on NPR, appeared in the Beloit Poetry Journal, America, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Southern Poetry Review, and have twice have been anthologized in Best Catholic Writing. He has performed his solo play Hearing Voices (Speaking in Tongues), which explores his mother's life with schizophrenia, nationwide. Michael was a Boston slam team in 1998 and 1999. No slam tonight.

• Wednesday, April 20
Cantab Team Selection Semi-Finals! The top twelve poets from the April 6 slam go two more rounds to narrow the field. The top eight poets will advance to next week’s Finals in the Cantab’s month-long quest to select who will represent the venue at the 2011 National Poetry Slam.

Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00, the feature performs at approximately 10:00, and an open poetry slam follows. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3 unless otherwise noted.
Simone Beaubien, SlamMaster
The Boston Poetry Slam at The Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.
http://www.slamnews.com cantab@slamnews.com

The Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts
Presents
Poetry Series at the Brockton Library
304 Main Street. Our website www.gbspa.org

Our workshops and venue are free, the seats comfortable, the refreshments delicious.
1:00 - 2:00 Prose Workshop (critique & discussion)
2:30 - 4:30 Memoir Workshop
~~~~~
12:00 - 2:00 Poetry 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. Apr 16 - Diana Der-Hovanessian, F.D. Reeve
Sat. May 21 - January G. O”Neil, Bert Stern
Sat. Jun 18 - Jack McCarthy, Jack Scully & Nancy Brady Cunningham (reading Mike Amado’s poetry)
Sat. Jul 16 - Sharon Bryan, Dorian Kotsiopoulos

Barry Hellman's Annual Poetry Open Mic In Celebration Of National Poetry Month. Sunday Morning, April 10, 2011, 10 AM-Noon, The Chapel In The Pines, 220 Samoset Road, Eastham, MA. A Poetry Open Mic Plus An Interlude of All Original Music and Lyrics by Greg Hischak’s ‘Beach Plums' : Greg Hischak,

Kathleen Healy, Meryl Vjus, and Max Credit. Free Admission. Refreshments Provided by The Nauset Fellowship. Advance signup to read at the open mic is recommended: Email bmhellman@comcast.net . At the door signups limited to remaining time available. Plan To Join Us! Information:http://home.comcast.net/~bmhellman.

Calliope’s Fourth Season
Come Celebrate Poetry: Sundays 3 to 5 PM
West Falmouth Library,
575 West Falmouth Highway (Route 28A)
West Falmouth, MA 02574
May 1, 2011. Open Mike Sign-up, 2:45 PM. Featured Poets: Marguerite Bouvard, Robin Clarke, Anna Ross.
June 5, 2011. Open Mike Sign-up, 2:45 PM. Featured Poets: Linda Bamber, Dorothy Derifield, Alice Weiss.
$5 donation. Refreshments. Alice Kociemba, 508-566-1090
calliopepoetryreadings@verizon.net or www.calliopepoetryseries.com for details on poets and directions.

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

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

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 CIntern2@lowellma.gov

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/

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 sign-up at 7:30 p.m. http://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/

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: kentthompson@comcast.net

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

NH/VT POETRY

For a VT poetry events calendar go to: http://www.phayvanh.com/
For info on Brattleboro poetry and Write Action visit their website - www.writeaction.net

National Poetry Month: Stephen Paul Miller

Reads at Hyla Brook Reading Series
April is National Poetry Month and the Frost Farm’s Hyla Brook Poets celebrate with a reading by New York City poet Stephen Paul Miller on Thursday, April 14, 2011 6:30-8:30pm at BeanTowne Coffee House & Café (www.beantownecoffee.com), 201 Rte 111 in Hampstead. Also reading is Hyla Brook Poet Kyle Potvin. The Reading Series is free and open to the public.

Stephen Paul Miller is the author of several books including The Seventies Now: Culture as Surveillance (Duke University Press) and several poetry books including Fort Dad (Marsh Hawk Press), Being with a Bullet (Talisman), Art Is Boring for the Same Reason We Stayed in Vietnam (Domestic), The Bee Flies in May (Marsh Hawk Press), Skinny Eighth Avenue (Marsh Hawk Press), and the forthcoming There’s Only One God and You’re Not It (Marsh Hawk Press). He also co-edited, with Daniel Morris, Radical Poetics and Secular Jewish Culture (University of Alabama Press), and, with Terence Diggory, The Scene of My Selves: New Work on New York School Poets (National Poetry Foundation). His poetry has also appeared or soon will appear in New American Writing, Best American Poetry, Zeek, Tablet, Jacket, Columbia Review, Literature around the Globe, Critiphoria, which he co-edits, and elsewhere. He is a Professor of English at St. John’s University in New York City and was a Senior Fulbright Scholar at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.

Kyle Potvin’s poetry has appeared in print and online publications including Measure, Tygerburning Literary Journal, The Mom Egg, JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), Literary Mama, The Lyric, The Barefoot Muse, and The New York Times’ “Well” blog. She was named a finalist for the 2008 Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award. Kyle is principal of a public relations firm and co-founder, with Tammi Truax, of The Prickly Pear Poetry Project: Processing the Cancer Experience Through Poetry. She is on the Board of the Poetry Society of New Hampshire and lives in Derry with her husband and two sons.

An Open Mic will follow the readings and all audience members are invited to share their work. Next month, the Hyla Brook Reading Series returns to its spring/summer home at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry.

The group’s monthly writing workshop meets on the third Saturday of the month at 10am. The next workshop takes place on Saturday, April 16, at the Coffee Factory in Derry.

For questions, please contact Robert Crawford at bobik9@aol.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/HylaBrookPoets.

Poetry readings at the Putney Library
55 Main Street, Putney VT (802) 387-4407

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News for Poetry News should be sent to lori@thepoetrynews.com. Please send your announcements in text only - do not format (no special fonts, colors, etc.) Send by Wednesday for Thursday publication. Thank you, Lori Desrosiers - Publisher.