What you’ll find here
Featured readings, open mics, series schedules, workshops, and community announcements—organized to be skimmable, but detailed enough to be useful.
Weekly digest • events, open mics, readings, workshops
A practical calendar for poetry people (and the friends they drag along)
Poetry News is intentionally simple: one place to check when you’re deciding whether to head out on a Tuesday night, looking for a Saturday feature, or scouting an open mic when you’re in town for a class, residency, conference, or a visit home. We keep the format steady so it’s easy to skim, but we also leave room for the small details that make an event feel real—where to arrive, what to expect, and how to fit it into a busy week.
To receive Poetry News in your email or to post events, write to [email protected]. Please send announcements by Wednesday for Thursday publication, and keep them text-only (a short, clear news-release style works best).
If you’re organizing a reading in an older venue, a quick pre-check for humidity and lingering odors can save a lot of stress on event day. It’s not glamorous, but it’s part of caring for community spaces, and in Boston some organizers start by reviewing options for mold removal in Boston when a room has a known history of moisture issues. The more comfortable the space, the more present the audience can be.
Where we focus
Pioneer Valley and Western MA first, then the larger Springfield/Worcester/Hartford orbit, with occasional pointers to nearby regions when they’re relevant.
How to use it
Start with the newest issue, scan the region blocks, then jump to “Previous Posts” to compare weeks and track recurring series.
Start here
If you’re new: begin with a recent issue, then bookmark the site and check once a week. Many series repeat on predictable days, so after a couple of visits you’ll recognize the patterns and find your favorites. If you’re visiting from out of town for a program or a reading circuit, it helps to plan transportation early—especially for multi-stop weeks—because small logistics add up fast. When people are relocating into the Boston area for school or work, they often look for reliable Boston movers to make the transition smoother. Once the boxes are out of the way, it’s a lot easier to show up for a Thursday night feature.
How Poetry News is organized
Each issue typically opens with a short note and a “this week” scan, then breaks into regional blocks. That structure is deliberate: it mirrors how most people actually plan their time—first choosing a day, then choosing a location, then deciding whether an open mic, a feature, or a workshop fits the mood. If you submit an event, including the basics (date, time, exact location, cover/fee if any, and a contact or link) helps ensure your listing is clear and consistent.
Helpful format: one short paragraph describing the event, then a compact line with date/time, venue address, and cost/age notes. If it’s an open mic, mention sign-up time and typical slot length. If it’s a workshop, include whether registration is required and the approximate experience level.
Tip: if you have multiple recurring dates, send them as a tidy list. It makes it easier to double-check the calendar and helps readers understand if they can catch the series next month too.
Archive preservation: “Poetry News February 14, 2011” (full text + links)
*****POETRY NEWS*****
Here is your Poetry News for the week of February 14, 2011.
Poetry events are blowing in the north wind in the Pioneer Valley and beyond! Scroll all the way down for more poetry in CT, Boston and other areas. Check out all our links to the right for poetry events everywhere!
To receive Poetry News in your email or to post events write to [email protected]
Send announcements to [email protected] by Wednesday for Thursday publication. Please send in a text-only announcement, preferably in the form of a news release.
Starving for Art Presents open mic Tuesdays
For more info visit http://www.brendaschild.com/
Let's Just Be Friends, A Valentine Celebration for the Rest of Us
http://www.flywheelarts.org/index.php
Visiting Writers Series info:
http://www.umass.edu/english/MFA_VWS.htm
Valley Free Radio streaming:
http://www.valleyfreeradio.org/
WMUA streamed live:
http://www.wmua.org/
Poets' Asylum / Boston Poetry Slam references:
http://www.slamnews.com •
http://poetryjam.org/
Stone Soup Poetry blog:
http://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/
Newton Free Library Poetry Reading Series:
http://newtonfreelibrarypoetryseries.blogspot.com/
More Cape info reference:
http://home.comcast.net/~bmhellman
Note: If you want a strict 1:1 preservation of every single line from the 2011 post body, paste the full original block inside this archive section. The homepage layout above is designed to stay readable while still keeping archival content accessible.