Poetry News

****POETRYNEWS****
To receive Poetry News in your email write to
or check it out online at http://www.poetrynewscalendar.com/.

Here is your Poetry News for the week of March 3, 2008.
Spoken word events are rumbling deep as spring stirs within the earth in the Pioneer Valley and beyond.

Please email if you would like to be added to the mailing
or are interested in featuring at Jester's.
Peace through poetry - Lori

Word in Westfield:

Community Voices Poetry Open Mic
EVERY MONDAY NIGHT 7PM
at Jester's Cafe and Deli
124 Elm Street (route 10/202)
in Westfield, MA
Sign up is at 6:30 and open mic starts at 7:00PM
followed by a guest feature.
All are welcome.
This venue is PG 13

Upcoming Feature Poets:

Monday March 3 - Black Angus
Monday March 10 - Paul Richmond

We are now booking features for May.
Please email if you haven't featured in
at least 6 months and would like to return,
or if you would be interested in featuring for the first time at Jester's.

***********************
Westfield Women Write!
A Reading by WSC Faculty Poets and Authors
including Leah Nielsen, Joyce Hayden, Lori Desrosiers
Wednesday March 5, 5:30 - 7:30PM
Scanlon Banquet Hall WSC

Writing Group at the Athenaeum
Saturday March 8, 11AM
(2nd Saturdays)
Community Room, Westfield Athenaeum
6 Elm Street (on the corner of Court St.)
Westfield, MA
Writing group starting for poetry, memoir and
fiction, facilitated by Lori Desrosiers, local poet and
Adjunct Professor of English at WSC.
There will be prompts and exercises to inspire and
encourage all sorts of creative writing.
FREE
All styles welcome. For info call Lori at 413-250-3008

Chicopee/Holyoke/Springfield Poetry

Women's Writing Group,
Mondays, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Springfield location,
beginners welcome, leader trained in Amherst Writers & Artists method,
for information call 413-531-5023

GUMBOLIVE
Has moved to Hartford, CT
See CT POETRY below for details!

SPRINGFIELD LIBRARY POETRY CONTEST
It's official - the Springfield Library is hosting another poetry contest!
Please honor us with your entries and your participation.
Visit the Library's Poetry Page for all the details about the contest
and exciting related programs.
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/poetry/poetrypage.html

Springfield Library Events
Special Event: Martín Espada Poetry Reading
Saturday, March 8, 2:00 pm
Central Library Rotunda
Called "the Latino poet of his generation" and "the Pablo Neruda of North
American authors," award-winnning poet Martín Espada has published
sixteen books as a poet, editor, and translator. A former tenant lawyer,
Espada is now a professor in the Department of English at UMass - Amherst.
His most recent publication, The Republic of Poetry, explores both the
poetic and the political, in a charged commentary on social justice featuring
the politics of both Chile and the United States.
This event is funded as a part of the 2008 Poetry Contest,
sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council, and is also part of
the Library's Massachusetts Book Award series, presenting four
authors in the month of March.
Pre-registration is not necessary.
Open Mic will start at about 1:00 as usual.
As always, the host is local writer/performer Crystal Senter Brown.
Open Mic is open to readers of all ages, and poems of all styles and languages.
Questions? Contact Anna at
or 263-6828 x426.

Winter 2008 : Open Mic moves indoors for Spoken Word Saturdays.
Mark your calendars for the following dates:
March 8, April 12 1:00 pm.
As always, the host is local writer/performer Crystal Senter Brown.
Open mic is open to readers of all ages, and poems
of all styles and languages.
Questions? Contact Anna at
or 263-6828 x426.
all ages - all languages - all forms of creative writing are encouraged
Springfield Library Poetry Page:
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/poetry/poetrypage.html
Or contact Anna at
or 413.263.6828 x426.

Bookmark the Poetry Page
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/poetry/poetrypage.html
for updated information, and to read the work of some of our poets
(anyone who's read at events here, send a poem to be posted!)


Word in the Valley and Beyond

SMITH COLLEGE POETRY SERIES
March 4 – Tony Hoagland
Stoddard Auditorium 7:30 PM
Tony Hoagland’s poems expose the wonders and blunders
of American society. No subject is too vulnerable or too private
for his brash and unashamed storytelling. Hoagland delves head-on
into the throes of adolescence, male culture, knowledge of mortality;
as William Matthews wrote, though, “There’s an underlying sweetness
to these poems, and a gratitude for having survived so much human
fecklessness (including, of course, one’s own).” Marie Howe has called
his work “hilarious and searing.” Hoagland is author of three collections
of poems, What Narcissism Means to Me, Donkey Gospel (winner of the
James Laughlin Award)and Sweet Ruin (winner of the Brittingham Prize),
as well as a book of brilliant essays, Real Sofistikashun, and, most recently,
Hard Rain, a chapbook.
Tony Hoagland’s week-long residency at Smith, featuring workshops,
individual student conferences, and a craft lecture is made possible
by a special alumnae gift.

ADDITIONAL HOAGLAND EVENT!
Lecture: "How to Get a Square Heart into a Postmodern Hole:
the Legacy, Liabilities, and Augmentation of the Plain Poetic Style"
Thursday, March 6, 7:30 PM in the Poetry Center

March 25 – Mark Doty
Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall 7:30 PM
Mark Doty brings us to the brink of death and then straight
back into the grip of life, unraveling themes of grief, sexuality,
and transformation. His three books of prose and seven of poetry
have won wide acclaim, distinguished awards, and fervent readers.
Phillip Levine said, “If it were mine to invent the poet to complete
the century of William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens,
I would create Mark Doty just as he is, a maker of big, risky,
fearless poems in which ordinary human experience becomes music.”
Fire to Fire: New & Selected Poems is new this spring, and, as
W. S. Merwin says, “A new book of poems—or of anything—
by Mark Doty is good news in a dark time.”
Mark Doty’s visit is supported by the Program for the Study
of Women & Gender, sponsors, along with American Studies
and the Lecture Committee, of a lecture by Doty on memoir on March 26.

Tuesday April 8th – Sharon Olds & High School Prize Winners
Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall
Sharon Olds writes stark, potent, cathartic poetry—brutally
honest and beautiful in its stripped-down artistry. One of our
most widely-read poets, Olds’s poems have appeared in over
100 anthologies. David Leavitt praised her “lyrical acuity which is
both purifying and redemptive.” Writing on such subjects as family,
alcoholism, sex, mothering, and the horrors of violence and war, her
dazzling and harrowing voice haunts and surprises and pleases.
Michael Ondaatje has called her poems “pure fire in the hands.”
Recipient of many honors, Olds teaches at NYU and served as
New York State Poet Laureate. She is this year’s judge for the
Smith College Poetry Prize for High School Girls in Massachusetts.

A NIGHT OF SPOKEN WORD
ALL SMALL CAPS
Last Monday of each month at
Déjà Brew Pub,
57 Locke's Village Rd.
Wendell MA
Doors open 7:00 p.m.
Open Mic signup: 7:15
Open Mic: 7:15-8
Featured readers 8:15 - 9:30
All comers are invited to read from their own
work or the works of others, poetry or prose
Admission sliding scale $1 -$5
Deja Brew, between the country store and
Post Office in downtown Wendell
*If you would like to be one of the two presenters
call 978-544-8784
http://www.allsmallcaps.blogspot.com/


EVOLUTION OPEN MIC
The first Thursday of the month
March 6
Open poetry night at 7pm
at
Cafe Evolution
22 Chestnut Street
Florence Mass
phone 413.586.0200


FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY .

The Florence Poets Society celebrates it's 5th year of existence
with the fourth meeting of the new season on
Thursday March 13th at the Lilly Library in Florence.
Our new starting time is 6:30 pm so that Society business can
be conducted prior to the poetry portion of the meeting,
which will be from 7-9 pm. Regular meetings are held the second
Thursday of every month. An annual membership fee of $15 dollars
contributes to our programs and events, however it is not necessary
to be a member to participate.
All poets are welcome to attend and share original work.
We are always looking for new poets.
Discussion and critique is offered if desired.
Look for our new writing group coming soon.

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"
on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Weds from 9-10 am on WXOJ-FM LP
103.3 and streaming at 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: [email protected]
or: [email protected] or visit:
www.florencepoetssociety.org
or visit: http://www.tommytwilite.com/

Western New England Poetry Collection

Poets living in western New England are invited to contribute a copy
of their poetry chapbooks or other poetry publications (local periodicals,
CDs of spoken word, posters, etc.) to a permanent library collection
at the University of Massachusetts.

The Western New England Poetry Collection, established at Umass'
W.E.B. Du Bois Library with the cooperation of the Florence Poets Society,
is intended to serve as a permanent archive of the often evanescent
or self-published publications of poets in our local communities.

Anyone can access this collection at the 25th floor reading room of the library.
The collection will also provide a resource for scholars, perhaps centuries in
the future, who want to study the poetry of this time and place.

The Department of Special Collections at Umass Amherst collects
material relating to the culture and history of New England, with one
of its primary focuses being literature and the arts, and a special emphasis
collecting “whole lives and whole communities”.

You can donate poetry publications to the collection in one of three ways:

1. Mail materials to: Attn: Robert Cox Western New England Poetry Collection
Special Collections – W.E.B. Du Bois Library University of Massachusetts
154 Hicks Way Amherst, MA 01003-9275

2. Bring the materials to the Umass W.E.B. Du Bois library 25th floor
reading room. You can also access the collection there.

3. Bring the materials to any Florence Poets Society meeting
(2nd Thursdays of each month at 6:30 PM at the Florence, MA Lilly Library)
and someone there will bring them to the collection for you.

Also, Email Rich Puchalsky at if you need special help
or have other questions. Contributions to the library special collection are
tax deductable. If you wish, you can also include a biographical statement
with your donation: information that scholars have said would be helpful includes
where you live, when and where you were born, your work / occupation,
your educational background, and a statement on how you see your poetry.

Thank you for considering a donation to this special collection.

Poetry Nights in Northampton:

Writer's Group at Packard's in Northampton:
Northampton Writer's Group is an ongoing writer's group
for any kind of written word.
It meets in the library room at Packard's restaurant/bar at
14 Masonic St. in Northampton.
Participants bring copies of their work to read and have
critiqued in a supportive, gentle, constructive environment.
Admission is free, and supper and drinks are available for purchase.
The next dates -
Sunday March 9, 6-9PM
TBA

POETRY A LA CARTE
on WMUA-Amherst 91.1 FM
Fridays 4:30-5:00pm
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.

Slate Roof Press
Slate Roof poets Susie Patlove and Paula Sayword,
along with guest poetAnn McNelly, will read from their work
Wednesday, February 27,
at the Leyden Town Hall,
16 West Leyden Rd.
Slate Roof Press is a member-run press committed to
publishing Pioneer Valley 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.

Charlemont resident Susie Patlove will read
from her book, Quickening, published by Slate Roof (2007).
She has had poems in The Atlanta Review and Monkscript,
among other places.

Paula Sayword’s first book of poems,
Stories from the Sky, is forthcoming from Slate Roof. A
Leyden resident, she has been published in Sanctuary and was
a finalist in the 2006 Poet Seat Poetry Contest. Also from
Leyden, Ann McNelly will read from her work; her poems have
appeared in The Berkshire Review, Drive-By Poets, and Sanctuary

The program is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be served, and Slate Roof Press books will
be on display for sale. The recently renovated Town Hall is
now wheelchair accessible.

This program is supported in part by grantsfrom the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Bernardston,Conway, Leverett, Leyden, Northfield, and Shelburne, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, astate agency. We thank them for their generosity

Greenfield/Shelbourne Falls Poetry

Collected Poets Series
Poets Patricia Fargnoli,
New Hampshire's Poet Laureate, author of five
collections of poetry and most recently,
Duties of the Spirit, and
Tim Mayo, author of The Loneliness of Dogs,
will read from their work
as part of the Collected Poets Series,
Thurs., March 6th,
at 7:30pm. Free.
Mocha Maya’s Coffee House,
47 Bridge Street,
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
413-625-6292.
Wheelchair accessible.

Patricia Fargnoli is the current Poet Laureate of
New Hampshire and the author of five collections of
poetry. Her latest book Duties of the Spirit,
(Tupelo Press, 2005) won the 2005 Jane Kenyon
Award for Outstanding Poetry. Her first book,
Necessary Light (Utah State University Press, 1999)
was awarded the 1999 May Swenson Poetry Award
judged by Mary Oliver. Pat, a retired social worker, has
been the recipient of a MacDowell Colony fellowship.
She is published widely in literary journals such as Poetry,
Ploughshares, North American Review, Mid-American Review,
Cimarron Review, and The Massachusetts Review.
She’s received the Robert Frost Foundation Poetry Award
and has been twice-nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
A member of the NH Writer’s Project and a Touring
Artist for the NH Art’s Council, Pat resides in Walpole, NH.

Tim Mayo’s newest chapbook is The Loneliness of Dogs
(Pudding House Press, 2008) He holds an ALB, cum laude,
in French language and culture from Harvard University
and an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College.
He was a semi-finalist in the Discovery’s The Nation 2000 Poetry
Contest, and in 2006 he received a Vermont Artist’s & Writer’s
Grant from the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. His full-length
manuscript Dreaming of a Dependable Force was a finalist in the 2007
Main Street Rag Poetry Contest. He lives in Brattleboro, VT.
The Collected Poets Series highlights the work of established
and emerging poets. Each event, showcasing this area’s finest poets,
features readings followed by informal discussions.
The series is held every first Thursday of the month.
There are TWO events planned for National Poetry Month however.
Please see below.
Contact info: Lea Banks,
20 Severance St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
(H) 413.625.6702

The 2008 Series
April 3 – National Poetry Month - Jack Wiler and Annie Boutelle
April 5 - National Poetry Month – Janet Aalfs and Ekiwah Adler-Belendez
May 1 - Alicia Ostriker and Frannie Lindsey
June 5 –Chard diNiord and Susie Patlove
~ no CPS for July and August ~
Sept. 4 –Toi Derricotte and Regie O’Hare-Gibson
Oct. 2 - Michael Waters and Carol Frost
Nov. 6 – Wyn Cooper and special guest

Spoken Word Greenfield
Every Third Tuesday
Tuesday March 18th
At 9 Mill St in Greenfield
Doors open at 7:00
Open Mike at 7:30
Featured Readers - Lori Desrosiers and other TBA
$1-5 sliding scale cover
Book signing and selling of local writers works will be available
Refreshments
Come up to read
Bring your chap books to sell
We will have tables at no cost
We hope to do Spoken Word Greenfield once a month
Open mike will be five minute slots
With 10 open slots
Have open slots for main readers

Directions
If you come up 91
Come into the center of Greenfield
At the lights of Federal and Main
Where the Common is
You take a Rt
Down the hill
Toyota will be on you left
You go under the railroad bridge
Come to a light
Take a RT
and you are there
That is Mill St
9 is on the conner
You can park in the Art Space next door
or on the street
If you are coming up 5 & 10 into Greenfield
When you come to the lights
Where you can either go left
Or Right under the Railroad bridge
You want to go Left
That is Mill St
9 is the first building

Collected Poets Series

The Collected Poets Series highlights the work of established
and emerging poets. Each event, showcasing this area’s
finest poets, features readings followed by informal discussions.
The series is held every first Thursday of the month.

Contact info: Lea Banks, 20 Severance St.,
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370, (H) 413.625.6702

Open Mic at the Arms Library
Third Friday of the Month
Open Prose & Poetry
7:00 pm

Meeting Room
Arms Library
Bridge & Main Sts. Shelburne Falls
Writers of All Ages Most Welcome!
Come and be heard, or just listen to the diverse
voices in our community.
Sign ups at beginning of program.

Please take a moment to visit our new web site:
http://www.geocities.com/annieteekski/now.html

The Third Friday Reading Series
at the Arms Library
welcomes you
Bridge and Main Streets,
Shelburne Falls, MA
7—9pm, 3rd Friday of each month
Open reading of poetry and prose.
Come early and sign up for a 5 minute reading.
When a writing group is featured,
the 2nd half of the evening will be an open reading.
Please plan to stay for the entire event.
Refreshments will be served.
(now in its twelfth year!)

For more information, please call Arms Library 625-0306
or Lisa Merrill 625-9765

News from Mo and Ginger Cat Press
Hello to all – hope the long winter nights are inspiring to
the writing life and that you are all working on submissions for
the next Equinox. Come to one or some or all of the following lit
events to share the fruits of your labors and be inspired by the
efforts of fellow wordsmiths. Below is a schedule of upcoming
Equinox open mics, and a reminder about the February Salon.
In addition, I can report that I have finally gotten ‘round to updating
the website, even adding the submissions guidelines to it. Please take
note that the Ginger Cat is, from now on, adopting an imprint
– the BOOKSMYTH PRESS—which has its own e-mail address.
You can still connect with me via either of the two addresses
an
The web site can be accessed with this address:
http://www.thebooksmyth.com/ NOTE: This address redirects to the
original site name www. gingercatpress.net – it was easier to redirect
rather than to rename, but any computer geeks out there who can tell
me if there is a better way to handle this, feel free to send (free) advice.
hugs to all…. look forward to seeing you Mo

Equinox Poetry Journal Open Mics

EQUINOX OPEN MIC SERIES 2008, "Lend Me Your Ears"

(all sign-ups begin ½ hour before mic opens-in food service venues
feel free come earlier for meal/snacks)
**note corrected address for May 18 mic

MARCH
2 Buckland: Sunday, 3-5 at McCusker's Market, State Street, Buckland side of the Deerfield River
14 Deerfield: Friday, 7-9 at El Jardin Bakery, 265 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield
30 Bernardston: Sunday, 11-12:30 at Unitarian Church, Main Street, Bernardston

APRIL
6 Conway: Sunday, tba at Field Library, Conway
? Northampton: tba at Evolution Café, Chestnut Street, Florence
? Orange: tba

MAY
4 Ashfield: Sunday, 3-5 at the Wellspring House, Main Street, Ashfield
18 Hadley: Sunday, 3-5 at Food Bank Farm, 121 Bay Road, Hadley (corrected address)
? Pittsfield tba

JUNE
? Montague tba at the Montague Book Mill,

JULY
? Charlemont tba

SEPT
21 Shelburne: Sunday 3-5 at Mocha Maya 2008 issue Release Party
25 Amherst: Thursday, 7-9 at

SUNDAY SALONS:
MAR 30 from 2 to 4 pm featuring chili, chips, chatter & Thou
note the time change for March Salon
APR 27 from 1 to 4 pm featuring chili, chips, chatter & Thou
MAY 25 from 1 to 4 pm featuring chili, chips, chatter & Thou
JUN 29 from 1 to 4 pm featuring chili, chips, chatter & Thou
JUL 27 from 1 to 4 pm featuring hot dogs, chili dogs, etc & Thou
AUG from 1 to when at Sunburn Beach, bring your own snacks and lotions
SEP-DEC no salons,


EQUINOX DEADLINE: May 15, 2008. Submission guideline available on website
http://www.thebooksmyth.com/ or http://www.gingercatpress.net/

February SUNDAY SALON: February 24 from 1 to 4
an open house for the literary and artsy crowd.
Bring a creation to read and/or display.
Chili and chips and chatter await you.

EQUINOX DEADLINE: May 15, 2008.

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

Word in the Berkshires

Stockbridge Booksellers Open Mic
Garfield Reed hosts our bi-monthly open mike poetry night
every other month on the third Thursday of the month.
...The Power of Words. P.O.W. is open to all poets,
writers and performance artists of all types.
We also welcome those less dramatic types who prefer
to watch from the audience. recently we have seen some
amazing young poets come out and wow their audience.
Don't miss out!!

Coming in May……HIKE AND/OR WRITE
Sunday May 4, 9am-11am
Climb Monument Mountain
Explore the unique ecology, geology and beauty
of a pale-colored quartzite mountain on a two mile
(steep) hike in Great Barrington. Our pace will be slow
to photograph and enjoy the wildflowers and the views.
Free to all. Please pre-register to 413-298-3239 x 3003.

Sunday May 4, 1pm-4pm
Write at Bartholomew’s Cobble
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of contemplative walking,
watching and listening at a Sheffield site widely known
for the diversity of wildflowers and ferns.
Trustees of Reservations Members $8. Nonmembers $10.
Please pre-register to Tammis at 413-298-3239 x 3003
or via .

Coming in June…CANOE AND WRITE
Sunday June 8, 8:30-11:30am
Paddle the Housatonic River
Join a guided canoe trip on the winding Housatonic
to explore the rich and varied river habitats found
near Bartholomew’s Cobble in Sheffield. Bring hat,
sunscreen, water and binoculars.
All other equipment is provided.
Please pre-register to or to 413-229-8600.
Trustees of Reservations Members $15
Adults Child (10-16) $10, Nonmembers $25 Adults; Child $15.

Sunday June 8, 1-4pm
Write at Bartholomew’s Cobble
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of contemplative walking,
watching and listening at a Sheffield site widely known
for the diversity of wildflowers and ferns.
Trustees of Reservations Members $8. Nonmembers $10.
Please pre-register to Tammis at 413-298-3239 x 3003
or via .

Tammis Coffin
Education & Outreach Coordinator, Berkshires Region
The Trustees of Reservations
P.O. Box 792
Stockbridge, MA 01262-0792
413-298-3239 x 3003

Word Street
is a youth literacy project and creative writing center located at
163 North Street in downtown Pittsfield.
Since 2003, Word Street has offered homework help, tutoring,
MCAS and SAT test prep, creative writing instruction,
mini-magazine publishing, summer camps, and much more to
Berkshire County youth ages 7-18 absolutely free of charge.

"Poets are the theoretical physicists of language.
Rivers of literary magma are flowing just under the
surface all over Berkshire County.
This reading is a volcano."
--Steve Dew

For more information, please contact:
Steve Dew
Development Director
Word Street
163 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
( 413) 458-5171 home
(415) 407-3664 mobile
( 413) 997-3307 office
http://www.blogger.com/http://www.blogger.com/

Check out this website for information on spoken word events in Pittsfield:
There are some great events so check it out. http://www.wordstreet.org/

upstreet 4 Call for Submissions

Ledgetop Publishing has announced submission guidelines for
upstreet number four, the fourth issue of its new national literary
magazine. Writers are invited to submit their poetry, fiction, and creative
nonfiction for consideration by the editors.

-Work must be submitted by e-mail only, on or before March 1, 2008.

-Each poem should be single spaced, and begin on a separate page.

-Fiction and nonfiction pieces must be 5,000 words or less, and doublespaced.

-The author's name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript itself.

-Include a separate cover sheet for each prose piece or group of poems
giving title of work, word count (for fiction and nonfiction), author's
name, address, phone number, e-mail, and a brief bio.

-Please do not submit previously published works, or more than three poems,
two fiction, and two nonfiction pieces.

-Please e-mail your work, preferably as a Microsoft Word attachment, to:


-Notification will be made via e-mail, by May 2008.

upstreet number four, which will feature an interview with experimental
fiction writer Michael Martone, is scheduled to appear in July of 2008. Each
author will receive a complimentary copy, and will be able to purchase more
copies at a special author rate.

The guidelines, along with other information, are also available online at
http://www.upstreet-mag.org/


Word in Ware:

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, novelists,
historians, political satirists, video game designer and others.
All are welcome.
Call LuWanda Cheney (413) 277-9676 for a schedule.


Word in Worcester:

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 from area poet Dan Lewis. Lewis
writes about the everyday but often presents his images and
stories with a philosophical twist that not only makes his
listeners stop and think but keep on thinking for quite a while.

***
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
[email protected].

POET'S ASYLUM
Venue Update
The Poets' Asylum now meets at The Q, a cafe located at
362 Chandler Street in Worcester. The owners are excited
to have us on their schedule and are working with us to make
the transition as smooth as possible. Please help spread the word.

Sunday March 2
Head over to the Asylum this week with the next Open Qualifying Slam for the 2008 Worcester Slam Season. The top two finishers in tonight's slam move on to the Spring semi-final in May.
More info on this thing called Poetry Slam and how they are run at the Poets' Asylum can be found on our Slam page.

The open mic sign-up list goes out around 7:00 p.m. and the reading starts
closer to 7:30 p.m.
No cover; please throw some money in the bucket to support the feature.

The Poets' Asylum -- in its fifteenth year of
bringing the best in Performance and Slam poetry
to Central Massachusetts and beyond.
http://poetsasylum.org/mailman/listinfo/


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

Wood Memorial Library Poetry Series

Thursday, March 6th, at 6:30 P.M.
Nancy Kuhl, Cameron K. Gearen, Suzanne Heyd
Hosted by Victoria Muñoz
Open mic follows featured poets
Wood Memorial Library
783 MAIN STREET
South Windsor, CT
(860) 289-1783
Wood's website: http://www.woodmemoriallibrary.org/
Admission is free
Refreshments will be served

Wintonbury Branch Poetry Series
Wintonbury Branch Library
1015 Blue Hills Ave.
Bloomfield CT 06002
860-242-0041

Third Thursdays, January – April 2008, 7:00 P.M.

On March 20, Daniel Donaghy, Professor of English at
Eastern Connecticut State University, reads from his new book,
Streetfighting (Curbstone Press, 2005). He has published widely,
with poems forthcoming in Southern Review and Prairie Schooner.
Mr. Donaghy says that the title of his book may be taken two ways,
“either as a literal term, as something I did, because I did get into s
treet fights (in the Kensington section of Philadelphia)…and also as
a metaphor for trying to find a way out of the city.”
Open mike theme: “Contrast/Conflict.”

On April 17, come to an area book launch! Cheryl Della Pelle,
a master gardener and visiting poet in Litchfield public schools,
will read from her first book of poems, Down to the Waters
(Antrim House Books, 2008.) In 1995, she founded Common thread,
a poetry performance group which performs several times a year.
Her poems have been published in Arkenstone and The Connecticut Review.
Open mike theme: “Landscapes of the Heart.”

Open mike for the public follows featured reader at each event. Themes are optional.
Wintonbury Branch Library 1015 Blue Hills Ave. Bloomfield CT 06002 242-0041

NOW IN ITS 2ND SEASON
Mishi-maya-gat Spoken Word & Music Series

at Manchester Community College,
Great Path, Manchester, CT 06040

Thursday, March 13, from 5:45 – 8:45 p.m.
in Fireside Commons, Learning Resource Center, MCC

* Spoken Word Open Mic – beginning at 5:45 p.m.
Sign up for a brief slot upon arrival.
Open Mic Feature: LISA C. TAYLOR received her
M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast
Writer’s Program at the University of Southern Maine.
Her recently published chapbook from Finishing Line Press,
Talking to Trees, was nominated for a L.L. Winship
PEN New England Award.

* Featured Musician: KEN CORMIER –
beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Ken Cormier is a singer/songwriter who has released
two CDs of original music, God Damn Doghouse in 2000
and Radio-Bueno in 2002, with Elis Eil Records.
Critics have described Ken's music as "whacked-out
indie pop" and likened his live performance to "a William
Burroughs exorcism through a Karaoke machine."
Ken is also the author of Balance Act, a collection of
poems and short stories from Insomniac Press, and
he edits and produces The Lumberyard
(http://www.thelumberyardjournal.com/), a radio magazine
of poetry, prose, and music broadcast on WHUS, 91.7FM,
in Connecticut. You can hear some of Ken's latest
recordings at myspace.com/measuringcup.

* Featured Poets: Assumption College Spotlight
with DAVID THOREEN and JOHN HODGEN
– beginning at 7:45 p.m.
David Thoreen teaches writing and literature at
Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In June, he will also be teaching a poetry workshop
at the Colgate Writers’ Conference in Hamilton, New York.
His fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared
in magazines such as The South Dakota Review,
American Literary Review, The Journal, The Alembic,
and Slate. He has also published articles on Elizabeth Bishop,
Barry Hannah, and Thomas Pynchon, most recently in
American Postmodernity: Essays on the Recent
Fiction of Thomas Pynchon.

John Hodgen is visiting assistant professor of English
at Assumption College. He is the author of three books
of poetry: Grace, winner of the 2005 AWP Donald Hall
Prize in Poetry (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006);
In My Father’s House, winner of the 1993 Bluestem Award
(Emporia State University, Kansas, MO); and Bread
Without Sorrow from Lynx House Press (Spokane, WA),
winner of the 2002 Balcones Poetry Prize. Other awards
include: the 2005 Ruth Stone Poetry Prize from Hunger
Mountain (Vermont College, VT), the 2005 Foley Poetry
Prize from America Magazine, and the first place 2006
Press Award for Best Original Poetry from the Catholic
Press Association. Grace has been named a Finalist for the
Boston Authors Club 2007 Julia Ward Howe Book Prize,
and as a Finalist for the 2007 Paterson Poetry Prize.
Recent poems have also appeared the journals such as
Poetry, Georgia Review, Slate, Crazyhorse, and
The Worcester Review.
Free and Open to the Public
Sponsored by the MCC Foundation
Hosted by Stephen Campiglio

For more information or directions, please
visit the Mishi-Maya-Gat web page at:
www.mcc.commnet.edu/faculty/spoken.php
or call (860) 512-2824.


GUMBOLIVE
has moved from Chicopee to Hartford
This is an open mic with a feature
and real Gumbo!
It is held on the 1st Thursday of the Month
at Vibz Uptown in Hartford, CT
3155 Main Street.
If people want to feature,
call James Lewis at 413-221-4768.

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 the month
from 4.30-6.00 PM
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,
Marilyn Nelson, and Edwina Trentham
For more information call 860-319-1134.

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

FROM MASSACHUSETTS:
Take I-91 South to 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

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

WEDNESDAY NIGHT POETRY SERIES
Every Wednesday 7:30
at: 102 Greenwood Ave,
Bethel CT

Open mike sign up begins at 7:30. The open mic begins at 8
open for people to read their work 3-5 minutes.
The first 8-10 poets will read before the feature
who will read for 30 minutes followed by a
Q & A. Open mic will continue till closing time.
WNPS represents a varied community of people with
a common interest and appreciation for poetry.
The open mic is open to poetry, stories and musician (5 minute time limit).

2/27 Ralph Nazareth- Stamford Poet, war Activist and
Scholar/Professor of English at Nassau Community College.
Host: Louise

3/5 Charlie Rossiter - NEA fellowship recipient, three time
Pushcart Prize Nominee has appeared on NPR and numerous
other Radio Stations for his work.
Host: Robin

3/26 Mighty Mike McGee –
International spoken word artist, writer, performer and comic.
Host: Dan

4/2 Fatih Vicinanza – Founder of WNPS, CT Poet/
teacher/editor will read Mary Oliver.
Host: Ernie

WNPS, going on 12 years has been the longest
CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING WEEKLY Poetry Open MIC
and featured poet reading series in Connecticut!
For more details and updates: http://www.wedpoetry.net/
Or http://www.wednesdaypoetry.com/
and http://www.wednesdaypoetry.org/


Windsor Workshop:
A workshop for serious poets interested in critique
at the Windsor Library, Windsor, CT
each second and fourth Monday at 6:30 PM.
For information call Alice Ahrens Williams 860-668-6142
or Janet Henderson 860-688-5770


HARTFORD HAPPENINGS

SOUL SESSIONS at Vibz Uptown
The creator of Love Jones brings you--
"Soul Sessions" every Wednesday night 9:00 PM - 11:00PM

Join us for live Jazz Jams & share your Poetry and Song
backed by a live band or just come and chill in the vibe
of Hartford’s Hottest Open Mic Event.
Hosted By Charmagne

For more info, call 860-874-8797
or email mailto:[email protected]

Vibz Uptown
3155 Main Street
Hartford, CT
(860) 246-7390

Freestyle Hip-Hop Open Mic
Tuesdays
in Hartford
Filthy Kleen host Sully’s Hip-Hop Open Mic night
every Tuesday in Hartford
Sully’s Pub
2071 Park St.Hartford, CT
860-231-8881
http://www.sullyspub.com/

Lisa C. Taylor Reading Schedule
Saturday April 19-8:15 pm
Out of the Blue Gallery
Open Bark Reading
Featured Poet
106 Prospect St
Cambridge, MA (on the Central T line).
Feature starts at 9, open mic beforehand.

Tuesday, June 10-7-8 pm-
Featured poet
Prosser Public Library
1 Tunxis Ave.
Bloomfield, CT.
For information, call (860) 243-9721

Boston Area Poetry Info:

FOURTH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND POETRY CONFERENCE
Wednesday, February 27, 2009, 7 pm
Featuring poets from French Connections: A Gathering of Franco-American
Poets including Christine Gelineau, Chad Parenteau, Chard diNiord,
Beverly Matherne, Paul Marion, Kevin Meaux, and David R. Surette
O’Leary Library
Room 22261
Wilder St.South Campus of UMass Lowell
Lowell, MA

Founded in 2005, the New England Poetry Conference
features poetry readings and public discussions about poetry.
This year's conference includes discussions of Robert Frost's visual
influences in the 1930s as well as paper presentations on the poetics
of Denise Levertov, George Oppen, Diane Di Prima, Kenneth Koch,
and other post-War poets. The conference will also feature readings
by New-England area writers and by contributors to the recently
published anthology French Connections: A Gathering of Franco-American Poets.

DAVID BLAIR
Poetribe
Saturday, March 1, 8 pm
7:45 Open Mike Sign-Up
8:00 Open Mike
9:00 Feature Poet
The Community Room
East Bridgewater Public Library
32 Union Street
East Bridgewater, MA
http://www.poetribe.org/

Future Features
Mar 15 Robert Pinsky
Mar 29 Sean Jansen
Apr 12 Jack McCarthy and the Lit Mag Debut
Apr 26 Rosanna Warren
Hosted by Victoria Bosch Murray and David R. Surette
For info and bookings, contact
Directions to Poetribe (from the East Bridgewater Public Library website
http://www.sailsinc.org/ebpl/): Take Route 24 to Exit 16A, Route 106 East
towards West Bridgewater. Follow Route 106 for about 4 miles to Route 18.
Take a left onto Route 18 North. At the 6-way intersection in East
Bridgewater center stay straight on Route 18. The red brick library building
is one block north on the left, at the corner of Union Street and Route 18.
Poetribe meets in the Community Room, which is a separate entrance toward
the rear of the library

CAMBRIDGE READINGS

The Boston Poetry Slam Simone Beaubien,
SlamMaster http://www.slamnews.com/

Central Square’s world-famous Cantab Lounge
presents performances from local and national poets, as well as a
chance to present your own work in the open mic or poetry slam.

• Wednesday, February 27
He’s the current three-time Champion of Champions of the Cantab Lounge, member of the 2007 National Poetry Slam semi-finalist Cantab Slam Team, and the 2006 Cantab Rookie of the Year. On this night, crowd favorite Brian S. Ellis caps his two-week Pacific Northwest tour with a feature on his first Wednesday home.

• Wednesday, March 5
He may seem to be one of the Cantab’s most unassuming regulars, but whether Steve Subrizi is lambasting the T and its passengers, lamenting his public singledom, or being pelted by jalapeno peppers (in the role of Tristan Tsara), he demonstrates a quiet and captivating charm every time he takes the mic. Steve will bring his bittersweet “playful stories of humiliation” to his first poetry feature.

• Wednesday, March 12
One of Ohio’s hottest slammers, Will Evans has been taking his poetry on the road for more than a year now, including his two-man show with Ed Mabrey and a very respectable finish at IWPS 2007 in Vancouver. Will’s work is true to life, thoughtful, and touches on issues from the global to the very personal. Will’s touring partner in crime will be Chicago’s J.W. Baz, a past Cantab feature and one of the top finishers at IWPS 2007.

The Boston Poetry Slam
Downstairs at the Cantab Lounge
738 Massachusetts Ave,
Central Square, Cambridge, Mass
(617) 354-2685_
(mailto:) _
www.slamnews.com_ (http://www.slamnews.com/)

Doors for the show open at 7:30. The open mic begins at 8:00,
the feature performs at approximately 9:30,
and an open poetry slam follows.
The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.

The Boston Poetry Slam at The Cantab Lounge
738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.

http://www.slamnews.com/


Cambridge Community Television
Tuesdays at 11:00 PM Saturdays at 10:30PM
Catch the latest from the Boston Poetry Slam I
NFO: [email protected]
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 29 at SEAMEN'S BETHEL
on Johnny Cake Hillin downtown New Bedford
Whaling City Review LIVE & Gallery X present
poets LAMONT STEPTOE & RHONDA WARD
7:30 p.m.
For more info on Lamont Steptoe
http://www.whoownsjackkerouac.com/steptoe2.html

the Poetry Session at O’Shea’s
THE CAPE GETS ITS VOICE BACK
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 (Route 28) in the village of West Dennis.
Info: call Gregory Hischak at 508-398-5434

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.
August is Biker Poetry Month,
and celebrated at Besteller's on the 13th.
After this reading there'll be a 2nd annual BBQ at Gypsy's.
Come one come all, come and enjoy a night of poetic delight
in a cozy bookshop setting!

Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam
Every Sunday 21+ $5 at door
1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
617-547-0759 Website - http://poetryjam.com/
Blog - http://poetryjam.com/blog/poetryjam.html

Providence Poets

GOT POETRY LIVE
Every Tuesday starting at 7:30 PM
@ Reflections Cafe
8 Governor St, corner of Wickenden St
Providence, RI 02903-4429
(401) 273-7278

http://www.gotpoetry.com/ContactUs.html

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News for Poetry News must be received by
by Wednesday for Thursday or Friday publication.
Lori Desrosiers - Publisher, Wearer of all Hats, even yours.