Poetry News

****POETRYNEWS****
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Here is your Poetry News for the week of April 21, 2008.
Spoken word events are flooding, creating vernal pools 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 April 21 - Come celebrate Patriot's Day by slamming your favorite patriot. Open mic, no feature.

Monday April 28 - Bob Gill (Worcester poet extraordinaire!)

We are now booking features for September. Jester's will close for July and August.
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.

New Open Mic in Westfield!
THE SPOKEN WORD

at the Teapot Gallery
Tuesdays, 7-9PM Beginning April 22nd
Poetry
Prose
Verse
Yarns

Come to listen, come to speak,
Your words, words for our times,
Immortal words, mortal words...

Call 562-6966 (Teapot) or 348-7218 (Eli B.)
For info and encouragement

***********************
Irish Poetry and Music Performance
Wednesday, April 30th
Westfield Athenaeum 7PM

Writing Group at the Athenaeum
Saturday April 26, CANCELLED
Saturday May 31, 11AM
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

Haiku Poet's Society of Western Massachusetts
Saturday, April 19th, at 2pm
Borders Bookstore
Holyoke Mall at Ingleside (2nd floor, formerly Lord & Taylor)
Members will be reading their original haiku
and discussing the form at this rare public event.
Free event--all are welcome.

For more information, contact Linda at

SPRINGFIELD LIBRARY POETRY
Spoken Word Saturday!
May 10 (day before Mother's Day)1:00 pm
Central Library Community Room
all ages - all forms of creative writing - all languages welcome!
May's featured poet is Eilish Thompson.
Eilish is a sophomore [wise-fool] at Springfield Central High.
Her world revolves around poetry and she takes the greenhouse
gases from the air and breathes out verse. Eilish spends all of her
time pondering what the deeper meaning of anything is, searching
for the next rhyme or inspiration to write. When not writing poetry,
she spends her time writing plays, acting, or singing.

Readings at the monthly Open Mic series should be "family-friendly."
Questions? Or to sign up,
contact Anna at
or 263-6828 x426.
Free parking is available in the State Street lot across from the library,
or in the Elliot Street lot next to the Springfield Museums Welcome Center.

Regarding the 2008 Poetry Contest, all submissions are in,
and the judges will be finalizing their selections soon.
We will contact the winning poets as soon as we know!
You are all invited to the Awards Ceremony
on April 26th, at 2:00 pm, at the Central Library Rotunda.

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

Eddie Bartok-Baratta: Poems & Flute
Sunday, April 20th, 7 p.m.
Friends Meetinghouse
43 Center St., Northampton
Suggested donation: $5
Please come along and feel free bring friends.

Hampshire College Slam Collective presents:
Lynne Procope and Roger Bonair-Agard
APRIL 22nd
EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT
•7:30 - Open Mic
•8:30ish - Featured Poet or Slam
893 West Street,
Amherst MA 01002
Franklin Patterson Hall,
Main Lecture Hall
All ages, admission is FREE.
Both the open mic and the slam are open to the public.
Non-students are encouraged to come.

This is it, ladies and gents. The end of the 2007/2008 season
is rapidly approaching. To close it all out, the Hampshire College
Slam Collective is proud to bring to you a double feature from
two of the loudest voices in spoken word:
Lynne Procope and Roger Bonair-Agard!

Published poet and accomplished performer, Roger Bonair-Agard
has read at venues and festivals all over the country.
Co-founder of louderARTS Project Inc. (a New York based
non-profit renown for the quality of its poetry), Roger has appeared
three times on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and has captured the hearts
and minds of many with his words.

Lynne Procope has been a staple New England poet for over ten years.
She has been published multiple times, is co-founder of louderArts,
and was a member of the 1998 New York National Poetry Slam
Championship winning team. She was a featured writer at Jamaica's
Calabash Literary Festival and co-author of the collection "Burning
Down the House."Separately, either of these performers would be
incredible beyond description.

Together, they will give us a show that no single poet could rival.
What a way to close out the season - don't you dare miss this one!
For more information and future shows go to http://www.hampshireslam.com/.


Wednesday, April 23 at 7:00 pm:
8th ANNUAL WRITERS OF COLOR READING
This reading will showcase writers of color in the MFA Program for
Poets and Writers at UMass, Amherst. Wine & cheese will be served.
Food for Thought Books
106 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA
Info: http://www.foodforthoughtbooks.com/

GABRIEL FRIED
Tuesday, April 22 at 8:00
Michael Ryan put it this way: "That Gabriel Fried has the talent,
skill,intelligence, and wisdom to have an exceptional future as a poet is
unquestionable, but this first book of his already represents a mature
accomplishment of the art." And Richard Howard praised this same
collection,the irony-free dream-filled, daily-life-filled Making the New Lamb
Take, saying "even the rawest intuitions, the rarest vulnerabilities are
protectedby this poet's caretaking spirit." Fried lives in New York City, where
he edits the poetry series at Persea Books.
Event is wheelchair accessible and followed by refreshments.
Pruyne Lecture Hall
Fayerweather
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
Info: call (413) 542-8200

Poetry Open Mike Fundraiser for PVPA Literary Mag
to be held at Sierra Grille, Northampton
Sunday, April 27, 3:00 pm
But there is one creative outlet that the Pioneer Valley
Performing Arts Charter Public School has lacked to date:
a student Literary Magazine. But no longer. Now named
"Wee Right Güd" after a 7/8 team wide contest, the magazine's
first publication is planned for the end of the school year.
The ever-popular Sierra Grille of Northampton has stepped
forward to help the fledgling group and offered space for a fundraiser,
to be held on Sunday, April 27, from 3:00 – 5:00.

In addition to the community wide open mike, there will be
raffle prizes and light refreshments with businesses such as
The Odyssey Bookstore and Tranquility Day Spa donating
goods and services.
Tickets are $5.00 at the door.
All proceeds will benefit the new magazine and the school library.

2 Slate Roof poets
Jim Bell & Ed Rayher
and selected members of the community will read their poetry

Sunday, April 27
11:30 am
Unitarian Church
49 Church Street,
Bernardston, MA

Free & open to the public.
Refreshments served.
Reading to include music.

There will be time to learn more about small-press publishing, chapbook design, and promotion; about how Slate Roof operates; and to inquire about joining Slate Roof. Slate Roof books, including Jim 's chapbook, Crossing the Bar, will be available for sale.

For more information, contact:
Ed Rayher
413-498-4343

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

Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 pm
jubilat/Jones Reading Series presents:
POETRY READING BY LOREN GOODMAN
& CAROL ANN DAVIS
Poetry swap beforehand at 2:00 pm: bring a poem, yours or someone
else's, to share & discuss*
Reading will be followed by a Q & A session
Trustees Room
Jones Library
43 Amity Street
Amherst, MA
Info:

Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00 pm
NORTHAMPTON ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES
INAUGURAL READING BY LESLÉA NEWMAN,
POET LAUREATE OF NORTHAMPTON
The Northampton Arts Council invites you to celebrate Lesléa Newman's
appointment as Poet Laureate of Northampton at an inaugural reading. The
Poet Laureate will take listeners on a poetic journey by reading from
four decades of her work.
*Free & open to the public*
Light refreshments will be served
*Booksigning after the reading
Calvin Coolidge Room
Forbes Library
20 West St.
Northampton, MA


SMITH COLLEGE POETRY SERIES
Alumnae Sampler Reading and Anniversary Celebration
The last event of our 10th Anniversary year features
a sampler of poetry by Smith alumnae from near and far,
from the class of 1942 all the way up to the class of 2007,
and representing every decade between. Libations follow,
on Wright Hall Terrance and the Poetry Center.
Come hear our wonderful of alumnae participants and
help us celebrate the body and spirit of poetry at Smith.

Monday, April 21 at 4:00 pm
A Poetry Reading by KATHERINE YOUNG, Smith College '83
Presented by The Department of Russian and
The Poetry Center at Smith College
Many of Katherine E. Young's works are set in the Soviet Union/Russia
and her reading will include poems on Chernobyl, travel poems, and a
series of poems about Russian poets/poetry
(Lermontov, Pasternak, Osip, & Nadezhda Mandelstam).
In the Russian Room
Hatfield Hall 107
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, 2008
SYLVIA PLATH 75th YEAR SYMPOSIUM AT SMITH COLLEGE
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Community Reading of Sylvia Plath’s Ariel
Mortimer Rare Book Room
Neilson Library, 3rd floor
Smith College
Participants will sign up to read a poem upon arrival. We welcome
anyone to join us to read a poem from the Ariel collection.
All events free and open to the public.
For symposium schedule, contacts, and additional information visit:http://www.smith.edu/libraries/fyi/plathconference.htm#schedule

The Blue Guitar Gallery
is starting a new monthly event on the heels of
Art Walk Easthampton:
The After Party....an invitation
for folks to come back to the Blue Guitar at 8 pm when
Art Walk ends, to meet friends, have a glass of wine,
and listen to some beautiful music, followed by Open Mike.
It's $5 (to help keep The Blue Guitar open!)
Every Second Saturday, after Art Walk.
Blue Guitar is at
186 Northampton St. (route 10)
Easthampton, MA

A NIGHT OF SPOKEN WORD
ALL SMALL CAPS
April 28 - Last of the Spring Series
Featuring: Lori Shine and Betsy Wheeler
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
May 1st
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 next meeting of the new season on
Thursday May 8 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 April 27, 6-9PM

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.

Greenfield/Shelbourne Falls Poetry

Swirl and Swing
is a free, private online women’s writing group.
Our writers work in a variety of forms, including poetry,
fiction, and memoir. The group is centered around a flexible
weekly writing assignment.

We devote as much time to each other as we would in a traditional
weekly meeting group, but our virtual meeting place enables us
to meet around busy, varied schedules, from across the country,
and without ever braving bad weather to enjoy each other’s company.

We’re a small group looking for a few new members,
with a particular interest in welcoming some experienced poets.
If you’re interested in applying, please send a brief bio and a
sample of two poems or pieces of short fiction that are representative
of your work to Swirl and Swing at

Poetry Reading for the Annual Poet's Seat Poetry Contest
will be taking place in the Capen Room
at the Stoneleigh Burnham School
on Thursday, April 24th at 7 p.m.
The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library
in honor of National Poetry Month.
For information on the contest
go to http://www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org/poetry.html

Poet Nick Fleck,
a retired Northfield Mount Hermon English instructor,
will read selections from his body of work
on Sunday, May 20 at 3pm.
at Green Trees Gallery
105 Main Street, Northfield.
Light refreshments offered; free and open to public.
Hosted by the Equinox, a literary journal serving the creatives
of western Mass (and even a bit beyond).

Slope Editions, with the Rendezvous in Turners Falls,
hosts poetry readings the second Monday of each month
during the school year. The remaining readings are:

May 12th
Matt Hart and Amanda Nadelberg
Both readings are at the Rendezvous bar in Turners Falls,
and both start at 7 p.m.


Collected Poets Series
Poets Alicia Ostriker and Frannie Lindsey
Thursday, May 1st
at 7:30pm. Free.
Mocha Maya’s Coffee House,
47 Bridge Street,
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
413-625-6292.
Wheelchair accessible.
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.
Please see below.
Contact info: Lea Banks,
20 Severance St., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
(H) 413.625.6702

The 2008 Series
May 1 - Alicia Ostriker and Frannie Lindsey
June 5 –Chard deNiord 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 May 20th
Featured Readers: TBA
At 9 Mill St in Greenfield
Doors open at 7:00
Open Mike at 7:30
Featured Readers - 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.

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
CALENDAR: Equinox will celebrate Poetry Month with open mic in
Montague (April 24, 7pm in the Book Mill)
so get your acts/poems together -- and prosiacs,
don't worry, you are invited too
(why the hell dont we have a Prose Month?)

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"
Lend Me Your Ears!
Open Mic for Spoken Word and other creations,
Sign ups begin 6:30.
Hosted by the Equinox, a local, illustrated literary journal
Maureen at

Web site: http://www.thebooksmyth.com/ submission guidelines now available
upcoming - details above
April 24 - Montague
(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

APRIL
24 Montague (see above)
? 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:
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/

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

Word in the Berkshires

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

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.

Amy Hempel & Lydia Davis
Word Street Benefit Reading
Fundraiser
Host: Word Street
Thursday, April 17 at 7:00pm
Barrington Stage Company

"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/


Word in Ware/Palmer:

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


Word in Worcester:

The Spot Invitational Slam
Thursday, April 17th
On Thursday, April 17th, The Spot at the Hotel Vernon
(Kelly Square, Worcester) will host an Invitational Slam
featuring 12 of the areas hottest performance poets.
Expected to compete are Adam Stone, Alex Charalambides,
Jon Wolf, Emily Mele, Liz O, Nicole, Jen Mahan, Carrie Rudzinski,
April Ranger, Mareh Labenski, Marlon Carey and Brian Ellis.
Come out and hear some freakin' amazing performance poetry.
The reading starts at 7:30 p.m. and this week there will be a $4 cover.
Always 21+ so bring your ID and come on down!

BSPJ Workshop this Sunday
Ballard Street Poetry Journal will host their next Poetry Workshops
this Sunday, April 20th, between 3 and 5 p.m.
at the offices of the Worcester County Poetry Association
(1 Ekman Street, first floor, Worcester). This week John Gaumond
will facilitate a workshop titled People Powered Poetry.
The purpose of this workshop is to have participants write,
share and respond, as they work though an activity to help create a new poem.
John Gaumond is a poet and photographer from Worcester, Mass.
His poetry has been published in Sahara, The Leaflet, Worcester Magazine,
The Issue, The Longfellow Society, The Lancaster Times, Vox Poetica,
The Connecticut River Review, and Poets in the Galleries: a collaborative
project of the Worcester Art Museum and The Worcester County Poetry Association.
Suggested donation of $3 to $5.
For more info please visit the BSPJ website at http://www.ballardstreetpoetryjournal.com/.

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.
Feature Poet: Paul Gagnon
Performance Host: Dave Macpherson
April 11 at 7:30pm

***
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 April 20
This week at the Poets' Asylum regular host Jon Wolf switches roles and takes the stage as our feature. Jon is no stranger to the regulars at the Poets' Asylum. As one of the co-hosts of the weekly reading he guides the open mic with passion and levity. Tonight he takes the stage as our feature. He was a member of the 2002 & 2003 Worcester Slam team. He plays on a laptop far too often, is most likely found in your local cafe, treasures contact, atmosphere, and a good conversation.

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

Alice Fulton
45th Annual Wallace Stevens Poetry Program
Tuesday April 22, 1:15 pm
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts

Wednesday, Apirl 23, 8 pm
Konover Auditorium, UConn Storrs
Sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.
& The Hartford Friends and Enemies of Wallace Stevens

"Alice Fulton is not a safe poet; she's a daring, ambitious,
and risk-taking one." So begins the Harvard Review's description
of Fulton's most recent book, Cascade Experiment: Selected Poems.
Fulton's previous book, Felt, was chosen by the Los Angeles Times
as one of the Best Books of 2001 and as a finalist for the Los Angeles
Times Book Award. It also won the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt
National Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress. Fulton's
earlier books of poetry include Sensual Math, Powers of Congress,
Palladium, and Dance Script with Electric Ballerina, and she has also
authored a collection of prose, Feeling as a Foreign Language:
The Good Strangeness of Poetry. Her work has also been adapted
for musical and theatrical productions. Anthony Cornicello's...turns
and turns into the night, a setting of four poems from Sensual Math,
premiered at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2001,
while William Bolcom's setting of Fulton's "How to Swing Those
Obbligatos Around" was first performed by Marilyn Horne at Carnegie
Hall's Centennial Celebration. Ms. Fulton has received fellowships
from the MacArthur Foundation, the Ingram Merrill Foundation,
and the Guggenheim Foundation. Reviewers have delighted in her
"broad range of interests" and her "continual and evolving sense
of how to use the most seemingly insignificant details to illuminate
the nuances of difficult moral ideas."

Poetry at Peaberry's Café Simsbury, CT
ArtSpeak
4th Saturday of every month.
This month's date, April 26th
Because local artists are important, and should be celebrated.
Peaberry's Cafe
712 Hopmeadow St
Simsbury, CT
(860) 658-2930
Host Robert Dauphinais
Peaberry's, a great alternative to the local bar scene, is a cosy little
cafe that seeks to give local artists support, a voice, and a venue!
Help us keep this dream alive! Food is served all night and wine, beer,
and coffee cordials are served after 5:00.

The night will begin at 7:30 and go until 9:30, however,
if there is an abundance of artists, we will go until 10:00.
Our aim is to create an environment where poets of all ages
will feel welcome and wanted, as well as challenged.
We want this to be an atmosphere where artists can share
and network, and, most importantly, grow!

All ages are welcome and we ask that each artist be sensitive
to the audience and what may or may not be appropriate.
Beyond this request, we want to keep censorship to a minimum,
and we support freedom of speech and expression.

So come, bring your friends, students, parents, children, neighbors...
let's see if we can set the CT poetry scene on fire!

Please email Leanne at
with any questions or suggestions.

Charles Olson and Polis is This:
An Evening of Film, Poetry Readings, and Viewing of Literary Manuscripts
May 1, 2008, 7:30pm
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center,
University of Connecticut.

Join us for a special evening celebrating the work, poetics and landscapes –
geological, mythological and cosmological – of American poet Charles Olson.

Olson is the subject of a new, ground-breaking documentary:
Polis Is This: Charles Olson and the Persistence of Place.
The film has been praised as “A visual and auditory dance” and
“a cinematic poem in its own right—a celebration not only of Olson
but of Gloucester, Massachusetts.” Independent filmmaker and co-producer
Henry Ferrini brings his film to the University of Connecticut for a special
screening and will take questions from the audience immediately following.

Special guests will introduce the event, followed by readings of Olson’s
poems by students and faculty. Olson’s letters, manuscripts, and photographs
will be on display in a special exhibit, providing attendees a unique opportunity
to view the poet’s papers held at the University of Connecticut in the Thomas
J. Dodd Research Center. The event is free and open to the public

Wood Reading Series

Thursday, May 1st at 6:30 PM
Spoken Word Series Presents
Beverly Titus and Dolores Lawler,
hosted by Lance Ernest
Open mic follows featured poets
at the Wood Memorial Library
783 Main Street In South Windsor
(860) 289-1783 www.woodmemoriallibrary.org
Admission is free.
Refreshments 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 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, May 8
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: STEPHEN STRAIGHT’s book of poetry,
The Water Carrier, is available through Curbstone Press.
He is professor of English at MCC, where he teaches the
poetry writing courses.

* Featured Music: JAZZ TRIO from the GREATER
HARTFORD ACADEMY OF THE ARTS – beginning at 6:45 p.m.

This talented trio of high school jazz students from the
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts features Terrance Shider
(Hartford), keyboards; Rachel Housle (Rocky Hill), drums;
and Matthew Dwondzyk (Rocky Hill), bass.
More information on the Academy’s music program can be found at: www.crec.org/magnetschools/schools/artsacademy.

* Featured Poet: MICHAEL PALMA – beginning at 7:45 p.m.
Michael Palma has published three poetry chapbooks,
"The Egg Shape" (1972), "Antibodies" (1997), and the recent title
from New Formalist Press, "The Ghost of Congress Street",
which can be downloaded free-of-charge at http://www.thenewformalist.com/.
Michael has also published one full-length collection,
"A Fortune in Gold" (2000). His poems have appeared in
Northeast, Pivot, Gradiva, Chelsea, Café Review, Rattapallax,
Raintown Review, and other journals, as well as several anthologies,
including Unsettling America (1994). In addition to his own poetry,
Michael is a renowned editor and translator of modern and contemporary
Italian poetry: with Dana Gioia, he co-edited New Italian Poets (1991,
named one of Ten Outstanding Translations of the year by the
American Literary Translators Association; with Alfredo de Palchi,
he co-edited "The Metaphysical Streetcar Conductor:
Sixty Poems of Luciano Erba" (1998); he has published
translations in several Italian poetry anthologies, including
Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy and The Faber Book of
20th-Century Italian Poetry; and his full-length book
translations of single poets include Guido Gozzano
(The Man I Pretend to Be, 1981); Diego Valeri
(My Name on the Wind, 1989); Sergio Corazzini
(Sunday Evening, 1997); and Maura Del Serra
(Infinite Present, 2002; with Emanuel di Pasquale).
In addition, his fully rhymed translation of Dante's Inferno
was published by W. W. Norton & Co. in 2002, and reprinted
as a Norton Critical Edition in 2007. For his translations,
Michael has received the Italo Calvino Award from the Translation
Center of Columbia University; the Premio Speciale of the
Associazione Culturale Campana of Latina, Italy; and the
Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship for his translation of Giovanni
Raboni, Mortal Songs, to be published in 2008 by Chelsea
Editions. He has been a grants panelist for the National
Endowment for the Arts, and is presently associate editor
for Gradiva and poetry editor for Italian Americana.

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.


A “Poetic Duet” featuring poets Rennie McQuilkin and Joan Kunsch.
Saturday, April 26
4 p.m.
The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon
Sharon, CT
Charles Van Doren has commented that “the poems of Joan Kunsch are
“moving, beautiful, startling, and sometimes very funny. The range is extraordinary,
from the dirge for a friend murdered in Zimbabwe to the ode to chocolate.
The short ones are delightful and the long ones grand.” Of Rennie McQuilkin’s
work Dick Allen has said, “Rennie McQuilkin speaks from us and with us
in a language so devoid of all rhetoric it is pure American: the natural man i
s lifted out of himself almost beyond his knowing. My response is one of pure thanks.”
The event is free and open to the public.
A 15-minute open-mike session will follow, and refreshments will be served.
For more information, call 860-364-5185 or visit http://www.hotchkisslibrary.org/.

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).

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:

JACK MCCARTHY
Poetribe
Saturday, April 12, 8 pm
7:45 Open Mike Sign-Up
The Community Room
East Bridgewater Public Library
32 Union Street
East Bridgewater, MA
http://www.poetribe.org/

Jack McCarthy is a working guy from the Boston area who's been writing
poetry since the mid-60s. His publications include Grace Notes, two
chapbooks (Actual Grace Notes and Too Old to Make Excuses (But Still Young
Enough to Make Love)), a 60-minute cassette tape (Poems for Hannah), and a
CD (Breaking Down Outside a Gas Station). A major book, Say Goodnight, Grace
Notes, was released in 2003 by EM Press to rave reviews. His work has
appeared in a number of anthologies, including The Spoken Word Revolution.
Jack was a member of the Boston team at the 1996 National Poetry Slam, and
was an engaging minor character in the feature film "Slamnation," and he was
a member of the Worcester team at the 2000 National Poetry Slam, where he
finished as the 10th ranked individual. The Boston Phoenix named him "Best
Standup Poet." The Boston Globe says, "In the poetry world, he's a rock
star."
Jack McCarthy features for the debut of the East Bridgewater high school's
literary magazine. The students will read, too. Come hear the next
generation of poetry and fiction!

Future Features
Apr 12 Jack McCarthy and the Lit Mag Debut
Apr 26 Rosanna Warren
May 10 Franz Wright
May 24 Ann Killough
Jun 7 Thomas Lux
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, April 16 - Our biggest poetry slam of the year!
All open slam winners from August 2007 and on are invited
to return to slam for a spot on the 2008 Cantab slam team.

Wednesday, April 23 - What better way to celebrate Shakespeare’s
444th birthday than with unparalleled performer and 1998 National
Poetry Slam Champion REGIE GIBSON?

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]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

GINSBERG PANEL IN VERMONT
STRANGE PROPHECIES ANEW:
A Panel Discussion on Allen Ginsberg's "Kaddish"
Considered by many as Ginsberg's finest poem,
panelists Bill Morgan, Bob Rosenthal and Jacqueline Gens
will discuss inspirations and influences in "Kaddish,"
the eulogy for his mother, Naomi, that Ginsberg completed
nearly 50 years ago. All three panelists knew the poet well
and will each examine different aspects of the poem from
their personal perspectives.
Landmark College
April 17, 2008 at 7:30 PM
East Academic Building
Putney, Vermont.
The event is free and open to the public.
For further information contact:
To view a slide show of a selection of Naomi Ginsberg's
paintings and online resources about the poem, "Kaddish,"
visit The Brattleboro Center for Literary Art's web blog at http://www.brattleboroliteraryarts.blogspot.com/

Panelists:
Bill Morgan is a painter and archival consultant.
His most recent book, I Celebrate Myself: The Somewhat
Private Life of Allen Ginsberg, was published by Viking in
October of 2006. He is also the author of The Beat Generation
in New York: A Walking Tour of Jack Kerouac’s City and
The Beat Generation in San Francisco: A Literary Tour and
editor of the book Deliberate Prose: Selected Essays of Allen
Ginsberg 1952–1995. He is co-editor of Ginsberg’s
The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice: First Journals and
Poems, 1937–1952 and Howl on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression.

Bob Rosenthal, who studied poetry under Paul Carroll, Ted Berrigan,
Joel Oppenhiemer, Bernadette Mayer, and Alice Notley, is a poet and
a writer who has co-written and produced five plays. His 1970's Cleaning
Up New York was regarded as a cult classic. His latest collection of poetry is
Viburnum (White Fields Press, Tennessee). He has taught workshops at The
Poetry Project, Snug Harbor, and the Naropa Institute. He worked as
Allen Ginsberg's secretary for 20 years until Allen’s death and currently
is a Trustee of the Allen Ginsberg Trust. Bob is on the faculty at Abraham
Joshua Heschel High School. He is currently writing his account on the
business of Allen Ginsberg and has written three other books of poetry,
Morning Poems, (Yellow Press, Chicago, 1972), Rude Awakenings,
(Yellow Press, Chicago. 1976) and Eleven Psalms (1999).
He is married and has two sons.

Jacqueline Gens is the co-director and a founder of the MFA Program
in Poetry with Chard deNiord at New England College. For many years
she worked at the Naropa Institute (now University) in Boulder, Colorado
before she joined the staff of the late poet, Allen Ginsberg, in NYC with
Bob Rosenthal and Bill Morgan. She has worked as program director for
numerous regional non-profits, including, the Great River Arts Institute and
the Shang Shung Institute of Tibetan Studies located in Conway, MA. S
he is currently working towards establishing the Brattleboro Center for
Literary Arts and curates a reading series at the Hooker-Dunham Theater.
Her chapbook, Primo Pensiero with a preface by Anne Waldman is
forthcoming from Shivastan Press in the Spring of 2008.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News for Poetry News must be received by
by Wednesday for Thursday or Friday publication.

Lori Desrosiers - Publisher, Wearer of all Hats, even yours.