Poetry News

****POETRYNEWS****
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or check it out online at http://www.poetrynewscalendar.com/.

Here is your Poetry News for the week of May 5, 2008.
Spoken word events are prolific as spring green leaves 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 May 12 - Sympetalous (the one, the only!)

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
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

***********************
Writing Group at the Athenaeum
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

SPRINGFIELD LIBRARY POETRY

Contest: Winning Poems will be posted soon on the Library's Poetry Page:www.springfieldlibrary.org/poetry/poetrypage.html
For info call: 413-263-6828 x426 or visit http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/

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.

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

AMHERST POETRY
Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 pm
FORBES LIBRARY 5th ANNUAL POETRY READING
SERIES PRESENTS:A SPECIAL EVENING OF SMITH
COLLEGE POETS
Students from Ellen Doré Watson's and Nikky Finney's writing classes
will present a celebration of poetry by Smith women.
Support provided bythe Forbes Library.
*Free & open to the public*
Light refreshments will be served
Forbes Library
20 West Street
Northampton, MA
Info: http://www.forbeslibrary.org/

Thursday, May 8 at 8:00 pm
The Visiting Writers Series presents:
POETRY READING BY JAMES TATE
*Free & open to the public*
Wheelchair accessible
Memorial Hall
UMass-Amherst
Amherst, MA
Info: Christopher DeWeese & Ata Moharreri
UMass-Amherst
email:
phone: 360-531-0024

The Blue Guitar Gallery Easthampton
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


EVOLUTION OPEN MIC
The first Thursday of the month
June 5th
Open poetry night at 7pm
Hosted by Charles Simpson
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" now Weekly!
"Twilite's Poetry Pub" goes weekly starting in May!!!!
Enjoy the "Pub" with Carl and Tom every Wednesday from 9-10 am
on Valley Free Radio, WXOJ 103.3 fm, Northampton and now
with improved streaming at http://www.valleyfreeradio.org/ !!!
Poetry to the people!
WXOJ-FM LP 103.3 and streaming at 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/

Poetry Nights in Northampton:

AN EVENING WITH THREE POETS:
ALICE FOGEL, JAMES HAUG & CAROL POTTER
Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 pm
Broadside Bookshop
247 Main Street
Northampton, MA
Info: http://www.broadsidebooks.com/

Writer's Group at Packard's in Northampton:
Northampton Writer's Group is an ongoing writer's group
for any kind of written word. We currently have several openings
for new members.
For information please contact Lori
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.
The next dates -
Sunday May 11, 6-9PM
Sunday May 25, 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.

THE WOVEN WORD
SUMMER CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
for Middle and High School Age Writers
July 21-25, 9 AM – 1 PM
in Hadley

About the Workshop: This workshop is designed to create safe space to develop each writer’s unique voice, since there are stories and poems that belong to each of us alone.

The Amherst Writers & Artists method takes writers to both unexpected and familiar places, while supporting them in an affirming space among their peers. We focus on creativity, not grammar or spelling. The workshop is anchored in the conviction that every voice is beautiful, that every person deserves to be heard; and that knowing you are heard is itself a dramatically empowering act.

This workshop program will involve two daily writing and sharing sessions, a recreational break with swimming & kayaking near our houseboat on the Connecticut River, and drawing, painting, or flower picking on the farm land where we live.

Workshop leader Lynn Bowmaster is a published poet who has led workshops in her home, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Middle School, Hilltown Cooperative Charter School, Finn Ryan Road Elementary School, and Holyoke Community College.

For info: contact Lynn at 584-3373, Lrbowmaster
“There is a vitality, a life force, … a quickening, which is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist.” Martha Graham


Greenfield/Shelbourne Falls and North

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

Help celebrate the end of National Poetry Month!
Walk the Bridge of Flowers before coming to the reading.

On Thursday, May 1st, at 7:30pm,
poets Alicia Ostriker, a major American poet and critic, and author
of eleven volumes of poetry, including The Volcano Sequence and
No Heaven and Frannie Lindsay whose newest volume of poetry,
Lamb, was selected for the Perugia Press Award, will read from
their most recent work at
Mocha Maya’s Coffee House,
47 Bridge Street,
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370,
413-625-6292.
Wheelchair accessible. Free.
This is a reading sponsored by the Collected Poets Series.

Alicia Ostriker, twice nominated for a National Book Award,
is the author of eleven volumes of poetry, most recently
NO HEAVEN (2005). As a critic, Ostriker is the author of two
path-breaking volumes on women’s poetry, Writing Like a Woman
and Stealing the Language: The Emergence of Women’s Poetry in America.
Her most recent critical book is Dancing at the Devil’s Party: Essays on Poetry,
Politics and the Erotic. She has also published three books on the Bible
that re-imagine the Bible from the perspective of a contemporary Jewish woman.
Her poetry and essays have been translated into French, German, Italian,
Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic. Ostriker has received awards from
the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Society of America,
the San Francisco State Poetry Center, the Judah Magnes Museum,
the New Jersey Arts Council, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the
Guggenheim Foundation. She is Professor Emerita of Rutgers University
and is a faculty member of the New England College Low-Residency
Poetry MFA Program

Frannie Lindsay is the author of LAMB, winner of the 2006 Perugia Press
Prize and runner-up for the James Laughlin Award of the Academy of
American Poets. With elegant restraint and electric imagery, Lindsay
writes about the devotion that binds together a family in pain. hen love
is uncertain, how does caretaking erode? How does it continue?
Each poem in LAMB is a small quest for a right answer, and for a
reconciliation between the speaker and her mother and father, and within
her body. Ellen Bass calls these poems “hymns of praise for the love we are
able to wrest from our flawed lives.” Her first volume, Where She Always
Was (Utah State University Press, 2004), was selected by J.D. McClatchy
as the winner of the May Swenson Award. Lindsay holds an MFA from the
Iowa Writers’ Workshop, has been awarded fellowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and
is also a classical pianist.

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

News from Mo and Ginger Cat Press

CALENDAR:
Lend Me Your Words, folks! please join fellow book lovers and
writers/poets for an Open Mic for the Spoken Word,
May 18th, Sunday 3-5pm
Food Bank Farm
121 Bay Road
Hadley, MA

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

(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

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

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
Next Meeting:
May 13th, 6 - 7:45PM
(every 2nd Tuesday of the month)
at the Lee Library Conference Room.

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


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 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/


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:

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.
Performance Host: Dave Macpherson

***
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 May 11
Our feature this week, Billy Tuggle, a native of Chicago's south side,
is a performance poet who uses heritage and urban culture as a platform
for what HipHop ambassador Kris "KRS-ONE" Parker calls "edutainment".
With great artist/activist/cultural influences such as KRS, Bob & Rita Marley,
Bad Brains, Ben Harper and his own performance poetry contemporaries,
Billy is always striding to push forward the art of the spoken word in original directions.

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

FRESHWATER POETRY FESTIVAL
Friday, May 9 2008 7:00pm - 10:00pm
7:00pm: Music in Café II
7:30pm: Reading in Café II by winners of 16th annual poetry contest:
Tunxis student Sarah Nichols; Asnuntuck students Kyle Falkowski,
Lauren Fisk, Corey Aretz, and Mike Ciervo; and UConn student Kate Dion.
9:00pm: Coffee House in Café II- Music by Asnuntuck Students- Music and Poetry Open Mike
Saturday, May 10 2008 9:00am - 4:00pm
9:00am: Welcome Coffee
10:00am: Workshops:- Gregory Coleman: 13 Ways of Looking at Revision-
Lynn Hoffman: Writing the World: Finding Ideas for Poems-
Edwina Trentham: The Green Grass, With Its Terror Beneath: Writing About the Natural World
12:00pm: Lunch & Poetry- Open Mike for Workshop Participants
1:00pm: Workshops:- Jon Andersen: The Poetry of Social Commitment-
Kate Rushin: Ways of Looking-
Ellen Doré: Watson: Letting Words Lead
3:00pm: Reading by Jon Andersen, Kate Rushin, and Ellen Doré Watson
The workshops are $15.00 each, $10.00 for students and seniors
(bring your own writing materials), and a buffet lunch from Exquisite
Events is available for $10.00. The afternoon reading and book signing
are free and open to the public. Copies of Freshwater 2008 and books
by the poets will be available for sale throughout the day.
(Certificates of attendance are available for teachers seeking CEUs.)
Freshwater Poetry Festival
Asnuntuck Community College
170 Elm Street
Enfield, CT
Registration form and more information is available on the Freshwater website, www.acc.commnet.edu/freshwater.htm
or call Edwina Trentham at 860-253-3105

Poetry at Peaberry's Café Simsbury, CT

ArtSpeak
4th Saturday of every month.
This month's date, May 24th
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.

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.


ENTRYWAYS INTO WRITING POETRY…
Two Poetry Workshops with David Cappella
Thursday May 15 and Thursday May 22
6:30 - 8 pm
Here's a chance to study poetry with a master poet
and to sharpen your own writing skills.
Join us for two poetry workshops led by David Cappella,
a widely published poet and teacher of literature at Central
Connecticut State University. He was also a recent popular
featured poet in our Wintonbury Branch Poetry Series.

Mr.Cappella will lead participants in analyzing master
sample poems from such favorite poets as Emily Dickinson
and Robert Frost as an entryway into the creative process.
In these workshops, you can expect to analyze poetic devices,
do writing assignments, and obtain feedback on your own writing.

Mr. Cappella has co-authored two books on the teaching
of poetry, Teaching the Art of Poetry: The Moves (Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, 2000) and A Surge of Language:
Teaching Poetry Day to Day (Heinemann, 2004.)
He travels through the country giving workshops to teachers
and students. He has had poems published in such journals as
The Bryant Literary Review, The Connecticut Review, and
The Bradford Review.
Registration is required. Call 242-0041.
Arrive early for best seating!
Wintonbury Branch Library
1015 Blue Hills Avenue
Bloomfield, CT 06002

The Spoken Word Series presents the:
CONNECTICUT BEAT POETRY FESTIVAL






Sunday, June 1st—Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Hartford, 1–4PM
Moderator: Lerron Wright Poets: Kate Rushin, Danelle Fiorentino, Taylor Altman, Jimmy Wilson, Tommy Bass, Minta White

Monday, June 2nd—Wood Memorial Library, South Windsor, 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Gary Snyder
Poets: Robert Saunders, Dolores Lawler, Sherri Bedingfield, Gregory Scott, Sympetalous, David Cappella, Kim Martin

Tuesday, June 3rd—Webb Deane Stevens Museum, Wethersfield, 6:30–10PM
Theme: "The Beat Goes On"
Poets: Amelia Matus, Michael Grover, Jason Tandon, Colin Haskins, Anita Pinatti,John Basinger

Wednesday, June 4th—Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Jack Kerouac
Moderator: Christine Beck Poets: Aleathia Drehmer, Lerron Wright, Jacob Johanson, Lori Desrosiers, Ernie Blue

Wednesday, June 4th—Arch Street Tavern, Hartford 10PM–1AM
Theme: Beat-inspired Comedy Open Mic
Moderator: Sympetalous

Thursday, June 5th—Wood Memorial Library, South Windsor 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Moderator: Terri Klein Poets: Jim Deuchars, Lynna Garber, Lester Allen, LisaAnn Lobasso, Maggie Greene
A reception follows

Friday, June 6th––Hall Memorial Library, Ellington, 6:30–9:30PM
Theme: Women Beat Authors
Moderator: Julia Paul Poets: Christine Beck, Kathryn Ellinger, Chamys Crane, Katherine Polenberg, Susan Alison

Friday, June 6th––Federal Café, Hartford, 10PM-1AM
Theme: Beat-Inspired Comedy Open Mic
Moderator: Greg Scott

Saturday, June 7th—Faxon Branch Library, West Hartford, 12–2PM
Theme: William S. Burroughs
Moderator: Tom Nicotera Poets: Terri Klein, Zork, Mar Walker, Marcia Lewis

Saturday, June 7th—Russell Library, Middletown, 2:30–4:45PM
Theme: Buddhism and the Beats
Moderator: Stephanie Elliott Poets: Larry DeMott, Terri Klein, Tom Nicotera, Roy Lisker, Jim Gardiner
A reception follows

Saturday, June 7th—The Buttonwood Tree, Middletown, 6–930PM
Theme: Allen Ginsberg
Moderator: John Basinger Poets: George Wallace, Lisa C. Taylor, Kenneth Lundquist, Jr., Roy Lisker, Victoria Rivas, Daniela Voicu

Saturday, June 7th—Gatekeeper Tavern, Middletown, 10PM–1AM
Theme: Charlie Bukowski Night, open mic follows
Moderator: Yvon J. Cormier Poets: Frank Reardon, Rob Plath, Jack Henry, Dyllan Blodgett, Zachary Moll, Jason Hardung.

Sunday, June 8th—Mark Twain House, Hartford, 2–5:30PM
Theme: Readers’ Choice
Moderator: Colin Haskins Poets: JD Roland, Nathan Graziano, Rebecca Schumejda, Yvon J. Cormier, Kathryn Kelly, Julia Paul. Music by Minta White

Sunday, June 8th—City Steam Tavern, Hartford, 6PM–9:30PM
Theme: Gregory Corso, open mic follows
Moderator: John Dorsey Poets: Lisa LaTourette, Dan Provost, Iris Applequist

For more information, please visit http://www.myspace.com/beatpoetryfestival


GUMBOLIVE
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

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:

FRANZ WRIGHT
Poetribe
Saturday, May 10, 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/

Future Features
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, May 7
Marc Smith, creator of the poetry slam, called them “the best poetry band in the world!” …So what, you say? Well, The Jeff Robinson Trio has been backing poets with first-class improvisational jazz for eleven years now, one Sunday at a time, at the Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam. These amazing musicians have an unrivaled knack for matching melody with words; tonight marks their annual visit to play behind the poets of the Cantab open mic. Semi-final double-header poetry slam tonight.

• Wednesday, May 14
He’s performed as far afield as Mexico City and Paris: now, Tombstone-born Logan Phillips brings his poetry to the Boston area for the first time. Logan has competed at four National Poetry Slams and been described as “the young voice of the Southwest.” His work is emotional, bold, and vivid, yet crafted with the deft touch of a bilingual speaker with authentic respect for the word. Season Championship poetry slam: May 7 semi-final winners face off.

• Wednesday, May 21
Former skinhead Jason Carney has been building on his slam legend status since 1998, but hasn’t featured for the Cantab since 2000. Jason’s work is some of the rawest storytelling that slam has to offer: brutally moving, insidiously witty, and all delivered with a genuine Texas twang. Champion of Champions Slam: Brian S. Ellis faces off against the May 14 winner for the title!

• Wednesday, May 28 The restrained performance of Def Poet Eamon Mahoney may not at first seem a natural match for HBO —but this understated performer has a power that doesn’t come from flash or volume. An integral part of the Providence slam scene, Eamon radiates an on-stage sincerity that’s a perfect match for his dense, honest work. This will be his first feature at the Cantab.

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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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.