TFR Home Page
Contents
Prev. Page
Next Page
Comments| TFR Home Page | Contents | Prev. Page | Next Page | Comments |
Messages In This Digest (1 Message) 1.
Message 1.
Posted by: "CTPoet News" ctpoetnews@yahoo.com ctpoetnews Fri Jan 1, 2010 11:04 am (PST) Dear CT Poet Subscribers, As I stated in November, I have decided to step down as editor of the CT Poet Newsletter and will no longer update the CT Poet Newsletter blog. This newsletter—January, 2010—will be the last. I will continue to update the The Connecticut Poetry online calendar at the Poetz.com website, so you will still be able to find poetry readings and events around Connecticut by visiting www.poetz.com/connecticut. Please continue to send any events or updates you would like added to the calendar to ctpoetnews@yahoo.com. Though the Newsletter will be suspended, I will keep the ConnecticutPoet Yahoo! Group active, in case someone else decides to take over as editor. Thank you again for all your support of the newsletter and of poetry in Connecticut. It has been a wonderful experience for me, and I hope to see you at a reading sometime. (Like on Jan 30 at the Buttonwood in Middletown!) Sincerely, John Jeffrey __________________________________________________________ THE CONNECTICUT POET ONLINE NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 245__ Poetry in Connecticut - January, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS________________________________________ I: Quotes II: Poem of the Month III: Book of the Month IV: Website of the Month V: News Items / Writing Workshops VI: Poetry Calendar for January VII: Subscription and Contact Information To view the Newsletter on the web, go to: www.ctpoetnewsletter.blogspot.com To view the calendar in a graphical format, go to: www.poetz.com/connecticut I:__QUOTES________________________________________________ Any poet, if he is to survive beyond his 25th year, must alter; he must seek new literary influences; he will have different emotions to express. – T. S. Eliot I prefer to explore the most intimate moments, the smaller, crystallized details we all hinge our lives on. – Rita Dove A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment’s thought, our stitching and unstinting has been naught. – William Butler Yeats II:__POEM OF THE MONTH__________________________________ SLUMBER-SONG Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) Sleep; and my song shall build about your bed A paradise of dimness. You shall feel The folding of tired wings; and peace will dwell Throned in your silence: and one hour shall hold Summer, and midnight, and immensity Lulled to forgetfulness. For, where you dream, The stately gloom of foliage shall embower Your slumbering thought with tapestries of blue. And there shall be no memory of the sky, Nor sunlight with its cruelty of swords. But, to your soul that sinks from deep to deep Through drowned and glimmering colour, Time shall be Only slow rhythmic swaying; and your breath; And roses in the darkness; and my love. III:__BOOK OF THE MONTH_________________________________ Each month we highlight a book of poetry by a Connecticut author. 2009 LONG RIVER RUN Instead of a book by a single author, this month we highlight a journal with poems by over 60 Connecticut poets.Long River Run is the members journal of the Connecticut Poetry Society. The poems in it are submitted by the members and published in the journal without editorial intervention; in other words, they publish whatever is sent. This format results in some uneven poetry being published, but it’s fun to look for names of people you know, and there are some fine poems, as well. The journal also publishes the winners of the several poetry contests sponsored by the Connecticut Poetry Society. The journal is free to members of the Connecticut Poetry Society. The $25 membership fee ($10 for students) includes not only the Long River Run journal, but also Connecticut River Review (a national poetry journal), local and national newsletters, CPS sponsored contests and events, and ten chapters throughout the state. It’s a good deal, and worth the membership fee. I would encourage poets in Connecticut to consider joining, if even only for the journals. The membership dues are due in April, so you have a few months to pay off the holiday bills first. The 2009 Long River Run is published by the Connecticut Poetry Society and will be released in January, 2010. If you are not a member, you can order a copy for $12.00 through the website, at ct-poetry-society.org. There is also information on joining, as well. IV:__WEBSITE OF THE MONTH______________________________ POETRY ON YOUTUBE YouTube has become a remarkable site for viewing videos of poetry readings. And not just readings of single poems, though there are plenty of those, but of entire feature poetry readings. Here are links to long readings (between 30 and 60 minutes) by the last four poet laureates: Kay Ryan: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yfPSnEGQEk (Ryan’s reading is broken into four parts.) Charles Simic: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_mZ--Ua_wY Donald Hall: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-A6veVHhtA Ted Kooser: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuoWarhWFXw In addition, there are many amateur readings of classic poems, as well. Check out the YouTube account name, SpokenVerse. There is a collection of SpokenVerse (a man) reading famous poems and short stories while the verses and lines scroll by, or sometimes with an occasional picture or graphic. Supposedly, the man’s name is Tom O’Bedlam, though I’ve heard that may be fake. I don’t care: the guy has quite a voice. Check out his channel at www.youtube.com/user/SpokenVerse. Here’s a link of John Berryman’s strange reading of Dream Song 14, his poem that begins, “Life, Friends, is Boring.” The poem starts at around 4:20, if you want to fast forward to it. Leading up to it is a ramble of an interview. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YUu3L-qGMI Here is Hopkins’ poem “God’s Grandeur” read, lovingly, by Stanley Kunitz. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk5uiJFSSrM And here are two interesting animated videos of Billy Collins’ poems: “The Dead” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTNdHadwbk and “Forgetfulness” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-a8ELOVig4 There are many. many videos of readings by contemporary poets. (Try searching by the poet’s name.) Look around. Have fun. But put some time aside before you do; otherwise you’ll look up and suddenly a couple of hours will have gone by. V:__NEWS ITEMS / WRITING WORKSHOPS____________________ Friday, January 8 2010 10:00am - 11:30am FROM JOURNAL TO POEM: FINDING THE DEEP VOICE A four-part writing workshop A four-part writing workshop, From Journal to Poem: Finding the Deep Voice, will take place at the Ridgefield Library this winter. The workshop will be led by poet and teacher Alison Woods and will take place on Friday, Jan. 8, 15, 29, and February 5, from 10:00am to 11:30am in the History Room. Registration is required by clicking on the Register button on the January 8th calendar entry or by calling the Library at 203-438-2282, Ext 1014. This workshop is for writers of all levels of experience. Using the journal, participants will focus on the process of creating moving, believable, powerful writing, finding the deep voice and central themes unique to each individual writer. Through hand-outs (readings of poems and essays) and a series of exercises, each week builds upon the week before as the group develops into a safe and nurturing environment in which to create. “All that is needed is a desire to write and a love of language,” said Ms. Woods. Alison Woods’ poems have been widely published in journals including The Kean Review, The National Poetry Review, and The Paris Review. She was a semi-finalist in the Discovery/The Nation contest and the Lyric Recovery Festival at Carnegie Hall and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize twice. She is also a lyricist currently collaborating with Steve Addabbo (Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin) writing pop, rock, and country music lyrics. She received her MFA from Columbia University and recently moved to Ridgefield, CT. She teaches at Norwalk Community College. The program is made possible thanks to the Friends of the Library. Call 203-438-2282 or visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org for more information. History Room Ridgefield Library 472 Main Street (Route 35) Ridgefield, CT 203-438-2282 or rdgprograms@biblio.org www.ridgefieldlibrary.org ........................................................................................... FOR FICTION & PROSE WRITERS: Writers Out Loud Writers Out Loud provides a venue for prose writers to read their work and get feedback from their peers. This event occurs the second Thursday of each month (January 14, this month) at the Green Street Art Center in Middletown, which is off North Main Street, two blocks before the entrance to the Arigoni (Portland) Bridge. There are a few regular attendees, but in its two year history, an amazing variety of writers of all ages have shared themselves, coming from homes nearby and as much as two hours’ drive away. Green Street also provides courses and workshops for writers, but this venue stands alone as an opportunity to share the work and fun of prose—be it novel excerpt, short story or memoir—with other writers, family, friends and strangers in a relaxed atmosphere. Due to limitations of time, six readers sign up each outing for ten minute orations. All are encouraged to come to listen and/or read aloud. Co-hosts are Al Bower and Cocomo Rock. Green Street Arts Center 51 Green Street Middletown, CT 860-685-7871 VI:__POETRY CALENDAR FOR JANUARY_____________________ Check with venues for possible cancellations due to holidays or inclement weather Sunday, January 3 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm BEAN & LEAF OPEN MIKE POETRY READING hosted by Tom Weigel Old poets read, new voices heard in a new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information. Bean & Leaf Cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 www.bean-leaf.com ........................................................................................ Monday, January 4 2010 7:00pm THE LOVE JONES EXPERIENCE Poetry & Jam Session. Bring your poems and instruments to our spoken word and song event. All poets welcome. Amateurs welcome and encouraged to perform. $5.00 cover. The Russell 103 Pratt Street Hartford, CT www.therussellct.com ........................................................................................ Monday, January 4 2010 7:00pm ANYTHING GOES! An open mike with J-Cherry Hosted by J-Cherry this warm group encourages personal development - come play with us! You’ll find Phill is available to drum along if you like. We have a piano and congas or BYO instrument, poem, dance or whatever artistic piece of yourself you’d like to share. We’re all in this together - let’s have some fun and create ourselves anew! 7:00pm sign up; 7:30pm start. $3.00-5.00 suggested donation. The Buttonwood Tree 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 860-347-4957 thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com www.buttonwood.org ........................................................................................ Monday, January 4 2010 7:30pm - 9:00pm POETRY BEAT Poetry open mike at Las Vetas Lounge. Las Vetas Lounge 1462 Post Road Fairfield, CT 203-255-1958 ........................................................................................ Monday January 4 2010 9:00pm BEATNIK 2000 Music and poetry every Monday night, hosted by Ed Leonard. No Cover. www.cafenine.com/schedule.html Cafe 9 250 State Street New Haven, CT 203-789-8281 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 5 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm SHORELINE CLUSTER POETS Shoreline Cluster Poets meets first and third Tuesday of each month at Scranton Library. For more information, please contact Rudy Sturk at scpoets@yahoo.com. Scranton Library 801 Boston Post Road Madison, CT 203-245-7365 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 5 2010 7:30pm POEMALLEY at Curley’s Diner featuring Frank Chambers Frank is the president of the Fairfield Chapter of the Connecticut Poetry Society and hosts two local poetry series at Barnes & Noble Bookstores in Stamford and Westport. His poetry has appeared in publications such as PostScript, Poetry Emerging, Long River Run, A First Tuesday in Wilton, and Wednesdays at Curley’s. Frank’s poetry reflects his vision and commitment to family and is inspired by four young muses masquerading as children. Read poetry, discuss writing and other topics of interest. Curley’s Diner 62 West Park Place Stamford, CT 203-327-3716 ayarmal@earthlink.net ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 6 2010 7:30pm WEDNESDAY NIGHT POETRY SERIES featuring Haiku Slam There will be a Haiku Slam after the open mike. The Slam mistress is Faith Vicinanza. FOR THE HAIKU SLAM Five—Seven—Five, that’s the form. Bring lots of haiku— 20, 25! WNPS, the longest running weekly poetry series in Connecticut, boasts an open mike, feature poets, a Q&A with the feature, and a poetry critique workshop. For more info, visit the website at wedpoetry.wordpress.com. Blue Z Coffeehouse 127 South Main Street (Route 25) Newtown CT 203-364-0631 www.blue-z-coffeehouse.com ............................................................................................ Thursday, January 7 2010 7:00pm CURBSTONE PRESS READING SERIES with Kate Rushin and Rhonda Ward Kate Rushin is the author of The Black Back-Ups. Her poem, “The Bridge Poem,” appears in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, a ground-breaking feminist anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa. Recipient of the Rose Low Rome Memorial Poetry Prize and the Grolier Poetry Prize, her work is widely anthologized and has been published in such journals as Callaloo. A Connecticut resident, Kate currently teaches creative writing at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Rhonda Ward is an Ohio native, born in Cincinnati and raised in Dayton. The youngest of six children, she began writing to get a word in edgewise. Her first influence in poetry was Paul Lawrence Dunbar. She grew up across the street from the home where he lived (now a museum honoring his legacy) and began reciting his poems in elementary school. Her poetry explores African-American culture with a universal voice, taking everyday situations to visual levels that transport listeners into the world of her childhood with surgical attention to details. She shares her experiences of the past and the present, handling her subjects with a combination of grace and spunk. Ward lives and writes in New London. After the reading, the poets will be available for questions, discussion, and book signing. Hygienic Art continues its evenings of monthly First Thursday Poetry readings in the Robert Rue Reading Series, funded in part by Curbstone Press. This reading is sponsored by the Robert N. Rue Education Fund at Curbstone Press, established in honor of Dr. Rue, who died in September 2007, honoring his lifelong commitment to education and good writing. Hygienic Galleries 79-83 Bank Street New London, CT 860-443-8001 For more information, contact Hygienic Art at 860-443-8001, email gallery@hygienic.org, or visit www.hygienic.org. ............................................................................................. Thursday, January 7 2010 7:00pm - 10:00pm THURSDAY NIGHT POETRY Open Mike Poetry Reading at Bean & Leaf. Old poets read, new voices heard. A new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information: www.bean-leaf.com. Bean & Leaf cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 10 2010 1:00pm FAIRFIELD AREA POETS OPEN MIKE Fairfield Area Poets meets each month at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Westport. Please come and listen to local poets. Bring a favorite poem or read your own poem at the open mike. Barnes & Noble Booksellers Westport Post Plaza Shopping Center 1076 Post Road East Westport, CT 203-221-7955 ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 10 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm POLLY BRODY in Newtown Author and essayist Polly Brody will read from her new book, Stirring Shadows, her fourth poetry collection. Polly holds a Masters Degree in Biology and is a veteran field ornithologist, as well as an active advocate for the environment. Her work has been published in over forty literary journals, including The Midwest Quarterly, The Spoon River Poetry Review, The Cream City Review, and many others. Author signing and refreshments after reading. Snow date Sunday, January 17 Cyrenius Booth Library 25 Main St. Newtown, CT 203-426-4533 ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 10 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm BEAN & LEAF OPEN MIKE POETRY READING hosted by Tom Weigel Old poets read, new voices heard in a new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information. Bean & Leaf Cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 www.bean-leaf..com ........................................................................................ Monday, January 11 2008 5:00pm - 7:00pm CPS POETRY WORKSHOP in DANBURY The Danbury Chapter of the Connecticut Poetry Society holds a writing workshop at the Danbury Library. Newcomers are welcome! Bring poems for sharing and discussion (about 6 copies to pass around, if possible). For information, contact: dmh2000@sbcglobal.net Danbury Library Upstairs Conference Room 170 Main Street Danbury, CT ........................................................................................ Monday, January 11 2010 7:00pm THE LOVE JONES EXPERIENCE Poetry & Jam Session. Bring your poems and instruments to our spoken word and song event. All poets welcome. Amateurs welcome and encouraged to perform. $5.00 cover. The Russell 103 Pratt Street Hartford, CT www.therussellct.com ........................................................................................ Monday, January 11 2010 7:00pm WORDFORGE READING SERIES presents Poetry in Spanish ó English Favorite Poem Project: Poetry in Spanish ó English. Readings from the great tradition of poetry written in Spanish (Neruda, Paz, Lorca, and many others): Bring favorite poems to read in Spanish or bring an English translation of a poem originally written in Spanish. Open Mike. WordForge is a series of readings featuring local poets along with an open mike. Many readings will have a theme. All events will be scheduled for Monday nights, with a 7:00pm start time. The Studio @ Billings Forge 563 Broad Street Hartford, CT (Parking at Firebox Restaurant or along Broad Street.) For more information, contact: Jim Finnegan at JforJames@aol.com or 860-508-2810 ........................................................................................ Monday, January 11 2010 7:00pm ANYTHING GOES! An open mike with J-Cherry Hosted by J-Cherry this warm group encourages personal development - come play with us! You’ll find Phill is available to drum along if you like. We have a piano and congas or BYO instrument, poem, dance or whatever artistic piece of yourself you’d like to share. We’re all in this together - let’s have some fun and create ourselves anew! 7:00pm sign up; 7:30pm start. $3.00-5.00 suggested donation. The Buttonwood Tree 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 860-347-4957 thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com www.buttonwood.org ........................................................................................ Monday, January 11 2010 7:15pm MONDAY NIGHT POETRY in STAMFORD presents Shijin, a poetry performance troupe Six voices, six lives, one performance! Since 2004, Shijin, a Connecticut-New York-area poetry performance troupe, has given shows featuring a 30 minute seamless reading where one poem tucks into the one that follows it—as if they were written as one. The group has also published two poetry collections: We Shijin I and Undone, both from Hanover Press. Visit shijinlive.blogspot.com. Monday Night Poetry meets on the second Monday of each month at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Stamford Town Center. Please come and listen to local poets, bring a favorite poem, or read your own. Barnes & Noble Booksellers Stamford Town Center 100 Greyrock Place Suite H009 Stamford, CT 203-323-1248 ......................................................................................... Monday January 11 2010 9:00pm BEATNIK 2000 Music and poetry every Monday night, hosted by Ed Leonard. No Cover. www.cafenine.com/schedule.html Cafe 9 250 State Street New Haven, CT 203-789-8281 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 12 2010 7:30pm POEMALLEY at Curley’s Diner Read poetry, discuss writing and other topics of interest. Curley’s Diner 62 West Park Place Stamford, CT 203-327-3716 ayarmal@earthlink.net ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 13 2010 7:00pm INESCAPABLE RHYTHMS “Inescapable Rhythms,” a poetry reading and open mike series, takes place on the second Wednesday of each month. A featured poet gives a half hour reading (7:00pm) followed by an open mike (7:30pm), in which members of the audience are invited to share their work. The series takes its title from the Wallace Stevens poem, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” Stevens, a major American Modernist poet, was a Hartford resident. Real Art Ways 56 Arbor St. Hartford CT www.realartways.org Email questions to: ahenchey@hotmail.com ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 13 2010 7:30pm WEDNESDAY NIGHT POETRY SERIES featuring a poetry workshop A “Found Poem” workshop after the open mike. For features and details, please go to wedpoetry.wordpress..com Blue Z Coffeehouse 127 South Main Street (Route 25) Newtown CT 203-364-0631 www.blue-z-coffeehouse.com ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 13 2010 9:00pm POETZ REALM Poetz Realm is not just a physical location where artists can get together and share in their artistry. Poetz Realm also provides web services such as a social networking community which allows its members to network, upload videos, pictures , music, chat, post poetry, written work and much more. Whether it be in the form of spoken word, poetry, and emceeing, singing or simply verbal expression, Poetz Realm is the place to be. Poetz Realm meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Admission is $5.00 for regular patrons and free for whomever signs up for the open mike. There is a feature for each show. Features have included: Ngoma, Fredrick Douglas, Mo Jarvis, Baub Bidon, E da Storyteller, Shanna Melton, Kamal Imani, Influence, Ainsley Burrows, and many others. “Let Your Voice Be Heard!” Hosted by Ernel Grant, Founder/CEO Bridgeport Innovation Center Gallery 1212 955 Connecticut Ave Bridgeport, CT. 06607 www.poetzrealm.com ............................................................................................. Thursday, January 14 2010 7:00pm MISHI-MAYA-GAT Spoken Word & Music Series presents Brian Clements, Elizabeth Bryant, and Dennis Barone 7:00pm - Featured Musician: Barbara Hopkins, solo flute. 8:00pm - Featured Poets: “A Celebration of Quale Press” with Brian Clements, Elizabeth Bryant, and Dennis Barone. Initially starting with the quarterly literary magazine, key satch(el), in 1997, Quale Press LLC has been publishing chapbooks and small collections of prose poetry. A full catalog of Quale Press titles, subscription information, and more information on Brian Clements, Elizabeth Bryant, and Dennis Barone, are available at: www.quale.com. Founder and editor Gian Lombardo will speak briefly about the press’s history and mission. Brian Clements is the author of several collections of poetry, including his 2008 Quale Press title, And How to End It. Clements is also editor of the independent, non-profit press, Firewheel Editions and of Firewheel’s flagship publication, Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics. He is professor of Writing, Linguistics, and Creative Process at Western Connecticut State University and coordinator of WestConn’s MFA in Professional Writing. Elizabeth Bryant’s forthcoming title from Quale Press, nevertheless enjoyment, is a series of prose poems that “build on the winding and unwinding of a relationship as seen in slant light and around corners.” Her work has appeared in several journals, including Wheelhouse and Dusie. She is the author of the chapbook Fluorescence Buzz and a forthcoming chapbook entitled, No Subject. Also forthcoming is her second, full-length book, Reality Visits the Land of Illusions. Visit elizabeth-bryant.org. Dennis Barone’s work has appeared in the Chicago Review, The Prose Poem: An International Journal, and Quarter After Eight, among others. Barone has edited numerous collections and published several books of fiction, including Temple of the Rat and Echoes. In 1992 he held the Thomas Jefferson Chair, a distinguished lecturing award in the Netherlands. Left Hand Books published an edition of his selected poems, Separate Objects, in 1998. He is a professor of English and director of the American Studies Program at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford. Quale Press has published several works of his: Precise Machine, Walking Backwards, and The Disguise of Events, and the most recent, North Arrow. Readings on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Free and Open to the Public. Sponsored by the MCC Foundation. Hosted by Stephen Campiglio. Fireside Commons, Learning Resource Center Manchester Community College Great Path Manchester, CT For more information or directions, please visit the Mishi-maya-gat web page at www.mcc.commnet.edu. ............................................................................................ Thursday, January 14 2010 7:00pm - 10:00pm THURSDAY NIGHT POETRY Open Mike Poetry Reading at Bean & Leaf. Old poets read, new voices heard. A new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information: www.bean-leaf.com. Bean & Leaf cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 ........................................................................................ Saturday, January 16 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm WILTON CHAPTER of CT POETRY SOCIETY Wilton Chapter of the CT Poetry Society (formerly Saugatuck Chapter) will meet in Room A of the Wilton Library in Wilton Center. Meeting format will be the structured workshop held for several prior meetings.. Bring one poem and copies of it for the other participants. Poems should be no longer than 2 pages of Times Roman, Font 12. Reference desk can direct you to Room A Wilton Library 137 Old Ridgefield Road Wilton, CT 203-762-3950 ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 17 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm BEAN & LEAF OPEN MIKE POETRY READING hosted by Tom Weigel Old poets read, new voices heard in a new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information. Bean & Leaf Cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 www.bean-leaf.com ......................................................................................... Monday, January 18 2010 7:00pm THE LOVE JONES EXPERIENCE Poetry & Jam Session. Bring your poems and instruments to our spoken word and song event. All poets welcome. Amateurs welcome and encouraged to perform. $5.00 cover. Hosted by Darlene Brandon Scott. The Russell 103 Pratt Street Hartford, CT www.therussellct.com ......................................................................................... Monday, January 18 2010 7:00pm ANYTHING GOES! An open mike with J-Cherry Hosted by J-Cherry this warm group encourages personal development - come play with us! You’ll find Phill is available to drum along if you like. We have a piano and congas or BYO instrument, poem, dance or whatever artistic piece of yourself you’d like to share. We’re all in this together - let’s have some fun and create ourselves anew! 7:00pm sign up; 7:30pm start. $3.00-5.00 suggested donation. The Buttonwood Tree 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 860-347-4957 thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com www.buttonwood.org ........................................................................................ Monday January 18 2010 9:00pm BEATNIK 2000 Music and poetry every Monday night, hosted by Ed Leonard. No Cover. www.cafenine.com/schedule.html Cafe 9 250 State Street New Haven, CT 203-789-8281 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 19 2010 7:00pm THE ORDINARY EVENING READING SERIES featuring Lisa Siedlarz and Sheila Kohler Lisa Siedlarz’s debut poet collection, I Dream My Brother Plays Baseball, was published in 2009 by Clemson University Digital Press. Lisa holds a Masters in Fine Arts from Western Connecticut State University. She is the editor of Connecticut River Review and managing editor of Connecticut Review. She has won the John Holmes Poetry Prize and the Leo Connellan Award and was nominated for the 2009 Best New Poets Award. She also facilitated a 16-week writing workshop with Vietnam veterans and edited a collection of their work called The Season of Now. Lisa works for Southern Connecticut State University and lives in New Haven. Sheila Kohler’s most recent novel, Becoming Jane Eyre, will be published in January 2010 by Viking, Penguin. She has written six other novels: The Perfect Place; The House on R Street; Cracks; Children of Pithiviers; Crossways; and Bluebird or the Invention of Happiness; and three collections of short stories: Miracles in America; One Girl; and Stories from Another World. Her work has been translated in a variety of languages including Hebrew and Japanese and published widely abroad, and has appeared in a host of top publications. Sheila has received the O.Henry twice, the Open Voice Award, the Smart Family Foundation prize, The Willa Cather Prize, and the Antioch Review Prize. In addition, Sheila was a fellow at the New York Public Library’s Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers in 2003-4. The Ordinary Evening Reading Series was created to bring emerging and established poets and writers to New Haven, and to enrich the already robust artistic, cultural, and literary scene in the Elm City. The readings take place on a Tuesday at 7:00pm in the Anchor Bar’s Mermaid Room. Seating is limited so get there early! The Anchor Bar’s Mermaid Room (Downstairs) 272 College Street New Haven, CT 203-865-1512 ordinaryevening.blogspot.com ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 19 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm SHORELINE CLUSTER POETS Shoreline Cluster Poets meets first and third Tuesday of each month at Scranton Library. For more information, please contact Rudy Sturk at scpoets@yahoo.com. Scranton Library 801 Boston Post Road Madison, CT 203-245-7365 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 19 2010 7:30pm POEMALLEY at Curley’s Diner Read poetry, discuss writing and other topics of interest. Curley’s Diner 62 West Park Place Stamford, CT 203-327-3716 ayarmal@earthlink.net ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 20 2010 7:00pm WEDNESDAY NIGHT POETRY SERIES featuring Sympetalous Direct from the 60’s, wild-eyed poet-guy Sympetalous will read his own all-natural hipster beat poetry. The following poem is what Sympetalous sent as a bio: A mild mannered reporter for The Subterranean Homesick News hears the call of fate and suddenly awakes Some Velvet Morning when he’s straight then starts to sway and write this way for no apparent planetary reason save the subtle motion of a Deep Blue Moon and the Red Dwarf Stars… And all the while a Whirling Earth performs one full ellipsis around an ever Sacred Sun and soon bright pulsing words from Pipes of Pan now rise & soar and hang a bit about a pointed space filled with heat & light and pairs of eager ears open wide to vivid minds some even willing to shoot the rapids and then float the calms of this Stream o’ Con Ki-o-tay ! WNPS, the longest running weekly poetry series in Connecticut, boasts an open mike, feature poets, a Q&A with the feature, and a poetry critique workshop. For more info, visit the website at wedpoetry.wordpress.com. Blue Z Coffeehouse 127 South Main Street (Route 25) Newtown CT 203-364-0631 www.blue-z-coffeehouse.com ........................................................................................ Thursday, January 21 2010 12:30pm - 2:00pm TIME OUT FOR POETRY Ogden Nash, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Dr. Seuss, Emily Dickinson and maybe even the Burma Shave verses will live again at Madison’s Scranton Library. Area residents are invited to share their favorite poems on the third Thursday of every month, when it will be “Time Out for Poetry.” This informal gathering is free and welcomes those who wish to share two or three short poems, or simply to listen. “Time Out for Poetry” will provide, as Robert Frost defined poetry, “a momentary stay against confusion.” This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Scranton Library and hosted by Susannah Graedel. For further information please call her at 203-421-1961. Local History Room Scranton Library 801 Boston Post Road Madison, CT 203-245-7365 ........................................................................................ Thursday, January 21 2010 6:30pm WORD OF MOUTH POETRY SERIES On the third Thursday of each month, Word of Mouth Poetry Series celebrates an eclectic mix of poetic voices. Free. Refreshments. Open mike. Outstanding featured readers. In a casual setting. Open to all members of the public and others. For more information, please contact allwordofmouth@gmail.com or mcguireschwartz@gmail.com. Doors Open at 6:30. Open mike at 7:00. Please arrive a few minutes early to sign up for open mike. The Institute Library 847 Chapel Street New Haven, CT Word of Mouth is an affiliate of Arts and Literature Laboratory. Please visit our website at http://sites.google.com/site/wordofmouthpoetryseries/Home. ........................................................................................ Thursday, January 21 2010 7:00pm WINTONBURY BRANCH POETRY SERIES featuring Alexandria Sergio Wintonbury Branch Poetry Series & Open Mike presents Alexandria Sergio, author of a recent collection, My Daughter is Drummer in the Rock ‘n Roll Band. She is first prize-winner in the 2007 Connecticut Senior Poetry Contest and has published widely in many journals, including in Caduceus and the Connecticut River Review. An open mike follows the featured poet. Free admission, refreshments included. Watch for announcements of “theme” nights for our open mike sessions. For more information, please call the Wintonbury Branch at 860-242-0041. Wintonbury Branch Library 1015 Blue Hills Avenue Bloomfield, CT www.prosserlibrary.info/wintonbury_branch.htm ............................................................................................ Thursday, January 21 2010 7:00pm - 10:00pm THURSDAY NIGHT POETRY Open Mike Poetry Reading at Bean & Leaf. Old poets read, new voices heard. A new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information: www.bean-leaf.com.. Bean & Leaf cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 ........................................................................................ Thursday, January 21 2010 7:30pm - 9:00pm THIRD THURSDAY OPEN MIC Open mike poetry reading on the third Thursday of every month at the Stamford Borders. Borders Bookstore 1041 High Ridge Road (near Merritt Parkway exit 35) Stamford, CT Phone: 203-968-9700 ........................................................................................ Friday, January 22 2010 7:00pm - 8:00pm WESTMINSTER SCHOOL POETRY SERIES Westminster School will host a series of literary readings given by students, teachers and guest writers in the Gund Reading Room of its Armour Academic Center. The readings are free and open to the public. Upcoming readings are scheduled on Jan. 22, Feb. 26, April 16, and May 21. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the readings and ample parking will be available in the parking lot adjacent to the Armour Academic Center. Gund Reading Room Armour Academic Center Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury, CT Anyone wishing additional information about the reading series should contact Michael Cervas at 860-784-1865. ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 24 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm BEAN & LEAF OPEN MIKE POETRY READING hosted by Tom Weigel Old poets read, new voices heard in a new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information. Bean & Leaf Cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 www.bean-leaf.com ......................................................................................... Monday, January 25 2010 7:00pm THE LOVE JONES EXPERIENCE Poetry & Jam Session. Bring your poems and instruments to our spoken word and song event. All poets welcome. Amateurs welcome and encouraged to perform. $5.00 cover. Hosted by Darlene Brandon Scott. The Russell 103 Pratt Street Hartford, CT www.therussellct.com ......................................................................................... Monday, January 25 2010 7:00pm ANYTHING GOES! An open mike with J-Cherry Hosted by J-Cherry this warm group encourages personal development - come play with us! You’ll find Phill is available to drum along if you like. We have a piano and congas or BYO instrument, poem, dance or whatever artistic piece of yourself you’d like to share. We’re all in this together - let’s have some fun and create ourselves anew! 7:00pm sign up; 7:30pm start. $3.00-5.00 suggested donation. The Buttonwood Tree 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 860-347-4957 thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com www.buttonwood.org ........................................................................................ Monday, January 25 2010 9:00pm BEATNIK 2000 Music and poetry every Monday night, hosted by Ed Leonard. No Cover. www.cafenine.com/schedule.html Cafe 9 250 State Street New Haven, CT 203-789-8281 ........................................................................................ Tuesday, January 26 2010 7:30pm POEMALLEY at Curley’s Diner Read poetry, discuss writing and other topics of interest. Curley’s Diner 62 West Park Place Stamford, CT 203-327-3716 ayarmal@earthlink.net ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 27 2010 7:30pm WEDNESDAY NIGHT POETRY SERIES featuring Return of the Hosts “You thought they were gone but now they’re back!” Following the open mike, the feature for the evening is a gaggle of present and former Wednesday Night Poetry hosts doing their own song and dance act...er, wait no, reading their poetry. And we have quite a pack of present and former hosts. Take a look at our Hosts page at wedpoetry.wordpress.com/hosts-2. WNPS, the longest running weekly poetry series in Connecticut, boasts an open mike, feature poets, a Q&A with the feature, and a poetry critique workshop. For more info, visit the website at wedpoetry.wordpress.com. Blue Z Coffeehouse 127 South Main Street (Route 25) Newtown CT 203-364-0631 www.blue-z-coffeehouse..com ........................................................................................ Wednesday, January 27 2010 9:00pm POETZ REALM Poetz Realm is not just a physical location where artists can get together and share in their artistry. Poetz Realm also provides web services such as a social networking community which allows its members to network, upload videos, pictures , music, chat, post poetry, written work and much more. Whether it be in the form of spoken word, poetry, and emceeing, singing or simply verbal expression, Poetz Realm is the place to be. Poetz Realm meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Admission is $5.00 for regular patrons and free for whomever signs up for the open mike. There is a feature for each show. Features have included: Ngoma, Fredrick Douglas, Mo Jarvis, Baub Bidon, E da Storyteller, Shanna Melton, Kamal Imani, Influence, Ainsley Burrows, and many others. “Let Your Voice Be Heard!” Hosted by Ernel Grant, Founder/CEO Bridgeport Innovation Center Gallery 1212 955 Connecticut Ave Bridgeport, CT. 06607 www.poetzrealm.com ............................................................................................ Thursday, January 28 2010 6:30pm RIVERWOOD POETRY SERIES presents The UNDERWOOD CAFE featuring Kate Rushin Kate Rushin is the author of The Black Back-Ups. Her poem, “The Bridge Poem,” appears in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, a ground-breaking feminist anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa. Her work is widely anthologized and has been published in such journals as Callaloo. A Connecticut resident, Kate currently teaches creative writing at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Previously, she taught at Wesleyan University as Associate Professor and Visiting Poet. She has read and presented workshops at HillStead Museum’s Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, and has led workshops for the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and Cave Canem Foundation. She has served as a judge for the Connecticut State University-IMPAC Young Writers Award, the Connecticut Poetry Circuit Student Poetry Contest, and the NEA’s/Poetry Foundation’s Poetry Out Loud. Kate received her B.A. from Oberlin College and her M.F.A. from Brown University. She is a former Fellow of The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and a graduate fellow of Cave Canem Foundation. The Underwood Cafe at Wood Memorial Library: entertaining and thought-provoking poetry in a relaxed, cafe-style atmosphere. Open mike follows the feature. Refreshments.. Admission is free: donations gratefully accepted. Donations of non-perishable foods will also be accepted for the benefit of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. More info: www.riverwoodpoetry.org or www.woodmemoriallibrary.org.. Wood Memorial Library 783 Main Street South Windsor, CT 860-289-1783 ........................................................................................ Thursday, January 28 2010 7:00pm - 10:00pm THURSDAY NIGHT POETRY Open Mike Poetry Reading at Bean & Leaf. Old poets read, new voices heard. A new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information: www.bean-leaf.com. Bean & Leaf cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 ........................................................................................ Saturday, January 30 2010 6:30pm THE RIVERWOOD POETRY SERIES at Buttonwood presents John Jeffrey and David Leff John Jeffrey is editor of the internet-based CT Poet Newsletter. His fiction and poetry have appeared in journals such as The Fairfield Review, Bent Pin Quarterly, and the Connecticut River Review, among others, and he has read at numerous venues around the state. Years ago, John earned a double degree in writing and literature, but he has spent his adult life trying to unlearn what he was taught. David K. Leff is a freelance writer from Collinsville, Connecticut. By turns lyrical, angry, and philosophical, his poems are always elegant in language, accurate in observation, and passionate in point of view. His essays and fiction have appeared in newspapers and magazines, and he has written two non-fiction books: The Last Undiscovered Place, a Connecticut Book Award finalist, and Deep Travel. A graduate of the University Of Connecticut School of Law, Leff was a Deputy Commissioner with the Connecticut DEP until his retirement in 2006. Suggested donation is $3.00 and a non-perishable food item to be donated to the local soup kitchen/food pantry. Non-perishable food donations welcome to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Place. Goodwill donations welcome. See www.riverwoodpoetry.org for details. The Buttonwood Tree 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 860-347-4957 thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com www.buttonwood.org ........................................................................................ Sunday, January 31 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm BEAN & LEAF OPEN MIKE POETRY READING hosted by Tom Weigel Old poets read, new voices heard in a new venue with “a killer sound system and lots of delicious teas and coffee and pastries.” Visit the website for more information. Bean & Leaf Cafe 13 Washington St. New London, CT 860-701-0000 www.bean-leaf.com VII:__SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION_________ To subscribe to the ConnecticutPoet newsletter, please send an email to: ConnecticutPoet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com If you do not wish to belong to ConnecticutPoet, please send an email to: ConnecticutPoet-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com You may also visit the YahooGroups website to modify your subscription: www.yahoogroups.com/groups For questions or information, please contact: John Jeffrey at ctpoetnews@yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (1) |
© Copyright 1997, 2010, The Fairfield Review Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Document last modified on: 12/23/2009