In 1972 a poet¹s garden was completed at Arrow Park. It includes massive busts of Alexander Pushkin, Taras Shevchenko, Yanka Kupala, and Walt Whitman. Pushkin, Shevchenko, and Kupala were gifts from their respective countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), and the Whitman statue was commissioned by the Park and sculpted by Bruno Luchessi. These poets were chosen because they were committed to the fundamental humanitarian issues of: peace on earth, freedom from slavery and oppression, and the brotherhood of all people's everywhere.
This year will mark the 40th anniversary of the garden, and we are planning a celebration on Sunday, May 27th starting at 2 p.m. Bruno Luchessi will be honored. Karen Karbiener, a Whitman Scholar from NYU, and Julian Henry Lowenfeld, a Pushkin expert and translator, will give short lectures on these poets and read their work, emphasizing the theme of brotherhood. We are going to have readings and songs from all of the poets read in English and their native languages, followed by a polka concert from Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra at 4 p.m. in the pavilion.
The park lodge was built in 1909 at the height of the arts and crafts movement in America—built with amazing attention to detail using local materials and situated above a 52-acre lake. Arrow Park was established in 1948 as a place of rest and recreation for Slavic families from the inner cities who had no green space.
The Arrow Park lake and lodge are at 1061 Orange Turnpike in Monroe. The park opens at 11 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. For more information, contact Julia Kole at 845-545-0520.
We have completely overhauled the Albany Poets website. We now have a new home for our blog updates, the events calendar, photos, videos, audio recordings, and work from the poets of upstate New York.
Head on over to www.albanypoets.com or just click on "home" on the navigation bar above and check out the all new Albany Poets.
Since we made changes to the website, be sure to update your News Feed subscription information to http://albanypoets.com/feed/ so you can stay up to date on what is going on in the upstate poetry community.
The COW series continues on Saturday, September 3 at 7:00pm with two of the Hudson Valley’s finest poets, Donald Lev and Guy Reed. The series is hosted by veteran Kingston/Woodstock open mic/poetry reading host (and Chronogram Poetry Editor) Phillip Levine.
Here is the info from Mr. Levine:
COW (Chronogram Open Word) Donald Lev and Guy Reed Hosted By Poetry Editor Phillip X. Levine Poetry/Prose/Performance Spoken Word Series First Saturday, Every Month * Continues: Sat, Sept 3, 7pm * w/Wide Open Microphone & Free Drink COW (Chronogram Open Word): Poetry/Prose/Performance is hosted by Chronogram's poetry editor Phillip Levine, it runs on the first Saturday of every month at 7pm at the BEAhive (314 Wall St). The series, produced by Chronogram and BEAHIVE, continues on Saturday, September 3rd, 7pm with Donald Lev & Guy Reed. COW (Chronogram Open Word) — Featuring: Donald Lev and Guy Reed Saturday, Sept 3, 7pm
Donald Lev was born in New York City in 1936. He attended Hunter College, worked in the wire rooms of the Daily News and New York Times, and then drove a taxi cab for 20 years (with a 6-year hiatus in which he ran messages for, and contributed poetry to, The Village Voice and operated the Home Planet Bookshop on the Lower East Side). His earliest poems appeared in print in 1958 and he started his first small press magazine, HYN Anthology, in 1969. Among his honors have been a Madeline Sadin Award from New York Quarterly in 1973 and a Life Time Achievement Award from the Catskill Reading Society/Outloudbooks in 2003. In 2008 Outloudbooks brought out his The Darkness Above: Selected Poems 1968-2002 a sampling from the first four decades of his writing. A chapbook, Only Wings: 20 Poems of Devotion was published in 2010 by Presa Press in Michigan, and a new collection, A Very Funny Fellow, will be brought out by NY Quarterly Books at a date still to be announced. His brief underground film-acting career pinnacled with his portrayal (he wrote his own lines) of "The Poet" in Robert Downey Sr.'s 1969 classic Putney Swope. He lives in High Falls, NY, where he spends most of his time publishing the literary tabloid Home Planet News, which he and his late wife Enid Dame founded in 1979.
Guy Reed, born and raised in Hopkins, Minnesota, is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. He studied filmmaking in Minneapolis & St. Paul at Film In The Cities. He is the author of the forthcoming chapbook, The Effort To Hold Light, (Finishing Line Press). His poems have appeared in Home Planet News, and several anthologies including: Lifeblood (2011 Chickaree Press), The Goat Hill Poets (2010: Post Traumatic Press) and Riverine (2007: Codhill Press). He lives in the Catskill Mountains with his wife and their two children.
BEAHIVE - 314 Wall St, Kingston, NY Info: Phillip Levine — (845)246-8565 / pprod@mindspring.com $5 / free for BEAHIVE members All shows are held at BEAHIVE in Uptown Kingston (314 Wall St.). Doors open at 7pm; start time is 7:30. Features perform for approximately 20 to 25 mins. each, with open mic before and after. Cover charge is $5; free for BEAHIVE members. Drink included. Phillip X. Levine is a poet, editor and performer. He is poetry editor for Chronogram and president of the Woodstock Poetry Society & Festival (www.woodstockpoetry.com). From 2001-2008, he hosted a popular weekly reading series at The Colony Cafe, one of the most storied venues for poets and musicians in Woodstock, NY. This OPEN WORD series is an evolution of The Colony series. Chronogram (www.chronogram.com) is a free monthly magazine that nourishes and supports the creative and cultural life of the HudsonValley. BEAHIVEwww.beahivebzzz.com is a new kind of collaborative space for work and community. Its ultimate aim is to support a Local Living Economy, one that is locally rooted and human-scale. BEAHIVE opened in Beacon in May 2009 as the first such space in the HudsonValley and partnered with Chronogram to open a second location in Uptown Kingston in December 2009.
There are a few great poetry events happening this week in the area, from Saratoga to Beacon. Here is a run down of what is going on.
Tuesday, August 2 – Albany Poets Presents at Valentines
Albany Poets Presents comes to Valentines on the first Tuesday of each month starting at 8:00PM.
Each month we present a No Gimmick Open Mic. Poets, musicians, comedians, spoken word artists are all invited to take the stage at Valentines.
Come over and join local poets and spoken word artists for an evening of conversation, cocktails, coffee, and, of course, poetry.
Sign up begins at 7:00PM, open mic starts at 8:00PM. There is a $3.00 suggested donation for this event. Albany Poets Presents takes place at Valentines Music Hall (17 New Scotland Ave.) on the first Tuesday of each and every month.
Wednesday, August 3 – Caffe Lena Poetry Open Mic
The first Wednesday of every month Caffè Lena presents: Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic 7pm sign up, 7:30 readings start Featured Poet: John Roche $3 Hosted by Carol Graser Info: www.caffelena.org or 583-0022
John Roche has published three poetry collections. His latest, Road Ghosts, is now available from theenk Books. He’s edited and co-edited a few anthologies including Doing Time to Cleanse My Mind, a collection of poetry by inmates at Auburn Prison. He’s an Assoiciate Professor of English at RIT and has studied with Robert Creeley and John C. Clarke. Roche’s previous poetry collections, Topicalities (2008) and On Conesus (2005) are available from Foothills Publishing.
Saturday, August 6 – 3rd Annual CAPS Poetry Marathon in Beacon
This is a 12-Hour “Calling All Poets” event featuring some of the finest poets and spoken word artists in the state at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street, Beacon, NY). Featured poets include Kevin Kenny, Florence Lenhard, Adam Bradley, Tony Pena, Steve Hirsch, Justin Parinello, Christopher Gazeent, Addison Goodson, Frank Boyer, Janet Hamill & Lost Ceilings, Cheryl A. Rice, Samuel Claiborne, Walter Worden, Sharon Butler, Rebecca Schumejda, Tanya Tyler, Haigan Smith, Don Lev, Teresa Marta Costa, Roberta Gould, Dennis Bressack, Barbara Adams, Franklin Schneider, Jim Kenny , Mary Panza, Jill Crammond, Murrow, Don Levy, RM Englehardt, Raphael Kosek, Sonia Lynch, Lynn Hoins, Adrianna Delgado, Glenn Werner, Ken Holland, Marina Mati, Terence Chiesa, Christopher Wheeling, Jim Eve, and Robert Milby. And if that is not enough, there will also be open mic sessions throughout the day.
Summertime in Saratoga! Poetry at Caffe Lena continues on Wednesday, July 6 as Carol Graser hosts the monthly open mic with featured poets from RA Press.
The first Wednesday of every month Caffè Lena presents: Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic Wednesday, July 6, 7pm sign up, 7:30 readings start Featured Poets: RA Press Poets Charles Watts, Mary Anne Johnson, Chuck Gibson, and Mary L. Randal Admisstion: $3 Hosted by Carol Graser
Our feature will be four poets representing RA Press out of Burlington, VT. They will be presenting work from the “Backpack Classics” series, a set of books aimed to enhance any hike in the Adirondacks. Featured readers will be Charles Watts, Mary Anne Johnson, Chuck Gibson, and Mary L. Randall. These writers, all widely published, are featured in the anthology Karma in the High Peaks, RA Press’s newest publication. Karma in the High Peaks won the Peoples Choice award as best publication of 2010 at the Adirondack Literary Awards.
Mary Anne Johnson (author Wandering Through White Church and contributor to Karma in the High Peaks) grew up in Saranac Lake, a small town deep in the Adirondacks. She lived in Syracuse, St. Louis, and Dillingham, a tiny Alaskan fishing village, before she returned to her mountains. She settled down in Crown Point on the shores of Lake Champlain where she has lived in the same house for over forty years, never bothered by boredom. For most of those years she poured her creative juices into high-school classes in Moriah, part of the Adirondack community she writes about. Upon retirement, she realized that creative juices just don't stop, and here she is!
Mary Randall is the author of three novels: Nancy Never Married, Split Infinities, and Brio. Her short fiction and prose are collected in The Ghost of Starbuckville Dam and Not a Night for Dreaming. Her work appears in many anthologies, including: Christmas in Port Davis, Between Iraq and a Hard Place, Lyrics from a Dark wood, Cold Earth Wanderers, and Karma in the High Peaks.
Early in his career, Charles Watts had an underground play (“Visigoths”) produced in Los Angeles, which led to script writing contracts for several TV series, including Kojack and Here Come the Brides. He soon fled Hollywood, got an MFA in poetry, and went to Iran to teach literature at several Universities. For five years, he edited Seizure, a magazine of poetry and fiction. Do not worry about his sanity; he has done many other things. Recent publications include three stories and twelve poems in lit journals, and ten poems in “Karma in the High Peaks,” an anthology from Ra Press
Chuck Gibson was written three books of poetry, two with Ra Press, and is known for poems that capture the spirit and soul of Adirondack ponds, storms, waterfalls, and other natural wonders. For over ten years he served as Director of Literacy Volunteers of Essex/Franklin Counties, based in Port Henry. He and his wife Ann are in the midst of preparing to move to Oregon in August.
We have had a lot of news and information on events coming in to Albany Poets headquarters in the past couple of days. Here is what you may have missed.
Poetry Recital at The Bohemian Book Bin, Thursday, June 9
On Thursday June 9th 7:00 PM with featured poets Aleathia Drehmer & Michael Heinrich
Plus the Open Reading - Plus the refreshments - Plus Great people , magical feelings
Fantastical Book Store
Poetry Readings are the Second Thursday of every Month. Everyone is invited
Pass this on..Tell the world....
Bohemian Book Bin, 85 Carle Terrace, Lake Katrine, NY, (845) 336.6450 just off Rte 9W. In back of Hanson's Cavier almost across rte 9W from Big Bubbles Laundromat
New Open Mic Series in the North Country
Get ready for the Adirondack Center for Writing’sOPEN MIC series! Starting in June, we’ll sponsor a monthly open mic session in collaboration with several venues around the park. The series pairs inspiring readings from a featured author or poet, as well as an open forum to share your own writing.
The Willows Bistro in Warrensburg, NY hosts Open Mic Night on the second Thursday of every month. ACW will co-sponsor those events at the Willows every June, September, December, and March. For our first collaboration, June 9th, the featured author will be Paul Pines, (author of "Last Call at the Tin Palace" and "My Brother's Madness”), Bibi Wein (“The Way Home”) in September, and in December, Mary Sanders Shartle ("Winterberry Pine: Three Poets on Adirondack Winter"). Please visit http://www.persisgranger.com/FAFatWillowsBistro.htm for more information. The Northwoods Inn at Lake Placid will hold readings on the second Thursday in July with reader Maggie Bartley, October withCharles Watt, and next January and April with readers TBA. The Old Forge Library will host on the second Wednesday in August with reader Paula Roy, and in November, February and May.
All events are free and open to the public, and we’d love to hear you present your work. If you’re interested in sharing, please send us an email (info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org) with the subject line “OPEN MIC” followed by the venue and date you’re interested in sharing. For example “OPEN MIC, Northwoods Inn, July 14th.” And come out and support your local literary scene.
Delmar Writers Presenting an Afternoon of Poetry and Prose
The Delmar Writers will be presenting an afternoon of poetry and prose on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 2:00-4:00 at the Bethlehem Library. I know Saturdays in summer tend to be very, very busy, which is why I've put in my order for a cold, blustery day with rain and eventually hail, preventing everyone from working in the garden or traveling out of town.
So come - sit and relax - enjoy a mix of poetry, fiction, personal essay and memoir. See you there!
Journeys to Strange Places, Wednesday, June 15 at The Arts Center
Literary reading from two acclaimed New York writers on Wednesday, June 15 at 7PM at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River Street Troy, NY 12180
During an evening titled “Journeys to Strange Places” Eugene K Garber will read from his new novel “O Amazonas Escuro” and Wesley Brown will read a new short story titled “Women From Mars.” The two readings focus on the journeys we make throughout our lives. Journeys to Strange Places is curated by Lucia Nevai who is novelist and short story writer.
Cheryl Rice to be the Featured Poet at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation
On Saturday, June 18th, along with fellow poet Frank Murphy, I'll be one of the featured poets at the monthly reading sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston. The reading begins at 7 p.m., and refreshments will be served.
In an unusual twist, admission is a flat $5 for non-readers, and $2.50 for those who sign up for the open mic before and after the features! At last, it pays to be a poet!
The Unitarian, for short, is located at 33 Sawkill Road, just off Washington Avenue and the NYS Thruway Exit 19 roundabout, in Kingston. I hope some or all of you can make it!
Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic with Featured Poet Dale Hobson, June 26
Come out June 26th for the last session of our third season to hear Potsdam’s Dale Hobson read from his latest book A Drop of Ink and other fine poems from his obras. Will be a treat, we can assure you!
If later, you feel compelled, join the regulars at the POETS’ CORNER at Smith’s Tavern, where there is always scintillalting discussions about nothing. Hard to do but sometimes a pint helps!
And be sure to take a broadside from the rack featuring the POET OF THE MONTH.
SUNDAY FOUR OPEN POETRY MIC on Sunday, JUNE 26th, 2011 at Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 S. Main Street, Voorheesville at 3 pm with feature DALE HOBSON reading from A DROP OF INK. For more information contact dsullivan6@nycap.rr.com or 469-0202. Hosted by Dennis Sullivan, Mike Burke, and Edie Adams.
Summer Writers Workshop in Woodstock
The summer session of the Woodstock Writers Workshops will start on July 12. You’re cordially invited—or you can pass on this information to others.
There will be only four sessions of the workshop in the summertime, since we’re sandwiched between two major holidays. The meetings this summer will take place on July 12, July 26, August 9 and August 23. Tuesdays as usual, 6:30 to 8:30.
All four sessions cost $60. You can mail checks to Iris at 21 Cedar Way, Woodstock, NY 12498. There is an air conditioner, so hot spells are no problem. Sumnmerbirds are welcome.
Iris is looking forward to hearing from you, by email (irislitt@aol.com), telephone (845-679-8256) or snailmail. Warm regards to you all.
Our good friend Kelly de la Rocha sent us the following announcement regarding a special reading coming up on this Sunday in Saratoga featuring poets from the Women Writers and Artists Matrix.
The Women Writers and Artists Matrix will present a poetry reading entitled A Feast of Words: Readings about Food and Other Delicious Subjects, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at the Beekman Street Artists' Co-Op, 79 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs.
Featured poets include: Marilyn Zembo Day, Leslie Neustadt, Kelly de la Rocha, Dorothy Randall Gray, Sandra Balint, Diana Domingo, Kittie Bintz, Lesley Tabor, and Judith Prest
The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in conjunction with the Saratoga Arts Fest. Refreshments will be served.
Among the readers are several women who participated in a WomanWords workshop entitled “A Dinner Party of Our Own,” based on the historic feminist installation by Judy Chicago, “The Dinner Party,” which is now on permanent exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Some of the place settings created at the WW event, honoring women of achievement, will be on display during the readings.
Marilyn Zembo Day, founder and facilitator of the WomanWords collective, has had poetry, fiction and nonfiction published in journals, magazines and newspapers. One of her major passions is organizing venues in which women’s creativity can thrive, their voices be heard. Marilyn is a collage/mixed media artist who is forever wishing she had more time and space for visual art. wmnwords@nycap.rr.com.
Leslie Neustadt, a retired attorney, began writing creatively with WomanWords. She is a member of the International Women’s Writers Guild and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild. Her poetry and essays have been published in many journals, magazines and anthologies. Several of her essays have aired on local public radio. Leslie pursues a wide variety of expressive arts.
Kelly de la Rocha started playing with words at the age of six months and hasn’t stopped since. A freelance writer and editor, a poet, a mom and a missionary, she draws inspiration from her mission work, family, nature and her inner child. She is currently working on a book on short-term volunteering opportunities. Join in her adventures by “liking” her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TimeShareVolunteers.
Dorothy Randall Gray is the best-selling author of Soul Between the Lines: Freeing Your Creative Spirit Through Writing(Avon/HarperCollins), as well as six other books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Her writings have been published in numerous anthologies and periodicals, and performed in theatrical productions. Dorothy is an acclaimed writing teacher and coach, former NYU faculty member and founder of the Heartland Institute for Transformation. She will be reading from her new book of poetry, "Too Shy Black Girl.” DRGheartland@aol.com
Sandra Balint is a member of the International Women’s Guild and the Women Writers and Artists Matrix. She is a past recipient of the Womens Studies Writing Award from the College of Saint Rose. Through the Moon Gate: Reflections of a Martial Artist, published in 2011, is her first book of poetry.
Diana Domingo is a writer, singer, composer and performer. She began writing poetry and fictional accounts of her life in her teens when many of her friends would copy her stories to give to their boyfriends, passing them off as their own. Her college thesis covered projecting and integrating one’s flaws and ugliness through creative expression. Diana keeps busy with her work as a voice coach.
Kittie Bintz‘s passions include both art and writing. She has taught art for over 30 years, and her own artwork has been exhibited at the Perella Gallery and at many FOVAPA (Friends of the Visual and Performing Arts) festivals in the Mohawk Valley. Kittie has been writing and creating art with the women of WomanWords for over five years.
Lesley Tabor is a writer, retired therapist, healthcare administrator, and an ongoing seeker of personal and cultural healing. She has published poems and essays in several anthologies, and self-published two poetry chapbooks. She journals for growth and healing, writes poetry for connection, and has written three novels (“Like squeezing toothpaste from a tube, hah!” she quips.)
Albany Poets will be bringing poetry and spoken word to Art on Lark on Saturday, June 11. We will be at the Washington Stage at 12:30pm with some of the finest poets in the upstate New York area.
Last year poets Jill Crammond Wickham, Ed Rinaldi, Rebecca Schumejda, and Mojavi shared their work with a very enthusiastic audience and this year will be no different. Albany Poets will be announcing the poets who will be performing in the coming days, so stay tuned.
Art on Lark is one of the best arts festivals in the country with its mix of visual art and performance. Musicians (and friends of Albany Poets) Bryan Thomas and Olivia Quillio will be on stage along with local favorites Erin Harkes, Alta Mira, The Red Lions, and more.
The Lark Street Business Improvement District is proud to present the 15th Annual Art on Lark 2011 on Saturday, June 11th from 10 am to 5 pm. Art on Lark is Albany’s Premier Arts Festival drawing over 25,000 attendees in 2009 and named “Best Arts Event” in the Times Union Readers Poll in 2009 and 2010. It is the 2nd largest street festival in upstate New York, second only to LarkFEST! This event will host hundreds of artists, musicians, dance and theatre performances, one-day installations, and many more special events that will showcase Lark Street as Albany's Arts District.
We are proud to partner with WEXT 97.7 FM for the 2nd year at Art on Lark 2011!
EVENT LINE UP
Madison Stage 11:00am - Spaceland 12:00pm - Bryan Thomas 1:00pm - Olivia Quillio 2:00pm - Alta Mira 3:10pm - The Red Lions 4:15pm - Erin Harkes
Washington Stage 11:30am - Jake Cohen 12:30pm - Albany Poets 1:30 pm - NeedleGun 2:30 pm - Mike Poupolopous 3:45 pm - Disposable Rocket Band
Each year Dan Wilcox brings the local community together to celebrate the birthday of one of America’s greats poets, Walt Whitman. In previous years many familiar faces from the area poetry open mics including D. Alexander Holiday, Alan Casline, Joe Krausman, Lorre Smith, Sylvia Barnard, David Stasenko, Cheryl A. Rice, Tess Lecuyer, Sally Rhoades, Dain Brammage, Avery Stempel, JJ Johnson, Matt Galletta, Mary Panza, Jason Crane, Carolee Sherwood, Anthony Bernini, Bob Sharkey, Jill Wickham, and Sue Cerniglia have gotten up top the mic to read Whitman’s iconic poem, “Song of Myself” at the foot of the Robert Burns Statue.
This year, the event will take place on Tuesday, May 31 (Uncle Walt’s birthday) starting at 6:00pm. This is a “Rain or Shine” event, so watch the weather and bring the appropriate gear.
The Council of Literary Magazine and Presses has its big annual festival coming up on the May 21. Here is all of the information on what looks like a great day of poetry and small presses.
6th Annual Hudson Valley Literary Festival On May 21st Hudson is ALL LIT UP!
all events free and open to the public
The 6th Annual Hudson Valley Literary Festival: All LIT Up is back after a one-year hiatus. The daylong festival, produced by The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, with The Hudson Opera House and Hudson Wine Merchants, celebrates literature and literary publishing. From 11 AM – 4 PM a Literary Magazine & Small Press Book Fair will take place at the Hudson Opera House (327 Warren Street). Hundreds of books and magazines published by regional and national independent literary publishers will be on sale for only $2 an issue and $4 a book, with many publishers there to meet & greet! Shoppers can discover hundreds of literary publications they would never see in a single store and take advantage of the bargain prices.
At 5 PM a reading & reception at Hudson Wine Merchants (3411/2 Warren Street) will feature Rebecca Wolff, Jonathan Dixon, and Monica Youn. Rebecca Wolff is the author of three books of poems (Manderley, Figment, The King) and a forthcoming novel called The Beginners. Jonathan Dixon is the author of Beaten, Seared, and Sauced, a memoir of his recent education at the Culinary Institute of America. Monica Youn’s second poetry collection Ignatz, was a 2010 finalist for the National Book Award. A wine and cheese reception will follow the readings.
This festival is brought to you by CLMP, the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (www.clmp.org), serving the community of independent literary publishers since 1967. These events are made possible in part through support from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
On Thursday, May 19 at the Social Justice Center on Central Ave, poet Mary Eliza Crane will be the feature at the monthly Third Thursday Poetry Night. Mary has been on a tour of the area, recently featuring at Caffe Lena in the beginning of the month. Host Dan Wilcox has sent more information on this great poetry open mic series.
the Poetry Motel Foundation presents
Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center (33 Central Ave., Albany, NY)
May 19, 2011, 7:00 sign up; 7:30 start
Featured Poet: Mary Eliza Crane
Mary Eliza Crane grew up in New England, lived & worked in Schenectady, & now makes her home in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Her most recent book of poems is At First Light (Gazoobi Tales, 2011).
-- with an open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t.
On Friday night, May 20, Urban Guerilla Theatre will be celebrating 15 years of Heart Break Hotel at The Linda. This time around Mojavi has some of the finest talent in the area lined up. And, as a added bonus, they will be celebrating Mojavi’s birthday. Here is more info about the show.
Our ANNUAL HEARTBREAK HOTEL.....
This one is the biggest one to date.. come and listen to the why and the how, past loves and who you with now. who broke your heart?
when did the cheating start?
we used to be so tight and we grew apart.....
You been here for a minute and you have read the signs, pack your things and gather your self up..it is CHECK OUT TIME!
FEATURING THE POETRY of: POETYC VYZYONZ, NICKEY BLACK, ILLIPTICAL, Q-DIAMOND, MISS BLISS, JESSICA LAYTON, DREW PAYNE, BROOKLYN BUTTAFLY SHAY. TIKKA,BLESS, Ms. ASHLEY KIMBLE, ALLYSON COBBINS and The INCREDIBLE OLIVIA QUILLIO, COMEDY by STEVE SARSFIELD, SOUNDSCAPE BY THE CHRONICLES........
FOOD by MAMA's CAFE
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR MOJAVI from 8-9pm then THE SHOW BEGINS 9 SHARP.
Our good friend Dan Wilcox has a new book coming out from A.P.D. (not the Albany Police Department). The book is only $5.00 (add another dollar for postage) and is available from Dan himself.
Support local poets and poetry!
A.P.D. (another poeming day) announces the publication of the new chapbook of poetry by Dan Wilcox, Poeming the Prompt. The 16-page collection contains poems mostly written in November, 2010 in response to prompts for a poem-a-day project sponsored by Writers Digest magazine. While some of the poems confront writing-from-prompts head on, others deal with Wilcox’s usual topics: sex, death & politics. Also included is the whimsical “Top Tips for Anxiety-Free Writing from Prompts.”
A.P.D. (always poem daily), under the direction of Albany poet and photographer Dan Wilcox, has been publishing the works of local and regional poets since 1989. Among the works published by A.P.D. are To the Husband I Have Not Yet Met, by Mary Kathryn Jablonski, Distant Kinships by Anthony Bernini, Suddenly Sapphires by Dina Pearlman, and Three Sides to the Looking Glass by Rachel Zitomer. You can read Wilcox’s Blog on the Albany poetry scene at dwlcx.blogspot.com.
Copies of Poeming the Prompt by Dan Wilcox can be purchased directly from the poet when you see him at poetry readings or out & about for $5.00, or by mail for $6.00 (checks may be made payable to “A.P.D.”) from A.P.D. (another pleasant day), 280 South Main Ave., Albany, NY 12208. For a complete list of publications available from A.P.D. (alternating poetic device) write to the above address or email apdbooks@earthlink.net.
This coming Wednesday, poet Mary Eliza Crane will be the featured poet at the Caffe Lena Open Mic in historic Saratoga Springs. Host Carol Graser sent along the following information on the event:
Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic featuring Mary Eliza Crane
The first Wednesday of every month Caffè Lena presents: Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic Wednesday, May 4 7pm sign up, 7:30 readings start Featured Poet: Mary Eliza Crane $3 Hosted by Carol Graser Caffè Lena, 47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs, 583-0022
Mary Eliza Crane grew up in New England and began writing poetry at age fourteen to reconcile the incongruencies of life. Poetry remains the one constant to which Mary always returns. In the Adirondacks she fell madly, passionately and desirously in love with the natural world. A transplant to the Cascade foothills of the Pacific Northwest, her voice lives in the understory and fog of the Snoqualmie River. A fusion of this one true love and a deep understanding of what makes us human, she writes simultaneously of the personal, political and natural world. A regular feature at poetry venues in the Puget Sound region, her first volume of poetry "What I Can Hold In My Hands" was published in 2009 by Gazoobi Tales Publishing. "At First Light" also by Gazoobi was just released in early 2011.
Our great friend Rebecca Schumejda is hosting a reading this Saturday at Half Moon Books on Saturday, May 7 in Kingston. The bookstore is a wonderful venue for poetry. Get there early to get a seat.
Four Awesome Poets: Jason Crane, Jill Crammond, Carolee Sherwood, and Christopher Wheeling Read
Jason Crane was born in Lenox, Massachusetts and lives in New York City. He’s a broadcaster, podcaster and writer. He’s a father. And he rides a bicycle. Jason hosts the online jazz interview show The Jazz Session (thejazzsession.com), featuring in-depth interviews with jazz musicians from around the world. The Jazz Session has seen more than one million downloads since its inception. Jason’s first collection of poems, Unexpected Sunlight (FootHills Publishing, 2010), is now available. His work has been published in Blue Collar Review, qarrtsiluni , Meat For Tea, State of Emergency: Chicago Poets Address The Gulf Crisis, and Poets For Living Waters.
Jill Crammond is a poet/artist/mother, funding her poetry passion by teaching children’s art and poetry classes. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Fire On Her Tongue: An eBook Anthology of Contemporary Women's Poetry, Classifieds: An Anthology of Prose Poems, Crab Creek Review, Boxcar Poetry Review, Weave, qarrtsiluni and others. She is a contributor to Poets’ Quarterly and co-founder of the online poetry community Big Tent Poetry. She occasionally blogs about life as a (newly single) mom-poet at jillypoet.wordpress.com
Carolee Sherwood is a painter, mixed-media artist and poet. Her poetry has been published in a number of print and online journals, most recently appearing in Referential, Goblin Fruit, Scythe and Wicked Alice. She co-manages the online poetry project “Big Tent Poetry,” volunteers with the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and gets paid to play on Facebook all day.
Christopher Wheeling has been writing and performing his poetry in the Hudson Valley since late 2001. His style varies widely across the body of his work, occasionally using a traditional form but more often using free verse and surrealism as his preferred techniques. In May of 2004, he graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. He has worked a variety of odd jobs in his life, but the written art is the only occupation that has lasted with any significant time in his time here on Earth. He owes much of his style and passion to the poets of the Hudson Valley, and cannot thank them enough for their influence over the years.
Half Moon Poetry Reading May 7, 2011 at 6:30pm 35 North Front Street, Kingston NY 12401 (845) 331-5439
This is the week we have all been waiting for all year. The 2011 Albany Word Fest is taking place this coming Saturday at The Linda. The 12-Hour Open Mic has a couple of open spots left and the nighttime show is packed with the best poets and musicians Albany has to offer.
Some of the names that are already signed up for our biggest Word Fest Open Mic to date are a “who’s who” of regional poetry icons. These are the poets that have kept numerous open mic, poetry readings, and events like the Word Fest happening for all these years and without their support of the art, this very scene and community that we love so much would not exist as it does. Poets like Dan Wilcox, Therese L. Broderick, Karin Maag-Tanchak, Joe Krausman, A.C. Everson, Ronald D. Whiteurs, Bob Sharkey, Alan Catlin, Donald Lev, Ken Salzmann, Joan Pavlinsky, Don Levy, Judith Prest, Carol Graser, Jan Tramontano, Carolee Sherwood, Tess Lecuyer, Cheryl A. Rice, Mojavi, Shannon Shoemaker, Bless, Jacqueline Ahl, and Mike Jurkovic are what the local poetry community is all about and it is because of all of their continuous hard work that we say thank you.
If any poets still wish to signup, go to www.albanywordfest.com and click on “Signup”. There are only a few morning spots left.
The nighttime show, the Pycho Cluster F#*k ‘11, is again a great combination of music and spoken word with the talents of David Fey, Olivia Quillio, Avery, Daniel Nester, Poetyc Vyzyonz, Mother Judge’s Open Mic Showcase, Metroland’s Best Poets of 2011: Mary Panza, R.M. Engelhardt, and KC Orcutt. All of these performers are long-time supporters of not just poetry and spoken word, but all of the arts in the Capital Region.
Tickets for the entire day starting at 7:00AM are only $10 and are available online and at the door.
This is by far our biggest Word Fest yet, from the venue to the talent. We are celebrating 10 years of the Albany Word Fest and we could not have gotten here without the wonderful support of everyone in the poetry and arts community.
Below is the press release that we have been sending out regarding the event. We hope to see everyone out there for this celebration of the poetry, music, and spoken word of upstate New York.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Albany Poets is proud to present the 2011 Albany Word Fest featuring the poetry, spoken word, and music of upstate New York. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at The Linda (339 Central Ave., Albany).
This year's event is the 10th anniversary of the Albany Word Fest and with that in mind, Albany Poets is promising big things.
Thom Francis, Albany Poets President, says, "When we started this event ten years ago on a Saturday afternoon in Thatcher Park, we never thought it would become one of the biggest 'mark-your-calendar' events of each and every year. We are very proud of how we have been able to continue hosting one of the biggest poetry open mics in upstate New York for ten years."
The 2011 Albany Word Fest will kick-off with the 12-Hour Open Mic at 7:00AM at The Linda. Albany Poets Vice President Mary Panza says, “After the success of the last two 12-hour open mics, we have decided to do it again, but this time, during the day. This will give poets a better opportunity to share their work and also give the audience more time to appreciate the talent in the poetry and spoken word community.” This open mic for poetry and spoken word will be held from 7:00AM – 7:00PM.
Poets who wish to participate in the open mic can sign up online by going to the Albany Word Fest website, www.albanywordfest.com until 5:00pm on Friday, April 15. Performers will also have a limited opportunity to sign up at the event itself. Each poet will have 10 -15 minutes to share their work. The open mic is open to all poets and spoken word artists with no style or content restrictions.
After the Open Mic, starting at 7:00PM, the 2011 Albany Word Fest brings the annual Psycho Cluster F*#k to the The Linda featuring poetry, music and spoken word from upstate New York artistsDavid Fey, Olivia Quillio, Avery, Daniel Nester, Poetyc Vyzyonz, Mother Judge’s Open Mic Showcase, Metroland’s Best Poets of 2011: Mary Panza, R.M. Engelhardt, and KC Orcutt, and much more.
Admission for this event is $10.00. Tickets will be available for purchase on The Linda's website and at the door on the day of the event. This event is open to all ages ( 21+ with a picture ID required to drink).
The 2011 Albany Word Fest is sponsored by Albany Poets, McGeary's, The Linda, and the very generous donations of supporters of the arts in upstate New York.
National Poetry Month is starting off strong with another busy week of poetry and spoken word here in the area leading up to the Word Fest on April 16th.
Tomorrow night at Valentines (17 New Scotland Ave., Albany) Albany Poets Presents returns for another open mic night. This is one of the longest-running open mics for poetry and spoken word in the Albany area. Come out and join Thom and Keith for a couple of drinks, some conversation, and a little bit of poetry. We will also have the signup sheet for the 2011 Word Fest Open Mic with us for everyone who has not yet signed up online.
Wednesday night is the first Wednesday of the month, which means only one thing…The Caffe Lena Poetry Open Mic! This is truly one of the greatest poetry open mics in the area held in one of this countries most historic venues. This month host Carol Graser will have David Kaczynski as the featured poet. Here is the information from Carol:
the first Wednesday of every month Caffè Lena presents:
Caffè LenaPoetry Open Mic Wednesday, April 6 7pm sign up, 7:30 readings start Featured Poet: David Kaczynski $3 Hosted by Carol Graser Caffè Lena, 47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs www.caffelena.org 583-0022
David Kaczynski has published poetry, short fiction, opinion pieces, and a personal narrative on growing up with his brother Ted Kaczynski, the so-called "Unabomber." Since 2001, he has worked as executive director of New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Prior to that, he was assistant director of Equinox Youth Shelter in Albany. In 2010, David published a 36-poem chapbook, "A Dream Named You," which he describes as an attempt to trace a spiritual journey from loss to affirmation. The 36 poems reflect various themes: the desert landscape in West Texas where David lived during the 1980's; his memories of his troubled brother, Ted; his love for Linda Patrik, whom he met in the 7th grade; and his understanding of art as a transformative process.
For the rest of the poetry events going on this week be sure to check out the Events Calendar.
The final Frequency North reading of the 2010-2011 season will be taking place at The College of Saint Rose on Thursday, March 31 at 7:30pm featuring two champion slam poets. Here is the information from series host and creator Dan Nester.
Frequency North: The Visiting Writers Reading Series at The College of Saint Rose finishes out its 2010-2011 season with two champion slam/performance poets on Thursday, March 31, 7:30pm with Eboni Hogan + Jeanann Verlee
Location: Standish Rooms, second floor of the Events and Activities Center, Standish Rooms, which are on the second floor of the Events and Activities Center, 420 Western Avenue, Albany, NY.
A 24-year-old poet, actress and Bronx native, Eboni Hogan has performed in over 30 U.S. cities and facilitated workshops from refugee camps to prestigious universities. She is the reigning Women of the World Slam Champion, the 2008 Urbana Grand Slam Champion and a two-time representative of the Nuyorican Slam Team. She studied theater at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and in 2006 took part in a five-month artist residency as a part of NYU's Hip Hop Theater Initiative in Ghana, West Africa. Her work is published in two anthologies and her first book, Grits.
Jeanann Verlee is a former punk rocker who collects tattoos and winks at boys. She is author of Racing Hummingbirds, recipient of the Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal in Poetry. Other publication credits include, The New York Quarterly, FRiGG, PANK, and Not A Muse. She curates the Urbana Poetry Slam Series at Bowery Poetry Club in New York City, has represented NYC six times at National Poetry Slam competitions, and has toured the U.S. performing and conducting workshops. She shares an apartment with her dog and a pair of origami lovebirds. She believes in you.
The events this season are funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
On Friday, March 25, Central Ave in Albany will be the epicenter of poetry and spoken word as two events will be going on at the same time. In fact, the two readings will be happening on the same block.
Starting first, at 7:30pm, will be the next installment in the Yes! Reading Series at the Social Justice Center (33 Central Ave., Albany). This time around the featured poets will be Anne Gorrick, Maryrose Larkin, and Lynn Behrendt. Here is a little info on the three poets:
Anne Gorrick is the author of I-Formation (Book One) (Shearsman Books, 2010), the forthcoming I-Formation (Book Two), and Kyotologic (Shearsman Books, 2008). She also collaborated with artist Cynthia Winika to produce a limited edition artists’ book, “Swans, the ice,” she said, funded with grants from the Women’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She curates the reading series Cadmium Text, featuring innovative writing from in and around New York’s Hudson Valley. She also co-edits the electronic poetry journal Peep/Show with poet Lynn Behrendt. Anne Gorrick lives in West Park, New York.
Maryrose Larkin lives in Portland, Ore. where she works as a donor researcher. She is the author of Inverse (nine muses books, 2006), Whimsy Daybook 2007 (FLASH+CARD, 2006), The Book of Ocean (i.e. press, 2007), DARC (FLASH+CARD, 2009), The Name of this Intersection is Frost (Shearsman Books, 2010), and Marrowing (Airfoil, 2011). Maryrose is one of the organizers of Spare Room, a Portland-based writing collective, and is co-editor, with Sarah Mangold, of FLASH+CARD, a chapbook and ephemera poetry press. She is currently working on "Twenty Questions for Five Masters" a play for Language Master and voice.
Lynn Behrendt is the author of several chapbooks, most recently Acquiescence and This is the Story of Things That Happened, both as part of the Dusie Kollektiv 5. A full length collection, petals, emblems, is available through Lunar Chandelier press. She co-edits the Annandale Dream Gazette, an online chronicle of poets' dreams, as well as Peep/Show, an electronic journal of innovative contemporary poetry.
Then, starting at 8:00pm, right down the block at The Fuze Box (12 Central Ave., Albany) host R.M. Engelhardt will be returning with the “GhOsT In tHe MaChINE” open forum, open mic. This month, along with the open mic for poets, musicians, and artists, Engelhardt will be holding a book drive for a good cause. The cause has yet to be announced. Here is the info about the event:
GhOsT In tHe MaChINE
Musicians*Poets*Artists & Performers Of All Genres Welcome! ALBANY' NY's Open Forum, Open Mic For Poets, Musicians & Artists Continues!
Join Us At The FuzeBox On The Last FRIDAY of Each Month! Our next "Ghost In The Machine" Will Be Held on Friday, MARCH 25TH At 8pm.
WHERE? The FuzeBox aka The Old Qe2, 12 Central Avenue, Albany.
WHEN? 8pm To 10pm.
WHAT? Something New & Interesting Which Is All About The Music, The Art & The Words. And YOU! _________________
* Not to mention this month we are HAVING A BOOK DRIVE! Bring In Your Old Books To Be Donated To & For A Good Cause! More Details TBA!*
HOSTED BY: R.M. Engelhardt ____________________
See You There Albany!
The choice is yours. If the timing works out right, you may be able to be a part of both of these events.
Albany Poets Presents comes to 
The first Wednesday of every month Caffè Lena presents: Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic 
This is a 12-Hour “Calling All Poets” event featuring some of the finest poets and spoken word artists in the state at the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main Street, Beacon, NY). Featured poets include Kevin Kenny, Florence Lenhard, Adam Bradley, Tony Pena, Steve Hirsch, Justin Parinello, Christopher Gazeent, Addison Goodson, Frank Boyer, Janet Hamill & Lost Ceilings, 
On Thursday June 9th 7:00 PM with featured poets Aleathia Drehmer & Michael Heinrich
Get ready for the 
Literary reading from two acclaimed New York writers on Wednesday, June 15 at 7PM at 
On Saturday, June 18th, along with fellow poet Frank Murphy, I'll be one of the featured poets at the monthly reading sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston. The reading begins at 7 p.m., and refreshments will be served. 
The Lark Street Business Improvement District is proud to present the 15th Annual Art on Lark 2011 on Saturday, June 11th from 10 am to 5 pm. Art on Lark is Albany’s Premier Arts Festival drawing over 25,000 attendees in 2009 and named “Best Arts Event” in the Times Union Readers Poll in 2009 and 2010. It is the 2nd largest street festival in upstate New York, second only to LarkFEST! This event will host hundreds of artists, musicians, dance and theatre performances, one-day installations, and many more special events that will showcase Lark Street as Albany's Arts District.
Some of the names that are already signed up for our biggest 
The nighttime show, the Pycho Cluster F#*k ‘11, is again a great combination of music and spoken word with the talents of David Fey, Olivia Quillio, Avery, Daniel Nester, Poetyc Vyzyonz, Mother Judge’s Open Mic Showcase, Metroland’s Best Poets of 2011: 
This is by far our biggest Word Fest yet, from the venue to the talent. We are celebrating 10 years of the Albany Word Fest and we could not have gotten here without the wonderful support of everyone in the poetry and arts community.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Albany Poets is proud to present the 2011 Albany Word Fest featuring the poetry, spoken word, and music of upstate New York. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 
National Poetry Month is starting off strong with another busy week of poetry and spoken word here in the area leading up to the 
