Top 5 Most Memorable Poetry Books

I started a Poetry Readers' Group in February 2004. There were 8 of us at then; 3 of the originals remain and three others sit at the table now.

Each month, a member selects a book which we will all read and discuss over a long afternoon lunch. We've read everything from selected poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins to this month's selection, Parts of Speech by Kyle Schlesinger. Needless to say, there have been some very intense dialogues and there is rarely a book of poetry  that is either universally liked or disliked.

Thinking about the discussion we will have on Schlesinger's book this month prompted me to consider which books of poetry I personally have found to be the most memorable over the years. Most of these books were not necessarily Readers' Group selections though one is, Late Psalm by Betsy Sholl. This happened to be universally liked by the group members at the time.

As I pondered other books, I decided to compile my list based on certain factors: these books aren't in the academic "canon." Reading them forever changed how I approach as well as write poetry. They come to mind immediately when someone asks what my favorite book of poetry is.

In no particular order, here they are:

Late Psalm by Betsy Sholl
Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood
Song by Brigit Pegeen Kelly
Late Wife by Claudia Emerson
The Selected Poems of Max Jacob (in translation)

From these come some of my favorite poems: "Half-Hanged Mary" by Atwood, "Song" by Kelly and "Hell Has Gradations" by Jacobs.

"Half-Hanged Mary" takes 10 minutes to read. I know because I did a dramatic reading of it at Rochester Institute of Technology several years ago.

"Song" is a poem I can no longer hear read nor read myself. To do so metaphorically scrapes the walls of the chambers of my heart.

"Hell Has Gradations" is prescient, an allegorical prose poem that saw the Holocaust coming. Jacobs, who converted to Catholicism from Judaism, died in a Nazi prison camp.

If you've not read these poems or the books in which they are found, I encourage you to seek them out and know that they may overwhelm you.

Language You Refuse to Learn Launch

Despite the best efforts of bronchitis, I was able to travel to non-profit Bright Hill Press & Literary Center (www.brighthillpress.org) for the official book launch of my chapbook Language You Refuse to Learn last week.

Bright Hill, which is situated on the outskirts of the Catskills, reminds me of Doctor Who's TARDIS. From the outside you see a lovely country house but inside is a lovely gallery space with a library of used books for sale and, beyond that, a new addition which houses private book collections donated to Bright Hill as well as a children's space.

Bertha Rogers, the driving force behind Bright Hill, was a welcoming host, most gracious in extending an invitation to my friend Lorrie and me to stay in the literary center's guest space where we could have spent days perusing all that the library has to offer.

I am extremely grateful to my friends Lorrie, Kathy, Donna, and David Michael who made the trip from Rochester to Treadwell for the book launch and reading.

Future readings will be Thursday, October 2 at the DeWitt Community Library (7:00 pm) and Thursday, October 9 in the Golisano Gateway at St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, NY (7:30 pm). Many thanks to M.J. Iuppa for arranging this reading.

Publication and Reading

The fall calendar has been rapidly filling with poetry readings, classes, and publications.

Here in Rochester, the second Fringe Festival begins this weekend. A group of poets, led by Wanda Schubmehl, will be reading the work generated from her latest project--a poetry chain gang. Participating poets responded to one poem from another participating poet. The poem generated was then be passed along to another poet. None of us (yes, I am a participant!) saw any other poem than the one given to each of us until the project was completed. The reading will be this Saturday, September 21 at Writers & Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY. We'll start at 4:00 pm, so arrive early for the best seat! This is a free reading. As a result of Wanda's efforts, FootHills Publishing will also produce a chapbook with all of our poems.

Please head over to Conte Online where my poem "14th. St., Buffalo, NY" appears. I am grateful to the editors for including my work and for asking me to record the poem being read in my voice, something I have not previously done. Let me know what you think. http://www.conteonline.net/issue0901/

News This Week

There are several poetry readings this week featuring local poets. Tonight, Karla Linn Merrifield and Catherine Faurot (a fellow Bennington alum) will be reading at Writers & Books for the Genesee Reading Series, 7:30 pm.

Thursday, Just Poets will hold a reading from their annual anthology, Le Mot Juste, at the Pittsford Library (second floor) at 7:00 pm. An open mic will follow.

Saturday, Patricia Roth Schwartz will be reading at Books, Etc. in Macedon at 2:00 pm. Pat has asked a few of her friends (I am among them) to read a couple of poems as well.

I'd also like to point you to a list of the top 25 writers of faith compiled by the editors of Image. Here's a link http://imagejournal.org/page/blog/the-iimagei-top-25-contemporary-writers-of-faith-list. Post a comment if you agree/disagree with their selections.

The Merits of Online Literary Journals

As the fall 2013 reading period opens, I want to address the issue of online literary journals and the merits of having work published by them.

The most obvious benefit is the size of the potential audience. While print publications are, for the most part, quite limited in their press runs, online publications have the possibility of readership limited only by the scope of the Web. This potentiality is heavily augmented by the reach of social media: Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, blogs, RSS feeds, etc., where the Word of the Web spreads more quickly than the word of mouth ever could.

Another important consideration is the development of relationships with other poets, publishers, and editors outside of your immediate environs that can lead to further publication opportunities, invitations to read, and invitations to attend and/or lead workshops.

Then there is the Google factor. When a reader comes upon your work online, that reader is able to search the Internet for more of your work, an expanded bio, and your general reputation within the larger community of poetry.

Will your work be perceived as lesser in status by appearing online versus in print? The answer to that question differs with each reader. We all have that one friend or family member who refuses to enter the digital age but is that one person your target audience? Who is in your target audience? Could those individuals who might appreciate your work the most be the same people who spend their days connected to their technology simply because of its portability?

A friend says to you, "Hey, I just read the most awesome conceptual poem." You ask, "So, can you lend me the mag?" She says, "No. But I can show it to you on my smart phone." That poem is available for the reading anywhere there's wireless, immediately.

An often-heard argument against online lit mags is their quality compared to print. I find this argument to be less valid as time progresses and as the quality of successful lit mags increases with each publication cycle. What matters and is key, is the reputation of the publication, whether in print or online.

Arguably, print publication is still far more desired for the purposes of academia, but even there the gap is closing.

Granted, online publication is never going to be the same as holding that perfect-bound journal in your hands. It is, however, the path of our words, at least until an electro-magnetic pulse shuts down everyone's electricity.

I would be interested to read your feedback.

Reading with Harold Dill

Harold Dill and I will be reading from our work Sunday, October 26 at Books, Etc. in Macedon, NY. Harold (a.k.a. H.B. Dill) and I are two of the founding members of Rochester's largest poetry organization, Just Poets. If you have not heard his work, I encourage you to make the drive out to Macedon. He has a distinctive poetic voice and does not read publicly often. I will also be reading work that will be new to many of you.

Books, Etc. is a used book store and coffee shop located in the center of Macedon, east of Rochester. Click on the link for more information Books, Etc.

Hope to see you there!

Bennington Girls Reading

Fellow Bennington College alum Jules Nyquist and I will be reading tonight at the Flying Squirrel Community Center, 285 Clarissa St., Rochester, NY.

Reading at Greenwood Books

I will be reading at 7:00 pm Friday, December 2 at Greenwood Books, 123 East Ave., Rochester, NY. This is part of the ongoing monthly First Friday series of events held in the arts district. I hope you'll come out to support this independent bookseller.

Fall is here and I'm back...

It's good to be back at my desk after a couple of weeks of medical leave. Thanks to all for your prayers and well wishes.

It's the height of the fall reading period and if you are already in my queue, you will definitely have your submissions in hand well before the deadlines begin. If you did not queue up, many journals and presses will be reading through spring and there are always those that read year-round.

On a humerous note, it seems our military has decided that my web site is considered "entertainment" and therefore is not accessible to our troops overseas. I'm not certain I would catagorize poetry submission preparation along with Hulu or Netflix...

My poem "A Walking Tour of Central Europe on American Soil" appears in the I-90 Manifesto edition of Redactions: Poetry and Poetics, guest-edited by Sean Thomas Dougherty. http://www.redactions.com/

Poet Michael Meyerhofer will be in Rochester next week courtesy of Palettes & Quills, Poetic Effect, the Arts Minor Program at St. John Fisher College and Just Poets. If you're in the area, he will be reading at the Golisano Gateway on Fisher's campus Thursday, October 13 at 7:30 pm. Meyerhofer's books include Blue Collar Eulogies and Pure Elysium, which won the Palettes & Quills Chapbook Contest judged by Dorianne Laux. I hope to see you there. http://palettesnquills.com/

ABG Show at the Williams Gallery

The Artist Breakfast Group which, although "breakfast" is part of its name does not actually have breakfast at its early morning meetings, has an art show opening Friday, June 24 at the Williams Gallery located at the First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Rd., Rochester, NY. The show will run until August 22, 2011. Poets will be reading (myself included) at the opening which runs from 5:00 - 8:00 pm and refreshments will be served. I hope to see you there. http://artistsbreakfastgroup.com/ABG/events.html

Reading at Books, Etc.

I will be reading with David Michael Nixon Sunday, May 15 at Books, Etc., 78 W. Main St., Macedon, NY. The reading begins at 4:00 PM.

A bit about David: He is a mainstay in poetry in the Rochester area. I first encountered David at the Genesee Reading Series several years ago when Writers & Books was located in its temporary space on East Avenue while its University Avenue home was being renovated. His powerful short poems and distinctive reading style made quite an impression on me. David has served as a president of Just Poets and is a member of the Golden Links Folk Singing group.

I hope to see you at our reading on the 15th.

Ophelia's Flowers

I hope to see you at this special performance.

Ophelia’s Flowers: Mythic Women and Love
Song Cycle for Piano and Voice to be followed by a Poetry Reading

Libretto and poems by E. Louise Beach; Jennifer Bellor, composer.

Thursday, March 24, 7:00 pm
Wilson Formal Lounge
St. John Fisher College
3690 East Ave.
Rochester, NY 14618

Free and open to the public. Reception to follow the performance.

*Please note this is not an open mic event.

Sponsored by Just Poets and St. John Fisher College’s Arts Minor Program
Additional support by Poetic Effect

E. Louise Beach is a lyric poet, critic, translator, and librettist. Recently, she has been published in Barrow Street, Many Mountains Moving, Rosebud, The Bitter Oleander and TriQuarterly Online, among others. Finishing Line Press has published her two chapbooks: Blue Skies (2006) and Sine Nomine, (2011). She was recently named a finalist in the May Swenson Poetry Book Award. Seven of her poem cycles have been set to music by composers Jen Bellor, Gerald Coleman, Bryan Page, and Robert Pound. In 2011, Ms. Beach received a grant to create a libretto for August Strindberg’s The Dance of Death.


Jennifer Bellor is currently a Ph.D student in music composition at the Eastman School of Music. She holds an M.M. in composition at Syracuse University where she was the recipient of The Brian Israel Award in Composition in 2007. She was a participant in the Buffalo Philharmonic Young Composers' Readings in 2007 for her orchestral work, "Chimera." She has been commissioned by The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, Society for New Music, Reuben Blundell and the Millersville University orchestra, The Women in Music Festival at Eastman, and Peachtree United Methodist Church in Atlanta, GA with organist Nicole Marane and brass members from the Atlanta Symphony. Her piece, "Stars," for soprano and marimba was performed on the 2009 Eastman China Tour in May.

Genesee Reading Series

Please join Kathy Van Schaick and me for our reading at the Genesee Reading Series Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 PM. The reading will be held at Writers & Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY.

I will be reading new work, some of which is inspired by my residency in Poland last fall. Kathy will be reading from her outstanding poetry--if you haven't heard her read before, or read her work in Le Mot Juste and elsewhere, you don't want to miss this opportunity to get acquainted with it. Her bio is below:

Kathleen’s love of poetry began when, as an elementary school teacher, she collaborated with several local poets including Judith Kitchen and Dale Davis. Her poems have appeared in The Dire Elegies: An Anthology of Endangered Species, Listening to Water: An Anthology of the Susquehanna Watershed, Sea Stories, journal of the Blue Ocean Institute, and ByLine magazine in addition to several online literary journals including Puffin Circus. Her poem “women fish” won the 2006 S. Portia Steele Memorial Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Peninsula Chapter of the California Writers Club. Kathleen is past editor of Le Mot Juste, the annual anthology of Just Poets, (FootHills Publishing, 2008-2010). She is very honored to have been a participating poet in the in the 2009 Women in Music Festival sponsored by the Eastman School of Music.

Wanda Schubmehl is the curator of the Genesee Reading Series. Many thanks to her and to Writers & Books for the invitation to read.

Just Poets Reading Series

Nancy Chalker-Tennant will be the featured reader Thursday, October 14 for the Just Poets Reading Series. The reading starts at 7:00 pm and will be followed by an open mic.

A bit about Nancy: Nancy Chalker-Tennant is both a poet and visual artist who teaches in both disciplines in the Rochester, NY area where she lives. While she is concentrating on poetry, her work has included painting, printmaking and small editions of hand made “artists’ books” some of which are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Yale University Library, and The Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry. Nancy is the recipient of several grants including a Mid-Atlantic National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and New York State Council on the Arts grants, among others. Her poetry has been anthologized in Le Mot Juste.

Corrections to my last post.

The poet referenced in my September 7 post contacted me with some additions and corrections. I am so grateful that she did since I was unable to get all the information with my lack of knowledge of Polish. I am especially grateful since we poets don't get enough recognition for our work and I am more than happy to share more about her with my readers.

First of all, the art gallery is not part of the Bialystok university, but an independent institution – the Ślędzińscy museum. As for the poems, they were written by Edyta Ślączka-Poskrobko, her mother (Barbara Noworolska) and her father (Zbigniew Ślączka), not her grandfather as I had previously written on my blog. He was the grandfather to her son, who played his compositions on the piano – Paweł Poskrobko. The reading itself was titled Rodzinne Poezjowanie.

If Ms. Edyta Ślączka-Poskrobko allows, I will later post one of her poems that has been translated into English.

Witam!

Hello from Bialystok, Poland. As many of you know, I am here on a month-long writer's residency. Five other writers, one of which is also a poet, and I are absorbing Polish culture and the amazing richness of the cadence of the Polish language.

I am flattered that the people here view me as one of their own, a tribute to my half-Polish heritage. The complication is that it is assumed I speak the language when I only know a few words. Still, it is wonderful to be embraced so.

My poet-colleague and I attended a Polish poetry reading on Sunday. The reading was held at a small art gallery on the grounds of the University of Bialystok. The featured reader, a middle-aged woman who speaks no English, read not only her own work but that of her mother and grandfather. Her son also played a few piano compositions of his own. The poet herself was the embodiment of eccentricity, wearing neon green tights under her summery floral dress, a neon green shawl over her shoulders and a straw fedora on her head.

It might interest you to know that there seem to be some universal consistencies at poetry readings. No one, except for the host, sat in the first two rows of seats. There were late-comers. Someone's cell phone rang in the middle of the reading. Felt like just another second-Thursday-of-the-month reading at B & N. Speaking of B & N, I hope you'll join Anita Augesen who will be guest hosting for me Thursday night. Poet Victoria Korth will be the featured reader. As always, an open mic follows. The reading starts at 7:00pm. I hope you can make it.

Thank you in advance to my patient clients while my assistant works to keep your databases updated. In addition to helping me, she works full time and is a wife and mother. Thanks also to pet sitters and other family and friends for keeping everything in order at home so that I have no worries other than running out of paper while I'm here.

Please check back periodically for more posts as this adventure continues to unfold.

Do widzenia, for now.

Announcing the Black Mountain North Symposium, Rochester, NY, October 1-3, 2010. This conference celebrates the experimental arts tradition in upstate NY, while also commemorating the centenary of Black Mountain College rector Charles Olson and the life of poet Robert Creeley. In the collaborative and multidisciplinary spirit of the original Black Mountain, Black Mountain North will feature poetry and visual arts panels, as well as readings and performing arts performances. Distinguished speakers include poet and troubadour Ed Sanders, Black Mountain historian Mary Emma Harris, and Black Mountain College alumni Martha Rittenhouse Treichler, Basil King, and Martha King, among many notables. See http://www.blackmountainnorth.org/. For questions, contact John Roche at jfrgla@rit.edu.

Ha(nay)ku Reading

Over the winter, five teams of poets embarked on another form poetry project conceived by M.J. Iuppa, this time writing chains of ha(nay)ku. The form is simple: six words in any combination over three lines. Some teams, as decided by their captains, saw all of their team members' poems before writing their own in response. Since it worked so well last year with the Adelaide Crapsey project, I decided not to allow my team to see any poems other than that of the immediately preceding person's.

While there won't be a chapbook like Cinquainicity last year, there will be a reading Tuesday, April 27 at St. John Fisher College. The reading will begin at 7:30pm in the Hughes rotunda. For more information on the location visit http://www.sjfc.edu/.

My team members include Dave Tilley, Elaine Thayer Olsson, Ron Bailey, Ann C. Putnam, and Suzanne Slack.

March Update

Spring has arrived early in western New York. Crocuses bloom through melting snow just as many literary journals have ended their winter reading and many Poetic Effect clients will soon be seeing their responses in the mail/email. Currently, more than 250 print journals are considering poetry submissions. Many of these will close to submissions when the tulips and lilacs are in full color here in May. Full-length book manuscript contests are at their peak with 35+ reading right now. More than 20 chapbook contests are running as well. If you would like to get into the Poetic Effect spring queue, get in touch soon info@poeticeffect.com.

Congratulations to Poetic Effect clients who have recently had work accepted by Southern Indiana Review, Pearl, Inkwell, Chaffin Journal, Roanoke Review, Worcester Review, Blueline, River Oak Review, Soundings Review, Eureka Literary Review, Avocet, South Dakota Review, Clackamas, Yalobusha Review, Red Wheelbarrow, Coe Review, and others.

AWP, the largest conference for writers and writing programs, will be held in Denver next month. I will be blogging about various panels and other writing-related news. I hope to see some of you there.

The Just Poets Reading Series and Open Mic will be featuring James Cook (tonight), Sue Ann Wells (April), Suzanne Slack (May), and contributors to Le Mot Juste 2010 (June). The reading series is held at 7:00 pm the second Thursday of every month (except December) at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford.

Leah Zazulyer Reading

Poet and translator Leah Zazulyer will be reading from her work Friday, March 5 at Greenwood Books, 123 East Ave., Rochester, NY. The reading, which begins at 7:00 pm, is one of many events held as part of the city's ongoing First Fridays.