Interesting Poetry Stats

Here's a link to Jonathan Hobrasch's article on elite poetry prizes and those who have won them the most. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-hobratsch/on-poetry-awards-figures-_b_5668826.html?utm_hp_ref=books&ir=Books

Be sure to read the questions at the end of the article. Please post your comments!

What! Fall reading? It's still July!

Friday opens the 2014 Fall reading season, the most opportune time for poets to have their work considered for publication by the largest number of journals seeking unsolicited submissions. The floodgates at Submittable, Submission Manager, Tell It Slant as well as the inboxes on editors' desks and emails open beginning August 1 through September 15.

What you can expect to see this fall: Sadly, there will be an increase in the number of publications requiring reading fees in order to consider your work. No, these are not contest fees. Despite what some journals like to call their fees, they are money required for a journal's staff to read the work you submit to them, hence "reading fees." Reading fees that journals charge range from $1 per submission (usually 3-5 poems) to $10 per submission. The former and latter are very rare; reading fees in the 2013-2014 reading period averaged $3 per submission.

There will still be plenty of publications reading for free. Personally, as a poet, I am more inclined to support a journal without reading fees. But we need to be open to paying a journal for the privilege of reading our work. It stings. Poets rarely get paid when their work is accepted for publication. However, many journals are staffed by volunteers who believe in the value of literary pursuit and find fulfillment in publishing our work. I can much more easily accept not being paid for my work when I know the editors choosing to publish it have no monetary gain to do so.

What else? Expect an increase in online submissions with a corresponding decrease in postal submissions. This is not a new trend. Online submissions will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

Finally, is the migration of more publications to the internet from print. Cost is the greatest driver behind this movement. Migrating away from print is not a bad thing. Consider how many potential readers your work may reach on the internet when published by a quality online journal as opposed to the number of potential readers finding your work in print.

What does this mean for Poetic Effect? Fall reading will be as busy as ever. Calendar slots will fill quickly. If you are interested in having submissions of your work prepared during fall reading, email me Claudia@poeticeffect.com to reserve your place in the queue. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

What does that rejection letter mean?

You dread receiving that #10 envelope addressed to you with the label you stuck on it and sent with your poems to "Journal X." Or, it's that email you see in your inbox and cringe as you open it. The form rejection letter.

Here's a link to an article decoding 4 rejection letter types you may see. http://lizkay.net/2014/05/03/advice-for-poets-what-it-means-when-a-journal-says-no-or-anything-other-than-yes/.

By the way, I prefer the term "response" over the negative term "rejection."

Have you received an unusual response? Post a comment if you'd like to share.

A Must-Read Interview

Fellow poet and Bennington alum, Celeste Guzman-Mendoza, is interviewed about her recently published poetry book, Beneath the Halo (Wings Press, 2013) at Letras Latinas http://latinopoetryreview.blogspot.com/2013/11/interview-questions-for-celeste-g.html.

Celeste addresses the importance of language as well as the impact of violence and faith in our lives.

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.

Literary Journal Reading Fees

Last week, I did something I hoped I would never do. I paid a reading fee to a literary journal for the submission of my work.

I have made my feelings about reading fees clear in the past and they have not changed. Why would I break with my own protocol? I had prepared the submission file and begun the process with the journal's online submission software and got to the point where payment appeared. I'll admit to being torn. My initial reaction was to close the window and move on. But, I had questions. Would the non-contest reading fee this journal charges in any way make a difference in how my submission fared? Could I expect a more timely response?

I wanted answers that would only satisfy me from personal experience. So, I paid the $3.00, knowing it probably would not make a difference in how my submission would be handled and I took comfort that I was at least monetarily supporting the journal.

Just to reiterate my feelings about non-contest reading fees, I compare the trend to airline baggage fees. Once one airline started charging, others soon followed until just about every airline in existence now charges baggage fees. It is taking a bit longer to catch on in the publishing industry, but charging reading fees for non-contest submissions is undeniably a growing trend.

In theory, these reading fees should not be objectionable. Publishing poetry and other literary creative writing is not a money maker. Most journals exist from the desire of people who love quality literature and want to share that literature with the world. Noble. Admirable. We should be grateful for these people and the publications they produce, whether online or in print. I am grateful. Truly.

However, as a poet, I can tell you from personal experience that, for the most part, poetry does not pay monetarily. There is a bit of the sting of the pay-for-publication stigma, whether or not that sentiment is justified. Many wonderful poets can't afford reading fees; they have a difficult time just paying their bills. What are the implications of excluding these poets? Will there be a difference in the quality of the poetry published due to a smaller submission pool?

As fall reading begins and new guidelines are being rolled out, I am monitoring the trend.

If you are an editor of a literary journal, please share your thoughts on this subject.

Web Site of Potential Interest to Writers

Leslie Hanson emailed me recently about her blog article on thesis and dissertation resources for writers. Topics covered include writing and research as well as writing centers. While her blog is mostly for graduate students, it might be worth your time to browse.  http://onlinephdprogram.org/thesis-dissertation/

Blogs You Should Be Reading

There are two excellent blogs I would like to recommend to my writing friends and followers. The first is by St. John Fisher College's Writer-in-Residence, M. J. Iuppa. Her blog, (A)stray: One Poet's Conversation, is especially essential during this National Poetry Month. She is posting daily writing prompts and her prompts are well-known to kickstart the creative muse in us all http://mjiuppa.blogspot.com/ 

The second is by Tom Holmes, editor of Redactions: Poetry and Poetics and a long-time resident of the Rochester area now working on his Ph. D. in Mississippi. The Line Break features a good article on promoting your published collection of poems 
http://thelinebreak.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/promoting-your-recently-or-soon-to-be-released-collection-of-poems/. He has also posted several of his book reviews worth reading.

Check them out. Follow them. Enhance your own writing experience. 

Reflection on AWP 2013

Never having been to Boston, I hoped there would not be a repeat of the nor'easter that hit there in February. Thankfully, I chose Jet Blue over Airtran and was able to get into Boston before weather hit. Being a native of western New York, I quickly forget how non-WNYers do not have the expertise to cope with what I've come to call "cosmic snot," also known as mixed precipitation tending toward the slushy side. Fortunately, Boston provides sufficient covered walkways to keep pedestrian travel outdoors to a minimum, at least where the hotels and convention center are situated.

Now for the highlights. In addition to the expected what's-trending-in-publishing panels, I attended panels on applying for Fullbright fellowships and NEA grants, panels on current Polish poetry in translation, the necessity for Christian literary publishers, and a reading by contributors to an anthology encouraging young Latina women to go to college (one of the contributors is my fellow Bennington alum and friend, Celeste Guzman Mendoza). All were very informative, thought provoking, and even inspiring.

I was delighted to meet and converse with poet James Ragan at the Seamus Heaney-Derek Wolcott reading/conversation. As drawn to central Europe as I am, Ragan's experiences teaching in Poland and the Czech Republic were fascinating to hear, especially since I have high interest in returning to Poland.

The conference and bookfair is so much better now that the annual event is held in a convention center. There was much more time to browse and chat at the bookfair between panels rather than racing from one conference hotel to another.

Books I had to purchase: Glory Bound (WordFarm, 2012) by Jessie Van Eerden. I attended a reading sponsored by Ruminate journal and WordFram Press where Van Eerden read. Her prose is poetic; the fact that the book is published by a Christian imprint made the purchase all the more appealing. Better Food for a Better World (Slant Books, 2013) by Erin McGraw. Slant is a new press, a counterpart to Image journal. Anyone who knows me knows that I could not resist a novel with ice cream on the cover! I purchased only one book of poetry, The World Shouldering I by James Ragan. How can anyone converse with a fine poet and not get a signed book?

There were plenty of other titles of interest, many of them available for my (yes, I have one) Kindle Fire. I still enjoy the experience of reading a paper-made book. I have also come to appreciate the freedom (mostly from pain) of not carrying hundreds of pages of paper while traveling.

I think I'll pass on Seattle next year, though. I've got other plans. More about that another time.

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!

What Editors Don't Want to Read in Your Poems

Although this was written by the poetry editor of the Indiana Review, I have no doubt that others would agree. In fact, I agree and have had to turn away clients because of some of the reasons listed in the linked post. Please take a moment to read this good advice. http://indianareview.org/2012/09/26/five-marks-of-oft-rejected-poems/

More Winners Announced

The winner of the 2012 American Poetry Journal Book Prize is Richard Garcia for his manuscript, The Other Odyssey. The expected release will be Summer/Fall 2013 by Dream Horse Press.

The winner of the Spring, 2012 Black River Chapbook Competition is Shane McCrae for his manuscript Nonfiction.

Black Lawrence Press will also publish No Girls No Telephones by Rebecca Hazelton and Brittany Cavallaro as well as This is not a sky by Jessica Piazza.

Publishing News

Two announcements about forthcoming books:

The American Poetry Journal has accepted the runner-up in the 2012 American Poetry Journal Book Prize, Fire Road by Barbara Siegel Carlson.  Look for it next summer/fall by Dream Horse Press.

Seth Abramson's manuscript Thievery has been selected by Dara Wier for the University of Akron 2012 Poetry Prize.

Prize Winners for Two Book Contests Announced

The winner of the Motherwell Prize awarded by Fence Books is Inter Arma by Laura Shufran. Her debut collection will be published in spring 2013. Visit Fence Books at www.fenceportal.org.

The winner of the ninth annual Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize is Dear Hero by Jason McCall. For a list of runners-up, visit http://www.marshhawkpress.org/.

Foothills Publishing Founder's Home Burns

Last weekend, the home of small press Foothills Publishing founder Michael Czarnecki burned to the ground while he was traveling with his family.

A poetry reading fundraiser will be held at Writers and Books on Sunday, July 22, starting a 2PM and going until around 5PM. If you would like to read as part of this fundraiser, please reply to Wanda Schubmehl ASAP at marleneschubmehl@yahoo.com, and choose which hour is preferred - between 2-3, 3-4, or 4-5. We are suggesting a $10 donation from each reader and a small snack/drink to share (nothing which much be kept really hot or really cold.)
If you cannot attend the fundraiser, here are donation options as per Michael:

Mail to : Michael Czarnecki, PO Box 68, Kanona, NY 14856 or Paypal. Go to Send Money and then put in email address: poetguy@foothillspublishing.com  Amount, click on Personal tab and then make sure Gift is checked.

If you'd like to get a sense of what Michael is all about, here's a link to a great article:
http://willnixon.com/czarnecki or visit the Foothills  web site at www.foothillspublishing.com.

Snowbound Chapbook Winner Announced

Contest judge Christopher Buckley has chosen Deborah Flanigan's manuscript Or, Gone as the 2012 Snowbound Chapbook Contest winner for publication by Tupelo Press. Eighteen finalist and one runner-up, Linda Tomol Pennisi of Syracuse, New York, were also named. Congratulations!

Omnidawn Announces Book Contest Winner

From Omnidawn Publishing: Loom by Sarah Gridley has been chosen by Carl Phillips for the 2011 Open Poetry Book Award. Five finalists were listed alphabetically:
All the Good in the World Starts Now by Anne Cecelia Holmes
A Geography of Syntax by Jill Darling
Midwinter by Matt Reeck
Roadsides by Nik De Dominic
Thought That Nature by Trey Moody

Congratulations to all.

Streetcar Poetry in Poland

The following post is from fellow poet Edyta Poskrobko whom I met in Poland in 2010. Edyta references ticket inspectors. I only encountered one in my 5 weeks in Poland. They simply check to be certain everyone on the streetcar or bus has paid the fare. Most people purchase passes in advance.

Now in Edyta's words through Radomir as translator:

I had an exhibition with my artists from the Goldenline, in April in the Museum of Technology and Communication in Szczecin. Three antique streetcars were at my disposal. In one of them a film was projected. A combination of music, pictures and words. In the other one, with beautiful wooden seats, I made a poetry installation. The topic was imposed upon us, and it was to be about communication. I came up with an idea of presenting poems-letters. I hung some of them on ropes, and the rest I scattered throughout the whole streetcar in colourful envelopes. The letters were addressed accordingly to the content of the poem inside. Sometimes in a funny way, sometimes seriously, e.g. Citizen Man, Pavement Street, Town. The letters went afterwards to Sieraków, to the gallery „W remoncie” where they were hung on wooden poles.

For the third streetcar I came up with a poetic spectacle. The idea was that I entered the vehicle as a ticket inspector and gave poems-fines to the people watching the spectacle. The fines varied: from quasi-real – for not having a ticket, to peculiar – e.g. for having too many wishes – this one went to the director of the museum where the event was held, and he liked it very much. During the performance I shifted to the role of a postman, as if acknowledging that being a ticket inspector is an unpleasant job, and started giving poems-letters. As usual, Radomir composed and performed himself the music for the spectacle.

Edyta & Radomir







Guest Blog on Poetry Contests

From time to time, guest bloggers will be posting on topics related to poetry and publication. When guests do post, please remember that their words and opinions are their own and may or may not be shared by me. Guest bloggers are not given preferential treatment by Poetic Effect.

Today's guest blogger is Donna M. Marbach, publisher at Palettes & Quills.

Poetry Contests, Our Community Projects

Poets & Writers magazine in its May/June 2012 issue published an article, that all serious poets should read, “The Risks and Rewards of Writing Contests” the article, by Michael Bourne, makes an interesting point. The contests are a kind of community project. Poets’ reading fees help support the whole concept of poetry by allowing publishers to continue publishing it. Readers, in turn, are exposed to poetry they otherwise would never see. “A community project” is certainly how Palettes & Quills (http://www.palettesnquills.com/) sees its own biennial chapbook contest.

Bourne’s extensive article examines what happens with the money from contest fees, suggests how one can determine ethical contests, and poses pros and cons to help readers decide whether entering contests is “worth it.” Though you, as poet, are really the only one who can answer the worth of contests, Bourne notes, “Unless your work is showing up in prestigious literary magazines or you have a connection to the editors at a press that publishes poetry, writing contests probably offer the best way to ensure that your work will at least get a fair reading.”

If contests truly are the best way to have your work read, how can you maximize your chance of winning one?

First and foremost, it is critical that you obtain and read the rules or guidelines for submitting and don’t assume that your poems constitute an exception to the rule. Contest administrators have rules for a reason and (whether you think they are reasonable or not), if you want to have any chance at winning, pay attention to them. If the rules are unclear or you believe you have a justifiable “exception” to something, write the administrator beforehand and get a clarification.

Secondly, know something about the final judge. It is useful to know the background, work and philosophy of whoever has been named the final judge. If you are not familiar with him/her, do some research. While it is not necessary or even desirable that your work be the same or similar to that of the judge, it is useful to know whether or not he/she might like or dislike your style of poetry.

Another tip you may wish to consider is to submit your manuscript as early as you can in the reading process. Avoid a last minute submission if at all possible. So many manuscripts come in right before a deadline that first readers can be overcome by the volume of manuscripts they have to read. You risk having your work being given a less than a positive rating simply because it is the 10th or 12th manuscript the reader has reviewed that day.

Also when entering a contest, in addition to considering the prize itself, take some time to consider who and how much competition you’re going to have. For example, if you enter Prairie Schooner Book Prize for $25, you could win $2,500 and publication (no specific number of books) but you would also be competing with 628 other poets. If you enter Palettes & Quills for $20, your prize is $200 plus 50 books, and you will only be competing against 140 or so other poets. Quite honestly, beginning and emerging poets have much better chances at winning some of the smaller and lesser known contests, thus making them a better bet for getting their work out and about.

Finally, submit a quality manuscript. Not only should your manuscript be clean, legible, and without spelling, typographical or grammatical errors, it should be a single work of some quality. Just as a poem should be more than a jumble of words, a good manuscript should be more than a bunch of poems. There are many ways to order a manuscript – too many to discuss in this essay. Nonetheless, no matter how you do it, you should arrange your poems according to some underlying theory that makes them a cohesive book.

In the end, contests are certainly one way to participate in the sharing of poetry. They provide poets with an opportunity to expose their work and to grow as poets. They allow publishers, especially small, independent publishers an opportunity to publish and disseminate good poetry to more people. And they allow readers, editors, and judges to assist in bringing good poetry into a spotlight that might not exist without them. Contests are indeed “a community project,” one in which we all can compete yet support each other at the same time.

Dorset Prize Winner Announced

Jeffrey Harrison's manuscript What Comes Next has been selected by Tom Sleigh as the Dorset Prize winner for Tupelo Press's annual contest. For additional information on the Dorset Prize, Tupelo Press, or Jeffrey Harrison visit http://www.tupelopress.org/.

Editing a Poetry Manuscript

Here's an editor's perspective on editing a poetry manuscript courtesy of Coffee House Press: http://www.coffeehousepress.org/blog-posts/the-little-known-secrets-of-poetry-how-does-one-edit-a-poetry-book/.

Your Manuscript and Literary Contests

I am frequently asked how a poet should order a manuscript for a contest. Having been a reader for contests in the past, I do agree with Danielle Cadena Deulen's answer to that question, even though she answered it from the point of view of non-fiction. Read her answer and the rest of her interview from the Poets & Writers Newsletter here: http://www.pw.org/content/more_words_from_winners_danielle_cadena_deulen.

2011 Winner of The Ledge Chapbook Contest Announced

The Sultan, The Skater, The Bicycle Maker by Cindy Hunter Morgan of East Lansing, Michigan, is the winner of The Ledge 2011 Poetry Chapbook Award. Here's a link to "The Clockmaker" from the chapbook http://www.theledgemagazine.com/Featured%20chhttp://www.theledgemagazine.com/Featured%20chapbook%20poem.htmlapbook%20poem.html.

In addition to its contests, The Ledge is an annual literary magazine publishing in print since 1988.

George Bilgere's Haywire

This month's poetry book for discussion is Haywire, the 2006 May Swenson Award-winning manuscript, by George Bilgere. Group member Ann C. Putnam selected this book based on a recommendation by poet Michael Meyerhofer. Garrison Keillor has read work from this collection on his show "The Writer's Almanac." For more info on Bilgere visit http://www.georgebilgere.com/.
 
If you've read Haywire and would like to add your thoughts on the book, please post a comment.

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.

Clarinda Harriss Prize Winner Announced

Katherine Bogden's manuscript "Every Bit of It" has been selected by Thomas Lux for the 2012 Harriss Poetry Prize offered by CityLit Press. Bogden is an editor at Ugly Duckling Presse. The chapbook will be published this spring.

Big Pencil Press Prize Winner Announced

Bethany Reid's manuscript What Saves Us has been chosen by Dorianne Laux for publication by Big Pencil Press. In addition to publication and prize money, the recipient receives a two-week residency at the Gell Center in the Finger Lakes located in central New York.

February Readers Group Selection

On Saturday, my monthly poetry readers group discussed James Allen Hall's Now You're the Enemy (University of Arkansas Press, 2008). It proved to be one of the most lively discussions we've had in a long time as we analyzed Hall's craft and subject matter. All agreed that Hall's poetry is accomplished (and I don't say this simply because he is a fellow alumnus of Bennington College) though, for various reasons, some of us thought the subject matter to be more than a little uncomfortable.

Among the discussion topics resurrected was the fictional "I" vs. the autobiographical "I." For me, this brought to mind a panel at AWP a few years back where Liam Rector and Timothy Liu debated whether or not there even could be a fictional "I."

I have opened my own poetry readings by stating, "This work is fictionalized truth. I'll let you decide what is fiction and what is truth."

Ultimately, we did not settle firmly on which elements of Hall's narratives were completely true and we mostly agreed that it did not matter; the poems worked without having a black and white timeline in front of us.

To read more about Now You're the Enemy, check out the following site: http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/2010/05/james-allen-hall.html.

Elixir Press Book Award Announced

The Judge's Prize, which was chosen by Teresa Leo, is Little Oblivion by Susan Allspaw, Aurora, CO. The Editor's Prize is Quelled Communiqués by Chloe Joan Lopez, Colchester, VT. Congratulations to the winners.

2012 Fence Modern Poets Series Winners Announced

Fence Books has announced two winners of the 2012 Fence Modern Poets Series prize. The winning books will come out in the fall of 2012. They are Eyelid Lick, by Donald Dunbar of Portland, Oregon and In the Laurels, Caught, by Lee Ann Brown of New York City and Marshall, North Carolina. Congratulations to both.

Richard Snyder Poetry Prize Winner Announced

Gabriel Spera's manuscript The Rigid Body was chosen by Natasha Tretheway for publication by Ashland Poetry Press later this year.

Manuscripts are now being accepted for the 2012 Snyder Prize. Contact me soonest if you would like your manuscript prepped for this and other spring poetry book/chap book competitions.

Poetry Book Group Discussion Today

Today, my monthly poetry book group will be discussing Steve Huff's More Daring Escapes (Red Hen Press, 2008). His poems on the subject of the working life are reminiscent of Jim Daniels' work though Huff's poetry, while equally as gritty, has more poetic fluidity than Daniels' jabs and punches. One can argue the efficacy of "How the Poem Means" vis a vis each of these poets' styles though I am inclined to consider each equally compelling. Huff's work comes more as a reflection of a middle-aged man than Daniels' fresh-out-of-the-factory youthful perspective.

To read a review of Huff's book (not mine, however) visit: http://whatistheverd.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/book-review-more-daring-escapes-by-steven-huff/.

2011 Black Lawrence Press Chapbook Contest Winner Announced

Nick McRae's manuscript, Mountain Redemption, has been chosen as the winner of the Black Lawrence Press 2011 Black River Chapbook Competition. McRae currently teaches creative writing at Ohio State University. Finalists and semi-finalists are listed below.

Poetry Finalists

Bone Letters – Peter Schwartz & Nicelle Davis
Farmstead of the Burning Field – Duncan Campbell
Mountain Redemption – Nick McRae
not meant for you Dear Love – Brian Clements

Poetry Semi-Finalists

Annunciation – Barbara Tomash
Malice Aforethought – Jon Flieger
Proximity – Jan Freeman
Sludge – Vivian Prescott
The War Reporter – Dan O’Brien

Poem Published in Ruminate

With the new year comes a new publication to announce. My poem "Smoke and Cloud" appears in Ruminate Issue 22: Up in the Air http://www.ruminatemagazine.com/issue-22-up-in-the-air/. Ruminate's tag line is "Chewing on life, faith and art." This is an appropriate venue for my most recent work since my writing leans in a more spiritual direction. This work is also less narrative than most of my published poems.

Please check out the web site and let me know what you think. Purchasing a copy of Issue 22 will also be appreciated, by the magazine and me.

Omnidawn's First/Second Book Prize Winner Announced

C.D. Wright has chosen fault tree by Kathryn L. Pringle as the winner for Omnidawn Publishing's First/Second Poetry Prize. The finalists of the 2011 First/Second Book Competition (in alphabetical order by last name) are: Jill Darling, Mount Clemens, Michigan; Leora Fridman, Florence, Massachusetts; Eryn Green, Denver, Colorado; Jane Gregory, Berkeley, California; and Soham Patel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I will be posting announcements of contest winners on this blog so check back frequently.

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.

Can Physicists Be Funny?

I've caught a few episodes of "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman" on the Science Channel and found a fellow "Stanek." While I have no reason to believe there is a direct familial connection, I do know that some of my grandparents' relatives ended up in Chicago, which is home town to particle physicist Bob Stanek. Imagine my delight in finding out that not only is Bob a physicist, he also believes in having a sense of humor, contrary to what Dr. Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory" may think. I encourage you to check out the Wall Street Journal article explaining the connection between science and humor. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122048206487796841.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone

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/

NYFA Grant Award Winners

This spring, I was privileged to serve as a panelist for the New York State Foundation for the Arts in the poetry category. It was exciting to read the work of so many talented poets. Below is the list of poets who were awarded grants:

Desirée Alvarez (New York)
Ari Banias (Kings) – Gregory Millard Fellow
Jose Beduya (Tompkins)
Cara Benson (Rensselaer)
Michael Burkard (Onondaga)
Ken Chen (Kings)
Barbara Cole (Erie)
Susan Deer Cloud (Broome)
Robert Fitterman (New York)
Tonya Foster (Kings)
Rigoberto Gonzalez (Queens)
James Hall (St. Lawrence)
Brenda Iijima (Kings)
Garrett Kalleberg (Suffolk)
Amy Lawless (Kings)
Ricardo Maldonado (New York)
Ryan Murphy (Dutchess)
Jacob Rakovan (Monroe)
Wendy Walters (Kings)

The other panelists were:

Jennifer Hayashida (Kings)
Anna Moschovakis (Delaware)
Willie Perdomo (New York)
Paige Taggart (Kings)

I hope you will check out the work of these fine poets.

Tupelo Press announces First/Second Book Award Winner

Lantern Puzzle byYe Chun of Columbus, MO has been selected as the 2011 First/Second Book Prize Winner at Tupelo Press. DA Powell was the final judge. For more information and a list of finalists visit www.tupelopress.org.

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

New Publication Opportunity

Architrave Press, founded by Jennifer Tappenden, is a new venture committed to "bridging the gap between intelligent poems and artful readers." This is a unique publishing opportunity for your poems, under 33 lines per poem. For more information visit http://architrave.submishmash.com/Submit.

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.

Call for Submissions

From Rob Tyler: R-Spec is accepting submissions for their 2nd anthology, "Alternative Rochesters," until March 31. Don't be fooled by the hard sci fi feel of the home page (or the cryptic comments in the right hand column - the dangers of too much automation!) - they love experimental fiction, magical realism, slipstream, and fantasy, with the emphasis not on genre but on literary quality. So dust off your memoirs, change a date or two, add an extraterrestrial or a dragon, and submit. And - set it in or around Rochester. Now, it could be "New Rochester," under a dome in a Martian crater, or the UFP Rochester trans-generational colony ship en route to Andromeda, or.... The first anthology included work by Nancy Kress, Nick DiChario, Jonathan Sherwood and JacK Garner so you'll be in good company.
http://r-spec.org

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.

Haiku North America 2011: Rochester, New York, July 27–31

From Michael Rehling: Organizers of the 2011 Haiku North America conference are pleased to announce that Rochester, New York, will now host the 2011 HNA conference, to be held July 27–31, 2011. The conference will maintain the theme of education in haiku and will take place at the Rochester Institute of Technology, cosponsored by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, by the Postsecondary Educational Network-International funded by the Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, and by the Rochester Area Haiku Group.

Led by Jerome Cushman, the local organizing committee also includes Carolyn Dancy, Deb Koen, and Deanna Tiefenthal, with local and long-distance help from Francine Banwarth, Randy Brooks, and others. Anticipated activities include an Erie Canal boat cruise, banquet, regional readings, a memorial reading, anthology, T-shirts, and possible visits to nearby cultural attractions, including the National Museum of Play and a guided tour of historic Mt. Hope Cemetery, the oldest Victorian municipal cemetery in America and burial site of Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglas, and poet Adelaide Crapsey.More details will be provided at www.haikunorthamerica.com and on the HNA Facebook page.

Huffington Post Article on the MFA

What do you think about this Seth Abramson's article on the MFA?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/creative-writing-master_b_772628.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=1221877,b=facebook. Are there too many poets for the world and do poets need advanced degrees?

Can you help me get published?

This is for all who wonder about becoming a published poet or have been asked to help someone become a published poet.

Poets, this is a must read.

Have you ever wondered why you received your poems back from a journal with no note, acceptance or rejection? Have you waited more than two years for a response? This is worth reading (and forwarding). http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/2010/10/21/AnAppealToPoetryEditors.aspx

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.

Home from Poland

After nearly five weeks in the land of my paternal ancestors, I am finally home.

This trip to Poland has been more than worth the time and effort. I am most grateful to Axis Mundi, the arts organization that sponsored the writer's residency through the Art Factory in Bialystok; Don and Betty Orr, who shared their home and their perspective on Polish life from the point of view of North Americans living there for more than 10 years; Jolanta Wolagiewicz who introduced me to numerous contacts in my search for information on old Polish legends and folktales; my family and friends, who came to the rescue both personally and professionally allowing me to devote the time to take this trip; and the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester, which financially supported my travel. I am also grateful to my fellow writers-in-residence: Toni Denis, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, Eveyln Posamentier, Mairin O'Grady, and Dianna Mertz for their support and friendship throughout this adventure.

Uncovering one's roots affords the opportunity to make some sense of that which has often been taken for granted or gone unnoticed altogether. Background scenery--poplar, birch, and plum trees decimated by blight in Western New York thrive in the old country. Willows have more reason to weep in Poland, a nation all too often trounced upon by its neighbors. Poland is a nation long on tradition and determination. This is not a backward culture stuck in the time of cart and horse. This is a culture which has rebuilt itself time and again for a better future. This is a culture whose people, some whose courage enabled them to remain steadfast through the worst their enemies could do and others whose courage pressed them on to new lands where they worked to preserve their culture and language as they blended into foreign societies, have the resolve to persevere. It is this perseverance that remains in the genetic memory of those of us who lay claim to Polish ancestry, this unwillingness to be resigned to the acceptance of what is unacceptable.

Poem

I am happy to include the following poem, in both English and Polish, by Edyta Ślączka-Poskrobko, with her permission.

FAREWELL TO LHORIEN

I`d like to see beatiful Lhorien
again, in its passed glory
rest among the golden leaves
which fell down from Mallornes

listen to song of quiet river
which carried Elves' memories
and forget about my grief
and take the helm but oars

But there`s no forest any more
and memory is stray around
in gold Knyszyn-forest's deepness
in its clearings and wilderness

here under the bright blue sky
my heart changed into the wind
with Sokołda`s rapid current
wants to meet your hands again

But your hands not on the river
you are sailing far away
wind in shrouds whispers quietly
come back here come back, I beg you

I am waiting in Lhorien
like a gate closed long ago
but I`ll open myself as soon
as you say the password: darling

translated by
Paweł Poskrobko (the son of Edyta Ślączka-Poskrobk0)


POŻEGNANIE Z LHORIEN

Chciałabym Lhorien przepiękne
ujrzeć znowu w dawnej chwale
siąść wśród złotych liści cudnych
co z Mallornów pospadały

wsłuchać się w śpiew rzeki cichej
co wspomnienia Elfów niosła
i zapomnieć o swym żalu
w ręce chwycić ster nie wiosła

Lecz już nie ma tego lasu
i wspomnienie się tak błąka
po knyszyńskiej puszczy złotej
jej polanach i jej łąkach

Tu pod modrym niskim niebem
serce moje w wiatr zmienione
wraz z Sokołdy nurtem wartkim
chce napotkać twoje dłonie

Twoje dłonie nie na rzece
Twoje żagle na jeziorze
wiatr na wantach cicho szepce
wróć tu do mnie, wróć ja proszę...

Ja w Lhorien krainie czekam
jak zamknięta ongiś brama
lecz otworzę się gdy tylko
hasło rzekniesz: ukochana

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.

Cleveland State University Poetry Center First Book and Open Competition Award Results

The Wick Poetry Center at Cleveland State University has announced the prize winners for both its Open Book and First Book competitions:

Winner of 2010 Cleveland State University First Book Prize, selected by Rae Armantrout forthcoming Spring 2011, is The Grief Performance by Emily Kendal Frey.

Winner of 2010 Cleveland State University Open Competition, forthcoming Spring 2011, is
The Firestorm by Zach Savich.

For a complete list of finalists and semi-finalists visit http://www.csuohio.edu/poetrycenter/2010openbookresults.html.

Web Site for Women Writers

Whether you are looking for an opportunity for self promotion or would like to share your work with others for critiquing, check out www.shewrites.com. This online community of women writers from all genres recently reached 10,000 members. As a member you will be able to post your publication news on the site's weekly digest. You will also be able to join any groups relevant to your interests, ranging from spiritual writing, publishing and editing, and many more. Your participation can be as little or as much as you wish. Please take a look at She Writes and let me know what you think by posting a comment on this blog.

May Update

Update on contests, presses, and journals reading now: Nearly 20 chapbook publishers are reading via contests. Some of these are looking for manuscripts from specific demographics such as Midwestern poets only, poet-residents of NY and New England only, or LGBT poets only. More than 35 full-length book contests and presses are actively reading. While most college sponsored literary journals either have or are about to close to submissions, there are others that read exclusively from spring to fall. Plenty of journals read year-round though they may take a little more time to respond between now and autumn. Email me at info@poeticeffect.com if you'd like me to help your manuscript find a home.

Here's an online journal of high quality: Valparaiso Poetry Review, http://www.valpo.edu/vpr/. The current issue features work by Brian Turner, Sean Thomas Dougherty, and Michael Blumenthal.

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.

AWP 2010 Thoughts

Denver did a great job hosting AWP.

Best readings: Mary Biddinger, G.C. Waldrep, Oliver de la Paz, and Major Jackson. Kudos to Diode Poetry and FishHouse.

Hot topic: Delivery system of the literary magazine. Print, online, Kindle, or IPad? Would you like an app with that?

Controversial trend: Submission fees for lit mags.

Grayest area: Copyrights. Think multimedia. Electronic rights. Then there's Kindle and IPad again. What about YouTube? Read your contract before you sign.

More Q's than A's.

It was a pleasure to meet and chat with Margo Stever (Frozen Spring) and Diane Wakoski (The Diamond Dog).

Best meal: Dinner at Laguna's with Jules.

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.

Reading at Yesterday's Muse

Kathy Van Schaick will be the featured reader at Yesterday's Muse in the village of Webster, NY, Friday, March 5 at 7:00 pm. Bring your own work for the open mike that follows her reading.

Kathy is a board member of Just Poets in Rochester, NY and serves as the Managing Editor of Le Mot Juste, the annual Just Poets anthology. She also volunteers at a local hospice as well as public radio.

Publication in Euphony

My poem "Preservation" appears in the just-released Winter 2010 issue of Euphony http://euphonyjournal.com/current/. Enjoy!

Congratulations to Donna Marbach

Congratulations to Donna Marbach for her recent publication in Redactions Poetry & Poetics. Check out issue 12, guest edited by Rob Carney, which also includes work by Christopher Kennedy and James Grabill.

Publication in 2009 Chaffin Journal

I just received my contributor's copy of the 2009 Chaffin Journal where my poem "Hide" appears. I am pleased to have my work published along side that of fellow Bennington grads David Scronce and especially my classmate Susan Howard Case who passed away earlier this year.

What do those puppies own?

Recently spotted in the village: Puppy's for sale. I'm wondering just what those puppies own that they are selling...

Genesee Reading Series

I will be reading tomorrow with Leah Ruekberg for the Genesee Reading Series at Writers & Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY. The reading begins at 7:30 pm. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Duane Esposito to Read at FLCC

On Wednesday, October 14, poet Duane Esposito will be reading in Canandaigua at the FLCC Honors House at 7:00 pm as part of the FLCC Diversity Series. Esposito is also a literature and creative writing professor at Nassau Community College.

Cynthia Iannaccone to Read for Just Poets

Cynthia Iannaccone will be the featured reader Thursday, October 8 for the monthly Just Poets reading series and open mic. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance by emailing claudiastanek@gmail.com.

Just Poets Retreat

I will be leading a workshop on How Does a Poem Mean at the Just Poets Retreat at the Gell Center of the Finger Lakes tomorrow. Thirty Just Poets members are attending this first ever event. Additional workshops will be led by Ron Bailey, Karla Linn Merrifield, and Dwain Wilder.

Sarah Freligh Reading

Sarah Freligh will be the featured reader Thursday, September 10 for the monthly Just Poets Reading Series and Open Mic. Join us at 7:00pm in the Community Room at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford. An open mic will follow. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance by emailing claudiastanek@gmail.com.

August Just Poets Reading

Dee Hogan will be the featured reader Thursday, August 13 for the Just Poets Reading Series and Open Mic. The reading begins at 7:00 pm in the Community Room. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance by emailing claudiastanek@gmail.com.

Colleen Powderly to Read for Just Poets

Colleen Powderly will be the featured reader Thursday, July 9 for the monthly Just Poets Reading Series and Open Mic. The reading begins at 7:00pm in the Community Room at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford. An open mic will follow. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance by emailing claudiastanek@gmail.com.

Language Abuse

Every writer has a list of particular annoyances when it comes to spelling and grammar mistakes. Below are two seen and heard in the Rochester, NY area this past week.

The first was offered by a female anchor during a live newscast: "has spreaded."

The second was seen on a sign along the road at a driving range/miniature golf course: "birthday partys."

Feel free to send me some that you've seen and/or heard.

Le Mot Juste Reading

The premier reading of Le Mot Juste 2009 is Thursday, June 11 at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford, 7:00pm in the Community Room. Le Mot Juste is the annual anthology of Just Poets which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. An open mic will follow. For information on Just Poets visit www.justpoets.org.

Donna M. Marbach to Read Thursday

Poet and editor Donna M. Marbach will be reading from her work Thursday, June 4 at Writers & Books, 7:00pm. Marbach, who will be reading with chapbook contest winner Kathryn Howd Machan, is the owner and manager of Palettes & Quills (http://www.palettesnquills.com/), a small press based in Rochester, NY.

Marbach is a founding member and past president of Just Poets (http://www.justpoets.org/) and is the current editor of the organization's newsletter, Poet Talk. When not writing, editing or publishing, she paints and markets textbooks.

Iris Miller to Read for Just Poets

Iris Miller will be the featured reader Thursday, May 14 at the monthly Just Poets Reading Series at Barnes & Noble Pittsford. Join us at 7:00pm in the Community Room and bring your own work to read at the open mic which follows.

Iris Miller believes strongly in the power of the image to teach and to heal. After retiring from teaching art in the Rochester City School District, she became a certified art therapist, a trained shamanic practitioner, and a writer of poetry. Her poems have appeared in literary journals such as Nimrod, The South Carolina Review, and The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, as well as various anthologies. Her chapbook, Angels Flying Backwards, will be available in 2010.

Cinquainicity: The Adelaide Crapsey Project

The chapbook Cinquainicity: The Adelaide Crapsey Project is on display all this month at Poets House in NYC. This chapbook, published by Palettes & Quills, features five series of linked cinquains as the form was defined by Adelaide Crapsey. M.J. Iuppa created and organized the project which includes 28 poets.

The form is syllabically driven: first line -2 syllables, second line -4 syllables, third line -6 syllables, fourth line -8 syllables, last line -2 syllables. Each poet began a cinquain with the last line of the cinquain written by the preceding poet.

I had the privilege of being the captain of the chain with poets Nici Knebel, Francis Bragan Richman, Jan Wenk Cedras, Cynthia Iannaconne, and John Roche.

For information on purchasing this chapbook visit www.palettesnquills.com.

Publication in Blueline

My poem "Girl with Laurel" appears in the latest issue of Blueline, published by SUNY Potsdam. Joining me in issue XXX are fine poets M.J. Iuppa, Adam Wilcox, and Karla Linn Merrifield. As of this writing, the new issue is not listed on the Blueline web site. Check back with the site for ordering details.

Dwain Wilder Reading Thursday

Dwain Wilder will be the featured reader this Thursday, April 9 at the montlhy Just Poets reading series and open mic. Join us in the Community Room at the Pittsford location at 7:00pm and bring your own work to read during the open mic that follows.

Dwain's bio: Dwain, a native of a small town outside Dallas, has lived in Rochester, NY since 1970 and now lives with his wife and niece, and dogs, in a quaint, untidy old farmhouse. He makes his livelihood as a luthier (a builder of stringed musical instruments). Dwain’s Appalachian dulcimers are held in high regard, both here and abroad, where he regularly receives commissions from Europe, Great Britain and the Far East. Dwain also teaches dulcimer building classes at the Northeast Dulcimer Symposium in Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks, as well as in his studio.

Dwain also writes poetry and essays on Zen. He has published poems in various small poetry periodicals and collections but not extensively -- due to having no taste for rejection slips and a lack of industry. He has published a chapbook, “Under the Only Moon,” under the Kinko/FedEx imprimatur. And he also composes and inscribes a short dedicatory verse in each dulcimer he sells (which, one might say, makes him the world’s highest paid poet, on a per line basis).

World Premiere of "Housewife"

I am delighted by Dr. Judith Lang Zaimont's interpretation of my poem "Housewife" which served as the textual basis for her composition of the same name. The piece was performed at the Eastman School of Music yesterday as part of the Women in Music Festival, organized by Eastman faculty member Dr. Sylvie Beaudette. Susan Conkling directed the Eastman Women's Chorus in the performance which was written for piano and chorus.

I am also grateful to Dr. Beaudette for inviting me to send poetry for this commissioned project and to Dr. Conkling for her assistance in the choice of the poem but also for her superb direction of the premiere.

For more information about Dr. Zaimont, visit her web site www.jzaimont.com.

"Housewife" Premieres Wednesday

Please join me Wednesday, March 25 at noon in the Grand Hallway at the Eastman School of Music for the world premiere of "Housewife," a libretto composed by Judith Zaimont for the Women in Music Festival. My poem "Housewife" was selected by Zaimont to serve as the textual basis for this segment of her larger work, "Life Cycle."

Women in Music Festival

An interactive concert, two silent film shorts, readings by local poets of their works, premieres of new compositions, and performances in the community are just some of the events highlighting the fifth annual Women in Music Festival at the Eastman School of Music. Running from Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27, the festival celebrates the many achievements and contributions of women in all aspects of music, including composition, performance, teaching, and scholarship.

The public is invited to attend these free performances and experience the amazing works by women that are becoming standards in the repertoire or are heard for the very first time. Judith Lang Zaimont will be this year's composer-in residence. Her music, which includes some 100 symphonic, chamber opera, voice, and solo instrumental compositions, is internationally acclaimed for its expressive strength and dynamism. Zaimont also has authored numerous articles and is the editor of the three-volume series The Musical Woman: An International Perspective. Her composition "Housewife," commissioned by Eastman's Hanson Institute for American Music and based on a text by local poet Claudia M. Stanek, will receive its premiere by the Eastman Women's Chorus during a concert of her work at noon on Wednesday, March 25, in the Eastman School's Main Hall. In addition, Zaimont's "Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening" will be performed by singers from Eastman School and Temple B'rith Kodesh at 7 p.m. Friday, March 27, at the Temple.

The festival features five noontime concerts of works written by women in a broad range of musical styles, with each piece being introduced by a local woman poet reading from her work. Scheduled to appear are poets Donna Marbach, Karla Lynn Merrifield, Wanda Schubmehl, Kathleen Van Schaick, and Andrea Weinstein. The noontime concert on Thursday, March 26, in Eastman's Schmitt Organ Recital Hall will include two silent shorts by German filmmaker Lotte Reiniger, which will be screened to music written for a duet consisting of saxophone and vibraphone. The concert will end in Christ Church (Episcopal) where the work "Pent," written by Eastman composition student Elizabeth Kelly for the Craighead-Saunders organ, will receive its premiere.

Also on Thursday, March 26, pianist Kevin Nitsch and mixed media artist Kathleen Nicastro will present a concert at 3:30 p.m. in the Miller Center Atrium as part of their interactive "Labyrinth of Sound and Light" series. Titled "Water's Edge: 200 Years of Women Composers," the event also features soprano Amy Cochrane and pianist Beverley Smoker. Individuals will be able to wander into the Atrium to listen, watch, and move around the artists to enhance the participatory experience; writing and drawing materials will be available so that audience members can express their own thoughts or impressions.

Besides the performance of Zaimont's "Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening," events on the evening of Friday, March 27, include a recital by Eastman alumna and flutist Jennifer Oh-Brown and the Chicago New Arts Trio at 7 p.m. at the University of Rochester's Interfaith Chapel.

A complete schedule of events, which are free and open to the public, can be found online at www.esm.rochester.edu/wmf/. In addition, the weekly mini-recitals on the Italian Baroque organ at the Memorial Art Gallery at 1 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, and Sunday March 29, will be devoted to women composers.

The Eastman School's Women in Music Festival was launched in 2005. Sylvie Beaudette, assistant professor of chamber music and accompanying is the founding director of the festival.The 2009 festival is sponsored by The Hanson Institute for American Music at the Eastman School; the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender & Women¹s Studies and the Department of Music in the College of the University of Rochester; the departments of Chamber Music, Composition, Humanities, Piano, Voice, Winds, Brass & Percussion and the Eastman All-Events Committee of the Eastman School of Music; and the Office of the Dean of the Eastman School of Music.

Zaimont's residency was funded in part through Meet the Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program.

Charlie Cote Reading for Just Poets

Poet Charlie Cote will be the featured reader for the Just Poets Reading series and open mic Thursday, March 12 at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford. Join us at 7pm in the Community Room. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance by emailing claudiastanek@gmail.com.

In the late 90s, Charlie Coté was a faithful church attendee but found himself sitting more and more in the doubter’s pew. As weekly sermons were often, shall we say, less than inspiring, he took to doodling phrases scraps of paper. These morphed into the beginnings of early poems. From there, he found the most accomplished, devout agnostic poet he could find to help him complete these heresies. Said poet will remain unnamed but let’s say his name rhymed with bored, appropriately enough. When Charlie gets dry, he can still count on the doubter’s pew to be his triggering town...

Publication credits include: The Cortland Review, Upstreet, Boston Literary Magazine, ByLine, Connecticut River Review, and a recent chapbook, Flying for the Window (Finishing Line Press, 2008), elegies about his son’s illness and death.

Charlie is a clinical social worker in private practice and lives with his wife and two sons in Brighton.

A Change of Plans

I am not a believer of circumstance. I was supposed to be attending a mult-journal off-site AWP reading in Chicago this evening. Instead, my flight having been cancelled, I was pleased to attend Rochester native and 2008 Pulitzer prize winner Philip Schultz's reading at the University of Rochester. Schultz, whose work spans his youth growing up here in Living in the Past (Harcourt, 2004) and moves through multi-faceted Failures in his notable book of the same name (Harcourt, 2008) addresses recurring themes related to the imigrant experience and mind-set. His reading immediately connected several audience members to that past time and place so often now only found in foggy memory and vacant lots where the quaint but serviceable homes of families once stood. As the imigrant neighborhoods of his generation are re-shaped, a driving cultural amalgamation of the 20th. century in the United States diminishes and will all but disappear but for the efforts of artists such as Schultz.

Remembering Faces Reading

Join guest host Donna Marbach (publisher/editor) for a reading by the poets from the anthology Remembering Faces (Palettes & Quills, 2008) sponsored by Just Poets. The reading is at 7:00 pm Thursday, February 12 at Barnes & Noble Pittsford in the Community Room. An open mic will follow. Just Poets members in good standing may sign up in advance via email: claudiastanek@yahoo.com.

Adam Wilcox Discusses the Poetry of Alan Dugan

Adam Wilcox will be discussing the poetry of Alan Dugan at the next Just Poets meeting, Saturday, February 7 at St. John Fisher College.

Adam is the president of WritWilcox, LLC. His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming in Poetry, The Colorado Review, Folio, Cairn, and Blueline, among others. He has been a featured reader for the Genesee Readers Series. For eight years, he wrote the "Gut Instincts" food column for Rochester City Newspaper. H.e plays in two original bands in addition to playing jazz as a volunteer with the ARC of Monroe County. He lives in Rochester, NY with his choreographer wife, Anne Harris Wilcox and their three homeschooled children.

Jan Wenk Cedras Reads for Just Poets

Jan Wenk Cedras will be the featured reader for the monthly Just Poets Reading Series and Open Mic at Barnes & Noble Thursday, January 8. The reading, which begins at 7pm, will be in the community room at the Pittsford location. Paulette Schwartzfager will be your emcee for this evening. Just Poets members in good standing may pre-register for the open mic by emailing me at claudiastanek@yahoo.com.

Wynne McClure to Read

Please join me at Barnes & Noble Pittsford this Thursday, December 11 for this month's Just Poets Reading Series. Poet Wynne McClure will be the featured reader. An open mic will follow the 7 pm reading.

Wynne McClure has written 3 books of poetry: My Lonely Luxury (Foothills, 2008), Torn For Peace (with Paul Bither, Foothills, 2005), and The Hidden Self (Foothills, 2004). Other work has appeared in or is forthcoming in Soundings Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, Hazmat Review, ByLine, Listening to Water: The Susquehanna Watershed Anthology, and Summer Songs as well as elsewhere.

Le Mot Juste Reading

Avoid the crowd at the SUNY metro center and join Just Poets at Barnes & Noble Pittsford tomorrow evening at 7pm for a reading from the Just Poets Anthology Le Mot Juste 2008. While we can't beat Ted Kooser's reading, we can entertain with some locally spun poetry. See you in the community room!

Denise Duhamel's Reading Last Night

How many poetry readings feature a strong, ebullient poet? Denise Duhamel entertained a larger than average crowd at SUNY Brockport's Writers Forum. Duhamel was introduced by SUNY Brockport's Steve Fellner. Fellner's own book, Blind Date with Cavafy, was selected by Duhamel for the 2006 Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize. Having heard Fellner read just this past Tuesday evening at the Genesee Reading Series at Writers & Books, I can say it is easy to understand how Duhamel selected Fellner's manuscript. Both poets have a penchant for viewing the familiar in unexpected ways.

Duhamel, whose work is not strictly written for academicians, stood at the podium with confidence and a youthfulness that belied her 47 years. She prefers to open her readings with the lighthearted and humorous to capture her audience and, having their attention, she then feels comfortable addressing more serious issues, like death and loss. Duhamel uses the Barbie doll as a character to ponder the possibility of joining the military, among other humorous explorations. Her work is accessible and employs various forms such as the abcedarian, where in "Our Americano" her use of long lines and slang terminology from the 1950s makes what is old new again to a generation oblivious to that era. She devised another form based on the Mobius strip, where her poem about the struggles of a friend suffering from Alzheimer's may begin and end anywhere on the three dimensional page plainly conveys the how of the poem. One does wonder, though, how such poems incorporating lengthy lines and breathlessness read on the printed page to a voiceless reader.

Anne Coon Reading Thursday

Poet Anne Coon will be the featured reader for this month's edition of the Just Poets Reading Series Thursday, October 9 at Barnes & Noble, Pittsford. Join us in the Community Room at 7:00 pm. Read Anne's brief bio below:

Anne Coon is the author of four books: Henry James Sat Here (The Old School Press, Bath, UK, 2006); Via del Paradiso (FootHills Publishing, 2006); Daedalus’ Daughter (FootHills Publishing, 2004); and her newest book, co-authored with Marcia Birken, Discovering Patterns in Mathematics and Poetry (Editions Rodopi, Amsterdam, 2008). Her poems appear in several journals. She recently retired after 28 years at RIT and is now writing full-time, working on a novel and a new poetry manuscript.