April is National
Poetry Month and Global
Astronomy Month. In celebration of
both, I’ll present “Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky,” in the new state-of-the art planetarium
at the Hudson River Museum on Sunday, April 26,
at 3:30 p.m. The reading will feature
work from my poetry collection, Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres Press, 2014), accompanied
by spectacular images by astrophotographer
Doug Baum, the Hubble
telescope and others. Come help
celebrate my first book!
Maxine Silverman |
Sunday at the J with Ann, Maxine and George
Poet Maxine Silverman and I will read at
the JCC on
the Hudson as part of Sunday at the J with George and Friends on March 29
at 1:30 p.m. Poet and translator Dr. George Kraus hosts
this great series which features Hudson Valley poets. And don’t miss Maxine’s book party this
Sunday, March 22, 2 p.m., at Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack for Palimpsest (Dos Madres Press,
2015), a work I highly recommend. Hope
to see you on one of these events!
Many thanks
to editor Rachel
Adams for her
thoughtful review of Face Painting in the Dark in the
newly redesigned LINES+STARS. The review
appears, serendipitously, in the DC-based journal’s “star-crossed” issue. I’m also thrilled that Wicked Alice has four of my poems
online, the San Pedro River Review features one, and Cahaba River Literary Journal and Ekphrasis
will publish work this spring and summer.
Matters of the HeArt
An
opening reception, Sunday, March 22, from 2-4 p.m. (1 p.m. admission time for
people with disabilities) at the Greenburgh
Town Hall will herald the 11th annual multimedia art show by 80
Westchester artists over age 55. You can
support Greenburgh
arts by designating “Arts and Culture Committee” on the AmazonSmile
portal; Amazon
donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable
organizations selected by customers.
Art by Ed Young in Bird & Diz |
Bird
& Diz
Outstanding
artist and Caldecott Medalist Ed Young dazzles once again in
Bird & Diz by Gary Golio
(Candlewick Press, 2015). This young reader’s
book, which follows the friendship of Charlie
"Bird" Parker and John "Dizzy" Gillespie, can be read page-by-page or unfolded as a 12-foot
scroll. Bird & Diz is a work of art created by two friends that
will leave readers hankering for a listen. Thanks to Beth Gersh-Nesic of the New
York Arts Exchange for alerting me to this new
work!
Looks
like a combination of margaritas and masterpieces might just push attendance to
one million visitors to the New York Botanical Garden
this year. The Botanical Garden will
stage an elaborate art-loan and garden exhibition May 16 – November 1 that focuses
on the work of Frida Kahlo. Thanks to poet-artist
Linda Simone for sharing this Observer article.
Poetry Caravan on the move
For National Poetry Month, the Poetry Caravan will visit
local libraries. The all-volunteer Caravan
has been bringing poetry to Westchester for over eleven years. If you have a poem to share, or enjoy hearing
poetry read, join us on Thursday, April 9, at the Armonk Library, 7 p.m.;
Monday, April 13, at the Dobbs Ferry Library, 7 p.m.;
Wednesday, April 15, at the Greenburgh Library, 7 p.m.;
Monday, April 20, at the Scarsdale Library, 7
p.m.; or Saturday, April 25, at the Hastings
Library, 3 p.m.
New poetry books
Congratulations to these fine poets on their
new books: John Amen, strange theater (New
York Quarterly Books, 2015), Pamela
Laskin, Homer the Little Stray Cat (Little Balloon Press, 2015); Maxine Silverman, Palimpsest (Dos
Madres Press, 2015), Hélène Sanguinetti on the reissue of Alparegho, pareil à rien
(Editions de l’Amandier, 2015), Margo
Taft Stever, The Lunatic Ball
(Kattywompus Press, 2015), and Toadlily Press for A Good Wall
(Toadlily Press, 2015).
John Amen |
More poetry readings
John Amen reading
up and down the East Coast
Sunday, March 22, 4:30 p.m. Hudson Valley Writers Center
Monday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. at the English Speaking Union
Margo Stever |
Open mic for poets, prose writers,
musicians, comedians, singers - $3, refreshments
Breakfast with Uncle Ike
Uncle Ike would awe
us with his legendary popovers whenever we visited him in the White
Mountains of New Hampshire.
The only problem: the golden popovers went down like potato chips, and I
could easily consume more than a few.
Oh, calories be damned and bring on the butter and jam! Wishing you festive mornings that celebrate
spring.
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted
butter
Preheat oven to 400
degrees. Spray cooking oil spray on
muffin tins or ceramic custard cups.
Beat until blended. Pour into
cups ½ to 2/3 full. Bake 45 – 50 minutes
and avoid opening oven door. Keep any
leftovers—really?—in a closed brown paper bag.
ʼRound the Net
Thanks and/or congratulations to:
Duchamp, Untitled, 1945 |
Michael Cefola, blues-rock
guitarist and composer, for this great article on the
last bluesmen
Gary Glauber, poet,
for work in Hinged,
Inner
Echo, The Legendary - Issue 49 -
March 2015, and Think Journal Volume 5.1
Eric Greinke, poet and translator, for his tribute to poet John Elsberg
Eric Greinke, poet and translator, for his tribute to poet John Elsberg
Ruth Handel, poet, on teaching
her ninth Enjoying Poetry class now at Scarsdale
Adult School and publishing recent work online
Cindy Hochman, poet, for two
poems, a book review, and her own book, Habeas
Corpus (Glass Lyre, 2015) reviewed in Clockwise Cat
Linda, also, for this essay
contest to win an inn in Maine, how some poets
make big money, and a tribute to poet
Philip Levine
So much poetry going
on this and next month! And just as
important, celebrations of faith. In
this time of seasonal rebirth, I wish you perfected moments of holy
contemplation, beauty, and joy.
Until next time,