Poetry in Translation this Sunday
 |
| Hélène Sanguinetti |
coming from Chax Press.
Toy Hall of Fame Nominees
The National Toy Hall of Fame is considering Chutes and Ladders, American Girl Dolls, tic-tac-toe,
chalk, and the Magic 8 Ball. The Hall of Fame’s Chris Bensch says, "This year, the Susan Lucci
of the toy world is the Magic 8 ball.” After seven tries, it has not yet been
inducted. Will our favorite Magic 8 ball win? Fingers crossed “It is decidedly
so” shows up as the answer in November.
 |
| Kevin Pilkington |
Kevin Pilkington, winner of the National Book Award and four-time Pushcart nominee, will be giving two poetry readings at The Dodge Poetry Festival on October 20 at 2pm and October 21 at 12:30pm. Kevin will take his place among top poets at the four-day event, the largest poetry festival in North America. Here’s more on the festival lineup.
Mary McCray's Cowboy Meditation
Primer
Poet Mary
McCray’s astonishing second book, while reading like a novel, integrates highly crafted poetics. A gorgeous
immersion into southwestern landscape, the Primer is as much a spiritual as external journey. Easterner Silas Cole finds camaraderie in the company of the
mysterious Coyote, the quiet cook, and gambling cowboys who teach him to reel in his soul as well as the herd they drive. While Silas can “extract the holes of bullets” and “save them like buttons”, he ultimately learns "nothing but earth wants your bones.”
This is a gritty and lyrical narrative I could not resist. Congratulations to Mary on another highly original and beautifully written work!
Gil Fagiani celebrated at Calandra
Institute
 |
| Gil Fagiani (1945-2018) |
Missing Madonnas, the first posthumous poetry collection in Gil Fagiani’s Bordighera Press trilogy, which includes Chianti in Connecticut and Stone Walls, at John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, at 6pm. Thanks to Queens Poet Laureate Maria Lisella for championing her late husband’s poetry, memoirs, and translation. RSVP calandra@qc.edu and visit the IAWA website for more on IAWA second Saturdays in Manhattan.
New Releases
Margaret Randell,
translator; María Vázquez Valdez, Kawsay - The
flame of the jungle (The Operating System)
Creative Opportunities
Coffee Poems submit
poem in English or other language by 10th each month to coffeepoems@writerscenter.org
Red Quinoa Salad
My friend Elyse Faltz made this scrumptious
protein-rich salad, a perfect bridge to fall eating. Enjoy!
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups 1/2-inch-diced seeded tomato
1/2 cup 1/2-inch-diced seeded cucumber
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 oz (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
4 lemon wedges
Cook quinoa according to package directions,
omitting salt and fat. Drain, place in large bowl, and cool one hour. While
quinoa cools, whisk oil and next four ingredients in small bowl. Let stand 20
minutes. Add dressing, tomato, and next four ingredients to quinoa;
toss well. Serve with feta and lemon wedges.
Poetry
readings / literary events
Norwalk Library, Poets in Conversation, October 4, 7pm, Amy Nawrocki, Brian
Clements
 |
| Rae Armantrout |
John D.
Calandra Italian American Institute, October 16,
6pm, Missing Madonnas by the
late Gil Fagiani, book launch; RSVP calandra@qc.edu
McNally Jackson, October 16, 7pm,
bilingual book launch, María Vázquez Valdez’s Kawsay - The
flame of the jungle; Margaret
Randall, Urayoán Noel, Elizabeth Zuba,
Mónica
de la Torre, Lila Zemborain
UPenn, October 18, 10am-5pm, A New Disability Poetics, symposium on
relationships between
the disabled body and contemporary poetic practices
the disabled body and contemporary poetic practices
 |
| Curley's Diner, Home of Curley's Poets |
Curley’s Poets
The
Bonbonnerie Tearoom on Madison, October
25, 6pm, Poetry Dinner; Megan Henson, Susan Glassmeyer, Pauletta Hansel; RSVP $25
ʼRound the Net
 |
| Rachel Cohen in performance |
Poet Cindy Hochman on reviewing Brett Evans's and
Christopher Shipman's Keats
is Not the Problem, and Lynn Schmeidler's History
of Gone in Pedestal 82
Poet Meg Lindsay on “Pain Scale" in the September Light; “That First Hospital Stay” in the
October Months to Years, “What They
Don’t Tell You,” in 2019 Pulse; and Tiferet finalist “Diagnosis”
 |
| Murano glass |
Guitarist Johnny Moses, via guitarist Michael Cefola,
for this article on the benefits of arts in the boonies
Poet Christina Rau on winning the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry
Association's 2018 Elgin Award for her book Liberating
The Astronauts (Aqueduct Press, 2017)
 |
| Hooch with Lou and Eugenie Spirito |
Author and dog rescuer Louis
Spirito on adopting Hooch, whom we hope inspires another book
Poet Neal Whitman for poems, “One Day at Point Pinos
Lighthouse: A Docent’s Reflection and Refraction,” in Stacking Stones: An
Anthology of Short Tanka Sequences (Keibooks, 2018); with Amelia Fielden,
“Weather Uncertain, Conditions Unknown,” Atlas Poetica 32: A Journal ofWorld Tanka
Memoirist Sarah Bracey White for “And Then Suddenly," a podcast by Angela Santillo about Sarah’s mother, segregation and freedom; and “One on One with Vin Daquino”
 |
| Photo by Dan Bush of Missouri Skies |
Thanks to old school pal Eric
Schecter on Facebook, I realized tonight is the Harvest Moon. To honor this
celestial event, Eric evoked the Neil Young song of the same name. On this moon I wish you the magical powers of a full
heart, and inspired imagination.
Until next time,
Ann
