Warm Greetings
Poetry Month
Bishop in Key West
As
reported by Poets and Writers, the
Key West Literary Seminar (KWLS) has purchased Elizabeth Bishop's former residence in Key West, Florida. The site will become a public literary venue as well as KWLS headquarters. Arlo Haskell, executive director of KWLS, says the timeless residence still “feels like Elizabeth
Bishop’s house.”
Planet Word
An interactive museum dedicated to words and language is planned to open this year in Washington, DC. Planet Word will focus on the spoken, sung, and written word—such as a 22-foot-tall Word Wall with 1,000+ voice activated words,lighting up and explaining their arrival in the English language. The 51,000-square-foot site will be inside the historic Franklin School in the
heart of DC.
Fav San Antonio Artists
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| "Lungs of the Earth" by Lucia LaVilla-Havelin |
Congratulations to textile artist Lucia LaVilla-Havelin on her recent exhibit at Aanna Reyes Gallery. Lucia creates needlework on canvases such as “Lungs of the Earth” to raise environmental awareness.
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| "Amazon Parrot" by Linda Simone |
Kudos too to watercolorist Linda Simone on exhibiting at Kapej Gallery. Linda combines watercolor and ink on recycled tea bags for a gorgeous, antique-like patina—which you can see @teabagartsa on Instagram.
New Releases
Heath Brougher, ed. Concrete Mist Press Anthology (Concrete Mist)Kevin Crookes, Snoff the Sloth (Independently Published)
Carrie Greenlaw, Dark Garnet (L+S Press)
Kerrin McCadden, Keep This to Yourself (Button Poetry)
Kevin Pilkington, Playing Poker with Tennessee Williams (Black Lawrence Press)
Jean-Luc Pouliquen, Itinéraire poétique en étoile (Independently Published)
Martina Reisz Newberry, Blues for French Roast with Chicory (Deerbrook Editions)
Geoffrey Woolf, Fontaine’s Golden Wheel Fortune Teller and Dream Book (Dos Madres Press)
Creative Opportunities
Catholic Literary Arts is sponsoring a poetry contest; submit by April 30
 |
| Bob Heman |
Clown War, aka CLWN WR, edited by poet Bob Heman, enjoys an archive that goes back to 1974
The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts is open for submissions.
Matter Press will send a free book if you are quarantined: email your snail mail address to matterpress@comcast.net
One-on-One Poetry Workshop with Arthur Vogelsang
Pedestal Magazine call for poems around “laments for the earth” or “songs of resilience”
Poetry Spoken Here is
launching Open Mic of the Air; send five-minute or less audio recording of your
poems and it will edit into podcasts
Blender Cornmeal Waffles
Here’s
comfort food that’s easy to make—three large waffles:
1 egg
3/4 cup
organic or plant-based milk
1/4 cup
vegetable oil
1 cup organic all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat waffle maker. Place ingredients
in blender. Cover and mix at med-high speed until dry ingredients are
moistened. Do not over-blend. Pour 1/2 cup batter over grids. Close waffle
maker gently and bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Remove
waffle with a fork and serve.
Online Poetry Events (EST)
 |
| Christina Rau |
April 4, Noon, Susanna Case on her book Body Falling, Sunday Morning (Milk and Cake Press)
April 5, 2pm, Ceremony and Reading, Christina Rau named Walt
Whitman Birthplace Poet of the Year
 |
| Charles Alexander |
April 5, 4-5:30pm,
"As We Keep Our Distance" with Laurel Peterson, Van Hartman, Jane
Ormerod
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/502610098
April
5, 5pm, Lit Balm:
An Interactive Livestream Reading Series
with Jonathan Penton, Larissa Shmailo, Marc Vincenz
with Jonathan Penton, Larissa Shmailo, Marc Vincenz
April 8, 8-9pm, launch of Geoff Woolf's Fontaine's Golden Wheel Fortune Teller and
Dream Book https://zoom.us/j/703950105
Charles Alexander and Eli Goldblatt on the Chax YouTube
channel
Distāntia Remote Reading Series
ʼRound the Net
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| Sarah Bracey White (far right) with fans at AWP |
Memoirist
Sarah Bracey White for selling all
her copies of Primary Lessons (CavanKerry) at AWP
Poet
and Open Mic Host Bill Buschel on
the perks of being a
pirate
Author Kevin Crookes on his new YouTube channel for kids
Art
Historian Beth Gersh-Nešić for her fantastic
article on Degas (1834-1917) and salute
to Notre Dame as we near the April 15th anniversary of its
burning
Poet Cindy Hochman on having work appear in the new Concrete Mist Press Anthology (Concrete
Mist)
 |
| Heller Levinson |
Poet
and artist Meg Lindsay on recent painting
exhibit, “Mostly New,” at the Irvington Library
YA
Novelist Alison McBain on her debut
novel The Rose
Queen (Fairfield Scribes) becoming a Wishing
Shelf List finalist
Poet John McMullen for this article on the never-ending
poem
Poet Ralph Nazareth for reminding us of one of the
most timely and poignant lines in poetry
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen on being featured on
the January 9, 2020 and June 6, 2019 broadcasts
of Les poètes
The New York Public Library for Books
You’ve Always Meant to Read
 |
| Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) |
Musician
Larry Schwartzman for sending us
this roundup of 2020
poetry reads
Poet
and artist Linda Simone for the
story behind Good Night Moon
Scholar
Ilan Stavans for this animated short on Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)
Filmmaker
Frank Vitale on his film, “The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable”, at
the Sarasota Film Festival
Poet Neal Whitman and photographer Elaine Whitman on respective work in Immagine e Poesia (Italy)
Special thanks to Dr.
Steve Guggenheim, Marie Morris RN, Bill
Buschel, and Barbara Dickinson
for the sharing the helpful virus-related videos above
Some Indoor Treats
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| Christopher Kimball |
(C)Ovid and Metamorphosis
 |
| Ovid (43 bce - 17 ce) |
What a bizarre few
weeks! I was finishing The Metamorphoses
while life around me seemed to transform. An old school salesman shook my hand
after a purchase, and I thought, “He’s not afraid,” then “Is that my last
handshake?” Rome faces a plague at the end of Ovid’s volume of beloved and often
disturbing myths. The oracle instructs elders to bring back Asclepius, the god
of medicine, from Greece, and the city recovers. Could part of our cure be here
already—slowing down, spending time with family, focusing on immediate needs, and
savoring fresh air outdoors? Something profound is shifting, sprouting
feathers, growing wings. Hold on, keep connected, and wait for whatever takes
shape.
Be
safe, be creative!
Until
next time,
Ann
