your cinco de mayo annogram

Dear annogrammers, Happy Cinco de Mayo! Party on, in this month of wild hot/cold weather, gorgeous blooms, gratitude for vaccines, and hopes for a good summer. So much to celebrate, and cook and eat, as you will read.

 

The New York Society Library 30 Days of Poetry

Linda Simone

Poet Linda Simone and I participated in this online event to celebrate National Poetry Month. Linda offers us “Breakfast” while I consider the “Trackside Commissary.” Our gratitude to the New York Society Library for this lovely venue.

 

Ligia Yamazaki

Fonoteca Española de Poesía

Thanks to Ligia M. Yamazaki for translating Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres Press, 2014) into Spanish. You can hear three poems read in English and Spanish from Fonoteca Española de Poesía (Madrid). Gracias to María Luisa Lopez for this great translation debut!

 

Amazon Best Seller

So excited to be in Brought to Sight and Swept Away: A Poetry Anthology About Time (Vita Brevis Press). Editor Brian Geiger reports this book ranked no. 2 in Amazon’s new release poetry anthology category upon its April debut. Purchase and help nudge it to no. 1!

 

Kevin Pilkington Book Launch

Kevin Pilkington

Congratulations to Kevin on the publication of Playing Poker With Tennessee Williams (Black Lawrence Press). The launch, a lively salute to his latest volume, demonstrates his award-winning poetic mastery and wit. Family and friends showed up to make the conversation lively, intelligent, and fun—and you can experience it all here.

 

Star Basketball Player Reimagines Quilting

Michael Thorpe

Michael Thorpe traded artistry on the court for a breakout career as a quilter. His exhibition at the LaiSun Keane Gallery (Boston) through May 29, “Meandering Thoughts,” precedes his October Museum of Fine Art debut, “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories.” While his influences are Matisse, Hockney, and Basquiat, he describes his “Black artist aesthetic” as a way to convey thoughts on contemporary societal issues.

 

Ode to Toad Lily Press

See this fine retrospective on Toadlily Press, founded by poets Myrna Goodman, Meredith Trede, Maxine Silverman, and Jennifer Wallace. This video celebrates NEA recipient Pamela Hart, former Washington Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen, and Pushcart winning poet Heidi Hart. We miss Toad Lily and its beloved quartet chapbook series!

 

New and Recent Releases

Pierre Fuller, Famine Relief in Warlord China (Harvard University Press)

 

Brian Geiger, Ed. Brought to Sight and Swept Away: A Poetry Anthology About Time (Vita Brevis Press)

 

Growing Up (Pure Slush + Truth Serum Press)

 

Mikhail Iossel, Love Like Water, Love Like Fire (Bellevue Literary) pre-order

 

George Kalamaras, We Slept the Animal (Dos Madres Press)

 

Pedestal 87.5 20^th anniversary issue

 

The Poet Magazine on Faith, Spring 2021

 

Jean-Luc Pouliquen, Vu de Parc (Independently published)

 

Gail Reitano, Italian Love Cake (Bordighera Press)

 

Creative Calls

The London Reader open call for poetry and writing on the moon by May 9

 

Pedestal 88 open for submissions May 3-30

 

Poetry Institute of New York open call for poetry and photography

 

The Poet open call on friends and friendship

 

Pure Slush + Truth Serum Press (Australia) open call on friendship and “25 miles from here”

 

Slapering Hol Chapbook Competition, deadline June 15

 

Writing Off the Walls open call for poet and writer responses to art exhibit

 

Creative Workshops

Drawing by AK
"Poetic Meters Are Interesting"
medium.com

Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, every second Wednesday

 

Mini Tutorial on Poetic Meter thanks to Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen

 

ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community

 

Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register

 

The Poets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday

 

May Readings and Events – ET

Myung Mi Kim

May 3-23, Upstream Gallery, Eleanor Goldstein sculpture and Mia de Bethune pastels

May 7, 7pm, Poetry With District Leader Cory Provost, Patricia Carragon, Roxanne Hoffman, Pauline Findlay, Jerry Johnson, Stephanie Laterza, Martina McGowan, Carrie Magness Radna, James Rivera, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal, Megha Sood; register here

 

May 9, 4pm, Enclave Series (1pm Tucson), Myung Mi Kim; register here

 

May 12, 7pm, HVWC, January Gill O’Neil, Tina Kelley, Pattiann Rogers; register here

 

Donika Kelly

May 18, 7:30pm, Scarsdale Writers Center, “Family Stories”

 

May 19, 7pm, HVWC, Alex Dimitrov, Donika Kelly; register here

 

May 22-23, 8am-8am, International Focusing Institute, Focus-A-Thon; free

 

Monthly Readings – ET

First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)

 

Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)

 

Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner

 

Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click on third Friday for details

 

Can’t Be Beet Salad

It’s going to be hot soon, and we’ll be craving cool and healthy salads—here’s one that fits the bill.

 

2 medium organic beets, roasted*, peeled, diced into bite-sized pieces

2 .5 oz fresh organic baby arugula

1.5 oz goat cheese

1/4 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp organic lemon juice

1/4 tsp dry powdered mustard

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

*To roast beets, scrub raw beets clean, coat with a little olive oil, double-wrap in aluminum foil, and roast in 400°F oven 90 minutes. Make vinaigrette: Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Adjust to taste. Assemble salad: Compose each plate with a handful of arugula, cooked chopped beets, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped toasted walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Enjoy!

 

ʼRound the Net

Sarah Bracey White

Memoirist Sarah Bracey White on reading last month at this Daisy Jopling event, and making her online debut at Carnegie Hall

Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on their upcoming book, A Naturalist’s Manor (Chax Press) by Yan An

 

Gary Glauber

Poet Gary Glauber (happy birthday!) for work in The Piker Press, MacQ, and Kalopsia, and for sharing his Amazon author page

 

Writer Claudia Hammon for sharing this NYT article on the importance of poets

 

Budding artist and grand nephew Oliver Hulse for helping color-in the global All Togther Now video

 

J. Chester Johnson

Author J. Chester Johnson for his article on racial forgiveness and Lit Hub excerpt from his book

 

Poet Heller Levinson for being listed on the Big Other’s Most Anticipated Press Releases, and work, or rather LURKs, in Alligator Zine

 

Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for his poem, “Solitaire,” at The Raven’s Perch, this article on Whitman and democracy, and how to market your poetry online

 

Jean-Luc Pouliquen

Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for this reflection on the life and work of French Beat poet Serge Bec

 

Poet and artist Linda Simone for sharing 50 new streamed poetry recordings

 

Fran Sisco

Poet and performer Fran Sisco on participating in last month’s Poetry Caravan, Chill Bucket Production of An Evening of Shakespeare, and Imperial Court of New York’s Latin Explosion; and being nominated for original songs, “Carousel Girl,” “Our Friend Wendy, It’s Her Birthday,” and “Happy Trans Girl Like Me”

LinkedIn Editor Carrington York on the need for our brains to do nothing

Until next time,

Ann