your fool annogram

 

Dear annogrammers, National Poetry Month begins with April Fool’s Day. Appropriate, huh? As court jesters and truth-tellers, we have this official opportunity to share our gift—our stellar creativity that can concentrate in families such as the Pilkingtons, be passed to the next generation—as in the artist Grajeks, or thanks to poet George Wallace, give a sense of camaraderie amidst war. Read on and rejoice….

 

 

Trainwreck Poets Reading

 

What a joy to read last month with Trainwreck eco-poet Mary Newell, Hinge Theory founder Heller Levinson, poet translator Anthony Seidman, and poet and visual artist Giorgia Pavlidou. Thanks to Charles Alexander’s recording, you can experience it here. Our publisher John C. Goodman comments:

 

I'm rather breathless after the reading today. Poetry brought to life through expression, voice modulation and passion. Extraordinary. Such intelligence, vision, harmony, and revelation through language. And humour! What a celebration!

 

Big Bang Praise

Thanks to poet Mary McCray for her review of my Trainwreck chapbook When the Pilotless Plane Arrives in Big Bang Poetry. Mary writes:

 

This is an amazing little set of ars poetica poems culled from the material of old movies […] extrapolates a delightful and non-obvious lesson about writing from the serpentine plots of these movies [...] in four lines or four words.

 

 

New Translation Chapbook

 

Discover critically acclaimed French poet Hélène Sanguinetti in the new Trainwreck chapbook, The Hero / Hence This Cradle. Heller Levinson was so charmed by her work that one line inspired him to generate a landslide of verse! This chapbook is the ideal way to enter this enchanting and disorienting world. Order your copy here.

 

 

Elena Grajek: Overdramatic

 

In Elena Grajek’s exhibit at the Katonah Museum

Elena Grajek

, whimsical imagesof people and animals, in drawing, painting, and collage, let viewers—the artist notes—“to process difficult themes in a lighthearted way.” Congrats to Elena, who continues the artistic tradition of her parents, photographer Margaret Fox and illustrator-muralist Tim Grajek. Exhibit runs through May 8.

 

 

Siblings Read Poetry and Prose

 

Maureen and Kevin Pilkington

American Fiction Award winner Maureen Pilkington and National Book Award Winner Kevin Pilkington will read from their work on April 19, 2pm, at the Donnelly Film Theater in the Heimbold Visual Arts Center at Sarah Lawrence College. Attend live or register through this Zoom link. You can also hear Kevin talk about crafting poetry in this interview and take advantage of a summer workshop with this master poet in Maine.

 

 

In Person: Poetry Month Celebration

 

Alison McBain, PC Keeler, Ed Ahern

The Poets’ Salon, led by Edward Ahern and Alison McBain, will hold a hybrid event on April 23^rd, 2-5pm, at the Fairfield (CT) Library. Five poets will read work and answer questions on writing and publishing; there will also be an open mic and special giveaways. Respect the library’s COVID policies if attending in person, or use password 101 if viewing via this Zoom link.

 

 

Poets Building Bridges

 

Cindy Hochman

Congratulations to Cindy Hochman on being one of the US poets to read in George Wallace’s six-part Poets Building Bridges global series. Former writer-in-residence at the Walt Whitman Birthplace, Wallace brought together poets and musicians from the US, UK, and India in the final episode last month. One Indian poet even read from the original Tamil! How cool is that? You can enjoy the full event here.

 

 

Creative Opportunities

 

Catholic Literary Arts Sacred Poetry Contest, submit ekphrastic poetry by April 30

 

Connecticut River Review, poetry by April 15, $5

 

The Lauria/Fasca Poetry Prize for poets of Italian descent, by July 1, $20

 

Line-by-Line, a Poetry Workshop with Kevin Pilkington at Maine Media College, August 1-5

 

Kevin Pilkington

Madville Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology, by June 30

 

Mutabilis Press Chaos Dive Reunion Anthology, by April 30

 

New Croton Review, submit fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, photography

Dolly Parton

OpenDoor Magazine, submit poetry, short stories, articles, art, songs on “under the tree,” by April 15

 

The Poet, submit on “the family,” by June 15

 

Rhino, fiction, nonfiction, poetry by June 30

 

Women in Their 80s, octogenarian poetry and prose anthology; detaylor@cabrillo.edu, by September 30

 

New and Recent Releases

 

Ann Cefola, translator, The Hero / Hence This Cradle (Trainwreck Press) by Hélène Sanguinetti

 

Jessica Niles DeHoff, Grief is Pink (Lines + Stars Press)

 

First Literary Review East

 

Janet Kaplan, Ecotones (Eyewear Ltd) pre-order

 

Ann Lauinger, Dime Saint, Nickel Devil (Broadstone Press)

 

Thomas Osatchoff, Eupnea Hegira (Trainwreck Press)

 

Laurel Peterson, Daughter of the Sky (Futurecycle Press)

 

Anthony Seidman, translator, Contra Natura  (Cardboard House Press) by Rodolfo Hinostroza

 

Margo Taft Stever, The End of Horses (Broadstone Press)

 

Mervyn Taylor, News of the Living (Broadstone Press)

 

 

Creative Workshops

 

All-Genre Writers Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays

 

John McMullen Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourth Wednesdays

 

Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, second Wednesdays

 

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

 

Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon

 

 

April Readings and Events – ET

 

April through May 8, Katonah Museum, Elena Grajek: Overdramatic exhibit

 

April 1 through April 24, Upstream Gallery, Hanging Around: Banners for Hastings-on-Hudson (NY); opening reception April 3, 2pm

 

April 5, 10am, Learning in Retirement, Stamford (CT), Beth Gersh-Nešić, "Black Lives Matter in Art, Part 1”; April 12, 10am, "Part 2: The Obama Portraits”; each class $5; register for Zoom by April 1

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

April 6, 7pm all events, HVWC, Kaveh Akbar, L. Lamar Wilson, Elizabeth Metzger; April 13, Roger Reeves, Adrian Matejka, Sean Singer; April 20, Marilyn Monroe anthology hybrid reading; tickets $5-25; to register, click calendar event

April 7, 7pm, Red-Headed Stepchild, Margo Taft Stever, Susana H. Case via Zoom

 

April 10, 3pm, Cultivating Voices, Margo Taft Stever, Mervyn Taylor, Susana H. Case, Andrea Deekin; via Zoom meeting ID: 822 6789 6629, passcode: 586923

 

April 19, 2pm, Sarah Lawrence College, Maureen Pilkington, Kevin Pilkington; hybrid reading, register for Zoom

 

Marjorie Maddox

April 22-24, Bethany Retreat Center, Marjorie Maddox, “The Path of Poetry as a Spiritual Practice,” $258

 

April 25, 7pm, KGB Bar, Margo Taft Stever, Mervyn Taylor, Myra Malkin, Karren LaLonde Alenier, Susana H. Case

 

April 25, 7pm, Oceanside Library, Open Mic Poetry Chat led by Christina M. Rau; read a poem you admire plus your own inspired by that poem; online

 

 

 

 

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 third Friday for details

 

Every Saturday, 5pm, Lit Balm

 

 

Lemon-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

 

Thanks to Facebook friend Philip Nicholas for posting this perfect spring recipe! I’d add some garlicky steamed spinach and a loaf of warmed sourdough bread for a great supper.

 

1 head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons quality olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt  

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup grated imported parmesan cheese

1 lemon

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut cauliflower into 1½ to 2-inch florets; toss with olive oil. Spread in one layer on parchment-lined sheet pan for easy cleanup; roast in preheated oven 15 minutes. Flip and sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake until crisp and golden at edges, 10 to 20 minutes. Zest lemon. Sprinkle cauliflower with zested lemon and, if you like, some crushed red pepper flakes. Toss in the pan with a spatula and serve.

 

 

ʼRound the Net

 

Lightwood Editor Laurence Carr for the shout-out in his review of I Wanna Be Loved by You: Poems on Marilyn Monroe (Milk + Cake Press)

 

Translator and art historian Beth Gersh-Nešić for sharing this inspired tour of the Met’s recent Disney exhibit

 

Poet Cindy Hochman for her poem “Nueve Preguntas (9 Questions)” in SurVision Magazine

 

Civil rights historian and poet J. Chester Johnson on sharing that poet-musician Cornelius Eady and his band were highlighted in a PBS Newshour Profile

 

Marilyn Johnson

Poet and essayist Marilyn Johnson on work in Nine Mile and forthcoming in North American Review

 

Poet Heller Levinson on being named a finalist for The Big Other Book Award for Fiction

 

Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for this NYT op-ed piece about poetry in the war and for this video of his recent poetry reading

 

Poet Mary Newell for her poem, “Flying Jewel Fade-Out” in ASLE Brasil

 

Poet and visual artist Giorgia Pavlidou for her interview in 1 Week Critique

 

Jean-Luc Pouliquen

Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for the wonderful review of his new book, Les 3 B, in Le Salon Littéraire

 

Blogger Sandra Hale Schulman for her article on Marcia Resnick, who photographed downtown New York in the 70s and 80s

 

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973)

Blues bassist Larry Schwartzman for the greatest female guitarists of all time

 

Poet Diane Seuss on winning the National Book Critics’ Award

 

Poet and artist Linda Simone for this tool for isolating “only the questions” in writing, via Austin Kleon

Memoirist Mary Wasacz on her March 18th Pandemic Diary entry in Passager Books

Read650 event in Manhattan

Memoirist Sarah Bracey White on reading in the Read650 Series last month at City Winery in Manhattan

 

 

Where to Live

 

Anaïs Nin (1903-1977) explains her need to write:

 

Anais Nin (1903-1977)

I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me – the world of my parents, the world of war, the world of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere in which I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself […].

 

 

Until next time,

Ann