your merry annogram

Dear annogrammers, Wishing you wonderful holidays, where we bring light into the dark of winter, celebrate cherished traditions, and open ourselves to joy. In Huntington (NY), festivities include lighting the Leg Lamp, aka “a major award,” well-known thanks to the iconic film A Christmas Story. Whatever you do, have fun, be safe, and give thanks for those you love.

 

 

What? No Madeleine?

 

In Beth Gersh-Nesic’s fantastic new blog, Beyond Babka, we learn that a tea-soaked madeleine did not inspire Proust’s memory of his childhood—but toast, or the unpalatable French word tranche. A first draft reveals the historic literary moment arrived via toast and jam (confiture). We can thank the great writer for substituting the more magical-sounding madeleine, cradled in a teaspoon of the herbal tilleul. For more, Beth shares this article with more unknown facts on Proust.

 

 

Virginia Woolf: A Modern Mind

 

Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) spent her creative life pushing the boundaries of literature. Best known for Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and A Room of One’s Own (1929), she engaged questions of gender, class, consciousness, and privilege. Now the New York Public Library is providing an intimate view of the author’s life and creative process through her personal notebooks and diaries, family photographs, and unpublished letters. Free through March 5; register here.

 

 

Sarah Bracey White Sizzles

 

Congratulations to Sarah on being named Westchester Senior of the Year. Poet, playwright, memoirist, and public speaker, Sarah has shared her talent for decades by creating, among many projects, youth writing workshops and hundreds of art exhibits as executive director of Greenburgh Arts and Culture. Her memoir Primary Lessons (CavanKerry Press) precipitated Transcendence, where she debuted as playwright and actor last year; and she is a frequent Read650 (see 1:12:45) reader. Wow!

 

 

Holly Jolly Holiday Art Show & Boutique

 

"The Last Supper" (2022)
Watercolor and acrylic on paper
by Laura Lopez

In On December 17, 2-4 pm, Kapej Gallery & Cafe (San Antonio) will host an opening reception for new artworks by artists Laura Lopez, Vera Smith, and Linda Simone. Enjoy stress-free shopping, complimentary refreshments, and unique gifts including exhibited art as well as jewelry, accessories, cards and more. The art exhibit continues through early January. Instagram: @kapej.satx

 

 

Creative Opportunities

 

Apricity Press open call, deadline Jan. 1

Atmosphere Press, open call all genres, read the fine print carefully

 

Codhill Press Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award ($30), deadline Dec. 30

 

The Fairy Tale Magazine, open call on love, deadline Jan. 2

 

The Poet Magazine, on climate change, deadline Dec. 31

 

Pure Slush, writing on Stella’s Secret Sonata, opens Jan. 1

 

 

New and Recent Releases

 

Adam Cornford, Lalia (Chax Press)

 

Ryler Dustin, Something Bright (Green Linden Press)

 

Circumference, Issue 10

 

First Literary Review-East

 

 

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

 

 

December Events – ET

 

Photo by Bill Buschel

Broken Angels: Photography by Bill Buschel; HVWC, Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 am-2 pm; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 5-7:30pm, through December; call 914-332-5953 to verify times

Heedan Chung in Members’ Open: Small Works at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, through January 8

 

Poet Christin Rau with Akua Lezli Hope in Afrofutruistic Pastoral Speculative Poetry Series on Facebook, December 21, at 7pm

Now through March 5, New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Virgina Woolf: A Modern Mind, free: register here

Voices Group Exhibition, Upstream Gallery (Hastings-on-Hudson), through December

 

 

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

 

Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm

 

Shortbread Stars

 

This comes via The Vermont Country Store’s Our Vermont journal.

 

16 tablespoons salted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

1 ¼ teaspoons ground cardamom

½ teaspoon table salt

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Flaky sea salt (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and set racks on upper and lower third. Line two large baking sheets with parchment and set aside. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, almond extract, cardamom, and salt. Add flour and cornstarch, and beat until dough forms. Gather into a ball, press into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour and up to 2 days. Gently roll dough onto floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out stars and transfer to baking sheets. Gather and reroll dough. Bake 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Transfer to wire rack. When cool, melt chocolate in microwave. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, then return to parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt. Makes about 2 dozen.

 

 

ʼRound the Net

 

The Atomic Heritage Foundation on the 80^th Anniversary of the Chicago Pile-1, where Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) directed the first controlled nuclear reaction on December 2, 1942 ("Stacking the Pile," courtesy Argonne National Laboratory)

 

Poet Magazine Editor Robin Barratt on receiving an acknowledgment from Buckingham Palace, specifically on behalf of the King, for receipt of The Queen anthology

 

William Blake (1757-1827)

Poet Adam Cornford for his essay, “Blake, Science, Eternity, and Poetry,” on the Chax Press site

 

Co-translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on publication of the Yan An poem, “Fog and Yellow Leaves,” in The Fourth River

 

Poet Cindy Hochman on the latest issue of First Literary Review-East, and on having three alliterative prose poems selected for Poetry Pacific

 

Poet, essayist, and translator J. Chester Johnson on his mention in this NPR article on the Elaine and Tulsa race massacres

 

Poet Heller Levinson and artist Linda Lynch on their recent collaboration, “Pronghorn Baffle,” in Alligator Zine; and Heller’s three poems in the Anvil Tongue Books blog

 

Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for best songs by Frank Sinatra

 

The New York Public Library which lets you purchase a book plate inscription as a gift for only $35

Poet and novelist Kevin Pilkington on raking in great reviews for his new book, Taking on Secrets (Blue Jade Press)

 

Poets and Writers for this video of the late poet Stephen Dunn, one of my beloved teachers

 

Poet and watercolorist Linda Simone on her poem, "South Texas 'Scapes," and work by others such as poet Jim LaVilla-Havelin, published in Texas Poetry Assignment  

 

Playwright, artist, and performer Fran Sisco on the Harrison Players performance last month of her play, “It’s an Italian Thing! No, It’s a Black Thing”

 

Poet, artist, and filmmaker Bob Zaslow on his rap version of Twelfth Night

 

Peace and wonder

 

With the holidays upon us, life speeds to a frenzied pitch. I wish you, as artists on a more interior path, the quiet of roots in deep earth and the iridescent ease of breeze-blown pine. Take their cue, and slow down. I will be doing that in January, so send me your news for February—and scoop up all the wonderment you can before then!

  

Until next time,

Ann