your advent annogram

Poet Ron Butlin

A Herald Scotland Book of the Year

Poet Ron Butlin has selected Face Painting in the Dark as a Herald Scotland Book of 2014.  Butlin, Edinburgh Makar (2008 to 2014), calls Face Painting “quite simply a stunning debut.”  Thanks to this distinguished poet for awarding my book this unique honor!

Further reviews

I’m grateful to art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for reviewing Face Painting in her blog.  A Picasso scholar, Beth is the executive director of the New York Arts Exchange.  I took her amazing Cubism class in order to complete “Demoiselles 7” which first appeared in Feminist Studies and parts of which I read at the United Nations.

Les Demoiselles D'Avignon

That poem blew the mind of Mary McCray, according to her review in Big Bang Poetry.  Mary, author of Why Photographers Commit Suicide (Trementina Books, 2012), an Indie Excellence Award finalist, is one of the most intelligent and gifted poets I’ve ever met.  Her Big Bang Poetry blog is so good it makes me angry—nothing could be that good!  It is.

More good news

Thanks to artist Deborah Coulter for promoting Face Painting on Facebook!  I am equally happy to report that an untitled poem of mine will appear in A Common Thread.  My poem, “Velocity,” will also be published in Rabbit Ears, an anthology of TV poems to be published by NYQ Books.

Sculptor Nebula by Doug Baum

‘Furious Stardust’ at the Bruce Museum

What a pleasure to present Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky at the November meeting of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich!  Thanks to the many Westchester Amateur Astronomers who crossed state lines to attend, especially Douglas Baum and his family.  Doug shared his extraordinary images of the night sky which formed much of the backdrop to my reading.

Little Games at Foley’s

Anthony Nisi, Michael Cefola, Tom Vinton, Larry Schwartzman

Sure enough, the blues-rock beat of my husband Michael’s band, Little Games, inspired a crowd—including me—to hit the floor dancing at Foley’s last month.  Photographer Margaret Fox and illustrator Tim Grajek captivated all with their awesome swing moves.  I had a great time dancing with friends such as Deborah Coulter and pianist Neil Sullivan.  Next time, y’all come, you hear?

Fauré’s Requiem at St. James the Less

What a delight to hear Fauré’s Requiem featuring the choirs of St. James the Less and Trinity Churches, accompanied by the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City!  Truly memorable, and I ran into Dos Madres poet and friend, Ruth Handel to boot.  Save February 8, 2015, 4:40 – 6 p.m. for another performance by these impressive choirs at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Gun violence reading and panel

On December 14, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at 125 Hawthorne Street, 3-G; bell #89, Brooklyn, Petra Lewis will read from The Sons and Daughters of Ham, Book I: A Requiem, which examines a family in the aftermath of violence.  A.T. Mitchell of Man Up! and Leah Gun Barrett of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence will then speak on gun violence.  $20 admission includes Petra’s book—$4.00 of which will benefit anti-violence groups.

Book giveaway

Laura Morelli is offering her award-winning novel, The Gondola Maker, for free – with shipping only.  In 2015, look for Laura Morelli's Authentic Arts, guides for travelers who seek immersive cultural experiences.  Laura is your go-to person for discovering and purchasing beautiful artifacts overseas.  Here’s her free PDF on shopping in Venice!

Neil Young

Neil Young and the Starbucks Boycott

Neil Young is boycotting Starbucks.  Why?  Starbucks is a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association which has filed a huge lawsuit against tiny, financially strapped Vermont to block a law requiring genetically modified (GMO) food labels.  As a GMA member, Starbucks is consenting to the suit.  Make mine one vente non-GMO latte, please!

Noonday Collection – do good and be stylish

Thanks to a friend’s gift, I discovered the Noonday Collection—fabulous jewelry and accessories. Noonday partners with artisans in the developing world, empowering them to grow sustainable businesses and earn more to support their families.  So gift yourself or others, and support a living wage for families around the globe!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Purple Onion

I recently shared this recipe with two friends, as a great addition to a holiday feast, from You Can Trust a Skinny Cook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011) by Allison Fishman:

1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch wedges

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place Brussels sprouts, onion and thyme on large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt.  Turn sprouts cut-side down.  Cook until gold brown and soft, 25-30 mins.  If sprouts brown before they soften, cover with foil and continue cooking (I like them brown too).  Remove and discard thyme and serve (great cold too).

̓ Round the Net

Congratulations, and/or thanks, to:

Little Games' Michael Cefola

ALTA list-serve for five tips for editing literary translations and review of an unsanitized new version of Grimms’ Fairy Tales

Colleague Jim Barry for this great video commentary on smart phone madness

Guitarist Michael Cefola for the 50 greatest traditional blues songs and this amazing story about the scientist who invented Corning Ware

Writer Barbara Dickinson for this video of pandas at play

Medical humanities writer Terry Dugan on her upcoming essay, “The Contagion Fabula: How to Narrate an Epidemic,” in Endemic (Palgrave-MacMillan)

Poet Gary Glauber for poems in Brickplight, ExFic, Poetry Quarterly, River Lit and Stoneboat Journal

Author Marilyn Johnson on publication of Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble (HarperCollins, 2014)

Red Glass Books on debut of Suzanne Wise’s Talking Cure and for publisher Janet Kaplan’s “What I’m Reading Now” column in the November 27 Drunken Boat

Poet Robert McDowell for offering his Core Stories Program to jumpstart writers

Kevin Pilkington

Poet Kevin Pilkington on his fascinating interview and new poem in The Worcester Review

Bass player Larry Schwartzman for this heart-warming video on Joe Biden

Poet Linda Simone remembering Pulitzer Prize-winners Claudia Emerson and Mark Strand

Poet Mark Smith-Soto on his new book, Time Pieces (Main Street Rag Press, 2015) available for pre-order and for his poem “Satori” on Rattle

Wishing you anticipation of all the good things to come, this holiday and in the coming year,

Ann

your count-down annogram

As we count down to 2013, it’s with less joy and exuberance.  We in the Northeast have been decimated first by Sandy and then by the tragedy in Newtown.  It’s a time of reflection that instinctively asks us all to consider who we are as individuals and a nation.  I find myself with too many words rushing in or a paucity of effective ones—so we will turn to Adrienne Rich to close this annogram.

Gratitude

I give humble thanks to editors who have selected my work:  Cindy Hochman for First Literary Review East, Shafiq Naz for the Alhambra Poetry Calendar 2013 and Alhambra Poetry Calendar for Young Readers 2013, Mark Smith-Soto for taking translated work for The International Poetry Review, Wendy Galgan for Assisi, and Julie Platt for Technoculture Journal.

Life on Mars

Congratulations to Mary Ladd McCray on the debut of Why Photographers Commit Suicide (Trementina Books, 2012).   This startling poetry collection explores intricacies of space voyage with a mid-western voice that breaks my heart.  The appealing Mars-red cover art is followed by whimsical illustrations inside.  If you love sci-fi, add to your collection by ordering this engaging work and make sure you visit Mary’s Big Bang Poetry website too.  And, to prep you, enjoy this NASA Gangnam Style parody shared by Douglas Baum of Night Vision Astronomy.

Neutral Hero a Top Ten

Congratulations also to Philip Moore, my talented coworker who stars in Richard Maxwell’s play, “Neutral Hero.”  Maxwell took this play around the globe before debuting it here in New York in early November to rave reviews.  And now Ben Brantley of The New York Times has listed it as #4 in the Top Ten Plays of 2012.   Fingers crossed that Maxwell launches another production of the play in 2013!

Untranslatable words

Ollie Brock, Translator-in-Residence at FreeWord in London, asks us to email him (freeword@olliebrock.co.uk) what you consider to be untranslatable words and their definitions by January 20.   If he selects yours, he may mention them at a poetry reading featuring Ghanaian Nii Parkes, Polish-born Maria Jastrzebska and Peruvian Sofia Buchuck on January 23 at 6:30 p.m. at FreeWord in London.

Summer with Jack

Jack Gilbert, a poet’s poet, who evaded the lime light yet generated extraordinary poetry for five decades, died in November.  I spent the summer reading Gilbert, mesmerized by the compression of his poems and the far distances they traveled in limited space.  He also got away with words like “love,” “moon” and “heart”—over and over.   Here’s the poem, “Searching for Pittsburgh,” that got me hooked. 

‘Round the Net

A bumper crop of intriguing links.  Thanks to:

·   American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) for 75 notable translations today and this provocative article on Ricky Ricardo in the classroom

·   Translators Bernard Cohen and Carolyn Wright respectively for this French literary/translation website and creative literary translation website

·   Dance innovator Rachel Cohen for this clip from her new I would performance

·   Poet Terry Dugan for news of golden retrievers sent to Newtown to comfort mourners

·   Poet Julie Enszer for her new book Homesteading and Sinister Wisdom’s tribute to Adrienne Rich

·   Art curator Beth Gersh-Nesic for this interview with artist Ellen K. Levy and video on Rhode Island artist Tayo Heuser

·   Poet Cindy Hochman for her review of John Amen’s The New Arcana

·   Novelist Petra Lewis for the press release on her debut novel The Sons and Daughters of Ham (right)

·   Poet Mary Ladd McCray for this YouTube video about musical instruments made from landfill

·   Writer Elaine Nole for this timely website offering a new American dream.

·   Poets and Writers for this clip of Rod Serling discussing where ideas come from

·   High School teacher Neil Ginsberg for this article identifying domestic violence in Jovan Belcher deaths

·   Eliot Katz for this petition to help Muhammad al-Ajami, imprisoned for life for reciting a poem

·   Poet Alison Stone for her interview on the Joe Milford Show

·   Filmmaker/writer Frank Vitale for his Metropolitan Organism making Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012

And here is Adrienne Rich:

My heart is moved by all I cannot save:
so much has been destroyed
I have to cast my lot with those
who age after age, perversely,
with no extraordinary power,
reconstitute the world.

Until next time,

Ann