your september annogram

What’s cookin’ at Gracie’s Diner?

On Thursday, September 12, at 7 pm, it’s poetry! A big thank you to all of you who are planning to attend the Go Cat Go Reading Series, where I will read.  Bring your diner-food cravings and poetry to read to Gracie's Corner Diner, 352 East 86th Street.  Hope to see you!

Princeton’s Inventory

I am thrilled that Inventory, a literary translation project run by Princeton graduate students across disciplines, has accepted Chapter 3 from Le Héros (Flammarion, 2008).  That makes four journals within a few months’ time!  Publishers, what are you waiting for?  This translation manuscript needs a home.

A Slant of Light
 

Codhill Press Editor Larry Carr reports that he is into the second printing of A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley.  This gorgeous book makes a lovely gift this time of year.  The first of many readings will take place Saturday, September 21, 4-6 pm, at The Golden Notebook, 29 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY (845-679-8000). 

Cefola double rainbow in Astronomy

Congratulations to my multitalented spouse, Michael Cefola, on his double-rainbow photo which appears in the current Astronomy Magazine.   When Michael, former president of the Westchester Amateur Astronomers, took the amazing shot in Santa Fe, he had no idea that the space between the rainbows is called Alexander's Dark Band.  Thanks to Stephen James O'Meara's instructive column in the June Astronomy!

Primary Lessons

Avid readers, book clubs, and history buffs, please take note:  Primary Lessons, a stunning memoir by Sarah Bracey White, debuted days ago from CavanKerry Press.  You can read my review on Amazon, see this Journal News video of the author discussing the March on Washington, or attend what is expected to be a huge book party on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 7 pm, at the Greenburgh Public Library, 300 Tarrytown Road, Elmsford (NY).

Rosalind Solomon at Fridman Gallery

Curator Beth Gersh-Nešić invites you to the opening reception for Rosalind Solomon: Selected Works, on September 10, 6-9 pm, at Fridman Gallery.  The renowned photographer will speak at 7 pm and then screen her film, A Woman I Once Knew, named Best Experimental Short at the 2010 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.  I plan to attend and hope you will too!

Poetic insights from Neal Whitman

Pulitzer Remixer Neal Whitman, a docent at Robinson Jeffers’ Tor House, lives and writes in Pacific Grove (CA).  His wonderful book, The Poetry Prof: Rooted in Belief, collects two years of essays from www.shortpoems.com.  Neal’s award-winning haiku has blessed him with an expertise that applies to all poetry, as demonstrated by this chapter from The Poetry Prof:

Dieter Rams Principles of Design

Dieter Rams was a German industrial designer whose motto was Weniger, aber besser – “Less, but better.”  Chief of Design for Braun from 1961 to 1995, he designed kitchen appliances, audio-visual equipment, wrist watches, clocks, and shavers today in many museums.  When I attended an exhibit of his work, Less and More, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I was struck how his principles of good design apply to writing short form poems.

Haiku should be …

1. Innovative. Possibilities for innovation in design will never be exhausted. Try different forms and find a form that fits the individual poem. This does not mean that innovation should be an end in and of itself.

2. Useful. The poet should disregard anything that detracts. Haiku poets offer up their concrete experiences so that someone else can re-experience them.

3.  Aesthetic. Well executed haiku can be beautiful – keep in mind its effect on people and their well-being. There is a reason why some poems are lyrical – poetry can be music to the ears.
 

4. Understandable. At best, a haiku poem is self-explanatory. Plus, it allows for the user’s self-expression. The reader finishes the haiku.
 

5. Honest. The poet should not try to make the haiku seem more than it is. Avoid manipulation that I call the “snow storm and drifting conversation” trick. Sometimes I can “see” the haiku poet showing off how clever he or she can be.

6. Thorough down to the last detail. Leave nothing to chance, e.g., articles, pronouns, punctuation. Experiment with different variations of the same haiku. It helps to read your haiku out loud – if a word sounds wrong, it is wrong.
 

7.  Lean. Use as little design as possible. “Less, but better,” means do not burden reader with non-essentials. Test each word for its value.

‘Round the Net

Thanks to the following who graciously shared news, invites and/or links:

·       Literary translator Lisa Carter for her translation of “An Ordinary Penance,” by Argentine author Fabián Casas, which appears in Bad Luck/Mala Suerte  (Traviesa, 2013). 

·       Mindful Skills’ George Chen for passing along novelist Matt Haig’s writing tips

·       Found Poetry Review editors for alerting us to their new website and new issue dedicated to David Foster Wallace

·       Historian Neil Ginsberg for this thoughtful article on Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech

·       Pulitzer Remixer Gary Glauber for news of published poems, "Tribal Rite," in Dead Flowers, Volume 2, Number 1; and “Collusion” in Four and Twenty

·       Poet Bob Holman for the good news that the Bowery Poetry Club has reopened

·       Congratulations to poet Janet Kaplan on her new chapbook, Chronicles (PressBoardPress, 2013) and the newest Red Glass Books publication, A Theory of the Vowel by Beth Frost

·       Katonah Poetry Series on the upcoming reading by David St. John, Sunday, September 29, 4 pm, Katonah Village Library Garden Room, 26 Bedford Road, Katonah (NY).

·       Poet Robert McDowell for his new ebooks on writing haiku and sonnets, overcoming writers’ block and the first novel in a new mystery series.

The late Ruth Stone

·       Poets&Writers for this great video on poet Ruth Stone’s former Vermont home

·       Poet James Sherry for the invitation to his new book party, Monday, September 23, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, New York (NY) – phone 212-505-3475

·       Cellist Jay Shulman for Paul McCartney and the Kronos Quartet performing “Yesterday”

·       Poet Neal Whitman for this hilarious New York Times essay about a poet at an upper crust event

 

We mourn the passing of two greats, poet and translator Seamus Heaney, and poet John Hollander.  Look for tributes to them in your next annogram.  And if you're a poet, honor their great body of work by advancing your own.

Until next time,

Ann

your august annogram

Happy August—the air is cooler, sun a touch more gold, sky a richer blue.  Or maybe it’s all the good happening.  For starters, my new web site attracted more than 11,100 hits in June alone!  Be sure to explore it, especially Toolkit, a section for poets.  You may have also received a postcard from me. If you haven’t, and would like to be on my snail-mail list, please contact me through my web site.

September 12 reading                     

Please come hear me read at the Go Cat Go Poetry Reading Series, hosted by the inimitable Peter Chelnik, at Gracie's Corner Diner, 352 East 86th Street, at 6:45 p.m. on September 12.  There is an open mic afterwards, so bring poems to read.   Hope to see you!

More good news

Editors Martin Elwell and Jenn Monroe have accepted my poem, “Running with Delilah,” for their upcoming anthology of running poems, Bearers of Distance (Eastern Point Lit House).  And UK editor Daniele Pantano of em review will publish my translation of “Victory” from Hélène Sanguinetti’s Le Héros (Flammarion, 2008). 

Anthology updates

Editor Larry Carr just sent me A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley (Codhill Press), and I am happy to see it features “Geechee Daughter” by the late Brenda Connor-Bey.  Buzz is also building around Rabbit Ears: TV Poems (Poets Wear Prada), as editor Joel Allegretti collects impressive cover reviews.

Jeanne Carbonetti and Crow Hill Gallery

Crow Hill Gallery

What a pleasure this month to explore Jeanne Carbonetti’s beautiful gallery deep on a wooded Vermont hillside!  The landscape, a feast of green, features an occasional Buddha or sculpture perfectly aligned in the natural setting.  When we visited, the award-winning artist generously critiqued the watercolors that my poetry pal Linda Simone had painted and then captured on a smartphone. 

Linda and Jeanne talk painting

Amazing to meet this creativity guru—whose Making Pearls (Watson-Guptill, 1998) and The Heart of Creativity (Eden Center Press, 2009) always inspire.  In Heart, she writes about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech—which connects to our next item. Thank you, Jeanne Carbonetti, for your gorgeous watercolors and open heart!

March on Washington

Dr. King at the 1963 March

Did you know this year is the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington?  To commemorate this historic event, Stuart Marwell, CEO and President of Curtis Instruments, is sharing his collection of March memorabilia at Greenburgh Town Hall’s Madeline Gutman Gallery. As a young man, Marwell attended the March, where he heard Dr. King give his famous speech.  On display are a commemorative button Marwell wore that day; a portfolio of March reflections by Dr. King, Roy Wilkins and Whitney M. Young Jr. among others; and an evocative collage series by Louis Lo Monaco.  See this rare exhibit Monday through Friday, 9-5, before it closes September 4.

Back to school

Professor Al Filreis

If you’re a poet, you might be interested in the free online course, Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (ModPo) with University of Pennsylvania Professor Al Filreis (right).  Go to www.coursera.org to sign up for the next session starting September 7.  A walloping 36,000 people have taken the course!  For more intimate focus on your own work, consider Robert McDowell’s e-course on forms of poetry which starts August 21.

Raves for Quick Draw

Quick Draw cast

Feel like there’s nothing on TV?  Try Quick Draw on Hulu Monday nights.  The New York Daily News calls this comedy “hilarious” and TV Guide “funny and fresh.”  Follow Sheriff John Henry Hoyle and Deputy Eli as they apply forensics to hunt Wild West criminals. Congratulations to co-writers John Lehr and John McCray on their wickedly inspired series.

Doggone it

The Sopranos meets Marley and Me with a twist: That's how Louis Spirito describes Gimme Shelter, his memoir  chronicling how his efforts to rescue a timid pit bull helped him get a handle on his chronic anger.  To repay his canine therapist, Lou is donating 10% of book profits to rescue organizations and inviting them to his live events—including Malibu Pet Companions, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, St. Martin's Animal Foundation, Canine Adoption Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) and Animal Advocate Alliance. Learn more at louisspirito.com.

Rockabilly and Ira Munn Hedges

Finn and the Sharks

In the early 80s, John Mellencamp and Marty Stuart among others electrified rockabilly, a driving sound blending rock, blues and country traditions.  Leading that wave was Finn and the Sharks, who earned an MTV award, played CBGB’s frequently and enjoyed a huge following in their home county, appropriately named Rockland.  Billy (upper right) and Steve Roues (second left), my friend Cindy’s brothers, formed the band with guitarist/vocalist James Finnen (far left), drummer Ed Steinberg (center) and rhythm guitarist Ira Munn Hedges (lower right). 



While Ira’s aristocratic family practically founded New York State, Ira was unassuming.  Blond and lanky with an easy smile, he exuded goodwill.  Besides a gifted vocalist and guitarist, Ira was a natural athlete who loved tennis and golf.  He had the good judgment to marry Cindy, and together raise three strapping sons.   His natural charm also made him successful in business.

Ira Munn Hedges

In June, Finn and the Sharks performed a tribute to Ira, who passed away this year.  The extraordinary performance left attendees speechless.  Vocalists Lisa Best and Big Jim Wheeler joined the Sharks for poignant songs such as “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”  Thanks to the Sharks, we can celebrate Ira’s musical legacy and contribution in rock history:  Here’s Ira playing “Come On Everybody” in 2011.

 ‘Round the Net

Thanks to the following people who shared these fascinating links:

·     Photographer Carol Booth on this moving video about photography and healing

Poet Linda Nemec Foster

·     Poet Linda Nemec Foster (left) for her Poets & Writers blog in response to Detroit’s bankruptcy

·     Poet Gary Glauber for his poem “Look Before,” “First Semester,” three in Radical Dislocations and more in Otis Nebula 8

·     Art director Abby Raeder for her blog, “A Monument to Love,” about a cairn sculpture in Vermont (right)

 

·     ADA advocate Dave Schwartzkopf for The 60s Official Site



Ms. Black

·     Cellist Jay Shulman for this clip of Paul McCartney performing “Mr. Kite”, and this article on Paige Morton Black (left) who sang the Chock Full O’ Nuts jingle

·     Artist Angela Virsinger for this video on the work of Korean artist U-ram Choe

·     Westchester Amateur Astronomers for this sci-fi movie trailer “Europa Report” on space travel

Wishing you a ripe, rich and full end to summer!

Until next time,

Ann

your independence day annogram

Thanks for the hundreds of visits to my new poetry website and Now in November Pulitzer Remix blog.  More news:  Asymptote Journal will excerpt my translation of The Hero by Hélène Sanguinetti; and my poem, “Sugaring,” will appear in Sundress Publications’ anthology, Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women and Place.  Another anthology featuring my work, Journey to Crone (Chuffed Buff Books, 2013), is now available as e-book.

A Slant of Light

I am thrilled to be in A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley (Codhill Press, 2013), edited by Laurence Carr and Jan Zlotnick Schmidt.  A Slant of Light is divided into Mythos, Body & Gender; Identity; and Woman in the World.   The divine Brenda Connor-Bey suggested I submit my work—thank you Brenda wherever you are! 

Night of Rock

The Offbeats reunited to play the seventh Night of Rock, benefiting The Scarsdale Teen Center.  More than 140 people enjoyed 60s classics such as “Gloria” performed by lead singer Jay Shulman (left), guitarist John Moses, singer and mean harp-player Thom Pernice (bottom left), bass Andy Kreeger, drummer Ted Spencer and my personal favorite, rhythm guitarist Michael Cefola (bottom right).  Jimmy Fink of 107.1 The Peak hosted the event at Rudy’s in Hartsdale.

Fresh Take on Arthur Miller

600 HIGHWAYMEN will re-spin Death of a Salesman in This Great Country at the South Street Seaport Theatre during the River to River Festival, July 10-13. Seventeen actors will join with audience members using 600 HIGHWAYMEN’s unique theatrics and highly charged performance style.  Look for my friend, the talented Wayne Joseph, who will portray the next-door neighbor Charlie in this iconic American drama. Click here for tickets.

Randy Briggs gets ARTiculated

Randy's watercolor, Ocean Street, Cape May, will be on display at the Summer ARTiculated Juried Show at Concordia College's OSilas Gallery.  Opening reception will be Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. The exhibit will run one month, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Thursdays, 12 noon - 9 p.m.; and Saturdays /Sundays, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.  Congratulations, Randy!

Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT

Nothing like escaping the hot pavement of New York for Vermont’s cool Green Mountains!  If you’re heading north, take advantage of the Bookstock Literary Festival  in Woodstock July 26 -28.  All events are free and open to the public.  Hear poets like Donald Hall, Richard Blanco, and Galway Kinnell alone.  If you go, save room for pancakes at Sugar n’ Spice in nearby Mendon.

Meetinghouse Readings in Canaan, NH

The Meetinghouse Readings is an annual summer series at the 1793 Meetinghouse in Canaan, New Hampshire:  July 11: Cleopatra Mathis and Joyce Carol Oates; July 18: Jay Parini and Nicholas Delbanco; July 25: Megan Marshall and Chris Bohjalian; August 1: Joe Citro and Ivy Pochoda.

Not more poetry newsletters!

Mr. Yeats

It’s bad enough that Big Bang Poetry’s Newsletter blows the top of my head off, to paraphrase Miss Dickinson, then along comes Robert McDowell’s Newletter #126 on Mr. Yeats (right).  In it, he shares this amazing quote on the imagination from Keith Johnstone’s IMPRO: Improvisation and the Theatre (Routledge, 1987):

Students need a “guru” who “gives permission” to allow forbidden thoughts into their consciousness. A “guru” doesn’t necessarily teach at all. Some remain speechless for years, others communicate very cryptically. All reassure by example… It’s no good telling the student that he isn’t to be held responsible for the context of his imagination, he needs a teacher who is living proof that the monsters are not real, and that the imagination will not destroy you.

‘Round the Net

Thanks to everyone who sent me these wonderful links and/or news:

Collage by Deborah Coulter

·       Artist Deborah Coulter for her fabulous “visual blogs” which feature highly original collages.

·       Congratulations to Terry Dugan on winning the Christopher Hewitt Award in Nonfiction and a Finalist in Poetry from A&U Magazine, which praised her writing’s’ “unique perspective and beautifully considered language.”  Go Terry!

·       Terry also shared this incredible software to assess a poem.

·       Congratulations to Pulitzer Remixer Gary Glauber on the publication of his poem, “Play,” in The Kitchen Poet.
 

Jane Ormerod

·       Poet Cin Hochman on her superb review of Jane Ormerod’s Welcome to the Museum of Cattle in First Literary Review East.

·       Poet and publisher Janet Kaplan for announcing E. J. Antonio’s new chapbook, Solstice, available at Red Glass Books.

·       Iyengar yoga teacher Nancy Kardon for suggesting the closing poem below.

·       Actor Tony LoBianco for reminding us of the timeless appeal of The French Connection, a five-time Academy Award winner, which recently aired on HBO.

Daniel Westover

• ·       Poet Robert McDowell on this piece by Daniel Westover (left) which looks at effective poetry via the requirements of a journal called The Reaper.

• ·       Congratulations to vintage classical producer Jay Shulman on his just-released CD, the Stuyvesant Quartet with Al Gallodoro (2013).

·       Poet Linda Simone for novelist Chimamanda Adichie’s talk on “The Danger of a Single Story” and this glimpse of Afghan life through poetry.

Thanks to Galway Kinnell’s reminder:  Everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing.

 
Until next time,

Ann
 

The bud

stands for all things,

even for those things that don't flower,

for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;

though sometimes it is necessary

to reteach a thing its loveliness,

to put a hand on its brow

of the flower

and retell it in words and in touch

it is lovely

until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;

as Saint Francis

put his hand on the creased forehead

of the sow, and told her in words and in touch

blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow

began remembering all down her thick length,

from the earthen snout all the way

through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,

from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine

down through the great broken heart

to the blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering

from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing beneath

them:

the long, perfect loveliness of sow.

Galway Kinnell, “St. Francis and the Sow”