annogram

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

your october annogram

Daisy and me

Face Painting in the Dark

October is my birthday month, and my gift was a box full of books—Face Painting in the Dark, my first poetry book! Thanks to Robert and Elizabeth Murphy, publishers at Dos Madres Press for their kindness, good humor and editorial care. I am also grateful to artist Gig Wailgum for designing the vivid and playful cover. Hope you enjoy the book, which you can pre-order.

'Furious Startdust' in Greenwich

I will be presenting "Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky" at the November 12 meeting of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich. The reading, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Bruce Museum, will combine dramatic astrophotography by Doug Baum and Hubble among others. Come enjoy a poetic space exploration!

More good news

My poem, “For a Coyote Crossing Route 10,” appears in Lummox Press 3, and you can read “Haunted,” at Highland Park Poetry. I’m also thrilled to be reading at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Spotlight on Women: Poets, Panelists and Performers. This event, part of a new initiative, Peekskill: The Power of Women Artists, will take place December 7 at 2 p.m.

Guitarist Michael Cefola

Little Games at Foley’s in Pleasantville

Don’t miss the driving blues-rock of Little Games at Foley’s in Pleasantville on November 8 at 10 p.m. The band plays early Yardbirds, Animals and Who as well as Eric Clapton, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Gary Moore. Fronted by my husband, guitarist Michael Cefola, the band features drummer Tommy Vinton, keyboardist Anthony Nisi and bassist Larry Schwartzman. C’mon and see what a little live music can do for you.

Dancer Wendy Whelan

Wendy Whelan on NYC-Arts

On NYC-Arts this weekend, I caught Wendy Whelan who retired from the New York City Ballet two weeks ago. She spoke about pursuing a dream to collaborate with choreographers. For a classically trained ballerina, moving to barefoot modern dance was a “leap” that led to the suite “Restless Creature.” Looking back, she says

I needed some hydration, some inspiration. I wanted to fight for something. I wanted to feel what it feels like to climb again. And I did. When [choreographer] Brian Brooks and I started two years ago, it was like I wanted to go to the other side. I opened the door and he was standing there like this, C’mon. Yeah, it’s fun over here. C’mon over. And that was hugely emotional to have welcoming from somebody like that, that it was okay, and you’re going to be artistically satisfied over here too.

Doesn’t this apply to all of us artists—literary, visual, performing? That desire to climb. To walk through the open door. Here’s the interview.

Boo at the Zoo

Gigi (right) and Lend Me A Hand Band

It’s not too late to see Gigi and the Lend Me A Hand Band at the Bronx Zoo for one more weekend! Bring the kids and grandkids for a fun, interactive show on Saturday or Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. One attendee, Kate Kwon, loved the Gigi fest so much that she drew this portrait of the band:

Original drawing by Kate Kwon

Poetry at CUNY Graduate Center

November 4, 6:30 p.m., Turnstyle: After the MFA with David Lynn, November 5, all day, ; November 6, 7 p.m., Voices of Women in American Poetry; November 13-14, all day, Abiding Cities, Remnant Sites; November 13, 7 p.m., Drowned Blackbird: Paul Muldoon on Translating Gaelic.

Toadlily Press at Poets House

Toadlily Press celebrates its tenth anniversary with its latest chapbook quartet, A Good Wall, by Katie Hartsock, George Bishop, Linda Tomol Pennisi and Jennifer Kearns. You are cordially invited to the launch party on November 1, at 6 p.m., at Poets House. Congratulations to Toadlily cofounders Myrna Goodman and Meredith Trede!

Small works for a big cause

The Greenburgh Arts and Culture Committee’s one-day art sale of pieces no larger than 9 x 12 inches will be this Saturday, November 1, 2-4 p.m., at the Greenburgh Town Hall. The fundraiser will benefit Matters of the Heart, an annual exhibit of Westchester senior artists.

St. Peter’s B-List in Midtown

Enjoy contemporary poems inspired by the saints this Sunday, November 2, 1:00-3:00 p.m., in the main sanctuary of St. Malachy’s Catholic Church in New York. Sandra Duguid, Dean Kostos, Jamison Lee, Susan L. Miller, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Christine Redman-Waldeyer and Maria Terrone will read from Mary Ann B. Miller's new anthology, St. Peter’s B-list (Ave Maria, 2014). Free event. Light refreshments. Open to the public.

Joan Ganz Cooney

Conversations with Great Women

The National Women’s Hall of Fame will host Lesley Stahl, of CBS News 60 Minutes, in a conversation with Joan Ganz Cooney, originator of Sesame Street, on November 12, 6-8 p.m., at the Gilbane Building in New York. Tickets, $50, can be purchased by calling 315-568-8060.

Vermont art destinations

Baba-à-Louis Bakery

It’s a great time of year to drive to Vermont—chill in air, clear roads, amazing baked goods at places like Baba-à-Louis in Chester. Two other reasons: “Fibrations,” an exhibit of New England fiber artists at the Great Hall, One Hundred River Street, in Springfield, VT; and “World Leaders and Global Citizens,” photos by Senator Patrick Leahy at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

Pecan Snowballs

As soon as fall sets in, I crave something buttery and sweet. Think Christmas cookie way before the holidays. This perfect solution is courtesy You Can Trust a Skinny Cook (Wiley, 2011) by Allison Fishman.

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, combine butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Using electric beater at medium speed, beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Put pecans and 1 tbsp. sugar in food processor. Chop until nuts are very fine, about 30 seconds. Add flour, cinnamon, salt and pulse to combine. Using electric beater on low, beat flour mixture into butter mixture until combined. Dough will be crumbly.

To form cookies, press dough into the bowl of a teaspoon, packing it firmly. To get dough out of spoon, tap spoon on baking sheet. Place shaped dough on prepared sheets, flat side down, at 1-inch intervals. Bake until golden on bottom, about 15 minutes. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl. Toss warm cookies with sugar, no more than 5 cookies at a time. Remove coated cookies to a plate and let cool. Makes 16.

̛ Round the Net

Thanks and/or congratulations to the following for sharing great links:

The Brown Sisters 1975

Asymptote, literary translation journal, for its latest issue

Jeanette Briggs, writer and artist, for “Forty Portraits in Forty Years” of the Brown Sisters (right)

Florence Camace, Deaf activist, for this fun video of a marionette in New York

Terry Dugan, poet and filmmaker, for Claudia Rankine’s reflection on Ferguson

Gary Glauber, poet, for work published in Bicycle Review, Stone Path Review, and 3Elements Review

Ruth Handel, poet, for teaching two poetry courses this month at the Scarsdale Adult School

Amy King, poet, for interviewing John Grisham on Goodreads

Anne Milano-Appel and Jason Grunebaum, translators, respectively for this ode to the typewriter and musical salute by the Boston Typewriter Orchestra

Yvette Neiser Moreno, poet and translator, for this Jeffrey Green article on translating Hebrew fiction

Ellen Peckham, poet and artist, for her interview of Blog Talk Radio

Poets and Writers for this great interview with Jeff Shotts of Graywolf Press

Jay Shulman, cellist and music archivist, for Frank Rich’s reflection on 1964

Linda Simone, poet and watercolorist, for this Billy Collins interview on “Life and Death Poetry” and how coloring can help grown-ups too

Neal Whitman, poet, on receiving an Honorable Mention in Italy’s Il Meleto di Guido Gozzano contest

Challenging you to walk through your open door….

Until next time,

Ann

Saturday, September 20, 2014

your ripe autumn annogram

Happy September. I love the gold quality of the light through the trees, and the blue skies. Good news: My poem, “Trinity,” based on Shakespearian Sonnet 34, appears in Out of Sequence: The Sonnets Remixed. Editor D. Gilson is posting about the project, and the Parlor Press book arrives this fall. Main Street Rag Press has accepted “At the County Airport, 1964,” for its car anthology; and best of all, my interview with translator and poet J. Chester Johnson will appear in Illuminations in June.

Little Games at the Eastchester Inn

Little Games at the Eastchester Inn - photo by Mike Virsinger

Little Games, a band featuring my husband Michael Cefola, made its debut at the Eastchester Inn on September 6. The band plays a riveting mix of 1960s British blues-rock, from Yardbirds, Animals and Who to later artists such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Gary Moore. From left to right: keyboardist Anthony Nisi, guitarist Michael Cefola, drummer Tommy Vinton, and bassist Larry Schwartzman. Be sure to catch Little Games at Foley’s in Pleasantville on November 8 at 10pm. See you there for more amazing music!

Bookbinder Malcolm Summers

Traditional English Bookbinder

What a pleasure to discover the joys of bookbinding from Malcolm Summers, whose sunlit studio above the Chester Bookworm is filled with quality acid-free paper, Scottish leathers, space-age glue and old-fashioned presses. He binds everything from antique books and dissertations to wedding albums, and his clients span the globe. You can even take a workshop with him to learn this noble trade. Aren’t you relieved to know that someone like Malcom is still crafting books?

Linda Simone and new book

Linda Simone and Archeology

Poet Linda Simone is pleased to announce the publication of Archeology (Flutter Press, 2014). Linda’s long-time fascination with archeology led to this collection, which juxtaposes poems about real archeological finds with poems about modern experiences that serve to reconnect people--both living and dead. I love Linda’s work, and encourage you to purchase this distinctive collection.

Kevin Pilkington Master Poetry Class

National Book Award poet and novelist Kevin Pilkington is holding a Poetry Master Class for five sessions this fall at the Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute for students with an MFA or MA in Writing who would like to get back into a workshop atmosphere, Tuesdays, November 11 - December 16, 6pm-8pm. Here are all of the details. Kevin's novel, Summer Shares, is now available as a paperback on Amazon.

Ferguson in view of Elaine Race Massacres

J. Chester Johnson

The Task Force Against Racism at Trinity Wall Street will host a symposium on the Elaine Race Massacre today at 2 pm, at St. Paul’s Chapel. The Elaine Race Massacre, perhaps the deadliest racial conflagration in US history, led to the Supreme Court’s Moore v Dempsey ruling toward equal protection and eventually to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Civil rights activist, historian and poet J. Chester Johnson will speak on this tragic event. If you miss it, be sure to read his essay.

OSilas Gallery Celebrates Local History

Hotel Gramatan in Bronxville, NY

Legacies, Landmarks & Achievements: Celebrating 350 Years – Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville celebrates 30+ local historical figures as well as the legacies of the Tuckahoe marble quarry and the famed Hotel Gramatan. Discover surprising history in your own backyard! At the OSilas Gallery through November 9; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 12-5pm; Thursday: 12-7pm; Saturday & Sunday: 2-5pm.

Quick Draw returns


John Lehr as Sherriff John Henry Hoyle

Ever wonder whatever happened to the Geico caveman? John Lehr stars in Quick Draw, a western comedy on Hulu that has just returned for a second season. Archeologist John McCray inspires the program’s historical authenticity, going as far as Fort Smith, Arkansas to research the notorious Belle Starr for an episode or two. Bravo to Lehr and McCray for creating a hilarious and authentic comedy!

Calls for Work

Highland Park Poetry wants poems and photos about grandparents or great-grandparents. Send poems (30 lines max) and jpegs by September 23 to jennifer@
highlandparkpoetry.org.

Vida looking for essays on intersections between gender, race, sexuality, class, physical abilities; misogyny in workshops/publishing/readings/theater/film that illuminate larger social issues; feminist literary successes/innovations; making gender privilege visible in the literary and larger world.

Evie Shockley

Poetry Readings / Talks

Fall ushers in poetry readings and talks to keep you round and sweet as a Gala apple:

September 23 – Eleni Sikelianos on mixing genres, Poets House, 7pm

September 28 – Ellen Bass, Katonah Library, 4pm

October 4 – Richard Forman, Tracie Morris; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

October 7 – Octavio Paz Centennial Celebration, Poets House, 7:00pm

October 9 – Evie Shockley, St. Francis College, 4:30 p.m.

October 11 – Kate Berlant, Tony Torn, Ubu Sings Ubu; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

October 12 – Jim Daniels, Katonah Library, 4pm

October 18 – Jomar Statkun, Christopher Stackhouse, Maria Damon; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

October 25 – Malik Gaines, Alex Segade; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

The Frank O'Hara Chocolate Shake

Frank O'Hara (1926-1966), a premier New York School poet, loved having a daily cheeseburger and chocolate shake for lunch, his favorite meal. He'd walk around midtown, get some inspiration and type up a poem before starting on his afternoon work. Those poems ultimately became Lunch Poems (City Lights, 1964). I love his poetry as much as a good shake, and this one is good for you.

2 cups almond milk*

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon or more raw cacao powder

1 half of a ripe avocado

1 heaping teaspoon of almond butter

1 tablespoon or more of raw coconut nectar

a dash of cinnamon

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend on high for a few minutes. Taste to see if the shake is sweet and chocolaty enough, and adjust if you need stronger flavor. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

*To make your own, soak one-half cup raw slivered almonds in filtered water overnight. Pour water and almonds in blender with teaspoon of vanilla, two cups or more water, and blend on high for three minutes. Strain almond milk through a tea-strainer into a container with a lid. Keeps three to four days.

'Round the Net

One of Powell's 25

Cindy Hochman, editor of First Literary Review East, for the latest issue

ALTA list-serve for this article on British readers gobbling up foreign translations, a new bio on Proust translator Scott Moncrief, a French portrait of literary translators, and how to translate an untranslatable book

Francis Battista, Best Friends cofounder, on “Four-Footed Citizens”

Guy Bennett, editor, for publishing Portia Elan’s Ghazals for the Body (Mindmade Books, 2014)

Another Powell's 25

Christopher Brisson, writer, for this wonderful upbeat video for dog lovers

Terry Dugan, poet and filmmaker, for Powell's 25 Books to Read Before You Die

Cindy Dunne, Lakota Kids Enrichment, for beautiful poetry by Lakota children

Dennis Dybeck, translator, on Jerome the patron saint of translators

Gary Glauber, poet, for poems in jmww and 3 Elements Review (page 47)

Ruth Handel, Dos Madres Press poet, on her recent Warner Library reading

Cindy Hochman, editor of First Literary Review East, for the latest issue

And one more

Mary McCray, poet, for this take-off on net neutrality and fabulous fall Big Bang Poetry newsletter

Christina Rau, Dancing Girl Press poet, for "Notes From Her Suicidal Bed" selected by Goodreads in July

Sam and Liz, editors of Circumference, for bringing back this great translation journal

Jay Shulman, music archivist, for this Zombies band documentary and revelation on Jim Morrison's death; and for celebrating the lives of Bob Crewe, Charlie Haden and Johnny Winter.

Tourism Santa Fe, for the Burning of Zozobra (feel sorry for Zozo—what did he do?)

Frank Vitale, filmmaker, for his “Car Driving” and “Traffic Signaling in the Mediated City” videos

Wishing you the ripe creativity of fall,

Ann

Monday, July 07, 2014

your sizzling summer annogram

Thank you for looking for your July annogram. Annogram was away for the holiday weekend, so I am back to see what’s of interest this month to my uber-creative subscribers. Hmmm…looks like artists may take over!

Lilly Ledbetter with President Obama

Women poets in the work space

Are poets “the unacknowledged legislators of the world?” Mais oui, say Carolyne Wright, Mary Baylor, and Eugenia Toledo, editors of Raising Lilly Ledbetter: Women Poets Occupy the Workspace, to be published by Lost Horse Press this fall. I am thrilled my poem, “First Job,” will appear in this anthology. Despite the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, women still earn only 77 cents to a dollar earned by men. Harrumph.

Theater Diva

Finally, a blog about cultural events in and around New York City! Arts columnist Debra Banerjee, who interviewed me recently, does us all a favor by reviewing concerts, plays and art exhibits. I particularly loved her profile of Marilyn Maye, a cabaret singer still going strong at age 86. Brava, Debra!

Brooklyn Bridge by Linda Simone

(Sub) Urban: Watercolors by Linda Simone

Linda Simone’s extraordinary watercolors grace the Madeleine Gutman Gallery at Greenburgh Town Hall. The opening reception drew a SRO-crowd and well-wishers filled Linda’s arms with roses. Her exquisite paintings run from brooding Manhattan scenes to open seasonal landscapes. See this fine exhibit, curated by Sarah Bracey White, through August 27.

Photo by Michael Cefola

Feast of St. Anthony in Little Italy

Oh, the joys of the Bronx, aka daBronx! Bronxites refer to nonresidents as “the unfortunate.” My husband Michael, our good friend Elaine Nole, and I headed to Arthur Avenue one Sunday for pastry and espresso at DeLillo’s. Little did we know it was the Feast of St. Anthony, the Franciscan saint known for finding lost things, and Michael snapped this great photo.

Deborah Coulter collage

Deborah Coulter will display her outstanding collages and drawings, with work by artist Lake Charles, in an exhibit, “Dreams and Memories,” at the Oresman Gallery at the Larchmont Public Library. An opening reception, this Thursday, July 10, from 6-8 pm, is free and open to the public. Exhibit runs through August 29.

Danielle Jackson photography

Photographer Danielle Jackson’s exhibit, “Lighthouses & Landscapes,” will be on display in the gallery at Ossining Public Library throughout the month of July—I can’t think of a better way to cool off than to take in Dani’s serene seascapes!

Creamy Summer Vegetable Soup

Here’s a savory vegetarian soup I created. Add other vegetables as you like—but don’t cheat on the curry leaves which give the soup its needed bass note. This delicious soup also requires a countertop electric grill with a lid, such as you would use for hamburgers or grilled cheese sandwiches; and a hand blender.

Vegetable oil spray

1 yellow zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise

1 green zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise

1 carrot, sliced thin lengthwise

1 red pepper, cored, seeded, sliced into strips

A handful of curry leaves

Salt

Plain yogurt (optional)

Spray grill with vegetable oil and heat grill according to its instructions. When grill is hot, place vegetables on grill perpendicular to grooved surface. Close lid and cook 10 minutes. Open lid, turn vegetables over, and cook another 10 minutes. The vegetables should be soft with brown or black grill marks. Some may need to cook longer than others; remove cooked vegetables to a plate.

Combine vegetables in saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Purée vegetables with your hand-held blender. Add curry leaves and blend until completely smooth. If soup is too thick, add water. Salt to taste. You may add a dollop of yogurt to make it creamier, or to decorate soup once ladled. Serves two.

You can find fresh curry leaves at an Indian or Pakistani grocery. Do not substitute curry powder—it’s overpowering and a completely different flavor.