your spring annogram

Designed by Angela Virsinger

Face Painting book launch

April is National Poetry Month and Global Astronomy Month.  In celebration of both, I’ll present “Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky,” in the new state-of-the art planetarium at the Hudson River Museum on Sunday, April 26, at 3:30 p.m.  The reading will feature work from my poetry collection, Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres Press, 2014), accompanied by spectacular images by astrophotographer Doug Baum, the Hubble telescope and others.  Come help celebrate my first book!

Maxine Silverman

Sunday at the J with Ann, Maxine and George

Poet Maxine Silverman and I will read at the JCC on the Hudson as part of Sunday at the J with George and Friends on March 29 at 1:30 p.m.  Poet and translator Dr. George Kraus hosts this great series which features Hudson Valley poets.  And don’t miss Maxine’s book party this Sunday, March 22, 2 p.m., at Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack for Palimpsest (Dos Madres Press, 2015), a work I highly recommend.  Hope to see you on one of these events!

Book review in LINES+STARS

Many thanks to editor Rachel Adams for her thoughtful review of Face Painting in the Dark in the newly redesigned LINES+STARS.  The review appears, serendipitously, in the DC-based journal’s “star-crossed” issue.  I’m also thrilled that Wicked Alice has four of my poems online, the San Pedro River Review features one, and Cahaba River Literary Journal and Ekphrasis will publish work this spring and summer.

Matters of the HeArt

An opening reception, Sunday, March 22, from 2-4 p.m. (1 p.m. admission time for people with disabilities) at the Greenburgh Town Hall will herald the 11^th annual multimedia art show by 80 Westchester artists over age 55.  You can support Greenburgh arts by designating “Arts and Culture Committee” on the AmazonSmile portal; Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations selected by customers.

Art by Ed Young in Bird & Diz

Bird & Diz

Outstanding artist and Caldecott Medalist Ed Young dazzles once again in Bird & Diz by Gary Golio (Candlewick Press, 2015).  This young reader’s book, which follows the friendship of Charlie "Bird" Parker and John "Dizzy" Gillespie, can be read page-by-page or unfolded as a 12-foot scroll.  Bird & Diz is a work of art created by two friends that will leave readers hankering for a listen.  Thanks to Beth Gersh-Nesic of the New York Arts Exchange for alerting me to this new work!

Frida Kahlo: Masterpieces (and margaritas) at the NY Botanical Garden

Looks like a combination of margaritas and masterpieces might just push attendance to one million visitors to the New York Botanical Garden this year.  The Botanical Garden will stage an elaborate art-loan and garden exhibition May 16 – November 1 that focuses on the work of Frida Kahlo. Thanks to poet-artist Linda Simone for sharing this Observer article.

Poetry Caravan on the move

For National Poetry Month, the Poetry Caravan will visit local libraries.  The all-volunteer Caravan has been bringing poetry to Westchester for over eleven years.  If you have a poem to share, or enjoy hearing poetry read, join us on Thursday, April 9, at the Armonk Library, 7 p.m.; Monday, April 13, at the Dobbs Ferry Library, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, April 15, at the Greenburgh Library, 7 p.m.; Monday, April 20, at the Scarsdale Library, 7 p.m.; or Saturday, April 25, at the Hastings Library, 3 p.m.

New poetry books

Congratulations to these fine poets on their new books:  John Amen, strange theater (New York Quarterly Books, 2015), Pamela Laskin, Homer the Little Stray Cat (Little Balloon Press, 2015); Maxine Silverman, Palimpsest (Dos Madres Press, 2015), Hélène Sanguinetti on the reissue of Alparegho, pareil à rien (Editions de l’Amandier, 2015), Margo Taft Stever, The Lunatic Ball (Kattywompus Press, 2015), and Toadlily Press for A Good Wall (Toadlily Press, 2015).

John Amen

More poetry readings

March and April

John Amen reading up and down the East Coast

Sunday, March 22, 4:30 p.m. Hudson Valley Writers Center

Richard Parisio, Ed Sanders

Sunday, March 22, 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Why Not Jazz Room

Jazz and Poetry Choir Collective, $10

Monday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. at the English Speaking Union

Rosalie Calabrese, Susana H. CaseMargaret McCarthy- rsvp emohylowski@esuus.org

Margo Stever

Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

Open mic for poets, prose writers, musicians, comedians, singers - $3, refreshments

Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

Peggy Ellsberg, Jennifer Franklin, Margo Taft Stever

Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

Ellen Bass

Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

Sergio Troncoso, Wayne L. Miller, Larry Wentz

Sunday, April 26, 4:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center

Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Terry Dugan, Margo Taft Stever, other HVWC students

Breakfast with Uncle Ike

Uncle Ike would awe us with his legendary popovers whenever we visited him in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  The only problem: the golden popovers went down like potato chips, and I could easily consume more than a few.  Oh, calories be damned and bring on the butter and jam!  Wishing you festive mornings that celebrate spring.

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray cooking oil spray on muffin tins or ceramic custard cups.  Beat until blended.  Pour into cups ½ to 2/3 full.  Bake 45 – 50 minutes and avoid opening oven door.  Keep any leftovers—really?—in a closed brown paper bag.

ʼRound the Net

Thanks and/or congratulations to:

Duchamp, Untitled, 1945

Michael Cefola, blues-rock guitarist and composer, for this great article on the last bluesmen

Beth Gersh-Nesic, art historian, for calling out the importance of modern artist Suzanne Duchamp

Gary Glauber, poet, for work in Hinged, Inner Echo, The Legendary - Issue 49 - March 2015, and Think Journal Volume 5.1 

Eric Greinke, poet and translator, for his tribute to poet John Elsberg

Ruth Handel, poet, on teaching her ninth Enjoying Poetry class now at Scarsdale Adult School and publishing recent work online

Cindy Hochman, poet, for two poems, a book review, and her own book, Habeas Corpus (Glass Lyre, 2015) reviewed in Clockwise Cat

Amy King, poet, for taking on Kenneth Goldsmith and Vanessa Place

Laura Morelli, art historian, on her two new books on Florence artisans and crafts

Jay Shulman, music archivist, for this way to find out the top song on the day you were born

Jay, also, for recommending this Mary Bauermeister exhibit at Smith College

Linda Simone, poet and dog-lover, for these photos of dogs on the way to the vet

Linda, also, for this essay contest to win an inn in Maine, how some poets make big money, and a tribute to poet Philip Levine

Frank Vitale, filmmaker, for episodes 12 and 13 from The Metropolis Organism.

So much poetry going on this and next month!  And just as important, celebrations of faith.  In this time of seasonal rebirth, I wish you perfected moments of holy contemplation, beauty, and joy.

Until next time,

Ann

your valentine's annogram

Collage by Deborah Coulter 

Valentine’s Day

The gifts have already arrived— “Vermont Without Delilah,” appears in the current A Common Thread, and “Lost in Woodside” will appear in the upcoming San Pedro River Review. Of course, chocolate never hurts and that’s why you’ll find my favorite cake recipe below.  In addition, thanks to all who have volunteered to write Amazon and Goodreads reviews for Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres Press, 2014).

Hochman’s Habeas Corpus

Congratulations to poet Cindy Hochman on the publication of Habeas Corpus (Glass Lyre Press, 2015).  Glass Lyre is offering it at $12 with no shipping costs; e-mail publisher@glasslyrepress.com 

with your name and postal address.  For a signed copy, e-mail the author at 
poet2680@aol.com, purchase one and come hear her read at the Green Pavilion on February 25 at 7 p.m.

Meredith Trede

Trede Opens 2015 Poetry Series

Award-winning poet Meredith Trede began the 2015 Hudson Valley Writers Center poetry series last night, joined by Joshua Mehigan.  Open Mic Night for poets, prose writers, musicians, comedians, singers and all other performers, takes place Friday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m.; and an Evening of Poetry & African Music with Bob Holman & Papa Susso, Friday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Sosin on Radio Liberty and Russia

Former director of Russian broadcast planning at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Gene Sosin, will present “How Radio Liberty in Russia Helped Win the Cold War" on Wednesday, February 18, at 3 p.m., at the Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains.  For more information, call 914-319-1609.

John Berryman

Berryman at 100

On Saturday, February 26, a celebration of John Berryman (1914-1972) will feature readings, panels and a reception with April Bernard, Henri Cole, Cornelius Eady, Rachel Hadas, Saskia Hamilton, Cathy Park Hong, A. Van Jordan, Robin Coste Lewis, Edward Mendelson, Patrick Rosal, Evie Shockley, Daniel Swift, Kevin Young, and Rachel Zucker.  Free, at Barnard College; see Poets House information.

Lives in Ruins

Marilyn Johnson will read from her new book, Lives in Ruins: Archeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble (Harper, 2014) at the Scarsdale Public Library on Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m.  For a more metaphorical approach, be sure to read Archeology (Flutter Press, 2014) by Pushcart-nominated poet Linda Simone.

Sweetheart of a Chocolate Cake

The secret to this deep, satisfying and not-too-sweet cake is a beet and a tablespoon or two of coffee—from Cook Yourself Thin (Hachette Books, 2009).

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup finely ground almonds

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 beet, peeled and finely grated

4 ounces low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons strong black coffee

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Frosting

1/2 cup dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons strong black coffee

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Using standing or handheld mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar for four minutes until pale and fluffy. On low speed, beat in beets, followed by dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and coffee.  Beat until smooth. Pour into pan, place in middle of a hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. Test with toothpick; it should come out clean. Bake additional 5 minutes if needed.

Cool 10 minutes or so in pan, unmold onto cooling rack and then cool on wire rack. To make icing, prepare a double boiler. Combine all ingredients and gently stir until chocolate is smooth and mixture thickens. With cake on wire rack, pour icing liberally over top of cake and let it drip down sides. Transfer onto plate or cake stand for serving.

America’s Creative Class

William Giraldi’s New Republic review of Scott Timberg’s The Killing of the Creative Class (Yale University Press, 2015) packs a wallop.  Do you agree with this assessment?  Thanks to Jay Shulman for sending this to me:

Let’s forget about starving artist for a moment and get right to a more accurate, and ominous, conjugation: The artist in America is being starved, systemically and without shame. In this land of untold bounty—what is usually called, in a kind of blustering spasm, the richest empire on earth—the American creative class has been forced to brook a historic economic burden while also being sunk into sunless irrelevancy. When it came to artists, Comrade Stalin knew all about a bounty of a different sort—he stuck it on the heads of those whose pens and brushes might transgress against his galactic hubris. Remember Osip Mandelstam’s quip about how Mother Russia reveres her poets enough to murder them? Well, with our consummate lack of reverence, we in America kill our poets in quite another way: We ignore them to death.

ʼRound the Net

Thanks and congratulations to the following people for achievements and/or links:

Jeanette Briggs, essayist, on “Wild Strawberries and Moose Money,” published in the Swedish Press.

Juliet Winters Carpenter, translator, for her article on the art of translation.

Gary Glauber for work in Alphabet and You, Calliope, and Indian Summer Quarterly.

Paul Dickinson Russell, novelist, on his upcoming fantasy story, The Will of the Magi, and his publisher’s podcasts that track his process creating it.

Amy King, poet, on winning the 2015 Women’s National Book Association Award.

Laura Morelli, art historian, on her two new guides to Venetian artisanal traditions.

Linda Simone, poet, for this list of feminist picture books—no girls waiting to be rescued!

Jay Shulman, music archivist, for noting the passing of songwriter Don Covay (“Chain of Fools”), pioneering talk show host Joe Franklin, poet and lyricist Rod McKuen, and Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens.

Kim Wells, anti-domestic violence leader, for her work behind this amazing Super Bowl PSA.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours….

Ann