your poetry month annogram

Free Ferry

For National Poetry Month, I am thrilled to announce my second book of poetry, Free Ferry, will be published by Upper Hand Press on January 16, 2017.  Thanks to publisher Ann Starr, whose commitment to innovative work includes outstanding sleeper novels such as One Hundred Years of Marriage and The Naming of Girl.  Stay tuned for more on Free Ferry, which combines mythology, 1960s suburbia, and the story behind plutonium.

Rabbit Ears reading

I will read with poets from Rabbit Ears: TV Poems (NYQ Books, 2015) on Friday, April 29, at 7:30pm at the Hudson Valley Writers Center.  Come join editor Joel Allegretti, poets Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Susana H. Case, Suzanne Cleary, Philip Fried, Amy Holman, Erik LaPrade, Lynn McGee, Mervyn Taylor, Angelo Verga, and Estha Weiner as we read about the cultural impact of television.

Linda Simone and poem

 Poetry on the Move

Congratulations to Linda Simone, a poet selected for San Antonio’s Poetry on the Move, and for the city bus system in Norwalk, CT.  Linda’s work also was chosen for the Love Poems to San Antonio anthology and launch event.  Congrats to Kevin Pilkington, whose poetry was also selected for Norwalk.

Tenement Threnody

Join poet Meredith Trede this Sunday, April 17, for her book launch of Tenement Threnody (Main Street Rag, 2016) at Sundays with George, 1:30pm, at the JCC on Hudson.  annogram congratulates Meredith on her second exceptional book of poetry.  Sundays with George, a monthly poetry series, is hosted by poet and translator Dr. George Kraus.

Maggie and Jim Sinocchi

View from the wife

So many of you responded positively to Jim Sinocchi’s blog, View From The Chair.  Jim has posted a great article by his wife Maggie, written decades ago, on being married to Jim. They continue to be extraordinary people and help us all remember what’s most important in life, in love, and yes, in marriage.

Writing workshops

Natalie Safir hosts “Stories I Tell My Friends,” a writing workshop, free, 1-3pm, at the Warner Library on Wednesdays, April 13 and 27; May 11 and 25 and ending June 15.  Cindy Beer-Fouhy also offers “More Life Stories: Writing Workshop for Ages 50+,” Fridays, 12:30 –2:30pm, Fridays May 27 - June 24; register at Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute.  

Eamon Grennan

Poetry readings

April 13, 6:30pm – Eamon Grennan, Godwin Ternbach Museum 

April 14, 6pm – Carla Carlson, Cynthia Cruz, J. Chester Johnson, James Fujinami Moore, Maya Pindyck, NYU Bookstore

April 14, 6:30pm – Fanny Howe, CUNY, Room C202

Jo Pitkin

April 14, 7:30pm – Ruth Handel and the Poetry Caravan, Dobbs Ferry Library

April 15-17 – Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival

April 15, 6:30pm – Panel on June Jordan’s Life and Work, CUNY, Room 9207

April 16, 4pm – Panel with poets Jo Pitkin, Will Nixon, Molly McGlennen, and Lucia Cherciu, Butterfield Library

April 17, 1:30pm – Meredith Trede, JCC on Hudson

Angelo Verga

April 17, 4pm – Robert Pinsky, Katonah Village Library, $10

April 17, 4:30pm – Jessica Greenbaum, Peter Marcus and Gary Whitehead, HVWC

April 20, 7:30pm – Ruth Handel and the Poetry Caravan, Greenburgh Library

April 24, 4:30pm – Christopher Bakken, HVWC

April 27, 7:30pm – Ruth Handel and the Poetry Caravan, Scarsdale Library

April 28, 6:30pm – Rhina Espaillat, David Ferry, Robert Pinsky, Ellen Doré Watson, First Parish

April 29, 7:30pm – Joel Allegretti, Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Susana H. Case, Ann Cefola, Suzanne Cleary, Philip Fried, Amy Holman, Erik LaPrade, Lynn McGee, Mervyn Taylor, Angelo Verga and Estha Weiner, HVWC

April 29, 8pm – Irish poets Louis DePaor,Theo Dorgan, Eamon Grennan, Belinda McKeon, Susan McKeown, Paul Muldoon, Leanne O'Sullivan, The Great Hall at Cooper Union

Creamy Onion Soup

This recipe is courtesy of artist Angela Virsinger and her husband Mike, who celebrated birthdays last month.  Happy Birthday!

4 large onions, roughly sliced

½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup coconut milk

4 Tbsp ghee or cooking fat

Sea salt and ground black pepper

Melt ghee or cooking fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, saute until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, and stir. Pour in stock, bring to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes. Puree soup using a blender or immersion blender until smooth. Add coconut milk, season to taste, and serve warm.

‘Round the Net

Congratulations and/or thanks to the following:

Jeanette Briggs's winning photo

Photographer Jeanette Briggs on first place at the Art Society of Old Greenwich’s Sunlight and Shadows Exhibit

Novelist Regi Claire for a wonderfully supernatural short story in The Literari Quarterly

Professor Al Filreis for Jeff Marmer’s essay on poet Charles Bernstein and letting us know ModPo 2016 is open for registration

Ross Gay

Poet and fellow Sarah Lawrence MFA Ross Gay on receiving the National Book Critics Circle Award

Art Historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for alerting us to this episode in the NPR “Infomagical” series

Poets Eric Greinke and Glenna Luschei on their 2017 Pushcart Prize for “Lone Bones” in the annogram-praised Zen Duende (Presa Press, 2016)

Poet Ruth Handel who read at AWP last month and signed books at the Dos Madres booth

Poet Cindy Hochman on Linda Simone’s review of Habeas Corpus (Glass Lyre Press, 2015) in Red Paint Hill

Author Marilyn Johnson for alerting us the acclaimed Lives in Ruins (Harper Perennial, 2015) is now available in paperback

Poet Kevin Pilkington for this discussion of his influences at HVWC

Literary journal LINES+STARS for new spring issue on Time Travel

Poet Mary McCray for recommending The House of Eternal Return on your next Santa Fe visit

Actor Bill Murray for this unexpected and powerful poetry reading of Lucille Clifton on Kimmel

Poets & Writers for this app which provides access to local readings

ADA activist and pioneer David Schwartzkopf on his interview in StoryCorps

Bassist Larry Schwartzman for this global version of “Stand by Me”

Music archivist Jay Shulman for ‘Noir at the Bar’ on the community of crime fiction writers, rare Gene Kelly footage, and Bob Dylan’s secret archives

Francophile and dog-o-phile Susan Seligman for these ‘model’ dogs in spring attire

Poet and artist Linda Simone for this Anne Carson essay and writing while translating

Poet Grace Schulman on being selected the PSA Frost Medalist

Aretha Franklin by Joe Vericker

Poet Tree Swenson on work to develop Hugo House

Poet Meredith Trede on her second book, Tenement Threnody (Main Street Rag, 2016)

Photographer Joe Vericker for this great photo of the Queen of Soul

That’s all for this edition.  Hope you are loving spring—here in New York, some April showers, but temperatures on the rise.

Until next time,

Ann

your groundhog annogram

Today, annogram peeks above ground and declares six more weeks of winter!  Fine.  Bring on the hot chocolate and fat novels.  February also heralds news of upcoming publications for me—from the anthology, First Encounters with One’s Own Femininity, to poems in digital journals Zoomorphic and Amp.

Kevin Pilkington at Writers Center

Award-winning poet Kevin Pilkington will read this Friday, February 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley Writers Center.  Kevin is the author of many books including his latest Where You Want to Be: New and Selected Poems (Black Lawrence, 2015).  Learn more about Kevin in this blog interview.

Low: The Power of Bass

Discover the integral role of bass at the Museum of Music Making, now through July 31. This exhibition introduces aspects of the low register—bass—experience. Open your eyes, ears and imagination to this sonic realm! We appreciate MoMM’s Mike Hendrickson for letting us know about this fabulous exhibit.

Love Poems for San Antonio

Linda Simone

San Antonio’s Poet Laureate, Laurie Ann Guerrero, will read two poems by Linda Simone as part of the opening reception for Love Poems for San Antonio on Thursday, February 4, at 6 p.m. at Culture Commons.  The text-based art installation of 30+ poems celebrating San Antonio will be on display through February 28.

Ruth Handel at Scarsdale Library

Poet Ruth Handel will read at the Scarsdale Library Thursday, February 4, at 7:30 p.m.  Ruth’s latest book is No Border is Perennial (Dos Madres Press, 2015).  Also reading will be novelists Asif Ishmael and Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, and poet Deborah Skolnik.

The Bridge at Trinity Wall Street

Thanks to poet J. Chester Johnson for alerting us to The Bridge, an art exhibition showcasing 47 contemporary artists from 15 countries. The Bridge focuses on what they hold in common through their Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures.  Now through February 28 at St. Paul’s Chapel in Trinity Wall Street.

Reginal Dwayne Betts

Reginald Dwayne Betts in conversation

Trinity Wall Street will also host Reginald Dwayne Betts, who will read and discuss his poetry on Sunday, February 21, at 2 p.m. with poet J. Chester Johnson. Shortlisted for the PEN Open Award, Betts’s Bastards of the Reagan Era (Four Way Books, 2015) has been called “fierce, lyrical and unsparing” by The New York Times. Free; arrive 1:30 p.m.

J. Chester Johnson, Civil Rights and the Book of Common Prayer

J. Chester Johnson will also read his poetry and discuss his civil rights work Thursday, February 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of Heavenly Rest. Johnson wrote the Litany of Offense and Apology for Episcopal Church’s National Day of Repentance, and worked with W. H. Auden on retranslating the Psalms in the Book of Common Prayer. Free.

Poetry readings

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Thursday, February 4, 7 p.m., Tribute to James Tate (1943-2015), New School Auditorium

Saturday, February 6, 4:30 p.m., Liz Howard, Lanny Jordan, Zinc Bar

Thursday, February 11, 7 p.m., Tribute to Ruth Stone (1915-2011), Thirteenth Street Repertory Theatre

Saturday, February 13, 4:30 p.m., Sandeep Parmar, Cody Rose Clevidence, Zinc Bar

Wednesday, February 17, 7 p.m., Patricia Spears Jones and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, BookCourt

Tina Chang

Saturday, February 20, 4:30 p.m., Myung Mi Kim, Joey Yearous-Algozin, Zinc Bar

Thursday, February 25, 7 p.m., Eileen Myles, Alice Quinn, Lillian Vernon House

Saturday, February 27, 4:30 p.m., Ian Heames, Kathleen Fraser, Zinc Bar

Friday, March 4, 7:30 p.m., Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Hudson Valley Writers Center

Saturday, March 5, 4:30 p.m., Anne Boyer, Lara Mimosa Montes, Zinc Bar

Rosmarie Waldrop,
photo by Anneli Dufva

Sunday, March 6, 4:30 p.m., Laurie Sheck, Hudson Valley Writers Center

Friday, March 11, 7:30 p.m., Tina Chang, Hudson Valley Writers Center

Saturday, March 12, 4:30 p.m., Aaron Kunin, Rae Armatrout, Zinc Bar

Saturday, March 19, 4:30 p.m., Dawn Lundy Martin, Rosmarie Waldrop, Zinc Bar 

Skillet-Sizzled Buttermilk Cornbread

The recipe from The Lost Road Project: A Walk-in Book of Arkansas (University of Arkansas Press, 1994) by the late poet C.D. Wright (1949-2016), is a tribute to her most delicious poetry.  I made this mouth-watering cornbread recently and can attest to its near sacred, buttery crumb. For southerners, this may be akin to taking the Eucharist.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

¼ cup mild vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter, or mild vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 10-inch cast-iron skillet with oil and set aside. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. In smaller bowl, stir baking soda into buttermilk. Whisk in sugar, egg, and ¼ cup oil. Put prepared skillet over medium heat, add butter, and heat until butter just starts to sizzle. Tilt pan to coat sides and bottom. Pour wet ingredients into dry and combine quickly, using as few strokes as possible. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool a few moments, and slice into 8 wedges to serve.

’Round the Net

Thanks and/or congratulations to the following:

Peter Chelnik,
photo by Roxanne Hoffman

Poet Joel Allegretti on his Huffington Post interview

Writer Christopher Brisson for link to these hilarious dog collages

Amateur Astronomer Michael Cefola on his letter to the editor in this month’s Astronomy Magazine

Poet Peter Chelnik on his upcoming poetry book, Hey Girl

Poet Terry Dugan for video of professional actors recently reading her war-protest poems

Poet Gary Glauber on publication of his poem, “The Other” in Verse-Virtual

Poet Eric Greinke on Forge Journal interview, and Adastra Press broadside, “Trout,” $20 through Gary Metras (16 Reservation Rd., Easthampton, MA 01027)

Cindy Hochman

Poet Cindy Hochman on her selection as the Grand Prize Winner in the Long Island Light Verse Contest

Editor Pamela Laskin on the publication of It’s All About Shoes: A Collection of Essays, Poems and Stories About Women and Their Unusual Relationship to Shoes (Plain View Press, 2015)

Actor Tony Lo Bianco for offering acting classes at Symphony Space (email TonyLoboActing@gmail.com)

Author Laura Morelli on her recent participation in The New York Times Travel Show

Poets and Writers for highlighting this new unusual way for literary lovers to hear book reviews

Music archivist Jay Shulman on the Baltimore Sun’s review of his father’s work

Dagmar Stansova (left)

Poet Linda Simone for this amazing recording of Stephen Hawkings reading a poem on relativity, and great take on who a contemporary Emily Dickinson might be

Actor Dagmar Stansova on starring in American premiere of Mario Diament's "Land Of Fire”

Poet Arthur Vogelsang on offering one-on-one online workshops

Westchester Amateur Astronomers for passing along this NASA video on the size of the universe

Happy Groundhog’s Day!  Remember, whenever you see your shadow, it’s time to make some art.

Until next time,

Ann

your very merry annogram

Ann reads at Cornelia Street Cafe

Kattywompus at Cornelia Street Cafe

What a pleasure to read with Kattywompus poets Susana Case, Cornelius Eady, Robin Messing, and Margo Stever at the Hudson Valley Writers Center last month! We also enjoyed music by Cornelius's band, Rough Magic. We took the show to Cornelia Street Café this week. Hosting was poet and Kattywompus publisher Sammy Greenspan, and poet Leah Umansky, both of whom also shared their gifted work for a spectacular evening (photos courtesy Michael Holstein).

Cornelius Eady

Cornelius Eady and Rough Magic

Commissioned by the Poetry Society of America, Cornelius set poems by Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989) to music—and Rough Magic was born. Fronted by Cornelius and Robin Messing on vocals, the band features Charlie Rauh on guitar, Emma Alabaster on bass, Leo Ferguson on drums, and Lisa Liu on keyboards and electric guitar. 

Charlie Rauh

A mesmerizing mix of lyric and sound, the poems contrast Cornelius's own tributes to Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin and John Snowden. Note: Rauh’s own haunting debut EP Innocent Speller also blends ethereal chords with whimsical hints reminiscent of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The Wanderlust: A South Carolina Folktale

Congratulations to memoirist Sarah Bracey White and illustrator Linda Simone on the debut of The Wanderlust: A South Carolina Folktale. This wonderful, beautifully illustrated tale is great for all ages, so be sure to get your hands on a copy. To order, email the author at bracey0114@aol.com. Here's a delicious sample:

Walter Morgan had a bad case of the wanderlust. Way befo’ he ever finished grade school, he’d been to visit more parts of the state of South Carolina than the post office had ever heard tell about. Once, when his ma whipped him for wanderin’ off, Walter told her, ‘Sometimes my feels git real itchy and the only way to ease the itch is to walk down the road a piece. After a while, the walkin’ feel so good I just can’t stop.’ After Walter married Mae Witherspoon, the preacher’s daughter, everybody expected him to settle down. And for near ‘bout two years, Walter did. He worked real steady in the saw mill and went no further than the Santee River. But many’s the time I seen him sittin’ on that river bank, pluckin’ on his guitar and starin’ off to’ards where the river flowed.

Santa Clops for Christmas

Scratching your head for perfect gifts for little ones in your life? Look no further than A Visit from Santa Clops or the Fright Before Christmas and The Cave of Santa Clops by Gig Wailgum, available in paperback from Amazon. Visit has received glowing reviews from The Picture Book Review, Dial for Books, and I'd So Rather Be Reading; and Cave from Dial for Books, I'd So Rather Be Reading, and Best Sellers World.

More poetry

Kevin Pilkington's new and selected Where You Want to Be (Black Lawrence, 2015) is back in Amazon stock. Ciara Miller's Silver Bullet (Mindmade Books, 2015) meditates on the film industry's use of entertainment to mask race and racial injustice. In Quit (Burning Deck, 2015), Lissa Mclaughlin gives voice to a grief worker within the hospice landscape. And consider these fine chapbooks: Gary Glauber's Memory Marries Desire (Finishing Line Press, 2016), and Jessica Lynn Dotson's Time Trials (L&S, 2015).

Highland Park Poetry Challenge

Highland Park’s 2016 Poetry Challenge honors the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death by offering poets one of the following prompts: Shakespeare’s life, identity, plays, character; a sonnet, or subject of "night." Poets of all ages may submit. Deadline: Monday, February 29, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. Send poem(s) as text in an e-mail to Jennifer@highlandparkpoetry.org and write “2016 Poetry Challenge” in subject line. 

Poetry Readings

Sunday, December 20, 1:30 p.m. – Natalie Safir, Geri Rosenzweig, JCC on the Hudson, $5

Sunday, December 20, 6 p. m. – Kevin Pilkington , Le Poisson Rouge, free

Sunday January 10, 4:30 p.m. – Jonathan Galassi, Hudson Valley Writers Center, $10

Wanderlust Sweet Potato Waffles

Let's celebrate the debut of The Wanderlust with yummy southern sweet potato waffles! Gluten-free options below–delicious either way and great for a lazy New Year's day spent in your PJs:

 

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (instructions below)

juice from an orange or lime

3 eggs, separated

1 cup milk or almond milk

1/4 cup melted butter or sunflower oil

1 1/2 cups flour or gluten-free flour such as Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Cut sweet potato into even chunks, and boil or steam until tender. Remove skin. Put in a bowl with juice from lime or orange, and, if too tart, a drop or two of maple syrup. Beat with hand-held blender. Add to the sweet potatoes: 3 egg yolks, milk and butter or sunflower oil. Stir in flour which has been mixed with baking powder and salt. Beat three egg whites to soft peaks and fold into sweet potato mixture. Cook in an oiled waffle iron until crisp.

’Round the Net

Thanks and/or congratulations to the following:

Editor Joel Allegretti on recent launch of Rabbit Ears (NYQ Press, 2015), Boston Globe review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazettte review, and book marketer blog interview

Poet Terry Dugan on high praise for her work in Bellevue Literary Review's Embattled Issue, and for sharing this great interview with poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips

Food Democracy Now! for promoting a new thriller on GMOs called "Consumed"

Poet Gary Glauber on his first chapbook and being nominated for a Pushcart Prize

Translator Daniel Hahn for his new Asymptote Fortnightly Airmail column, "Ask a Translator"

 

Poet Ruth Handel on having her work in the Hudson Valley Center of Contemporary Art's "Writing the Walls" Exhibit this month

Editor Cindy Hochman on the latest issue of First Literary Review East

Poet J. Chester Johnson for this video of his highly successful play on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, For Conduct and Innocents

Editor Karin Miller on this moving short film based on a poem from The Cancer Poetry Project 2

Poets House on PBS featuring Bill Murray explaining why he recites poetry

Poet Linda Simone on having her poem, "Teahouse of the Texas Moon," accepted in the new Dos Gatos Press anthology of Southwestern Persona Poems; and for sharing yoga for writers

Music archivist Jay Shulman for alerting us to Rubber Soul's 50th anniversary this month, and remembering Cynthia Robinson of Sly and the Family Stone

Poet Elaine Whitman on winning the first prize in the 40th annual Yuki Teikei Haiku Society Haiku Contest

Wishing you peace and joy in this season of lights, and a very Merry Christmas to all!

Until next time,

Ann