your may annogram

 Spring seems to generate poetry—so I hope you enjoy this packed  annogram! For starters, I’d like to thank editor Richard Krawiec for including my work in the newly released anthology, …and love… (Jacar Press, 2012), alongside poets such as John Hoppenthaler, Doriane Laux and Marge Piercy. Thrilled my poem, “Late Evening,” will appear in the next issue of Ochre: A Journal of Women’s Spirituality. My gratitude also to Alyse Bensel for her New Pages review of St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped (Kattywompus Press, 2011).

Poetry workshop on Wallace Stevens

What a pleasure to lead the poetry workshop at the third annual Unicorn Writers Conference in Portland, CT on April 28! My workshop focused on Wallace Steven’s “The Dove in the Belly,” mining clever tools that Stevens uses—from other languages and self-created words to diction that jumps from elegant to plain. Wish you were there? You can purchase a DVD of my workshop.

Thoughts from a literary agent

More than 20 attended the conference, giving private one-on-one critiques to writers who sent in manuscripts ahead of time. Literary agents are desperately trying to find well-crafted work. One told me, “Either the plot or the characters are well done—rarely both.” When did he give up reading a bad manuscript? “The first sentence.” However, he conceded, “It’s a lot of balls that writers have to hold up in the air.”

Poetry readings / events

10^th Annual New York City Independent Publishers Book Party

Thursday, May 10, 6 - 8 p.m.
ZieherSmith Gallery

Poets Margo Taft Stever and Mervyn Taylor

Saturday, May 12, 3 – 5 p.m.
Beanrunner Cafe, Peekskill NY

 Pulitzer Prize-winner Kay Ryan

Sunday, May 13, 4:00p.m.
Katonah Village Library

Bowery Arts + Science Annual Benefit

Sunday, May 20, 6 p.m.
Tickets for different events here

Poets David Abel and Mark Weiss
Wednesday, May 23, 8 p.m.
St. Marks Poetry Project


Trede wins Political Poetry Contest

Poet Meredith Trede won the Town of Pelham Public Library’s 5th annual James J. Nicholson Political Poetry Contest. Judge Joshua Mehigan calls the winning poem a “smart, surprising poem whose concision and plainspokenness conceal a sharp critique not only of political commentary but also, implicitly, of policy, politics, and political dialogue, in general.” Congratulations, Meredith!

Booth wins Westchester photography award

Photographer Carol Booth won in the adult category of the Westchester County Amateur Photography Contest for "Public Laundry, Antigua" (left). 

Several of the winning photos will be displayed in the Greenburgh Public Libary Howard and Ruth Jacobs Family Gallery May 3 - June 11, and an opening reception held May 14.  Yay Carol!

Denhert wins John Lennon award

KJ Denhert’s “Choose Your Weapon” has won the 2011 John Lennon Song Contest in the World Music category. You can see this dedicated musician and former coworker of mine perform at Smoke on May 12, 19 and 26 (11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.) or the 55 Bar NYC (10 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.) May12 and 26. Congrats, KJ!

Summer Poetry Workshop

Award-winning poet and Red Glass Books publisher Janet Kaplan is leading a poetry writing workshop this summer, July 9 - 20 (10 sessions), Mondays - Fridays from 10 AM - 2 PM, as part of Hofstra's 38th Annual Summer Writers Program. Undergraduate and graduate credit is available, as is campus housing. To register and for more information: 516-463-7200; Course #: CRWR 134A.

Call for manuscripts

Have you ever salvaged a relationship of any kind?  If you've written poems, fiction or prose on ths topic, Wising Up Press wants to hear from you by June 1, 2012 for their latest anthology, Daring to Repair: What It Takes, Who Does It, and Why. 

‘Round the Net

· ALTA list-serve for this Daily News article on Yale University Press’s new online forum for translators.

· Poet John Amen for this video of him reading work in Albuquerque.

· Art Historian and NY Arts Exchange Director Beth Gersh-Nesic for this video from "Yorgo Alexopoulos: Transmigrations," a wondrous installation recently at Cristin Tierney Gallery.

· Actor Wayne Joseph for the intriguing short film “This is Tillman.”

· Translator C.M. Mayo for this podcast interview about important figures in the Mexican literary world.

· Poets House for this Wall Street Journal article on the joys of poetry.

· Poet Linda Simone for making us aware of a celebrated poet in need—Diane di Prima is experiencing some challenging times and could use some spiritual and material support.

· Linda also for this tribute to Adrienne Rich, Robert Frost reciting “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” this animation of Billy Collins poetry, and the Top 10 Most Misunderstood Lines in Literary History.

Hope this green season inspires your writing or art!

Until next time,

Ann

your irish ann o'gram

Happy St. Patrick’s Day
On St. Patrick’s Day, I give thanks for great literary gifts from Ireland—from Yeats and Joyce to contemporaries like Seamus Heaney and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill (left) and for my dear Irish-American friends whose lifelong generosity, warmth and kindness have especially blessed me—you know who you are!

“Demoiselles 7” in Feminist Studies
How rewarding to finally see my long poem, “Demoiselles 7,” in Feminist Studies! It took more than a decade to write and find its perfect print home. I read portions at the United Nations a few years back. Here’s an overview in the journal’s preface:

Ann Cefola’s poem “Demoiselles 7” meditates upon the questions and problems of painting by following the multiple ancestries and interpretations of Picasso’s 1907 work, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, which launched the Cubist movement. The fractured and angular “demoiselles” in the painting — actually, “five whores from the worst bordello in Barcelona” — talk back to the onlooker: “People adore us: We give them permission to fall apart. To love the wreckage.” They tell of their complex lineage and roots in Ethiopia, the Middle East, and beyond, as well as “of what splintered women could do.” They ask: “What if we celebrated a woman’s contours? The body not exile but home.” Cefola ends her contribution with a tongue-in-cheek reference to herself as author, as perhaps the subject of another (fictitious) Picasso painting: “If only I — we — could go in peace to love and serve the whores. But I am just A Girl Writing.”

St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped Still in Demand
I am so grateful for the positive response to my second chapbook, St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped (Kattywompus Press, 2011). In addition to great online reviews from top poetry reviewers such as Emilia Fuentes Grant, Cindy Hochman, and Janelle Elyse Kihlstrom, Katherine McCollom —
my second cousin whom I adore — weighs in from Oklahoma:

Dear Ann: I ordered six copies of your St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped from Kattywompus Press. I have had a good time giving one to friends who are ill, who have done me a special favor, or who would be impressed that I am related to a published poetess. I thought you might like to know what pleasure I have had from your chapbook. Fondly, Katherine

Thank you, Katherine!

Stevens-Inspired Workshop at Unicorn Writers Conference
For the third year, I will be giving a one-hour poetry workshop at the Unicorn Writers Conference on Saturday, April 28, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., at St. Clement’s Castle in Portland, CT. Recommended by Writers Digest, this conference features workshops on craft, contract negotiation and social media marketing. It’s held on a beautiful estate on the Connecticut River. Friends who attended have found new energy, ideas and contacts. Here’s my workshop, Discovering the Dove in the Belly, inspired by Hartford’s own poet:

All poets have a dove within that builds its nest and coos, according to Wallace Stevens. In this workshop, we’ll look at his poem, “The Dove in the Belly,” to explore ways to expand our own work. First, we will walk through the Stevens poem to see what he’s up to, and then take a deeper look at the tools he uses to create a memorable work. Finally, we’ll steal a few of his approach to write a poem or two of our own. If you would like to learn from Stevens—considered one of the greatest American poets of his time, then come to this workshop.

Hope to see you there!

Blockbuster Stein Collection at the Met
Poet-translator Mark Weiss has two words for the exhibit: “My god.” New York Arts Exchange Founder and Director Beth Gersh-Nesic calls it “a once-in-a-lifetime experience which rivals the Barnes and Cone Collections – and may be far superior in its taste.” If you get a chance to take the Stein tour with Beth, go for it! Her class on Cubism informed “Demoiselles 7,” and she illuminates this art period like no one else. She will also lecture on Picasso and Francoise Gilot at the Greenwich Women's Club on Tuesday, March 27, at 1:30 p.m., through Alliance Francaise de Greenwich.

More poetry
You know National Poetry Month is almost upon us as a lot of poetry events are heating up. Mark Doty will give a talk on Walt Whitman at Poets House on March 24, and the 2012 Chapbook Festival takes place March 28-30. Kevin Pilkington will read at the Saint Vincent College Visiting Writers Series on Monday, March 26 at 7 p.m. in Latrobe, PA. And John Amen, editor of Pedestal Magazine, will read his work on April 11 at 8 p.m. at the Barron Arts Center, 582 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ; April 16, at 6 p.m. at Cornelia Street Café; and on April 20, with Bhikshuni Weisbrot, at the Panorama Café and Shop, 84-73 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica, NY (see johnamen.com for more info). Kevin Pilkington will read at the Saint Vincent College Visiting Writers Series on Monday, March 26 at 7 p.m. http://svcreadingseries.wordpress.com/upcoming-reading/

Matters of the HeART
The opening reception for Matters of the HeART: Supporting Creative Aging Through the Arts, the 8th annual art exhibit by Westchester County seniors ages 55 and older, takes place tomorrow, Sunday, March 18, from 2-4 p.m. at Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY. This spring art exhibit, which features paintings, drawings, mixed-media creations, collages, photographs, and free-standing sculptures, is sponsored by the Greenburgh Arts & Culture Committee and the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation.

Pamela Sklar CD Release Concert
Flutist Pamela Sklar at the Parish House PAC Theater next Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. will celebrate her new CD, A Native American Jazz Tribute. Her back-up band features a dozen musicians, including cellist Jay Shulman. PAC House is part of Trinity-St. Paul Episcopal Church, 311 Huguenot Street, New Rochelle. Tickets are $20 and include both concert and refreshments.

‘Round the Net
Thanks to the following people or online resources that provided these great links:

· ALTA list serve for this article on fiction in translation and tribute to Szymborska
· Filmmaker Jeanette Briggs for this beautiful life of flowers video
· SFAI alum Catherine Chung on her critically acclaimed debut novel Forgotten Country
· Barbara Dickinson, CFT, for this Billy Joel-inspired musical history lesson
· ForwardReviews for “books you’d never thought you’d read but end up loving”
· Translator and Art Historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for this Focus on French Film alert
· Jazz Historian Ted Gioia for these writing tips from John Steinbeck
· Poet and Toadlily Press Editor Myrna Goodman for this on Transtromer translation
· My sister-in-law, Elaine Gregory, for this poetry sign
· Literary Agent Jan Kardys for promoting this lovely herb-spice chart
· Screenwriter David Ring for this wonderful elegy to a poetry teacher
· Francophile Susan Seligman for this extraordinary 500 years of women’s faces
· Poet and performance artist Jackie Sheeler for “The New Back Alley”
· Poet Linda Simone for this exhibit review on the extraordinary glimpsed in the ordinary
and mysterious paper sculptures in the Scottish Poetry Library

annogram-itorial
For weeks, I have written against the NYS “Quick Kill” shelter bill A05449 (Paulin). Thanks to the public outcry, ten cosponsors have withdrawn their support and a state senator abandoned the companion bill. Despite these big signals, Ms. Paulin is still pursuing a revision (AO5449B) which allows shelters “the option,” not the requirement, to adopt out animals; to refuse to work with rescue organizations outside immediate or adjoining counties; and to enact a convoluted approval process for rescue groups.

An opposing bill, A07312 (Kellner), which legally requires appropriate and timely care for homeless animals, has a groundswell of support in New York and among respected animal rights groups nationwide. If you’re a New York State resident, please e-mail the remaining bill sponsors, Speaker Sheldon Silver (silvers@assembly.state.ny.us), Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol (lentolj@assembly.state.ny.us), and Assembly Member Amy Paulin (paulina@assembly.state.ny.us), to request that they drop A05449B and support A07312. Thank you!

Until next time,
Ann

Ann Cefola

Author of St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped, (Kattywompus Press, 2011)

"Magically, memorably calibrated" - John Ashbery on "Express"

your happy new year annogram

Happy new year, everyone! May you achieve much creative risk and reward in 2012. I am grateful for 2011’s blessings—especially publication of my second chapbook, St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped (Kattywompus Press), Trinity-St. Paul’s hosting my book party, and the warm reception to my chapbook which precipitated a second printing. More good news below….

Three+ reviews of St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped
Thanks to poet and editor Cindy Hochman for her fantastic book review in Gently Read Literature (scroll at right to page 15), poet and editor Janelle Elyse Kihlstrom for another on-target review in Melusine, and chapbook reviewer Emilia Fuentes Grant for her favorable words in The Pedestal. In addition, Canadian poet Pearl Pirie highlighted Cindy’s review in Pesbo.

And interviews
Thanks to Kim Wells for her lovely interview with me that appears in the current issue of Relief: A Quarterly Christian Expression. In addition, hot off the press is Beth Gersh-Nesic’s interview with me in WomenArts Quarterly Journal. Also about to debut is my long poem, “Demoiselles 7”, in the winter issue of Feminist Studies. That’s sort of an interview too—but with the women in Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles
Claudia Hammon, a dear friend, sent me this New York Times review of a new exhibit, “Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles,” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage which runs through 2012. Lazarus (1849-1887), as you know, wrote the “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” inscribed at the Statue of Liberty. Not a poor immigrant herself, she came from a wealthy family that gave her entrée to notable literary salons of the day.

Despite these advantages, living as a Jewish person in a non-Jewish community was, she wrote, “a hard nut to crack.” This duality, this sense of comfort and distance at once, however, yielded—as the reviewer notes—some of her finest poems. As writers, our best work may be found by, as poet Suzanne Gardinier says, “holding the opposites together.” Lazarus lived only to 38 and look at her imprint on the world: We who are much older than Lazarus now would do well to mine the complexities of our lives to find our own literary treasures.

‘Round the Net
Thanks to the following people for their achievements or sending me these links:
· ALTA list-serve for this book review on Luis de Góngora
· Also this article on the demand for English translations of global best-sellers
· And this NPR interview, “What Gets Lost in Translation”
· My brother, Bill, for hilarious dog videos here and here
· Translator Leonard Fox for this recording of dual-culture poets in the United Kingdom
· Red Glass Books Publisher Janet Kaplan for announcing Margaret Diehl’s latest chapbook
· Translator Lucas Klein for his translation-promoting blog
· Ski patroller and Francophile Dusty Sackett for this breath-taking meditation on peace
· Poet Linda Simone for this fun insect poetry reading and video sampling of British poets
· Poet Thomas Transtromer on winning the Nobel Prize in Literature

May this year be your annus mirablis!
Ann

your november annogram

St. Agnes book launch a big success
Thanks to Trinity-St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for hosting the October book launch of St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped (Kattywompus Press, 2011) in the newly restored library. The Reverend Robert Gahler gave an inspiring introduction, sharing the church’s history as the birthplace of the French protestant movement in the then colonies. Ever-gracious, he also arranged a lovely afternoon buffet, poured tea for guests and provided an informal sanctuary walk-through.
I am equally grateful to the literary community that showed to support me—especially Meredith Trede, author of Field Theory (Stephen Austin University Press, 2011), Myrna Goodman, poet and cofounder of Toadlily Press; and Sarah Bracey White, whose memoir Primary Lessons won the CavanKerry Press New Voices Award and will be published next year. Thanks to Sarah and poet Michael Holstein for taking photos, to friends, parishioners and poetry lovers who appeared out of nowhere to buy my books in record numbers, and to those of you who sent such warm wishes in e-mail notes and cards.

Wait a minute, I have to take off my bra!
That’s the saucy title of the new breast-themed anthology by InkSpotter publisher Betty Dobson. Thanks to Betty for including my poem, “Breast Imaging,” in Wait a minute which you can find on amazon.com. And now that I have your attention, you can also read my poem, “For My Mother-in-Law Recently Passed” in Radius Poetry: From the Center to the Edge.

Women of a Certain Page
Does a something unknown beckon in your life? Come to Women of a Certain Page, an afternoon tea, poetry reading and creative exploration presented by the New York Arts Exchange tomorrow, Sunday, November 6, from 2 PM to 4 PM in New Rochelle. Poets Meredith Trede, Cathy Wald and I will read and lead a lively discussion and a few creative exercises. The cost is $30, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Hope’s Door, formerly the Northern Westchester Shelter. To reserve a spot, e-mail nyarts.exchange@verizon.net as soon as possible!

Toadlily launch at Poets House
Tonight at Poets House, at 5pm, Toadlily Press will celebrate the book launch of The Best of Toadlily Press (Toadlily Press, 2011), a wonderful compilation of Toadlily contributors and the high-profile poets, such as Thomas Lux and Jean Valentine, who have written introductions to the poetry books over the years. This delicious selection features a whimsical cover by artist and Toadlily cofounder Myrna Goodman. Annogram salutes Toadlily for increasing the publishing opportunities for emerging poets over the years in its much-praised quartet chapbook series.

‘Round the Net
Thanks to these people or periodicals for providing these fascinating links:
· The ALTA List-Serv for this article on Angela’s Ashes finally getting translated into Irish
· Jeanette Briggs for this article on Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer winning the Nobel Prize
· Lisa Guidarini for Why Creative Writing is Better with a Pen
· The New York Times for this article on Amazon’s entry into the publishing world
· The Times again for this article on Julian Barnes winning the Man Booker Prize
· And this book review on the influence of Keats’s brother’s travels in America on the poet’s work
· Poet Charles Simic for this article in his blog, Take Care of Your Little Notebook
· Poet Margo Stever for news of her upcoming chapbook, The Hudson Line (Main Street Rag, 2012)
· Alyson Waters for this review on David Bellos’s book on translation
· Kim Wells for this amazing YouTube video on the effects of domestic violence on children

Today, on my wedding anniversary, I am especially grateful to Michael Cefola for being my husband and partner in our amazing life journey together. I am truly blessed.

Wishing you and yours much to be thankful for this month!

Until next time,
Ann

St. Agnes is ‘Hot’

According to my publisher Sammy Greenspan, St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped (Kattywompus Press) is “hot”! Sammy is doing a second print run to meet high demand. In addition, New Pages, an online literary review, lists St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped as New and Noteworthy. Many thanks to all of you who are ordering my new chapbook. I will also be reading this Sunday, October 2, at the Nyack Library, at 2 p.m., joined by poets Meredith Trede, Daryl Brownlee and Sally Lipton Derringer.

Tea with St. Agnes

You are cordially invited to my book launch celebration, Tea with St. Agnes, on Saturday, October 15, 3-5p.m., in the newly restored library at Trinity St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in New Rochelle. Enjoy a poetry reading and refreshments. A free-will offering will be requested to benefit the church’s Building Repair Fund. Come see this church designed by famed Gothic Revivalist Richard Upjohn (1802-1878), as well as the two breath-taking stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933)!

Inkspotting interview

Please see Betty Dobson’s interview of me in Inkspotting: Writing, life and the writing life. In addition to Inkspotting, Betty also has superb blogs on poetry, genealogy and comics. Look for my work in Betty’s forthcoming anthology, Wait a minute, I have to take off my bra.
More good news
I am thrilled that my poem “Breast Imaging” appears in the current issue of Hospital Drive, the literary journal of the University of Virginia Medical School. In addition, my poem “Saffron” will appear in the 2012 Alhambra Poetry Calendar. “Aurora” and “Amphibious” will also help inaugurate the 2012 Alhambra Young Reader’s Poetry Calendar. Thanks to editor Shafiq Naz for selecting my work four years in a row!

Book launches galore

What a great time at Catherine Wald’s Distant, Burned-Out Stars (Finishing Line Press) book launch! Set in the intimate Amawalk Quaker Meeting House, the September event featured cake, champagne and a perfect reading by Cathy. Cathy will also be at Meet the Authors at the Mahopac Public Library, Thursday, October 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wonderful to see memoirist Sarah Bracey White, whose book Primary Lessons is forthcoming from CavanKerry Press. That's Sarah Bracey White and I (upper right) enjoying the late afternoon event in our finest summer hats, and (lower left) me, Cathy Wald, Sarah and Meredith Trede, whose launch for Field Theory (Stephen F. Austin University Press) will take place Sunday, October 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown. And Saturday, November 5 at 5 p.m., another launch at Poets House in lower Manhattan will celebrate Toadlily Press's latest book, The Best of Toadlily Press. Book-party on!

Randy Briggs gets framed

Be sure to stop by Scarsdale Art and Frame Shop, 46 Christie Place, Scarsdale, during October to see watercolors by Randy Briggs. Trained as both architect and artist, Randy brings amazing detail and color to landscapes and house portraits. His work can often be mistaken for photographs. Scarsdale Art and Frame is open 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and on Saturdays you can also enjoy the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market, down the street by the train station.

’Round the Net

Thanks to the following people for sending me these great links:

- American Literary Translators Association’s list-serve for why some languages sound so fast

- Poet Brenda Connor-Bey for Notes on the State of Southern Poetry

- Brenda also for recommending the Aldo Tambellini exhibit at the Chelsea Art Museum
- Art Historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for her meditation on The High Price of High Art

- Award-winning author Herbert Hadad for his thoughtful 9/11 Reflection

- Translator Lucas Klein for this gathering of thirty translations of Basho’s frog poem
- Poet Kevin Pilkington for the head’s up on his October 6 reading at Susquehanna University

- Poet and filmmaker Jackie Sheeler for this New York take on Hurricane Irene

- Translator Russell Valentino for this hilarious story featuring President Jimmy Carter

One of the reasons I love writing and sending out annograms is the chance to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues. Next week is my birthday—if you enjoy your annograms, let me know! I appreciate the highly creative community we have built together over the years.

Wishing you a glorious autumn,

Ann

New York before the storm

If you’re in the tri-state, you’re probably home—waiting for it. In Manhatttan today, many commuters stayed away, the late afternoon rush toward Grand Central noticeably thin. On the train, people pensive, the word “noon” slipping in conversation—the time tomorrow when NYC will, in an unprecedented move, shut down all transportation systems. In the suburbs tonight, it’s eerily quiet except for August cicadas. Hurricane Irene, the size of Europe, swirls like the plot of a bad sci-fi film. Enjoy this special hurricane edition while you still have electricity! Postscript: We survived without too much damage--kudos to our elected officials for handling Irene so well!

St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped available online
After my last newsletter, many annogrammers asked where to purchase my poetry chapbook, St. Agnes, Pink-Slipped. It’s easy – order it online at the Kattywompus Press Book Store. I’m also grateful to Sarah Lawrence College for announcing the publication on the alumni website (scroll down). In addition, I’m thrilled that The Widows' Handbook, an anthology that received more than 500 submissions, has accepted my poems, "Irradiation" and "What Yields to Winter.”

CavanKerry to publish Sarah Bracey White

Congratulations to Sarah Bracey White, who has been selected by CavanKerry as one of its “New Voices” for 2012. Her memoir, Primary Lessons, recalls her mother’s wisdom that safely guided Sarah through her first 12 years in the Jim Crow south. Publisher Florenz Eisman says, “It’s a delight to welcome Sarah as a new CavanKerry writer.”

Poet Cindy Hochman

I am lucky that Jackie Sheeler introduced me to Cindy Hochman, a versatile literary artist if ever I met one! Her new chapbook, The Carcinogenic Bride, is as riveting as the best Ginsberg or Sexton poems you know. She is also co-host of cable TV’s Poetry Thin Air, where she interviews poets such as Pedestal Magazine founder and editor John Amen. In addition, she is editor-in-chief of First Literary Review East, and welcomes poetry submissions under 16 lines.

Free Word for Word Poetry Reading

Poets E.J. Antonio, Michael Cirelli, Marie-Elizabeth Mali, and Patricia Spears Jones will read at the outdoor Bryant Park Reading Room on Tuesday, August 30, 7-8:30 p.m. In the event of rain, please go to The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen, 20 West 44th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas).

Wald and Trede book launch bonanza

I am so happy for Catherine Wald, who will launch Distant, burned out stars (Finishing Line Press) on Saturday, September 9 at 4 p.m. at the Amawalk Friends Meeting House, 2467 Quaker Church Road, in Yorktown. Equally exciting—the launch of Field Theory (Texas A&M University Press) by poet and Toad Lily Press publisher Meredith Trede on Sunday, October 23 at 2 p.m. at the JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown. I’ve read both books and they are worthy of much celebration!

Resurrecting Greenburgh’s 9/11 wall
The Town of Greenburgh will unveil the newly restored 9/11 Memorial Wall on Sunday, September 11, at 10:00 a.m. at Presser Park, Hartsdale. Composed of tiles designed by school children and county residents, the wall had fallen into disrepair in recent years. Thanks to a donation from Sam’s Club and the tireless efforts of Greenburgh Arts & Culture Director Sarah Bracey White, the wall will once again honor the memory of Greenburgh residents who died that September day 10 years ago.

Ten for Ten: Commemorating 9/11

On September 11 at 4 p.m., The Nyuorican Poets Cafe, 236 East 3rd Street, will debut Murphy's Law, a brief play about 9/11 through the eyes of two homeless black men in Washington Square Park, by two-time Tony nominee reg e gaines. Afterwards will be storytelling, poetry and dance by dancer Jennifer Cedanas Armas, activist Annie Day, songwriter Shelly Gaines, and poets E.J. Antonio, Carlos Andres Gomez, Joseph Washington and Daniel Wilson. Admission is $10.

'Round the Net

Thanks to the following people who have sent or inspired these fun and fantastic links:

· Jamie Appel for the wry Moxy Fruvous song,"My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors."

· Jim Cunningham for reminding us how wonderful his Vermont hardwood pens are.

· Poet and novelist Terry Dugan for this call for personal essays and stories on late-bloomer artists (latebloomeranthology@gmail.com).

· Romance novelist Diane Gaston for the release of Valiant Soldier, Beautiful Enemy. final installment in the Three Soldiers Series, which can be ordered through an online vendor.

· Art Historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for her new blog, BethNewYork, the updated New York Arts Exchange website; and this great review of Chasing Aphrodite in Venice Magazine.

· Poet and now publisher Janet Kaplan who suggests we “drink up” Red Glass Books' debut collection, Swimming to America, by Patricia Spears Jones.

Philip Levine on becoming our new Poet Laureate.

Kevin Pilkington on winning the 2011 New York Book Festival Award in Poetry for In the Eyes of a Dog (New York Quarterly Books).

· Novelist-screenwriter David Ring for letting me know what happened to the Ruth Lily $21 million.

· Poet Terry Dugan for this hilarious news item on National Bad Poetry Day.

· Workplace violence expert Kim Wells for the wonderful jewelry at that donates 10 percent of proceeds to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

· White Pine Press for the head’s up on its discounted translation collection for sale.

Philip Levine’s poem below, circulated recently by Knopf, seems particularly fitting tonight:

so go ahead, worship the mountains as they dissolve in dust,
wait on the wind, catch a scent of salt, call it our life.

Until next time,

Ann

Our Valley

We don’t see the ocean, not ever, but in July and August
when the worst heat seems to rise from the hard clay
of this valley, you could be walking through a fig orchard
when suddenly the wind cools and for a moment
you get a whiff of salt, and in that moment you can almost
believe something is waiting beyond the Pacheco Pass,
something massive, irrational, and so powerful even
the mountains that rise east of here have no word for it.

You probably think I’m nuts saying the mountains
have no word for ocean, but if you live here
you begin to believe they know everything.
They maintain that huge silence we think of as divine,
a silence that grows in autumn when snow falls
slowly between the pines and the wind dies
to less than a whisper and you can barely catch
your breath because you’re thrilled and terrified.

You have to remember this isn’t your land.
It belongs to no one, like the sea you once lived beside
and thought was yours. Remember the small boats
that bobbed out as the waves rode in, and the men
who carved a living from it only to find themselves
carved down to nothing. Now you say this is home,
so go ahead, worship the mountains as they dissolve in dust,
wait on the wind, catch a scent of salt, call it our life.

- Philip Levine