your random acts of annogram

                                                     

Random Acts of Poetry Day

So happy today, October 7, is Random Acts of Poetry Day.  According to Jennifer at Highland Park Poetry, we should be pinning poems on grocery bulletin boards and scrawling verse in chalk in the street.  Sounds good!  My random acts have included three poems recently accepted by Zoomorphic, and one by Main Street Rag Publishing for its ghosts anthology.

Photo by Jeff Pang

Women Poets of the Hudson River

Ruth Handel, Natalie Safir, Meredith Trede, and I will read at the Warner Library in Tarrytown on October 24 at 2 pm.  Ruth’s most recent book is No Border is Perennial (Dos Madres, 2015), Natalie’s Love Like Snow (2011), Meredith’s Field Theory (SFA Press, 2011) and mine, Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres, 2014).  Hope to see you there!

Writing & War

Bellevue Literary Review presents “Embattled,” a performance of poetry and prose on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, at 6 pm. Two actors will read select poems by BLR poets, featuring work by my dear friend Terry Dugan.  Free and open to the public at NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 First Avenue (30^th-33^rd Streets), Schwartz Hall E.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Commemorating Bonhoeffer

“For Conduct and Innocents,” a multimedia drama in verse written by J. Chester Johnson, will take place Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm at Trinity Church (Wall Street).  Directed by Alan Baxter, the performance portrays significant moments leading to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s death, with choreography by the Trinity Movement Choir, and Paul Knopf’s original score for an upcoming film on Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). 

Collaborations in Dance

Racoco

This Brooklyn festival, on Sunday, October 18, at 8 pm, celebrates movement-based performance developed in collaboration with artists in film, sound, costuming, visual art, and more. Racoco, featuring Rachel Cohen, Remi Harris, Masumi Kishimoto, and Meghan Schardt, with live music by Lynn Wright and guests, rejoins visual artist Stephanie Beck on a shared program. At TRISKELION ARTS, tickets $16.
 

October Poetry Readings

Ai

Thursday, October 7, 7 pm: Matthew Zapruder, NYU Lillian Vernon Creative Writing House

Friday, October 9, 6 pm: Michael Klein, Andrea Cohen, Poets House

Saturday, October 10, 4:30 pm: Katie Degentesh, Katy Bohinc, Zinc Bar

Monday, October 12, 7 pm: Jane Hirshfeld, Poets House

Tuesday, October 13, 7 pm: Robyn Creswell, Dunya Mikhail, Nat’l Sept. 11 Museum; register 911memorial.org

Tuesday, October 13, 7 pm: Cate Marvin, Robin Beth Schaer, McNally Jackson Books

Thursday, October 15, 7 pm: Rachel McKibbens, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Casey Lynn Rocheteau, BookCourt

Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm: Lynn Emmanuel, Sarah Lawrence Slonim House

Saturday, October 17, 4:30 pm: Ben Tripp, Boni Joi, Zinc Bar

Sunday, October 18, 3:30 pm: The Widows Handbook, All Saints Catholic Church Library

Edwin Torres

Sunday, October 18, 4:30 pm: Edward Hirsch, Hudson Valley Writers Center, $10

Monday, October 19, 7 pm: Ai Tribute, Proshansky Auditorium /CUNY Grad Center

Thursday, October 22, 7 pm: John Wieners Celebration, Poets House

Saturday, October 24, 2 pm: Ann Cefola, Ruth Handel, Meredith Trede, Warner Library

Saturday, October 24, 4:30 pm: Rodney Koeneke, Edwin Torres, Zinc Bar

Thursday, October 29, 7 pm: Liwaa Yazji, Poets House

Friday, October 30, 6:30 pm: Randall Horton, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, Center for Book Arts

Chocolate Walnut Scones

Thanks to my dear friend and translator, Ligia Yamazaki, I learned about eating “Clean” and later discovered this delicious recipe.

1/2 cup coconut oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing baking sheet
1/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 cup pitted and mashed-up dates (soak until soft)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (Bob’s Red Mills) +1 tablespoon gluten free flour

Pinch sea salt
2 oz organic dark chocolate (preferably sugar/dairy free, like Gnosis or Green & Black), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw, organic walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.  In separate bowl, mash dates until you have a thick paste and set aside. Warm coconut oil until it's liquid and add to date paste with vanilla and water.  Add wet to dry. Then add chocolate and walnut pieces and mix until just combined. Dough should hold together; adjust water and flour if too dry or sticky.  Form dough into a round and place on lightly floured (leftover gluten-free flour) surface and cut in half.  Roll each half into another round.  Cut one round in half and then cut each half into thirds and repeat so you have 12 wedges.  Lightly grease baking or cookie sheet with coconut oil and place wedges in oven for 16 minutes (rotating pan after 8 minutes).

’Round the Net

Thanks and/or congratulations to the following people:

Writer Cindy Beer-Fouhy on her Life Stories class at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute

J. Chester Johnson

Publisher Guy Bennett on debut of Piotr Macierzyński’s If father dies first (Mindmade Books, 2015) translated from Polish by Aleksandra Małecka and Piotr Marecki

Essayist Jeanette Briggs on “City Stories” appearing in Diverse Voices Quarterly

Poet Terry Dugan on having her poetry selected for Writing & War (see above)

Poet Ruth Handel on her upcoming book No Border is Perennial (Dos Madres, 2015) and 10^th year teaching Enjoying Poetry at Scarsdale Adult School

Poet Cindy Hochman for this article on the publishing industry’s thoughts on editing

Poet J. Chester Johnson on his upcoming drama in verse on Bonhoeffer (see above)

Poet Amy King for nominations to the volume Bettering American Poetry

Novelist Petra E. Lewis on appearing in the Daily News, speaking at the National Action Network, and hosting an anti-violence panel at the New School

Poet Sherry Loeffler on the best rejection she ever received—part 1 and part 2

Robert Murphy

Translator James Manteith for pointing out the new Iris DeMent album is based on Babette Deutsch and Lyn Coffin translations of Akhmatova

Poet Mary McCray for the results of this survey of online learning

Poet Don McIver and the 2015 ABQ Slam Team for appearing in a TED talk

Art expert Laura Morelli on her latest book on vacation treasure-shopping, Naples & the Almafi Coast

Poet Robert Murphy on his recent NYC reading at the Swift Hibernian Lounge

PBS for Jim Henson documentary sharing his early coffee ads (PS: If asked if you want Wilkins Coffee, the answer is yes)

Sports broadcaster Steve Overmyer for highlighting the New York Sharks—a women’s professional football team

Poet Kevin Pilkington on his master poetry class, starting October 20, at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute

Poet Claudia Rankine on winning the Forward Poetry Prize

Music archivist Jay Shulman for this book review of Chrissie Hynde’s memoir

Sarah Bracey White and winning plant

Poet Linda Simone on having “Rara Avis” accepted in Grabbing the Apple: An Anthology of New York Women Poets

Memoirist Sarah Bracey White on winning the First and Growers' Choice Awards at the Parkway Gardens/Parkway Homes Fall Flower Show

Poet Neal Whitman on having “When Dusk Falls” appear in this Italian journal and for recommending this video of poet Alice Oswald

Before we leave off, I want to remember Ann McGovern, author of the children’s classic, Stone Soup.  When I was little, that story often inspired me to pretend my lunchtime soup was the savory one described in her tale. Later, when pursuing my dream of being a writer, I heard her speak at a writers’ conference. She was warm-hearted and approachable, and led an amazing life.  Here’s to making delicious soup out of stones!

Until next time,

Ann

your golden light of august annogram

Best American Poetry

Good news! This month The Best American Poetry Blog highlights my Illuminations interview with J. Chester Johnson, and Sophie Chouinard reviews Face Painting in the Dark (Dos Madres Press, 2014) in Cahoodaloodaling. In addition, Earth’s Daughters accepted my poem, “Royal Quiet DeLuxe,” and my interview with memoirist Sarah Bracey White will appear next month in the Southern Literary Review.

The energized blues-rock of Little Games

Little Games is developing quite a following--please stay tuned for future gigs. The band features vocalist/guitarist Michael Cefola, bassist Larry Schwartzman, drummer Tommy Vinton, and guitarist/vocalist Don LaSala.  Speaking of blues, Michael highly recommends this collection of interviews with B.B. King in the latest Guitar Player.  


View from the Chair and New Mobility

Maggie and Jim Sinocchi

A great gift in my career has been working closely with members of the disabilities community—although “disabilities” hardly describes professionals whose talents far exceed my own. In View from the Chair, Jim Sinocchi faces some end-of-life planning most of us avoid; and in New Mobility, Jim Barry recalls one spring when he got “hammered.” I adore both Jims, and now you can get to know them too.



Eric Greinke and Dolly

Poets in Review

Thanks to Eric Greinke for including his review of Hence this cradle (Seismicity Editions, 2007) in Poets in Review (Presa Press, 2015). Hence is my translation of the second collection by French contemporary poet Hélène Sanguinetti. Eric’s essay joins many notable reviews he has written over two decades. 

Brilliant Blunders at Iona

Astrophysicist and cosmologist Mario Livio will speak at the Murphy Center auditorium at Iona College in New Rochelle on Thursday, September 10, at noon. The talk will focus on “Brilliant Blunders,” major errors committed by such luminaries as Darwin, Einstein and Pauling, in describing the evolution of Earth, human life, and the universe as a whole. Free. Directions here.

1.5 Million Black (Wo)Men Missing

A panel, “More Than a Protest Novel: Connecting the Dots - 1.5 Million Black (Wo)Men Missing,” will take place Tuesday, September 15, 2015, 6:30 – 10:00 p.m., at The New School’s Lang Center. While looking at policy initiatives and antiviolence solutions, this free event will consider the deaths of Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, and Charleston victims. Book-signing of Petra Lewis’s Sons and Daughters of Ham (PEL Press, 2014) follows. 

A Fast Niçoise

Oh, the lowly can of tuna!  Soon drenched in mayo and hidden in rye. Redeem your modest can of tuna with this one-serving recipe which is both healthful and tasty:

1 5 oz. can albacore tuna in water (avoid brands with soy in ingredients)

1 handful of baby spinach or mixed greens

10 Kalamata pitted olives

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive (EVO) oil

Place greens in bowl and top with olives.  Drain water from tuna can and break up tuna over greens. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and EVO.  Toss and enjoy!

’Round the Net

Congratulations and/or thanks to the following:

Regi Claire

Editor Rachel Adams on latest issue of Lines + Stars

Poet Joel Allegretti on Rabbit Ears (NYQ Books, 2015) launch scheduled for December 14, 6:30 p.m., at Bowery Poetry Club

Poet John Amen on his upcoming reading tour through New Mexico and New York

Novelist Regi Claire on chairing the Scottish PEN/Amnesty International Imprisoned Writers Series at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

Artist Deborah Coulter for her Visual Play blog
Feminist Studies on their Multimedia Issue (available through JStor)

Hans Hofmann, The Gate

Art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for this last call to see murals by Hans Hofmann

Translator Ann Gwin for noting that two Hugo Awards went to translated work

Poet and editor Cindy Hochman on the latest issue of First Literary Review-East

Actor Tony LoBianco on offering acting and coaching lessons

Poet Mary Ladd McCray on 10 Ways to Be a Better Poetry Reader

Poet Kevin Pilkington on Michael Dennis’s review of Ready to Eat the Sky (River City
Publishing, 2004)

Linda Simone at the Twig

Tech guru Justin Simone for 29 Incredibly Useful Websites You Wish You Knew Earlier

Poet Linda Simone on her Archeology (Flutter Press, 2014) book-signing at San Antonio’s Twig Book Shop and Tina Tocco’s book review in First Literary Review-East

Music archivist Jay Shulman for this article on Groucho Marx’s passion to master guitar

The brouhaha over Go Set a Watchman (Harper, 2015) has died down.  Some have read it; others, like me, have not.  Happily for all, the controversy revisited the profound impact of To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as the movie, upon the American imagination.  The week that Watchman appeared, the journal Still Crazy published Neal Whitman’s poem which he generously shares here:

Our Kind

“I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.”

        -- To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (1960)

It was an old town,

a tired old town.

In rainy weather,

its streets turned to red slop.

It felt hotter then.

It inspired her to write one book.

Just one.

Mary Badham, Gregory Peck
in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

On his movie script,

Gregory Peck wrote:

Fairness

Stubbornness

Courage

Love

Until next time,

Ann

your midsummer annogram

Here I am enjoying some ice cream generously shared at a client's office–mm-mm good!  And now delicious days after a New York heat wave: The glorious weather has heralded news that three of my poems will appear in Cicada, and the receipt of my beautiful copy of Raising Lilly Ledbetter: Women Poets Occupy the Workspace (Lost Horse Press, 2015).

Go Set a Watchman

Dancer Elyse Faltz asked me today what I thought about  this controversial publication. I had recently seen the PBS American Experience film on Harper Lee, and it reinforced the importance in the American psyche of To Kill a Mockingbird.  I am inclined to think that, with Ms. Lee’s lawyer-sister gone, and Ms. Lee a stroke victim, the publisher took advantage of a pre-Kill draft. After writer Jeanette Briggs shared this NPR review, I decided not to read the “sequel” if it is one. Let the original stand.

New York Poetry Festival

The New York Poetry Festival takes place Saturday through Sunday this weekend on Governors Island–a 172 acre island in the heart of New York harbor, only 800 yards from Lower Manhattan and even closer to Brooklyn. Come hear Kattywompus Press poets Susanna Case and Margo Stever read on Sunday, July 26 at 1 p.m. at the Chumley Stage, and Slapering Hol Press poets on the White Horse Stage at 2:30 p.m.

Little Games at the Eastchester Inn

Little Games will play the Eastchester Inn Saturday, August 1, at 9 p.m. The band welcomes talented guest guitarist Don LaSala, a recording engineer who did sound for NRBQ and Warren Zevon US tours. Join lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Cefola, bassist Larry Schwartzman and drummer Tom Vinton for another great night of rock!

Tribute to B.B. King

Imagine opening for the great B.B. King! That’s what Johnny Moses did with his freshman rock band at Trinity College in 1968.  Here’s his recollection behind this memorable photo:

B.B. King and Johnny Moses, 1968

In my eagerness I tried to show him all the styles of guitar I could in one-minute country bends, R&B chops and, of course, blues. He listened, then smiled. As he reached out to touch my shoulder (the money shot), he said, “Maybe you have a new style there”–his gracious way of saying, “Don’t play too much, keep it simple and soulful.” Then he said, “Treat your guitar like a woman, slow and easy.” Finally, he showed me a high note trick with left hand vibrato he used throughout his career to punctuate a phrase. Wow, what a lifelong lesson!

Meetinghouse Readings in Canaan, NH

Poet and translator David Ferry will read with novelist Megan Mayhew Bergman at the Meetinghouse on July 30, at 7:30 p.m.  Free admission. 

New—one free!—books

Congratulations to these talented authors on new works and one well-deserved reissue:

Rómulo Gallegos’s Doña Barbara, translated by Robert Malloy (University of Chicago Press, 2015) – free e-edition during July

Gary Glauber’s Small Consolations (Aldrich Press, 2015)

JoAnne McFarland’s LOOSE HORSE IN THE VALLEY: A Modern American Lullaby (Red Glass Books, 2015) available for $12 check to from JoAnne McFarland, 20 Henry Street, Apt. 2DN, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Hélène Sanguinetti’s Alparegho, pareil-à-rien (reissue - Editions L’Amandier, 2015)

Rosmarie Waldrop’s In Pieces (O’Clock Press, 2015)

Meatless Loaf for Your Next Picnic

Make this loaf in the cool of the day and you can slice and enjoy in a lovely summer sandwich or entrée. A family favorite chez Cefola.

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup your choice of any combo diced celery, green pepper, carrots, mushrooms, olives, favorite vegetables, etc.

1 cup chunk-style peanut butter

1 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables until limp. Combine the vegetables with remaining ingredients. Mix well, adding some liquid if it seems too dry. Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

’Round the Net

Congratulations and/or thanks to:

Publisher Steve Brannon for the great Spring/Summer 2015 issue of Small Print Magazine

Essayist Jeanette Briggs for this sobering NPR review of Go Set a Watchman (HarperCollins, 2015)

Publisher Libby Hodges on the publication of issue 2 of the translation journal SpringHouse

Publishing guru Jan Kardys for letting us know that the must-attend Unicorn Writers Conference takes place next month

Publisher Simon Lewis for this memorable speech by the Rev. Pinckney, one of the Charleston nine, honoring the Civil War dead

Actor Tony LoBianco on his marriage to Alyse Best Muldoon on June 27, 2015

Fiction writer Maureen Pilkington for her essay, “Stuck in an Elevator with Sixteen Republications,” appearing in SohoNYC

Computing pioneer David Schwartzkopf

Poet Hélène Sanguinetti on this fantastic podcast on FranceCulture (the “PBS” of France) on the reissue of Alparegho, pareil-à-rien (Editions L’Amandier, 2015)

Disabilities activist David Schwartzkopf on his profile in the US Department of Labor’s 25-year tribute to the Americans with Disabilities Act

Bassist Larry Schwartzman for this optical illusion

Music archivist Jay Shulman for this tribute to Dylan’s “Like a rolling stone” recorded 50 years ago this summer

Poet Linda Simone on joining the San Antonio Poet Source

Poet Margo Stever and son, James Taft Stever, on publication of Looking East: William Howard Taft and the 1905 U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Asia, The Photographs of Harry Fowler Woods (Orange Frazer Press, 2015)

Photographer Joe Vericker for this sport-legend photo (left to right) Mets pitcher Tom Seaver, Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto, Giants’ Lawrence Taylor, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, Jets Super Bowl III QB Joe Namath, and Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo

Here's hoping you knock it out of the park in your creative pursuits!

Until next time,

Ann