Ann Cefola's Blog
July 5, 2025
Dear annogrammers, In thissummer heat, some news to keep ...
Dear annogrammers, In thissummer heat, some news to keep you cool! Translation, Moby-Dick (yes, again), great-greatgrandmother Mary Eugenie and our connection to John Singer Sargent; RickWakeman, and Ancient Aliens. How about a cold Cherry Cola? We have that too.Enjoy the fizz.
Alparegho, Like-nothing-else
Thanks to everyone, especially ColeSwensen, who attended the launch of
Alparegho,Like-nothing-else
(Beautiful Days Press). Hélène Sanguinettiread live from Arles and, during our Q&A, literary scholar John Stouttranslated. Poet MaryMcCray wrote anexcellent recap, 158 people have viewed it on YouTube, and Asymptotepublished afantastic review.
Women in Translation
Hélène Sanguinetti August is Women in Translation Month, and tocelebrate, I will give a talk, “Discovering Translation,” at the SmithtownNesconset Library on August 20 at 7pm. I’ll share how to get started in literarytranslation, guide everyone in an easy translation exercise, and then read from Alparegho,Like-nothing-else (Beautiful Days Press).Andspeaking of translation, you can find mine of Jean-Luc Pouliquen’spoem, “We Must Let Childhood,” in Presence2025 .
Moby-Dick Marathon
As a reader in the annual Moby-DickMarathon at the Sag Harbor JermainLibrary, I had no idea what I would be asked to read. Fortunately, itwas a passage on a whale sighting—with Flask and Stubb shouting orders to thescrambling sailors. I did my best to incarnate those characters, or at leastwake up my audience. Heave-ho, mates!
Mary Eugenie Gregory
The family store in Sacramento, today the Sacramento VisitorCenterYep, that’s my great-greatgrand- mother (1838-1898). Imagine my surprise to
find her on YouTube speaking beyond the grave! Andthen to learn that the City of Sacramento last year. Wonders never cease. The city wantedto honor the economic contributions of Gold Rush-era women, and Mary Eugenie,according to her friend Leland Stanford(1824-1893), was “a better businessman than me.”
Grand Central School of Art
John Singer Sargent(1856-1925)Mary Eugenie’s grandson, JuliusGregory (1875-1955), designed the GrandCentral School of Art in 1922. He had the terminal’s east wing roof raisedin order to install skylights. He must have known John Singer Sargent, one of the school’s three founders—which leads me to
Sargent and Paris
If you’re a New Yorker, or livein the area, you have probably seen this blockbuster Metexhibit once if not two or three times. “How was it?” I asked oneManhattanite who replied, “Crowded.” For deeper insight, register for BethGersh-Nesic’s talk on July 17 at 4pm through the Zoom host, Alliance Française USA,here
Rick Wakeman at the Paramount
Rick WakemanThis former Yes keyboardistnimbly played a grand piano or three-stacked synthesizers, tapping into “Catherine of Aragon” and “Jane Seymour” from
The SixWives of Henry VIII
, “Yessonata,” a blendof the Yes canon; and tributes to Bowie, Lennon, and McCartney. While hamperedby arthritis, Wakemanhilariously flexed a self-deprecatory wit regarding his weight and ex-wives. Agreat evening with a mesmerizing prodigy.
Ancient Aliens Live
We have been watching this History Channel show since2009—so we jumped at the chance to see Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (“theguy with the hair”) WilliamHenry, Nick Pope, and Jason Martell in a local90-minute panel discussion before a sold-out audience. It did not disappointwith humor, archaeoastronomy, and suggestions that “disclosure” is imminent.
Creative Opportunities
Photo by Unseen Studio
TheCypress Review
, fiction, poetry, art, photography, by July 21
FictiveDream, short stories, by August 25
Puttingthe World in Focus, Maine Media Workshop with Kevin Pilkington, July14-18
Photo by Marcus Dall Col
MakingSpace for the Light
, sexual assault survivor anthology, by July31
Sense andSensibility, haiku on vacation/holiday theme, by July 22
WritingDragons Hanoi, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, by August 3
New and Recent Releases
A Meditation on Longing
, a filmby Frank Vitale (2025)
Ann Cefola, trans. Alparegho,Like-Nothing-Else by Hélène Sanguinetti (Beautiful Days Press)
Suzanne Cleary, The Odds (NewYork Quarterly Books)
Eric Greinke, Anthropoetics (Independently published)
Ed Jordan mentors colleagues in Holding Up the Sky (2025)
Holding Up the Sky, a filmby Bob Nesson (2025)
Nathalia Holt, The Beastin the Clouds (Atria/One Signal)
Jerry T. Johnson,
Bad Fruit
(GnashingTeeth Press)Edward McCann, Ed., Well SaidWell Read (Writers Read Press)
Kevin Roy, The Mortician’s Son(Lines+Stars Press)
Margo Taft Stever, BarebackRider (Broadstone Books)
July+ Events – ET
Linda SimoneOngoing, the Waring (TX)Market Gallery, exhibit featuring work by watercolorist Linda Simone, andpainters Vera Smith and Laura Lopez
July 10, 11am-3pm, The NewDawn Foundation,“UntyingOur Tongues: Languages, Literature, and Our Own Writing,” withLisa Schantl who will lead discussion and writing in a historic waterfrontlocation; register here
July 10, 6pm, The Calandra Italian-American Institute, openmic followed by Cathy Gigante-Brown and Mike Jurkovic
Kevin Roy July 12, 6pm, Atomic Books(Baltimore), Lines+Stars launch of Kevin Roy’s The
Mortician’s Son
July 13-14, 11am-6pm, Governor’sIsland, The NewYork City Poetry Festival
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July 17, 4pm, Alliance Française USA, “Sargentand Paris and the Gilded Age,” a talk via Zoom by art historianBeth Gersh-Nesic, PhD; register here
July 19, 6pm, BostonMarriott Burlington, SpeculativeWriting Open Mic at Readercon34hosted by Christina M. Rau
Christina M. RauJuly 20, 1:30pm, TheGowanus Dredgers Canoe Boathouse, A Persistence of CormorantsPoetry Series, Mary Newell and othersAugust 20, 7pm, SmithtownNesconset Library, Ann Cefola on “Discovering Translation,” aninformal workshop and reading from Alparegho,Like-nothing-else
Monthly Workshops andReadings
Use this link andscroll to listings
Old-Fashioned Cherry Cola Recipe
This comes from my favorite storeon the planet, the VermontCountry Store—where you can find the syrup and concentrateneeded for this nostalgic recipe:8 oz. plain seltzer or sparklingwatercola syrup, to taste1 oz. black cherry concentrateSimple syrup or stevia, to taste
Make it a float with a scoop ofcherry or vanilla ice cream!
ʼ Round theNet
Madame Chassagne and Captain Verlay in The Art of CrimeTranslators Chen Du and XishengChen on two translated Yan An poems, translator interviews, and audio in The Notre Dame Review
Richard HaguePoet Richard Hague onbecoming the 2025-2027 Cincinnatiand Mercantile Library Poet Laureate
Poet and artist Bob Hemanon his reading for the DMQVirtual Salon
Writer and artist Austin Kleonfor this video ofadvice from eight writers
Poet Heller Levinson on his upcoming chapbook, toward a reduced philanthropy (The Bodily Press), book Crossfall (Black Widow Press), poems in Word for/Word, and being a recent LitBalm feature
The Bride, oil paintingby Meg LindsayPoet and artist Meg Lindsayon having threepoems in The Monterey Poetry Review, and an oil painting,“The Bride,” in an international juried exhibit at the Cape Cod Museum of Art
Poet Mary McCray for sharingthis flashback of the Geico Caveman (John Lehr) reminiscing in Intro toAnthro with 2 Humans
Photo courtesy The Free PressYorktown Poet Laureate JohnMcMullen for thisarticle on “How Catholicism Got Cool” 
Dos Madres Press Publisherand poet Robert MurphyPublisher and poet Robert Murphy on DosMadres Press’s 20th anniversary celebration
Filmmaker Bob Nesson on therelease of HoldingUp the Sky , a documentary project to advance reforms forincarcerated and returning citizens
Poet Mary Newell on herrecent LitBalm reading
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen onmy translation of his poem, “We Must Let Childhood,” in Presence2025, and for introducing us to the artist Bertillede Baudinière
Bassist Larry Schwartzmanfor this clipof Buddy Guy and Junior Wells
Poet and artist Linda Simoneon curating “On the Square,” a multi-artist exhibit of 14 x 14-inch urban etchings,at KapejGallery & Café, October - January
Frank VitaleFilmmaker Frank Vitale onhis newest film,
AMeditation on Longing
, latest installment of TheMetropolis Organism film series, and new blog
Poet and playwright SarahBracey White on her essay, “Counterpoint,” in Well SaidWell Read (Writers Read Press)
Have a beautiful summer, everyone!
Until next time,
Ann
March 31, 2025
your spring annogram
Dear annogrammers, are youfeeling the green fuse? It is energizing all of us with welcomed new projectsand a little creative risk-taking. So glad to share your good news and mine—withappearances by Faulkner, Berthe Weill, and Led Zeppelin, and some delectablepasta to satisfy your respective literary and carbo cravings. Dig in!
Alparegho, Like-nothing-else
Poet Hélène Sanguinetti and Iinvite you to the launch of my translation of her
Alparegho,Like-nothing-else
, published by Beautiful Days Press. The Zoomlaunch will feature Hélène reading live from Arles as well as yours truly herein New York. The date is Saturday, April 26, at 1pm ET via this Zoom link. Hope to seeyou there!
Work in English, French, andSpanish
Thanks to Matt Morris at HomePlanet News for publishing “TheIntimate Room” and “WhyDoesn’t She Like You, Johnny?”; Jean-Luc Pouliquen for translating andposting my poem, “Wildlife,”in L’Oiseau de Feu de Garlaban; and to Catalina Bonati for publishingLigia Yamazaki’s Spanish translations of three poems in UltramarineLiterary Review (Chile).
Moby-Dick Marathon in Sag Harbor
The annual Moby-Dick Marathontakes place May 30-June 1, and I am thrilled to be a Saturday a.m. reader atthe Jermain Library. Hosted by Canio’s Cultural Café,the event includes festivities such as a showing of the film Moby-Dick (1956),lecture by Melville scholar Gerard McGowan, and the Seamen’s Chapel servicerecreated with a choir.
Writers never forget the moment welearn our first book will be published, and DosMadres Press afforded me that more than a decade ago with
FacePainting in the Dark
. Cofounders Robert and Elizabeth Murphy are kindand wonderful people and I wish them all best as they celebrate on April 24,7pm, at Xavier University’s McDonaldLibrary in Cincinnati.
Who was William Faulkner?
In this same-titled talk at the Center for Fiction, biographer Carl Rollyson suggested that, whilemost scholars write off Faulkner’s work after 1942, books such as The Mansion(1959) and TheReivers (1962) warrant another look. And most people don’t know thatFaulkner worked on more than 50 Hollywood films, including and To Have andHave Not (1944) and The Big Sleep (1946). For more fascinatinginsights into this great American author, see Rollyson’s latest, FaulknerOn and Off the Page (University Press of Mississippi).
Sisters in Conflict
Sarah Bracey WhiteSarah Bracey White willdebut her one-act play, “Sisters in Conflict,” where two sistersclash over who can best prepare the child they both love to live in asegregated world, during Plays in the Box, at the Westchester Collaborative Theater in May(see April+ Events). In addition, for Black History Month, Sarah’s play, “Somethingto Remember Him By,” was performed at the Greenburgh Library’s BudartzTheater. Congratulations, Sarah!
Make Way for Berthe Weill
Berthe Weill (1867-1951), Lynn Gumpert, Beth Gersh-Nesic
Did you know that Berthe Weill (1867-1951)was the first art dealer to the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, andLéger? Weill (“way”) held none to contracts, knowing these youths would soon gaingreater glory. In this Zoom conversation, Grey ArtMuseum Director LynnGumpert and art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic discussthe recent GreyArt Museum exhibit honoring Weill and her championing both avant-garde andwomen artists.
Becoming Led Zeppelin
annogram and her favoriteguitarist, Michael, saw BecomingLed Zeppelin (2025) twice! The genius driving Zeppelin was worth anotherlook, especially the savvy that Jimmy Page demonstrated in negotiating a rare albums-onlycontract with Atlantic Records. We also loved the Dylan biopic,
A Complete Unknown
(2024).
Creative Opportunities
The Loft Art GalleryArlijo, onlinejournal, call for poetry, fiction, art/photos, with bio to arlijo@myyahoo.com
Heuristic Halo Press, work onthem “tide against the moon,” by April 20
Literature Today, work ontheme “echoes of human experience,” by June 18
Loft Artists Association, call for“Zing!” artwork (Stamford), by April 6
PloughMagazine Rhina Espaillat Poetry Prize, by April 30
Kevin PilkingtonPuttingthe World in Focus, Maine Media Workshop with Kevin Pilkington, July 14-18,$1550
Marketing Before and After the BookDeal, Jane Friedman workshop (Reisterstown), May 10, 10-4, $200
MakingSpace for the Light, sexual assault survivor anthology, by July31
Voices Unbound, poetryanthology, by April 28
New and Recent Releases
Hélène Sanguinetti Ann Cefola, trans. Alparegho,Like-Nothing-Else by Hélène Sanguinetti (Beautiful Days Press)
Aidan Farrell, trans. The Vitals by Mariede Quatrebarbes (World Poetry Books)
Jerry T. Johnson, BadFruit (Gnashing Teeth Press) (pre-order)
Hiram Larew, This Much Very(Alien Buddha Press)
Nathan Manley, Native(Codhill Press)
Mary Newell, Entwine(BlazeVox Books)
Ted Pearson, Early Autumn(Chax Press)
Lynne Potts, Dawnson Me (Buttonhook Press)
Mark Saba, TheShoemaker (Casa Lago Press)
Danny Shot, Night Bird Flying(Roadside Press)
J.R. Solonche, NightVisit (Dos Madres Press)
April+ Events – ET
Waring Market GalleryOngoing, the Waring (TX) MarketGallery, art exhibit curated by Abbie Cotrell featuring painters Linda Simone, Vera Smith, and Laura Lopez; with artful bakery treats by Karla Jean Gonzales
April 1, 8:30pm, Mamas,Martyrs, and Jezebels: Editors' Roundtable on the Black Lawrence Press anthology; register here
April 4, 6:30pm, Calling AllPoets Series, Janet Kaplan, Victoria Redel, Ethan Sirotko; register hereto read in Open Mic or watch live on Facebook
East Gallery, the FrickApril 5, 10am, Ruby City (San Antonio), EkphrasticPoetry Contest Celebratory Reading
April 9, 4pm, UConnStamford, Rotunda Room 3117, Mary Newell, Pamela Hart, David Rothenberg
April 17, the Frick, newly renovated buildingsreopen
April 19, 7:30pm, The Curry Club, Christina M. Rau andothers read; dinner (6pm) optional; Writing and Sharing (before 7:30pm)optional; must purchase a bite or bev
April 23, 7pm, PerrotMemorial Library (Old Greenwich), Kevin Pilkington and Laurel Peterson
April 24, 7pm, McDonald Library(Cincinnati), A Celebration of Dos Madres Presswith Robert and Elizabeth Murphy
April 26, 1pm, Alparegho,Like-nothing-else book launch, Hélène Sanguinetti and translator AnnCefola read via Zoom link here
April 26, 11-4, Greenburgh Artists and Crafters Market
April 26, 4-6, Loft Artists Association, “Zing”Reception and Awards Ceremony
April 26, 7pm, Stanza Books (Beacon), MaryNewell, Heller Levinson
April 27-August 3, TheMetropolitan Museum of Art, Sargent &Paris
May 3, 3pm, Cedarmere PoetrySeries, Martha Rhodes; register to attend or read at open mic here
May 4, 4pm, Katonah Library,Mark Wunderlich
Louise Glück (1943-2023)May 7, 6pm, LouiseGlück: Vermont’s Nobel Laureate; Professor Elizabeth A.I. Powell discussesthe poet; register here
May 9 +16, 8pm; May 10+17, 2pm+8pm;May 11+18, 3pm; Westchester CollaborativeTheater, Plays in a Box, one-act plays including Sarah BraceyWhite’s “Sisters in Conflict”
May 10, 12noon, DesmondFish Library, Mary Newell, Heller Levinson, Alison Granucci
Trombonist, Arranger, andComposer Melba Liston
(1926-1999)Through June 13, The New York Public Library for thePerforming Arts, The Women Who Shaped Jazz exhibition
June 28, 10am, Hike Around andWrite with Christina M. Rau and WaltWhitman Birthplace Association at Jayne’s Hill; register here
Monthly Workshops andReadings
Use this link and scroll to listings
Cace e Pepe
This traditional Roman dish comesto us via our favorite chef Linda Simone, and it is based on a recipe by Pia Bresciani.
½ tablespoon whole blackpeppercorns
2 ½ cups pecorino romano finelygrated
Half of a one-pound package of spaghetti
salt for pasta water
Bring water to boil and make sureit doesn't fill pot—it should be less than normal amount you use to boil pasta.Lightly salt water when it comes to a boil. Meantime, finely grate pecorino. Usinga mini-blender, grind peppercorns to a fine consistency. Set 1.5 teaspoonpepper aside—this is the pepper you will use. Add spaghetti to boiling waterand cook for half of the time indicated on box.
While the pasta cooks, heat astainless-steel pan over medium heat. Add the 1.5 teaspoon pepper and toast it,max one minute. Add a ladle of pasta water. Add pasta to pan (it will finishcooking in pan—this is called risottare). Over medium heat, let pastafinish cooking. Move it around with tongs, and by shaking pan. Add pasta wateras needed. You want some starchy liquid left in pan to form the cream.
While pasta is cooking in pan,add a small amount of pasta water to grated pecorino. With a fork, mix pastawater in until it forms a paste. Set aside. When pasta is al dente,remove from heat. Wait 30 seconds, add pecorino mixture to pan, and stirquickly with tongs. A beautiful creamy consistency should form. Plate, andspoon the creamy sauce on top. Add more fresh pepper if desired.
ʼ Round theNet
Artist McArthur Binion on becomingan artist in thisvideo, “How Can I Paint Without a Brush?”
Albert BouchardBlue Oyster Cult Drummer AlbertBouchard on inspiringthe SNL “More Cowbell” skit
Guitarist and songwriter MichaelCefola for thisvisually beautiful and catchy video from a British Indie band hailing fromthe Isle of Wight
Suzanne ClearyPoet Regi Claire on havingpoems in
Rialto102
and forthcoming in Orte (Switzerland)
Poet Suzanne Cleary featuredin ThePeekskill Herald for winning the 2024 Laura Boss NarrativePoetry Award
Translators Chen Du and XishengChen on winning the Toad PressInternational Chapbook Series with Yan An’s Middle-Aged Man'sSelf-Portrait, appearing this summer; and on more Yan An translations in Flyway:Journal of Writing & Environment
Art historian Beth Gersh-Nesicon being selected juror of the Loft Artists Association “Zing!” art exhibit, and sharing this photo (at left) of the renovated Notre Dame she recently visited
Poetand artist Bob Heman on his interview in NeonPajamas and upcoming book, What Needs to Be Found (Madhat Press)
Poet Cindy Hochman onhaving a haiku in Senseand Sensibility, having workin Julebord, and featuring in the Red-HeadedStepchild reading
J. Chester Johnson onthe Times Square
Jumbotron
Poet and essayist J. ChesterJohnson on his newly redesigned website; havinghis poem, “Winter,”appear in the Carnegie Hill Village blog; and his book appearing on the TimesSquare jumbotron
Artist Titus Kaphar on thispoignant recollection on his journey as a painter as it relates toforgiving his father
Photo by Joe VerickerPoet Rudyard Kipling(1865-1936) for his poem, “Boots,”which serves as a creepy soundtrack in the movie trailer for 28Years Later (Sony Pictures)
Writer and artist Austin Kleonfor thisvideo interview with art coach Beth Pickens
Poet Heller Levinson on theSpanish translation of his work in Cable Street, on more work in Big Other, and having Query Caboodle 2 reviewed in SulfurSalon
Alison McBainNovelist and poet Alison McBain onwinning third place in the AnvilPress International Three-Day Novel Contest
Poet Mary McCray for thesephotos of the tiny desk of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
Yorktown Poet Laureate JohnMcMullen for thisarticle on “How Intellectuals Found God”
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquenfor this video of HuguesAufray who both translates and sings Bob Dylan
Stuart Schear and cousins present tallis to Polish museumMemoirist Stuart Schearfor hismoving essay in NY Jewish Week on bringing his great-grandfather’stallis back to Poland
Bassist Larry Schwartzmanfor thisclip of Little Milton singing “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water”
Cellist Jay Shulman on his recent performance with violinist Kathryn Aldous at the Claverack Library (at right)
Poet and artist Linda Simoneon her poem, “Bright as aPlanet at 73,” and original watercolor in Certain Age Magazine; andnewly exhibited work at Waring Market Gallery
Photographer Janet Sternburgon following her creative instincts in thisamazing article
Evie Riski, 100-year-olddiarist
The Washington Post for thisarticle on a100-year-old woman who has written in her journal for 90 years
Poet Estha Weiner for herpoem, “Thediscarded Christmas trees” in Plume, and on reading in Poets House29th Annual Exhibition Opening
Poet and memoirist SarahBracey White on her Fine ArtConnoisseur interview about the Winslow Homer (1826-1910) painting,“The Cotton Pickers” (1876); her WritersRead piece, “My Sister Sandra is a 10”;and participating onthis book panel
The blog Writers Bewarefor listing scam literaryagencies and vanity presses
Faulkner in Hollywood
The Carl Rollyson talk sent me googlingmore on Faulkner the scriptwriter, and I found this article, “WilliamFaulkner’s Hollywood Odyssey,” by John Meroney, which featured this anecdote:
Faulkner sometimes hunted with [thedirector Howard] Hawks, and on one dove hunting trip recounted by the director,Hawks invited along Clark Gable, already a star. Faulkner and Hawks begandiscussing literature and eventually Gable asked, “Mr. Faulkner, what do youthink somebody should read if he wants to read the best modern books? Who wouldyou say are the best living writers?” Faulkner replied, “Thomas Mann, WillaCather, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, and myself.” Gable asked, “Oh, doyou write, Mr. Faulkner?” Faulkner replied, “Yeah. What do you do, Mr. Gable?”
Until next time,
Ann
November 29, 2024
your thankful annogram
Dear annogrammers, wishing you deep gratitude and joy heading into the holidays! We are serving up our eclectic mix of news—a new translation, insight into First Nation currency, a football team with big heart, a meditation on literature, some seasonal risotto, and the whale—you know the one.
So excited to announce the debut of my third translation, Hélène Sanguinetti’s Alparegho, Like-Nothing-Else, published by Beautiful Days Press. Hélène will perform a selection from the original French—a real treat if you have never seen her—and I will read in a Zoom launch on January 12 at 1pm ET, 13H in France. Please join us! Zoom link will be posted here.
Cargo Bleu Sur Fond Rouge
Congratulations also to Hélène Sanguinetti on the above-titled anthology of her work published by Éditions Lanskine! The anthology samples her astonishing poetry from 1999-2017. A preview will take place on December 6 at 7:45pm at 17, bis rue Jean Moulin, in Lille. We toast you from afar, chère Hélène!
Tribal Nations on Long Island
Did you know that Montauketts supplied the entire Algonquin nation with shell-crafted currency? Creating wampum, a lifelong pursuit started at five years of age, was barely mastered at 30. Consider Long Island “the Federal Reserve” of indigenous peoples, says Professor Christopher Verga who spoke on tribal history this week at the Commack Library.
This uplifting story tracks an all-Deaf football team’s climb from losing team to state champions. Thomas Fuller, long-time family friend, and New York Times San Francisco Bureau Chief, immerses us in the vibrant and loving Deaf culture as evoked in his PBS interview. “A feel-good read everybody needs right now,” it tops Amazon’s Best for 2024.
Pope Francis on Literature
Pope Francis’s Encyclical (Letter) on Literature advocates reading as a way to enter into a deeper humanity. He builds a steady case, citing such authors as Borges, Celan, Cocteau, Eliot, and Proust. While the letter addresses priestly education, we writers can also celebrate its profound argument for the transformative power of the literary imagination.
Poet Jerry T. JohnsonUpstream Gallery, call for small works by December 6 and photography by January 1
Pedestal 95, call for poetry, by December 8
The Previous Published Poetry Prize, by December 8
Harvard Review Poetry Chapbook Prize, by December 15
Frontier Poetry Portrait Prize, by December 16
Codhill Press Poetry Award, $30, by December 30
The Nature of Our Times, call for poetry on the environment, by January 15
Beautiful Days Press, call for innovative poetry book and chapbook manuscripts, by January 15
The Survivor Anthology Project, all genres and artwork, by January 15
Ann Cefola, trans. Alparegho, Like-Nothing-Else by Hélène Sanguinetti (Beautiful Days Press)
Elizabeth L. Hodges, Blood Sonnets (Finishing Line Press)
Hélène Sanguinetti, Cargo Bleu Sur Fond Rouge (Éd. Lanskine)
Jay Shulman, producer, The Stuyvesant String Quartet in Concert at the Library of Congress [1946] (Bridge Records, 2024)
December+ Events – ET
“Young Man on White”Watercolor by Linda Simone
(2024)
December, Kapej Gallery & Cafe (San Antonio), new art and art cards on exhibit and for purchase by Laura Lopez, Vera Smith, and Linda Simone
December 1, 4pm, HVWC, Poets on War and Peace, Susana Case, Don Krieger, Hind Shoufani, and Wang Jiaxin; live and via Zoom
December 3, 6pm, The Bean Runner Cafe, poets Jared Harél, Mary Newell, and James K. Zimmerman
December 12, 6-8pm, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Books and Biscotti Holiday Sale; to reserve a spot to sell your books, email
Now through February 5, The New York Public Library, Becoming Bohemia: Greenwich Village 1912-1923 exhibit
Use this link and scroll to listings
This looks good and I hope to try it soon:
2 cups vegetable broth, heated1-2 tablespoons olive oil2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or parsley
1 cup cubed peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
sea salt to taste
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
freshly ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese
Sauté garlic, onion, and herbs in olive oil in deep sauté pan for a few minutes. Add squash, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, one minute. Add rice and stir until rice is opaque, three minutes. Add wine and cook until it evaporates. Add 1/2 cup of hot broth and stir until broth is absorbed. Lower heat. Continue to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until rice kernels are al dente in the center and creamy on the outside, 20-25 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper, and add cheese if using. Let sit two minutes before serving. Makes three cups.
Sculptor Eugenie SpiritoBookish Chronicles for this list of 20 websites where you can download free booksNovelist and poet Ron Butlin on his Substack column, Not Sisyphus But the F***ing Boulder
Guitarist and songwriter Michael Cefola for this video of Christone “Kingfish” Ingram for “some of the best blues guitar I’ve heard in a long time”
Poet Llyn Clague on his poem, “Traitor!” accepted by Ibbetson Street Press
Poet Suzanne Cleary on winning the 2024 Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Award and New York Quarterly Books will publish her book The Odds; and on her poem “In Memory of the Forgotten” being a Watchword Prize finalist
Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on Yan An translations and translator interviews in The Common, Penn Journal of Arts and Sciences, and Non-Binary Review; and two nominations for Best of the Net, and two for Best Literary Translations 2024 (Deep Vellum Press)
Poet Gary Glauber on winning the Peter Heinegg Literary Award and reading at Union College, sponsor of the award
Writer Lou Spirito with some advice
Poet Cindy Hochman on her duet with singer Terry LaChance, having a haiku in Sense and Sensibility, and her Mackinaw review of Bob Heman’s new book, Washing the Wings of Angels (Quale Press)
Poet and essayist J. Chester Johnson, author of Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation (Pegasus/Simon & Schuster), on having his book selected for the Library of Congress Library Store
Poet Janet Kaplan on her interview in the Planet Poet Podcast
Poet Heller Levinson on work in Alligatorzine, Boog City: A Community Newspaper and Ultrculi; on reading at this year’s Boog City Festival; and on John Olson’s review of Valvular Ash in Sulfur
The MacArthur Foundation on its bumper-crop of storytellers and artists who won Genius Awards this year
Sarah Bracey White (center) with Greenburgh Supervisor
Paul Feiner and Colby Jenkins
of Dare to Be Different
Guitarist and songwriter Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for this article on the original SNL cast
The New York Public Library for its 2024 Best Comics for Adults list
Music archivist and producer Jay Shulman on the debut of The Stuyvesant String Quartet in Concert at the Library of Congress [1946] (Bridge Records, 2024), and decades-long efforts to preserve works of his father, cellist and composer Alan Shulman, and uncle, violinist Sylvan (see this NPR piece for more)
Poet and artist Linda Simone on having her poem, “Bright as a Planet at 73,” accepted by Certain Age Magazine
Sculptor Eugenie Spirito on her interview in Bold Journey
Memoirist Lou Spirito on his interview in Shoutout LA
Novelist Amor Towles on Meet Me at the Met, an appreciation of the museum
Poet and memoirist Sarah Bracey White on being honored as a champion of seniors by Dare to Be Different Westchester; and on sharing her most recent reading (00:28) at WritersRead
Reading Moby-Dick for the first time, I was astonished by others’ response when I mentioned it. Most paused and said, “I ought to read that again.” Even Hélène Sanguinetti in France said, “Je devrais le relire”!
Another friend admitted, “I never got off the land,” meaning she jumped ship before the voyage began; yet she can quote a profound line that she loves from the novel.
One poet shared he had carried Moby-Dick throughout his military service. In the deepest jungles, he had enjoyed literary talks with a compatriot as tropical birds vocalized above. And, in a fitting tribute, after their tour ended, the two took to the ocean sailing a boat along the New England coast.
What is your Moby-Dick story? I bet it’s a good one.
Until next time,
Ann
September 2, 2024
your welcome autumn annogram
Dear annogrammers, welcome to autumn! This annogram celebrates the season with a bounty of creative talent—writers who double as visual artists, actors, translators, publishers, and inventors. Read on to be inspired, tap into new books and literary festivals, or whip up some seasonal zucchini nut bread. It is all right here.
A Celestial Encounter
Ever heard of a Dobsonian telescope? Michael and I, many years ago, had the rare opportunity to briefly host its inventor, John Dobson (1915-2014), at our home. To learn more about this near-mythic Vedanta monk-physicist, read my article, “The Man Behind the Dobsonian Telescope” on page 6 of Sky WAAtch, the award-winning newsletter of the Westchester Amateur Astronomers.
Starting a Small Press
Sometimes, a small press emerges to fulfill a need. That’s what happened when poets George Fragopoulos and Joshua Wilkerson started Beautiful Days Press, as described by Joshua in this Periodicity Journal blog. This dynamic new press will publish my Sanguinetti translation, Alparegho, like nothing else, later this fall. Help them launch exciting new chapbooks, September 7 at 7:30pm, at Black Spring Books!
Baldwin: From Mountain to Fire
The New York Public Library celebrates the one hundredth birthday of essayist, novelist, and activist James Baldwin (1924-1987) with draft manuscripts at the Polonsky Exhibition, personal papers from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and a self-guided walking tour following the footsteps of John Grimes, protagonist of Baldwin’s semi-autobiographical novel Go Tell It on the Mountain (Vintage reprint, 2013).
Sarah Shines Off Off Broadway
Sarah Bracey White co-starred last month with Maiysha Jones in Mildred Lewis’s Louisiana Shoals.
The play was one of 30 finalists in the prestigious Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. Sarah, a playwright, memoirist, and poet, now adds acting to her list of extraordinary talents. Congratulations to Sarah, Maiysha, Mildred, and director George Croom!
Aydan Before Moonlight
Do you know another French city that has attracted writers? Hyères, the locale of Aydan Before Moonlight (Za Mir Press), was once home to Edith Wharton (1862-1937), Robert-Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), and art collectors Count (1892-1981) and Countess (1902-1970) de Noailles. Jean-Luc Pouliquen’s novel, artfully translated by Beth Gersh-Nesic, features these sites within a romantic tale—read it and be charmed.
Jeanette’s Fuzzy Pencil
Congratulations to award-winning essayist, songwriter, and artist Jeanette Briggs on taking home gold from the Art Society of Old Greenwich’s juried art show! Her large 41x 52 graphite and pastel drawing, Fuzzy Pencil, was one of five artworks which won a Gold Medal, at the June exhibit, “Visual Gold,” at the Greenwich Library’s Flinn Gallery.
Creative Opportunities
Bronze Bird Review, fiction, poetry, essays, hybrid forms; previously published work okay; by September 15
Emily Dickinson Museum, book writing time in the poet’s room, one to two poets, $300-600
Lines + Stars, call for poems and short fiction on “in the blood,” by November 1
L + S Press, chapbook manuscripts from District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, or New Jersey poets; by October 1, $3
LitNotice, weekly customized alerts on literary opportunities, $5 per month
Long Now, almost any genre on long-term thinking
Pure Slush Press, micro fiction for The Absent Bassoonist, by September 30
Presence, poems and translated poems with spiritual intent, by October 1
Rhino, Founder’s Poetry Contest, by September 30, $15
New and Recent Releases
Miriam Atkin, Inclination Drawing (Beautiful Days Press)
Simona Blat, Élan Vital (Beautiful Days Press)
Luigi Bonaffini, trans., Soundtrack of a Life: New and Selected Poems by Gil Fagiani (Legas)
Robert Fanning, Prince of the Air (Seven Kitchens Press)
Serge Gavronsky, Mind Words (Dos Madres Press)
Gabriel Gómez, Samsara at Quantum Zeno (Mouthfeel Press)
Eric Greinke, ed., Speaking for Everyone (Independently published)
Bob Heman, Washing the Wings of Angels (Quale Press)
Ami Kaye, ed., Nūr Mélange: A Ghazal Anthology (Glass Lyre Press)
Heller Levinson, Query Caboodle 2 (Sulfur Editions/La Belle Inutile Editions) and Vulvular Ash (Black Widow Press)
Valerie Martínez and Shelle VanEtten de Sánchez, eds., Open-Hearted Horizon (University of New Mexico Press)
Sarah Sarai, Bright-Eyed (Poets Wear Prada)
Maria Valente, All Honest Pilgrims (Lucia Nelson Publishing)
Creative Workshops
Give Yourself Permission to Write, September 27, 6:30-8:30pm, Stamford (Live); workshop with Kathy Curto and Patricia Dunn; $35; register by September 10Racoco Productions, Tuesdays (Zoom) and Thursdays (Live), improvisation classes; email info@racoco.org
Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, second Wednesdays
Mahopac Writers Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free global poetry course
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill Writing Table, serious critique for writers, second and third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
Yorktown Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourth Wednesdays
September Events – ET
Black Spring Books, September 7, 7:30pm, Beautiful Days Press launch of Miriam Atkin’s Inclination Drawing and Simona Blat’s Élan Vital Chicago, September 7-8, 10am-6pm, Printer’s Row Lit Fest, free
Jefferson Market Public Library, September 10, 6pm, Barbara Crooker, Marc Alan Di Martino, Maria Lisella, Betsy Mars, Donna Masini, Aaron Poochigian, Bonnie Proudfoot, and Alan Walowitz; free
National Arts Club, September 12, 6:30pm, Sarah Bracey White in An Evening of Monologues, free; register here
Poets House, September 21, 12noon, Broadstone Books marathon reading
Emily Dickinson Museum, September 23-29, Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, live and streamed event, register here
Emily Dickinson Museum, September 27, 3pm, Poetry Masterclass: Haunted Works/Haunted Words with Oliver de la Paz, free; register here
Samudra Yoga Studio, September 27, 7:30pm, Christina M. Rau leads Reiki Circle to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association (cash or Venmo: christinamrau); donations welcome whether you attend or not
Cedarmere, September 28, 3pm, Gina Sipley reads, hosted by Stefanie Maura and Christina M. Rau; register here
Brooklyn Borough Hall, September 29, 10am-6pm, Brooklyn Book Festival
Adelphi University, September 30, 4:30pm, Mary Wasacz on her book, The Frailty of a Butterfly: My Journey Though Newborn Loss (BookBaby), via Zoom and podcast; free; register here
New York Public Library, One Hundred Years of James Baldwin, free; plan your visit here
Monthly Readings – ET
First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)Second Mondays, 6:30pm, BACCA Poetry Chats with host Christina Rau
Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Second Thursdays, 6pm, Calandra Italian American Institute
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm
One Sunday monthly (check here), 6pm, Sunday Funday Book Club with Christina M. Rau; streaming and live at Hops Scotch Bottle Shop
Zucchini Nut Bread
Thanks to top chef Linda Simone for sharing the recipe for this healthy and yummy loaf.
2 cups coarsely or medium shredded zucchini packed and not squeezed1 large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
1/2 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly oil or oil-spray paper. In large bowl, whisk together egg, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir in zucchini. Fold in flour, mixing just to combine. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick, inserted in middle, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove bread by holding onto parchment paper, and cool another 30 minutes.
ʼRound the Net
Poet and publisher John Amen on winning the Susan Laughter Meyers Fellowship
Guitarist and songwriter Michael Cefola for this video of Eric Clapton’s emotional tribute to his mentor John Mayall (1933-2024), godfather of British Blues (right)
Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on their Zuo You poem in Paper Republic (UK), and two Yan An poems in Hedge Apple
Art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic on her wonderful Bonjour Paris article, “Seeing Red: Matisse and Ellsworth Kelly at the FLV”
Poet and translator George Franklin for his blog post, “10 Things I Learned as a Guest Editor”
Poet and collage artist Bob Heman on designing the cover to the forthcoming Dancing about Architecture (MadHat Press), on work in The Mackinaw, and on his own latest book, Washing the Wings of Angels (Quale Press)
Poet Cindy Hochman for her interview with John Amen on Poetry Thin Air; and for work in The Mackinaw, Nūr Mélange: A Ghazal Anthology (Glass Lyre Press), Haikuniverse, and the Eric Greinke-edited anthology Speaking for Everyone (Independently published)
Poet and essayist J. Chester Johnson, author of Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation (Pegasus/Simon & Schuster), on meeting with the St. Luke in the Fields anti-racism group to discuss his book
Poet and anti-hunger activist Hiram Larew on Feed the Children using two Poetry x Hunger poems for a PSA
Poet Heller Levinson on work in Eratio and this Milan Kundera (1929-2023) quote, “To be a writer does not mean to preach a truth, it means to discover a truth”
Poet Maria Lisella (above) for sharing this review of the recent poetry collection by her late partner, Gil Fagiani (1945-2018)
Poet Mary McCray on her poem in the Albuquerque poetry anthology, Open-Hearted Horizon (University of New Mexico Press)
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for this article on how to fall in love with baseball
Poet Karen Neuberg on work in The Mackinaw and Unlost Journal
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for making us aware of French poet Lucienne Desnoues (1921-2004)
Poet and inventor Anna Purves on having her board game, Dead Poets Rise™, exhibited at the American Writers Museum
The New Yorker for this article on The Artist’s Way (TarcherPerigee)
Poet Sarah Sarai on the Mom Egg Review review of her new book, Bright-Eyed (Poets Wear Prada)
Bassist Larry Schwartzman for this video of Blind Willie Johnson singing “Dark Was the Night”
Poet and artist Linda Simone (right) for BookRadio, free audio of literary classics; and Daily Routines, how writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days
Poet and memoirist Sarah Bracey White on sharing videos of her readings on the WritersRead YouTube page
Wishing you a crisp, productive autumn, and see you in November!
Until next time,
Ann
May 31, 2024
your june annogram
Dear annogrammers, In advance of Flag Day this month, annogram is celebrating America—from dazzling solar eclipse views in New England to an Enchanted Highway in the Midwest. Throw in New York’s iconic history and some classic grilled corn, and we are ready for summer. Enjoy!
Total Eclipse in Vermont
With my fav astronomerMichael
Thanks to the town of St. Johnsbury for welcoming thousands to view the total solar eclipse in April. My favorite astronomer, Michael, and I headed north with our friend Bill Newell to view this celestial event. For more on our adventure, see my article on page 15 of Sky WAAtch, the award-winning newsletter of the Westchester Amateur Astronomers.
American AirPower
On Memorial Day weekend, we saluted the Greatest Generation by visiting the American AirPower Museum in Farmingdale (NY). Imagine, here is the Mitchell B-25 bomber, “Miss Hap,” and the father of our friend Barbara Dickinson flew the sister B-29 version, “Miss Take”! We are grateful to parents who helped turn the tide of war. Thrilling also to see the Blue Angels take off for a practice run.
The Enchanted Highway
How to attract tourists to the North Dakota town of Regent? Try seven larger-than-life metal sculptures off Exit 72 on I-94 that transformed a rural road into the Enchanted Highway. Sculptor and Regent native Gary Greff went all out to create the sequential art—everything from a 70-foot fish to Teddy Roosevelt riding a horse. Definitely a must if you are in the area!
Lost New York
Old Penn StationThis New-York Historical Society exhibit shares a treasure trove of historical objects. Discover Manhattan’s elevated railways, original Penn Station, old Croton Reservoir, Chinese Theater, Central Park Hooverville, and Bowling Green's monument to King George III. Yes, people once swam in the New York rivers—and not just Elaine and Kramer from Seinfeld. Purchase tickets ($24 adults) here.
Creative Opportunities
All About Animals, three poems, Word doc, Ashley.edgepoet@gmail.com, by June 16
The Indiana Review, call for poems on the Zodiac, by July 1
Pure Slush Press, call for work on theme “death,” by June 16
Rhino, open for poetry, by June 30
We’ve Got Some Things to Say, poems and memoir on sexual assault, by July 1
New and Recent Releases
Steve Almond, Truth is the Arrow, Mercy the Bow (Zando Press)Richard Deming, This Exquisite Loneliness (Viking)
Gabriel Gómez, Samsara at Quantum Zeno (Mouthfeel Press) (preorder)
Bob Heman, Washing the Wings of Angels (Quale Press) (available in July)
Hannah Loeb, Meats I Remember (L+S Press)
Creative Workshops
Writing Ecopoetry with Mary Newell, June 5-26, weekly Zoom workshop, register here; $180
Kevin PilkingtonMaine Media Workshops, July 22-26, The Teacher on the Bookshelf: A Poetry Workshop with Kevin Pilkington; register here (limited spots—register SOON)
Racoco Productions, Tuesdays (Zoom) and Thursdays (Live), improvisation classes; email info@racoco.org
Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, second Wednesdays
Mahopac Writers Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill Writing Table, serious critique for writers, second and third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
Yorktown Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourth Wednesdays
June+ Events – ET
Neue Galerie (NY), June 6-September 9, first US retrospective of work by early modernist German artist Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907); purchase tickets ($15-28) here (see June 27 below)
Studio Theater in Exile, June 7-23, I Am My Own Wife, a play by Doug Wright, starring Thomas Kramer, directed by Mara Mills; purchase ($20-25) tickets here
Červená Barva Press, June 14, 7pm, Cindy Hochman; via Zoom: register here
San Antonio Central Library, Linda Simone and other poets’ original work inspired by Norma Jean Moore paintings; poetry and art on display through June 15
Cecily Spitzer, “Sunburst”Upstream Gallery, Goldberg/Spitzer, through June 16
Bryant Park, June 19, 12:30pm, WritersRead featuring Sarah Bracey White
Neue Galerie (NY), June 27, 6:30pm, art historian Diane Radycki, Professor Emerita, Moravian College, on Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907); purchase tickets ($15) here
Brownstone Poets, June 29, 2pm; Ron Bremner, Jada Gordan, Margaret Sáraco, host Patricia Carragon; limited open mic, via Zoom: register here and pay ($5) here
New York Historical Society, Lost New York, exhibit through September 29, purchase ($6-24) tickets here
New York Public Library, Polonsky Exhibition of the NYPL’s Treasures, free; plan your visit here
Monthly Readings – ET
First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
Second Mondays, 6:30pm, BACCA Poetry Chats with host Christina Rau
Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm
Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter
Summer is all about fresh veggies, especially corn. Here is some inspiration to start an outdoor feast, and you get to decide how to grill your corn.
4-8 ears fresh sweet corn1/4 cup softened unsalted butter2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Mix butter, cilantro, lime zest, and sea salt in a small bowl and put in fridge. Next, choose how you’d like to grill your corn. Slather butter on corn once the ears of corn are grilled.
Grilling with husks: Remove the silk. Peel back husks on each ear of corn, leaving them attached at base. Remove as much silk as you can. Soak corn. Pull husks back over corn, soak cobs in cold water 10 minutes (prevents husks from burning), drain, and pat dry. Grill corn in husks over medium-high heat, rotating every 3-5 minutes, until all sides are cooked—about 15 minutes.
Grilling without husks: Shuck corn and remove silks. Place corn directly on grill over medium-high heat, rotating every 3-5 minutes. You want kernels cooked on all sides and light grill marks to form—about 15 minutes. Note: It’s easy to overcook grilled corn. Those grill marks we love can dry corn. Instead, cook until light char marks form and kernels are bright yellow.
ʼRound the Net
Grace SlickGuitarist and songwriter Michael Cefola for this article, “Why Grace Slick Kept Quiet About Jim Morrison & Other Psychedelic Stories Of Female Rock Icon Grace Slick”
Poet and translator Chen Du on the debut of Paper Republic, a nonprofit that promotes Chinese literature
Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on their Ma Ting essay being long-listed in The Best Literary Translations 2025 (Deep Vellum)
Poet Terry Dugan (1947-2023) for leaving us with her memorable poetry
Music educator, and my uber-talented niece, Elizabeth Hulse on being awarded Elementary Fine Arts Teacher of the Year by her school district
Terry Dugan (1947-2023)Poet and essayist J. Chester Johnson on Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation (Pegasus/Simon & Schuster), selected for study by the St. Luke in the Fields anti-racism group
Poet Heller Levinson on work in Word for Word
Poet Maria Lisella on winning third prize in the Amilcare Solferini Poetry Competition (Italy) for her poem, “I Blame”
Poet Mary McCray on this great trailer for Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (Sony Pictures, 2022)
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for inviting me to be the guest poet at his May monthly poetry workshop
Poet Mary Newell on her video interview with The Brooklyn Rail
Sarah Bracey White atCity Winery last month
The New York Public Library for honoring late poet, essayist, and translator Paul Auster (1947-2024)
The New Yorker for “The Battle for Attention”
Poet Kevin Pilkington on having four poems in The Galway Review and being interviewed by the Maine Media Workshop
Poets and Writers for this article on revising a poetry manuscript
Poet Christina Rau on having work in the Journal of Expressive Literature and read on the 41st Anniversary show of Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction (poem at 23:54)
Poet Linda Simone on her poem, “Miss Makrina,” in The Vincent Brothers Review
Poet Bianca Stone on being named
Linda SimoneHistorian David Waldstreicher, in his recent Preservation Long Island talk, noting that poetry during the Revolutionary War was a common communication device, says “The couplet was the Tweet”
Poet and memoirist Sarah Bracey White on her Lemons to Limoncello Podcast interview, parts one and two; and on her rock-star WritersRead event last month at City Winery
Wishing you a magical, refreshing summer!
Until next time,
March 30, 2024
your spring annogram
Dear annogrammers, Hello again! We are welcoming spring with National Poetry Month events, literary opportunities, readings, and scientific data that art is good for you. Throw in some delectable risotto, and finish with a pivotal moment for F. Scott Fitzgerald.
More Sanguinetti
Hélène SanguinettiCongratulations to Hélène Sanguinetti, on the reissue of Et Voici La Chanson (Éditions Lurlure) in March! She and I are excited about the debut of Alparegho, like nothing else from Beautiful Days Press this fall. This vibrant new press just selected the Seattle-based Asterism Books as its distributor.
Art of Kindness
Here at annogram, we subscribe to kindness and now there’s a podcast on the topic. Host Robert Peterpaul interviews artists, writers, directors, filmmakers, and others in the entertainment industry to discover how they promote kindness. For starters, Lin-Manuel Miranda shares how to achieve dreams.
National World War I Memorial
Sculptor Sabin Howard has worked years on A Soldier’s Journey, a bronze frieze that this September will be the centerpiece of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. The nearly 60-feet long and 10-feet high sculpture, featuring 38 human figures, which will depict an American going to war across five scenes. Follow Howard’s progress on the memorial here.
Phillis Wheatley Peters(1753-1784)First African American Poets
Enslaved poets Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806) and Phillis Wheatley Peters (1753-1784) were the first Black Americans to have their work published. On April 18, at 6:30pm, historian David Waldstreicher will explore their amazing lives. Register here for this free Preservation Long Island event at the Cold Spring Harbor Library or via Zoom.
Your Brain on Art
That’s the title of a book that asserts that enjoying or creating art lights up the brain’s pleasure centers, improves cognitive function, reduces stress, and improves longevity—among many other benefits! Thanks to field agent Linda Simone for sharing this article that affirms what we have intuited all along.
Creative Opportunities
Bronx River Books, all April; come into the bookstore, recite a minimum 14-line poem from memory and receive a $5 gift certificate
Bethany Arts Community's 2024 Fall Multidisciplinary Residency for writers, performers, artists—any and all artistic mediums, by April 10
The Cardinal Prize for poets over 40, by April 29
Pure Slush Press, call for work on theme “older,” by April 30
Rhino, open for poetry, by June 30
Solstice, open for fiction, poetry, translation, graphic lit, by May 31
National Parks Artist Residencies
New and Recent Releases
John Amen,
Dark Souvenirs
(New York Quarterly Books)Adele Annesi, What She Takes Away (Bordighera Press)
Adele Annesi, Liminal Space: Where Story Happens (podcast)
Jan Boulware, et al, eds., Mamas, Martyrs, and Jezebels: Myths, Legends, and Other Lies You’ve Been Told about Black Women
(Black Lawrence Press)
Jim Daniels, Comment Card
(Carnegie Mellon University Press)
Barbara Dickinson and Margie Herrick, Your Life, Your Path Oracle Card Deck for Your Most Fulfilling Life and Your Life, Your Path | How to Use Our Oracle Card Deck (Independently published)
C. Francis Fisher, trans., In the Glittering Maw: Selected Poems by Joyce Mansour (World Poetry Books)
Pamela Laskin, Trellises and Thorns (Dos Madres Press)
Heller Levinson, The Abyssal Recitations (Concrete Mist Press)
Geoffrey Olsen, Nerves Between Song (Beautiful Days Press) available May 4
Alice Yang, trans., Abounding Freedom by Julien Gracq (World Poetry Books)
Creative Workshops
Writing Poetry Book Reviews, April 10, 6-8pm, a workshop with book review editor Amanda Shaw; for fee and to register, email chloemiller@gmail.comMaine Media Workshops, July 22-26, The Teacher on the Bookshelf: A Poetry Workshop with Kevin Pilkington; register here (limited spots—register SOON)
Racoco Productions, Tuesdays (Zoom) and Thursdays (Live), improvisation classes; email info@racoco.org
Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, second Wednesdays
Mahopac Writers Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill Writing Table, serious critique for writers, second and third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
Yorktown Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourth Wednesdays
April-May Events – ET
Upstream Gallery, Nine Stories (artists) through April 21; Goldberg/Spitzer, May 23-June 16; opening reception May 26, 2-5pmMolloy University Poetry Series, April 7, 2pm, Christina Rau; also FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2589092797959560
Bilingual Poetry Zoom, April 13, 2pm, hosted by Marta López Luaces and Nuria Morgado; featuring annogram poets Janet Kaplan, Heller Levinson, and Mary Newell
Saturday Afternoon of Poetry at Scarsdale Public Library, April 13, 3pm; refreshments
Writers in Conversation at the Norwalk Public Library, April 18, 6:30pm; Laurel Peterson hosts historical mystery writers David Rich and Andrea Penrose
Cold Spring Harbor Library, April 18, 6:30pm, historian David Waldstreicher discusses enslaved poets Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806) and Phillis Wheatley Peters (1753-1784); register here for this free event also on Zoom
San Antonio Botanical Garden, April 20, 10am, Linda Simone, Jim LaVilla-Havelin, Eddie Vega, Mobi Warren, and Arrie Porter read original haiku and offer tips on writing haiku
Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival, April 19-21
Elana Bell, Pamela Laskin, and Aracelis Girmay at the
Annual Spring Poetry Festival
Ruby City, April 27, 10am, San Antonio’s 4th Annual National Poetry Month Ekphrastic Poetry Contest Reading
Greenhaven Open Studios (Rye, NY), April 28, 11am-6pm, including painter Suzanne Sumien among 19 artists
, May 4, 7pm, book launch of Geoffrey Olsen’s Nerves Between Song (Beautiful Days Press)
High Mountain Meadow Poetry Reading Series, May 5, 2pm, Christina Rau and open mic, Wayne Public Library (NJ)
The 52nd Annual Spring Poetry Festival (NYC), May 10
San Antonio Central Library, May 18, 1pm, Linda Simone and other Stone in the Stream poets read original work inspired by Norma Jean Moore paintings—poems and artwork on display through June 15
Studio Theater in Exile, May 18, 7pm, and May 19, 3pm; There Is A Message in Our Movement, choreographed by Sharon Simmons-Wright; purchase tickets here
Monthly Readings – ET
First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
Second Mondays, 6:30pm, BACCA Poetry Chats with host Christina Rau
Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm
Spring Vegetable Risotto
This takes a little effort but is worth all the stirring.
1 tablespoon olive oil1/4 cup chopped onion1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/3 inch thick
5 cups Not-Chick’N™ or vegetable stock
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Dash fresh pepper
Heat oil in large saucepan; cook onion until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add zucchini, lower heat; cook until soft and lightly browned, 18-20 minutes. Simmer stock in pan large enough to hold asparagus. Add asparagus; simmer 3 minutes. Remove asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces, and place in bowl with peas, 1/4 cup of the cheese, and 1 tablespoon of basil. Keep stock simmering.
Once zukes are cooked, stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon basil. Add butter and rice, increase heat to medium high; cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes. Add wine and stir until evaporated, 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup simmering stock; stir until liquid has been absorbed, 2 minutes. Continue adding 1/2 cup stock at a time, until rice is barely tender and mixture is creamy, 17-20 minutes. Rice mixture should be bubbling. Stir in contents from bowl, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
ʼRound the Net
The Atlantic for its Best American Novels listBeautiful Days Press on selecting Seattle-based Asterism Books as its distributor
Poet Susana Case on being interviewed by Grace Cavalieri for The Poet and the Poem
Poet Suzanne Cleary on having a poem recently featured in Verse Daily
Guitarist and songwriter Michael Cefola for letting us know about the first Gibson Guitar store (“Gibson Garage”) in London
Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on their Yan An poem in Tab Journal
Elizabeth HulseArt historian and translator Beth Gersh-Nesic on her Bonjour Paris article, “Picasso in Fontainebleau”
Pianist and Fitzgerald Fan Bob Gironda for sending annogram a book on dear F. Scott
Poet Cindy Hochman, one of 35 poets in Nūr Mélange (Quitab Editions), a ghazal anthology forthcoming this summer
Music educator, and my uber-talented niece, Elizabeth Hulse on participating on a SXSW panel celebrating Austin City Limits’ 50th anniversary
Poet and essayist J. Chester Johnson on being named to the Board of Advisors for the Poetry Outreach Center of the City College of New York; and on his poem, “Night,” in the Carnegie Hill Village blog
Poet and author Marilyn Johnson on recent work in Plume
Comedians John Lehr and John McCray for the annogram shout-out, including my favorite guitarist Michael Cefola, in their hilarious podcast, Intro to Anthro with Two Humans
Poet Heller Levinson for this in-depth review of his work in Sulfur Surrealist Jungle
Poet Maria Lisella on receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2023 Ginsberg Poetry Awards
Guitarist Trev Lukather on the People feature on his band The Effect
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for this article on Lord Byron (1788-1824)
Lord Byron (1788-1824)Poet Mary Newell on work in Interim and a Singing Apple Press video, “Bee Adjacency,” in Singing Apple Press
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for introducing annogram to the work of German film director Volker Sclöndorff
Bassist Larry Schwartzman for this James Cotton Band video featuring Luther Tucker
Poet Margo Taft Stever on being nominated for a Pushcart Prize for “Horse and Rider, Falling,” in The Red Wheelbarrow 16
Sarah Bracey WhitePoet Eddie Vega on being named the Poet Laureate of San Antonio
Poet and memoirist Sarah Bracey White on her essay in Mamas, Martyrs, and Jezebels (Black Lawrence Press), Black Westchester interview, Mercy University Black History Month talk, and quote on the wall at the Briarcliff Manor Library (at left), “Libraries showed me the world beyond my limited horizons.”
Sustained Imagination
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)Thanks to the gift of a book on F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), I learned he wrote Gatsby in a room above a garage in a rented house in Great Neck, NY. I was moved by his struggle to create something different, evident in this [slightly edited] letter to his editor:I feel I have enormous power in me now, more than I’ve ever had in a way but it works so fitfully because I’ve talked so much and not lived enough within myself to develop the necessary self reliance…. In my new novel I’m thrown directly on pure creative work—the sustained imagination of a sincere and radiant world. So I tread slowly and carefully and at times in considerable distress. This book will be a consciously artistic achievement and must depend on that as the first books did not…. Please believe me when I say that now I’m doing the best I can.
Wishing you that sincere and radiant world.
Until next time,
Ann
January 30, 2024
your groundhog annogram
Dear annogrammers,Welcome to the first newsletter of the year! We are crawling out of our holeslike the groundhog—and what a joy to hear the prediction for more winter, ornot. That folklore tradition tells us to look ahead to spring no matter what. All the same, as artists, we rejoice in our roots nourished and rested below the bare landscape.
New Year News
Iam thrilled to be in the upcoming Linen Press (UK) anthology on women’s poetry—alongside poets such as Ellen Bassand Barbara Crooker; to have work in
Hawaii Pacific Review
,
FirstLiterary Review East
, and to have been theguest poet at John McMullen’s Yorktown Poetry Workshop last week. Woo-hoo!
‘Dazzling’ Sanguinetti
Poetry critic GeorgesGuillaine, in
Les Découvreurs
, on the reissue of
EtVoici La Chanson
(Éditions Lurlure), calls Hélène Sanguinetti's poetry“a multiple, kaleidoscopic language, both stirring and magical, entirelyinclined towards the unheard-of, [and] the dazzled.” In addition,
ExactingClam
published my translation of Hélène’s poem, “I took 3 cows,”and Beautiful Days Press will debut Hélène’s
Alparegho,like nothing else
this year.
Installation Artist RobertIrwin
Thanks to Linda Simone for sharing Lawrence Weschler’s
Robert Irwin (1928-2023)tribute to artist Robert Irwin (1928-2023), and for Laurel Peterson’s Substack response to the artist. Irwin was “focused on eliminating the literary narrative from theexperience of art,” Laurel writes. “That is, when we look at art, we want tomake a story out of it. Irwin wanted the viewer just to be there.” He created largemysterious if spare architectural spaces to allow this to happen. Read the tribute and Laurel’s essay to discover more.
Poetry Blogs andNewsletters
Is annogram theonly newsletter out there? No! I highly recommend Christina Rau’s Monthly Newsletter for Creatives, a fun mix of literary reviews, musings,and opportunities; and Mary McCray’s Big BangPoetry which followsMary’s studies, interviews, and readings as a poet. Jerry T. Johnson has also started a good one, andthere’s always
The KwitnyReport
. Read,enjoy, and learn!
“Unwanted” Video Moves to No. 1
Trevor LukatherLast issue, after wewrote about the band The Effect, Trevor Lukather responded, “Thank you so much for the love and support! Means a lot!” Even happier that the band’s breakout video “Unwanted” jumped to No. 1 on the Power Hourcountdown. Can’t wait for the first album from Steve Lukather’sson Trevor,Phil Collins’s son Nic, Toto's own SteveMaggiora, andvocalist .
Original GiftIdeas
Dead Poets Rise™ board gameScratching your head for a distinctive gift? Howabout a literary event in a box with the new board game DeadPoets Rise™ at NYC Hex&Co cafes or DeadPoets Rise (ships free)? Or share uplifting messages in the Your Life, Your PathOracle Card Deck, gorgeous cards in a velvetbag, from the WishMavens. Better yet, donate to
Holding Up the Sky
, a documentary projectsupporting the integration of formerly incarcerated people into society.
CreativeOpportunities
The Cardinal Prize for Poets Aged 40 and Above, by February 29
GreenLinden Press Poetry Chapbook Series, by March 20
The NewCroton Review, call for poetry, fiction, nonfiction,photographs, or visual art by March 16
Pure Slush and Truth Serum Press, call for work on retirement by February29
Rattle, poems by professional musicians, byApril 15
Writing the Walls 2024, creative responses to art on war, byFebruary 20
New and RecentReleases
Charles Alexander,
Time Being
(Chax Press)Ron Butlin, So Many Lives and All of Them Are Yours (Polygon Books)
Rosanna McGlone, ed. The Process of Poetry (Fly on theWall Press)
John McMullen, Autobiographical Poems and Memories of Guinan’s (Independentlypublished)
Ann Taylor, Looking After: Poems (Dos Madres Press)
Christina Rau, How We MakeAmends (MOONLOVE Press)
Michael Martin Shea, To Hell withGood Intentions(Beautiful Days Press)
CreativeWorkshops
Kevin PilkingtonGenerative Poetry Workshop, February 17, 1pm, Suzanne Cleary, via zoom; register here; $20
Maine Media Workshops, July 22-26, TheTeacher on the Bookshelf: A Poetry Workshop with Kevin Pilkington; registerhere(limited spots—register SOON)
RacocoProductions, Tuesdays (Zoom) and Thursdays (Live), improvisation classes;email info@racoco.org
Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm,second Wednesdays
MahopacWriters Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course andglobal community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill Writing Table, secondand third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, led byEd Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press,10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
Yorktown Poetry Workshop, 6pm,fourth Wednesdays
February-March Events– ET
CallingAll Poets, February 2, 7pm; Cindy Hochman, Christopher George, and Tim Tomlinson plus open mic online; register here
To Hell withGood Intentions(Beautiful Days Press) book launch, February 4, 6:30pm; Michael Martin Shea, with Katherine Duckworth, Evan Gray, and AM Ringwalt; via Zoom, meeting ID: 845 8371 2916; passcode:v7R8Av
Daniel Mendelsohn on James Baldwin, February 7, 14, 21 online; auditor $125or student $225; register by January 31
JCC Mid-Island Y Poetry Series, February 11, 2pm, Christina Rau andopen mic, live and FB event; $3 donationThe Poetry Center (Paterson), February 17, 2:30pm, Suzanne Cleary; via Zoom
Holding Up the Sky Screening andFundraiser, Episcopal Church ofOur Saviour (Brookline), February 23, 6pm, register here(free)
SculptureTucson, February 24, 7pm, Dao Strom and Bojan Louis
POG Arts Tucson, March 16, 7pm, BrookeSahni and Joan Retallack, online; register here
Norwalk PublicLibrary
Christina Rau, February 15,6:30pm, Writers in Conversation: Laurel Peterson hosts thriller writers DeborahRoyce and Greg Wands; March 7, 6:30pm, essayists/memoirists Sheila Squillanteand Sonya Huber
Kew & Willow Books (Kew Gardens), March 22, 7pm, ChristinaRau and open mic
Monthly Readings– ET
First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
Second Mondays, 6:30pm, BACCA Poetry Chats with host Christina Rau
Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook),5pm, LitBalm
TuscanBean Soup
Thanks again to our field researcherLinda Simone for road-testing and recommending this recipe. We still needhearty soups to warm us in the late winter chill. Enjoy!
2 tablespoons olive oil1 onion, peeled and diced into smallpieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 15-oz. cans clear cannellini beans,rinsed and drained
5 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound kale, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk
Parmesan toast
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into thickslices
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
In large souppot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, andcelery, and sauté, stirring 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir garlicinto veggie mixture and cook 1 minutes until fragrant. In food processor orblender, combine 1 cup beans and 1/2 cup stock and puree until smooth. Addpureed beans to veggie mixture. Stir remaining beans and stock into veggiemixture. Season with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover, lower heat, andcook 20 minutes. Add kale and cook, covered, 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. While soup cooks, brush sliced bread withremaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Place bread on sheet pan and bake10 minutes until toasted. For thicker soup, use potato masher to mash some beans.Discard thyme sprigs and stir in milk. Serve with the toasted bread.
ʼ Round the Net
Ron ButlinClassical musicians Eleanor Armstrong and Dan Armstrong for sharing the glass artof Ed Kachurik
Poet Therese Crain Bertsch for sharing theresponse of Helen Keller (1880-1968) on “hearing”Beethoven’s Ninth
Novelist and poet Ron Butlin for his interview on his new book in The Scots Whay Hae podcast
Poet Susana Case on the English-Ukrainian edition of The Scottish Café (Slapering Hol Press), whose proceeds will benefit theWriters Center in Lviv
Poet Suzanne Cleary on participating in The Poetry Center’s Distinguished PoetSeries (see Events)
Guitarist and songwriter MichaelCefola for this Otamatoneversion of “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Novelist and poet Regi Claire for work in The Process of Poetry (Fly on theWall Press) and Interpret Magazine
Charles BernsteinTranslators Chen Du and Xisheng Chenon their Readers’ Favorite Translation Award from Yan River for their translation of Charles Bernstein’s “The Body of the Poem”; and for this Yan Anpoem and another in PackingtownReview
Art historian and translator BethGersh-Nesic for sharing her recent online conversation withCarol Ockman on Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)
Cindy HochmanPoet Gary Glauberon having poems in TheEkphrastic Review , Rattle , and Verse-Virtual
Poet Cindy Hochman on her “Ask the Poet”interview in the Unleash Press blog and work in ThePoetry Distillery
Poet and anthologyeditor Sarah Law for the international launch video of All ShallBe Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich (Amethyst Press)
Poet HellerLevinson for his BrokenLens Journal podcast interview and Raven Chronicles review of his two latest books
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for thisarticle on how Hollywood lost its nerve
The New York Public Library for its list of top2023 checked-out books
Poets andWriters for resurrecting its DailyNews
Poet Jean-LucPouliquen for the first book, Boulevard Frédéric Mistral (Independentlypublished), in his series about his hometown of Hyères inProvence
The BanglesPoet Christina Rau, author of
How We MakeAmends
(MOONLOVE Press), for what deep space sounds like; and her poem (at 1:59) on
Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction
radio show
Bassist LarrySchwartzman for this 1986Bangles Concert video
Memoirist MaryWasacz on the debut of her book The Frailty of a Butterfly(Independently published)
Discovery at Five Below
Van Gogh's influence inOberösterreichisches Bauernhaus (1911)
Thumbing through books at thisdiscount store, I “splurged” on a gorgeous art book on Gustave Klimt (1862-1918). What struck me is how hislandscapes could reflect painters he admired—Van Gogh or Cezanne—but the workremained distinctly his own. I love that we as literary, visual, or performingartists can absorb other’s styles yet generate something wholly original. Here’sto that frisson from another artist thatcompels us toward new territory.
Until next time,
November 1, 2023
your holiday annogram
Dear annogrammers, Take a deep breath—we areabout to enter the holidays! It’s a wild ride in the US, starting with the funand fanciful if sugar-loaded Halloween. We pause before the intensity tocelebrate new translations, poetry, plays, and yes, one mel-rock (“melodiousrock”) band. Congratulations on another year of outstanding creativity, andremember to refresh your hard-working muse with some solitude.
ComingFull Circle with Circumference
Circumference, one of the first journals to publish my Hélène Sanguinetti translations, has posted my translation fromher latest, Domainedes Englués (La LettreVolée). In December, Exacting Clam will publish my translation of Hélène’s poem, “I took 3 cows to the country.” Hélène and I look forward tothe debut of Alparegho, like nothing else from Beautiful Days Press aspart of its inaugural 2024 lineup.
MoreGood News and a Mystic
Thanks to editors Cindy Hochmanand Karen Neuberg for accepting my poem, “After the CuratorLeaves,” for the upcoming January issue of
First Literary Review-East
. I am also excited toshare my latest poetry video,recorded for the international online launch of
All Shall Be Well: Poems forJulian of Norwich
(Amethyst Press). Mygratitude goes to editor Sarah Law for this beautiful and inspiring book.
Manet and Degas at the Met
Friends and rivals ÉdouardManet (1832–1883) and EdgarDegas (1834–1917) would have generated vastly different work without theircreative exchanges. Thisexhibit juxtaposes their paintings, drawings, and prints, and reveals contrasts,conflicts, and divergent paths that shaped modern art. Note the virtualqueue in visitor guidelines; $30adults; $22 seniors; $17 students; through January 7.
Something to Remember Him By
Congratulations to Sarah Bracey clear on the SRO performances of
Something to Remember Him By
, her second play, at Westchester CollaborativeTheater. The fictionalized work spins offthe end of Sarah’s best-selling memoir,
Primary Lessons
(Cavan-Kerry Press). The incredibly moving play allows a dead(!) and maligned father to share his truth, and his three daughters come topeace with it. Above: Actors Brian Bagot, Dameon Reilly, Maiysha Jones Reilly,MC de la Cruz and Chastity Perez Vargas take a bow.
The Mysterious Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt, Carol Ockman, and Beth Gersh-NesicWho was the magnetic Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)? Arthistorian Beth S. Gersh-Nesic, PhD, director/owner of the New York Arts Exchange, and Carol Ockman, professor emerita,Williams College, will discuss the French actor’s life and legacy onNovember 30, at 4pm. This free Zoom event, hosted by the Fédération d'Alliance Française (AFUSA), requires attendeesto register online.
Unleashing The Effect
The EffectSo exciting to discover The Effect, a new bandfeaturing Steve Lukather’sson Trev, Phil Collins’s son Nic, Toto's own Steve Maggiora, andextraordinary vocalist . The bandmade its debut last month at The Knitting Factory, and arebuilding an album with their breakout single, “Unwanted.” Their sound is described as “stadium rock energy with pop palatability.”Woo-hoo! Carry on, young rockers!
Creative Opportunities
OpenDoor Magazine, call for work on frost and firelight, by November 15
ThePedestal Magazine, call for poems November6-December 3
Pure Slush and Truth Serum Press, call for work on loss, by December 31
Route 7 Review, callfor nonfiction, poetry, fiction, art, by November 15
Southern ArizonaPress, call for poems for Home forthe Holidays anthology, by November 15
Wild Librarian Press, 250-word proposals for personal essays on gardens, November15-December 15
New and Recent Releases
Eric Tyler Benick,
the fox hunts
(Beautiful DaysPress)
Llyn Clague, Coming ofAge (Twigs Press)
MichaelGottlieb, Collected Memoirs (Chax Press)
Pedestal 92.5
Christina Rau, How We Make Amends (Independentlypublished)
Serena Solin, The Stay Behind (Beautiful Days Press)
Joe and Steve Winhusen, C. S. Rafinesque (Dos Madres Press)
Creative Workshops
Nadine Sures and Rachel Cohen improviseRacocoProductions, Tuesdays (Zoom) and Thursdays (Live), improvisation classes;email info@racoco.org
24 Pearl Street Workshops, November 13-17; Jennifer Franklin teaches theshort poem, $550; register here
MahopacPoetry Workshop, 6pm, second Wednesdays
Mahopac Writers Group,6:30pm, Thursdays
ModPo,University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community
Norwalk PoetryWorkshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org toregister
The Peekskill WritingTable, serious critique forwriters, second and third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
ThePoets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of FairfieldScribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
Yorktown Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourthWednesdays
November Events – ET
Central NY YMCA, Nov. 3, 7pm; Susana Case reading via Zoom;register here
Black Spring Books,Nov. 4, 7pm, launch for the fox hunts (Beautiful Days Press) with Eric TylerBenick, Jameson Fitzpatrick, Emily Bark Brown, Sarah Ahmad
River Arts Studio Tour,November 4-5, featuring studios in Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-On-Hudson,Irvington, Sleepy Hollow, and Tarrytown (NY)
"The Birches," Luigi Lucioni (1900-1988)BenningtonMuseum (VT), For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman OrtonCollection , thru November 5; Southern Vermont Art Center
P&T KnitwearBooks and Café, November 6, 6:30pm, Susana Case, Stephanie Laterza, GiorgiaPavlidou, Mervyn Taylor
TheKendal on Hudson, November 6,7:30pm; launch party for Llyn Clague’s Coming of Age (Twigs Press)
KatonahVillage Library, November 11, 3pm, Arden Levine, Maria Lisella, DennisNurkse, Sean Singer; $20
Poetry Project at St. Mark’sChurch, November 12, 8pm, “I Am Angry at a Force I Cannot See,” based onthe poetry of Michael Gottlieb; $8, tickets herePoetry Chats for BACCA, Nov. 13 +Dec. 11; Christina Rau hosts; info@babylonarts.org toregister
Norwalk Public Library, November 16,6:30pm, Poets in Conversation: Laurel Peterson hosts Rick Magee and Jack Powers
Fédération d'AllianceFrançaise (AFUSA), November 30, 4pm, Beth Gersh-Nesic and Carol Ockmandiscuss Sarah Bernhardt; free Zoom event but you must register online
Monthly Readings – ET
FirstSunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
EveryTuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
EveryTuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
ThirdFridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic –click third Friday for details
FrequentSaturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
With holidays fast approaching, I offer my brother’s favorite if Texas-richpie recipe here:
1 pie crust1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons bourbon
In a 9-inchpie pan, add pie crust, using your fingers to flute edges along top of pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine maplesyrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter, and simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove theliquid and add to medium mixing bowl and cool slightly. In small mixing bowl,whisk eggs, vanilla, and salt. Slowly whisk maple syrup mixture into beateneggs, then add chopped pecans. Pour filling into crust and bake 55-60 minutesuntil filling is set. Allow pie to cool 30 minutes before slicing.
ʼ Round the Net
Guitaristand songwriter Michael Cefola for introducing annogram to new music like The Effect
Poet and novelist RegiClaire on “Writer’s Block” on the RoyalLiterary Fund’s podcast
Arthistorian and translator Beth Gersh-Nesic for her timely meditation onMark Podwal’s etching, Jerusalem in MyHeart (2001)
Poet Gary Glauber on having poems in
Grand Little Things
,
Panoply
, and
Visual Verse
Poet Cindy Hochman on having work selected by Terence Winch for a recent Best American Poetry Pick of the Week
Poet, memoirist,and civil rights historian J. ChesterJohnson for sharing this historicZoom recording of a conversation among the descendants of the 1919 Elaine RaceMassacre
Artist Linda Lynch on having works on paper exhibitedat the SpaniermanModernPoet MaryMcCray on her poem in Urthona , work forthcoming in Open-Hearted Horizon: An Albuquerque Poetry Anthology (University of New Mexico Press), and forrecommending the Smithsonian’s onlinecourses
Yorktown PoetLaureate John McMullen for this animated video on his friendChickie Donohue, author of The Greatest Beer Run Ever (William Morrow)
Greenburgh (NY) Youth Poet Laureate Asa Miller on stepping into this inauguralpost—with a laurel-leaf crown no less—shown here with Westchester County Youth Laureate Harmony HopwoodPoet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for Prouvènço d'Aro , a newspaper written in Provençal—the language of his region prior to French
Poet ChristinaRau on her SRObook launch of How We Make Amends (Independentlypublished) and for poetry (at 2:24) in Destinies:The Voice of Science Fiction radio show and MasksPoetry Magazine
Albert Camus (1913-1960)and René Char (1907-1988)Poet Hélène Sanguinetti forher recent performance reading letters written by mentor René Char (1907-1988) to Albert Camus(1913-1960), performed by Catherine Krajewski
Cellist and musicarchivist Jay Shulman on theinsightful People’s World review of his latest CDfeaturing the work of his father, composer, arranger, and cellist Alan Shulman (1915-2002)
Playwright andartist Frankie Sisco on “FrankieBoy,” performed by the Tiger’sHeart Players, winning an Oxford Script Award and Rome WorldCinema’s Best ShortScript Award; and acrylic paintings exhibited at the Bronxville Library and Pelham Art Center—where Frankie addressedthe Artists Club
Poet Margo Taft Stever on The End of Horses (Broadstone Books)winning a NYC Big BookDistinguished Favorite Award
Trip Advisor for this guide to Parisneighborhoods
Poet and artist LindaSimone on having a poem accepted for Moonstone Arts’ Pablo Nerudaanthology
Memoirist Mary Wasacz on her SRO book launch of The Frailty of a Butterfly (Independentlypublished)
Poet Estha Weiner on Beltway Poetry Quarterly’s glowingpiece on This Insubstantial Pageant (Broadstone Books)
annogram ’s NewSchedule
As a reminder, annogram has moved to five issues:February, April, June, September, and November. If you email me your news, I canfile it for the next issue. For events, please send in the first half of themonth prior to publication dates above. It’s that easy. I love hearing from you and rejoice in your good news. Happiestof holidays and best wishes for an uber-creative new year!
Until next year,
September 1, 2023
your autumn annogram
Dear annogrammers, We unofficially enter falltoday and this annogram will help youease back into your autumn schedule. Among other delights, we have a gorgeousfall train ride, an unorthodox anthology course, a tour inside an artisticluminary’s home, and fresh zucchini pie to dazzle your palate. What more couldyou want? Dig in!
HappyNews
Circumference, which published my first Hélène Sanguinetti translation, has accepted another from her latest book; BeautifulDays Press announced its 2024 lineup, includingmy translation, Alparegho, like nothingelse; the All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian ofNorwich book launch takes place September 20; and John McMullen and theMahopac Poetry Workshop welcomed me as guest poet this summer.
Training the Adirondacks
What to do if you’re fabulouslyrich in the late 1800s and cannot easily get to your Adirondack summer home? Ifyou're Dr. William Seward Webb, you build your own railroad! Now youcan experience the Adirondack Railroad's fascinating history up close thanks tothis new documentary by motorcar enthusiasts. Thisbreathtaking fall journey is complemented by extraordinary vintage photos andinsights into 19th-century life along the tracks. Enjoy moremotorcar phenomena and other New England trips through the eyes of railroadenthusiasts here or book a ride on the Adirondack ScenicRailroad.
Intro to Anthro with Two Humans
Discover anthropology like you’venever heard it before, in the podcast series by comedian John Lehr and scriptwriter John McCray. Neitherhave degrees in the subject, but Lehr, as the former Geico Caveman,feels he can address human evolution, and McCray has a scholar’s naturalcuriosity. The two longtime buddies take us down hilarious roads that skewer contemporaryculture and language.
John Ashbery’s Nest
Yale University has created a website thatoffers a virtual tour of John Ashbery’s home in Hudson, NY. Ashbery(1927-2017) was a poet, translator, art critic, collector, and collagist whosehome reflects all his interests. The site includes both his and his husband’s voicedescribing objects in the house Ashbery had owned since 1978 and spent 15 yearsrestoring—amazing insights into a man many consider a genius. Thanks to poet Mary McCray for sharing this find!
Do You Know Françoise Gilot?
Françoise Gilot (1921-2023)Art historian Beth S. Gersh-Nesic,PhD, director/owner of the New York Arts Exchange, will lecture on the life and legacy ofFrançoise Gilot (1921-2023), Picasso's partner (1943-1953), mother of Claude Picasso(1947-2023), and Paloma Picasso (b. 1949), and wife of Dr. Jonas Salk(1970-1995). Hosted by Learning in Retirement on Tuesday, September 18, 10:30am at TempleBeth El (Stamford);$10. To register, contact LIR.
Where MostCreatives Live
Thanks to San Antonio's Linda Simone for tipping us off to thisarticle outlining the states where the most writers and artists live. Tiedis New York and Washington, DC for writers—and Vermont tops all for both visualartists and writers. You can always visit: TripAdvisor offers these roadtrips through Vermont.
Creative Opportunities
BK Fischer Current Poet Laureate
of Westchester County GROUND , poems on objects found, kept, or cherished, by September 15
The Pedestal Magazine, call for poemsSeptember 4-8
Pure Slush and Truth Serum Press, stories on Boléro at Breakfast by September 30
RhinoFounders Poetry Prize, bySeptember 30
Presence call for poems, by October1
Westchester (NY) Poet Laureate, $30K stipend for three-year role, applyby October 2
New and Recent Releases
LuigiBonaffini, ed. and trans.
Soundtrack ofa Life: New and Selected Poems by Gil Fagiani
(Legas Books)
Susana Case, If This Isn’t Love (BroadstoneBooks)
Donald P. Delaney, Major Crimes Investigations and JusticeServed (Independently published)
KatherineDuckworth,
Slow Violence
(Beautiful Days Press)
Julia Fiedorczuk, Mary Newell, et al, eds. The Routledge Companion to Ecopoetics (pre-order)
Sarah Law, ed.
All Shall BeWell: Poems for Julian of Norwich
(Amethyst Press)Katie Lehman, EmilyDickinson’s Lexicon (Dos Madres Press)
An Li, The Face of Time (ChaxPress)
Polly Alice McCann and SamanthaMalay, eds.
The Path ofBirds
(FlyingKetchup Press)
Mary Wasacz, The Frailtyof a Butterfly (Independently published)
Neil and Elaine WhitmanNealWhitman, From This Moment On , How Pleasant It Is , and My Profession (Cyberwit)
NealWhitman and Elaine Whitman, eds. It's About Time and Susurrus (Yuki Teikei Haiku Society)
Creative Workshops
Marion WinikThe Writer’sRetreat (MD), September 16, MarionWinik Workshop ($200) and Craft Talk ($20);includes meals
Poetry Retreatwith Marjorie Maddox, September 22-24, Bethany (PA) Retreat Center, $275
All-Genre Writers Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
John McMullen Poetry Workshop,6pm, fourth Wednesdays
MahopacPoetry Workshop, 6pm, secondWednesdays
ModPo, University ofPennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill WritingTable, serious critique forwriters, second and third Tuesdays via Zoom; email tpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, led byEd Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press,10am, every second Saturday
Writers and Artists LunchConversation, second Fridays,noon
September/October Events – ET
Jerry JohnsonShades of Green Pub (NYC), September 4, 6:30pm, Jerry Johnson with Susana Case, Stephanie Laterza, andDavid Lawton
Calandra Italian American Institute, Sept. 7, 6pm; booklaunch of Soundtrack ofa Life: New and Selected Poems by Gil Fagiani (Legas Books);rsvp by calling 212-642-2094
Hudson Valley MoCA, September 14,6pm, Studio Theater in Exile, communitytalk and poetry reading with Nigerian poet, artist, and academic OziomaOnuzulike
Ed AhernPrivate home in Stamford (CT),September 16, 3pm, How to Get Your Poems Published with Ed Ahern; to register, email salmonier@aol.com
Norwalk (CT) Mill Hill Historic Park, September 17, 4pm, Ralph Nazareth andopen mic; bring lawn chairs; event is on rain or shine; for more info, contactBill Hayden at poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org
Learning in Retirement (Stamford), September 18, 10:30am, Beth S. Gersh-Nesic, PhD, on artistand Picasso partner Françoise Gilot; $10 to attend; to register, contact LIR
All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian ofNorwich book launch, September20, 2pm, see EventBritepage for details; donation requested
Broken Lens Journal , September 24, 5:30pm, interview with Heller Levinson via thisZoom link (meeting ID: 853 5312 2542;passcode: 9h1KWZ); questions, emailbrokenlensjournal@gmail.com
Max Jacob (1876-1944)
Hopscotch Translation,October 15, 2:30pm, MaxJacob (1876-1944) translators AlexDickow and Ian Seed read from theirrespective books; visit EventBrite toregister for this free Zoom reading
Laurel PetersonOceansideLibrary (NY), October 21,3pm, Christina Rau’s How We Make Amends book release (LIVE)
NorwalkPublic Library, October26, 6:30pm, Poets in Conversation: Laurel Peterson hosts Jerry Johnson and EdAhern
BenningtonMuseum (VT), For the Love of Vermont: The Lyman OrtonCollection, thru November 5; Southern Vermont Art Center
Monthly Readings – ET
FirstSunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
EveryTuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
EveryTuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
ThirdFridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
FrequentSaturdays (check Facebook), 5pm, LitBalm
Zucchini Pie
This was delicious, and it’s the time of year for zukes—so run toyour local farm stand!
1 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking power
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon organic unsalted butter
1 large zucchini, unpeeled yet diced
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup canola oil
4 free-range or pasture-raised eggs, beaten
½ to 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch pie pan. In large bowl,mix flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Work in butter, then stir inremaining ingredients until combined. Pour into pie pan. Bake for 40 minutes oruntil lightly golden brown. Cool 20 minutes before serving.
ʼ Round the Net
George Harrison (1943-2001)Guitaristand songwriter Michael Cefola on his insightful article on George Harrison in ApeCulture’s “The Beatle Personality Test”
Poet and novelist Regi Claire on “BeingGenre Fluid”, inspired by workby our friend Jo Ann Beard
Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chenfor work in IHRAFLiterary, ModernPoetry in Translation, The OxfordAnthology of Translation, Rhino, TheSouthern Review, andWestBranch; and on being Anne Frydman Translation Prize finalists
Beth Gersh-Nesic, PhD.Arthistorian and translator Beth Gersh-Nesic for this NYT article on thecraft of translation
Vocalist Astrud Gilberto (1940-2023), reluctanthousewife who became aglobal sensation on “The Girl From Ipanema”,and who opens my book Free Ferry (Upper Hand Press)
Poet Cindy Hochman on having work selected by TerenceWinch for an upcoming Best American Poetry “Pick of the Week”; being the recent
greatweather for MEDIA
feature; and glowing reviews of
Telling You Everything
(Unleash Press) in
Clockwise Cat
and from
Ploughshares
founder DeWittHenry
Poet Jim Lavilla-Havelin for thiswonderful interview on the podcast StudioAescapulius
Poet Heller Levinson on work in BrokenLens, Clockwise Cat, and First Literary Review-East; Amazon reviews of his two books, ShiftGristle and Query Caboodle (Black WidowPress), on beinga Big Other Poetry Award finalist, and upcoming Broken Lens podcast interview (see September events)
Yorktown PoetLaureate John McMullen for three ofhis poems read by DavidLeo Sirois this week
Poet and novelist Laurel S. Peterson on her new Substack column
Poet Jean-Luc Pouliquen for this fascinating article on famous American writers who loved his hometown, “Hyères– A Cradle For British And American Literature”
Poet ChristinaRau for work on Destinies: The Voice ofScience Fictionradio show, being the voiceof Vita in Anne Manx Beginnings, and being featured on SoundCloud
Hélène Sanguinetti Poet Hélène Sanguinetti on her latest book,selected by Flammarionfor publication in 2025
Memoirist Stuart Schear for his moving remarks at the annual memorial for murdered Jewsof Nowy Zmigrod, Poland, his great grandfather's hometown (see his July 16 Facebook post)
Bassist Larry Schwartzman for Screamin’ JayHawkins making his 1966 TV debut with “I Put a Spellon You”
Poet and artist LindaSimone on having poems in The Path ofBirds (FlyingKetchup Press) and The TexasPoetry Assignment
Novelist Ann Starrfor this wrenching essay by the daughter of a Manhattan Project scientist
Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891)Poet and artist GiorgiaStavropoulou on sharing this great photo of Arthur Rimbaud(1854-1891)
Memoirist Mary Wasacz on her debut book (see RecentReleases)
annogram ’s 20thAnniversary
We’re celebrating two decades! annogram was born out of a desire topromote your work and mine. Most artists hate marketing—our expertise is ourcraft. To help us all is annogram’sgoal. Along the way, a faithful community has formed of more than 300subscribers worldwide—Pulitzer Prize winners, NEA recipients, fledgling writersand artists, seasoned choreographers, historians, you name it. Thank you for yourreadership. You inspire me with your commitment to your calling, and what youcontinue to achieve.
Until November,
June 3, 2023
your summer annogram
Dear annogrammers,Welcome to almost-summer, the days of ease we await in the next few weeks. Ihave exciting news to share, the regular creative round-up, and a sweetpotato saladfor lazy picnics with family or friends. Wishing you good books to read, napson the sand or in the hammock, and picture-perfect times with loved ones.
I am thrilled that my translation of Hélène Sanguinetti’s
Alparegho,Pareil-à-rien
, will be one of the inaugural books published byBeautiful Days Press. Thanks to editors GeorgeFragopoulos and Joshua Wilkerson, for selecting this timely and timeless tale of aquest for identity. In France, Alpareghowill be reissued this fall by Lurlure. Look for my translation mid-2024, and bises to LindaSimone for suggesting thispress!
The Hero Video
Equally excited to announcethe debut of the seven-minute video from Hélène’s book
The Hero
(Chax Press, 2018) that combines gorgeousimagery and a haunting soundtrack behind the spoken narrative. Charles Alexander of Chax Press asked me to do a recording a few years ago, andI wanted something more visually intriguing. This is the result, and I hope youwill enjoy and share.
My YouTube Channel
Dead Poets Rise
Howcan poetry be more accessible? Enter DeadPoets Rise—a board game unlike any other, where poetry doesn’t feel like schoolwork,but something fun and challenging for anyone, from the poetry-averse to die-hardscomposing haikus and sonnets. DPR is about rescuing poets from obscurity–andeverybody gets to take home their own poem at the end. Learn more here and help Kickstartthis important game!
Vinyl Obsession
My favorite guitarist,Michael, and I adore this TV show. Episodes host two rockstars who select five favorite vinyl albums from Grimey’sRecords in Nashville. Theyshare how they fell in love or worked with certain bands—an autobiographicaljourney as much as a musical one. We also love Power Hour,which lists the week’s top ten metal videos—guided by a panel that includes Wolfgang Van Halen. ʼNuf said!
Looking for a place where your youngwriter (ages 9-15) can join peers to cultivate their literary talent in anon-competitive environment? Greenburgh's Arts and Culture Committee issponsoring a series of writing workshops (in person and over Zoom) on Saturday mornings in July. Contact sarahbracey.white@ gmail.com fordetails.
CreativeOpportunities
Fast Flesh Literary Journal , callfor flash fiction, nonfiction,poetry, book reviews, interviews, craft essays, and hybrid or cross-genre work
The Pedestal Magazine, call for poemsby June 4
Poetry Prizes: Frontier,LoisCranston Memorial, Rattle,deadlines soon
PureSlush and Truth Serum Press, poems on achievement, by June 30
New and Recent Releases
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Barbara J. Dickinson and Margaret A. Herrick, The ABCs of Wishing (Independentlypublished)
Jerry T. Johnson, A Coldness (Finishing Line Press)
George Kalamaras, To Sleep in the Horse’s Belly: My GreekPoets and the Aegean Inside Me (Dos Madres Press)
Dana Levin andAdele Elise Williams, eds.,
BertMeyers: On the Life and Work of an American Master
(PleiadesPress)Heller Levinson, Query Caboodle (Black Widow Press)
Heller Levinson, Shift Gristle (Black WidowPress)
CreativeWorkshops
Charles AlexanderFour Steps to the Modern Poem II with CharlesAlexander, four classes starting June 6, Live; and dates to come for a separateZoom course, registerand pay
Kevin PilkingtonKevin Pilkington, BestWords—Best Order Poetry Workshop, Maine Media Workshop, July 17-21Kids Short Story Connection (ages 9-15), fourworkshops in July, contact sarahbracey.white@gmail.com fordetails
Living the Poet’s Life with Suzanne Cleary, a 2.5 hour Zoom poetry workshop,Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival, June 15, 9am
All-GenreWriters Group, 6:30pm, Thursdays
JohnMcMullen Poetry Workshop, 6pm, fourth Wednesdays
Mahopac Poetry Workshop, 6pm, second WednesdaysModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course andglobal community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Peekskill Writing Table, serious critique for writers, secondand third Tuesdays via Zoom; emailtpwritingtable@gmail.com
The Poets Salon, ledby Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Writersand Artists Lunch Conversation, second Fridays, noon
June+ Events –ET
Walt Whitman (1819-1892)Upstream Gallery (Hastings-on-Hudson), June 1-25, TB Ward: New Work, and Janine Menlove: Blue Journals; reception, June 2, 5-8pmWaltWhitman Birthplace Association (Huntington), June 10, 4pm, StagedReading: American Poet: Whitman's Warnings
SketchbookBrewing Company (Evanston), June 11, 2-4pm, Rhino Release Party, Isha Camara,Reginald Gibbons, Marcy Rae Henry, Nazifa Islam, Maja Teref, Steven Teref
BACCAPoetry Chat with Christina Rau: Let’s Talk About Footnotes; June 12, 6:30pm; FBevent: https://www.facebook.com/events/203234615680341; register: info@babylonarts.org
BenningtonMuseum (VT), Forthe Love of Vermont: The Lyman Orton Collection, July 15-November 5; Southern Vermont Art Center,July 22-November 5
NYC Poetry Festival (Governor’s Island), July29-30
NYC Poetry Festival (Governor’s Island), July29, 11:30am, The White Horse; Broadstone Books withMeredith Trede
Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, July 30, 1:30pm, A Persistence of Cormorants: Broadstone Books with Meredith Trede
Monthly Readings– ET
First Sunday, 4pm, Poetic License (Austin)
Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click third Friday for details
Frequent Saturdays (check Facebook),5pm, LitBalm
Sweetpotato Salad
This recipe called for up to sixpotatoes but two will do for two+ servings. The North Carolina SweetpotatoCommission, the recipe’s originator, has made the spud one word, so we willrespect that:
2 sweetpotatoes, peeled anddiced2 teaspoons, plus 1 tablespoon,olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 bunch curly kale, rinse andchopped
½ large lemon, juice only
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans,rinsed and drained
1 large avocado, pitted anddiced
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup goat cheese
Dressing:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place potatoesin large bowl. In small bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt andpepper. Toss on potatoes and place them on sheet pan. Bake 35-40 minutes untiltender, flipping once during baking. Place chopped kale in large bowl. In smallbowl, whisk remaining olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Pour over kale andmassage with hands until mixed. For dressing, whisk syrup, olive oil, andvinegar in bowl. In kale bowl, add remaining ingredients. Toss with dressingand serve. Sweetpotatoes can be baked and refrigerated 1 day in advance.
ʼ Round the Net
Poets Susana Case and Margo Stever,editors of
I Wanna Be Loved By You: Poems on Marilyn Monroe
(Milkand Cake Press), which won HonorableMention for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize in PoetryGuitarist and songwriter MichaelCefola on discovering the great rock music programs on AXSTV
Poet Llyn Clague for his monthly emailedpoems—see his website to subscribe
Balletartist Elyse Faltz on sharing thismeditation on Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Sandra LimPoet Jennifer Franklin on her Poetry Society of America interviewArt historian and translator Beth Gersh-Nesic for this conversation with curator Elizabeth Cowling on Cubism and the Trompe L’Oeil
Poet CindyHochman on thisinsightful review of Telling You Everything (Unleash Press); latest FirstLiterary Review-East , and three poems in Poetry Pacific
Poet TrishHopkinson for this listof feminist literary journals
Poet SandraLim on winning the JacksonPrize for Poetry
Poet HellerLevinson on his two new books, work in
Word for Word
, and thisgreat review of Jus’ Sayin’(Black Widow Press)
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for his wonderful memoir, “TeddyBallgame and My Brother,” in The NewCroton Review; video of the first Midnight Special ; and the Audubon definition ofa songbird
Ralph Nazareth and friendsPoet RalphNazareth for founding GraceWorks,which directly funds projects for impoverished children in Africa and IndiaPoet Jean-LucPouliquen on cultivatingpeace, after meeting Nobel Prizewinner Adolfo PérezEsquivelPoet ChristinaRau on having her poem “Semaphore”appear in Armstrong Literary
Hélène Sanguinetti at Victoria Hall (Geneva)Poet Hélène Sanguinetti on surprising longtimefriend, Jean-Pierre Greff, former director of Haute Écoled’Art et de Design(2007-2022), at the ceremony awarding him the prestigious GenevaFoundation Award
Bassist LarrySchwartzman for this video of Skip James singing “Hard Time Killin’ FloorBlues”
Poet and artist GiorgiaStavropoulou on reading at the Poet’s Agora (Athens), and sharing this video of Joan Miró at work
Joan Miró (1893-1983)Painting, 1933Memoirist Cheryl Strayed on having her Rumpus “Dear Sugar” column turned into a Hulu series called “TinyBeautiful Things”
Tripadvisor for epic film locations you can actually visit
Grow Your Soul
Thanks to John McMullen for sharing Kurt Vonnegut’s (1922-2007) response to ahigh school English class that had written him in 2006. We close with a fewwords from his charming response:
Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing,painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well orbadly, not to get money and fame, but to experience
becoming, to find outwhat’s
inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for therest of your lives.
Until September,
