Ann Cefola's Blog, page 11

your advent annogram

Poet Ron ButlinA Herald Scotland Book of the Year
Poet Ron Butlin has selected Face Painting in the Dark as a Herald Scotland Book of 2014.  Butlin, Edinburgh Makar (2008 to 2014), calls Face Painting “quite simply a stunning debut.”  Thanks to this distinguished poet for awarding my book this unique honor!
Further reviews
I’m grateful to art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic for reviewing Face Painting in her blog.  A Picasso scholar, Beth is the executive director of the New York Arts Exchange.  I took her amazing Cubism class in order to complete “Demoiselles 7” which first appeared in Feminist Studies and parts of which I read at the United Nations. Les Demoiselles D'Avignon
That poem blew the mind of Mary McCray, according to her review in Big Bang Poetry.  Mary, author of Why Photographers Commit Suicide (Trementina Books, 2012), an Indie Excellence Award finalist, is one of the most intelligent and gifted poets I’ve ever met.  Her Big Bang Poetry blog is so good it makes me angry—nothing could be that good!  It is.
More good news
Thanks to artist Deborah Coulter for promoting Face Painting on Facebook!  I am equally happy to report that an untitled poem of mine will appear in A Common Thread .  My poem, “Velocity,” will also be published in Rabbit Ears , an anthology of TV poems to be published by NYQ Books.
Sculptor Nebula by Doug Baum‘Furious Stardust’ at the Bruce Museum
What a pleasure to present Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky at the November meeting of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich!  Thanks to the many Westchester Amateur Astronomers who crossed state lines to attend, especially Douglas Baum and his family.  Doug shared his extraordinary images of the night sky which formed much of the backdrop to my reading.
Little Games at Foley’s
Anthony Nisi, Michael Cefola, Tom Vinton, Larry SchwartzmanSure enough, the blues-rock beat of my husband Michael’s band, Little Games, inspired a crowd—including me—to hit the floor dancing at Foley’s last month.  Photographer Margaret Fox and illustrator Tim Grajek captivated all with their awesome swing moves.  I had a great time dancing with friends such as Deborah Coulter and pianist Neil Sullivan.  Next time, y’all come, you hear?
Fauré’s Requiem at St. James the Less
What a delight to hear Fauré’s Requiem featuring the choirs of St. James the Less and Trinity Churches, accompanied by the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City!  Truly memorable, and I ran into Dos Madres poet and friend, Ruth Handel to boot.  Save February 8, 2015, 4:40 – 6 p.m. for another performance by these impressive choirs at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
Gun violence reading and panel
On December 14, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at 125 Hawthorne Street, 3-G; bell #89, Brooklyn, Petra Lewis will read from The Sons and Daughters of Ham, Book I: A Requiem , which examines a family in the aftermath of violence.  A.T. Mitchell of Man Up! and Leah Gun Barrett of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence will then speak on gun violence.  $20 admission includes Petra’s book—$4.00 of which will benefit anti-violence groups.
Book giveaway
Laura Morelli is offering her award-winning novel, The Gondola Maker , for free – with shipping only.  In 2015, look for Laura Morelli's Authentic Arts ,guides for travelers who seek immersive cultural experiences.  Laura is your go-to person for discovering and purchasing beautiful artifacts overseas.  Here’s her free PDF on shopping in Venice!

Neil YoungNeil Young and the Starbucks Boycott
Neil Young is boycotting Starbucks.  Why?  Starbucks is a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association which has filed a huge lawsuit against tiny, financially strapped Vermont to block a law requiring genetically modified (GMO) food labels.  As a GMA member, Starbucks is consenting to the suit.  Make mine one vente non-GMO latte, please!
Noonday Collection – do good and be stylish
Thanks to a friend’s gift, I discovered the Noonday Collection—fabulous jewelry and accessories. Noonday partners with artisans in the developing world, empowering them to grow sustainable businesses and earn more to support their families.  So gift yourself or others, and support a living wage for families around the globe!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Purple Onion
I recently shared this recipe with two friends, as a great addition to a holiday feast, from You Can Trust a Skinny Cook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011) by Allison Fishman:
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch wedges8 sprigs fresh thyme1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place Brussels sprouts, onion and thyme on large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt.  Turn sprouts cut-side down.  Cook until gold brown and soft, 25-30 mins.  If sprouts brown before they soften, cover with foil and continue cooking (I like them brown too).  Remove and discard thyme and serve (great cold too).
̓ Round the Net
Congratulations, and/or thanks, to:

Little Games' Michael CefolaALTA list-serve for five tips for editing literary translationsand review of an unsanitized new version of Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Colleague Jim Barry for this great video commentary on smart phone madness
Guitarist Michael Cefola for the 50 greatest traditional blues songsand this amazing story about the scientist who invented Corning Ware
Writer Barbara Dickinson for this video of pandas at play
Medical humanities writer Terry Dugan on her upcoming essay, “The Contagion Fabula: How to Narrate an Epidemic,” in Endemic (Palgrave-MacMillan)
Poet Gary Glauber for poems in Brickplight , ExFic , Poetry Quarterly , River Lit and Stoneboat Journal

Author Marilyn Johnson on publication of Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble (HarperCollins, 2014)
Red Glass Books on debut of Suzanne Wise’s Talking Cure and for publisher Janet Kaplan’s “What I’m Reading Now” column in the November 27 Drunken Boat
Poet Robert McDowell for offering his Core Stories Program to jumpstart writers

Kevin PilkingtonPoet Kevin Pilkington on his fascinating interview and new poem in The Worcester Review
Bass player Larry Schwartzman for this heart-warming video on Joe Biden
Poet Linda Simone remembering Pulitzer Prize-winners Claudia Emersonand Mark Strand
Poet Mark Smith-Soto on his new book, Time Pieces(Main Street Rag Press, 2015) available for pre-order and for his poem “Satori” on Rattle
Wishing you anticipation of all the good things to come, this holiday and in the coming year,

Ann

your october annogram

Daisy and me Face Painting in the Dark October is my birthday month, and my gift was a box full of books— Face Painting in the Dark , my first poetry book!  Thanks to Robert and Elizabeth Murphy, publishers at Dos Madres Press for their kindness, good humor and editorial care.  I am also grateful to artist Gig Wailgum for designing the vivid and playful cover.  Hope you enjoy the book, which you can pre-order.



'Furious Startdust' in Greenwich
I will be presenting "Furious Stardust: Poems of the Night Sky" at the November 12 meeting of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich.  The reading, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Bruce Museum, will combine dramatic astrophotography by Doug Baum and Hubble among others.  Come enjoy a poetic space exploration!
More good newsMy poem, “For a Coyote Crossing Route 10,” appears in Lummox Press 3 , and you can read “Haunted,” at Highland Park Poetry .   I’m also thrilled to be reading at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Spotlight on Women: Poets, Panelists and Performers.  This event, part of a new initiative, Peekskill: The Power of Women Artists, will take place December 7 at 2 p.m.
Guitarist Michael CefolaLittle Games at Foley’s in PleasantvilleDon’t miss the driving blues-rock of Little Games at Foley’s in Pleasantville on November 8 at 10 p.m. The band plays early Yardbirds, Animals and Who as well as Eric Clapton, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Gary Moore. Fronted by my husband, guitarist Michael Cefola, the band features drummer Tommy Vinton, keyboardist Anthony Nisi and bassist Larry Schwartzman.  C’mon and see what a little live music can do for you.
Dancer Wendy WhelanWendy Whelan on NYC-ArtsOn NYC-Artsthis weekend, I caught Wendy Whelan who retired from the New York City Ballet two weeks ago.  She spoke about pursuing a dream to collaborate with choreographers.  For a classically trained ballerina, moving to barefoot modern dance was a “leap” that led to the suite “Restless Creature.”  Looking back, she says
I needed some hydration, some inspiration.  I wanted to fight for something.  I wanted to feel what it feels like to climb again. And I did. When [choreographer] Brian Brooksand I started two years ago, it was like I wanted to go to the other side. I opened the door and he was standing there like this, C’mon.  Yeah, it’s fun over here.  C’mon over. And that was hugely emotional to have welcoming from somebody like that, that it was okay, and you’re going to be artistically satisfied over here too.

Doesn’t this apply to all of us artists—literary, visual, performing?  That desire to climb. To walk through the open door.  Here’s the interview.
Boo at the Zoo
Gigi (right) and Lend Me A Hand BandIt’s not too late to see Gigi and the Lend Me A Hand Band at the Bronx Zoo for one more weekend!  Bring the kids and grandkids for a fun, interactive show on Saturday or Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m.  One attendee, Kate Kwon, loved the Gigi fest so much that she drew this portrait of the band:
Original drawing by Kate KwonPoetry at CUNY Graduate CenterNovember 4, 6:30 p.m., Turnstyle: After the MFA with David Lynn, November 5, all day, ; November 6, 7 p.m., Voices of Women in American Poetry; November 13-14, all day, Abiding Cities, Remnant Sites; November 13, 7 p.m., Drowned Blackbird: Paul Muldoon on Translating Gaelic.  Toadlily Press at Poets HouseToadlily Press celebrates its tenth anniversary with its latest chapbook quartet, A Good Wall, by Katie Hartsock, George Bishop, Linda Tomol Pennisi and Jennifer Kearns.  You are cordially invited to the launch party on November 1, at 6 p.m., at Poets House.  Congratulations to Toadlily cofounders Myrna Goodman and Meredith Trede!
Small works for a big causeThe Greenburgh Arts and Culture Committee’s one-day art sale of pieces no larger than 9 x 12 inches will be this Saturday, November 1, 2-4 p.m., at the Greenburgh Town Hall.  The fundraiser will benefit Matters of the Heart, an annual exhibit of Westchester senior artists.


St. Peter’s B-List in MidtownEnjoy contemporary poems inspired by the saints this Sunday, November 2, 1:00-3:00 p.m., in the main sanctuary of St. Malachy’s Catholic Church in New York.  Sandra Duguid, Dean Kostos, Jamison Lee, Susan L. Miller, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Christine Redman-Waldeyer and Maria Terrone will read from Mary Ann B. Miller's new anthology, St. Peter’s B-list (Ave Maria, 2014). Free event. Light refreshments. Open to the public.
Joan Ganz CooneyConversations with Great WomenThe National Women’s Hall of Fame will host Lesley Stahl, of CBS News 60 Minutes, in a conversation with Joan Ganz Cooney, originator of Sesame Street, on November 12, 6-8 p.m., at the Gilbane Building in New York.  Tickets, $50, can be purchased by calling 315-568-8060.
Vermont art destinations Baba-à-Louis BakeryIt’s a great time of year to drive to Vermont—chill in air, clear roads, amazing baked goods at places like Baba-à-Louis in Chester.  Two other reasons: “Fibrations,” an exhibit of New England fiber artists at the Great Hall, One Hundred River Street, in Springfield, VT; and “World Leaders and Global Citizens,” photos by Senator Patrick Leahy at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
Pecan SnowballsAs soon as fall sets in, I crave something buttery and sweet.  Think Christmas cookie way before the holidays.  This perfect solution is courtesy You Can Trust a Skinny Cook (Wiley, 2011) by Allison Fishman.
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar1/2 tsp. vanilla extract1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted1 cup all-purpose flour1/8 tsp. ground cinnamonPinch of kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, combine butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Using electric beater at medium speed, beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Put pecans and 1 tbsp. sugar in food processor. Chop until nuts are very fine, about 30 seconds. Add flour, cinnamon, salt and pulse to combine. Using electric beater on low, beat flour mixture into butter mixture until combined. Dough will be crumbly.
To form cookies, press dough into the bowl of a teaspoon, packing it firmly. To get dough out of spoon, tap spoon on baking sheet. Place shaped dough on prepared sheets, flat side down, at 1-inch intervals. Bake until golden on bottom, about 15 minutes. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl. Toss warm cookies with sugar, no more than 5 cookies at a time. Remove coated cookies to a plate and let cool.  Makes 16.

̛ Round the NetThanks and/or congratulations to the following for sharing great links:
The Brown Sisters 1975 Asymptote , literary translation journal, for its latest issue

Jeanette Briggs, writer and artist, for “Forty Portraits in Forty Years” of the Brown Sisters (right)

Florence Camace, Deaf activist, for this fun video of a marionette in New York

Terry Dugan, poet and filmmaker, for Claudia Rankine’s reflection on Ferguson

Gary Glauber, poet, for work published in  Bicycle Review ,  Stone Path Review , and 3Elements Review

Ruth Handel, poet, for teaching two poetry courses this month at the Scarsdale Adult School


Amy King, poet, for interviewing John Grisham on Goodreads


Anne Milano-Appel and Jason Grunebaum, translators, respectively for this ode to the typewriter and musical salute by the Boston Typewriter Orchestra


Yvette Neiser Moreno, poet and translator, for this Jeffrey Green article on translating Hebrew fiction


Ellen Peckham, poet and artist, for her interview of Blog Talk Radio


Poets and Writers  for this great interview with Jeff Shotts of Graywolf Press

Jay Shulman, cellist and music archivist, for Frank Rich’s reflection on 1964


Linda Simone, poet and watercolorist, for this Billy Collins interview on “Life and Death Poetry” and how coloring can help grown-ups too


Neal Whitman, poet, on receiving an Honorable Mention in Italy’s Il Meleto di Guido Gozzano contest
Challenging you to walk through your open door….
Until next time,Ann

your ripe autumn annogram

Happy September.  I love the gold quality of the light through the trees, and the blue skies.  Good news:  My poem, “Trinity,” based on Shakespearian Sonnet 34, appears in Out of Sequence: The Sonnets Remixed.  Editor D. Gilson is posting about the project, and the Parlor Press book arrives this fall.  Main Street Rag Press has accepted “At the County Airport, 1964,” for its car anthology; and best of all, my interview with translator and poet J. Chester Johnson will appear in Illuminations in June.

Little Games at the Eastchester Inn
Little Games at the Eastchester Inn - photo by Mike VirsingerLittle Games, a band featuring my husband Michael Cefola, made its debut at the Eastchester Inn on September 6.  The band plays a riveting mix of 1960s British blues-rock, from Yardbirds, Animals and Who to later artists such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Gary Moore.  From left to right: keyboardist Anthony Nisi, guitarist Michael Cefola, drummer Tommy Vinton, and bassist Larry Schwartzman.  Be sure to catch Little Games at Foley’s in Pleasantville on November 8 at 10pm.  See you there for more amazing music!
  
Bookbinder Malcolm SummersTraditional English Bookbinder
What a pleasure to discover the joys of bookbinding from Malcolm Summers, whose sunlit studio above the Chester Bookworm is filled with quality acid-free paper, Scottish leathers, space-age glue and old-fashioned presses.  He binds everything from antique books and dissertations to wedding albums, and his clients span the globe.  You can even take a workshop with him to learn this noble trade.  Aren’t you relieved to know that someone like Malcom is still crafting books?

Linda Simone and new bookLinda Simone and Archeology
Poet Linda Simone is pleased to announce the publication of Archeology (Flutter Press, 2014). Linda’s long-time fascination with archeology led to this collection, which juxtaposes poems about real archeological finds with poems about modern experiences that serve to reconnect people--both living and dead.  I love Linda’s work, and encourage you to purchase this distinctive collection.
Kevin Pilkington Master Poetry Class
National Book Award poet and novelist Kevin Pilkington is holding a Poetry Master Class for five sessions this fall at the Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute for students with an MFA or MA in Writing who would like to get back into a workshop atmosphere, Tuesdays, November 11 - December 16, 6pm-8pm. Here are all of the details.  Kevin's novel, Summer Shares, is now available as a paperback on Amazon.
Ferguson in view of Elaine Race Massacres
J. Chester Johnson


The Task Force Against Racism at Trinity Wall Street will host a symposium on the Elaine Race Massacre today at 2 pm, at St. Paul’s Chapel.  The Elaine Race Massacre, perhaps the deadliest racial conflagration in US history, led to the Supreme Court’s Moore v Dempsey ruling toward equal protection and eventually to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  Civil rights activist, historian and poet J. Chester Johnson will speak on this tragic event.  If you miss it, be sure to read his essay.

OSilas Gallery Celebrates Local History

Hotel Gramatan in Bronxville, NYLegacies, Landmarks & Achievements: Celebrating 350 Years – Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville celebrates  30+ local historical figures as well as the legacies of the Tuckahoe marble quarry and the famed Hotel Gramatan.  Discover surprising history in your own backyard!  At the OSilas Gallery through November 9; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 12-5pm; Thursday: 12-7pm; Saturday & Sunday: 2-5pm. 

Quick Draw returns
John Lehr as Sherriff John Henry Hoyle


Ever wonder whatever happened to the Geico caveman?  John Lehr stars in Quick Draw, a western comedy on Hulu that has just returned for a second season.  Archeologist John McCrayinspires the program’s historical authenticity, going as far as Fort Smith, Arkansas to research the notorious Belle Starrfor an episode or two.  Bravo to Lehr and McCray for creating a hilarious and authentic comedy!
Calls for Work
Highland Park Poetry wants poems and photos about grandparents or great-grandparents. Send poems (30 lines max) and jpegs by September 23 to jennifer@
highlandparkpoetry.org.
Vida looking for essays on intersections between gender, race, sexuality, class, physical abilities; misogyny in workshops/publishing/readings/theater/film that illuminate larger social issues; feminist literary successes/innovations; making gender privilege visible in the literary and larger world. 

Evie ShockleyPoetry Readings / Talks
Fall ushers in poetry readings and talks to keep you round and sweet as a Gala apple: 
September 23 – Eleni Sikelianos on mixing genres, Poets House, 7pm

September 28 – Ellen Bass, Katonah Library, 4pm

October 4 – Richard Forman, Tracie Morris; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

October 7 – Octavio Paz Centennial Celebration, Poets House, 7:00pm
October 9 – Evie Shockley, St. Francis College, 4:30 p.m.

October 11 – Kate Berlant, Tony Torn, Ubu Sings Ubu; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm

October 12 – Jim Daniels, Katonah Library, 4pm

October 18 – Jomar Statkun, Christopher Stackhouse, Maria Damon; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm
October 25 – Malik Gaines, Alex Segade; Zinc Bar, 4:30pm
The Frank O'Hara Chocolate Shake
Frank O'Hara(1926-1966), a premier New York School poet, loved having a daily cheeseburger and chocolate shake for lunch, his favorite meal.  He'd walk around midtown, get some inspiration and type up a poem before starting on his afternoon work.  Those poems ultimately became Lunch Poems (City Lights, 1964).  I love his poetry as much as a good shake, and this one is goodfor you.  
2 cups almond milk*1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon or more raw cacao powder1 half of a ripe avocado1 heaping teaspoon of almond butter1 tablespoon or more of raw coconut nectara dash of cinnamon
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend on high for a few minutes.  Taste to see if the shake is sweet and chocolaty enough, and adjust if you need stronger flavor.  Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!
*To make your own, soak one-half cup raw slivered almonds in filtered water overnight.  Pour water and almonds in blender with teaspoon of vanilla, two cups or more water, and blend on high for three minutes.  Strain almond milk through a tea-strainer into a container with a lid.  Keeps three to four days.
'Round the Net
One of Powell's 25Cindy Hochman, editor of First Literary Review East, for the latest issue
ALTA list-serve for this article on British readers gobbling up foreign translations, a new bio on Proust translator Scott Moncrief, a French portrait of literary translators, and how to translate an untranslatable book
Francis Battista, Best Friendscofounder, on “Four-Footed Citizens”

Guy Bennett, editor, for publishing Portia Elan’s Ghazals for the Body (Mindmade Books, 2014)

Another Powell's 25Christopher Brisson, writer, for this wonderful upbeat video for dog lovers
Terry Dugan, poet and filmmaker, for Powell's 25 Books to Read Before You Die
Cindy Dunne, Lakota Kids Enrichment, for beautiful poetry by Lakota children
Dennis Dybeck, translator, on Jerome the patron saint of translators
Gary Glauber, poet, for poems in jmww and 3 Elements Review (page 47)
Ruth Handel, Dos Madres Press poet, on her recent Warner Library reading

Cindy Hochman, editor of First Literary Review East, for the latest issue
And one moreMary McCray, poet, for this take-off on net neutrality and fabulous fall Big Bang Poetry newsletter
Christina Rau, Dancing Girl Press poet, for "Notes From Her Suicidal Bed" selected by Goodreads in July

Sam and Liz, editors of Circumference , for bringing back this great translation journal

Jay Shulman, music archivist, for this Zombies band documentary and revelation on Jim Morrison's death; and for celebrating the lives of Bob Crewe, Charlie Haden and Johnny Winter.

Tourism Santa Fe, for the Burning of Zozobra (feel sorry for Zozo—what did he do?)

Frank Vitale, filmmaker, for his “Car Driving” and “Traffic Signaling in the Mediated City” videos
Wishing you the ripe creativity of fall,
Ann

your sizzling summer annogram

Thank you for looking for your July annogram.  Annogram was away for the holiday weekend, so I am back to see what’s of interest this month to my uber-creative subscribers.  Hmmm…looks like artists may take over!
Lilly Ledbetter with President ObamaWomen poets in the work space
Are poets “the unacknowledged legislators of the world?”  Mais oui, say Carolyne Wright, Mary Baylor, and Eugenia Toledo,editors of Raising Lilly Ledbetter: Women Poets Occupy the Workspace, to be published by Lost Horse Press this fall.  I am thrilled my poem, “First Job,” will appear in this anthology.  Despite the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, women still earn only 77 cents to a dollar earned by men.  Harrumph.
Theater Diva
Finally, a blog about cultural events in and around New York City!  Arts columnist Debra Banerjee, who interviewed me recently, does us all a favor by reviewing concerts, plays and art exhibits.  I particularly loved her profile of Marilyn Maye, a cabaret singer still going strong at age 86.  Brava, Debra! Brooklyn Bridge by Linda Simone
(Sub) Urban:  Watercolors by Linda Simone
Linda Simone’s extraordinary watercolorsgrace the Madeleine Gutman Gallery at Greenburgh Town Hall.  The opening reception drew a SRO-crowd and well-wishers filled Linda’s arms with roses.  Her exquisite paintings run from brooding Manhattan scenes to open seasonal landscapes.   See this fine exhibit, curated by Sarah Bracey White, through August 27.
Photo by Michael CefolaFeast of St. Anthony in Little Italy
Oh, the joys of the Bronx, aka daBronx!  Bronxites refer to nonresidents as “the unfortunate.”   My husband Michael, our good friend Elaine Nole, and I headed to Arthur Avenue one Sunday for pastry and espresso at DeLillo’s.  Little did we know it was the Feast of St. Anthony, the Franciscan saint known for finding lost things, and Michael snapped this great photo.
Deborah Coulter collage
Deborah Coulter will display her outstanding collages and drawings, with work by artist Lake Charles, in an exhibit, “Dreams and Memories,” at the Oresman Gallery at the Larchmont Public Library.  An opening reception, this Thursday, July 10, from 6-8 pm, is free and open to the public.  Exhibit runs through August 29.
Danielle Jackson photography
Photographer Danielle Jackson’s exhibit, “Lighthouses & Landscapes,” will be on display in the gallery at Ossining Public Librarythroughout the month of July—I can’t think of a better way to cool off than to take in Dani’s serene seascapes!
Creamy Summer Vegetable Soup
Here’s a savory vegetarian soup I created.  Add other vegetables as you like—but don’t cheat on the curry leaves which give the soup its needed bass note.  This delicious soup also requires a countertop electric grill with a lid, such as you would use for hamburgers or grilled cheese sandwiches; and a hand blender. 
Vegetable oil spray1 yellow zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise1 green zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise1 carrot, sliced thin lengthwise1 red pepper, cored, seeded, sliced into stripsA handful of curry leavesSaltPlain yogurt (optional)
Spray grill with vegetable oil and heat grill according to its instructions.  When grill is hot, place vegetables on grill perpendicular to grooved surface.  Close lid and cook 10 minutes.  Open lid, turn vegetables over, and cook another 10 minutes.  The vegetables should be soft with brown or black grill marks.  Some may need to cook longer than others; remove cooked vegetables to a plate. 
Combine vegetables in saucepan with water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Purée vegetables with your hand-held blender.  Add curry leaves and blend until completely smooth.  If soup is too thick, add water.  Salt to taste.  You may add a dollop of yogurt to make it creamier, or to decorate soup once ladled.   Serves two.
You can find fresh curry leaves at an Indian or Pakistani grocery.  Do not substitute curry powder—it’s overpowering and a completely different flavor.
Photo by Carol BoothRound the net
Congratulations and/or thanks to:
T J Banks’ blog on the Best American Poetry website
Carol Booth for taking these great photos from the Mermaid Parade
Steve Brannon for latest downloadable issue of Small Print Magazine
Terry Dugan for this article on France’s anti-Amazon stance Photo by Carol Booth
Beth Gersh-Nesic for Tatjana Bergelt’s exhibit at the Serbian Consulate through July 27
Gary Glauber for poems in Stone Voices and The Citron Review
Claudia Hammon for this poetic rant by William Logan
Cindy Hochman for her review of Alison Stone’s Dangerous Enough (Presa Press, 2014)
Janet Kaplan for recommending this writing workshop on film and poetry Photo by Carol BoothRobert McDowell for his new website
Laura Morelli for 10 Reasons to Love Limoncello
Poets House for its annual poetry book showcase, on view through August 16
Jay Shulman on noting the passing of Gerry Goffin and Ultra Violet
Photo by Carol BoothLinda Simone for her poem, “The Incredible Shrinking Woman,” in Carnival Magic
Linda again for this piece on solitude
The Small Town Theater for its summer concert series
Frank Vitale for chapter six of The Metropolis Organism
Keep cool, keep creative!
Until next time,Ann

your june annogram

We begin June with this wondrous photo taken by a friend at a wedding in Australia.  If ever I needed an image of muses, it would be these young women in sparkles fluttering against a strong offshore breeze.  May your muses move with the wind too!
Our winged Dodge and a sweet donkey
Do you remember cars with push-button gears, plaid-fabric bench seats and chrome fins?  My poem, “At the County Airport,” recalls such space-age designs.  To my delight, Main Street Rag has accepted it for a car-themed anthology.  I’m also thrilled that issue 46 of Sugar Mule features two of my poems.  Thanks again to guest editor Alyse Knorr.
Karin MillerAnthology awards / readings
Congratulations to editor Karin Miller, whose Cancer Poetry Project 2 (Tasora Books, 2013) was named Best Poetry Book of 2013 at the Midwest Book Awards Gala on May 15 and is a National Indie Excellence Award finalist.
A Slant of Light (Codhill Press, 2013) has won First Prize in the 2014 USA Book Awards for Anthology and the 2014 da Vinci Eye Eric Hoffer Book (Cover) Award; and is a finalist in the 2014 Beverly Hills International Book Awards for Anthology, 2014 NextGeneration Indie Book Awards in Women’s Issues, and 2014 International Book Awards in Chick Lit/Women’s Literature.
Martin EspadaHear fantastic poets from St. Peter’s B-List (Ave Maria Press, 2014) on Wednesday, June 11, 6-8:30 pm, read at Poets House, 10 River Terrace, NYC, across from Battery Park.  Poets include Kate Daniels, Martin Espada, Brett Foster, Gerry LaFemina, Jamison Lee, Susan L. Miller, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Susanna Rich, Nicholas Samara, and Lauren Schmidt.
The Widow’s Handbook (Kent State University Press, 2014) continues readings: June 5, 7 pm, Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St NW, Washington, DC;  June 7, 2 pm, Swarthmore College, Trotter Hall 301; June 8, 7 pm, Stonehenge Studios, 3508 SW Corbett Ave., Portland, OR; June 10, 2 pm, East Castle Place, 2505 E. Bradford Place, Milwaukee, WI; June 26, 7 pm, Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main Street, Concord, NH,  and July 9, 11 am, Shorewood Senior Resource Center, 3920 N. Murray Ave, Shorewood, WI.
Petra LewisPetra Lewis at WORD
WORD - A Caribbean Book Fest will celebrate Dianalee Velie Poetry Workshop
Dianalee VelieIf you’re in southwest New Hampshirethis summer, you can join the Monday Night Poetry Group the second Monday of the month at 7 pm, at the Newbury Library.  Poet Dianalee Velie encourages everyone to come, listen, or read.  Next session Monday, June 9.  All levels welcome. 
Paul HardingCanaan Meetinghouse Reading Series
In the same NH neighborhood, stop by these readings which feature nonfiction writer Douglas Bauer and author Sue Miller on July 10, poet Jeffrey Harrison and novelist Deb Harkness on July 17, natural historian Bernd Heinrich and novelist Rachel Urquhart on July 24, author Abigail Carroll and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Paul Harding on July 31. Readings start at 7:30 pm at the Meetinghouse, Canaan Street, Canaan, NH.
New books
Tanya Chernov is delighted that her anthology, The Burden of Light (Smashwords, 2014), is live on Amazon.
Dancing Girl Press announces a new chapbook, Borrowed Logic , by Alison Stone.
Petra Lewis announces that the EBook version of her novel, The Sons and Daughters of Ham: Book I, A Requiem , is live on Amazon.
James DeanMindmade Books has published Bernat Manciet’s Ode to James Dean in a bilingual edition translated by Pierre Joris and Nicole Peyrafitte.  This 1958 hallucinatory meditation on the actor’s death, captures “brutal, sharp, abrasive, wily, loutish, irascible, burning, rash, fighting, aggressive” qualities that Manciet (1923-2005) prized as a major latter 20th-century Occitan writer.
Red Glass Books is beside itself with joy to announce the publication of Café between wars, a chapbook by Karen Garthe and designed by Janet Kaplan.  Available from the author—please email her at macminch2@gmx.com for details.
Calls for work
Red Booth Review is accepting poems on celebrity and art and photos on isolation through June 30.  Include 4-10 poems within an email and/or 3-5 digital images no greater than 720px.   See current issue for editorial preferences in poetry.

Watercolor by Isabelle FullerBeatrix Potter Redux
Thanks to artist Isabelle Fuller for sharing this delightful spring watercolor which pays homage to classic Beatrix Potterillustrations.
Racoco on the go-go
SOAK: A torrent of AcTS and Training molded by LEIMAY at CAVE will take place June 19 at 8 pm. Racoco Productions will show a new collaboration with visual artist Stephanie Beckand composer Lynn Wright, Paper Work, which charts ideas of "progress," territorial expansion, discipline, and disorder.

Beck and Racoco will follow up this premiere with an installation and series of performances at Harlem’s Chashama Performance Space, 1351 Amsterdam Avenue. The installation will be open to the public Saturday, June 21, from 3 - 9 pm, Sunday from noon - 8 pm, and Monday from 10 am - 9 pm.

Benefit Harp Concert

On Sunday, June 15, at 4 pm, harpist David Holton and flutist Pamela Sklar will perform, accompanied by tenors Michael Hull and Robert Puleo at Trinity St. Paul’s Church in New Rochelle.  This benefit will raise funds to send David Holton to the Philippines as part of the Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps. Reception to follow concert.  Suggested Donation:  $15.
Send Sam to Ghana
Sam Russell, a recent Trinity Collegegraduate with an economics degree, is going to volunteer in Ghana where he will help WomensTrustimprove their operations, focus on micro lending to women to eliminate poverty, and raise awareness how scholarships can improve life for girls.  Help Sam get to Ghana by contributing to his IndieGoGo campaign.
Cool Ginger Limeade
When the heat rises, I thirst for something delicious.  I created this recipe as an alternative to chemical- and high fructose-sugar-laden ginger ale. Ginger has an astringent quality that cleanses the digestive system, and lime is alkaline to counteract acidity.  Great after a big meal!
1 cup bottled natural spring water1 quarter-size quarter-inch slice of ginger root, peeled1/2 lime2 Tablespoons (more or less to taste) organic raw honey
This refreshing drink calls for a strong blender.  Combine water and ginger root in blender and process on the highest setting about a half minute.  Using a tea strainer over a tall glass, strain the ginger water into the glass.  Rinse out the blender to make sure it is free of any ginger. 
Return the ginger water to the blender and squeeze the juice of one-half lime into blender.  Add two tablespoons of raw honey.  Blend again on high.  Pour back into glass.  The drink will be a lovely cream color and develop a foamy head.  Drink right away.  Serves one.
Round the Net
American Literary Translators Association list-serve for this article on publishers fighting Amazon
Translator Jeffrey Angles for sharing this article by the great Persian translator Dick Davis on translating Hafez. 
Contemporary poets discuss  poetry
hosted by UPenn Prof Al FilreisProfessor Al Filreis for sharing this early greeting from his celebrated teaching assistants preparing for September’s ModPo class
Belated birthday wishes to Gary Glauber, whose poems “Anthem” and “Refrain” appear in The Citron Review ; and has three more poems in The Blue Hour , and two in East Jasmine Review , purchasable at the East Jasmine Review Store.
Writing mentor Robert McDowell for letting us know about his new workshop, Flash Writing for Fantastic Exploration, starting June 11—to register, email rmcdowell@mind.net 
Congratulations to Laura Morelli on winning a silver IPPY Award for Best Adult Fiction Ebook for her debut novel, The Gondola Maker , also been shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Award, the da Vinci Eye Prize, and the National Indie Excellence Award
The OffbeatsCongratulations to Jay Shulman (second, right) of the Offbeats, especially guitarist Michael Cefola (far left), on another tremendous Night of Rock benefit for the Scarsdale Teen Center
Thanks to Linda Simonefor alerting us to the passing of the beloved civil rights activist and poet, Maya Angelou
Congratulations to Ellen Steinbaum on her guest entry on The Best American Poetry Blog
Thanks to filmmaker Frank Vitale for sharing Episode 5 of the Metropolis Organism and this fascinating look back at his role in the PBS children’s program, Shining Time Station
Maya AngelouWe close this annogram with a Maya Angelou quote, “All great achievements require time.”  Angelou overcame racism, poverty, and sexual assault, only to find a higher purpose in civil rights activism and powerful poetry and prose.  All it took was time.  Eighty-six years of extraordinary courage—which annogramcelebrates today.
Until next time,Ann

your may annogram

Reading "Andromeda at Midlife" Slant of Light reading

I loved reading last month with friends from A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Poets of the Hudson Valley (Codhill Press, 2013).  This Hudson Valley Writers Center (HVWC) event featured really fine Westchester poets, and an insightful talk by editors Larry Carr and Jan Schmidt, who announced that the anthology had received a Beverly Hills Book Award. Proud poets and anthology editorsI caught up with Dos Madres Press author Ruth Handel; NEA recipient Pamela Hart; Against Butterflies  (Little Red Tree Publishing, 2013) author Ann Lauinger, and HVWC founder and poet Margo Stever, among many other friends.  When Mervyn Taylor read his tribute to Brenda Connor-Bey, I knew she must have been there.  It was too magical an evening!  Thanks to Meredith Trede for organizing a great event and Sarah Bracey White for taking wonderful photos.

St. Peter’s B-List at Cornelia Street Café
My favorite place to read in New York is Cornelia Street Café, whose underground venue could encourage people to break out black berets and snap their fingers.  Last month, I had the honor of reading alongside the lovely Mary Ann B. Miller, editor of St. Peter’s B-List (Ave Maria Press, 2014), and contributor poets Dean Kostos, Susan L. Miller, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Christine Redman-Waldeyer and Susanna Rich.  St. Peter’s B-List makes a great gift for any spiritually attuned friends.
Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival



What a pleasure to read at my alma mater with MFA alum and Red Glass Press Publisher Janet Kaplan, current undergraduates and MFA graduate poets!  Festival organizer and Dancing Girl Press poet Katie Longofono kept us to one or two poems, which created fun, speed-dating exposure to nearly 20 poets.  Our reading was followed by Kim Addonizio and Eileen Myles.

Scarsdale Inquirer interview

Thanks to Debra Banerjee, arts editor at The Scarsdale Inquirer , for recently interviewing me.  Debra and I had a great conversation about poetry, and she managed to capture all the important points in a fabulous Arts Section cover story.  Enjoy the interview here.
The Burden of Light
Congratulations to editor Tanya Chernov (right) on the release of The Burden of Light: Poems on Illness and Loss (Smashwords, 2014).  This multimedia project, which includes three of my poems, weaves together a tapestry of inspiration, support, and hope.  You set the price for the book, which will directly benefit the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. 
More good news
Regi ClaireMy translation of Chapter 8 of Le Héros by Hélène Sanguinetti is in Exchanges , the University of Iowa’s translation journal.  My poems, “Wildlife” and “Vermont: Midnight,” go live May 15 at Sugar Mule.  Lummox Press has accepted one of my poems for its 2014 anthology, and my Small Print Magazine interview with Scottish novelist Regi Claire is now online.  
Seshadri wins Pulitzer

Congratulations to Vijay Seshadri on winning the Pulitzer for his poetry collection3 Sections (Graywolf, 2013).  Vijay began his education in the sciences, and, as a result, brings startling clarity to all things literary as both poet and critic.  In engaging talks, he has the gift for making a complex poet like Wallace Stevens simple, and a seemingly simple Robert Frost complex.  Annogramrejoices in this much-deserved Pulitzer Prize!

Iaconetti watercolors
Joan Iaconetti’s first solo exhibit imagines post-graffiti subways in dark, deliciously sinister angles, platforms, and riders.  Called “evocative neo-noir” by the Curbed NY , her work is on view Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, at the Bridge Gallery through June 2.    The gallery is on the fourth floor of The New School, 66 West 12th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
Translate in the City
The City University of London is offering a translation program, June 23-27, 2014. A week of translation workshops will cover a range of literary genres guided by leading literary translators, plus guest speakers and events. Languages: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Polish and Portuguese into English.  To register, email s.hall@city.ac.uk  or call +44 (0)20 7040 0123.
Reid Castle at ManhattanvillePoetry readings
Come hear novelist Terry Dugan, one of 15 Manhattanville MFA graduates reading on May 13, at 7 pm, in the East Library at Reid Castle at Manhattanville College.
Also on May 13, at 6:30 pm, the Go Cat Go Poetry Series welcomes Evie Ivey and Cynthia Toronto at Gracie’s Corner Diner, 352 E 86th St (between 1st and 2nd Avenues), New York. E. J. AntonioThe 12th Annual New York City Independent Publishers Book Party will take place 6-8pm, Thursday, May 15, 6-8 pm, at the ZieherSmith Gallery, 516 W. 20th Street, in New York.
The Hot Poets Collective, Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, E.J. Antonio, Sabrina Hayeem-Ladani, The Saturn Series Open Mike will feature Juanita Torrence-Thompson, Ellaraine Lockie and E.J. Antonio on May 19, at 8-10 pm at Revival, 129 E. 15th Street, New York.
Calls for submissions
Ruth Handel of the Poetry CaravanIf you’re a poet in Westchester County, you can bring poetry to people who might not be able to hear it otherwise.  Contact Ruth Handel (RuthHandel@verizon.net) to learn more about the Poetry Caravan.Calling all poems on “desire” or “road kill” for the Lummox Poetry Anthology to be published in November.  Donate $15 and your submission will also be considered for the 2014 Lummox Poetry Prize, $100 and chapbook publication.  Send 2-3 poems to poetraindog@gmail.com.
Poets for Living Waters  is a poetry project which responded to the 2010 Gulf Oil Disaster.  In light of the highly contested Keystone Pipeline, please send 1-3 poems, brief statement of ecopoetics, and short bio to poetsforlivingwaters@yahoo.com before July 20, 2014. 
Asparagus Soufflé
How I love fresh spring vegetables, like artichokes and asparagus!  Here’s a favorite recipe from The Ayurvedic Cookbook (Lotus Press, 2004) by Amadea Morningstar with Urmilla Desai.
1 cup milk3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter you can purchase at Trader Joe’s or Mrs. Greens)3 tablespoons barley or whole wheat flour 1 pound fresh asparagus (about 1 cup cooked)1 egg yolk½ teaspoon sea salt¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper4 egg whites1/8 teaspoon cream of tartarPaprika as garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash asparagus and chop into 1-inch pieces.  Steam until tender, about 8 minutes.  Melt ghee in medium saucepan; slowly stir in flour. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly over medium heat.  The sauce will thicken as it cooks.  Bring mixture to a boil and stir in cooked asparagus.  Reduce heat to low and stir in egg yolk.  The mixture will thicken a bit more as you continue to cook it for another 1-2 minutes.  Stir in salt and pepper; remove from heat and let mixture cool.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in a clean glass, enamel or stainless steel blow (plastic will slow down the process).  When egg whites are stiff enough to peak, fold them gently into the cooled asparagus sauce.  Place whole mixture in an ungreased soufflé or baking dish (one about half as deep as it is wide).  Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until soufflé is firm.  The soufflé will keep for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven before it falls, but it is best eaten immediately.  Goes well with salad and bread or rice.  Serves 2-4.
Round the Net
Congratulations to Jeanette Briggs on winning the President’s Award from Purchase College, selected by the faculty for outstanding and dedicated studies.
Congratulations to Ruth Handel on four poems published in Eclectica ; on reading from her Tugboat Warrior (Dos Madres Press, 2013) at Dobbs Ferry Public Library, and for Poetry Caravan readings at Armonk, Greenburgh and Scarsdale Libraries.
Congratulations to NEA recipient Pamela Hart, who will be teaching a summer course on ekphrasis at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute—register by May 29.
Amy KingPoet Amy King for The Boston Review ’s online collection of poetry on surveillance.Congratulations to Jacqueline Lapidus and Lise Menn, editors of The Widows Handbook (Kent State University Press, 2014), which has gone into its second printing!
Thanks to Poets & Writers for this literary map of New York’s Upper East Side.
Congrats again to Pulitzer -winner Vijay Seshardi, here talking about his poetry on NPR .
“Oh no, me gotta go!  Ai yie yie yie,” writes music archivist Jay Shulman who let us know that April 11 was International Louie Louie Day.
Congratulations to Linda Simone, whose poetry collection, Archeology, will be published by Flutter Press.
Congratulations to Widows Handbook (Kent State University Press, 2014) contributor Chris Thieleon her essay, “Trusting the Process,” which appears in The Best American Poetry Blog .
Thanks to the Times Literary Supplement for this discovery from the poet Sappho.
Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day and successful soufflés,Ann

your april annogram

National Poetry Month starts out with a bang—the news that Dos Madres Press will publish my first poetry collection, Face Painting in the Dark, this year.  But wait—there’s more! Dancing Girl Press poet Alyse Knorr, guest editor of Sugar Mule , has accepted my poems, “Wildlife” and “Vermont: Midnight,” for the next issue.  Could I be any happier?
St. Peter’s B-List at Cornelia Street Café
Come hear me read with poets from St. Peter’s B-List (Ave Maria Press, 2014), at Cornelia Street Café on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 pm. Mary Ann Miller, the book’s editor, will host Dean Kostos, Susan L. Miller, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Christine Redman-Waldeyer, Susanna Rich and me for this fun and not-so-holy reading.  Hope to see you there—and, remember, GoodReads  is giving away 20 copies of the anthology through April 10!
Slant of Light at Hudson Valley Writers Center
I will also be at the Slant of Light (Codhill Press, 2013) reading at the HVWC on Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.  Come hear me read with poets Sally Bliumis-Dunn, Lisa Fleck-Dondiego, Ruth D. Handel, Pamela Hart, Adrienne Hernandez, Ann Lauinger, Jo Pitkin, Natalie Safir, Margo Stever and Meredith Trede. In addition, Mervyn Taylor will read his beautiful elegy to the late Brenda Connor-Bey, one of the anthologized poets. 
Cake, prose and poetry
Kevin PilkingtonEnjoy an evening of prose and poetry with novelist Lucy Rosenthal and poet Kevin Pilkington on April 3 at 6:00pm at Cake Shop in New York. 
Poet Pamela Laskin, organizer and host of the NYC Poetry Festival (see below), will read at the CUNY Graduate Center, April 9, at 6:30 as part of the Turnstyle Reading Series. 
Hear local poets read from The Widow’s Handbook (Kent State University Press, 2014) at Poets House on April 19, from 1:30-4:30 pm; and at Cornelia Street Café on May 25, 3-5 pm.
NYC/CUNY Chapbook Festival
The NYC/CUNY Chapbook Festival runs April 1 through April 3, celebrating the chapbook as a work of art and a medium for alternative and emerging writers and publishers.  Here’s the festival schedule at the CUNY Graduate Center.  The book fair, 10 am – 8 pm on Thursday, will feature these publishers.
NYC Poetry Festival and Contest


Poets Elana Bell and Aracelis Girmaywill be featured at the Annual NYC Poetry Festival and Contest.  The festival will take place at City College, in Theater B of Aaron Davis Hall, 135th St. and Convent Avenue in New York, on May 9, 9 am - 5 pm.
Closing look at Lovrien
When I mentioned my grandmother, Lovrien Price Gregory (1888-1972), was one of the first female cartoonists at the turn of the 20th century, annogram readers were hooked.  You loved her story, and I thank you for honoring her achievements this way.  This Philadelphia Quaker-turned-Christian Scientist may be best remembered for this one comic strip.  

What no one knows is that the cartoon’s writer would become her brother-in-law.  Lester Lear (1897-1987) eventually married Lovrien’s half sister, Isadora Schmidt (1904-2000).  In addition, “The Pioneers” narrative was most likely inspired by Lovrien’s husband.  Julius Gregory’s (1875-1955) French grandparents crossed the country by Conestoga wagon to arrive in California at the height of the Gold Rush.
Commenting on the cartoon, artist Jim Rowe says it reminds him of the comic strip “Little Nemo” by Winsor McCay.  “Little Nemo,” which debuted 10 years earlier, ran about the same time as “The Pioneers.”  Ah, but now we must say adieuto Lovrien, cartoonist, muralist, portrait maker and abstract expressionist, saluting her ability to stretch her artistic talent in surprising ways.
Linda SimoneWriting Prompts
Thanks to Pushcart-nominated poet Linda Simone for sharing these prompts from Writer’s Digest:
Day 1:  Write 10 potential book titles of books you’d like to write.Day 2:  Create a character with personality traits of someone you love, but the physical characteristics of someone you don’t care for.Day 3:  Write a setting based on the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen.Day 4:  Write a letter to an agent telling her how wonderful you are.Day 5:  Write a 20-line poem about a memorable moment in your life.Day 6:  Select a book on your shelf and pick two chapters at random. Take the first line of one chapter and the last line of the other chapter and write a short story (no more than 1000 words) using those as bookends to your story.Day 7:  Write a letter to yourself telling you what you need to improve in the coming 6 months. Day 8:  Rewrite a fairy tale from the bad guy’s point of view.Day 9:  Turn on your TV. Write down the first line that you hear and write a story based on it.Day 10:  Go sit in a public place and eavesdrop on a conversation. Turn what you hear into a short love story (no matter how much you have to twist what they say).Day 11:  Write the acknowledgments page that will be placed in your first (next?) published book, thanking all the people who have helped you along the way.Day 12:  Gather everything you’ve written over the previous 11 days. Pick your favorite. Edit it, polish it and either try to get it published or post it on the Web to share with the world. Be proud of yourself and your work.
Chocolate Pavlova Celebrate spring with this gluten-free recipe from Cook Yourself Thin (Voice, 2009).  This incredibly rich, exquisite tasting dessert is only 337 calories a serving, perfect for Easter or any special occasion.
For the pavlova
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

For the topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate
1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzling
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites and salt on high speed until they hold their shape. Add sugar gradually until mixture stands in firm peaks. Add lemon juice and whisk just to incorporate. Sift cocoa powder into a small corner of the bowl and lightly fold it into the meringue using a plastic spatula. Do not overmix or you will lose the rippled effect.
Pour meringue onto parchment-lined sheet pan in an oval shape, roughly 3 by 5 inches and 2 inches high. Switch off oven without opening door and leave pavlova in turned-off oven for one hour. Remove and set aside.  Topping: Whisk whipping cream into semi-stiff peaks and spoon on top of pavlova. Sprinkle with raspberries and shaved chocolate before serving. Finish with drizzled chocolate.

Round the Net
Thanks to the following people for these links and/or announcements:
Clobberhead and grateful ownerCongrats to Sarah Bracey White on the third printing of her memoir, Primary Lessons (Cavan-Kerry, 2013)
Guitarist and songwriter Michael Cefola for the inspiring story of Clobberhead
Translator Roger Greenwald for this list of best translated fiction
Poet and civil rights essayists J. Chester Johnsonfor his four-part article on the little-known Elaine race riots
Translator Lucas Klein for his wonderful interview in Asymptote
Congrats to Anomalous Press on its first anniversary
Congrats to poet Maxine Silverman , on second printing of Transport of the Aim (Parallel Press, 2014)
Poet Linda Simone for this article on the disappearance of New York bookstores
Translator Willard Wood for these jokes translated from around the world
Filmmaker Frank Vitale for sharing Episode 4 of The Metropolis Organism
Wishing you a joyous Easter, Passover and poetry filled spring.
Until next time,Ann

your blustery march annogram

The wicked winds of March have blown away crusted mounds of snow here in New York, and yet more snow is predicted.  In this annogram, we’ll focus on the bounty of poetry that’s happening next month with spring’s arrival.  If you’re new to annogram, welcome and feel free to contact me if you would like me to consider your poetry or arts announcement.

eleven eleven 
My translation of “The Ditch,” Chapter 11 from Le Héros (Flammarion, 2008) by Hélène Sanguinetti, appears in issue 16 of eleven eleven .  A biannual journal published through the California College of the Arts MFA Writing Program in San Francisco, eleven eleven is “a forum for risk and experimentation.” Previous issues have featured work by Alain de Botton, Vanessa Place, Cole Swenson, and others whose work in issue six was selected for Best of the Web 2010.  
Saint Peter’s B-List
Saint Peter’s B-List , an anthology featuring poets such as Martin Espada, Mary Karr, Franz Wright and yours truly, debuts next week.  Neither devotional nor pious, it captures unexpected ways the saints illumine daily life for us saints-in-the-making.  Readings will take place at Cornelia Street Café, April 1, at 6 pm, or Fordham University’s Manhattan Campus Atrium (corner of 60th Street and Columbus Avenue), April 24, from 6 – 8 pm.  Visit GoodReads through  April 10 and you may win a free copy!  Congratulations to Editor Mary Ann B. Miller on this charming and soon-to-be cherished volume.


The Widows’ Handbook
This amazing anthology has gotten rave reviews in The Boston Globe .  Introduced by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, this poetry / essay collection makes a thoughtful gift to recently bereaved and a rewarding read for the rest of us.  I am honored that it contains my poems, “Irradiation” and “What Yields to Winter.”  Local readings will take place at the Columbia University Bookstore on April 11, 6 to 8:45 pm and Poets House on Saturday, April 19, 2-4 pm.  Check the TWHwebsite for other nation-wide readings.

The Gondola Maker
Congratulations to Laura Morelli on her book, The Gondola Maker .  Publishers Weekly raves, “Sixteenth-century Venice is the star of [this] well-crafted historical novel,” and Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun , calls it “an especially compelling story.”  Kirkus Reviews selected this “fascinating glimpse into Renaissance Venice” as its Indie Book of the Month.  Morelli, an art historian and author who lived in Italy for years, is the only person who could have written this book.  Order it here and enjoy!
You love Lovrien – Part 4
My grandmother, artist Lovrien Price Gregory (1888-1972) and her husband Julius bought a cottage in Greensboro, Vermont near Caspian Lake.  This home inspired Lovrien to create a series of landscapes, delicate watercolors and oils, as varied as the location itself.  Driving up Route 5 was an all-day trip from Manhattan back then but a perfect gathering place for their adult children, Alfred and Jules, and their new respective brides.  They sold the Greensboro house before Julius passed away in 1955.
Drawing by Lovrien GregoryLovrien lived in their amazing Upper East Side apartment when I knew her.  She had painted, over the fireplace, a graceful pastel and silver-leaf mural of classic Greek children holding hoops and, on the wall behind her bed, a convincing trompe l’oeil antique-iron headboard.  Even the bathroom had white-chalk contour drawings of nudes on architectural paper (right).  The apartment celebrated the creative skill of a classically trained artist.
Abstract oil by Lovrien GregoryThat’s why it was astonishing, when in her 70s, she attended the Art Students League to learn abstract expressionism, and ended up creating gorgeous paintings which combined classic figures with dynamic geometric patterns.  For a portrait artist, at such an advanced age, to open oneself to a new approach is amazing.  As a kid, I knew none of this—I was anxious for cookies to finish baking, and fascinated and terrified by her kitchen’s dumbwaiter which seemed to descend to Hades itself. Sassy Lovrien in later years
She replaced her earlier portrait business with a new devotion to Christian Science and spent her last years in an eldercare community in Navesink, New Jersey.  Despite having dementia, she filled a sketchbook with impeccable pencil landscapes, nurse portraits, and one memorable if wistful sketch of a dog leaning on its paw.  I can see, flipping through the pages, how her art sustained her when her sense of location and/or memory may have failed her.  She died at 84 and is buried with husband Julius at an old family cemetery in south Jersey.  Look for a post-script in the next annogram.

Katonah Poetry Series
Christian Wiman, former editor of Poetry Magazine , will read at the Katonah Village Library (Garden Room) on March 16 at 4 pm—admission $10.  The Katonah Poetry Series (KPS) will also host a fundraising event, Billy Collins at the Walker Arts Center located at the Harvey School, April 27 at 3:30 pm, $40 per adult, $20 per KPS member and $15 per student.  Order the Collins tickets here.
 
L. Lamar WilsonSalon Sundays in Charlotte

Pedestal Magazine will host Salon Sundays in April, 2-4 PM at CAST Theater, 2424 North Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC.  April 6: Joseph Bathani, Tanja Bechtler, Bluz, M. Scott Douglass, Diana Pinckney; April 13:  Anthony S. Abbott, Otis Hughes, Sarah Lindsay, Ed Mabrey, Jonathan K. Rice; April 20:  Beth Brown, Dorianne Laux, Joseph Millar, L. Lamar Wilson; April 27: Tanja Bechtler, Jaki Shelton Green, Morri Creech, George Wallace. Tickets, $15 adults, $12 seniors (60+), $10 students, can be purchased here.



CUNY poetry events
Marjorie PerloffMarjorie Perloff on Paul Celan’s Love Poetry, March 19 at 6:30 pm, in the Martin E. Segal Theatre; Claudia Moreno Parson on Amiri Baraka and Edward Dorn, March 24 at 6 pm, in Skylight Room (9100); Sixth Annual NYC/CUNY Chapfest, April 1, at 365 Fifth Avenue; Lost and Found Series IV Launch, April 3 at 4 pm in C198; and William S. Burroughs Centennial Conference, April 25 in Room 9206-9207. All events take place at CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets.  Alice NotleySegue Reading Series
See the following poets at Zinc Bar, 82 West 3rd Street in New York, Saturdays 4:30-6:30 pm for a $5 donation: March 22: Rob Halpern, Ann Lauterbach; March 29: Amy De’Ath, Kevin Davies; April 5: Feliz Lucia Molina, Danny Snelson; April 12: Chris Sylvester, The Waitress; April 19: Cassandra Gillig, Alice Notley; and April 26: Andrew Durbin, Rod Smith.


 Other Worlds: An Afternoon of Poetry and Song  Carole Glasser LanguilleAt the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, on April 13 at 3 pm, Carole Glasser Languille will read from her book Church of The Exquisite Panic: The Ophelia Poems (Pedlar Press, 2012).  In addition, Mara Goodman will sing in Spanish, Yiddish, Arabic, and English accompanied by Martha Siegel on cello and Laura Liben on guitar.  The Old Stone House is located at 336 Third Street, Brooklyn, between 4thand 5th Avenues. 
Scarborough Fair Express My favorite scone and muffin baker, John Byrne, recently opened SF Express in Bronxville.  Oh!  To taste the cherry and chocolate scone once again with its buttery layers!  Marcel Proust, I will remember this scone forever.  To celebrate the reappearance of Scarborough Fair Catering, I am sharing this recipe from Candice Kumai’s Pretty Delicious (Rodale Books, 2011):
Lemon-Cran Scones 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for shaping1/2 cup sugarzest and juice of 1 lemon1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce1 cup dried cranberries1 cup confectioners' sugar  Heat oven to 375°F. Whisk flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Work butter in with fingers. In measuring cup, whisk buttermilk and applesauce. Press half together with dry ingredients. Pour in remaining liquid. Add dried cranberries; stir to combine. 

Divide dough in half and sprinkle each round with flour. Pat each into 1-inch-thick circle and divide into 6 wedges like a pie. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. In bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons lemon juice with confectioners' sugar; drizzle on scones. Serve warm or let cool and store in airtight container. Round the Net Thanks to the following people who shared these links and/or good news:  Translator Guy Bennett on his translation of Greguerías (Mindmade Books, 2014), by Ramón Gómez de la Serna. My sister-in-law Elaine for taking photos of my grandmother's work (above)

Poet Gary Glauber for poems in Dirty Chai , The Gambler , and Poemeleon
Writer Alison Ireland for the opportunity to participate in a creativity survey and her new writer-dedicated “blank page” website Hour of Writes
Publisher Janet Kaplan for Edric Mesmer’s poetry book, Faun for a Noon (Red Glass, 2014) orderable for $10 in a check addressed to author at 1217 Delaware Avenue, Apartment 802, Buffalo, NY 14209
Poet Amy King for the 2013 VIDA Count, which tracks gender equality in literary journals Cancer Poetry Project Editor Karin Miller for this video of Canadian poet Samantha Albert  Mara MillsDirector Mara Mills for directing the Small Town Theater Company’s “Painting Churches,” the Tina Howe play, on April 4 and 5 at 8 pm in Armonk Novelist Nahid Rachlin who will be teaching summer workshops in Paris and on Martha’s Vineyard Music archivist Jay Shulman for this fantastic look back at WNEW “Channel 5”  Poet Linda Simone for this article on mapping the music in translation
Poet Alison Stone for her new collection, Dangerous Enough (Presa Press, 2014) Poet Neal Whitman for alerting me to the wonderful life of Alice Herz-Sommers Culinary expert Annette Zito on the debut of her new book Red Carpet Menus (ZAMMWorks, 2014) Wishing you delicious poetry and scones,Ann  

your peripheral annogram

 
Out of Sequence


I’m thrilled that my poem, “Trinity,” has been selected for Out of Sequence , an anthology of poems based on the Shakespearean sonnets, to be published by Parlor Press this summer.  Out of Sequence will be a 154-part publication with an editorial introduction both online and in print.   Edited by D. Gilson, the anthology will feature poems, essays and visual art.  Some sonnets still need remixing—see below!


Le H é ros in Eleven Eleven, Exchanges and Inventory

Hélène Sanguinetti My translation of Chapter 11 of Le Héros(Flammarion, 2008) by Hélène Sanguinetti currently appears in Eleven Eleven .  Chapter 8 will also debut in the winter issue of the University of Iowa’s Exchanges translation journal.   December welcomed publication in Princeton’s Inventory , January in California College of the Arts’ Eleven Eleven and now University of Iowa.  As Hélène herself wrote me, “Ouahhhoooouuuuu!” which I believe is French for “Woo-hoo!”
The Manhattanville Review

Isn’t great to get an email that says, “We love your work”?  That’s how I learned that The Manhattanville Review has accepted my poem, “Trackside Commissary,” for its upcoming issue.  Stay tuned for details.
More anthologies debut

If you’re going to AWP, you’ll be able to purchase Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women and Place (Sundress Publications, 2014) and The Widow’s Handbook (Kent State University Press, 2014).  The latter has a series of recent blogs in Best American Poetry .  The Rabbit Ears TV channel, now up and running, features my video poem, “Velocity,” and The Cancer Poetry Project 2 (Tasora Books, 2013) is also live on YouTube.  Cities (Chuffed Buff Books, 2014) is now available on Amazon UK and on Kindle.
Periphery as new center

Anne Sexton with Maxine KuminThis essay by Ozone Park Journal Editor Eric M. B. Becker bears reading.  Have you ever felt like there is a glass ceiling to your chosen art form?  Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) wept when he realized his own poems could never be like those in The New Yorker.  Poet Maxine Kumin (1925-2014), once a 1950s housewife, worked on the phone with pal Anne Sexton (1928-1974), laying down the handset for hours and then speaking into it to share drafts. And folk icon Pete Seeger (1919-2014) left Harvard to find his true calling in an encounter with Lead Belly in Greenwich Village.  The periphery has always been the center of creativity.  These great American artists would tell us to rejoice in the margins and occupy them.  Fully.
Lovrien GregoryYou love Lovrien – Part 3

My grandmother, artist Lovrien Price Gregory (1888-1972), settled down at 3 Church Lane in Scarsdale in a home designed by my grandfather, Julius Gregory (1875-1955).  The all-stone house, like a small castle with its turret and interior wood ceiling beams, was featured in magazines such as House and Gardenand House Beautiful.  Julius wrote architectural columns for these journals, so no surprise his home would be featured in them.
The Times highlights Lovrien's design work


Lovrien complemented Julius’s work with murals or paintings within many homes he designed.  Alas, many works, selling online, are disappearing into private collections.  She also painted murals for the Children’s House at St. James the Less Church across the street, where she and Julius were parishioners.  When the Depression hit, heartache of heartaches, they had to sell the house and move to a small apartment in New York’s Tudor City.  I’ll complete her story in the next annogram.

Deborah Coulter Art Exhibit

Deborah CoulterDeborah Coulter once again astonished art lovers with extraordinary collages and charcoals last month at the Marjorie and Norman Alexander Gallery at the JCC of Midwestchester.   Her collages blend common images in such a way as to make their original meaning vanish in service to a complex whole.  The charcoals deliver intriguing, soft brush-stroke patterns that seem to move.  Collectors take note: her work is being snapped up fast!
‘Lucky Them’ preview

Thomas Haden Church and Toni ColletteWhat fun to preview “Lucky Them,” a romantic comedy written and produced by
Maxine Silverman’s Transport of the Aim


Congratulations to award-winning poet Maxine Silverman on the publication of her long-awaited Transport of the Aim, poems on the lives of Emily Dickinson, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and Celia Thaxter (Parallel Press, 2014).  Maxine will read from Transport on Friday, March 7 at 5:30pm at the Discover Portsmouth Center; Sunday, March 23 at 2pm at the Nyack Library; and Sunday, April 27, 1:30 pm at JCC-on-the-Hudson.
 
Poetics of Work Workshop in Paris

This intimate look at writing with imagination and formwith poet James Navé will take place March 21-22 in Paris (Métro: La Motte-Picquet Grenelle).  Email Navé at nave@jamesnave.com or call/text +1-919-949-2113. Tuition is 300€ – Limit 15.  Thanks to Francophile Susan Seligman for sharing this!
Beatles 50thAnniversary

Did you see the February 9th program on CBS?  Jay Shulman, our resident music archivist, tells us that that “Boys,” the song that Ringo played, was originally recorded by the Shirelles.  It was Ringo’s first vocal with the Beatles, recorded in one take February 11, 1963 and released on Parlophone in the UK and on “Introducing the Beatles” in the US on Vee-Jay.
Calls for haiku, ghost stories and more

Chuffed Buffed Books is looking for haiku for an online collection; deadline is March 14.   Also, for short story writers, there will be another anthology coming up. The theme is in the vein of the 19thcentury ghost story.  Details on website and more info to come over next few months.
Lunch Ticket, the online journal of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles is looking for translation, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art.  For guidelines, see www.lunchticket.org. 

Out of Sequence seeks responses to Shakespeare’s sonnets. Respond to one below through a poem, essay of no more than 500 words, or visual piece amendable to .jpg formatting. Submit with your bio to outofsequencesonnets@gmail.com by March 1, 2014.  Sonnets available:  4, 33, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 46, 48, 49, 53, 62, 67, 68, 70, 77, 78, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 92, 96, 97, 99, 102, 107, 112, 113, 114, 117, 118, 123, 124, 131, 132, 133, 139, 141, 149, 150, 151, 152, 154.

Word Soup is raising money to end hunger while publishing poetry!  To find out about the next deadline, go to http://wordsoup.weebly.com/or read more here.  Look for Linda Simone’s poem, “New York 10016” in the current issue.

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

After Scottish novelist Regi Claire described these muffins baking in her kitchen, I requested the recipe.  What better, in this month of Presidential celebration?  We can celebrate George Washington and his mythic childhood admission of cutting down his father’s cherry tree.  In his honor, let’s be glad for our country, Scotland and the most creative Regi who added cherries for a gourmet take on a standard favorite:
4 ½ tablespoons melted butter½ cup sugar1 pinch salt1 teaspoon vanilla sugar 3 eggs½ cup ground hazelnuts or almonds 4 ounces chocolate, melted 1/3 cup flourfew drops of cherry liqueurjar of maraschino cherriesconfectioner’s sugar Regi Claire
Preheat oven to 350oF.  Combine in a mixing bowl melted butter, sugar salt and vanilla sugar. Beat eggs and add to mix, then nuts, melted chocolate, drop or two of cherry liqueur and the flour. Spoon into muffin tins, adding four to five cherries per muffin. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until well risen and lightly firm to the touch.  Once cooled, dust the muffins with confectioner’s sugar.  Bon appétit!
Round the Net
Thanks for the following people for sending these links, events and/or good news:
ALTA list-serve for articles on translation as a performing art, Margaret Atwood on translating translation and small presses growing translation readership

The Boss and Fallon take on Gov. ChristieCongrats to Jeanette Briggs on winning a blue ribbon for a collage from the Art Society of Old Greenwich

Guitarist-songwriter Michael Cefola for this hilarious Springsteen-Fallon take on Bridgegate

My sister-in-law Elainefor sending me this song my dad used to sing at the dinner table

Daisy FriedCongrats to Elisabeth Frost on her new chapbook, A Theory of the Vowel (Red Glass Books, 2014)

Assisi Editor Wendy Galgan for letting us know that Daisy Fried will read from Women’s Poetry: Poems and Advice, March 5, 4:30 pm, at St. Francis College’s Founders Hall

Congrats to Gary Glauber on the publication of “Not For Us,” “Not For Us,” “The Snowy Owl,” and “The Snowy Owl” in Eunoia Review; “Putrid Deliquescence” in Deep Water Literary Journal, “Hitchhiker” in Agave , “Seasons of Loss” in Ozone Park Literary Journal, and “Star-Crossed” in Three Elements Review

Congrats to Cindy Hochman on her poem, “Blank White Page,” appearing in Arsenic Lobster

Poet Robert MacDowell for this advice on how to listen with empathy and validation and alerting us to for his upcoming talk, Actualization of Women and Men in the New Global Paradigm, on March 2 at the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living

Poet Mary McCrayfor Tony Hoagland’s article, “Twenty Little Poems That Could Save America”

Wait for me!Bass player Larry Schwartzman for this adorable video of a puppy trying to run with the big dog

Roof BooksPublisher James Sherry for two new RB books, Erica Kaufman’s Instant Classic and Kit Robinson and Ted Greenwald’s A Mammal of Style

Poet Linda Simonefor this article on the debate around Robert Frost’s character, more realistic images of women and families and this 2013 writers’ memoriam

Frost Medal Winner Gerald SternCongrats to Gerald Stern on winning the Poetry Society of America Frost Medal

Congrats to filmmaker Frank Vitale on his video Hitchhike 1,2,3  being featured in French Canadian magazine 24images in the issue  50 Ans d'Art Video and thanks to his sharing Episode 3 from The Metropolis Organism

Thanks to photographer Elaine Whitman for this video of Pete Seeger
Enjoy the periphery!Ann

your new year's annogram

Happy new year!  I’d like to express my gratitude to the annogram readership, a collective of extraordinary artists, avid readers, dancers, editors, filmmakers, musicians, poets, translators, and writers that form a generous and supportive online community.  I wish you a year of outstanding creativity and multiple, unanticipated moments of joy.

Hudson Valley Writers Center reading First we look back to a fabulous reading at the Hudson Valley Writers Center in December.  Memoirist Sarah Bracey White invited me to open her reading, and I was happy to share new work with a full house. 
Cherished friends made the event more like a party:  filmmaker Jeannette Briggs and artist-husband Randy, abstract expressionist Deborah Coulter, poet and filmmaker Terry Dugan, Toadlily Press publisher Myrna Goodman and her husband Larry, award-winning essayist Herb Hadad, photographer Jim Miller, HVWC founder and poet Margo Stever, Toadlily Press co-founder Meredith Trede and husband Brad, Sarah’s husband Bob Gironda, and my biggest fan, Michael Cefola.More updates

My translation of Chapter 11 of Hélène Sanguinetti’s The Hero goes live this month at eleven eleven .  In addition, Asymptote highlighted my latest publications on its new blog.  I also recorded three poems for the upcoming digital anthology, The Burden of Light, edited by Tanya Chernov.  And more than 140 people have viewed my poem “Velocity” on YouTube.
My grandmother the comic-strip pioneer
You loved hearing about my grandmother, Mary Lovrien Price Gregory (1888-1972), so here’s more:  Lovrien, a Philadelphia Quaker, won a 1906-1907 scholarship to the School of Industrial Arts at the Pennsylvania Museum (today the University of the Artsand Philadelphia Museum of Art).  She also attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1893, the first school to institute drawing from live nudes under the earlier if controversial direction of Thomas Eakins.  In addition to her stint as a comic-strip artist, she illustrated for The Pictorial Review , a New York woman’s fashion magazine launched in 1899. In 1918, she married Julius Gregory, an architect soon noted for Tudor revival homes in communities such as Riverdaleand Scarsdale (NY), and later columnist for House Beautifuland House and Garden.   She gave birth to Jules (left), and then my father, Alfred (right).  A decade later, she won a scholarship, offered by France in gratitude for US assistance during WWI, to attend L’Ecole de Beaux-Arts in Fontainebleau.  Leaving her sons in a care of a nanny, she shipped off in the summer of 1931.  Stay tuned for her amazing later years in the next annogram.

Art full Let’s keep the talk about great artists going!  Deborah Coulter will be exhibiting drawings and collages at the JCC of Mid-Westchester from January 6-February 6, with opening reception on January 12, 1-4pm.  New York Arts Exchange Director Beth Gersh-Nesic offers truly insightful art tours—to learn more, go to www.nyarts-exchange.com.  In the meantime, she recommends:

The Jewish Museum: "Chagall: Love, War, Exile" through February 2; Art Spiegelman through March 23
Frick Museum: Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring and other paintings from Mauritshuis through January 19 (pwyw Sundays 11am-1pm)
Neue Galerie: Kandinsky through February 10
National Academy of Art: "See It Loud: 7 Post-War American Painters" through January 26 
Museum of Modern Art Magritte through January 12
Scandinavia House (12-5pm): "Danish Painting from the Golden Age through the Modern Breakthrough" through January 25; ICP (pwyw 5-8pm); Morgan Library (free 7-9pm)
The Brooklyn Museum (Target First Saturdays 5–10pm): "Art in the Spanish American Home" through January 12;  Jean Paul Gaultier through February 23; Wangechi Mutu through March 9
PS 1: Mike Kelly, through February 6 (12 noon -6pm)
New year, new studies A highlight last year was taking ModPo at the University of Pennsylvania.  In 2014 there are plenty of opportunities to learn.  First, poet Robert McDowell (right) will be offering Emily Dickinson: Divine Feminine Prophet, a six-week online writing course starting January 6 (email rmcdowell@mind.net).  If you attended the Sarah Lawrence MFA in Writing, you can take a refresher workshop with superb instructor and poet Kevin Pilkington next month.  Live in the Sarasota (FL)? Painter Lucy Barber offers a variety of workshops and free demos.

Winter poetry readingsToadlily Press poets Janlori Goldman, Heidi Hart, Pamela Hart and Rachel Simon will read at the Chappaqua Library on January 18 at 1pm; and poet Ruth Handel will read new work at the JCC in Tarrytown, on January 26, at 1:30pm.

Call for submissions Ginosko , The Journal of Creative Geography , Poetry Storehouse , and Zeteo have issued calls for work.

Round the netThanks to the following people for these great links:

Translator Anne Milano Appel for NPR’s best three translations of 2013

Found Poetry Review Editor Jenni Baker’s appeal for contributions to her Millennial Trains Project
Painter Lucy Barber (left) on the launch of her first blog




Filmmaker Jeanette Briggs for this NPR story questioning all the bad lyrics these days in music
Essayist Herb Hadad for his heart-warming holiday story
Red Glass Books Publisher Janet Kaplan for announcing Child World by Thaddeus Rutkowski (send $12 check per copy within US payable to Thaddeus Rutkowski, 249 Eldridge Street #7, New York, NY 10002)
Poet Pamela Laskin for news of nine poems published in Black Renaissance Noire
Poet Mary McCray for this hilarious “history test” with her husband John, the historical consultant on Hulu comedy Quick Draw
Cellist and music archivist Jay Shulman for this great review of the Stuyvesant Quartet
Poet Maxine Silverman for news of her new chapbook, Transport for the Aim (Parallel Press, 2013)
Poet Linda Simone for Maya Angelou’s tribute to Mandela
Author Lou Spirito for Ten Things We Love About Italy
Multimedia creator Frank Vitale for letting us know Kirkus Pro Connect considers The Metropolis Organism (Longtail Distribution, 2012), a “work to discover” and for sharing Episode Two

Memoirist Sarah Bracey White for Vicki Hudson’s interview with her

Emily Dickinson’s Lemon Gingerbread Cakes"I am going to learn to make bread to-morrow. So you may imagine me with my sleeves rolled up, mixing flour, milk, salaratus, etc., with a great deal of grace. I advise you if you don’t know how to make the staff of life to learn with dispatch.”
- Emily Dickinson to Abiah Root, September 25, 1845 (L8)
 

It’s wicked cold in the Northeast, so I am sharing this recipe which Robert McDowell attributes to Ms. Dickinson—although I seriously doubt they had gluten-free gingerbread mixin her day.  All the same, it might spice up a winter afternoon:

natural olive oil baking spray with flour
(14.5 oz.) package gluten-free gingerbread mix
1 cup and 2 tablespoons water, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large free-range egg
2 teaspoons ginger root, grated fine
3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream
1 (10 oz.) jar Lemon Curd divided

HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 48 mini muffin cups with baking spray with flour.

COMBINE gingerbread mix, water (one cup), butter, egg and ginger in large bowl. Stir by hand until relatively smooth, or beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute. Divide batter into mini muffin cups. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick to center emerges clean. Cool in pan 3 minutes.WHISK powdered sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl until smooth and blended. Place wax paper under wire rack. Remove mini cakes from pan. Dip bottoms into lemon glaze. Place on wire rack, bottom side up. Cool.

WHISK or BLEND whipped cream and 1/2 cup lemon curd in medium bowl until blended. Spoon into 1-quart heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch corner off bottom of bag. Place remaining lemon curd in separate 1-quart heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Cut 1/4-inch corner off bottom of bag. Squeeze whipped cream mixture onto each mini cake, then top with small dollop of lemon curd. Chill until ready to serve. Yield: 4 dozen.  Bon appétit!Wishing you delicious poetry and gingerbread,

Ann