Ann Cefola's Blog, page 8

your early summer annogram

Free Ferry launch at Fordham
Fordham Universityhosted a fantastic book launch for Free Ferry !  We had more than 40 attendees at the Westchester campus, a beautiful building tucked in the woods off Westchester Avenue.  
Dr. Larry Faltz and I read Free FerryFor the reading, our good friend Dr. Larry Faltz agreed to read the bottom, more scientific, narrative while I covered the top more domestic poems—and our audience loved the blend of our two distinct voices. 

Afterwards, our reception featured music from Getz/Gilbertoas well as a buffet from Patisserie Salzburg. Alas, I never made it to the exquisite butter cookies because I was signing books— Face Painting in the Dark and Free Ferry ! 
Elyse Faltz, Helen Honig, yours truly,
Michael Cefola and Ruth HandelA problem every author should have, and I am grateful to everyone who purchased my work.  Thanks to Deborah Coulter, Michael Holstein, and Sarah Bracey Whitefor taking great photos, and please keep those comments coming on Amazonand Goodreads.


Suzanne Cleary on Risk-Taking in Poetry


Suzanne ClearyI have long admired Suzanne’s poetry, and was thrilled when she wrote a blurb for Free Ferry .  Now I turn the tables to discover how she gets away with rule-breaking in “Elm Street,” which appeared this year in Poetry Daily. 
The interview, which includes the poem, features quotes such as “I feel no need to demystify poetry. A good poem is mysterious, most especially to poets. Being mystified by a poem is a great first step in reading it, but since our society values mastery, not mystery, what is a teacher to do?” Read our conversation to find out!

More good news


Deepest thanks to poet Mary McCray for the outstanding review of Free Ferry on Big Bang Poetry .  In addition, my poem, “Trackside Commissary,” had been selected for the Main Street Rag Pressanthology, Of Burgers & Barrooms; and my translation of chapter 9 from Hélène Sanguinetti’s Le H éros (Flammarion, 2008) will debut shortly in St. Petersburg Review .


Sounds of Summer at Jacob Burns


Patsy Cline (1932-1963)Jacob Burns Film Center has assembled top music documentaries for its Sounds of Summer festival through August 17. Classics like  Stop Making Sense  and newer releases such as  Two Trains Runnin’ showcase performances by Patsy Cline, The Band, Otis Redding, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Eagles of Death Metal, and more!  Groove to the trailer here.

Stuck in driveway listening to the car radio


Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) and
Brian MayWaiting for Brian May’s guitar to erupt in Queen’s “We will rock you.” After Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) repeats the chorus three times, May rips into a lush electric solo, ably dismantling the stark if hypnotic beat. The Mirror (UK) crowned May guitarist in a fantasy super group survey with Paul McCartney (bass), Phil Collins (drums), and Adele (vocalist).  Hmm. Now how about that US super group?

Creative opportunities


Barrow Street Book Prize – submit by June 30

MassMOCA one-to-eight week residencies – apply by July 6

Presence, a Journal of Catholic Poetry call for book reviewers

New releases


The Pedestal – June issue edited by John Amen

AMP – Issue 2 edited by Janet Kaplan

Herald by Roberta P. Feins (Autumn House Press)

The Sports Bucket List by Rob Fleder, Steve Hoffman (Harper Collins)


The Bottle Diggers by Andrea Fry (Turning Point)

The Third Voice: Notes on the Art of Poetic Collaboration by Eric Greinke(Presa Press)

Big Bang Poetry Summer Newsletter edited by Mary McCray

Thank You for Listening by Sean Pessin (Mindmade Books)

Poetry / literary events


Idra NoveyCanaan Meetinghouse, 7:30pm, July 6, Cynthia Huntington, Rick Moody; July 13, James Wright, Megan Abbott; July 20, April Ossmann, Victoria Redel; July 27: Major Jackson,  Alexander Chee

Bowery Poetry Club, July 3, 6pm, Taran Singh, free

Dixon Place, July 3, 7:30pm, variety show featuring Rachel Cohen, $10 donation

Bowery Poetry Club, July 9, 3:30pm, Thylia Moss

Bryant Park Reading Room,July 11, 7pm, Cheryl Boyce Taylor, Reggie Cabico, Elana Bell, Duy Doan; July 18, Dan Magers, Monica McClure, Niina Polari, Sampson Starweather; July 25, John Andrews, Kazim Ali, Kaveh Akbar, Kazumi Chin, Michelle Lin

HVWC, July 12, 7:30pm, Idra Novey, Alex Mar, $10


Strawberry Spinach Salad


Here's what's in my lunch box—fresh, simple, delicious!

8 oz organic baby spinach leaves, stems removed8 organic strawberries, slicedhandful of walnuts, chopped1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp sunflower oil
Layer spinach, walnuts and strawberries.  Add vinegar and oil, and toss salad.  You can also switch out the strawberries for a tart apple like Pink Lady, and the walnuts for pistachios.

ʼRound the Net

Bowery Poetry Club for alerting us to Taran’s Free Jazz Hour, radio program out of France

Readers from Whitman, AlabamaDeaf Community activist Florence Camace for sharing Minnie and Mickey’s use of sign language with a child

Filmmaker Jennifer Crandallfor recording Alabamians reading Whitman—a new video each week

Poet Terry Dugan for this piece featuring three translators responding to the film “Arrival”

Poet Eric Greinke on debut of The Third Voice: Notes on the Art of Poetic Collaboration (Presa Press)

Former NYS poet laureate Marie Howe for pairing poets with commuters to write their stories

Freddie King (1934-1976)Art Historian Laura Morellifor revealing the history of maiolica from Umbria
Bassist and blues expert Larry Schwartzmanfor this amazing Freddie King clip

Program host Toni Quest for doing a great interview with curator and art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic

Closing June with gratitude for the annogram community and your overwhelming support for Free Ferry .  Many are gifting it to the scientists, mathematicians, and astrophysicists in their lives! I am honored and encourage you to purchase the book directly from Upper Hand Press to support its first foray into poetry.
Until next time,Ann

Suzanne Cleary on Risk-Taking in Poetry

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/suzann...

your may annogram

http://www.annogram.blogspot.com

your last-day-of-may annogram

Free Ferry arrives
[image error] Free Ferry , my latest book, debuted last month, and I thank everyone who bought it and shared reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Facebook. Many of you say that you could not put it down, reading it two and three times. I invite you to write reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Facebook. Congratulations to my publisher, Ann Starr, on the first book in her Booktree Poetry Series! 


Howard Mandel on Astrud Gilberto and the Bossa Nova
To celebrate Free Ferry ’s debut, I am interviewing artists who Astrud Gilbertocontributed to it. First was with cover designer extraordinaire Dave Provolo, and second, a fantastic interview with jazz critic Howard Mandel on Gilberto and the Bossa Nova. I learned much from Howard, and you will too—looking back to a time in US history not unlike our own. Rio resident George Kraus informs us that “The Girl From Ipanema” was written by poet Vinicius de Moraes, and recommends the cool bossa nova sounds of João Bosco. 


[image error] Eddie Van HalenDriving around listening to the radio
Amazing things happen when I’m driving in my car—from comprehending the blues for the first time, to hearing author Brad Watson on The Write Stufflast month. Watson read from Miss Jane (WW Norton, 2016), so compelling a book that I immediately got it from the library. Miss Jane is one of the most beautiful and tender books I’ve read in a long time. And to counter that, I went wild over the Van Halen solo that leads up to “You Really Got Me,” which unleashed my best Beavis and Butt-head imitation at a stoplight.



Brooklyn Performance Combine
This Saturday, June 3, at 7pm, you can see Rachel Cohen, director of the Racoco Productions, perform in Norte Maar's spectacular Brooklyn Performance Combine. The unlikely production unites all art forms in a cohesive 120-minute event featuring a dozen painters and performers with poets Bob Holmanand Dara Mandel with special guest, meteorologist Amy Freeze. Click hereto purchase tickets ($15, $20, $40) and for directions to the venue.


New releases
Avowed  by Julie R. Enszer (Sibling Rivalry Press)

Barren Island by Carol Zoref (New Issues Poetry + Prose)


Shiva Moon by Maxine Silverman (Ben Yehuda Press)



Creative opportunities
Lose the Muse Poetry Workshop with Estha Weiner, June 10, 10am-3pm, $200Donna Zucker
Family History 101 with Donna Zucker, June 11, 12:30-4:30pm, $124
One-Day Literary Translation Institute, June 16, 10-4:30pm, free; by June 9,email sample translated poem or prose to BKLN-creativewriting@LIU.edu
Turning Your Obsession into a Book with Pamela Hart, June 24, 12:30-4:30pm, $124
Writing Institute Publish and Promote Your Book Conference, June 24, $425


Poetry / literary events

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)Poets House, June 1, 7pm, Cheryl Clark on Gwendolyn Brooks
HVWC, June 2, 7:30pm, Alex Dimitrov, Alan Felsenthal
Poets House, June 7, 7pm, emerging poets
HVWC, June 9, 7:30pm, Mervyn Taylor, Maeve Kinkead
HVWC, June 21, Rebecca Shiff, Rumaan Alam
Poets House, June 22, 6pm reception, 7pm reading, annual book showcase

Vermont-inspired Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Just back from Vermont where, among other delights, I enjoyed a jewel-like slice of strawberry rhubarb pie. In honor of that state’s lilac-filled spring air, and the visual profusion of green, I offer this delicious-looking recipe from Simply Recipes:
3 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar (sweeten to taste)4 tablespoons quick cooking ("minute") tapioca1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon orange zest1 double crust pie dough recipe* for a 9-inch pie(If 10-inch pie, use 4 cups rhubarb, 2 1/2 cups strawberries, 1 1/4 cup of sugar)
*In large bowl whisk 2 cups flour, teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons sugar. Add 2 sticks butter cut into cubes. Use hands to mush until it forms a coarse meal. With fork, add 1/2 cup sour cream; form large ball, and cut into two pieces. Form each into a disk, wrap with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat 400°F oven. In large bowl, gently combine rhubarb and strawberries with sugar, tapioca, salt, and orange zest. Let sit 10 minutes. Roll pastry dough and line pie dish. Trim 1/2 inch from edge. Place filling in pastry lined dish. Roll second dough and place over pie. Trim edges an inch from edge. Tuck and crimp top crust over bottom. Cut slits in top, place pie on oven middle rack, with baking sheet on lower rack to catch juice. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F, bake 40-50 minutes longer (50-60 minutes if 10-inch). When browned and filling bubbles, remove from oven and let cool on rack.


ʼRound the Net
[image error]Margaret Fuller, second from left,
accepts La Plume d'OrePoets and Writers for the "Books are Magic" video
Writer Jim Barry for this hilarious SNL skit about Alexa for seniors
Memoirist Sarah Bracey White for this new podcast about her popular book, Primary Lessons
French teacher Margaret Fuller on winning La Plume d'Or from the French government
C. M. MayoEditor Louis Hoffman PhD, for accepting my poem, “Trying to Be Alcoholic,” for Silent Screams: Poetic Journeys Through Addiction and Recovery (University Professors Press)
Lakota Children's Enrichment for announcing the young poets and writers who won its annual writing challenge
Poet/novelist/translator C. M. Mayo on being selected artist-in-residence at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) and
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)Art historian Laura Morelli on the history of the Venetian carnival mask
Poet/artist Linda Simone for this great opening paragraph and article and discovery of new Plath poems
The Telegraph's list of best poetry books of all time

Summer’s right around the corner!  Wishing you delights of the season and creative productivity as profuse as the green all around us.
Until next time,
Ann

Howard Mandel on Astrud Gilberto and the Bossa Nova

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/howard...

Ann Talks with Book Designer Dave Provolo

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ann-ta...

Your lone star annogram

What a pleasure to kick off National Poetry Month in Texas! First I had the pleasure of reading to my cousin Katherine's Independent Living Community—next stop, San Antonio to visit dear friends Linda (at right) and Joe Simone. And this week my long-awaited second book,  Free Ferry , comes out!  That means you'll get your copy soon if preordered. Buckaroos, it's a good month indeed.
A fun reading in Fort Worth Reading in Fort Worth
While visiting my 93-year-old cousin Katherine, I noticed an announcement in the elevator that there would be a "special guest" giving a reading the next day!  My clever cousin determined a practice run would benefit me—and everyone at her residence. I could not have had a more intelligent, attentive audience.  Who would know that Michael Baldwin, president of the historic Fort Worth Poetry Society, was in attendance?  Afterwards, he invited me to return to read in his group's poetry series.  

National Poetry Month San Antonio
Jim, Natalia, Linda, me, and BryceThanks to Linda Simone, I read with Jim LaVilla-Havelin, Bryce Milligan, Natalia Treviño and Linda as part of National Poetry Month San Antonio. We enjoyed an intimate audience at Señor Veggie, a superb vegetarian restaurant reminiscent of places in the Village long ago. Dear writer pals Terry Dugan and Sarah Bracey White, also on hand, took these great shots. I love San Antonio—from its River Walk to its stately homes and lush parks. It invests in poetry, and always has creative events involving poets.


Barney reciting KiplingBarney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum
You have not seen San Antonio unless you've visited Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum.  The 95-year-old has collected hundreds of seats decorated with tributes to sororities/fraternities, universities, police/fire departments, military, and every state in the nation. 

Terry Dugan, me, Linda Simone
with the NYS "overflow" seatAmong the more astonishing, one with a piece from the Challenger found floating off Florida, and another, part of the toilet used by Saddam Hussein in hiding. So many New Yorkers have visited we had to sign an "overflow" seat. Barney tops every tour with a magnificent recital of Kipling's "When Earth's Last Picture is Painted," and you can't help feeling...er, uh...moved.

The Letter by Mary CassattFrench Moderns at  the McNay
Wouldn't you know, I had to travel to Texas to see  Monet to Matisse: A Century of French Moderns  from the Brooklyn Museum? The exhibit features work by Bonnard, Caillebotte, Cézanne, Chagall, Degas, Léger, Matisse, Monet, Redon, Renoir, Rodin, Tanguy, and Vuillard.  More traditional artists, such as Corot, Courbet, Manet, and Millet, contrast the modernist flow. A beautiful series of Japanese-inspired prints by Mary Cassatt takes up one wall, and there is additional work by Berthe Morisot. A fantastic immersion into French Modernism in one room!


Yay! for poets we know and love
Kevin Pilkington has won an IPPY Award for his book,  Where You Want To Be: New and Selected Poems  (Black Lawrence Press, 2015), had "Pomegranate" featured on Poem-a-Day (Academy of American Poets), "Long as a Quart of Milk" critiqued on Sarah Morin's Being Critical blog, and this review of his Poetry Out Loud reading. Garrison Keillor read Natalie Safir's poem, "Road Trip West", on the April 21st  The Writer's Almanac .  And NEA recipient Pamela Hart has won the inaugural Brian Turner Literary Arts Prize for Poetry. Congratulations to Kevin, Natalie, and Pamela for well-deserved recognition!


Exposure by Wa Liu Art Above the Sofa
Thanks to the New York Arts Exchange Director Beth Gersh-Nesic for giving art students a chance to shine in an art competition!  On display in  Art Above the Sofa: The Exhibition and Conversations , opening April 27, 6-8 pm, and running through April 30, the winning Exposure by Wa Liu, Blossom by Vicci Weixi Zhang, and Complexity II by Priscila Schott. See jurors’ and others' work, and join in important conversations. Beth also recommends the rare Sisley retrospective at the Bruce Museum, through May 21.

New releases

AMP Issue 2  edited by Janet Kaplan
Illusion of an Overwhelm  (New York Quarterly Books) by John Amen
Opossum 17  edited by J. Edgar and Jon Ross
Momentary Stays  (Dos Madres Press) by Ruth D. Handel
Presence,  a Journal of Catholic Poetry  edited by Mary Ann Miller
Take to the Highway  (West End Press) by Bryce Milligan
The Will of the Magi  (AOIS21 Publishing) by Paul Dickinson Russell
Worth the Candle  (Five Oaks Press) by Gary Glauber

Creative opportunities
Jimmy Santiago BacaArthur Vogelsang One-on-One Poetry Workshop, May 15-July 7.  Apply by April 26.
Jimmy Santiago Baca Live Webinar Series, four sessions in May.
Donna Zucker Family History 101, HVWC, Sunday, June 11, 12:30-4:30pm

Poetry / literary events
Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival, April 21-23
Jean-Christophe RufinUniversité de Toulon, Medicine and Writing, April 25, 10am-6pm; April 26, 9am-3pm; keynote Dr. Jean-Christophe Rufin, hosted by Christophe Lamiot Enos
Bright Hill Press, April 27, 7pm, Janet Kaplan and Elizabeth Cohen
ZieherSmith Gallery, NYC Independent Publishers Book Party, April 28, 6-8pm
Cincinnati Public Main Library, April 29, 3pm, Robert Murphy, Richard Hague, Pauletta Hansel, Karen George
Harvey School Walker Center for the Arts, May 13, 4pm; Billy Collins, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, Vijay Seshadri, $40
BonBonerie, Dos Madres Spring Dinner Fundraiser, May 19, 7pm, tickets $60 individual, $100 couple


Creamy Tortilla Soup
This recipe celebrates extraordinary Tex-Mex cuisine enjoyed earlier this month. Sighing just thinking of it.... 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp each salt, chili powder, oreganodash of cayenne
1/2 cup organic strained tomatoes3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
4 corn tortillas torn into small pieces
1/2 cup goat or whatever milk you like
2 avocados, diced
shredded cheese, to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add diced onion and red pepper, and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic cloves and spices (cumin, salt, chili powder, oregano, cayenne) and sauté another few minutes. Add tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add tortilla pieces. Let soup cook and reduce for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add milk if desired and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with half an avocado and shredded cheese.

ʼRound the Net
Kathe Gregory and her amazing artEssayist Jeanette Briggs for discovering the Grammar Vigilante
Poet and filmmaker Terry Dugan for alerting us that we can rent the bedroom where Emily Dickinson wrote her oeuvre
Artist Kathe Gregory on participating in the May 6-7 Somerville Open Studios, and on her new website featuring her work
Playwright Herb Hadad for rave reviews on "Exile: Kisses on Both Cheeks" in the  Jewish Journal  and  J News
Poet Ruth Handel on the book launch of  Momentary Stays  (Dos Madres Press) this month at Scarsdale Public Library
Poet Janet Kaplan on having "Night" appear in the Tupelo Quarterly
Guitarist John Moses for this defense of Dylan's Nobel
Producer/Actor Celia Pilkington for making tickets available to Bigger Than You, Bigger Than Me e May 10-13
Publisher Chad Post for the 2017 Best Translated Books Jacqueline Kimmelstiel whose
story will be told in Witness Theater
Poet Linda Simone for good news of Kevin Young becoming the New Yorker poetry editor
The  New York Times  for matching readers with books in this column
The UJA Federation NY for teaming Holocaust survivors and students to tell their stories in Witness Theater this month
Entrepreneurs Claire Wasserman and Eric Holstein on being featured in the Minimums

Sarah Bracey White, Linda Simone,
Terry Dugan, and yours truly My trip to Texas reminded me there’s nothing like spending time with friends and family in person—over a leisurely cup of tea or exploring a new adventure like San Antonio. I am grateful to connect with you, dear friends in the annogram community, amidst our busy and contented lives. Be well, be adventuresome, and above all, create!
Until next time,
Ann

Ann and Linda at the AlamoYour lone star annogramWha...

Ann and Linda at the AlamoYour lone star annogram
What a pleasure to kick off National Poetry Month in Texas! First I had the pleasure of reading to my cousin Katherine's Independent Living Community—next stop, San Antonio to visit dear friends Linda and Joe Simone. And this week my long-awaited second book,  Free Ferry , comes out!  That means you'll get your copy soon if preordered. Buckaroos, it's a good month indeed.
A fun reading in Fort Worth Reading in Fort Worth
While visiting my 93-year-old cousin Katherine, I noticed an announcement in the elevator that there would be a "special guest" giving a reading the next day!  My clever cousin determined a practice run would benefit me—and everyone at her residence. I could not have had a more intelligent, attentive audience.  Who would know that Michael Baldwin, president of the historic Fort Worth Poetry Society, was in attendance?  Afterwards, he invited me to return to read in his group's poetry series.  

National Poetry Month San Antonio
Jim, Natalia, Linda, me, and BryceThanks to Linda Simone, I read with Jim LaVilla-Havelin, Bryce Milligan, Natalia Treviño and Linda as part of National Poetry Month San Antonio. We enjoyed an intimate audience at Señor Veggie, a superb vegetarian restaurant reminiscent of places in the Village long ago. Dear writer pals Terry Dugan and Sarah Bracey White, also on hand, took these great shots. I love San Antonio—from its River Walk to its stately homes and lush parks. It invests in poetry, and always has creative events involving poets.


Barney reciting KiplingBarney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum
You have not seen San Antonio unless you've visited Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum.  The 95-year-old has collected hundreds of seats decorated with tributes to sororities/fraternities, universities, police/fire departments, military, and every state in the nation. 

Terry Dugan, me, Linda Simone
with the NYS "overflow" seatAmong the more astonishing, one with a piece from the Challenger found floating off Florida, and another, part of the toilet used by Saddam Hussein in hiding. So many New Yorkers have visited we had to sign an "overflow" seat. Barney tops every tour with a magnificent recital of Kipling's "When Earth's Last Picture is Painted," and you can't help feeling...er, uh...moved.

The Letter by Mary CassattFrench Moderns at  the McNay
Wouldn't you know, I had to travel to Texas to see  Monet to Matisse: A Century of French Moderns  from the Brooklyn Museum? The exhibit features work by Bonnard, Caillebotte, Cézanne, Chagall, Degas, Léger, Matisse, Monet, Redon, Renoir, Rodin, Tanguy, and Vuillard.  More traditional artists, such as Corot, Courbet, Manet, and Millet, contrast the modernist flow. A beautiful series of Japanese-inspired prints by Mary Cassatt takes up one wall, and there is additional work by Berthe Morisot. A fantastic immersion into French Modernism in one room!


Yay! for poets we know and love
Kevin Pilkington has won an IPPY Award for his book,  Where You Want To Be: New and Selected Poems  (Black Lawrence Press, 2015), had "Pomegranate" featured on Poem-a-Day (Academy of American Poets), "Long as a Quart of Milk" critiqued on Sarah Morin's Being Critical blog, and this review of his Poetry Out Loud reading. Garrison Keillor read Natalie Safir's poem, "Road Trip West", on the April 21st  The Writer's Almanac .  And NEA recipient Pamela Hart has won the inaugural Brian Turner Literary Arts Prize for Poetry. Congratulations to Kevin, Natalie, and Pamela for well-deserved recognition!


Exposure by Wa Liu Art Above the Sofa
Thanks to the New York Arts Exchange Director Beth Gersh-Nesic for giving art students a chance to shine in an art competition!  On display in  Art Above the Sofa: The Exhibition and Conversations , opening April 27, 6-8 pm, and running through April 30, the winning Exposure by Wa Liu, Blossom by Vicci Weixi Zhang, and Complexity II by Priscila Schott. See jurors’ and others' work, and join in important conversations. Beth also recommends the rare Sisley retrospective at the Bruce Museum, through May 21.

New releases

AMP Issue 2  edited by Janet Kaplan
Illusion of an Overwhelm  (New York Quarterly Books) by John Amen
Opossum 17  edited by J. Edgar and Jon Ross
Momentary Stays  (Dos Madres Press) by Ruth D. Handel
Presence,  a Journal of Catholic Poetry  edited by Mary Ann Miller
Take to the Highway  (West End Press) by Bryce Milligan
The Will of the Magi  (AOIS21 Publishing) by Paul Dickinson Russell
Worth the Candle  (Five Oaks Press) by Gary Glauber

Creative opportunities
Jimmy Santiago BacaArthur Vogelsang One-on-One Poetry Workshop, May 15-July 7.  Apply by April 26.
Jimmy Santiago Baca Live Webinar Series, four sessions in May.
Donna Zucker Family History 101, HVWC, Sunday, June 11, 12:30-4:30pm

Poetry / literary events
Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival, April 21-23
Jean-Christophe RufinUniversité de Toulon, Medicine and Writing, April 25, 10am-6pm; April 26, 9am-3pm; keynote Dr. Jean-Christophe Rufin, hosted by Christophe Lamiot Enos
Bright Hill Press, April 27, 7pm, Janet Kaplan and Elizabeth Cohen
ZieherSmith Gallery, NYC Independent Publishers Book Party, April 28, 6-8pm
Cincinnati Public Main Library, April 29, 3pm, Robert Murphy, Richard Hague, Pauletta Hansel, Karen George
Harvey School Walker Center for the Arts, May 13, 4pm; Billy Collins, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, Vijay Seshadri, $40
BonBonerie, Dos Madres Spring Dinner Fundraiser, May 19, 7pm, tickets $60 individual, $100 couple


Creamy Tortilla Soup
This recipe celebrates extraordinary Tex-Mex cuisine enjoyed earlier this month. Sighing just thinking of it.... 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp each salt, chili powder, oreganodash of cayenne
1/2 cup organic strained tomatoes3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
4 corn tortillas torn into small pieces
1/2 cup goat or whatever milk you like
2 avocados, diced
shredded cheese, to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add diced onion and red pepper, and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic cloves and spices (cumin, salt, chili powder, oregano, cayenne) and sauté another few minutes. Add tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add tortilla pieces. Let soup cook and reduce for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add milk if desired and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with half an avocado and shredded cheese.

ʼRound the Net
Kathe Gregory and her amazing artEssayist Jeanette Briggs for discovering the Grammar Vigilante
Poet and filmmaker Terry Dugan for alerting us that we can rent the bedroom where Emily Dickinson wrote her oeuvre
Artist Kathe Gregory on participating in the May 6-7 Somerville Open Studios, and on her new website featuring her work
Playwright Herb Hadad for rave reviews on "Exile: Kisses on Both Cheeks" in the  Jewish Journal  and  J News
Poet Ruth Handel on the book launch of  Momentary Stays  (Dos Madres Press) this month at Scarsdale Public Library
Poet Janet Kaplan on having "Night" appear in the Tupelo Quarterly
Guitarist John Moses for this defense of Dylan's Nobel
Producer/Actor Celia Pilkington for making tickets available to Bigger Than You, Bigger Than Me e May 10-13
Publisher Chad Post for the 2017 Best Translated Books Jacqueline Kimmelstiel whose
story will be told in Witness Theater
Poet Linda Simone for good news of Kevin Young becoming the New Yorker poetry editor
The  New York Times  for matching readers with books in this column
The UJA Federation NY for teaming Holocaust survivors and students to tell their stories in Witness Theater this month
Entrepreneurs Claire Wasserman and Eric Holstein on being featured in the Minimums

Sarah Bracey White, Linda Simone,
Terry Dugan, and yours truly My trip to Texas reminded me there’s nothing like spending time with friends and family in person—over a leisurely cup of tea or exploring a new adventure like San Antonio. I am grateful to connect with you, dear friends in the annogram community, amidst our busy and contented lives. Be well, be adventuresome, and above all, create!
Until next time,
Ann

your spring annogram

Maxine Silverman, Ann, George
Kraus and Ruth HandelDos Madres Reading
What a great time Sunday, reading at the JCC on the Hudsonfrom Dos Madres’ Realms of the Mothers .  As always, Dr. George Kraus was a wonderful host. Maxine Silverman’s new book is Shiva Moon (Ben Yehuda Press), a lyrical elegy to her father; and Ruth Handel’s is Momentary Stays (Dos Madres), poems about leading writing workshops inside a psych ward.  
National Poetry Month San Antonio
So happy to take part in National Poetry Month San Antonio!  My dear friend, poet Linda Simone, and I will be guest readers on April 4 at 7pm at Señor Veggie.  And then  Free Ferry  will debut later in April.  Be sure to “like” my Free Ferry page on Facebook, and take a look at the amazing cover designed by Dave Provolo.

Emily at the Morgan
Emily DickinsonBringing together nearly one hundred rarely seen items,  I’m Nobody! Who are you? , an ambitious exhibition on Emily Dickinson (1830–1886), examines twenty-four poems in draft, supplemented with hand-cut silhouettes, photographs and daguerreotypes. Hear a selection of her poems read by Lee Ann Brown or watch the NPR review.  Through May 28 at the Morgan Library.
DJ Jeanette Briggs
Congratulations to Jeanette Briggs on having five fabulous songs selected by Kenny O’Boyle for The Friday Drive on WFDU (89.1 FM). Jeanette did a bang-up job, featuring “Up Around the Bend” by Creedence, “Going Up the Country”by Canned Heat, “Long Train Running” by Doobies, “California Dreaming” by the Mamas and the Papas, and “Chelsea Morning” by Joni Mitchell.
Translated works at Centre Pompidou
Hélène SanguinettiHélène Sanguinetti read with poets from Germany and her native France at the Centre Pompidou this month.  Twice over two years, Hélène, Claude Andy, Gérard Cartier, and Valérie Rouzeau, met with German poets Caroline Callies, Marion Poschmann, Silke Scheuermann, and Jan Wagner to translate one another’s work.  Congrats to all on an inspired project and impressive performance venue!

Kisses on Both Cheeks

Last weekend, the Jewish Women’s Theater of Los Angeles debuted “Exile: Kisses on Both Cheeks,” a play based on a New York Times piece by Herb Hadad, with material from seven other writers. The show, billed a “Jewish immigration story like you’ve never seen,” will have 10 performances in and around Los Angeles. Congrats to our beloved Herb!  Purchase tickets here.
Creative opportunities
Announcing country dark, a platform for genre fiction—sf, fantasy, horror, and everything in-between. country dark, a Codhill Press imprint, is accepting novel, novella, and short-story-length manuscripts. Writers from underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to submit.
New releases
Laura Moriatry, Verne and Lemurian Objects (Mindmade Books, 2017)
Jo Pitkin, Rendering (Salmon Poetry, 2017)
Readings

Mark DotyKatonah Library, March 26, 4pm, Kimiko Hahn, $10
Bowery Poetry Club, March 27, 6pm, Stephen Massimilla, Myra Kornfeld on  Cooking with the Muse  (live music, bar, organic treats), $30

Word of Mouth/MOTR Pub, March 28, 7pm, Ralph LaCharity, Robert Murphy, Bea Opengart, Nathan Swartzendruber

Señor Veggie, April 4, 7pm, Ann Cefola, Linda Simone
Kamilah Aisha MoonThe Masters School - Estherwood, April 8, 12:30-5pm, Mark Doty (keynote), Joshua Bennett, Kamilah Aisha Moon, Emilia Phillips, Max Ritvo (via Ariella Ritvo-Slifka), Terese Svoboda
Mount Saint Mary College, April 11, 4pm, Jo Pitkin

Chai Smoothie
Banishing the chill of early spring is this smoothie with its warm spices and thirst-quenching almond milk.
 6 pitted dates1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place dates and almond milk in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup and chill for 2 hours to soften dates. Put dates, almond milk, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
ʼRound the Net
James BaldwinAdmirers of James Baldwin who are trying to save his home in Provence
Poet Joel Allegretti for NYQ’s donation to City Harvest in honor of Rabbit Ears contributors
Filmmaker Jennifer Crandall for asking unsuspecting strangers to read from Whitman's "Song of Myself”—see this awesome clip that evokes James Agee and Walker Evans at their best
Poet-performance artist Cornelius Eady on the debut of his trio’s new CD
Author Herb Hadad for this special op-ed on Arab courtesy that appeared in LoHud
Katonah Poetry Series on its IndieaGoGo campaign to fund a book of conversations with 21 poets
The Kiev Metro System for allowing people to ride free if they could recite a poem by Taras Shevchenko, the national poet
Marcel ProustActor Celia Pilkington on casting the May production of Bigger Than You , Bigger Than Me  
Music archivist Jay Shulman for duly noting the passing of Chuck Berry
Poet Linda Simone on how her new hometown loves poetry and can prove it too; and how one debut novelist got the job done
Canadian Professor Jean-Pierre Sirois-Trahan who has found the only film clip of Proust
Filmmaker Frank Vitale for sharing episodes 36-40 of the Metropolis Organism
Activist Claire Wasserman on launching Ladies Get Paid, a nationwide effort to raise women’s wages


I gave several people near-heart failure when I finally joined Facebook two weeks ago.  Yes, it's me.  Late to the party.  So c'mon on by and friend me, like my Free Ferry page, and let me know how you use Facebook to expand your world as an artist.

Until next time,
Ann

your windy march annogram

Free Ferry on the way

Welcome to March, and countdown to the debut of Free Ferry , my second book!  I am thrilled Upper Hand Press is inaugurating its Booktree Poetry Series with my work, especially during April—National Poetry Month. Sincerest thanks to everyone who preordered Free Ferry . If you’re Texas way, I will be reading with poet Linda Simone in San Antonio on April 4, 7pm, at Señor Veggie (perfect for a vegetarian like me).

Ann at Dos Madres reading
Ruth Handel, Maxine Silverman and I will celebrate Dos Madres’ Realms of the Mothers with a reading March 19 at 1:30pm at the JCC on the Hudson. Realms , an anthology edited by Richard Hague, celebrates the press’s first decade. Dos Madres published my first book, Face Painting in the Dark , so I am deeply grateful and congratulate publisher Robert Murphy on this milestone!

Pranav Vaish at JCC Alexander Art Gallery
Long before coloring reduced adult stress, a young Pranav Vaish discovered painting at the end of each day calmed his mind. Pranav, a 15-year-old student at the Manhattan Children’s Center, is exhibiting his extraordinary abstracts, whimsical drawings, and collage through March.
Artwork by Pranav VaishPranav intuitively combines complementary colors, from vivid primary shades to subtle earth tones. Transparent horizontal strokes, layered with solid blocks and unexpected bursts, suggest dream-like landscapes—such as a pure sky-like stream in the middle of what might be red rock. Expert use of brush, roller and fingers explore watercolor, acrylic, tempera, and pasted paper.
Great abstracts challenge viewers to trace the familiar in complex terrain. This is their pleasure: finding oneself lost in a reminiscent world. Pranav’s confident and pure compositions deliver this journey.  Congratulations to Pranav on this amazing exhibit, and thanks to his teacher, Deborah Coulter, for inviting me to it.

Rare screening of Montreal Main
Steve Lack in Montreal MainAnthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Ave (2nd St.), NY 10003 will show the 1974 underground classic, Montreal Main on Friday, March 10, at 7pm and Sunday, March 12, at 8pm. The award-winning docufiction explores ambiguity and stereotypes around gay friendship. Filmmaker-screenwriter-actor Frank Vitale and screenwriter-actor Steve Lack will be on hand for a post-film Q&A.

Art Above the Sofa                                        The New York Arts Exchange, now New York Arts Etc., LLC, is sponsoring: Art Above the Sofa: Next Generation, a juried show for students in accredited art programs and academies worldwide. Art Above the Sofa, a poke at a much maligned phantom category of art, seeks edgy, confrontational, uncomfortable, decidedly spiritual, or intelligent witty art, by March 17. Exhibit to take place at 171 Elizabeth Street, between Spring and Kenmare, April 27-30, 2017.  

Mars or Bust
Westchester Amateur Astronomers (WAA) will host Al Witzgall discussing travel to the Red Planet. Witzgall, senior optician at ESCO Optics, is a frequent speaker on astronomy. The event will take place March 3, 7:30pm, at Lienhard Hall at Pace University in Pleasantville. WAA’s first 2017 star party will be March 18 (rain-cloud date March 25) in the Meadow Parking Lot at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.



New releases
Laurence Carr, Threnodies: Poems in Remembrance (Codhill Press, 2016)
Pamela Laskin, Ronit and Jamil (Katherine Tegen Books, 2017)

Estha WeinerCreative workshops / lectures
The Practice of Creativity with Gerry Grubs, March 4, $75
Sarah Lawrence College, March 7, 2pm, Charles Baxter on craft
Unicorn Writers Conference featuring Thomas Moore, March 25, $325
Sarah Lawrence College, March 29, 2pm, Teddy Wayne on craft
Let’s Lose the Muse Workshop with Estha Weiner, April 22, 10-3pm, $200

Kevin PilkingtonReadings / events
Sarah Lawrence College, March 2, 6pm, A. Van Jordan
Berl's Brooklyn Poetry Shop, March 2, 7pm, Ocean Vuong
Poets House, March 4, 4pm, Pam Laskin, Rick Mullin, Owen Lewis, Gwen Sonnenberg, Kip Zegers
Asian American Writers Workshop, March 6, 7pm, Sonya Chung, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Annie Kim, Jyothi Natarajan on family trauma, $5
Word Bookstore, March 7, 7pm, Tiffany Jackson, David Levithan, Suzanne Weyn read Ronit and Jamil
Sarah Lawrence College, March 8, 6pm, Charles Baxter

Pénélope BagieuFordham Poetry Out Loud Series, March 8, 7pm, Sandra Esteves, Kevin Pilkington
NYU Lillian Vernon House, March 9, 7pm, Kevin Young, Laurin Macios

Astoria Bookshop, March 11, 3pm, Pénélope Bagieu on her newest graphic novel with Jon Hogan
Irvington Library, March 12, 3pm, Poetry in the Round reads excerpts from The Iliad
Community Bookstore, March 14, 7pm, Ronit and Jamil launch with Lisa Selin Davis Kimiko Hahn
JCC on the Hudson, March 19, 1:30pm, Ann Cefola, Ruth Handel, Maxine Silverman, $5
Katonah Library, March 26, 4pm, Kimiko Hahn, $10
Bowery Poetry Club, March 27, 6pm, Stephen Massimilla, Myra Kornfeld on Cooking with the Muse (live music, bar, organic treats), $30

Word of Mouth/MOTR Pub, March 28, 7pm, Ralph LaCharity, Robert Murphy, Bea Opengart, Nathan Swartzendruber

Candied Ginger, Coconut and Quinoa GranolaAdmittedly, this sounds more like dessert but a hearty breakfast for winter’s last chill via artist and poet Linda Simone, courtesy Food and Wine :
3/4 cup rolled oats                           
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained    1/3 cup pumpkin seeds                   
1/3 cup sliced almonds                   1/3 cup sweet shredded coconut   1/4 cup light brown sugar              1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup halved dried cherries
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Fresh ricotta or plain Greek yogurt, mixed berries
Preheat oven to 325º. In medium bowl, combine oats, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, and spices. In small bowl, whisk applesauce, honey and coconut oil. Add applesauce mix to dry ingredients; toss to coat. Scatter granola in even layer on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely. Transfer to a bowl and stir in dried cranberries, cherries and crystallized ginger. Serve with ricotta and mixed berries.

ʼRound the Net

Congratulations and thanks to the following on sharing good news and/or links:
Racoco Director Rachel Cohen on her March residency in Myanmar, followed by her 
workshop and performance in Vietnam
D. H. Lawrence

Blogger Adam J. Calhoun on punctuation in novels as artPoet Michael Holstein on reading his poetry at Out by Ten Poet Mary Ladd McCray for writing me all about Mark Doty’s  lecture on D.H. LawrenceEditor Lise Menn for this video reading by several The Widows’ Handbook poetsArt historian Laura Morelli on the history of the Venetian gondola Photo by Greg MohrPoet Arthur Russell on his debut reading this week at the Williams Center in Rutherford, NJMusic archivist Jay Shulman for letting us know Aretha is retiring at yearend Slate on the new need for sensitivity readers Poets and Writers on its newly refreshed website
WCBS 2 New York News for profiling Iris Scott, an artist who uses finger paints Writerly for this podcast on literary agents, and if you need one
The path of a poet
If you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or even a plumber or electrician, degree and union programs like a conveyor belt will take you there. If you discover you’re a poet, you will find people’s eyes glaze over; after you share a poem, loved ones say, “I’m not sure I get it,” or strangers wave an arm, “I never got poetry.” There’s no path, no official program to fulfill one’s destiny. You’re on your own, possibly unsure of your ability, and wondering what century you were born into, and why.
Thomas LuxIf someone responds, “You’re a poet? Fantastic!” and shows you the heritage of greats before you, and invites you into a commonwealth that encourages attentive reading, lively poetry events, taking risks in writing, sharing one’s work with like-minded others, learning not only to seek out but love critique, and standing up a little taller because the calling has its own timeless nobility and mystery—well, it would be a miracle.
That miracle, dear annogramreaders, was Thomas Lux. When he died February 5, a Camelot of poets stood breathless, devastated, heartbroken. More than 25 years ago, he taught me to thoughtfully choose words and ruthlessly revise; later he solicited my work, wrote recommendations, and emailed congrats (“Yay!”). A cross between Robert Plant and Will Rogers—wild energy under New England restraint—a regular guy who loved baseball and read the Daily News yet whose outsized passion for poetry generated an extraordinary canon and whose equal commitment to teaching raised up generations of poets. Someone on Amazon asks—“Is this guy’s name really Lux? I mean, light?”  We who loved him can say an unequivocal yes.  To Tom, ever shining, sometimes irascible, deepest gratitude:


Ode to the Joyful Ones
"Shield your joyful ones." – from an Anglican prayer
That they walk, even stumble, among us, is reason to praise them, or protect them—even the soundof a lead slug dropped on a lead plate, even that, for them, is music. Because they bring laughter'sbrief amnesia. Because they stand, talking, taking pleasure in others,with their hands on the shoulders of strangers and the shoulders of each other. Because you don't have to tell them to walk towards the light. Because if there are two pork chops they will give you the better one. Because they will give you the crutch off their backs. Because when there are two of them together their shining fills the room. Because you don't have to tell them to walk towards the light.
– Thomas Lux

Until next time,
Ann