your firecracker annogram

annogram Anniversary
Thanks to Darrell Laurant for “The annogram Keeps Growing,” (scroll down) on the phenomenon of this newsletter. It’s been 15 years, and if you would like to promote your events, publications, or readings, email me the month before we go live. I’m honored to share the stellar recognition the following writers have received—each has been personally generous to the creative community, including me among many, and that may be one vital secret behind their success.
Charles Alexander Wins Coveted CLMP Award

Sarah Bracey White’s Stage Debut in “Transcendence”

“Camp Cook” Premiere in Voices of Color Festival

Darrell Laurant and We Who Create

and increase our promotional opportunities. Curated from 100+ newsletters, WWC combines stories about creatives with event listings. In this space, creatives may converse, local art galleries and bookstores will be featured, and—if Darrell’s dream comes true—an annual convention. Help his generous mission by clicking the website’s “follow” button—which simply quantifies how many of us visit.
A Happy Trans Girl

New and Recent Releases

John F. McMullen, My Life in 26 Poems (Independently published)
Laura Morelli, The Stolen Lady (William Morrow) (pre-order)

Jay Shulman, producer, “Alan Shulman - The Tattooed Stranger” (Bridge Records, 2021)
Frank Vitale, “The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable” (Amazon Prime, Google Play, You Tube Movies)
Creative Calls

Mom Egg Review open call on “mother figures” – poetry, fiction, prose, hybrid – by July 15
Open Door Poetry Magazine – call for poems on war – by July 11
Pure Slush Press – call for poetry, fiction, and essays on love – by August 31
VIA: Voices in Italian Americana – open for submissions
Creative Workshops

Mini Tutorial on Poetic Meter thanks to Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen
ModPo, University of Pennsylvania’s free poetry course and global community
Norwalk Poetry Workshop, first and third Mondays, 6:30pm; email poet_laureate@norwalkpl.org to register
The Poets Salon, led by Ed Ahern and Alison McBain of Fairfield Scribes Press, 10am, every second Saturday
Under The Microscope: A Poetry Workshop at Maine Media College featuring Kevin Pilkington, July 19-23
July Readings and Events – ET

July 1-31, Upstream Gallery, 2021 Juried Paperworks Show
July 8, 8pm (7pm Central), Mutabilis Press poets Chip Dameron, Patricia McMahon, Gregory Maguire, Scott Chalupa, Michael Baldwin, Carla Hagen, Leroy Sorenson, Gabrielle Langley, Maria King Illic; register here
July 8, 7pm, Andrew Delbanco, Rebecca Makkai; July 15, Cleopatra Mathis, Matthew Olzemann, Sue Miller; July 22, Benjamin Garcia, Tom Barbash; July 29, Jeff Sharlet, Ivy Pochoda; Canaan (NH) Meetinghouse, LIVE

July 10, 5pm, Lit Balm: Timothy Donnelly, Valzhyna Mort, Danielle Blau, Chase Twitchell; register here
July 14, 7pm, Ellen Bass, Arthur Sze; register here
July 18, 6pm, The Industry Bar, The Imperial Court of New York Christmas in July Show featuring Fran and Kelly Sisco to benefit Bailey House
July 21, 7pm, Katie Farris, Emily Lee Luan, and Isabella DeSendi; register here

July 28, 7pm, Silvina López Medin, Jennifer Militello, and Jennifer Stewart Miller; register
here
August 31, 3:30pm, Garrison Public Library, Mary Newell book launch Re-Surge(Trainwreck Press)
Monthly Readings – ET

Every Tuesday, 2pm, Spoken Word World (Paris)
Every Tuesday, 7pm, Curley’s Diner
Third Fridays, 7pm, Hudson Valley Writers Center Open Mic – click on third Friday for details
Beth’s Gluten-Free Hurricane Sandy Cake
Art historian and translator Beth Gersh-Nesic shares the recipe she created to use up eggs and butter when she lost power during Hurricane Sandy but still had her gas oven working. This dense chocolate cake is perfect for a picnic—it slices like pound cake and tastes even better. So yummy. Thanks, Beth!
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup clear sugar
6 eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups (1/2 lb) Trader Joe’s Almond Flour
½ or 1 whole package chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwave-safe glass bowl: Melt butter in microwave oven. Stir in sugar. Mix in whole eggs. Add cocoa, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and salt. Add almond flour. Add chocolate chips to taste. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and then line with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes. Check with knife for doneness. Bon Appétit!
̓Round the Net

Writer Barbara Dickinsonand photographer Margie Herrick on the debut of their Wishing Wisdom blog

Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on translations of poet Yan An in Interim Poetics and The Momentist
Poet Terry M. Dugan for this article on punctuation as a tool in Black activism
Editor Larry Faltz for the best amateur astronomy newsletter this side of the Ort Cloud
Art Historian Beth Gersh-Nesic on discovering artist Wan-Ting Chiu, who taps her own anxiety as inspiration for “bold, beautiful and poignant” work
Poet and memoirist J. Chester Johnson for this Guardian article on the Elaine Race Massacre and gifting Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation to Johnson House Juneteenth celebrants
Yorktown Poet Laureate John McMullen for sharing this post on framing experience in poems

The New York Public Library on restoring full service to all of its branches on July 6
Cellist and musical archivist Jay Shulman on the release of “Alan Shulman - The Tattooed Stranger” (Bridge Records, 2021), a CD he produced of his father’s 1940s R.K.O. film scores

Studio Theater in Exile for Artist Recognition Month
Filmmaker Frank Vitaleon his award-winning film, “The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable,” now available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and You Tube Movies
I will be taking off August, so send me your news for September, and enjoy your summer!
Until next time,
Ann