Are you one of the snowbirds migrating to Florida for the winter? Forget Disney World! Here’s what you’re looking for: Poetry around the Sunshine State!

MARYA SUMMERS HAS IT COVERED IN DELRAY BEACH
Like the Beatnik coffeehouses and lounges of the 50s, America Restaurant-Bar in West Palm Beach offers a hip and happening evening of poetry and jazz the first Thursday of each month. After a swinging set by Cous Cous International, poets may participate in the high-energy spoken-word competition known as “slam,” where randomly selected judges from the audience determine the winners. Following the slam, the band returns for improv jamming with the poets. Marya Summers, slammistress of the Delray Beach Poetry Slam (every Tuesday night at Dada Restaurant and Lounge), hosts the event, and winners of the America Restaurant-Bar slam will qualify to compete for Delray Beach's national poetry slam team.

Delray Beach Slam has a rotating schedule:

• 1st Tuesdays: Official Slam -- Winners qualify to compete in the Grand Slam in the spring which will determine our teammembers going to the National Poetry Slam. No props, no costumes, no music. 3-minute time limit enforced.
  
  
• 2nd Tuesdays: Potluck Slam -- We defer to the poetry gods or just dumb luck (depending on your spiritual bent) to determine our winners. Scores are pulled from the hat. Hey, it's not really a slam... after all, using democratic methods to assess quality can be the worst thing to happen to an art form... it's a great night to experiment.
  
  
• 3rd Tuesdays: Themed Slam -- First round poems on the theme; second round poems are poets' choice. See the Web site for monthly themes. In February, it's the annual “Lap Poetry,” where poets dress up like the whores they are and do their sluttiest poems for the highest bidding audience members (one of the yearly fundraisers for the slam team).
  
  
• 4th & 5th Tuesdays: Anything Goes Slams -- It's an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink slam... poets feel free to use props, costumes, music in their work. A mixed-media event.

Check the Web site also for info on upcoming featured poets at Dada. For more information, contact Marya Summers, msflambe@yahoo.com.

TIFFANY DUHART KEEPS IT UP IN JACKSONVILLE
Tiffany is Managing Director of Nokturnal Escape Entertainment, producer of Soul Release Poetry at Pickett and Watts Gallery, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 7:30 pm. It's an open mic for poets, singers and lyricists, with hip-hop and R&B by DJ Wiz and African drumming by Ryan Sinclair. 1728 N. Main Street (across from Surfside Furniture) between 7th and 8th Streets, additional parking on 7th Street, $5. Upcoming features at Soul Release Poetry include Sekou the Misfit, 2002 National Poetry Slam Champion, February 1, and international slam champion Talaam Acey, March 15, releasing his fifth CD, Blues Resurgence.

Other Jacksonville events:

• Midnight Expresso Cafe, 5551 Arlington Road -- every Thursday, 8:30 pm.
  
  
• Boomtown Theater, 1713 N. Main Street -- spoken word at every Wednesday, 8:30 pm.
  
  
• The Ritz Theater/Lavilla Museum, 829 N. Davis Street -- art and spoken word every 1st Thursday, 7:00 pm

FLORIDA POETRY HOSTS RETREAT
I do believe it was me who coined “PoHo” on Larry Jaffe’s Poetry Hosts List Serve. Locally, it’s the FlaPoHo’s -- an networking organization of poetry hosts in the state of Florida. Shamele Jenkins of Lip, Tongue, Ear Productions put the blood, sweat and tears to the FlaPoHo Retreat in Miami, February 8 and 9. Check out the tight agenda this Phenomenal Woman has put together:

Our first “Working Retreat” will afford all of us an opportunity to network, receive, give and exchange pertinent information on how to successfully operate our venues and how to manage our staff, our poets, our patrons, etc. In addition, we will begin to set up touring schedules for our local poets (and yes, this can include you if you are a poet). We'll talk about funding opportunities and more. We'll have fun too.

There are special guests who will be with us but sorry, I'm not telling you who they are. You'll have to arrive and see for yourself.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8: “THE INDIVIDUAL US”

9 am WELCOME BREAKFAST -- What is a Poho?, the proper way to run a poho spot, rules of the game responsibility of the poho to the poet, to the audience, video taping, recording, press, media, workshops, features...

10 am TOURS -- What it takes to tour and how do you know when someone is ready?, tour package, lodging, transportation, honoraria, advertising & marketing, letters of commendation, what it takes to tour...

10:45 am INTRO OF POETS ON TOUR -- We will do this by city, each having the opportunity to show up to 3 individual poets, or 3 including a collective introduced as a group to be on tour. You should include a bio, any press material, pictures, and either a CD or tape of some of their work. If they only have a book, chap or otherwise bring a copy of the text and please get their voices tape-recorded so that we can all listen. Unfortunately some of our family write well but sound terrible! (Post boards will be up for you to write your selection of who you wish to have tour at your spot.)

12 noon - 5 pm (This will be a working lunch) MARKETING TECHNIQUES -- Keep the word (sanctuary vs. boss), 501c3, grant writing, incorporation, publishing...

5 - 6:30 pm FREE TIME

7 pm DINNER

9 pm SURPRISE CULTURAL OUTING IN MIAMI

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

10 am - 2 pm BRUNCH MEETING WITH SPECIAL GUEST -- recap, guest, final notes

TURTLES DO IT ON MOUNDS
Sim and Bonnie Sutterby of PoetWorks Press announce The Turtle Mound Poets Society annual migration and induction ceremony to be held May 9, 10 and 11, 2003, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida atop Turtle Mound. A “Turtle Mounder” is a poet who has read poetry aloud to other members of the Society and been duly inducted into the Society.

Ours is an art form that is timeless, requires study of other poets' works and embodies all the best, and sometimes worst, in expression through the written word in poetic form. The Turtle Mound Poets Society is an organization joined together for the enjoyment of poetry. There are no fees to be a member and no dues. The only criteria is that each poet shares his/her work atop Turtle Mound, which is bordered on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the West by the Indian River Lagoon. This tropical oasis has been a gathering place of indigenous tribes for the past 5,000 years and is part of the Canaveral National Seashore. It is appropriate for our use as an induction point not only because of its natural beauty, but for its history and significance of endurance.

BROKEN SPEECH IN ORLANDO
The Broken Speech Slam, under the slammastership of J. Bradley, just celebrated their 2nd anniversary. Broken Speech takes place every Thursday, 8 pm at Guinevere's Coffeehouse, 37 South Magnolia Avenue. Upcoming features include Ray McNiece (from Cleveland) on January 30 and Soul Evans on February 20. For more information, contact slam@brokenspeech.com.

POETSPEAK IN ST. AUGUSTINE
Every first and third Monday, PoetSpeak starts at 9 pm at Backstreets Coffeehouse, 61 Spanish Street, located in the beautiful heart of historic downtown St. Augustine. For more info, contact kv729@yahoo.com or call 904.874.6575.

THE WORD IN ST. PETERSBURG
In St. Petersburg, the Phoenix Coffee House keeps faithful to the word. Located at 937 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete, the Phoenix has The Word open mic every Thursday night at 9 pm, hosted by Gene Ridell. First Thursdays is the Poetry Slam, hosted by Stazja, with cash prizes to the top three winners. The sofas and chairs are early Grandma’s attic, the lights are dim, but we don’t need no stinking bright lights when the poets don’t have to watch their mouths. Upcoming features at The Phoenix include Craig Nelson and Nina Simon (from Boston) on February 6, Soul Evans (from Pensacola) on February 13, and Ray McNiece (from Cleveland) on February 20. For more information, contact stazja@aol.com.

BLACK ON BLACK RHYME IN TALLAHASSEE
When in Tallahassee, check out Black on Black Rhyme’s Back Talk Poetry Troupe, every Thursday, 9 pm at Mt. Zion's Calypso Cafe, 904 Gamble Street.

MEANWHILE THE POETRY GOES ON IN TAMPA
Buccaneers win the Super Bowl -- the crowds go wild. Meanwhile, the poetry goes on…

The Tampa chapter of Black on Black Rhyme’s Conscious Party puts on an intense spoken word event on Wednesdays, 9 pm at Moen’s, at the intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and Himes. $5 cover. For more info, call 813.293.5526 or visit the Web site.

Other Tampa events:

• Rigo’s Bakery, 6607 N. Florida Avenue -- Third Thursday of each month. Sign up at 8:30 pm. Readings begin at 9 p.m. Seduce, shock, entertain us with your words or sip cafe con leche and share the experience as we expand the boundaries of spoken word. Hosted by Cindy, Susan and Tiffany. Call 813.236.7446 or email PoetryatRigos@hotmail.com.
  
  
• ¡Viva La Frida! Café y Galeria, 5901 N. Florida Avenue -- Named for Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, beginning Monday, March 3, Rhonda J. Nelson and Stazja will host a monthly theme-based evening of poesia in the moy agradable courtyard of ¡Viva La Frida! 7 to 9 pm. $3. Drawing on local and national talent, there will be two featured guests, mixed with open mic poetry, plus musical accompaniment if you wish. “Starving Artist” menu with entrees starting at $2.99 available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. You can’t beat that with a palillo!
  
  
• University of Tampa’s UT Writers at the University -- presents Fleda Brown Thursday, January 30, 401 West Kennedy Boulevard, in the Reeves Theatre (2nd floor, Vaughn Center), 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Fleda Brown is poet laureate of Delaware, professor of English at the University of Delaware, and winner of the 2001 Levine Prize in Poetry.
  
  
• Michael Waters at Blake High School -- On Wednesday, February 5 at 7 pm, nationally acclaimed poet Michael Waters will be reading at the theater at Blake High School, 1701 N. Blvd in Tampa. Michael Waters is a wonderfully energetic reader and a terrific poet. He has published six books of poetry, most recently Parthenopi (BOA Editions). For questions, contact Gianna Russo, gianna.russo@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
  
  
• Weary Blues at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center -- Sunday, February 16, 8 pm. Free! at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Shimberg Playhouse, as part of the American Music Festival 2003, Tampa's Poet Laureate James Tokley along with Bay area poets Melissa Fair, Stazja McFadyen, Casey Mensing, and actress/vocalist/poet Venus Jones present an evening of readings of selected jazz-inspired American poetry, as well as their own original works. Free coffee and dessert will be provided for attendees. Seating is limited and reservations are suggested. To reserve seat(s), please email reservations@tbpac.org or call 813.222.1068. The title of the event, Weary Blues, comes from the title of a Charles Mingus/Langston Hughes project with jazz music and spoken word, above all, sexy -- Harlem jazz meets the Southern blues of Bessie Smith, and smoky rooms, speakeasies, and pleasantly dirty thoughts....

SOL GRIOTS IN WEST PALM BEACH
The Sol Griots come together every Wednesday at the World Famous Soul Lounge, 417 Northwood Road. Doors open at 7 pm and the show starts at 8. $7 cover, $5 for open mic participants. SpeakEasy open mic with featured poets, dj/band, discussion, musicians. For more info, contact joshua@solgriots.com or 561.748.1433.

Also in West Palm Beach, Poetry Slam & Jam the first Thursday of every month beginning February 6 at America Restaurant-Bar, 1 Clematis Street, downtown. No cover charge and prizes for slam winners.

Stazja McFadyen