| POETRY CURRENTS | |
Greetings from SoCal, poetry lovers… the LA sector of Museletter reporting in with vim and vigor, with spit and polish, with fire and brimstone. Well, you get the idea, right?
There has been so much going on: the United Nations Dialogue among Civilizations through Poetry series, which I had privilege of helping to coordinate, and we saw the advent of PoHoOne -- what’s PoHoOne, you ask? -- well, check below for the full skinny on this extraordinary event. And the poetry wheel keeps turning out here in La Land and a couple of other places that keep me informed of their comings and goings. There are a number of exciting workshops and seminars coming up and of course, Los Angeles has some of the best poetry readings on the planet taking place week in and week out.
POEFORWARD PRESENTS THE COMEDY OF EDGAR ALLAN POE
PoeForward is an organization devoted to bringing the genius of Edgar Allan Poe to the modern audience through live performances, original films, interviews with modern horror masters, and much more. [Ed. note: Poe's one of the 8 poets in our Dead Poet Survivor game -- if you love his work, you'll want to vote the other 7 off our Island.] The folks at PoeForward want everyone to understand and appreciate the great influence Poe has had on modern culture. They have produced two very successful Halloween performances at Midnight Special Bookstore -- “Poe Funeral” and “Goth Poe” -- which combined readings, performance and theatrical interpretations of Poe’s work and letters. And on April 1st they did a performance highlighting “Poe the satirist, Poe the hoaxer, Poe the comedian.” Check out their new Web site at www.poeforward.com.
CLOUD 9 PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS WORDS “N” THA MIX
Cloud 9 Productions in conjunction with Kaos Network presents Words “N” Tha Mix, an open mic forum featuring a DJ, live instrumentation and percussions hosted by Art.Us Mansoir, every Friday night at Kaos Network, 4343 W. 43rd Street, LA, CA 90043. They invite all poets, singers, musicians & storytellers to come, sign up, be heard! (No perverse or negative energy permitted.) Show time: 9 pm to 1 am (sharp!). Why: uplifting the human spirit to beauty and truth. Mission statement: “Use what god gave us to save us.”
ENTER THE DRAGON EVERY FRIDAY
Enter the Dragon has entered a new phase: workshops for teens before their regular 9 pm Friday open mic at ARTScorpsLA. Jose B and DJ Abel of Foundation Funkollective put on an amazing turntable workshop that had the whole place hopping. Even DJ Adult SuperVision (toe knee) got some schooling on his ones and twos. Jose T and Rafi each had a synth substation, teaching the kids about live sequencing of electronica. After that, there is an "intimate" crowd for the new Dragon. They have some great music happening, and as always spread the ARTScorpsLA message of unconditional community love. ARTScorpsLA is located in the China Town Plaza (that means you gotta get out and walk around) between Hill and Broadway, north of College. It can be seen from Hill across from the Plum Tree Inn and behind the New Dragon. The Plaza includes the wishing well, Hop Louie’s, and Quon Brother’s in the Grand Star building. Once you find that stuff, you won’t be able to miss ARTScorpsLA. There are parking lots on College and Broadway next to East West Bank where you can park free, or you can park on the street.
OKIE POETRY
My friend Carol Davis Koss says to keep “Living out loud!” and has infoed me on the poetic stuff from her state, Oklahoma:
- Wednesday April 18th, Conversaations with Michael Ondaatje
The OCU Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature invites you to the 3rd Annual Center Thatcher Hoffman Smith Speaker Series featuring Michael Ondaatje. While primarily known for his novel The English Patient, Ondaatje has first and foremost been a poet. All events are free of charge, and no parking tickets will be issued on the campus that day!
Workshop 10 - 11:30 am
Homsey Moot Court, Room 100, Sarkeys Law Center, 23rd and Kentucky.
Open mic 6:15 - 7:30 pm
April is National Poetry Month: Bring your own poetry, the poetry you admire, your own poet, or the poet you admire to the lobby of the Petree Auditorium. Make and hear a joyful noise -- Barbaric Yawping aloud allowed!
Poetry reading 8 - 9:30 pm
Petree Auditorium, Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center, OCU.
- Wednesday, April 25th, Seamus Heaney in Tulsa
Irish poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney will read and speak in honor of the Darcy O’Brien Endowed Chair at the University of Tulsa. He will speak at 7 pm in the Great Hall of Allen Chapman Activity Center on the Tulsa University campus. It is free and open to the public. (This will be preceded by a book signing at 6 in the President’s Lounge.)
- Friday, April 27th, 8 pm
At Harwelden, 2210 S. Main, Tulsa. Come, bring a friend, and be prepared for an experience of a lifetime. Three distinct and unique poetic voices will be combined with the sounds of a group of unusual international instruments to provide a powerful and inspiring evening of entertainment, free of charge!
- Sunday, April 29th, 2 pm
Full Circle Bookstore invites you to hear Kaylan Head, Janet Mcadams, and Carolyne Wright. Full Circle should be in their new location on the ground floor of 50 Penn Place. What better time to celebrate a bookstore than National Poetry Month!
DESERT NEWS FROM LAS VEGAS JOSHUA TREE POETRY IN THE PARK WORKSHOP CONTEXTUAL POETRY? POETRY DOINGS IN THE CALI CAP, SACRAMENTO The Jewel of The Valley Poetry Series is a new venue for local poets to read and to hear guest poets, opening April 27 at 7 pm at the Lodi Wine and Visitors Center at 2445 West Turner Road in Lodi. This eight-part series of shows is presented by the Lodi Arts Commission and will be hosted by Betsy Lee and Jim Harvey of Blue Moon Press, a local small press publisher. According to Harvey, “This is a wonderful setting for poetry. It is a great location and there will be wine available.” Each of the eight shows will be held on the last Friday evening of the month, through November of 2001. “Each show,” says Harvey, “will have one or two featured poets from around the state and then there will opportunity for poets to read their own works during an open mic session.” All poets and those who enjoy hearing poetry are encouraged to attend the event. The first show on April 27 will feature two very accomplished poets. John Mead is from Lodi and is the co-owner of AMP Press. John has read in many venues across Northern CA and was part of the “Three Poets Tour” of 2000. Also reading will be Christina Hayes, who recently was featured in a Blue Moon publication titled Whispers Along The Delta. Ms. Hayes has read often in the Sacramento & Davis area. For additional information call 367.4673.
WORD DELICIOUS POETRY SERIES Espress Y’self Coffeehouse is proud to feature the Word Delicious Poetry Series as part of its ongoing effort to provide the community with a venue for noncommercial film, music and art. Owned and operated by Sheila Fennoy, and opened in 1998, Espress Y’self Coffeehouse is located at 1359 N. Altadena Drive in Pasadena, on the corner of Altadena Drive and Washington Blvd, 626.398.8654.
SAN LUIS OBISPO CORNERS OF THE MOUTH FROM WAY DOWN UNDER, A PAPERTIGER ROARS BRAIN CANDY, NEW READING IN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SKYLIGHT BOOKS' BIG BAD BOOK OF POETRY! Send your poems to Skylight Books, Attn: Kerry - Poetry Month, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027, 323.660.1175, fax 323.660.0232, email skylightbook@earthlink.net.
THE BIG CAMPBELL MOVE POETICLICENSE IN ITS SEVENTH YEAR POEM.X PO HO One
Poetry host Danna Jae Botwick is taking a breather from her weekly poetry reading at Jitters, but will maintain her monthly library reading and special events. She requests that any touring poets coming to Las Vegas get in touch with her at
Wildflowers, boulders, and metaphor merge at the third Joshua Tree Poetry in the Park Workshop. On Saturday, May 5, Joshua Tree National Park again will host a poetry workshop led by poets Jeanette Clough and Jim Natal. The workshop, produced in cooperation with Park Stewardship through the Arts and the Desert Institute, will immerse writers in the spirit of place where they can weave Joshua Tree's stunning natural environment into their poetic art. Open to poets of all levels, the workshop will begin with a hike led by a Park naturalist. Then participants will be guided through writing exercises that facilitate connections, leaps, and desert-inspired metaphor. During the afternoon, participants will write a poem based on the morning's experiences, then will revise and polish their poems as a workshop group. “Joshua Tree National Park is a magical place of inspiration and imagery,” says Natal. “We had such a positive response to last year's winter workshop that we were asked to run it again in the spring.” “This year's wildflowers are blooming in profusion,” adds Clough. “And that can only mean exciting things for our poetry. The Park's dramatic landscape continues to offer its wealth to each group of writers.” Enrollment is limited. The workshop runs from 9 am - 4 pm; the fee is $50. For further information, or to resister, contact: The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park, 760.367.5525 phone, 760.367.5583 fax, Mail@joshuatree.org email.
Do you have to explain your poetry to people? Do people just not get it because you know more than your audience does? This is your last chance to participate in the free workshop series on Contextual Poetry. Contextual poetry is a way to integrate the knowledge of science, history, theology, or anything else with the language of poetry. We talk about hypertextual poetry as well. Come learn about it! Come have fun! April 28-29, 2001. Spend an hour, a day, or even the whole weekend on a beautiful farm in Riverside County with other poets. Bring a sleeping bag. Bring food. Bring poems. For more information, check out Thea Iberall's Web site.
Legendary jazz surrealist Beat poet and author of Teducation (Coffee House Press, 1999), Ted Joans will give a reading & performance on the occasion of the publication of In Thursday Sane by Swan Scythe Press on Friday, April 20, 7 - 10 pm at the John Natsoulas Gallery/Center for the Arts, 521 First Street, Davis. Sponsored by the Dept. of English, UCD; Davis Humanities Institute; African-American Studies Program, UCD; the Cross Cultural Center, UCD; and the John Natsoulas Gallery.
Buy the books • Teducation
• In Thursday Sane
The Word Delicious Poetry Series, held the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 8:00 pm at the Espress Y’self Coffeehouse in Pasadena, features Eitan Kadosh on April 26th. The evening consists of an open mike format followed by a featured performer. Wordelicious is hosted and produced by local writer, artist, activist and educator Emma Rosenthal. It is her firm belief that the arts serve as a vital conduit of cultural transmission and as a bridge towards cross-cultural understanding. In addition to producing this series, she co-produced the San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival 2000, and teaches writing and language throughout Southern California. Her poems can be found in a variety of publications and she has performed her work at several venues in Southern California.
For the past 18 years or so, my good buddy Kevin Patrick Sullivan has run one of the longest lasting poetry readings on the planet: the Corners of the Mouth reading series with featured readers and open mic, every third Sunday of the month at Linnaea's Cafe, 1110 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo, CA. Coming features include Lois Klein from Santa Barbara & Kevin Clark from San Luis Obispo on May 20, and on June 17, Christine Becher from San Luis Obispo & Erik Sanchez from LA. For more information, call Kevin Patrick Sullivan at 805.547.1318, or try his new email address, kpsslopoet@charter.net.
papertiger publishes over 100 emerging and established poets from around the world every year. Featuring audio, video, and text poetry, papertiger is Australia's first CDROM poetry journal. Submissions of Flash animated poetry are also welcome. For subscription, submission, and release information go to www.papertigermedia.com. papertiger, P.O. Box 5532, West End Queensland, Australia 4101, 617.3846.0976, email papertiger@rescueteam.com.
On the first and third Thursday nights of the month at 8 pm, my good buddy Sean Sanneman hosts the Brain Candy open reading at the Coffee Gallery Backstage on 2029 N. Lake Avenue in Altadena. F ree admission. Call 626.398.7917 for more information.
Skylight Books says: Add a poem to our poetry month book -- everyone can contribute! All ages are welcome, whether you are new to poetry or an established poet (Teachers, have your students contribute!)... and you are invited to browse through all the other poems. What: one poem per person. A poem of your own or a copy of a poem that you love (with a note telling us why). Length: one page (you can use both sides, any size or type of paper as long as we can hole-punch it). Content: Appropriate for a general audience. Put your name (and age or grade in school if you like) on your page. Remember, all poetry books are 15% off during April.
Poetry impresario and good friend (jeez, I have a couple of these) Don Campbell is moving his Tuesday night reading back to the Alhambra of his roots. (Don’s original series at Ibrowe was in beautiful downtown Alhambra as well.) The Room for Poetry has moved inside the Fine Arts Connection at 2 S. Garfield Avenue, #15 in Alhambra. Their first event in the new venue was the second annual Teen Poetry Slam on Tuesday, April 17th, hosted by Don Kingfisher Campbell and Thom Garzone. Always free admission, and free parking in adjacent Mervyn's lot. For more information on future Tuesdays, visit the Tuesday Night Poetry Web site or call 626.281.3605.
This past month has seen some incredible poetry at PoeticLicense. For our huge Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry reading on March 27, we had 40 readers. We raised the roof! My poetic partner Donn Deedon had a stroke early in March. He is doing extremely well poetically and rumor has it that he rode his Harley this week. Phew, the man is made of miracles. On March 13 Los Angeles poetry icon S.A. Griffin was here, then on March 20 About Poetry Guide Margery Snyder & poetic maestro Whitman McGowan came down from NoCal to the Zen to play. March 27 was our big fandango for United Nations Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry, then the annual birthday bash celebrating that day of days, March 31, the respective b.d.’s of myself and Mac Dennis, was held on April 3, and finally and most wonderfully we saw the reemergence of poet diva Pam Ward on April 10. Our schedule for the next few months or so is as follows:
PoeticLicense takes place every Tuesday night upstairs in the theatre at the Zen Restaurant, 2609 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027, 323.665.2929.
Jim Natal and Jeanette Clough, formerly of the HyperPoets, continue their excellent hosting with a series of readings at Barnes & Noble in Santa Monica. On April 20 they feature John Balaban, on May 11 it’s David Oliveira, David St. John & more from Fresno Anthology, and on June 8 it will be Ron Koertge.
The very first poetry host conclave was recently held in Los Angeles at Beyond Baroque. Poetry hosts from all over Los Angeles came to debate, discuss and improve the poetry hosting “profession.” Three panels of hosts discussed a wide range of subjects from cultivating and encouraging newcomers to First Amendment issues to setting down roots in the community to the Internet to dealing with creepy people to what makes your particular reading so cool. Poets found out how to obtain features & discussed whether there is and should be a reading etiquette. Hosts from Ventura to San Diego and points in-between participated on the panel or in the audience as well as poets from all over the community. Over 40 people attended this historic event created by Amelie Frank (who did an incredible job as moderator) and Larry Jaffe (me).
