WE'RE BA-ACK!
[Mild mannered poet walks up to the microphone. He’s wearing plain, black-framed glasses, blue jeans and a black T-shirt from the 1998 National Poetry Slam. Looks around tentatively at the audience, then taps the mic nervously.]

Testing… testing… Is this thing on?
Hey. Welcome back. After a long hiatus, the New England Museletter has returned. Aren’t you glad you came? Don’t know about you, but there’s been a lot going on around here. Lord knows, too much to get into all of it right now, but let’s give it a go, shall we?

VERBAL RESPONSE
Perhaps the biggest thing that’s happened recently was “Verbal Response,” the Hampshire College Festival of the Spoken Word, which was held the weekend of September 26th. It was a veritable cornucopia of poetry, organized by former Worcester local Adam Rubenstein, and featuring Ellyn Maybe, Patricia Smith, Roger Bonair-Agard, Bill MacMillan, Tony Brown, Brenda Moosey, Regie Gibson, Shane Koyczan, Jack McCarthy, Sage Francis, Seren Divine, myself and literally dozens of other poets, mostly from the Northeast, but also from around the country.

It was two days of good spirits, high enthusiasm and excellent poetry. One of the things that shocked us, however, was the discovery that one of the readers -- New York’s George McGibbons (formerly of the Boston area) was now married to our old friend, West Coast poet RAC! Gah! Why does no one tell us these things!!

This is a bit of a shock because, well, since I left Orange County a while back, people have made a point of telling me every little detail of my old poetry scene’s goings-on. There were 30 people at the Ugly Mug one night? Someone felt the need to tell me. Rachel Kann won a slam? Someone told me. One of my dear friends ran off and got married? Nada. But good for her! And good for George! Rumor has it we’ll be seeing them out here in Worcester soon, and I for one can’t wait.

We also hear that there’ll be a CD and -- this is how we know we’ve entered the 21st Century -- a DVD coming out of the big event. A super secret ninja source gave me a heads-up on the track list, which we now reveal here for you. Subject to massive, massive change, of course:

• Sam Cohen: introducing Verbal Response
• Alex Charalambides & Skint: “Poet's Tree”
• Sou MacMillan: “If Money Burns”
• Toni Assante-Lightfoot: “Changing Dreams”
• Steve Maher: “The World Was Flat Again”
• Paul Gagnon: “Ambulance Inventory, 3 am”
• Edward García: “Peligro”
• F. Omar Telan: “Love Poem No. 137”
• Olu Butterfly: “On Dome Swelling”
• Jack McCarthy: “The Walk of Life”
• George McKibbins: no title yet
• Marty McConnell: “Down To Bone”
• Roger Bonair-Agard: “Jennica”
• Lynne Procope: “Wutopsy Poem No. 4”
• Regie Gibson: “In the Year I Loved Your Mother”
• Ellyn Maybe: “Picasso”
• Brenda Moosey: “Anaconda”
• Bernard Dolan: “Ripping Cables”
  
  
• Rachel Hyman: “Urban Renovations”
• Tony Brown: “Political Art”
• Victor Infante: “This Autumn Beginning”
• Michael Culp: “The Long Drive To Work”
• Katie Fowley: “The Ritual of My Legs”
• J* me: “Smoke”
• Omoizele Okoawo: “Dreams Undreamt”
• Ieyoka Okoawo: “Shout”
• Kwesi Davis: “Poached”
• Adam Stone: “Rearranging My Bookshelf”
• Jon Wolf: “Matrices Met”
• Bill MacMillan: “Fayetteville To Memphis”
• Shane Koyczan: “Barbecue”
• Patricia Smith: “Smoldering Child”
• Ryk McIntyre: “A Giraffe Walks into a Bar...”
• Rushelle Frazier: “I Lost You”
• Alixa Garcia: “Geography”
• Seren Divine: “Kiddem”
• Marlon Carey: “Out Our Breaking Up”
• Sage Francis: “Concave”

WISTAH!
The sad truth is, I don’t get out as much as I should. I work nights for a newspaper, on top of all the poetry and screenwriting stuff. Consequently, we miss a lot. For instance, we missed Ellyn Maybe’s performance down the street at the Java Hut (although we did catch her at the Cantab, in Boston.) Some shows we didn’t miss included Laura Moran, Margery Snyder and Whitman McGowan at the Java Hut in October -- one of the most varied and energetic evenings we’ve spent out in a while. Also, I guest-hosted the Hut’s feature for Bill MacMillan, and caught one of the best double features I’ve ever seen there, Boston’s Iyeoka and Omoizele “Oz” Okoawo. Here’s what poet Bob Gill had to say about the reading:

“Performing a fiery and passionate round-robin set, Iyeoka and Oz pulled the audience into their poetry, making us a part of the words. Moving effortlessly between poems, they offered new work and well practiced pieces. Iyeoka called us to slam the microphone down / and take your voice back. Oz showcased the pain of a time traveler who gives Michaelangelo a 500-set of crayolas only to discover that time travel turns all colors grey. With haunting vocals Oz and Iyeoka closed with a dual-voice piece echoing the Chinese proverb, 'May all your dreams be satisfied, except for one.' They drew the audience into their rhythm throughout the night and earned a standing ovation for their efforts.”

V-DAY IS BACK!
In other news, our dear friend Sou MacMillan has been busy. She’s finished a novel, which is most excellent and in desperate need of a publisher. She’s got an amazing new band, “Daily Mouse,” which is making the rounds of the New England folk scene, and she’s producing The Vagina Monologues again, bringing together a completely different group of women -- mostly poets, but a few others -- to speak out on women’s issues and raise money for charities. Last year’s event was not only breathtaking and powerful, it was also sold out. This year’s will be held Valentine’s Day, February 14, at the Bijou Cinema, which is also home to the Poetry Oasis reading series.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Our old friend John Powers not only has a bitchin, standing-room-only slam going on twice monthly down at Providence, Rhode Island’s AS 220, he’s also got a wicked cool Web site, gotpoetry?.com, to tell people about that and other poetic doings.

Gotpoetry?.com has information about poetry, MP3s of poems, and a fascinating regular column by poet Tony Brown. The column, “Zero Point Zero,” examines the relationship between poetry and performance, and has developed an almost instant following.

Brown recently retired from running the reading at the Java Hut, to take on a less demanding schedule running a twice monthly event at Woodland Spice and Tea, 2 South Main Street/Mendon Street (Route 16/122 junction), Uxbridge, MA, alternate Wednesdays from 7 - 9:30 pm. Each evening has a free form open reading, a feature, and a theme. We don’t have information on the schedule and the current theme, but consult the Poetry Oasis' venues listings or keep posted to Brown’s column for more information.

CONNECTING WITH CONNECTICUT
I never get down to Connecticut, but I get lots of email from poets there. One thing I wish I’d not missed was writer Julia Cameron’s workshop at Litchfield’s Wisdom House January 10 - 11. I have a great interest in Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, even though she was once horribly snotty to me in a bookstore in California.

Another interesting note came from our old friend Faith Vicinanza, about the Wednesday Night poetry series in Bethel. Seems they’re putting together an anthology to celebrate their 8th year, so if you’ve read at this popular series, drop them a line. Submission dates are November 1, 2002 through February 1, 2003. Please mail submissions to AH Bridgers, 25 Lake Drive, New Milford, CT 06776 or email at poechick1@yahoo.com.

For more on Connecticut poetry events, visit the CT Poetry Calendar, at The Fairfield Review.

AROUND THE COUNTRY
Well, that was long. Next time we’ll have less catching up to do. In the meantime, a couple notes and shout-outs. RIP to dear friends and writers Michael Byrd and William McLain, both of Southern California. You’ll be missed dearly. Also, RIP to punk God Joe Strummer, because if I had never heard the Clash’s “Spanish Bombs” or “Safe European Home” I might never have become a poet, and that’s a fact.

Welcome to likely new National Endowment for the Arts head Dana Gioia, a poet with more than a few interesting things to say. Indeed, he said a few of them on NPR’s “The Connection.” You can listen to it here. Oh, and “Victor from Worcester?” That’s me.

Lastly, a big jeer at Fox for canceling the best new TV show of the season, “Firefly.” To find out about the “Save Firefly” campaign, visit the Firefly: Immediate Assistance site.

And that’s that. Please drop me an email with poetry gossip at victor@quantumredhead.com, or just visit my Web site.

Victor Infante