First off, hello from New York City -- the city that is not only surviving but getting stronger. Although the impact of the WTC disaster on our community is obvious, I am happy to report that as I've combed through the poetry readings, I have yet to encounter a poet missing. Many friends, many family members... but luckily, our poetic community is intact. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and emails. And on to the Museletter:

THE PEOPLE'S POETRY
New York City's poetry community is not only intact, but growing, it seems, as New Yorkers are putting feelings to paper and posting all over the city. In an effort to archive these precious, mostly anonymous poems, CityLore and the People’s Poetry Gathering, cosponsored by Poets House, have been gathering them and posting them online at www.peoplespoetry.org. This ever-growing collection of poems is amazing. You should definitely check it out, and also contribute a line or two to a collaborative poem that is being created on the PPG Web site.

From the CityLore announcement:

When the World Trade Towers collapsed, ending thousands of innocent lives, bits of paper from the offices in the Towers scattered across the City. In the days that followed, on similar scraps of papers, on index cards, chalked on to sidewalks, poems began to appear. All over New York City, and in missives sent to those of us who live in the City from around the world, human beings have responded to tragedy in poems, creating a wordscape in places like Union Square, city firehouses, and memorials in all five boroughs. City Lore and the People’s Poetry Gathering, cosponsored by Poets House, have been documenting these poems, and posting some on >www.peoplespoetry.org. Please email us with poems and poetic writings and phrases that you have witnessed in the wake of the tragedy.

WORDS TOWARD COMPASSION
On Wednesday, October 17 at 7 pm, an amazing set of poets will gather to help raise funds for the NYC World Trade Center Relief Fund. The event will take place at the New School's Tishman Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street. The reading will feature About's own Bob Holman, David Lehman, Marilyn Hacker, Ram Devineni, Eileen Myles, Aileen Cho, Bonafide, Suheir Hammad, Travis Montez & many more New York poets, policemen and firemen who will be reading works of healing.

POETS GIVING MORE THAN JUST BLOOD TO THE RED CROSS
On Saturday, October 13 at 4 pm, join the Poets for Peace as they raise money for the American Red Cross of Greater New York. The performance will take place at the West Chelsea (26th Street & 10th Avenue) and poets include Ciaran Berry, Evan Eisman, Barbara Elovic, Gary Keenan, Aaron Landesman, Sharon Mesmer, jazz singer Madeline Peyroux and choreographer Fiona Marcotty. Great poetry for a great cause.

WORKSHOP YOUR GRIEF
Fall Community Workshop Leader Johanna Keller writes about the importance of poetry at this tragic time, noting that “during times of great suffering and strife, poets have answered this question with words that have endured.” Ms. Keller will be hosting a workshop to help poets come together, reading current poems and writing new ones. Each class will include close readings of poems and related optional exercises. Writers at all levels of development are welcome. The workshop will meet 8 consecutive Wednesdays beginning October 17th. The fee is $200. Johanna Keller is the author of The Skull: North Carolina, 1961 (The Press at Colorado College, 1998) and co-editor of Carolyn Kizer: Perspectives on Her Life and Work (CavanKerry Press, 2001). The workshop will be held at The Society for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Road, in the Bronx. Write or call 718.549.5192 for details.

GERTRUDE STEIN LIVES!
This month The Poetry Project at St. Mark's is keeping strong its tradition of celebrating amazing voices in poetry. Friday, October 12th at 10:30 pm, their Friday Night Series hosts Part I of “Celebrating Gertrude Stein” organized by Bevya Rosten. Poets and performers will present works by Stein and works of their own that were influenced by her; participants include dancer Sally Silvers, poet Bruce Andrews, playwright/director Irene Fornes, Anne-Marie Levine, and surprise guests. Come celebrate Stein! Admission to all events is $7, $4 for students and seniors, and $3 for Poetry Project members. The Poetry Project is located in St. Mark's Church at the corner of 2nd Avenue and 10th Street in Manhattan. Please call 212.674.0910 for more information or visit The Poetry Project Web site. The Pink Pony West Reading Series is stronger than ever after its move to the Cornelia Street Café (located at 29 Cornelia Street). $6 admission gets you a free drink and a night of great poetry. Open mike starts at 6, featured readingss around 7. Check out the amazing schedule at www.poetz.com, which includes Sarah Cortez, Meagan Brothers, Vincent Toro & Juxtapose, Thea Hillman and Ken Thompson.

PINK PONY CARRIES ON
The indomitable Friday night Pink Pony West series continues at its semi-new sport, the Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street, NYC. Hosted by Maggie Balistreri & Jackie Sheeler and costing only $6, the open mike starts at 6 and the feature reads around 7. Features this month include:

• Oct 5 - Vicki Hudspith & percussionist Daniel Freedman
• Oct 12 - Jennifer You
• Oct 19 - Jack Agueros
• Oct 26 - Emily XYZ

SEE SEKOU
On Tuesday, October 23rd at 8:30 pm, the transcendental poet Sekou Sundiata will be appearing at Joe's Pub. This amazing poet is worth the $20 ticket, and advance tickets are available from Telecharge at 212.239.6200. Dinner reservations are also available; just call 212.539.8778.

CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND HARD PLACE
All right, I am throwing out a pretty difficult choice at you for a Monday night: two great readings on Monday, October 15th. First off, newly relocated to New York, Chicago legend Shappy will be performing with me at the Little Bit Louder reading series at Bar 13 (13th and University) at 7 pm. Shappy and I -- a real-life poetry couple and nationally touring commodity under the moniker “Shaptowicz” -- will be performing our last few shows before we start our tenure at Bob Holman's new poetry club: The Bowery Poetry Club, which will open in January.

Now for the hard part: Philly native and international poetry god Jeffrey McDaniel will be performing a free gig at KGB bar at 7:30 pm also on October 15th. KGB Bar is located at 85 East 4th @ Second Avenue, and Jeff is joined by fellow wordsmith Nick Carbo. For info on this gig, call KGB bar at 212.505.3360.

So that's October for you. I hope this Museletter finds you all well and safe. Keep reading & keep writing. Till next time...

Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz