Greetings from New York City, which has been showing its holiday spirit in the past month: Rockefeller Center’s tree was a splendor, ice skaters were twirling in Central Park and noses -- after an unusually warm autumn -- finally began turning red. But not everything gets colder in winter: the poetry scene here is as hot as ever, with tons of diverse offerings. So let’s get started!

NYC POETRY BOOK COLLECTIONS: POETS HOUSE & HOUSING WORKS
The venerable and incredible New York mainstay, Poets House, held their holiday book sale in December, selling off duplicate copies to make space for additional contributions to their newly renovated and expanded 40,000-volume poetry showcase. The Poets House library is free to use and open to the public, Tuesdays-Fridays 11 am - 7 pm & Saturdays 11 am - 4 pm and it's full of tapes, videos, chapbooks & little mags you can't find anywhere else. Poets House is located at 72 Spring Street, 2nd floor, New York (between Broadway & Lafayette). Please call 212.431.7920 for more information. Another great resource for poetry books is Housing Works Used Bookstore and Café, which also had a big sale in December. The bookstore also has a fabulous café and serves one strong cup of coffee. Check it out at 126 Crosby Street. For further directions, call 212.334.3324.

GOODBYE, GUY!
The New York City poetry community bids a fond farewell to one of its firebrands, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez. Guy, the founder of the Little Bit Louder reading series and member of the 1998 National Championship Nuyorican Slam Team, is leaving the city with his wife and young son to lay down some roots in Virginia. Guy has been a major mover and shaker in NYC since he first appeared in the Nuyorican open mikes. Since then he has been hosting his own readings series at Bar 13, which has created two national finalist slam teams and whole slew of new writers. He has been instrumental in both People’s Poetry Gatherings and last year’s Sell Out Po Bout. We’ll miss ya, Guy!

YEE-HA, PINK PONY!

SPEAKING OF SHEELER…
Jackie Sheeler will be teaching a performance workshop called “Putting It Out There” at The Writer's Voice of the 63rd Street Y during the winter & spring sessions. This workshop is not for slam poets, but for non-slam poets interested in performing their work, who need just a bit of help in getting started. Topics covered include poem selection, poem delivery, venue selection, choosing the right mix of poems for the right venues, overcoming stage fright, pacing and modulation, rhythm and silence, how to introduce -- or not introduce! -- your work, audience assessment and tailoring readings on the fly. The 10-week workshop meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:45-8:45 starting January 8th and concludes with a public performance by all students at The Bowery Poetry Club. To learn more, attend the “Meet the Instructors” night at the Y on December 18th (about 7:30 pm). The Writers Voice is at 5 West 63rd Street, just off Central Park West. To register, call 212.875.4124 or write wswritersvoice@ymcanyc.org.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
There are two new series alive and kicking in Brooklyn that I’m just itching to tell you about. First is a monthly Sunday afternoon series, every first Sunday of the month at 1 pm at the Cranberry Café (located at 9506 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge -- just take the R train to 95th Street). A $3 donation will get you through the door to this warm reading hosted by Ryn Gargulinski. Bring poems to read in the open or just come and listen to the featured poet who follows.

The second new Brooklyn reading series has a special place in my heart because its first show was December 26, the day after Christmas, a very ballsy move and the same thing my own reading series did our first season. This one hosts three featured performers per night, and of course, features an open mike. It's every fourth Wednesday at 7 pm at The Green Pavilion in Brooklyn (18th Avenue @ McDonald Avenue -- take the F Train to 18th Avenue), hosted by Evie Ivy, Ryn Gargulinski & Sol Rubin.

FOR THE NEW YEAR
New Yorkers have two options this year for their poetic New Year’s celebrations:

One could go the traditional route, and show up at The Poetry Project for their 28th (28th!!) annual New Year's Day Marathon Reading, featuring such artists as Patti Smith, Edwin Torres, Jim Carroll, Yoshiko Chuma, Richard Hell, Jackson MacLow, Penny Arcade, Lenny Kaye, Taylor Mead, Julie Patton, Douglas Dunn, John Giorno, Dael Orlandersmith, Nick Zedd, Tuli Kupferberg & Eileen Myles. As usual, the marathon reading will happen at The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, located at 131 East 10th Street @ 2nd Avenue. It costs $12 for members and $15 for non-members -- which might seem steep until you remember that will cover the entire reading, from 2 pm - midnight and beyond! For more info, call 212.674.0910, but remember: no reserved seats!

Or one could take the alternative route, and join Cold Change in its 8th Annual New Year's Day Extravaganza, with cutting-edge performers such as Hasan Al-Abdullah, Charles Allcroft, Kitty Brazelton, Regie Cabico, Steve Cannon, Steve Dalachinsky, Bob Holman, W. Bliem Kern, Frank London, Grace Period, Bina Shariff, Sparrow, Surf Reality, Nathan Whiting, Rae C. Wright, Matvei Yankelevich, Yictove, Youth Speaks... and an open mike, something you won't find at St. Mark's (but sign up early early early). The Alternative New Year¹s Day Spoken Word/Performance Extravaganza will take place 4 pm - midnight at the Knitting Factory (at 74 Leonard Street between Broadway & Church). For more info, please call 212.219.3006. The event is free! Free! Free! But please bring canned goods for City Harvest.

Keep reading & keep writing!

Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz