A long delayed Museletter from the Southern regions!

So many events went on for National Poetry Month, I attended, read at, drove north or south to twenty venues during the month. Since my last Museletter, my life has been almost a gothic novel of tragedy, comedy, and adventure, the latest excitement being that I lost my main job in early May when budget cuts eliminated my teaching position. Life moves on. I already have prospects, and look at all the extra time I'll have to get to DC for the Slam, not to mention opportunities for writing! This weekend I'm reading in two competitions at the Virginia Poetry Festival in Williamsburg, sponsored by the Poetry Society of Virginia. Whew!

DC EVENTS: SLAM, ETC.
In the DC area, you can find out all you need to know at www.dcslam.com, greater Washington DC's track to the National Poetry Slam. This is the place to hear about Myth at Teaism, downstairs at 400 8th Street NW (the corner of 8th and D Streets). Your SlamMaster and emcee is Nicki Miller. Sunday nights 7:30 - 10:30 pm, signups begin at 7. $5 cover charge, except for Grand Slam Finals night, which is $10. All proceeds to benefit Team DC's expenses for participation at the National Poetry Slam. Meet your friends, have dinner, tea, drinks -- Teaism has great food! The featured poets this Sunday, May 20: DC Writers Corps kids from Duke Ellington High and DJ Renegade.

Also upcoming in DC: On Monday, June 4, Lucille Clifton will read at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Elizabethan Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street, SE ,Washington, DC 20003. It starts at 8 pm. There is a $10 charge -- but I've seen her read and it's a bargain, folks! Box office: 202.544.7077.

Here are some regular DC poetry events (but always call to make sure, particularly in the summer when some venues take a break):

• Every Wednesday night:
  
  Mother Tongue at the Black Cat, 1831 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 8:30 pm, $5 sliding scale to $3. For more info, email info@mothertongue.org or call 202.726.1821.
  
  LA Poets at the Lake Anne Coffeehouse, Lake Anne Village Center Shopping Center, Reston, Virginia. Open reading and other general poetic nonsense from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, hosted by Raybo “who loves ya', baby?” Campbell. For more info, catch Ray at Poetray76@aol.com.
  
  
• Every Thursday night:
  
  The Poets Den at Kaffa House, 1212 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 8 pm, hosted by Abena Disroe. Open mic, great food, live music, cash bar, featured guest artists. For more info, email Olukun333@aol.com.
  
  
• Every Friday night:
  
  Yogi Records, in conjunction with The Domepome Poets and DJ Malik Shirof, presents an evening of poetry and spoken word (open mic) every Friday, 7:00 pm. Yogi Records, 2120 18th Street NW, 202.332.0583 for info. Co-hosted by Casey Langer and ThaAnthology.

SLAMICIDE! IN BALTIMORE
SLAMicide! downstairs at XandO, 3003 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD (for directions, call XandO: 410.889.7076), every Monday night, $5, open mic, local and national features, slam 7:30 pm. Cash prize for 1st and 2nd place slam winners! Your hosts: Baltimore Slammaster Nicki Miller and Granma Dave Schein.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA DATES

• June 10
  Iota Poetry Reading Series presents Doris Brody and Martha Sanchez-Lowery, 2832 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Free. 703.522.8340.
  
  
• June 29
  Michael Davis and Bernadette Geyer read their poetry at the Ellipse Art Center, 4350 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia. Free and open to the public. 703.228.7710.
  
  
• July 8
  Iota Poetry Reading Series presents Moira Burns, Mike McDermott, and Philip Vaughan, 2832 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Free. 703.522.8340.
  
  
• Poets Anonymous meets on Saturday afternoons from 2-5 pm at Red Hot and Blue in Fairfax City on Route 123, & calls itself Washington's oldest ongoing reading.

FROM THE POETRY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA

• An Evening of Poetry, Musical Masterworks and Coffee will be at Glasgow Middle School, Alexandria, on Friday, May 25th at 7:30 pm in Glasgow's Cafetorium, hosted by Dr. G.J. Tarazi and featuring the talents of Glasgow faculty, friends and alumni performers. Masterworks of Bach, Brahms, Chopin and Bruch, Dvorak, Shakespeare, Maya Angelou and Ellen Glasgow, plus original poems. Performers include John Brennan, Lisa Schnepper, Kaye Cory, Kathryn Finney, Sherrie Brady, Lezlie Jennings, Mike Rozier, Chad Fairey, Sarah Beth and Anastasia Goncarovs, Schuyler Slack, Angel Williams, Courtney Rogers, Gordon Brown and Mary Taube. The evening's proceeds will be dedicated to the Glasgow Middle School Art Department, so your generosity is most welcome. This is not a faculty talent show, but an evening that showcases talent and celebrates lifelong dedication to the fine arts. Desserts will be served by student volunteers. Glasgow Middle School's location is 4101 Fairfax Parkway, Alexandria, Virginia 22312. Contact: suegoncarovs@msn.com.
  
  
• Washington Poets' Annual Workshop Reading at Reston Community Center, June 7 from 7:30 to 10 pm. Free. The Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods is located at 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, VA 20191.
  
  
• L-A-U-G-H-S: June 23, Richard Moore will be performing (not reading) his poetry as a featured entertainer at L-A-U-G-H-S, Loudoun's Annual Unforgettable Hilarious Gigantic Storyfest!, at Claude Moore Park in Sterling, Virginia. For more information: laughs@co.loudoun.va.us or 703.771.5308.

THE BAD NEWS AND THE GOOD NEWS FROM RICHMOND
The bad news: Borders Books & Music has cancelled all open mike and workshop events “until further notice,” which probably means forever. Bad management from upstairs -- it's all over the Net. The other open mike venues in Richmond have also indicated they are ceasing operation. But, the good news: Some students at Virginia Commonwealth University had a trial run last month for an event, and they have been given permission to make it regular. They promised to let me know as soon as they do. Also, Barnes&Noble at Libbie Place will continue with its regular third Tuesday 7:30 readings. (I run those readings, and I guarantee they will continue. I may be going to work part-time there, so there may be more poetry groups getting going.)

I will soon be the Vice-president for Central Virginia for the Poetry Society of Virginia. They sponsored a contest this spring, I got a citation and one of my students received an honorable mention, from over 2,000 entries. I will be sponsoring a meeting in the fall and posting news and the feature soon.

A class in creative writing -- poetry for all levels -- will be held at the Hand Workshop Art Center this summer. “A focus on craft, emphasizing integration of image, language, sound, line and movement within a poem, will assist beginning and experienced writers with revision of their original poems. Students will read examples of poetry by accomplished poets, practice free writing from prompts and receive response to their work from class members.” Rose Elliott, instructor. Six Tuesdays from June 5 through July 10, 6:30-9:00 pm, tuition $120-135.

Artspace is a wonderful, eclectic art gallery that loves the spoken word. Two events of note are coming up this summer (and I'm reading in one!):

• June 9, Performance Series Event:
  Linda Rae Johnson reading from her Ouachita Girl prose poems and stories. Listen and laugh as Linda takes you back in time to Southern Louisiana as a 13-year-old girl, and the mishaps of youth and summers in the south. This will be Ms. Johnson's third annual reading at Artspace. Saturday at 8 pm, $5.
  
  
• July 14, Performance Series Event:
  “Womenspeak” poetry/prose reading from talented local writers including Shann Palmer. Saturday from 7 - 10 pm, free.

I'll get updates out as needed. There will be readings all over that I don't know about yet, I'm sure. Thanks for paying attention, and send me announcements. Yours in writing, reading, and carrying the poetry banner high,

Shann Palmer