MUSELETTER #4
11/2/99
Sad to say, our Museletter correspondent scheduled to report last week, Larry Jaffe in Los Angeles, was stricken with the flu, so we will not be hearing from him until later. Send your well-beamz his way!
Margy Snyder & Bob Holman
Your About.com Poetry Guides
MIDWEST
First Off, A Correction
Joshua Rosen from Oberlin College writes in to remind us that Dave Berman is not a member of Pavement, as mentioned last week, but simply a friend of Pavement who has two of its members in The Silver Jews. Your Midwest Museletter correspondent apologizes for this oversight. When it was mentioned that fellow Matador artist Liz Phair attended the same college as Mr. Rosen, he lamented, "Yes. People fight every year over who's going to get her old dorm room." Thanks, Josh!
More Details on Springfield Poetry Events
Job Conger wrote back this week with more specific information on poetry events in Springfield, Illinois. This is a little complicated, so pay attention. The THIRD SATURDAY of each month is an open mic and feature at Gallina's, 432 E. Monroe. TUESDAYS from 7:30 to 9ish is a poetry discussion group at Poetry & More, South 11th Street Coffee Club. FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAYS is what's called the "Poetry SCRAM" (Job says write for details) at Bixbys at Montvale Junction, 7 to 9 pm. SECOND AND FOURTH THURSDAYS is an open mic and feature at Barnes & Noble. (Josh reminds us that poets for this show must be rated PG.) And a new experimental open mic is starting NOVEMBER 13, 8 to 11 pm, at Terrapin Station, 1500 W. Wabash. Whew!Contact: Job Conger, writer@eosinc.com or (217) 544-6122
Cincinnati Is Alive and Well
Finally, Midwest Museletter is starting to hear from other states besides Illinois! Scott Goebel writes in to let us know about some open mics around the Cinncinnati (Ohio) area. On the SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAYS of each month is the "Peanut Butter & Tuna Poetry Slam," which raises food for homeless shelters. Poets must bring tuna to compete, the audience must bring peanut butter to get in, and the winner receives a quart of beer and dinner at the downstairs cafe. It's at York Street Cafe, 2nd floor, 8th and York, Newport Kentucky. The LAST SUNDAY of each month is the New Canal Street Poetry Slam, Dayton Ohio, although no address was listed in the letter. Drop Bill Abbot an email for details. The SECOND TUESDAY of each month is the Riverbank Poetry Project at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Hamilton, Ohio. On November 9 will be Georgia poet Dana Wildsmith at 7 pm, and on December 14 will be Poets of the Red Crow poetry journal (held at the Lane Public Library). Thanks, Scott, for reminding us that there's lots of poetry outside the Chicago metropolitan area.Contacts:
Tuna and Peanut Butter Slam -- Jim Palmarini, jpalm@one.net or (513) 921-9039
New Canal St. Slam -- Bill Abbot, slamguy@infinet.com or (937) 254-5188
Riverbank Poetry Project -- Scott Goebel, scottgoebel@aol.com, or Fitton at (513) 863-8873
Web site: http://cincipoetry.cjb.net
Speaking of ChicagoWell, that's all the Midwestern news this week. Remember, there's much more to the heartland than Chicago! I never hear from people in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma or Missouri (where I was born and raised). I know there are poetry events going on out there. Let me know at jpettus@hotmail.com, or visit the brand-new version of my Web site, now with daily content change.
Greg Gillam, the masterful spoken-word producer behind such legendary Chicago events as "The Amazing Gut Carnival" and "The Vice Show," has started a brand-new invitational reading series at Midwest Museletter's favorite bookstore, Quimby's. Called "The Quimbys Sessions," it will bring approximately ten writers from all different facets of life together once a month to share their stories centered around a collective theme. This month is "The Scary Part: Chicago artists talk about breakups." It features not only myself but Xeric Grant winner Carrie Golus, Todd McSweeney contributor Neal Pollack, and many more. Next month's show is entitled "What We Talk About When We Talk About Porn" and Greg promises to recruit a certain Sun-Times columnist who I'm completely in love with. Greg Gillam is my hero!When: Friday, October 29, 8 pm
Where: Quimby's Bookstore, North Avenue two blocks east of Damen, Chicago
Contact: Greg Gillam, softdog@hotmail.com
Web site: www.fengi.com or www.quimbys.com
