Albany Poets Presents, Tuesday, Feb 3

Albany Poets is returning to Valentines on Tuesday, February 3 for our monthly open mic for poetry and spoken word. This month, in addition to all of the great poetry, we will have information on the Albany Word Fest that is coming up in April.

ALBANY POETS PRESENTS is Albany Poets monthly open mic for poetry, spoken word, and music. This event is hosted by Thom Francis.

When we are not having special events, such as the annual Airing of Grievances or the Johnny Cash Tribute Night, this is a No Gimmick Open Mic series. This means no features, no special theme, no mysterious name for the show… just a stage, a microphone, a sign-up sheet, and an audience.

Sign up starts at 7:00PM, the reading starts at 8:00PM. Valentines is located at 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany (right between Washington Park and Albany Med).

Recording From Poets Speak Loud Tom Nattell Tribute Now Available

In case you missed last night’s Poets Speak Loud Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss or if you were there and want to take the reading along with you, go to the Albany Poets Podcast page and download the recordings.

Poets Speak Loud - January 26, 2009, Part 1

Dan Wilcox hosts the Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss at the Lark Tavern with poetry and spoken word from Alan Catlin,  A.C. Everson, Julie Lamoe, Mary Panza, Josh McIntyre, Dan Stalter, Cheryl A. Rice, R.M. Engelhardt, and Mr. Lee.

Poets Speak Loud - January 26, 2009, Part 2

We continue the Fourth Anniversary Open Mic / Tom Nattell Tribute / Beret Toss at the Lark Tavern after a little break with poetry and spoken word from Dan Wilcox, Jason Krane, John Allen, Tess Lecuyer, Todd Fabozi, Chris Brabham, Amanda Rose, D. Rizzo, Shannon Shoemaker, Sylvia Barnard, and Scott Casale.

Poetic tribute to Tom Nattell - timesunion.com

The local poetry scene has been getting quite a lot of coverage over the past few weeks.  Today, the Times Union has a post on its Creative Capital blog about tonight’s Poets Speak Loud tribute to Tom Nattell (pictured on the right with Allen Ginsberg in 1990 in front of the QE2).

Until his death in 2005, Tom Nattell was the undisputed dean of the Albany poetry scene. Even though he was battling cancer, the 52-year-old Nattell was slated to be the featured poet at the inaugural installment of “Poets Speak Loud,” a monthly series of open-mike poetry readings held at Tess’ Lark Tavern in Tavern. But Nattell passed away on the morning of his scheduled 2005 reading, and the evening was transformed into a tribute to the poet and his belief in the power of poetry to build community. That first “Poets Speak Loud” evening was capped off - literally - when the poets paraded to the statue of poet Robert Burns in Washington Park, where they placed a beret atop Burns’ bronze head - a beret similar to the one that Nattell frequent wore.

Click the link below to read the whole article by Greg Haymes.

Poetic tribute to Tom Nattell - Local arts - Creative Capital - timesunion.com - Albany NY

Live Recording From Poetry at the UAG with Miriam Axel-Lute and Amanda Rose

Friday night Miriam Axel-Lute and Amanda Rose featured at the opening of the new season of Poetry at the UAG. 

We have the audio from that reading available for download on the Albany Poets Podcast page.  

Miriam Axel-Lute

Miriam Axel-Lute is a mother, Albany resident, freelance writer and copy-editor, and columnist for Metroland. Her poetry has been published in various journals and anthologies, including You Are Here: New York City's Streets in Poetry and Hunger Enough: Living Spiritually in a Consumer Society. Miriam has performed in pulpits, bookstores, bars, and living rooms all over the Northeast, and has two chapbooks, Souls Like Mockingbirds and Packing to Stay.

Amanda Rose

Amanda is the quintessential Gemini, floating in and out of the Albany poetry scene since 1998. A passionate woman, an unabashed workaholic and an insomniac, she previously hosted "Alchemy of the Word" open mic at the old Lion-Heart and has been featured at Mother Earth's, Changing Spaces, Valentine's & Poets Speak Loud at the Lark Tavern. After 10 years of writing mostly about the chaos of love (be it romantic, sexually deviant, platonic, spiritual or familial), she realizes that she still has a lot of learning & living yet to do...and a lot of tales left to write.

Dan Wilcox Talks About the Small Press Reading at the UAG

Dan Wilcox has a new post up on his blog talking about the small press reading at the UAG Gallery last Saturday.  This reading featured poets and representatives from the local small presses that were a part of the New Beginnings show.

Matthew Klane hosted this reading by representatives of small presses with connections to the Capital Region as part of the month-long exhibit at the Gallery. The presses had had their books on display since the First Friday of January monthly art walk, along with an exhibit of photos from "the world's largest collection of photos of unknown poets" by me, Dan Wilcox.

Be sure to check out the rest of the article here.

Poetry Slam at RPI

From our fiends over at the La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity at RPI announcing their upcoming annual poetry slam on February 20.

We the brothers of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity will be hosting our 12th Annual Poetry Slam on Friday February 20th at 7:00PM in the Biotech Auditorium at RPI. It is a free event and open to the public to compete in. This years theme is "Armageddon: Point of No Return?". Below is a link to the website where you can view all the information on the rules and regulations of the overall poetry slam and competition.

Check out the site for more information on this event and find out how you can get involved.

Forum Follows Function

In this weeks edition of Metroland, there is an article about the local small press  poetry scene.  Thom Francis, Mary Panza, Dan Wilcox, Chris Rizzo, Rachel Zitomer, Matthew Klane and many others were interviewed for this article discussing the current Albany scene, its history, and where it may be going from here.  The article also talks about the recent small press book fair at the UAG Gallery.

Albany Poets (albanypoets.com) is as much an organizational body, networking apparatus, and community of friends as it is a poetry press. “The important thing is that we provide a microphone and a Web site because it is your right to express yourself,” Panza says. “We want to give you the forum to do that.”

Click the link below to read the entire article on the Metroland site or go out and pick up a copy for yourself.

Forum Follows Function - Metroland Online - Feature

Capital Region Poets React to Inauguration Poem

Albany Poets own Mary Panza and Dan Wilcox are featured on the Times Union site reacting to Elizabeth Alexander’s poem at President Obama’s inauguration.

“She was speaking about the immigrant experience. The kitchen table is the meeting place for so many different ethnic cultures in this country. I’m third generation Italian, and in our household everything was decided around the kitchen table,” said Panza, who also hosts the Poet Speak Loud readings on the last Monday of each month at Tess’ Lark Tavern.

Click the link below to read the entire article.

Capital Region Poets React to Inauguration Poem

Friday, Jan 23 and Monday, Jan 26

Hey Everyone

We hope you are sticking to your New Year's resolutions and that one of them is more poetry. We have a great line up at the UAG, 247 Lark Street, this Friday, January 23rd @ 7pm. We are pleased to have Miriam Axel-Lute and Amanda Rose.

Miriam Axel-Lute is a mother, Albany resident, freelance writer and copy-editor, and columnist for Metroland. Her poetry has been published in various journals and anthologies, including You Are Here: New York City's Streets in Poetry and Hunger Enough: Living Spiritually in a Consumer Society. Miriam has performed in pulpits, bookstores, bars, and living rooms all over the Northeast, and has two chapbooks, Souls Like Mockingbirds and Packing to Stay.

Amanda is the quintessential Gemini, floating in and out of the Albany poetry scene since 1998. A passionate woman, an unabashed workaholic and an insomniac, she previously hosted "Alchemy of the Word" open mic at the old Lion-Heart and has been featured at Mother Earth's, Changing Spaces, Valentine's & Poets Speak Loud at the Lark Tavern. After 10 years of writing mostly about the chaos of love (be it romantic, sexually deviant, platonic, spiritual or familial), she realizes that she still has a lot of learning & living yet to do...and a lot of tales left to write.

Keep your long underwear on because on Monday, January 26th at Tess' Lark Tavern we have our special POETS SPEAK LOUD anniversary/beret toss/fundraiser for The Tom Nattell Memorial Scholarship open mic. This is so special that we have a special guest host...Dan Wilcox! The sign-up will go out at 7:30 and the mic begins at 8pm. $3 donation and all donations that night go the Tom Nattell Memorial Scholarship.The beret toss became a tradition in 2005 and we brave the weather every year to the Robert Burns Statue. If you want to know what happens next...well you should show up. Bring anything you have to say and the attitude to say it. We have freedom of speech. We suggest you use it.

Poetry on the Radio?

Bob Wright sent along this announcement about a special Valentines Day poetry event brought to you by Catskill Community Radio.

Catskill  Community Radio Presents

Word Upstage!

A Valentine's Day Special Event of Regional Writers Reading Original Love Poetry Saturday, February 14, Potluck Dinner at 6 PM, Show From 7- 9; FREE

An enjoyable evening of original love poetry from both sides of the fence!  We will feature two poets from the women's writing group from Skidmore known as The Salon and two male poets as they read original works dealing with the pleasures and pitfalls of love.  Starring Georganna Millman, Therese Broderick, Will Nixon and Bob Wright.  You need not be in love to attend!  Not to be missed, but if you must miss it, tune in live at www.catskillradio.org

New Open Mic at the Fuze Box

R.M. Engelhardt is bringing VOX back to Albany.  This time around the open mic for poets, poetry, and writers will kick things off on Friday, January 30 and continue on the last Friday of each and every month.  Dr. Sax will also be returning to the scene after a few years off.  Here is the information from Rob:

V o X
An Open Mic For Poets, Poetry & Writers
To Be Held Every Last Friday of Each Month At
The Fuze Box, 13 Central Avenue, Albany, NY.

STARTING ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2009
Signup @ 7:30pm - Starttime 8pm.
Hosted By Poet R.M. Engelhardt
With The Return Of Dr. Sax
(Bruce Richardson & James Washburn)

$4.00 Donation

For more information on this new/reborn open mic be sure to contact R.M. Engelhardt at his MySpace page or blog site.  

Poetry Open Mic at Galway Public Library

On Tuesday, January 27, the night after Poets Speak Loud, the Galway Public Library will be hosting a poetry open mic.  Here is the information from the library:

You’re invited to a Poetry Open Mic at the Galway Public Library on Tuesday, January 27^th, at 7:00 pm. Poets are urged to come share a poem or two with a friendly audience. If you're not a poet, please come and be part of the friendly audience! Light refreshments will be served.

The library is located on Rte. 147 in Galway, 882- 6385 for more information.

Check it out if you live in Saratoga County or even just passing through.

Presidential Open Mic at Live From The Living Room

This just in from Don Levy:

Live From the Living Room is a featured poetry reading series with an open mic afterwards.  The reading is held at The Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Center, 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY.  The sign up is at 7pm with the reading starting at &:30.  The next reading is on January 14 with an open mic.  Read one old poem (yours or someone else) and a new poem or read poems about your favorite or least favorite US President.

Sign up is at 7pm with 7:30 start time with host Don Levy and $2.00 suggested donation.  For more info call (518) 462-6138.  This is a straight-friendly reading.

I am sure after this mornings press conference with President Bush, there will be some inspiration for some great poetry.

For Obama's poet, poetry 'is the human voice'

I am not sure who “W” had read a poem at his inauguration considering Dr. Suess has been dead for years, but here is an article on CNN.com about Elizabeth Alexander, the poet who will be reading a special poem written for the event after President Obama makes his speech. 

“I think that the fact that President-elect Obama has decided to have a poem in this ceremony is a wonderful affirmation to the power of language, the way in which poetry gives us distilled and mindful and careful language that can both give us a moment of pause, a moment of contemplation and that can also ... look at the world from a slightly different angle.”

It is good to see that poetry still has a place in American culture and is welcomed to document history and be a part of such a great event.  Poets such as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou have read at previous presidential inaugurations.  Congratulations to Ms. Alexander for joining such a group of talented and amazing writers.

Commentary: For Obama's poet, poetry 'is the human voice' - CNN.com

Taylor Mali To Read For Frequency North At Saint Rose

Here is some information on slam poet and teacher Taylor Mali coming into town for a reading at the Frequency North series at St. Rose.

Frequency North, the aggressively eclectic visiting writers reading series at The College of Saint Rose, rolls on with slam poet Taylor Mali, a former teacher who uses his artistry with words to turn people to the teaching profession.

Mali will read at Saint Rose Thursday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the College’s Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium, 985 Madison Ave., Albany. Copies of Mali’s latest work will be available for purchase and signing. Frequency North is sponsored by The College of Saint Rose School of Arts and Humanities and is free and open to the public.

Mali is a former teacher who now makes his living as a professional poet. Through poetry, passion and perseverance, he wants to turn 1,000 people to the teaching profession. He is considered the most successful poetry slam strategist of all time, having led six of his eight national poetry slam teams to the finals stage and winning the championship itself a record four times before anyone had even tied him at three. The New York City native was one of the original poets to appear on the HBO original series “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.” Mali also was the “golden-tongued, Armani clad villain” of Paul Devlin’s 1997 documentary film SlamNation, which chronicled the National Poetry Slam Championship of 1996, the year of Mali’s first national team championship.

Mali is a vocal advocate of teachers, having performed and lectured for education professionals all over the world. Mali received a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant in 2001 to develop “Teacher! Teacher!” a one-man show about poetry, teaching and math that won the jury prize for best solo performance at the 2001 U. S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Taylor Mail at Frequency North
Thursday, February 26, 2009, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Saint Joseph Auditorium, Albany, NY

For more information, you can contact Daniel Nester at daniel.nester@strose.edu

Third Thursday Poetry Night Featuring Nicole Karas

The first Third Thursday of the new year and what a way to kick things off.  The phenomenal Nicole Karas is the feature poet this month.  Here are the details from Dan Wilcox.

the Poetry Motel Foundation presents Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center (33 Central Ave., Albany, NY)

Thursday, January 15, 2009.  7:00 sign up; 7:30 start

Featured Poet: Nicole Karas

Nicole Karas has written poetry since she first laid her hands on a salt and pepper composition notebook in elementary school.  She is excited about the Albany poetry scene and the people involved in it.

-- with open mic for community poets before & after the feature: $3.00 donation, suggested; more if you got it, less if you can’t. Your hopeful host: Dan Wilcox.

This is one of the best open mics / poetry nights in Albany, so if you have a little extra time on a Thursday night, you would benefit from heading over to Central Ave.

Small Press reading at UAG This Saturday

The folks that brought you the very successful small press fair at the UAG Gallery (247 Lark Street, Albany) for First Friday a couple of weeks ago are coming back for a special poetry reading this coming Saturday at the UAG.

From 2:00PM – 5:00PM poets and representatives from Albany Poets, Flim Forum Press, Fence Books, A.P.D. Press, and Anchorite Press will be reading their work and talking about small press in Albany.  Some of the poets scheduled to read are Eric Gelsinger, Rebecca Wolff, Anthony Bernini, Colie Collen, Pierre Joris, Thom Francis, and R.M. Engelhardt.

Be sure to check this event out on Saturday afternoon and support local small presses by purchasing their books.

Two Readings at Inquiring Mind Bookstore in New Paltz

Just got this announcement from Phillip Levine about two upcoming readings at the Inquiring Mind Bookstore in New Paltz.  These readings have pretty impressive lineups of poets, some have read in Albany over the years.  Be sure to check these out if you are in the area.

SUNDAY, January 11th from 5 pm to 7pm: "Chronogram Poetry Picks," a reading by poets with books reviewed in the January issue of Chronogram, including: Ed Sanders, Robert Kelly, Anne Gorrick, Susan Sindall, Djelloul Marbrook, Mary Katherine Jablonski, Robert Milby, Donald Lev, Peter Gizzi, Roberta Gould, Will Nixon, William Seaton, and Lee Gould. Refreshments will be served.

SATURDAY, February 7th at 6:30: A group reading from "The Poet's Guide to the Birds," a new anthology published by Aningha Press, edited by Judith Kitchen and former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. The reading will feature local poets Will Nixon, Matt Spireng, Barbara Adams, David Nightingale, and Rich Parisio. Refreshments will be served.

Both events will be held at Inquiring Minds Bookstore, located at 6 Church Street in New Paltz, NY. Please call 845-255-8300 for additional information and directions.

Woodstock Poetry Society, Saturday, January 10

Woodstock Poetry Society & Festival as part of the Woodstock Arts Consortium is sponsoring the following poetry event as part of the Woodstock "Second Saturdays" Art Events. For a full listing of "Second Saturday" events, see: www.woodstockartsconsortium.org.

Please note: WPS&F is meeting at Woodstock Community Center (56 Rock City Road) for January 10th, February 14th, and March 14th meetings. WPS&F will return to Woodstock Town Hall (76 Tinker Street) for April 11th, meeting.

Writer Michael Hare and poet D. Alex Bird will be the featured readers when the Woodstock Poetry Society & Festival meets at the Woodstock Community Center, 56 Rock City Road, on Saturday, January 10th at 2pm. Note: WPS&F meetings are held the 2nd Saturday of every month.

The readings will be hosted by Woodstock area poet Phillip Levine. All meetings are free, open to the public, and include an open mike.

Michael Hare - I moved to Saratoga Springs in 1982, and landed a job in the News Department of a local radio station.  That position allowed, and required, me to become familiar with the City’s political, social and cultural activities very quickly.  Later, I became a Tour Guide for a Travel Agency, and enhanced my knowledge of the area’s history.

Saratoga Lives is my first published book.  It traces Saratoga’s history through the voices of its characters, both real and imagined.  Staged readings of Saratoga Lives have been performed in Albany and Saratoga Springs (including Saratoga’s First Night), and the book is currently part of the curriculum of the Saratoga Springs High School.  I’ve been interviewed by several local radio stations, including WAMC in Albany.

D. Alex Bird - Alex Bird has been published in The Trillium, Poetic Voices, The Unknown Writer, The Samsara Quarterly, Chronogram and The Paterson Literary Review, where he won an Honorable Mention in the 2001 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Prize. He lives and works in the Hudson Valley.

Please note the changes in our upcoming schedule (we will meet at the Woodstock Community Center at 56 Rock City Road until the April 11, 2009 meeting when we will return to Town Hall at 76 Tinker Street).

Upcoming Featured Poets:
2/14 - Voyage by Josie Peralta, Ted Gill, and Glen River (at Woodstock Community Center)
3/14 - Rebecca Schumejda, Robert Milby (at Woodstock Community Center)
4/11 - Georganna Millman (Formulary), TBA (at Woodstock Town Hall)

Also, why not become a 2009 Member of the Woodstock Poetry Society & Festival?
Membership is a nominal $15 a year. (To join, send your check to the Woodstock Poetry Society, P.O. Box 531, Woodstock, NY 12498. Include your email address as well as your mailing address and phone number.)  Your membership helps pay for hall rental, post-office-box rental, the WPS website, and costs associated with publicizing the monthly events. One benefit of membership is the opportunity to have a brief biography and several of your poems appear on this website.

Speaking and Squeaking

Came across this site today and found an article/review of the Jawbone series at the UAG.  The author of the article writes about the November 14 edition with Ed Rinaldi and Chris Funkhouser, pointing out the differences between two poets and performances. 

He also mentions that fact that the reading did start on time, which as we all know, very rarely happens.

We walked into a poetry reading two minutes after its posted start time, and it was already ongoing. The reading had begun on time. I’ve never seen a poetry reading start on time, so I was a bit taken aback, but we found a couple of seats together and sat down to take in the show.

Click the link below to read the article.  Definitely worth it.  Also, if you also attended this reading, let us know what you thought in the comments.

dbqp: visualizing poetics: Speaking and Squeaking

Inaugural Poetry Event in Northampton

Northampton Poet Laureate Lesléa Newman, The Florence Poets Society, and the Northampton Arts Council will host an open poetry reading on Tuesday, January 20th starting at 6:30 p.m.at the Yellow Sofa Café (24 Main Street, Northampton, MA) to celebrate the election of President Barack Obama.

Poets are asked to write an inauguration poem celebrating this momentous occasion and bring it to read.  Sign up will begin at 6:00 p.m.

"Barack Obama loves poetry; he is having poet Elizabeth Alexander read at his inauguration, he has been spotted with a book of Derek Walcott's tucked under his arm, he is going to be a fabulous president in terms of supporting the literary arts," said Poet Laureate Lesléa Newman, who will emcee the event. "I don't know who came up with the idea originally, but similar events will be happening coast to coast, and the goal is to make this the biggest simultaneous open reading of debut poetry that's ever happened in this country. I know the poets of the Northampton community are going to write amazing poems to read for, about, and in celebration of Barack Obama, and I can't wait to hear them.

"No previous writing experience is necessary in order to participate. Come one, come all, and read a poem for Obama!”

The Yellow Sofa is located at 24 Main Street in Northampton, and offers delicious Mediterranean food such as hummus and spinach and feta pie, as well as a wide assortment of coffee, tea, and locally baked goods.

For more information, about the event, contact: Lesléa Newman at
413-552-3865 or leslea@lesleakids.com.  For information about the Florence Poets Society, contact Carl Russo at fpoets@localnet.com.

Albany Poets Presents at Valentines

Ring in the new year with poetry, music, and spoken word as Albany Poets Presents comes back to Valentines on Tuesday, January 5.  Sign up starts at 7:00pm and the open mic starts at 8:00pm. 

We will also have some copies of OTHER:TEN at the show as well for all of those who were not able to make it to the UAG Gallery on Friday for the small press open house that was part of First Friday.

ALBANY POETS PRESENTS is Albany Poets monthly open mic for poetry, spoken word, and music. This event is hosted by Thom Francis.

ALBANY POETS PRESENTS takes place at Valentines Music Hall (17 New Scotland Ave.) on the first Tuesday of each and every month.

Mary Cuffe Perez at Caffe Lena

The Caffe Lena Poetry Open Mic returns this Wednesday, January 7 with featured poet Mary Cuffe Perez.

Mary Cuffe Perez is a writer and amateur naturalist living in Galway, New York.  She has a poetry book, The Woman of Too Many Days, published with Calyx Press and most recently, a children’s novel  , Skylar (Philomel Books 2008). Her short fiction has appeared in New England Quarterly, Groundswell, 13^th Moon and Salvage magazines.  and her poetry has appeared in numerous literary magazines over the years, including the Washout Review, Blueline, Bitterroot, Yankee Magazine and the Seattle Review.

Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic
Wednesday, January 7
7pm sign up, 7:30 readings start
Featured Poet: Mary Cuffe Perez
$3
Hosted by Carol Graser
Caffe Lena, 47 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs 518-583-0022

Stephen Lewandowski To Read in Voorheesville

Noted environmental leader and poet, Stephen Lewandowski will appear at the Voorheesville Public Library, 51 School Rd., Voorheesville, N.Y. on Sunday January 4, 2008 at 2 pm. He will discuss his bioregional and watershed interests as well as read a selection of his poems. An informal question and answer session will immediately follow his presentation. He is a founder of the Coalition for Hemlock and Canadice Lakes and the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Task Force and worked on the development of watershed management plans for many of the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. His most recent book of poems, One Life, was published by Wood Thrush Books of Vermont. He is releasing a small book of poems, Digging Wild Soils, which will be published in early 2009 by Delmar’s Benevolent Bird Press

For more information, contact Alan Casline, Rootdrinker Institute, Box 522, Delmar, NY 12054 at ACASLINE@AOL.COM or by phone at 518-475-7781