why are the green mountains green?

I'm posting events throughout Vermont of interest to those interestred in poetry. As much as I can. As much as I can, writing about my own process and perceptions, as it is...

Name: shy blossom

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

postcard poems


This is Rolf Parker and Eric Blomquist. After our reading, we (Tara Gorvine included) went to Flat Street Brew Pub for drinks and dinner. I'd tried taking video, but it didn't come out too well, especially since the battery on the camera blitzed out shortly after I started taking photos.
Other news: I've been asked to teach a couple of poetry workshops for an extra-cirricular series focusing on creative writing, for middle schoolers. I'm excited about it. That's happening on November.
Projects: Throughout September, some friends and I participated in a postcard poetry exchange. Meaning, each day we wrote a poem on the back of a postcard and sent it to the next person down the list of participants. It was really fun. And though I started late, I was able to get all but one sent out before the end of the month.
My method: creating them on my computer and laying them out in postcard-sized boxes and printing four at a time. There were some days I wrote 8 or 12 small poems, just so I could catch up. Surprizingly, the work wasn't that hard. I had plenty of material to work with. And though many of the poems were predictable (to me at least), I liked them, for their readability, their music, and my relationship to them. Most of them I was proud to send off to my friends, unedited as they were. It was a great reminder to me that I liked writing poetry and that I have a natural talent for it.
The best part of this whole exchange,though, was receiving a steady stream of poems in the mail. Each of them speaking, as if to me personally, of flowers and monkeys and mermaids and conviction. It was awesome. And this most of all, helped to fuel my writing.

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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Poets of the Past

Sunday, October 21, 4 p.m. - The Poets of the Past reading series will resume at the Twilight Tea Lounge. This month’s featured poets will be Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) (read by Phayvanh Luekhamhan), James Dickey (1923-1997) (read by Rolf Parker), Donald Justice (1925-2004) (read by Eric Blomquist), and Jane Kenyon (1947-1995) (read by Tara Gorvine). Each will read for about 15 minutes. The series will continue on the third Sunday afternoon of the month through the spring.

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

last minute events in So. Vt

NAMAYA READS AT PUTNEY LIBRARY
Thursday, October 18
7 - 8:30 p.m.
Namaya will present works from his new collection of poetry and fables Blue Heron Pond: A long Song for the Earth at Putney Public Library, Thursday, October 18, 7:00 p.m. Included in Namaya’s new work are tales from the monk Li Pon. In this intimate evening Namaya will weave an enchanted story of the Green Mountain State. Namaya is an internationally renowned performance artist of the spoken word. He has performed throughout the US, NYC, on tours in Europe and recent performances have take him to Ireland, Japan, Malaysia & an extended tour in New Zealand.
www.vermontpoet.com

And the Poets of The Past series starts up again for the winter on Sunday, October 21st at 4 pm. Held monthly at The Twilight Tea Lounge, readers will present works of dead poets. This month features Eric Blomquist presenting Donald Justice, Rolf Parker reading James Dickey, and others (Including yours truly), as yet undecided on their choice of poet. Please come!

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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

upcoming events throughout the state

Note: this does NOT include any previously-posted-about events. Scroll through past posts to find them.

Thursday, Oct 11th

Karin Gottshall reads from her book, Crocus at 7 pm at the Ilsley Public library in Middlebury. info: 802-388-4095.

Open Mike Reading at Boccelli's in Bellows Falls, starting at 7:30. Early sign up is encouraged. This is ongoing, 2nd & 4th Thursdays.

Friday, Oct 12th

Marathon Reading / Recitation of Homer's epic, The Odyssey pn the steps of the Middlebury College Library, from 4-6. This continues Saturday, Oct 13th, 10 am - 3 pm. Info: 802-443-5013.

Also on Saturday, a poetry and music performance opens the gallery exhibition of photojournalist Orin Langelle's work at the Plainfield Community Center. Starts at 7:30 and free! Performers not listed. Info: 482-2689.

Wednesday, Oct 17th

Spoken Word Open Mike at Dobra Tea in Burlington, featuring a few Otter Creek Poets. 7 - 9 pm. Free. Info: 802-999-1664.

Tuesday, Oct 23rd

PoeJazz at the Black Door Bar and Bistro in Montpelier featuring a variety of folks including David Budbill, Tony Weedon, Jeff Salisbury and others. Continues the next night, too! Starts 8:30. Nominal cover.

Thursday, Oct 25th

David Cavanagh reads as part of the Vermont Independent School for the Arts Thursday reading series in Sharon. 7:30 pm, donation.

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Tuesday, October 2, 2007

october events, so far

OK, it’s not that there hasn’t been poetry in September in Vermont. I’m bummed that www.poetz.com’s Vermont section had only one listing. You will have missed the great poetry happening in both Burlington and Brattleboro, in each of their respective literary festivals (follow the links). I at least got to attend Major Jackson’s reading in Burlington. More on that later.

This month, poetz has three listings. But here’s more:

Oct 2nd [TONIGHT]: poet Tom Absher gives a special reading from his book, The Paper Rose, at 7:30 in Noble Lounge on the Vermont College campus. This event is open to the public.
For more information contact:Gail MacDonaldUnion Institute & University 36 College St Montpelier, VT 05602-3128 802.828.8500
gail.macdonald@tui.edu

David Budbill and others will hold a reading here in Montpelier, above the TW Wood Gallery at the Vermont College Chapel on Sunday, Oct. 7th at 3 pm. It’s a memorial reading in honor of the late Vermont State Poet Laureate, Grace Paley.

Poet and novelist Chris Abani holds a public reading in Johnson at the Vermont Studio Center’s Lecture Hall on Main Street at 8 pm on Monday, Oct 22nd. Reservations suggested, (802) 635.2727. This is FREE.

And the wonderful poet Brian Turner, who read at last year’s Brattleboro Literary Festival returns to Vermont on Oct. 25th for a reading at Kingdom Books.

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