Some good news

Just got the brand new, luscious looking 10th anniversary edition of Barrow Street ( thank you Peter Covino!). Lots to savor... David Lehman's " On Humility" just knocked me out --
" Best to lead your life
as if you must leave the house
and never come back."

You can get your very own copy via the link to Barrow Street on this page. Oh, and go visit Ada Books in Providence ( it's right across from Central HS on Westminster Street) where you will find a ton of poetry books all gently used and at gentle prices.

Rainy afternoon

So our little writer's group met yesterday amid the jumbled furniture and Christmas lights at Dave's Coffee. We forgave each other for writing so little since we last met, but we did a bit of scribbling and talking and laughing. I'm working on a poem about three vultures on the beach and Jake seems to know a lot about these hunched over birds.
Oh, and here's a line from a poem by Michael Dickman (in this week's New Yorker) that I read over coffee this morning...

"The invisible floating universe of kisses, rising up in a sequinned
helix of dust and cinnamon"

Something for a stormy Sunday

If you want to listen to some wonderful poetry come to the Stonington Borough tomorrow, December 7, Sunday, 5 P.M. at the Stonington Free Library to listen to poet in residence at the James Merrill house, Piotr Gwiazda read from both his work and that of James Merrill. Reception to follow.
It'll be worth the trip. Promise.

Some words from W.S. Merwin

While thumbing through the latest Copper Canyon Press catalog I came upon this page with thoughts from the poet and they are worth sharing...
"Take a moment to think about why you read poetry. Take a moment to savor the many treasures available to you within (this catalog). " Or any other poetry publisher's I might add. He continues, "
During these times of economic crisis and political uncertainty the need for poetry is felt ever more strongly, for poetry offers us the vehicle to express our anxiety, gives us hope, and empowers us to better understand our lives. This at a time when most profit-driven publishing houses have all but abandoned poetry because sales of poetry books cannot support the costs required to create them."
Just wanted to put this up here for anyone to think about.

December blues

Pier Poetry Reading Postponed! For any and everyone just a note that this particular poetry lover suffers a mighty headcold and is postponing tonight's reading until next month. Things are looking up as far as a semi-permanent venue. We may have a warm weather space in Narragansett Pier come spring. Hey, it's indoors, an art gallery, but no heat... more later. Let's try to gather at Brewed Awakenings in January to bring in 2009 and ( let's hope ) better times for all on the planet.
Peace,
Andrea

December Coffee and Poetry

I think it's time to just go ahead and gather already. If you have a poem you want to share -- yours or someone else's-- come to Brewed Awakenings in Wakefield's South County Commons at 7P.M. on December 1st, if that's a Monday.

Oh, and the James Merrill house is absolutely magical ...special thanks to the poet in residence, Piotr Gwiazda. Sitting up on the top floor watching the sun set over Stonington Harbor, talking about poetry, eating dates and apricots and feeling perfectly happy.Go hear him read at the Stonington Free Library the first Sunday in December at 5 PM, before he leaves town.

Still looking for a home

Well, it's almost the end of November and still no home for our monthly meetings. Still haven't given up. Can't. A few leads. If you weren't at the Poetry Forum a couple weeks back in NYC you missed a pretty wonderful thing...Gary Snyder, Sharon Olds, all the bigshots, but Kay Ryan really stole the show. For a gal like me it was the perfect day - listening to amazing poets talk about my favorite topic. Tomorrow we ( some fellow PPP members) are visiting the Merrill House ( where James M. lived) in Stonington, CT where the resident poet has promised us a tour and poetry talk. ML assures me he is a most kind-hearted man. Oh, and happy birthday to two of my favorite local poets, ML and Jake, who keep me going with this poetry thing.

coffee and poetry

It takes a great deal of effort ( for some reason) to push aside the magazine, the newspaper, the book I'm slogging through at the kitchen counter this morning, to read instead a poem by C.K. Williams. It's a thick book, all his poems(?) and I read one, a long one, as I begin to wake up at this insane hour, 6 A.M. But it's worth it, as it always is, and I wonder just why I don't do this every morning.
Go ahead then, go read a poem today.

Alas!

Well, it's a always a tough row to hoe for poetry and the finer arts... our locale for poetry is closing its doors at the end of this month so we are homeless for our next gathering. I am looking for a replacement venue, have a few ideas...

Some things to consider

Some poetry stuff going on around these parts:

Philip Schultz will read his work at the Mystic Arts Cafe Friday, 10/17 at 7:30

Ada Books hosts a reading Saturday, 10/18 at 6 P.M. by Christopher Schmidt and Douglas Martin

Pier Poetry Project regular first Monday of the month readings rolls around again 11/3/08 at 7:30

The Academy of American Poets is hosting its annual Poets Forum in NYC 11/6-8. Tons of good stuff, including readings and discussions on contemporary poetry by Frank Bidart, Victor Hernandez Cruz, Louise Gluck, Lyn Hejinian, Sharon Olds, Ron Padgett, Kay Ryan, Gary Snyder, C.K. Williams and many others! Check out details by clicking on the prayer flags below!

why words

It's been a week since our last Pier Poetry Project meeting...the brave journeyed out Monday night to share their love of language and sound. We are determined to keep this nugget of word-lovers alive, but we'd love it if you would come too! Thanks to Peter Covino for joining us, sharing new ideas and supporting the event. Look for flyers everywhere readers may wander...let me know if you would like to distribute some yourself. Our next gathering is November 3rd at 7:30, the night before election day!For a good read about the politics of language see last week's article by James Wood "Verbage: The Republican War on Words" in the New Yorker. Also, the north end of the state has readings at Ada Books in Providence, hosted by the wonderful Kate Schapira.