Poetry by the Sea!

August 17th at 6 P.M. at the gazebo on the green across from Narragansett Beach...join us for an evening of poetry writing and reading. We are lucky to have a featured poet, Peter Covino, who will read from his award winning , Cut Off the Ears of Winter, as well as from his forthcoming book.
6- 6 :45 a collaborative poetry writing workshop
7:00 Featured poet Peter Covino
7:30 Open mic pierpoetry challenge, share an ocean-themed poem to close out the night!

Bring a beach chair or blanket and your love of words!

Monday at the Gazebo

It's tomorrow night when those who love words and all the stuff that goes along with that love should come to the gazebo in Westerly's Wilcox Park ( a pretty neat place). Hope for the water to abate, and don't get lost in the fog. See you at 6 P.M.

Poetry in the Park!

Please plan on joining us for an outdoor poetry reading on July 27th, from 6-8 P.M. in Wilcox Park in Westerly. If you've never been there, you're in for a treat, this is a rambling lushly planted park, a gem, the emerald of Westerly. You'll have to park on the street ( easy) and wander the park to find the gazebo ( also easy) and bring a picnic, a blanket on which to sit, and a poem to share ( hey most of that is pretty easy, too). We are looking around for other gazebos to invade for a poetry party, so let me know if you know of one...August 17th we'll be at the gazebo in Narragansett Pier across from the surf and if you can drag yourself off the sand, come over between 6 and 8 P.M. More on that one later.

Wonderful Writing Conference

This is a bit overdue, but what a wonderful writing conference held at URI ( its third annual Ocean State Writing Conference) a few weeks back. Terrific talent, wonderful workshops, and great gossip ( not really, I just wanted to alliterate). But really, a ray or rather many rays of much needed light on this tiny corner of humanity. Patricia Smith was a delight for the featured reader, I think she sold out her books and, more importantly, made us all fall in love with her wordplay. The food was delicious, especially the cheese, crackers, and fruit for the late afternoon. Thanks to the great team who puts this together: our muse Peter Covino, Clea Liquard ( what would we do without her? and she dresses so well!) Tatiana and Shannon -- a great big thank you!

Ocean State Writing Conference!!!

It's almost here folks and it looks like it's gonna be a whole lot of fun! Make your way to the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus to listen to some of the hottest ( you know what I mean...) writers around talk about their craft. And you better not miss poet Patricia Smith wow us on Saturday!!! It begins this Thursday afternoon, the 18th of June, runs all day Friday and Saturday. There's a dinner Friday night where you can schmooze with other people who love language, I mean really, what else is going on for the heart and mind in these parts??? Can we all give Peter Covino, the founder of the conference and the conference organizer, Clea Liquard, a big hug and applause, please?


Go check out their website at http://www.uri.edu/summerwriting/ or their facebook page ( but of course) at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingston-RI/Ocean-State-Summer-Writing-Conference/87222136117?ref=ts.

What poets are you reading?

Today my students picked some contemporary poets to study ( only criteria was that he/she was alive and had published at least one book). So...here goes, Sharon Olds, Louise Gluck, Ada Limon, Peter Covino, Michael Cirrelli, Gary Snyder, Denise Duhamel, Kay Ryan and others that I cannot remember right now. Hmmm...what poets are you reading these days? Ada Limon just got a poem ("Crush") published in the New Yorker!!! I love Ada, she came to read at URI via the wonderful Peter Covino and she is terrific, funny, and gracious. Go read her poem at www.newyorker.com /fiction. Oh and visit her blog, too. Link's on this page. Send me any interesting poetry stuff that is happening or that you want people to think about.

long time coming...

Five weeks since I've visited these parts and lots of stuff has happened in the world of poetry ( the world I am bouncing around in these days)...since the slam, I took a class to Yale to hear two young poets read at the Bienecke Library and to see the Picasso and the Allure of Words show with recordings of Gertrude Stein playing above your head while you looked postcards they sent to each other. Jennifer Moxley and G.E. Patterson read from their work-- always good to hear new stuff. Moxley has a new collection that sounds pretty wonderful, Clampdown. A couple weeks ago saw Patricia Smith at the Mystic Arts Center - she blew the house away. Pretty amazing stuff and cool, cool, cool delivery. Her performance from her latest collection, Blood Dazzler, was truly mesmerizing. Don't miss her at the upcoming Ocean State Summer Writing Conference happening at URI's Kingston campus on June 18, 19, and 20th with featured Guests: Louise DeSalvo, Robin Hemley & Patricia Smith. Visit their website, http://www.uri.edu/summerwriting/, for details and to register.