POETRY NEWSLETTER FOR MAY 2009

Hello poets and poetry lovers, Hope you enjoyed National Poetry Month! There certainly were enough ways to celebrate it in the PNW! Two recent poems and a selection of my postcard collage art have been published by Full of Crow, which is edited by Aleathia Drehmer and Lynn Alexander: http://fullofcrow.com/christopherluna.html. For a review of my art work, go to http://fullofcrow.com/crowreviews/2009/04/christopherlunainfull-of-crow-galleries/#more-22 Please check out the following profile by Tacoma poet Tammy Robacker which appeared in her blog for the Weekly Volcano. It includes an excerpt from my poem, "Burning Word Triad:" http://weeklyvolcano.typepad.com/spew/2009/04/poematacoma-lunas-literati.html Recently I added links to Sage Cohen’s Writing the Life Poetic Blog (http://www.writingthelifepoetic.typepad.com/, for which I am one of the guest bloggers), David James Randolph’s New Way Media (http://homepage.mac.com/davidjrandolph1/newayfilmfest/Menu11.html), my cousin Reggie Marra and Marianela Medrano-Marra (http://www.integraljourneys.com/), Whidbey Island painter Rob Schouten (http://robschoutengallery.com), and Lit Fuse (http://www.litfuse.us/). I also added links to Jason Levis, and Rob Ewing, two talented musicians with whom I collaborated when the three of us were students at Naropa (‘97-‘99). Jason is an amazing drummer, and Rob plays a mean trombone. Also be sure to check out the link to Rob’s band Disappear Incompletely (http://www.disappearincompletely.com/live/), which plays electrojazz arrangements of Radiohead songs. I have also posted some new Ghost Town poems. My chapbook Ghost Town, USA is still available through Cover to Cover Books, Angst Gallery, or directly from me, for six dollars. Congratulations to Victory Schouten and the Whidbey Island community for the Brave New Words Festival, which was a great success. One of the things that made it more than worth the drive was all the poets I heard whom I hadn’t heard before. Whidbey Island continues to be the place to be every Spring. But the big news is that we have succeeded in bringing David Meltzer and Michael Rothenberg to Vancouver, WA. I have spent a considerable amount of time putting this together, and am very relieved that everything seems to be working out. Unfortunately, Joanne Kyger won’t be able to join them. I encourage you to read her work, and to attend her readings, if you are able. We are still looking for help covering Meltzer and Rothenberg’s expenses. Many thanks to those who have already donated money, time, or services: If you can help, please contact me right away. If you would like to write a check, send it to me at 919 U St. Apt. K Vancouver, WA 98661. May 14th, 1 pm - David Meltzer and Michael Rothenberg talk and reading “ROCKPILE ON THE ROAD: Collaboration and The Troubadour Tradition in the 21st Century” Columbia Writers Series Clark College (www.clark.edu). Penguin Union Building Rm 161 Clark College 1933 Fort Vancouver Way Vancouver, WA 98663 ROCKPILE ON THE ROAD: Collaboration and The Troubadour Tradition in the 21st Century: Beat generation dissident poet/musician David Meltzer and poet/songwriter and editor of Bigbridge.org Michael Rothenberg talk about the evolution of song and poetry throughout history, censorship and activism, and the role of poetry and song as an instrument of change. May 14th, 7pm-David Meltzer and Michael Rothenberg reading and open mic hosted by Christopher Luna 7:00pm Thursday, May 14, 2009 Cover to Cover Books 1817 Main Street, Vancouver (McLoughlin Blvd. & Main Street) For more info call 514-0358 or 694-9653 or email christopherjluna@gmail.com http://christopherluna-poetry.blogspot.com DAVID MELTZER A leading poet of the Beat Movement, David Meltzer was raised in Brooklyn during the War years; performed on radio & early TV on the Horn & Hardart Children¹s Hour. Was exiled to L.A. at 16 & at 17 enrolled in an ongoing academy w/ artists Wallace Berman, George Herms, Robert Alexander, Cameron; migrated to San Francisco in l957 for higher education w/ peers & maestros like Jack Spicer, Robert Duncan, Joanne Kyger, Diane DiPrima, Michael McClure, Lew Welch, Philip Whalen, Jack Hirschman, a cast of thousands all living extra-ordinary ordinary lives. Beat Thing [La Alameda Press, 2004] won the Josephine Miles PEN Award, 2005. Was editor and interviewer for San Francisco Beat: Talking With The Poets [City Lights, 2001]. With Steve Dickison, co-edits Shuffle Boil, a magazine devoted to music in all its appearances & disappearances. 2005 saw the publication of David’s Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer by Viking/Penguin, a collection spanning over forty years of work that paints a vivid portrait of Meltzer’s life as a poet through poems taken from thirty of his previous books of poetry. With a versatile style and playful tone, Meltzer offers his unique vision of civilization with a range of juxtapositions from Jewish mysticism and everyday life to jazz and pop culture. In 1967, Vanguard Records released The Serpent Power, a collaborative effort featuring the poems of David Meltzer, which would appear that same year in print in The Dark Continent from Oyez. The Serpent Power was not simply a spoken word album, but poetry made into rock 'n' roll. It featured David Meltzer on guitar and harmonica, Denny Ellis on rhythm guitar, David Stenson on bass, John Payne on organ, Clark Coolidge on drums, and vocals by David and Tina Meltzer. The final track, "Endless Tunnel," also featured J. P. Pickens on the electrified 5-string banjo. It is this long and sophisticated track that we present to you here. The Serpent Power is now available on a double-album CD with Poet Song, another poetic-rock collaboration by David and Tina Meltzer. Rolling Stone says about David Meltzer and Serpent Power: "Think of the Serpent Power as the Bay Area's version of the Velvet Underground. Led by poet David Meltzer, with Meltzer on untutored post-folk guitar, Meltzer and his wife, Tina, singing his songs, poet Clark Coolidge clattering behind on drums and the soon-vanished John Payne fixing a hole on organ, their music was minimalist folk rock with noise - the climactic, electric-banjo augmented "Endless Tunnel" goes on for thirteen minutes. Some songs began as poems, others didn't, but all feature notable lyrics - some romantic, some gruff, some both. And all but a few are graced by excellent tunes, none more winsome than that of the lost classic "Up and Down." For more info visit www.meltzerville.com or http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/meltzer/index.html MICHAEL ROTHENBERG is a poet, songwriter, and editor, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Rothenberg received his Bachelor of Arts in English at UNC-Chapel Hill. Afterward, he moved to California in 1976, where he began Shelldance Nursery, an orchid and bromeliad nursery. In 1993 he received his MA in Poetics at New College of California. In 1989, Rothenberg and artist Nancy Davis began Big Bridge Press, a fine print literary press, publishing works by Jim Harrison, Joanne Kyger, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Whalen and others, and Big Bridge webzine, www.bigbridge.org. Rothenberg is co-editor and co-founder of Jack Magazine, a literary publication that relates to, but expands beyond, the beat generation. His books include Unhurried Vision, Paris Journals, What The Fish Saw, Nightmare Of The Violins, Man/Woman (w/Joanne Kyger), Favorite Songs and most recently CHOOSE, Selected Poems (Big Bridge Press). Editorial projects include Overtime, Selected Poems by Philip Whalen, As Ever, Selected Poems by Joanne Kyger, Way More West, Selected Poems of Edward Dorn, and The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen. Rothenberg received his MA in Poetry and Popular Song. His songs have appeared in Hollywood Pictures' Shadowhunter and Black Day, Blue Night, and most recently, TriStar Pictures' Outside Ozona. Other songs have been recorded on CDs including: The Darkest Part of The Night and Born Too Late by Bob Malone, Difficult Woman by Australian Rhythm and Blues legend Renee Geyer, Global Blues Deficit by Cody Palance, and The Woodys by The Woodys. Rothenberg's 2005 CD collaboration with singer Elya Finn, was praised by poet David Meltzer as "fabulous-all [the] songs sound like Weimar Lenya & postwar Nico, lushly affirmative at the same time being edged w/ cosmic weltschmertz. An immensely tasty production." For more info go to http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/rothenberg_m/ See you May 14, Christopher POETRY E-NEWSLETTER FOR MAY 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sean Patrick Hill, Claire Rudy Foster, Paul Martone, and Charles Deemer at Blackbird Wine Shop (Portland) May 6 Give Mama the Mic (Portland) May 8 Jeff Lair at King’s Books (Tacoma, WA) May 8 Vashon Poetry Fest on Vashon Island, May 21-25 David Abel and Bev Dahlen (Portland) May 10 Poem-A-Tacoma: The Debut of Tacoma's NEW Poetry Anthology Solar Plate Intaglio by Barbara Mason, Poetry by Paulann Petersen May 6 – 31, Waterstone Gallery (Portland) Sage Cohen and Writing the Life Poetic contributors at the Lloyd Center (Portland) May 13 Poetry contests and submission calls 1. Oregon Literary Review co-hosts First Wednesdays, a series of readings, performances and wine-tasting at the Blackbird Wine Shop, 3519 NE 44th off Fremont, 7-9pm. Readers and performers interested in participating should contact Julie Mae Madsen at maemadsen@gmail.com with an expression of interest and sample work. The readers/performers for May 6 are Sean Patrick Hill, Claire Rudy Foster, Paul Martone, and Charles Deemer Sean Patrick Hill (http://theimaginedfield.blogspot.com/) is a writer and teacher living in Portland, Oregon. He earned his MA in Writing from Portland State University, where he won the Burnam Graduate Award. He received a grant from Regional Arts and Culture Council and residencies from Montana Artists Refuge, Fishtrap, and the Oregon State University Trillium Project. His poems appear or are forthcoming in Exquisite Corpse, elimae, diode, In Posse Review, Willow Springs, RealPoetik, New York Quarterly, and Quarter After Eight. He freelance writes for the Oregonian, Rain Taxi, and Fringe Magazine. His blog is theimaginedfield.blogspot.com. Claire Rudy Foster was born and raised south of the Mason-Dixon line. She came to Portland in 2001 to earn her BA from Reed College, and will begin in the MFA program at Pacific University this summer. Her stories have appeared in the Ink-Filled Page, The Benefactor, and other publications. She is at currently at work on her second novel. Claire lives with her husband and son in Southwest, within sight of a cemetery, the highway, and a red-tail hawk's nest. Paul Martone holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon and a Master of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany. His short fiction appears in recent issues of the Saranac Review, the Stickman Review, and Fiddlehead. A core faculty member at The Northwest Academy, a progressive arts school in downtown Portland, Martone is currently at work on his first novel, The Last to Leave, and a graphic novel, Sacred Ink. Charles Deemer is the editor of Oregon Literary Review. His book SEVEN PLAYS was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. He teaches screenwriting at Portland State University. 2. Give Mama the Mic "Kicking off Mother's Day weekend with an evening of poetic relaxabration" Friday, May 8 7:00 pm Airplay Cafe 701 East Burnside www.airplaycafe.com Bring your best poems about motherhood, kick it with your mommy comrades and speak your art out! All mamas and mama poets welcome. 3. From Connie Walle: The City of Tacoma and Puget Sound Poetry Connection PRESENT The Distinguished Writer Series May 8th, 2009 7:00 p.m. Kings Books, 218 St. Helens, Tacoma Featuring: Jeff Lair Open mic follows. 4. Vashon Poetry Fest will celebrate a weekend of poets and poetry on Vashon Island, Thursday, May 21st through Monday, May 25th. With open mics, workshops, readings, and events, the Fest will be laced with plenty of food and drink, music, and fun. But, the real draw of the weekend will be the poetry with headliners Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green and award-winning Irish poet, Tony Curtis; mythologist, Michael Meade; and some of the best local and regional favorites. Both day and evening events are free or very reasonably priced “at the door.” An ideal getaway, relaxed and beautiful Vashon Island is easily reached by ferry (just minutes from Seattle, Tacoma, and the Kitsap Peninsula) and each venue will be just steps from the next in downtown Vashon. Check out vashonpoetryfest.com for information about this fun-filled, word-loving Memorial Day Weekend event, and call Stranger Than Fiction (408-7268), Vashon’s newest bookstore, to register for weekend workshops. 5. From: David Abel Spare Room presents Beverly Dahlen David Abel Sunday, May 10 7:30 pm Concordia Coffee House 2909 NE Alberta $5.00 suggested donation www.flim.com/spareroom spareroom@flim.com ============================================= Upcoming Readings May 17: Andrew Schelling & music by Michael Stirling June 4: Jim McCrary & James Yeary June 14: Anne Gorrick & Deborah Woodard July tba: Jennifer Bartlett & Sarah Mangold July 12: Farrah Field & Jared White August tba: Norma Cole & Lindsay Hill August 16: Graham Foust & Eric Baus ============================================= Beverly Dahlen was born in Portland in November, 1934, attended public schools there, and after the end of World War II, moved with her family to Eureka, California. In 1956, she resettled in San Francisco. Her first collection of poetry, Out of the Third, was published by Momo’s Press in 1974. Two chapbooks, A Letter at Easter (Effie’s Press) and The Egyptian Poems (Hipparchia Press) were followed in 1985 by the publication of A Reading 1-7 (Momo’s Press). Since then, three more volumes of A Reading have appeared, as well as the chapbook A-reading Spicer & Eighteen Sonnets (Chax Press). Her essay “Beauty: Another Reading” recently appeared in Crayon 5. Ms. Dahlen was a co-founder, with Kathleen Fraser and Frances Jaffer, of the feminist poetics newsletter (HOW)ever; in December of 2008 her work was honored by Small Press Traffic with their Lifetime Achievement Award. David Abel was born in Salt Lake City in November, 1956, and schooled there and in South Florida, Eastern California, the Mid-Hudson Valley, and the Rio Grande Valley. After tenures in New York City and Albuquerque (where he established the Bridge Bookshop, and Passages Bookshop & Gallery, respectively), he relocated to Portland in 1997. He is the author of numerous artists's books and objects -- including Rose, Selected Durations, and Threnos (with Katherine Kuehn), and Let Us Repair and While You Were In (with Anna & Leo Daedalus) -- and several chapbooks, including Black Valentine (Chax) and Twenty- (Crane's Bill). His most recent chapbook, Commonly, will premiere at this reading, along with two new issues (one for each reader) of the broadside journal Envelope, which he edits. ============================================= Thoughtless as shadow The ground of shadow One wouldn't would One want All one wants And then what The light across the lake And the eye creates space The distance Which is not One Not only That but All one Wants -- Beverly Dahlen (from Sweep) 1357 A snapshot -- a freeze frame -- a thread (or is it a needle?) drawn through the entire world: every person, anywhere (let's say), entering a building at this moment. They are (they were) an army, a religion, a dance, an analysis, a race, and an extinction. -- David Abel 6. From: tamsugah@aol.com Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 12:56 PM Subject: Poem-A-Tacoma: The Debut of Tacoma's NEW Poetry Anthology Dear Friends, Hot off the press, an anthology of Tacoma poetry, In Tahoma’s Shadow: Poems from the City of Destiny, is being released April 30! I had the amazing opportunity to compile, co-edit and support this publication with Poet Laureate Bill Kupinse over the past few months. We are extremely excited to release it to the community this month. Please enjoy my blog! http://weeklyvolcano.typepad.com/spew/2009/04/poematacoma-tales-from-the-city.html Enjoy it! Tammy Robacker _______________________________________________ TacomaArt mailing list TacomaArt@cityoftacoma.org http://smtp001.tacoma.lcl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tacomaart 7. A Collaboration Solar Plate Intaglio by Barbara Mason Poetry by Paulann Petersen May 6 – 31, 2009 Please join us to celebrate our collaboration Preview Party May 6, 5-8pm First Thursday Reception May 7, 5-9pm Waterstone Gallery 424 NW 12th Avenue Portland, OR 97209 503.226.6196 www.waterstonegallery.com WATERSTONE GALLERY Hours: Wed-Sat 12-6 pm Sundays 12-4 pm 8. Poetry and Prose for the People reading series is delighted to celebrate the publication of Sage Cohen's Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry. Sage Cohen will read from her new book and speak briefly about the art of living and writing a poetic life. Plus, you'll hear poems from these fabulous Writing the Life Poetic contributors: Brittany Baldwin, Don Colburn, Leanne Grabel, Constance Hall, Willa Schneberg, Claire Sykes and more! When: Wednesday, May 13, 7:00 p.m. Where: Barnes & Noble 1317 Lloyd Center // Gift section Portland, OR 97232 503-249-0800 Hosted by: Sage Cohen & Tom Mattox About Writing the Life Poetic No one needs an advanced degree in creative writing to reap the rewards of poetry. Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry, a new book from Sage Cohen and Writer’s Digest Books, makes poetry accessible to––and enjoyable for––everyone. Practicing poets, aspiring poets, and teachers of writing in a variety of settings can use Writing the Life Poetic to write, read, and enjoy poems. Craft, process, and content lessons are all designed to invite readers to tune into the poetry of their lives, then get it down on the page. Filled with whimsical illustrations, ample wisdom, and plenty of sample poems from great poets everywhere, Writing the Life Poetic is a fun, user-friendly resource for poets and writers of all levels. Learn more at www.writingthelifepoetic.com. "Instructional without being text-bookish, inspirational without being preachy, suggestive without being demanding, Writing the Life Poetic goes beyond the assemblage of quality how-to poetry books to become a work of art -- with endless rows of blank canvasses on either side for the reader's own brush strokes." – Shawn Sorensen, Oregon Writers Colony We look forward to celebrating with you! Questions? Contact sage@sagesaidso.com. ************************ www.writingthelifepoetic.com www.writingthelifepoetic.typepad.com www.sagesaidso.com POETRY CONTESTS AND SUBMISSION CALLS Announcing Fugue's Eighth Annual Prose & Poetry Contest! Nonfiction and Poetry Categories http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/fugue/contest09.htm Judge: Patricia Hampl First place winner receives $1000 and publication. Second and Third prize winners receive publication. Check back August 4, 2009 for announcement of the winners. To enter: 1. Story submissions should not exceed 10,000 words in length. 2. Enclose a cover letter that contains a short biographical sketch and a current email address, mailing address, phone number, and the title of your essay. 3. Send an SASE for acceptance notification. 4. Enclose a $20 reading fee, payable to Fugue, that guarantees consideration and a one year subscription to the journal. Submissions must be postmarked by May 1, 2009 to this address: Fugue Nonfiction Contest 200 Brink Hall English Department University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-1102 Poetry Judge: BH Fairchild First place winner receives $1000 and publication. Second and Third prize winners receive publication. Check back August 4, 2009 for announcement of the winners. To enter: 1. Poetry submissions should not exceed 3 poems or 5 pages. 2. Enclose a cover letter that contains a short biographical sketch and a current email address, mailing address, phone number, and the titles of your poems. 3. Send an SASE for acceptance notification. 4. Enclose a $20 reading fee, payable to Fugue, that guarantees consideration and a one year subscription to the journ al. Submissions must be postmarked by May 1, 2009 to this address: Fugue Poetry Contest 200 Brink Hall English Department University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-1102From: allenbraden@comcast.net To: "chris OPN dahl" , "connie walle" Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2009 8:06:21 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: poetry contest: Alehouse Press • The 2009 Happy Hour • Poetry Awards http://www.alehousepress.com/ $1000 • Best Poem $100 • Four Runners Up Postmark Deadline: July 1st, 2009 Contest Rules: • Contest open to all poets across the country and around the world. • Maximum length: 40 lines per poem. Any topic. Any form. • All entries considered for publication in the 2010 issue of Alehouse. • All entries must be typed and include an SASE for notification. • All manuscripts will be recycled. Please do not send your only copies. • All entries must be original and not yet nor soon-to-be published. • Simultaneous submissions accepted: We report six weeks after deadline. • Please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. • Omit poet’s name and all personal information from the poems. • Include name, address, telephone, email, and poem titles in cover letter. • Please postmark entries by July 1st, 2009. (No FedEx or UPS.) • Entry fee is $15 per batch of 3 poems, payable to Alehouse Press. • All US entrants receive a subscription copy of Alehouse 2010. • Mail poems, entry fee(s), and additional information requests to: Alehouse Press The Happy Hour Poetry Awards PO Box 31655 San Francisco, CA 94131 5th Annual Burnside Review Poetry Chapbook Competition Judge: Martha Ronk We are sponsoring our fifth annual poetry chapbook competition. Winner will receive twenty-five copies and a two hundred dollar cash prize. Competition runs March 15th to June 30th. Winner will be announced approximately September 1st, with publication date set for winter. The same dedication and care will go into the production of the chapbook as with our journal—quality cardstock cover with photography, linen paper, excellent layout. We will make the publication process as cooperative as possible. Guidelines --18 to 24 pages of poetry. Individual poems may be previously published. --2 cover sheets, one with the title of the manuscript, your name, telephone number, and address. The second cover sheet should list only the title of the manuscript. --A page acknowledging previously published poems --A self addressed stamped envelope --Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere IF BY POST: Include a self addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for $15- made out to Burnside Review. Entry must be postmarked by June 30th to: Burnside Review Poetry Chapbook Contest, P.O. Box 1782, Portland OR 97207 IF BY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION: E-mail all of above a single Word file to contests@burnsidereview.org. Send $16- by Paypal to sid@burnsidereview.org. Fee and entry must be submitted within 24 hours of each other. Receipt of entry will be sent after both arrive. (This method will save money and trees.) The initial readers of the manuscripts will be Burnside Review staff members. They will choose between five and ten manuscripts as finalists to be passed on to the judge for selection of the winning collection. We ask that former students or colleagues of the Burnside Review Chapbook Contest’s judge—as well as any writer whose relationship with the judge constitutes an unfair conflict of interest—refrain from entering the contest. The Burnside Review staff reserves the right to disqualify entries deemed conflicts of interest and will return those entry fees. At no time will the judge have the names of the finalists. Winner will receive 25 copies of the chapbook printed by Burnside Review Press and a cash prize of $200-. All questions happily answered by e-mail : sid@burnsidereview.org. Martha Ronk is the Irma and Jay Price professor of English at Occidental College. Her poetry books include Why/Why Not, Eyetrouble, State of Mind, and Vertigo, winner of the 2006 National Poetry Series. A 2006 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, her poetry has been widely published in journals and magazines. She lives in Los Angeles. complete guidelines available at www.burnsidereview.org