ZineFest Follow-Up

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The other night, I met with Jess Meoni, the organizer of Scranton’s first ever ZineFest, and the writers who will take part in the reading portion of the festival from 4-6 pm on Saturday, June 11 at Pages and Places at Anthology (515 Center Street, Scranton).

The closer this event draws, the more excited I am about it, and I’m confident that the mix of people reading will sustain and maintain the audience’s interest. Everyone’s work is unique and different from each other’s. I wanted to take some time and share some basic info about the different writers.

Alexis Czencz Belluzi has a chapbook of poems out with the Boston-based press/publisher Big Table Publishing (These guys also put out my book, Front Man). Her book, Practicing Distance, was hailed as “teasingly original” and “a finely wrought chapbook of poems” by renowned poet Eric Tretheway, father of award-winning poet Natasha Tretheway.

Dale Wilsey Jr. is a friend and poet I’ve met over the last year. He has no qualms writing honest poems about sex and relationships, but I’ve also heard him read moving poems that explore  father/son relationships. You should check out his blog by clicking here.

Amye Barresse Archer is a friend I’ve made through the Wilkes University Graduate Creative Writing Program, where we both completed an M.A. and M.F.A.  in creative writing. She’s a witty, talented memoirist and poet. The latest collection of poems she’s working on is set to the 80s hair metal scene! How cool is that? She also just started a reading series in the Scranton area called Prose in Pubs. You should check out her blog here.

Rachael Goetzke is another friend I made through the Wilkes Program. She’s currently working on a memoir about the importance of music, especially Pearl Jam, in her life. Like her memoir, her poetry is also filled with references to music and pop culture. She is also a co-founder and editor of the literary journal Word Fountain. The new music-themed issue will be available at ZineFest. Check out her blog here.

I’ll also be reading at the event, and if you reading this blog, then you probably know my work. But if you just stumbled upon this blog, and want a sample of my stuff, check out my site here.

Also, if you are interested in showcasing your zine, poetry chapbook, jewelry, or art, there is still some time to sign up for a table. Just check the ZineFest website for more info. The cut-off date to get a table is Friday, May 27.

And before you come to the reading, make sure to check out all of the vender tables from noon-3 p.m. along Center Street.

Change Is A Sound

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Lately, I’ve been listening to a slew of bands that composed my soundtrack in college, especially Jawbreaker, the Lawrence Arms, Against Me!, and Strike Anywhere.  I’ve especially been listening to Strike Anywhere’s Change Is a Sound album, one of the best punk/hardcore albums of the 2000s, in my opinion. I don’t think I can name another punk album that came out that decade with as much fire, social/political commentary, and grit, besides maybe Reinventing Axl Rose by Against Me! They were probably the band I saw the most in college, other than Against Me! I remember a time when both bands would hit up Philly venues every few months.

Listening to these albums made me ponder all of my old activist friends. For those of you that don’t know, I was involved in a slew of progressive organizations in college and spent as much time going to protests in major East Coast cities as I did going to punk shows in Philly or poetry readings.   I miss my old protest friends, and I hope they’re still raising hell! I don’t really have any activist friends around here. They all still live in the Philly area.

I’m also wondering now if we can FINALLY get out of Afghanistan, considering the fact we killed Bin Laden and a majority of Americans now want to leave the country, as shown through polls taken after Bin Laden’s death. Seriously, can’t we end the era of Bush Administration politics/policies now?  When I listen to Change is a Sound or some of those Bush Administration-era records, I wonder why we’re still engaging in a lot of those policies. Why do we still have 50,000 plus troops in Iraq? Why can’t we withdraw from Afghanistan? Why isn’t Guantanamo Bay closed?

Strike Anywhere is playing with the Bouncing Souls in July, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen them. But their lyrics seem to have just as much relevance now, nearly a decade later.

Upon Second Listen

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In the punk rock/indie scene, there are bands that seem like perennial openers, destined to play to cross-armed audience members lingering in the back of a club, waiting for the other acts to come on stage. For a few years, Flordia-based Fake Problems felt like that to me. In the mid-late 2000s, I saw them open for a slew of larger punk/indie acts, including Against Me!, Gaslight Anthem, and others.  Each time I saw them, I never gave them much attention and wasn’t impressed by their folksy sound. I was simply burned out by the folk-punk/indie-folk sound at that point. I also thought the singer sounded like a high-pitched muppet.

Recently, due to a Youtube playlist, I came across some of Fake Problems’ newer songs from their 2010 release Real Ghosts Caught on Tape, released by one of my favorite labels-SideOneDummy Records. Since the last time I saw them, Fake Problems’ sound has expanded and matured. Gone are the high-pitched vocals and complete folksy vibe. The use of electric guitar riffs and big hooks/choruses benefit the band well.  I plan to order the album on wax, just for the tracks “Song for Teenagers” and “ADT” alone. It’s now clear to me this band has grown from an opener to a group that should start headlining and continuing to expand and explore its sound.

Celebrating Kingston’s Own

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There’s another punk rock/post-hardcore  band besides the Menginzers that hails from northeastern, PA and is starting to gain national recognition. I’m talking about Kingston’s very own Title Fight, a group that has toured relentlessly over the last few years and released a few 7-inches and appeared on various compilations. Today, the band released its debut full-length album, Shed, on the nationally renowned punk rock label SideOneDummy Records.  I placed my order already for the vinyl version, and I hope it arrives in my mailbox this week. But I also heard a full-stream of the album here.

I do like the band’s various 7-inches and some of the older tracks, especially “Symmetry,” but Shed is far richer in terms of production, style, and lyrics. Shed is a little different musically than previous releases. Title Fight no longer sounds like a band trying to belnd pop-punk with hardcore elements. Instead, their sound is more focused here, and they somewhat mirror the  likes of Small Brown Bike, early Hot Water Music, and American Steel, some of my all-time favorites. I say that because of the intricate guitar riffs, big hooks, youthful punch, raspy vocals, and chugging power chords that fill this album. In fact, as soon as I finished listening to the stream of Shed, I wanted to listen to Hot Water Music’s No Division or Forever and Counting, or Rogue’s March by American Steel.

One of my favorite tracks is “27”, which focuses on the loss of a loved one and highlights the band’s lyrical growth.Other standouts include “You Can’t Say Kingston Doesn’t Love You” and “Stab.”

This is a stellar full-length overall, and hopefully the band has just as  long of a career and dedicated fan base as some of its key influences.

To order Shed, click here.

Mulberry Poets Contest/Reading

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There’s a lot of great stuff happening with the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association, an organization based in Scranton, PA that hosts workshops and readings a few times a year.  I’ve been part of this organization for almost two years now and currently serve as a board member. I especially like being part of this group not only for its ability to put on solid, well-attended events, but also for its history. The organization has been around for over 30 years and is one of the oldest writing organizations in all of PA.

A reading we did at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC about two weeks ago can now be seen online by clicking here. I can’t stress enough how much fun I had reading at this venue and how receptive the audience was to our work. I’ll again say that everyone from MWPA did a fantastic job reading.

Also, the poetry contest the organization runs is now open for submissions. Cash prizes are awarded to the top winners.  The contest is open to current and former residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania. MWPA board members  and previous first place winners are not allowed to enter. More details/submission guidelines can be found by clicking here.

There are some other events coming up, and the best way to find out when we have readings/workshops is to keep checking the website here.

ZineFest

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Through Scranton may not be Manhattan, Baltimore, Philly, Boston, or any of the other big cities along the East Coast, I’ve always been surprised how strong of an art community this area has. If you don’t believe me, come to downtown Scranton during First Friday when the weather is warm, and you’ll see the art galleries packed.

Furthermore, this area has a pretty rich literary scene. I first discovered it when I moved back from the Philly area to attend graduate school at Wilkes University. I kept hearing about the monthly readings at Test Pattern, a venue that used to be on Adams Avenue, near the Bog. During the first reading I attended, I was impressed by the amount of poets who read, and how receptive the audience was. Once the venue closed, the reading series moved to Anthology New and Used Books. And I’m sure the poets who were part of that scene will find somewhere else to hold readings, now that Anthology is in different hands and restructuring its purpose somewhat.

One of the artists/writers I’ve met over the last few years is Jessica Meoni, a student at Marywood Univeristy. She runs a DIY publication called Ruthless Zine, which features a mix of political/social commentary, art, photography, and sometimes poetry.  Months ago, she told me about an event she’s launching called ZineFest, which will be held in downtown Scranton on Saturday, June 11, along Center Street.

She’s managed to book some editors/writers from zines along the East Coast to showcase their work at the all-day festival. I’m stoked about this festival for several reasons. First, as a former punk rock kid, I grew up going to shows where zines were as much a part of the subculture as the music.  In addition, I wrote for WonkaVision Magazine for a number of years, a music magazine based out of Philly. It started out as a small zine, but then grew into a large publication found in several different states. Zines always served as a great way to spread music, to support the indie/punk rock subculture, and to offer alternative, progressive viewpoints on a number of social/political issues. In the age of the Internet, it’s also nice to know that there are still people out there creating DIY print publications.

So, kudos to Jess Meoni for putting this together. I hope it enriches the  literary scene in this area, and I hope it becomes an annual event.

I’ll be hosting the reading portion of this event from 4-6 pm on June 11th at Pages and Places at Anthology, 515 Center Street. When the event is closer, I’m going to share some more info about the readers. Trust me, it’s a solid, entertaining mix! The rest of the festival will feature different tables along Center Street, right in front of Pages and Places at Anthology. The tables will feature different zines, arts, and crafts.

 To learn more about ZineFest, click here, and return to my blog for more updates about the event as it gets closer to the date! The website has more info about zome of the zines that will be at the event.

Vintage Theater Poetry Workshop

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Over the summer, I will again teach a 5-week intensive poetry workshop at the Vintage Theater, located at 119 Penn Ave. in downtown Scranton. I wanted to cap the workshop at 5 students again, and I have that many down already, but I’ve decided to bump the number up a little bit. The workshop will again focus on the key elements of poetry, such as crafting an extended metaphor, developing voice/persona, and strengthening the rhythm of the line. The workshop will again conclude with a public reading of student work at the Vintage Theater.

I think there’s a few benefits to joining a community workshop. First, it forces one to write each week, to bring two poems, one that gets critiqued by the group, and one that goes home with me for thorough written comments. Second, I teach a variety of contemporary American poets whose work ties into the units we focus on week to week. Third, it’s simply nice to be part of a writing community, to get solid feedback on your work.

The cost of the workshop is again $75. The dates are Thursday, May 26, Thursday, June 2, Thursday,  June 9, Thursday, June 16, and Thursday, June 30 from 7-9 pm each week. If you’re interested, email me at bfanelli84@gmail.com to reserve a spot.

Bowery Poetry Club

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Last weekend, I joined other members of the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association for a reading at the Bowery Poetry Club, located in New York City’s Lower East Side. Members of our group and a few other poets, including John Amen, editor of Pedestal Magazine, were the featured readers. A short open mic followed. Amen was interesting in the sense that he sang a few verses from his poems in a gruff, bluesy voice. I liked the combo of the reading and the singing.  Some of the other poets had mostly a left-wing, performance, slam style.

Then it came time for our group to take the stage of a poetry venue fairly well-known in the city. I was wondering how we would do, how we would be recieved. One by one, eight of us took the stage. After each of us finished a poem, we drew applause from the crowd, as well as laughter and mmmhmms. They loved David Elliott’s found poem using Donald Rumsfeld’s language. They laughed at Karen Blomain’s poem about being an “old broad.” We certainly held our own with the other featured readers that came from various part of the country to share their work. I even sold a few copies of Front Man afterwards to audience members that came up to me to chat.

In fact, I think we proved that Scranton, PA does have a vibrant art and writing community.  Furthermore, it was great to  be part of an audience so recpetive and attentive to poetry. You don’t aways get that at readings. And the venue also has one of the best hosts I’ve encountered-George Wallace.

If you are in NYC, check out the Bowery Poetry Club. The featured readings run every Sunday from 4-6 pm.

Writing Process/Writing Life

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Yesterday, the weather was mild and warm, and for the first time in at least days, the sun was actually out for extended periods. I made the most of the pleasant weather and took my reading materials and a notebook to a local park to sit outside and write. Without any way to use my laptop, I actually got a lot of writing done and I felt more focused than I had in a while, probably just from being outside.

This whole experience caused me to seriously consider how I structure my time to write. Most of the time, I write in the morning, at my kitchen table, for at least 30 minutes. And then I try to pour in another 30 minutes or longer after work, again, at my kitchen table. But a lot of times, in the comfort of my own apartment, I feel like I’m rushing the work because I’m thinking about emails I have to respond to on my laptop only a few feet away.

But yesterday, I didn’t have any of those distractions. It made me realize that when I leave the house in hopes of writing, I should leave the laptop home or not connect to the web. I find that too often when I go to Borders, Starbucks, or a local cafe, I spend far more time mindlessly surfing the web as opposed to getting much work done.

I’m even considering going to the park more and more, like I did last summer, to get serious writing done. No internet connection there. I’m curious as to what the writing process/space is like for other people. I suppose it varies from person to person.

Pushing Forward to Summer

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I LOVE the time of year when the NBA playoffs start, which is officially today. You’ll find me at home today, watching the Pacers face the Bulls, the Sixers face the Heat, and the Hawks face my favorite team, the Magic. Besides staying glued to my tv to watch playoff basketball, I enjoy this time of year because I know the spring semester is winding down, that I only have a few more papers to grade before I get a little break before I teach a few summer classes. My favorite season is only a mere few weeks away, and the lessened workload allows me to plan adventures, readings, and projects.

So far, I’m working on a poetry course I’ll be teaching at Keystone College second summer session, and my poetry workshop is also going to run at the Vintage Theater again. I’m also scheduling a lot more poetry readings.

Tomorrow, I’ll be reading at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC with members of the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association. The reading starts at 4 pm, and if you’re in the city, you should come! The venue is located between Bleeker and Houston Streets.

I’ve also booked a few other readings. On Saturday, June 4 at 3 p.m., I’ll be reading at RiverRead books in Binghamton, NY  with fellow Big Table Publishing poet Alexis Czencz Belluzi. After that reading, I have to book it to Allentown to see one of my favorite bands, Against Me!, play the Croc Rock.

On Saturday, June 11 from 4-6 p.m., I’m hosting a reading at Pages and Places at Anthology for ZineFest.   This will include readings by Amye Archer, Charlotte Lewis, Dale Wilsey Jr, Alexis Czencz Belluzi, Rachael Goetzke, and I.

I have some other readings in the works. I believe I’ll also be reading at the Honesdale Arts Festival the weekend of May 21-22, but I have to finalize the details Monday, and I’m also working on putting together a Big Table Publishing showcase/reading at the Vintage Theater on June 24. More details to come soon!

I also want to announce that my poetry chapbook, Front Man, is now for sale on Etsy.com. Check it out here!