Tag: Bowery Poetry Club

Some Poetry News

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I’m breaking briefly from the blog content I’ve been posting lately to share a little bit of poetry news.

First, I am happy to announce that I have two poems in the new issue of Ovunque Siamo: New Italian-American Writing. You can read the poems, “Praise Poem for After the Storm,” and “Punk Goes Acoustic,” here.  The entire issue is worth a read and features  poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and book reviews.

Another poem, “Praising the Familiar,” was recently featured as the poem of the week by Zingara Poetry Review. You can read that here.

Over at 4squarereview, I had the chance to review Amy Lawless’ new collection, Broadax. This is a book I highly recommend. It is fierce and funny.  You can read the review here.

Lastly, I will be taking part in the release party for the anthology Misrepresented People: Poetic Responses to Trump’s America on Sunday, March 18 at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC.  The reading begins at 3:30 pm. All proceeds from the anthology benefit the National Immigration Law Center. You can check out the Facebook event page here.

 

New York Quarterly Reading

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Next Monday, August 11, I’ll be reading at the Bowery Poetry Club  in New York City as part of the New York Quarterly Reading Series. The reading series is held each month and features writers who have published through NYQ Books, or writers who have had or have work forthcoming in the magazine. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. The three other featured readers include Emanuel di Pasquale, Ellen “Windy” Lytle, and Alexander Norelli. For a full list of our bios, click here.

I am humbled and honored to be part of this reading series and can’t wait for the event!

Bowery Poetry Club’s Transformation

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Out of all the venues I’ve read poetry at in the tri-state area, by far my favorite is the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City’s Lower East Side. I read there last spring with other members of the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association. I especially like the atmosphere- the dank bar in front of the venue, before you go through a curtain and enter a seated area with a large wooden stage and bright lights over the mic. It’s a comfortable performance space that attracts regular, attentive crowds.

Today, I learned that Bowery Poetry Club is undergoing a major transformation. According to an article from The Poetry Foundation, there will be a farewell party at the venue this Tuesday, before it closes down for renovations to reopen jointly with TriBeCa burlesque club Duane Park. The article goes on to state that the burlesque club will use the space
Tuesday through Saturday each week, with Bowery Poetry Club operating on Sundays
and Mondays. However, one staffer is quoted in the article as saying, “As far as we are concerned, this place is closing.”

We’ll have to wait and see what the final fate of the venue will be, but I hope it continues to have poetry readings and host writers from across the country. It is by far one of the most accommodating and well-known poetry venues in NYC.

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.

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!