Tag: NEPA Poetry

In Defense Of…

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Confession: for a few months, I pondered ending the reading series that I’ve been running for over five years, The Writers’ Showcase. The series has undergone a lot since its inception, including three venue changes and a co-host who moved to Philadelphia. However, after talking to writer friends from across the county, I’ve decided to keep it going. I’m grateful to them for sparking my motivation to keep doing this thing. We’ve had a lot of conversations about the Trump age and what this means for the arts, namely if the NEA and NHE are totally defunded, which has been proposed in the Trump budget. No matter the fate of those organizations, it is imperative that we keep these local reading series going as a means to give a voice to writers. Writers have always been a form of resistance, and we need to ensure that we have spaces and series to make their work available to the public. With that in mind, I am going to host another edition of the Writers’ Showcase in April, and we’re thrilled about the line-up, which is included on the flyer below. I am also committing myself to continue writing book reviews for other writers. My goal is to write 4-6 reviews a year, a schedule I’ve been able to keep up with over the last few years and one I think I can maintain. Here is a new review I wrote of Patrick T. Reardon’s book Requiem for David, which I highly recommend. I was not familiar with his work until the editor of At the Inkwell asked me if I wanted to review it. Another goal for me is to review books of authors I’m not familiar with, as a way to expose myself to work outside of my usual circle and do the same for others.

Let’s think about ways that we can continue supporting our local art scenes because we really need that right now.

The Writers Showcase Spring 2017 (1)-page-001.jpg

When it gets closer to the date, I will post the bios of our featured writers for April.

Last Literary Events of the Year

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I’m closing out the remaining weeks of 2016 by doing a few more readings for Waiting for the Dead to Speak, before I take a break for a few weeks to celebrate the holidays and gear up for the new year. Here is a list of upcoming events. Special note: the 5-year anniversary of the Writers’ Showcase Reading Series in Scranton will happen this Saturday!

Sunday, November 27 2016 3-5 p.m.

MRAC Reading

419 Green Lane (Rear) Havertown, PA 19128

Thursday, December 1, 2016 7- 9 p.m.

Farley’s First Thursday Poetry Reading

Farley’s Bookstore, 44 S. Main Street, New Hope, PA.

Friday, December 2 2016 6 p.m.

First Friday Poetry Reading

Library Express, Steamtown Mall Scranton

Saturday, December 3 2016 7-9 p.m.

Writers’ Showcase

Olde Brick Theater, 126 W. Market Street, Scranton, PA

Featured readers include Stanton Hancock, Alexis Belluzzi, Daryl Sznyter, and  Jaimee Wriston Colbert. Admission is $4.

 

Thinking of NEPA, Thinking of Its Poets

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Thursday evening was a celebration of the northeast, Pennsylvania literary community. The evening marked the release of an anthology I had opportunity to co-edit, Down the Dog Hole: 11 Poets on Northeast Pennsylvania. We gathered at Keystone College in La Plume to read from the book, but also to mark the relaunch of Nightshade Press. An English professor at Lackawanna College, I was happy to see folks from other local colleges present, including Penn State Worthington-Scranton and Wilkes University. My hope is to continue to see this community grow among the colleges because we do far better when we support each other.

I’ve always struggled with my identity as it pertains to NEPA. As a teen, I couldn’t wait to get out of here, especially when the punk rock venues I hung out in  high school closed. They were my only refuge in the area, places I could go where I didn’t feel like an outcast. They got me interested in writing, music, and art. I escaped to college outside Philly and spent most of my weekends hanging in the city, record shopping, book shopping, and reading some of my first poems (very bad drafts) at the Philly area open mics. I cut my teeth in the poetry community in Philly and still keep close connections to that area today. Graduate school brought me back here, and I stayed. At this point, I’m grateful for the chance to teach what I love at Lackawanna College and to help foster the growing literary community here.

As I listened to nine other poets read from the anthology the other night, I was reminded how much there is to mine in this area. One of the poems in the book references John Mitchell, the labor leader who lead mining strikes in the early 20th century and met with Teddy Roosevelt for labor negotiations. Other poems celebrate the natural beauty of this area. Now that I’m older, I’m more comfortable with my place as a poet as it pertains to my native area. As I joined friends the other evening to celebrate this literary community, I was reminded how much has yet to be written about this area. The anthology is a nice start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come Celebrate the Re-Launch of Word Fountain

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I’ve been saying for years that northeastern, Pennsylvania has a vibrant art community and literary scene. Those scenes have just become stronger thanks to the re-launch of the literary magazine Word Fountain, which makes its return to the world this Friday, via a launch party.Check out the Facebook event page here. The reading will be from 7-8 p.m. at the Osterhout Library in Wilkes-Barre.

As a preview, here is an image of the new cover!

Owl

New Poem/New Community Dedicated to NEPA Writers

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I’m pleased to announce that there is a new website/journal dedicated to creating  community among poets based in northeastern, Pennsylvania. The website, Poets of NEPA, is seeking submissions as a way to showcase local talent.  One of my poems, “Sipping Tea with You in September,” was published today. It is a very autumn-centered poem, and you can read it here.

If you are an NEPA-based poet, then submit your work!

First Friday!

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Recently, Lackawanna College has become involved with Scranton’s monthly art walk First Friday. As part of this month’s First Friday at Lackawanna, I have been invited to read selections from All That Remains at the college’s Seeley Memorial Library, located at 406 N. Washington Avenue in Scranton. This event will also feature student artwork, a student open mic, and music by  Joey Zarick, lead guitarist and singer of Boston-based band The Indobox and formerly of Scranton-based band Rouge Chimp. The event is free and open to the public. I will have books available for sale.

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It’s been a while since I’ve sat in an audience and just listened to another poet or musician perform without worrying about also having to read my work. But tonight, I attended the Fourth Friday Open Mic series at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock just to listen and enjoy the entertainment. I was especially impressed by the number of high schoolers that got up there and read their work. That takes a lot of guts and courage, and I doubt at that age I would have been able to do it. I didn’t read at my first open mic until college. Several of the students that read are part of the Breaking Ground Poets organization, led by Tunkhannock High School teacher Katie Wisnosky. The organization has held various poetry slams over the last year at different venues around northeastern, PA. I respect and admire Katie’s energy as a teacher and the way she has inspired her students to care about the art of writing poetry, or creating music. I wish more schools had similar support for the arts, or more teachers willing to create organizations similar to the Breaking Ground Poets.

If you want to see these students in action, then come by the Dietrich Theater this Sunday at 5 p.m. The students will compete in a poetry slam. The cost is $5 per ticket, and the money goes towards their trip to Chicago to compete in a national poetry slam. You should also check out the next open mic on June 28, which is free. It starts at 7, but get there earlier if you want to sign up to perform. I will be filling in for Laurel Radzieski as the emcee. and my friend Dave Hage will be the musical feature.

Upcoming Readings

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I have a few readings coming up over the next few weeks that I want to share.

On Tuesday, June 26, I’m reading at the Osterhout Library in Wilkes-Barre. The reading starts at 6:30 p.m., and I’ll be joined by Charlie O’Donnell, Dawn Leas, Richard Aston, and Rachael Goetzke. An open mic will follow the featured reading portion of the event.

On Saturday, June 30, I’m reading at the Wise Owl Bookstore, located at 624 Penn Ave. in West Reading, PA. I’ll be joined by Dawn Leas, Barb Taylor, and Gale Martin. The reading starts at 1 p.m., and a Q & A will follow.

On Sunday, July 9, I’m taking part in a reading for the Drawing Social held at the AFA Gallery in Scranton, starting at 7 p.m. The event is being organized by local writer Rich Howells.

Finally, on Thursday, August 2, I’m reading at Farley’s Bookshop, located at 44 South Main Street in New Hope. A Q & A will follow that reading, which starts at 8 p.m.

If you’re in the area, you should also stop by the Library Express Bookstore in the Steamtown Mall this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for a poety open mic. There will be 12 open spots, so get there early to sign up.

Upcoming NEPA Readings

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We had another successful reading at New Visions Studio and Gallery tonight! The packed audience was attentive and engaged, and I’m appreciative of Anne Henry, David Elliott, Gary Ryman, Bethany Marie, Patricia Florio, and Tom Blomain for sharing their prose and poetry. Though the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area is not as populated as other areas, we do have a blooming and supportive art and literary scene in the area. Time after time, the New Visions Writers Showcase, Prose in Pubs, Vintage Theater Open Mics, and other literary events draw good crowds. Clearly, there is a group of people in this area hungry for poetry.

In the next few weeks, there are some other literary events to check out. On Thursday, May 17 at 8:30 p.m, The Vintage Theater is hosting a memorial reading for local poet Jennifer Diskin, who lost her battle to cancer a few months ago. Writers are encouraged to read one of Jennifer’s poems, or share a poem inspired by her. During the reading, donations will be collected to build a scholarship in Jennifer’s name for the Wilkes University Graduate Creative Writing Program, where Jennifer earned her M.A. She was a staple in the writing community for years, and I had the privilege of reading with her twice before she passed away, one time at a Wilkes alumni reading, and another at Prose in Pubs.

On Friday, May 18, Art SEEN Gallery, located at Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, will host its monthly poetry reading. The event begins at 8 p.m., and it will include an open mic.

On Thursday, May 31, the Library Express Bookstore in the Steamtown Mall will host its open mic poetry night. The event starts at 6:30 p.m.

New Visions Writers Showcase Returns

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After a very successful installment of the New Visions Writers Showcase in March, which featured slam poet William James, the Writers Showcase will return on Saturday, May 12 at 7 p.m. with a line-up of three prose writers and three poets. Once again, the event is free and will take place at New Visions Studio and Gallery, located at 201 Vine Street in Scranton.

The event will feature readings from Anne Henry, Gary Ryman, Bethany-Marie Gagas, David Elliott, Patricia Florio, and Tom Blomain.

Here is some more info about each reader:

Anne Henry recently completed her M.F.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University, and she is currently conducting a creative writing workshop for adults in a continuing education program and runs summer workshops for teens. As she searches for an agent for her memoir, she is also hard at work on her novel, Truth Be Told.

David Elliott is a professor of English at Keystone College, and a longtime member of the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association. He is the author of a book of haiku entitled Wind in the Trees, and the collection Passing Through. His work has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies.

Gary Ryman is the second of three generations of firefighters, and the author of the book Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family. He is a past chief of the Scott Fire Company in Lackawanna Count, and he is currently completing his MA in American History.

Bethany-Marie Gagas is currently finishing her Master’s of Teaching degree from Marywood University, and her poetry has appeared in local journals.

Patricia Florio is the author of the book My Two Mothers. She is also a travel writer for stripedpot.com. She graduated with an M.F.A. from Wilkes University, focusing on creative non-fiction. Currently, she lives on the Jersey Shore and conducts a reading series there. In 2012, she was a Normal Mailer Fellowship finalist.

Tom Blomain is the current president of the Mulberry Poets and Writers Association, He is the author of Gray Area and the forthcoming collection of poems Blues From Paradise (Foothills Publishing). He is producer of Graffiti, a poetry and music program on Electric City Television, for which organization he serves on the Board of Directors. A graduate of Keystone College and Dickinson College, he resides in the Hill Section, and is currently working on a collection of original songs with his group, Nobody Fancy.

Hope to see you there!