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| A Reflection on September 11, 2001:
On the surface, this is a disheartening turn of events in our country and the world at large. The losses are astounding and there has been a tremendous shift in our global, national, and local communities. In my personal journey to understand, I have to look at the heroes, the miracles, and the opportunity for humanity to relinquish its need for hatred and division, to move into a state of unity, peace, love, and joy. It is my belief that the artists of the world help in turning people to beauty and hope. I will serve as a poet, teacher, and community member in that capacity as best I can. And I will never forget the lives lost to earth and its healing touch that day. Visit www.poeticvoices.com for a poetry vigil and www.poets4peace.com at the 911 Mission page for a listing of Poets4Peace 911 readings throughout the continent the second week of October. Now for News: I have taken a tremendous leap of faith and am now a fulltime teaching touring poet...probably looking for bookings at this very moment. Here are some of the things I've been up to lately: I taught all summer long in three locations: I resumed my workshop for youth at risk at Hillbrook Detention Center for a 13-week series, thanks to a grant from The Cultural Resources Council and State Senator John DeFrancisco; a memoirs class for adults at the Syracuse YMCA Downtown Writers Center; and I created and facilitated a creative/expressive arts program at the YMCA Camp Iroquios in Manlius, NY. All in all, I taught an averge of 350 - 400 people a week between the ages of 3½ and 60. I was both exhilarated and exhausted. I had a fabulous tour of California in March and was able to go to the Austin International Poetry Festival in April. Much gratitude is expressed to all those who made the tour a success and especially to Stazja McFadyen for her support in making my involvement in AIPF such a joy. I was invited to be included in the Pudding House Writers and Resource Center chapbook series, Gold: the Greatest Hits, which will hopefully see publication in early 2002. What an honor to be included in such a wonderful project and among such an array of fine poets, including several of my good friends, Larry Jaffe, Jennifer MacPherson, Charles Rossiter, and Thom Ward. And a dream come true: I presented a week-long workshop in Tuscany
as part of the Spring 2001 series offered by Il Chiostro di Toscana!
A week in Italy to be poets in June! Wow!! Join me next year...look
at their web site for details. http://www.ilchiostro.com
Il
Chiostro, Inc.
Plus I am actively pursuing teaching in the schools and look forward to much of that in the future. And I've recently been nominated for the on-line Poets Hall of Fame. This is a wonderful honor. Check out the site.
And now for the Calendar:
Readings and Features Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (open mic sign-up at 7:45 p.m.) Syracuse, New
York: Poetry Paradiso, a new reading series at Cafe Paradiso weekly.
Coordinator: Georgia Popoff, co-host: Jane Cassady (recently returned from
SoCal). Open mic...pass-the-hat contributions. Features periodically.
Note: to receive mailings and the weekly schedule, join our Yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/poetryparadiso February Southern California tour plans
to be posted soon. Please check back in a week or so.
Workshops and Teaching OCM BOCES: The Poetry of Personal Expression:
Six sessions starting in Spring, Mondays, 7-9 PM. Seize the moment!
This poetry workshop is for both new writers and those who have been at
it for a long time. The class will include writing exercises during
each meeting, focusing on different themes of personal experience, plus
critique among the group to allow growth in style and expression for each
participant. Most of all, it will entail having fun with words and
encourage the telling of the stories of our lives in the form of poetry.
$59
at the Career Training Center, Liverpool, NY. Call 315.453.4666 for
24-Hour Voice Mail Registration or 315.453.4455 for OCM BOCES General Information.
YMCA Downtown Writer's Center, 340 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, 315.474.6851 My classes start in mid-February. Call Phil Memmer for registration forms and full schedule of classes, workshops with visiting writers, and reading schedule. Leaving Your Legacy: Everyone has a story to share This class examines those life tales and offers triggers to access the memories we would like to examine and leave for others: children, grandchildren, and friends. 8 weeks on Wednesday evenings 6 - 7:30 starting mid-October. Class for Seniors on Wed. afternoons at 3 p.m. Introduction to Poetry: Monday evenings 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. All regular classes are $45 for YMCA members/$75 for non-members.
Master classes and workshops vary.
Please take the time to journey through the mission that
is poets4peace: http://www.poets4peace.com
Larry's own site for his personl poetic expression is found at http://www.lgjaffe.com
See the power of word to change the world in the UN initiatives of Dialogue Among Civilizations through Poetry. The whole program of readings was a labor of love coordinated by Larry Jaffe and Ram Devineni of Rattapallax Press. I had the privilege of coordinating the Syracuse reading as one of over 200 worldwide in more than 150 cities and locations during the last week of March 2001. Thanks to the Everson Museum of Art for being our hosts for such a significant event. And thanks to the more than 20 poets who read from their earts that day. We are attempting to do it again from 17 March to 24 March 2002. The theme is: "Can poetry build a culture of peace and non-violence in the world?" Many of us are thinking that it is possible and working to that goal. For more info, please visit www.dialoguepoetry.org
Check it out - these are some of the other links I love: The Poet's Porch - Go read some poems...visit me and a bunch of other folks and sit on the porch with some inspiring verse. http://www.poetsporch.com The Comstock Review - I have proudly served on the editorial board of this poetry journal for several years. Visit our site, read about our annual contest and submission guidelines, etc. http://www.comstockreview.org Partners for Arts Education - A network of teaching artists, educators, administrators, and funders in New York State. http://www.arts4ed.org Poets & Writers, Inc. - The ultimate resource for a writer. Subscribe to the magazine and visit on line. http://www.pw.org Poetry Superhighway - Visit Rick Lupert's mission at http://PoetrySuperHighway.com A Little Bit Louder - Home of NYC's Team Union Square and the Little Bit Louder reading series. http://www.geocities.com/~loudpoet Centers for Nature Education
at Baltimore Woods
This site wouldn't be possible without the assistance of Michael Jensen-Summers in his design, Brian Howe in training and implementation, and Scott Gardner and Artis Lee for continued support. This is a treat and I thank these gentlemen for their patience, talent, and assistance in my achieving this goal. Recent portrait and book cover photography by Stephen L. Wright. Thanks, Stephen, for seeing me better than I see myself. Much gratitude to Larry Jaffe for including
me on his
Remember to read a poem, write a poem, support poets; think in the dreams and wonder of a poet's heart and mind.
I hope I meet you while living and loving the life and craft of poetry. You know that's where I'll be... |
