Hello Poets!

Yes, sigh, I am still in Florida... next week I will be home, I promise!!

Wow, responses to last week's APAL newsletter are still coming in, with more announcements of upcoming poetic events! I'm sending the newsletter out a day early (Sunday) so that those of you who don't already know, can still make it to this worthy benefit:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VICTORY for VICKY

(BENEFIT FOR VICKY CHARLESTON)

SUNDAY {Dec 7} at 4 pm

VICTORY GRILL

1104 East 11th

PERFORMERS

Vicky Charleston, Genevieve Van Cleve, John Cutaia, Valerie Bridgeman Davis, Bryan Fischer, Patricia Fiske, Floyd Freeman, Albert Huffstickler,

John Hawk, Laverne Jackson, Jeff Johnson, Dr. Marvin Kimbro,

Jeff Parker Knight, Zell Miller III, Joy Owen, Anna Sisnett, Shawn Summers, Jackie Taylor, Thom the World Poet, Suzanne Vance.

Enjoy a program of poetry and performance with Austin's Poetry Community as they rally round a peer with temporary blindness.

Contact: Pat Fiske 469-0584 ppoetact_at_aol.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ongoing reads:

Tuesday, December 2 - Ruta Maya, an APAL venue, hosted by Laura Moliter. Open mic sign up at 6:30 p.m. 4th and Lavaca. (Laura writes that the poets, regulars and newcomers, just keep getting better!)

Also Tuesday:

The Electric Lounge (302 Bowie) is now hosting a WEEKLY open mic every

Tuesday, 8 p.m. Standard open mic etiquette (e.g. signing up) applies.

Gen's poetry slam is still running like clockwork, and is the LAST Tuesday

of every month. On these evenings, the slam replaces the open mic, but all

poets are invited to slam for the $50 cash prize.

Wednesday, December 3 - Rio Grande Coffee Haus, 2222 Rio Grande. Open mic, signup at 8 pm.

Saturday, December 6 - Quackenbush's, 2120 Guadalue, an APAL venue, hosted by John Hawk. Open mic, signup at 3 p.m.

Announcements:

Austin International Poetry Festival is registering for the 1998 Festival, deadline for registration is January 15, application fee is $10, for more information by e mail: anina_at_arts.state.tx.us or aipf98_at_aol.com or call (512) 918-AIPF

BORDERLANDS: TEXAS POETRY REVIEW

POETRY READINGS IN DECEMBER

Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review is proud to announce the publication of Issue #10 coming this December. Borderlands is a Austin journal of contemporary poetry, essays on poetry and poetry reviews.

Two readings will honor Texas poets published in this latest issue. Austin poets: Sigman Byrd, Robert Lee, Cressida Connolly, Matt Baker, Frank Pool, Johnny Lorenz, B. D. Candless; San Antonio Poets: Jenny Browne, D Scott Anderson and Carol Coffee Reposa; Carol Bardoff (Dallas); Charles Behlen(Sulphur Springs); Paul Christensen (English Department of Texas A&M Univeristy); Jerry Ellison (Gilmer); Janice Northerns (Snyder); Darlene Paga (Addison); Rebecca Spears Schwartz (Corpus Christi) and Kevin Stahnke (Presidio).

The first reading will be held on Sunday, December 7th The Historical Old School, 1604 East 11th, 2-5 pm (refreshments) and the encore reading on Thursday, December 11th BookPeople, 6th & Lamar, 8pm. Please join us in hearing these poets!

From Gary Martt, prez of the Austin Poetry Society:

The Austin Poetry Society will be meeting December 20th, at the Howson

Branch Library, whose address is 2500 Exposition. The program begins about 10 am, and will feature writer & performer David Sharpe. This meeting isalso our unofficial Christmas party which we celebrate during the break . .

Looking to the year ahead, the Austin International Poetry Festival is

getting ready for its annual event on April 1st through April 6th. For

more info, see their new web page: http://www.hyperweb.com/aipf/

I've been talking with the Austin Public Library about reviving the "Past

Poetry Project" (readings featuring the works of past poets), and these

programs will probably begin in June.

Gary

And I know many of you have been asking yourselves "What is Thom the World Poet up to?" Here is some exciting news:

"Talked with Thom (Worldpoet) this morning and he has 2 benefits planned for December for Pasha: December 20, 3pm at Quacks and December 30th 6:30pm Ruta Maya. Am sure he would love to have you announce them in your next newsletter, but I'd check with him personally about details and confirmed dates/times etc." from Randy Lusk

And announcement of a new venue opening sometime in January:

MONDAYS AT CAUCUS CLUB WILL BE A NEW VENUE FOR POETRY

AND STORYTELLING...INTERESTED POETS WITH PRESENCE AND

POISE PLEASE CONTACT:

ADRIANA TRAVERS

bluecrystaleagle_at_rocketmail.com

footnote: adrianna wrote me: "So far the plan is MONDAYS AT MIDNIGHT. The place is so plush with a newly remodeled stage...and a grand

piano." this is going to be one classy gig!

a not so happy note:

Subj: Update on Christina Sergeyevna's Condition

From: MrPool_at_aol.com [edited from a relay by Randy Lusk]

Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 20:47:59 -0500 (EST)

>Subject: update on Christina

>

>I called Gary Podwalny a short while ago. We have a little more information, but not a whole lot. Tests confirmed that she had a heart attack. One of her valves is damaged. They're still doing tests, will transfer from Seton NW to the main Seton hospital tomorrow. Possibility for open-heart surgery. She's in ICU, not taking visitors. Gary said she's uncomfortable. We need to pull together even more than before.

>frank

further update, better news:

From: Randy Lusk

Christina had double-bypass surgery yesterday (Thursday) and is awake and

doing well at last check. She's at Seton Central, but will likely remain in

recovery/cardiac intensive-care for the next few days so hold the

flowers/visits till later.

hold out some good thoughts for Christina's rapid recovery, y'all!

from Ken Karrer, a very recent arrival on the APAL scene:

"...Trinidad Sanchez came to our school the other day and read and he and

I got together. He looked over and listened to some of my stuff. He's

invited me to be his featured poet at his January meeting in San Antonio.

He had a volume of Neruda and after listening to him, I wrote this...



Breakfast at Neruda's



Your wetness dripped down

my chin

like

bee dulce

honeyed, warmed

from my favourite

sopapilla,

dusted

by baby powdered

sugar.



You let me

in,

mi sancha.

I just love to

move up

to your table.



Ken Karrer"

( I just love promoting new apal members!!!)

Ok, wrapping it up so you guys can all make your arrangements to get out to the Victory Grill and support the Victory for Vicky Benefit. And here is a Vicky Charleston poem, from her chap book, Amazon:

nine dollars

i bought the book,

i bought the book

for nine whole dollars.

two days before payday

without one dime to spare,

i bought the book.

where's the food gonna

come from,

where's the gas gonna

come from to fuel

my truck,

i don't know.

i was hungry

with a hunger

only words could feed,

only words could feed,

only words could feed,

so i bought the book,

i bought the book

for nine whole dollars...

i guess it's ramen tonight

and if i'm lucky, i'll find

enough money at the bottom

of the washing machine,

enough money

to buy enough gas

to get to work

for the next

two days.

© 1997 Vicky Charleston

Go, good poets! Go to the Victory for Vicky Benefit, buy HER book, make a miracle happen for one of our finest poets!

Jeez, I miss Austin!

Love,

Stazja McFadyen

APAL Media liaison

if you are on the apal mailing list, someone asked me to add you. it could have been you.