Austin Poets at Large #6

Date: 97-12-15 12:19:50 EST

From: Stazja

To: Stazja

BCC: dulcia_at_mail.utexas.edu, valeriev_at_mail.utexas.edu

BCC: ffox_at_ccwf.cc.utexas.edu

BCC: garrett.s_at_mail.utexas.edu

BCC: worldpoet_at_rocketmail.com, poetry_at_flash.net

BCC: Bleu4ever, trout_at_ccsi.com, Ppoetact, Minalushe

BCC: anina_at_arts.state.tx.us, Soultender

BCC: sjs_at_mail.utexas.edu

Dear Poets,

The Austin Poets at Large e-mail newsletter is being sent to you to keep you informed of news and events in the Austin poetry community. You have been included on my mailing list because you or someone else gave me your e mail address, as an active and/or interested poet.

Especially thanks to Randy Lusk and Thom the World Poet and Faulkner Fox for your help and support this week!

Poetry IS alive and well in Austin! A few of last week's highlights:

Victory for Vicky Benefit at the Victory Grill on Sunday, Dec. 7 raised over $1200!! Patricia Fiske was a driving force for the benefit for Vicky Charleston.

An influx of raves from folks who were at Ruta Maya last Tueday, mentioning John Hawk, B.J. Henry and Thom the World Poet among the memorable reads.

Thom then kept the show going, guest hosting at Rio Grande Coffee Haus Wednesday night.

And Saturday afternoon, I had the honor of guest hosting at Quackenbush's while John Hawk is in Tennessee. John Hutton, Ariel, Victoria Vlach, Thom, Brian Joyce... what a roster!!

This week's lineup:

Ruta Maya - Tuesday, December 16, 4th and Lavaca. Open mic, hosted by Laura Moliter, sign up at 6:30

Electric Lounge - Tuesday, December 16, 305 Bowie. Open mic, hosted by Phil West, sign up at 8 pm.

Rio Grande Coffee Haus - Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2222 Rio Grande. Open mic, hosted by Stazja McFadyen, sign up at 8 pm.

East End Coffee House - Thursday, Dec 18, 1806 E. 12th Street. Open mic, hosted by Stazja McFadyen, sign up at 7:30 pm. This is a monthly experimental venue, wide upon to diversity. Last month's premiere was akin to a poetic revival!

Quackenbush's - Saturday, Dec 20, 2120 Guadalupe. 3 pm Benefit for PASHA, One of Austin's poetic treasures/ associated with FRIENDLY FIRE and

BLUE PLATE POETS/ an astonishing and unique visionary. (more information later in the newsletter) Other poets reading: THOM THE WORLD POET, JOHN HAWK, JEFF PARKER KNIGHT

Mark your calendars and make it to any or all of the above!!

Announcements:

Laura Moliter's chap book, Quest for Euphrates is now available at Book People, "on the same row as Pablo Neruda," Laura writes.

There will be a "poets' anonymous" dinner on Christmas eve at the Rio Grande Coffee Haus. For more information contact me.

Thom the World Poet is producing the benefit for Pasha, who has two forms of cancer, at Quack's on Saturday, and another on December 30 at Ruta Maya.

From Randy Lusk: Here's something Phil West wrote in 1995 about the Blue Plate Poets and Pasha as one of the founders. Some of it might be useful in your newsletter for those who weren't around the poetry scene then. Better check with Phil before running it verbatum, but plaigerize to your heart's content!You probably know most of them: Mike Henry owns/manages the Electric Lounge, Hoppe publishes the Blue Plate Press and his anthology that came out this year is really fine. Marlys is a prize winning cook (not to mention poet)! Tammy continues to tilt at windmills. Robert's still around and of course Pasha.

Blue Plate Poets

"Formed in June '93 as a mutual admiration society and performing unit, the

Blue Plates, radically different in their approaches - (yet recognized as

six of Austin's best performing poets) - have grown into a tight-knit group

who seem more like a family than a collective, or, to use one of Henry's

favorite metaphors, a rock band". The Blue Plate Poets are made up of Mike Henry, Robert S., Randle (Pasha) Allsup, Marlys West, W. Joe Hoppe and Tammy Gomez. "It was Pasha.. who engineered the formation of Blue Plate Poets in 1993, seeking out Henry and Robert S... The three poets recruited West, Hoppe, and Alicia Erian into the group before their first show at Chicago House in August 1993... The only change in their lineup came in April 1994 when Alicia became immersed in grad school work and was replaced by Tammy

Gomez"

They read in a round robin format in which each poet reads one piece and

then another member reads. "The show moves faster this way, allowing each

individual's voice to be emphasized... They also decided to sit together on

stage, rather than in the audience; this gives them a feeling of

togetherness that comes through in their show. 'And we can pass notes back

and forth,' Robert S. points out". They moved their reading from Chicago House to a rock music venue, the Electric Lounge where Henry worked as the general manager. "They all try to write for the page as well as the ear,

and many of them are frequently published in local and national poetry

magazines"

"Despite their literary backgrounds, they're all geared toward performing -

their work for Blue Plate keeps their audience in mind. 'There's a big

emphasis for all of us on performance poetry, 'Henry said. 'For so many

years, poetry has had a bad name as being dead or solely academic. When it's

good, there's not much difference between a poet and a band. What we're

about is not just pushing our own poetry, but taking our own art to

non-traditional poetry audiences in Austin and saying, 'Look how good the

poetry is here".

So there is some history for you. Come out to the benefit and show your support on Saturday, December 20th!!

Featured poem

Feature poem this week is from Abbie Green:

I would be honored to have one of my poems in the newsletter. Here is a

recent one, still untitled:

I thought the cat's toenails

would pierce my nipples

but I thought wrong,

it was your guitar

with dissonance swaying

in unforeseen ripples,

you had gourds in your eyes

that were onyx sitars.

No I don't hold temple

inside my vagina

but rocking on you

it would seem alright

for five minutes of talking

(your car motor running)

to hold itself steady

and become a full night.

Don't tell me, I know it,

but who has such a will?

So I slept with a cactus

and woke up with its quills.

-Abbie Green

Love,

Stazja McFadyen

Media Liaison for Austin Poets at Large

Subj: Re: re something you wrote on pasha and blue plate poets

Date: 97-12-30 10:15:54 EST

From: pony_at_mail.utexas.edu (Phil West)

To: Stazja_at_aol.com (Stazja)

Stazja:

Wow. It was totally okay with me to use the Blue Plate stuff (as long as

you acknowledged the Chron, since in truth, the story does belong to them).

I just got back from vacation. Maybe see you at the slam tonight? By the

way, how is Christina doing? Is there any way to get in touch with her

these days?

Phil West

Subj: Re: Austin Poets at Large #6

Date: 98-01-05 14:45:44 EST

From: rschroeder_at_mail.utexas.edu (roxanne schroeder)

To: Stazja_at_aol.com (Stazja)

Keep me in mind for housing a poet in April. My roommate is "thinking

about it

Roxanne

Subj: Re: Austin Poets at Large #6

Date: 12/25/97

To: UTJohnboy

In a message dated 97-12-24 12:36:57 EST, you write:

<< Please remove me from your list as I am not a serious poet. Thank you. >>

no problem. merry christmas

Subj: Re: Austin Poets at Large #6

Date: 97-12-17 22:28:38 EST

From: GilmourPG

To: Stazja

No problem! I Fwd. them to a friend of mine who

doesn't have AOL, he is a major poet.

Try his web site, I think you'll love it!

It's : www.geocities.com/athens/7082

Keep up the good work!

Casey