Hello
poets and poetesses!
Another
milestone week.
APAL
Poets Guide
Tuesday,
Jan. 27 - Ruta Maya Coffee House, 4th _at_ Lavaca, APAL open mic 6:30.
Guest host John Hawk. Laura will be back next week.
Tuesday,
Jan 27 - Electric Lounge. Slam! 8 p.m. 302 Bowie. Hosted by
Genevieve Van Cleeve. Rush over from Ruta Maya, you can make both in
the same night!
Wednesday,
Jan. 28 - Rio Grande Coffee Haus. New Voices features Clint McCown
(see featured poem below). 2222 Rio Grande, 8 pm. Jennifer Williams
and Stazja co-host.
Wednesday,
Jan 28. - Movements Gallery. Blast Your Own Breath: BYOB Spoken Word
Session. 211 E. 6th St., 9 - 10:30 p.m. Tammy Gomez hosts.
Thursday
and Friday - go hear some jazz or something, write a bunch of
poetry.
Saturday,
Jan. 31 - Quackenbush's. APAL Saturday Night Live Poetry is graced
with Dr. Marvin Kimbrough, featured poet, and you can sign up at open
mic at 7 p.m. 2120 Guadalupe. John Hawk hosts
Sunday,
Feb. 1. - APAL sponsored free POETRY WORKSHOP 2-5 pm. See
announcements for details.
Tuesday,
Feb. 3 - Ruta Maya APAL open mic, Laura Moliter hosts. 6:30 pm. 4th
and Lavaca
Tuesday,
Feb. 3 - Electric Lounge, open mic. 302 Bowie, Phil West hosts. 8
p.m.
Wednesday,
Feb. 4 - Rio Grande Coffee Haus. New Voices features Raven Moonchild,
published in Homeless Artists Guild Anthology. Open mic signup 7:45.
2222 Rio Grande. Stazja and Jenn host.
Wednesday,
Feb. 4. - Movements Gallery. Blast Your Own Breath: BYOB Spoken Word
Session. 211 E. 6th St., 9 - 10:30 p.m. Tammy Gomez hosts.
Sat.,
Feb. 7th - Poetry in the Arts features Herman Nelson and Stazja
McFadyen. Texas History Center, next to main library on Guadalupe. 2
pm
Sat.,
Feb 7th - Glosso Babel will feature at Quack's APAL Saturday Night
Live Poets, a benefit for APAL, followed by open mic. John Hawk,
host. 2120 Guadalupe, 7 p.m.
Sat.,
Feb 7th - Highlife Cafe will be a St Valentine's reading of FAVORITE
CLASSIC LOVE POETS (Neruda,Barrett etc ) from 7:30. Free
admission-Highlife
is at 1407 7th Street -check with Lydia Prestwood at
Feliz_at_mail.utexas.edu for more accurate details.
Sunday,
Feb 8 - APAL free poetry workshop. 2 p.m. location tba.
St.
Valentine's Day - Saturday, February 14, 1998 at 7 pm at Book People,
6th and Lamar. Presented by Thom the World Poet in conjunction with
Book People: A night of love poems featuring: Wendy Woodruff, Sue
Littleton, Patricia Fiske, Joy Owen, Susanne Vance, Morrie Green and
very
special
guest poets. 7 pm. for info call Thom the World Poet at 416-7635
Thursday,
Feb. 19 - Poesia y Sur at Mexic-Arte Museum - Sue Littleton lovingly
features the works of Gabriella Mistral. 419 Congress, 7 p.m.
Thursday,
Feb. 19 - East End Black and White in Color at Ebony Sun Java House.
Floyd Freeman is featured poet, followed by open mic. 1209 E. 11th
Street, Suite C, 7:30 p.m. Stazja hosts.
Saturday,
Feb. 22 - Book People features Sue Littleton, reading from her book
"Ekutsihimmiyo" (the Cheyenne word for Milky Way, literally
translated "the road that hangs down from the heaven."
Legend is that when the Cheyenne dies, the spirit goes up the road
that hangs from heaven.) 6th and Lamar, call for time.
Ok,
enough into the future.
Last
week in Austin poetry:
What
an incredible week!
On
Monday, Ebony Sun Java House opened, with a youth and teen tribute to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Great work!
Tuesday
at Ruta Maya featured Mim Scharlack from San Antonio, what a sprite!
Beating her drum, giving us cheer! and soooooo many terrific
readers at open mic. We raised $52 for MC Jabber's airfare to the
festival.
Wednesday
- New Voices at Rio Grande featured Julien Palacios, see his letter
in announcements below. New to us was Todd, who delighted us with
his missing rodeo queen poem. Duncan Earle visited from El Paso, we
reeled in Rev. Wyrdsli, hiding out since his move to Austin from
Atlanta, but we got your number now, Rev. And Tiffany Warner, wow!
22 poets in all, and standing room only.
Thursday,
the Poesia y Sur at Mexic-Arte. Sue, Thom and Miriam did Pablo
Neruda's work proud. And Claire's piano accompaniment was perfect!
Saturday,
Quackenbush's back to evenings. Karyna Perkins featured, the original
Austin Girl (one of your best works, Karyna!)
I'm
changing the format, with featured poems preceding the announcements.
Dessert first, anyone?
And
now for FEATURES:
1.
First featured poem is by Clint McCown, who is also featuring at
"New Voices" at 2222 Rio Grande on Wednesday night. Clint
is a performance poet with The KAIROS! Co.
For
Al Martinez and the true definition of "Distance", being
the only thing the rich will allow the poor to call theirs and keep.
On
the East Side and spreading to the suburbs
There
is a torment vibrating from within.
Slicing
the skin in ornate patterns of disgust…
Escaping
to the sky and always keeping track/score/distance
…Marking
territory with the pungent musky vinegar pissing into dust bowls
causing
clouds
of history to puff their memory to the future propelled from
compressed
containment
burst
rainbow spectrum fused to the masonry
left
to steam in the sun and hurt the eyes of pedestrians and the fools in
their cars waiting
for
trains to pass.
Urban
kids scream:
I
AM HERE
I
AM WORTHY
YOU
WILL RECOGNIZE!
Comfortable
belief systems misinterpret dog piss for death signals
And
immaculate resourcefulness and utility for vandalism
So
I scream:
THE
KIDS ARE HERE
THE
KIDS ARE WORTHY
YOU
WILL RECOGNIZE!
Let
me tell you a story:
When
death comes in from the back yard and catches his wife,
Life,
in bed with another concept, such as Truth, Faith or Discovery, he
begins to rage.
Life
will encourage the conflict (Life cannot refuse a challenge).
They
argue as eternal lovers do, pushing the passion of their association
to its peak.
Stimulated
beyond measurement both
Life
and Death attack the invading idea and penetrate mutually… Cosmic
fornication.
Conceiving
the idea named Art.
Art
is reborn everyday
Immortal
Indestructible
Unstoppable
It
lives on
Without
canvas, or oils, or cameras, theatres, or costumes, lights or
instruments,
Without
scripts
Without
directors
Without
galleries
It
lives on
Without
respect
Without
ears or eyes
Without
citizenship
Without
borders
Without
time or money, comfort or affirmation
Art
lives on
Grows
old very slowly
And
is reborn everyday.
©
1998 Clint McCown
2.
Rob Siciliano is from Toronto; a very cool guy! Here's what he sent
me:
MY
ARTILLERY (Rob Siciliano)
my
artillery
my
calligraphy
no
longer the same if you took it away
silenced,
I'd be insane
my
artillery
my
calligraphy
throw
out that gun, let it all out
choose
the font, detonate the bomb
my
artillery
my
calligraphy
SAVE
THE RAGE FOR THE STAGE
my
artillery
my
calligraphy
change
your life, grab that mike.
********
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(and lots of them, some really good stuff!)
1.
(posted by John Hutton, APAL's only rocket scientist)
Good
Morning Poets: Austin Poets at Large is sponsoring a free weekly
POETRY WORKSHOP
improve
your poems by exchanging encouragement and feedback with your fellow
poets in a casual setting.
sundays
2 pm, host: John Hutton
first
workshop: february 1, 1998, at the home of Thom the World Poet
bring
10 copies of your poem to receive comments. bringing snacks is
encouraged
call
494-1192 for locations, directions, and more information or e-mail
jhutton_at_mail.utexas.edu
2.
You MUST read this! Tim Wood in Dallas has created a Texas Poetry
ListServ, up and running!!!! To subscribe, send e-mail to
"macjordomo_at_datawranglers.com". Leave "subject"
line blank. in the body of your e mail, simply write: "subscribe
texaspoetry (your name)."
For
more information, e mail Tim Wood at tim_wood_at_datawranglers.com
3.
Farid Mohammadi produces the Texas Nafas poetry programming on ACTV
channel 10. He is applying for a funding grant and needs letters
NOW, IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT AWAY, by the end of January, lots of them,
saying how you like the program, and how important it is, for use in
the grant application. Send letters by email to poetry10_at_juno.com or
by snail mail to Farid Mohammadi, 1221 Algarita, Apt. 224, Austin,
78704.
Texas
Nafas is aired Sundays at 9 pm on ACTV channel 10. Watch the program,
which explains "Nafas".
Farid
also needs volunteer help, interviewers, promoters, camera people,
editors, someone with strong poetic knowledge for a 3-5 minute
education spot in each program. call him at 326-4071 or e mail at
poetry10_at_juno.com
4.
excerpt from Bowerbird Intelligentleman, coordinating the first North
American Poetry Jam:
dear
poets, friends, strangers, etc.
hundreds
of performance poets from all over north america will gather in las
vegas for the world's first "poetry jam" from
monday,
march 2nd through thursday, march 5th, 1998. <-- look! the
dates!
"jam"
will be a 4-night explosion of performance poetry involving:
*
3 shows/night -- each poet performs in front of all the others,
*
a video-shoot -- we'll be filming all of these shows, and
*
a party -- the natural result when performance poets get together.
we're
still nailing down the final details with the hotel,
but
we feel confident that the dates will not change.
the
response to jam has simply been _overwhelming_.
already,
_200+_ poets have signed up saying they plan to come.
i
can only accomodate another 100 poets.
to
get the full text, to sign up or for more information, e mail
bowerbird_at_aol.com or stazja_at_aol.com
5.
"Dear Stajza,
Just
a short note to say many thanks for all your work coordinating the
various poetry nights. It's an absolutely invaluable job you are
doing. Please know that all my friends who have read speak very
highly of the events, and it has given us all great creative forward
momentum.
Sometimes
in our generation we are too quick to slight our elders, seeing them
as having sold out all they believed in, but it is ineffably
refreshing to see someone such as yourself perpetuating ideals held
dear then, and still today.
On
a personal note, thanks so very much for encouraging my own work. It
is very nice to be appreciated by others, especially those who don't
know my work. If you have five seconds to spare between incessant
phone calls please take a gander at the Orange web site and my own
site to promote my forthcoming book, at:
http://www.
geocities.com/vienna/strasse/2724
Please
write back when convenient,
Julien
Palacios"
6.
Still need housing for international poets coming to the festival in
April.
e
mail me if you have room and hospitality. and muchos gracias to
those who have already volunteered
7.
Deadline to register for Austin International Poetry Festival '98 is
extended to February 15. For application forms, call 918-AIPF, or e
mail aipf98_at_aol.com, or ask me when you see me. I can even fax apps
to you if you send me your fax #. There are now 21 international
poets registered, and expecting more. See featured poem of Canadian
Rob Siciliano below.
And
my plug for my L.A. buddies - the tally of Larry Jaffe's
"Construction Poetz" registered for the festival keeps
going up! Hi Circe, Jeff, Estelle, VonEnemy, Joseph. See you in
April!
8.
INTERNATIONAL POETS WELCOME TO TEXAS! SUNDAY,MARCH 29 at 1pm at a
ranch near San Antonio,a Texas bbq welcome for the International
Poets will be held.Luminaries visiting include 76 yr young
environmentalist
feminist poet VENIE HOLMGREN,JAY WOODMAN popular publisher and
performer and guest ofaipf96,as well as those scallywags of Bristol
Slam poetry-TIM GIBBARD,RUPERT HOPKINS and JERRY JIGGER.Tickets,which
include the bbq,as well as the talents of COWBOY
POETS,SINGERS,GUNSLINGERS,TEXAS LONGHORNS (to ride and to eat)are
only $10 and are available now at your weekly poetry venues-Ruta Maya
Tuesdays
at 6.30, 2222 Rio Grande Wednesdays at 8pm and Quackenbushs on
Saturdays at 7pm or by contacting Thom (512) 416 7435 or Stazja (512)
346-7773 in Austin or Chris Crabtree (210) 674-8779 in San Antonio
9.
From Frank Pool, AIPF '98 Chairman:
The
Austin Younger Poets Awards will be presenting $100.00 in prizes and
publication in the Austin Younger Poets Awards anthology in
conjunction with the Austin International Poetry Festival in April.
Young people up to the age of 19 are eligible for the prizes, but
work of college students will be considered for publication in the
anthology. All poets published in the anthology will receive a free
copy and an invitation to read their work in public at AIPF 98. For
information, call 346-8717 or email AIPF98_at_aol.com
10.
From Phil West, hosting National Slam in August: Do you know anyone
who would be good for volunteering for us? We know that, come August,
we'll need people we trust to scorekeep and timekeep and run scores
to the big computer. Now we just need ideas and people willing to do
the legwork. Phil West e mail pony_at_mail.utexas.edu
11.
Posted by John Herndon:
MIKE
& DALE¹S YOUNGER POETS HOSTS READING TO INAUGURATE MAGAZINE
ISSUE # 8 MIKE & DALE¹S YOUNGER POETS, a quarterly journal
of poetry, will host a reading at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 31st,
to feature local poets John
Herndon,
Hoa Nguyen and Dale Smith. The magazine is based in Austin and San
Francisco and its editors wish to formally announce the publication
to the city of Austin through this reading of local poets. Austin
poet John Herndon has been active with local poetry for more than 20
years. Mike & Dale¹s press will publish a chapbook of his
later this winter.
>
Hoa
Nguyen moved to Austin in 1996 from San Francisco. She teaches
poetry weekly at the Dougherty Center for the Arts. Her poems have
appeared in numerous journals and will soon be featured in an
anthology by Talisman Press.
Dale
Smith co-edits MIKE & DALE¹S YOUNGER POETS with Michael
Price, of
San
Francisco. Dale¹s poems and book reviews have appeared in
several
small
journals across the country. His chapbook, Sillycon Valley, was
published
in October.
January
31, 1998, 7:30 pm, 601 N Lamar, Suite 300
>
Above Whole Foods (enter through the door located between Whole foods
and Bookpeople)
12.
Posted by Valerie Bridgeman Davis:
We
are having a training/poetry reading for everyone who will host/emcee
during the Poetry Festival at Huston-Tillotson College's
King-Seabrook Chapel (auditorium) on March 24, the Tuesday before the
week of the festival. Valerie Bridgeman Davis (me) and others will
be leading the training. Anyone who will be leading a section in the
festival should attend. We will be talking about how to keep on
task, what to do when someone in your slot goes overtime, how to
encourage poets to read rather than explain their poetry, getting
your group in one spot so that you are ready to go, reporting the
results to the festival for accurate reporting
of
our events, how to rely on venue captains (or whatever we are calling
them this year), etc. Essentially, we are trying to smooth out some
rough spots in our grassroots attempts. We believe AIPF will become
the premiere Word festival of the latter part of this century.
Thanks
to everyone giving me so much back up! If you want off the mailing
list, just e mail me.
love
and a 33 and a third,
stazja
Subj:
Re: austin poets at large #12
Date: 98-01-26
14:06:29 EST
From: drpoetry_at_ktc.com
To: Stazja_at_aol.com
(Stazja)
You're
doing a great job! thanks for doing it. a great addition to my
email./
david
breeden
www.davidbreeden.com
Subj: Re:
apal 12
Date: 98-01-26
10:31:01 EST
From: Soultender
To: Stazja
I
still love the newsletter.. :) great idea putting the featured
poets before the announcements.. do you know when notice will be
sent as to whether poems were accepted for the anothology?.. great
Job angel.. *****
Subj:
Apal newsletter
Date: 98-01-26
17:33:23 EST
From: rlusk_at_ix16.ix.netcom.com
(Randy Lusk)
To: stazja_at_aol.com
Stazja,
The
latest newsletter is unreadable to me. I assume it is because my
browser will not read html format. Gotta be others like me out there
so if you can return to the old format...please do!
Randy
(sample
appended)
Stazja,
This
version (cut and pasted) looks fine. Beats me what caused the
problem. Dallas was a success. Fixed my father's list of computer
problems without getting frustrated (I'm a terrible teacher). He's
77 and I'm proud of him for even tackling the damn thing. He seems
to be enjoying e-mail the most, but into a few other apps as well.
We'll see. Hope the party and board meeting went well. See you
tomorrow nite at Ruta Maya.
Randy
Subj:
Re: austin poets at large #12
Date: 98-01-26
12:29:00 EST
From: vato_at_mail.utexas.edu
(Roberto Moreno)
To: Stazja_at_aol.com
Excellent!
I'll get back to you with other shows before midnight on sundays. I
play a lot so I hope it's cool with you to put that on the
e-mail
list.. You rock, I tell you..
RAM
Subj:
Re: EVENT
Date: 98-01-26
23:21:19 EST
From: AARD1VARK_at_AOL.COM
(AARD1VARK)
Sender: texaspoetry_at_datawranglers.com
In
a message dated 1/26/98 4:19:04 PM, you wrote:
>The
Austin Poets at Large weekly e-newsletter contains a poets guide to
>upcoming events, venues, featured poems, announcements and
updates on the >Austin International Poetry Festival '98. If you
are not already on the >mailing list,
sign
me up
David
Alvey
Aardvark
Studios
Subj:
your massive post....
Date: 98-01-26
21:22:30 EST
From: henao_at_blkbox.com
(Sissor)
Reply-to: henao_at_blkbox.com
To: Stazja_at_AOL.com
Hey
thanks for forwarding me the post about the poets stuff. Jeramiah has
gotten me all hooked up with you folks. I was just wondering if there
is some way that I can receive the e-mail with out the HTML encoding.
This is because I use an older version of Eudora that reads the tags
and then makes it really hard to read the text and I rather not load
up Netscape to read it and any others. If there is no workaround,
wellllll I guess I'll just have to deal! Other wise thanks!
eric
henao
aka
Sissor
Subj: Re:
apal 12
Date: 98-01-28
11:09:41 EST
From: Ppoetact
To: Stazja
Hi
Stazja, I just read your epic newsletter on a tiny screen at my
daughters in Maryland. After a fantastic trip to NYC for 4 days.
Would you believe, I couldn't find one open mike poetry reading -
bummer. I'll be back the 30th. Noticed that Valerie is having the
gathering at HT on March 25, but didn' specify time. I hope it
doesn't cooincide with SUCCULENT SISTERS which starts at 7. You are
doing a monumental job with the newsletter. Thank you so much.
Honeyhugs, Patricia
Subj: Hi
Date: 98-01-31
02:41:46 EST
From: SamIAm0423
To: Stazja
Some
how I got on the poets mailing list, which I love. And, I am really
interested in Austin poets and what the have to say, the problem is I
have a new baby and getting out to these things is really hard, I
almost have to say impossible. How can I keep informed and read
whats out there with out attending any of the open mikes? Are there
any publications out there that I could pick up, and is there any way
that I could get my voice heard?
Appreciate
any help you can offer.
Sincerly,
Michelle
E.
Subj:
Re: austin poets at large #12
Date: 98-01-30
11:46:08 EST
From: cemgilbert_at_earthlink.net
(Christine Gilbert)
Reply-to: cemgilbert_at_earthlink.net
To: Stazja_at_aol.com
Hi,
I
was referring to the list to which you send copies of your
newsletter. Maybe I shouldn't write to them anyway. However, we
wanted to reach as many Austin poets and poetry supporters as
possible. The message for the newsletter would be:
Texas
Nafas is the spirited poetry show we're bringing you on Austin
Community Access TV, channel 10, Sunday nights at 9 p.m. We hope
you've had the opportunity to watch it. We are doing our best to
cover the local poetry venues and showcase poets with lively
interviews and readings. Our goal is to help increase awareness of
the wonderful poetry scene in Austin and to make it accessible to
everyone. We are establishing our nonprofit status and seeking grant
support. If you like our show and support the idea of what we are
doing, please consider becoming a sponsor. We will accept donations
in any amount, but for each $50 contributed, sponsors will receive a
copy of a tape of their favorite show. Often we receive requests for
copies of tapes, but we cannot fill all these requests and regret
that we cannot afford to supply copies of our tapes for less than a
$50 donation. Donations may be sent to Farid Mohammadi, 1222 Algarita
Ave., #224, Austin, TX 78704. Your name will be acknowledged in the
credits on our show.
We
are in the process of applying for a grant from the Cultural
Contracts Program, City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Department.
If you support our program, please help us by writing to the members
of the Advisory Panel listed below, letting them know that Texas
Nafas is a wonderful show and deserves a grant. This is very
important, because we need evidence that our show has local support.
Thank you very much. Please do this soon! Also, please send a copy
of your letter to Farid Mohammadi, 1222 Algarita Ave., #224, Austin,
TX 78704 or e-mail him at poetry10_at_juno.com (Farid Mohammadi).
Advisory
Panel Roster (please send a copy of your support letter to each
member):
Hector
Galan, 7108 Bright Star Ln, Austin, TX 78736
Beverly
Holston, 2302 C. Enfield Rd., Austin, TX 78703
Jim
Bob McMillan, 1451 S. Meadows, Austin, TX 78758
Jo
Anne Outley, 4919 Manchester Circle, Austin, TX 78745
Milissa
Santos, P.O. Box 163403, Austin, TX 78716
THANKS,
STAZJA, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!!
Subj:
Re: austin poets at large #12
Date: 98-02-02
22:00:07 EST
From: cody_at_io.com
(Cody Saunders)
To: Stazja_at_aol.com
>
Stazja, I forgot to pick up a flyer for this. I don't know where
Thom the World Poet's house is...
Hello!
I
kind of bumped into someone who I ended up spending a lot of time
with. I checked my e-mail on Sunday at about 3:30 and saw that I
forgot about this event! Not that I would not have enjoyed being
there, but I'm certain I enjoyed very much more where I was!
I
may not make it to Rio Grande, but I'll try to make it somewhere
else; however, I am going to Denton this weekend...
Take
care!
Cody