National Poetry Month in Oklahoma
“I know Durant’s way down here on the Red, but if anyone’s straying this
far south Ron Wallace (That’s me) will be reading some new poems at the
Market Square stage off First and Main Street in Durant at 3:00 PM this
Saturday the 25th.”
Ken Hada at Full Circle Book Store in Oklahoma City at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and Carol Hamilton and lots of others are reading in 15-minute sessions at a Readathon and celebration at the Ralph Ellison Library in Oklahoma City also on Saturday the 25th. Wherever you are, lots to do for Poetry Month.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
National Poetry Month Read-a-thon
Time:
Location: Ralph Ellison
All Ages
Celebrate National Poetry Month at the library with an entire day of poetry reading. The poetry begins early at 9:00am and continues until midnight. Come for children’s readings from 9:00am to noon, refreshments and music from 12:00 to 1:00pm, an open mic poetry session at 6:00pm and keynote speaker Deborah Hunter at 7:00pm. Make sure to stay for the finale starting at 9:00pm where you could get a chance to win some awesome prizes. All ages are invited to attend. After 5:00pm, children 16 and under must be accompanied by a parent or have a permission slip. Call 606-3459 with questions, or to sign up as a poetry reader (spots are limited).
Crosstimbers
Crosstimbers magazine is an amazing find. Published by the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, it includes; poetry, reviews, art, non-fiction and fiction articles and mostly by Oklahoma authors and illustrators.
( my scan of the magazine cover isn’t all that great, but please don’t judge this magazine by its cover)
For example, this issue has poetry by Sandra Soli, Robert Ferrier, Carol Hamilton, Chris Ellery, Audrey Streetman, Ann Brown and Robert Cooperman. There’s an article on Mary Welborn, “Art with a Mission : the New Botanicals.” She has an exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, from Feb.25th to April 22.
The exhibit is on display at the McDermott Learning Center from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day during the spring. The Wildflower Center is located at 4801 La Crosse Avenue in Austin, just off Loop 1 South (MoPac Boulevard). For information, call 292-4200. or www.wildflower.org
This month’s Crosstimbers also includes a thought provoking article by Tonnia L. Anderson, “On Remembering the Familiar: The Cultural Politics of Depression Era Photographs of Blacks.” Reviews of books like, Weigland’s Books on Trial and Klein’s Grappling with Demon Rum“. There’s an article on Nathan Brown, one of the Oklahoma Center for the Book finalists in poetry. And even an article on Train travel in America by Layne Thrift and J. C. Casey.
But if you want to read all this for yourself, USAO is very kind to post the current issue on the internet. Current issues are located on the Crosstimbers website. This is one great deal.
Woodyfest Readers, Poetry wanted
From the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Reading Oklahoma Blog, news about how to get your poetry work submitted and read at the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah!
The month of January will be open-submission for anyone interested in being one of the 15 Woodyfest Readers to read at the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah this year. The size of the group is smaller this year, but everyone is submitting anew, so there are more open slots. If you are interested in being part of this event (second Saturday in July, 2009), start thinking now what you might like to submit. Two poems may be e-mailed to Carol Hamilton (hamiltoncj@earthlink.net) during the month of January.
The submissions will be numbered and sent for blind judging by co-chair, George Wallace, in New York. The judges look for variety and do not necessarily need work on Woody Guthrie … for good work on any subject, have used music, humor, social protest, performance poetry, literary poetry… and just interesting work… but often the works do seem to apply to the singer’s times, concerns, life, or just the land. Hopefully this will spread the word to many, so pass this information to your faculty, students, friends, anyone you think might be interested. Readers from other states are welcome, though we have no funds to bring anyone, but the festival is great fun and worth a trip! Though it is usually HOT!
I would add very very HOT!
Buy Books! Buy from our Local Booksellers
Thanks to Carol Hamilton, Oklahoma’s own great poet, I received this email from Roy Blount, of the Authors Guild.
“I’ve been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren’t known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don’t lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn’t in the cards.
We don’t want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let’s mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your Christmas presents, but that’s just for starters. Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!
There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they’re easy to wrap: buy those bo! oks now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children’s books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they’ll be cheaper after Christmas) and buy many, many books. Then tell the grateful booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom: “Got to move on, folks. Got some books to write now. You see…we’re the Authors Guild.”
Enjoy the holidays.”
Roy Blount Jr.
President
Authors Guild
So as someone who knows how small business is struggling these days, I hope you all go out and buy a book and maybe visit your local flower shop as well. And you might want to pick up some of Carol’s poetry , to pick up your spirits.
