Happy National Poetry Month!
Here is your Poetry News for Western Massachusetts for the month of April, 2019.
Poetry News is published monthly. EMAIL: Please send events to thepoetrynews@gmail.com. The site will be updated regularly.
To receive Poetry News in your email also send to thepoetrynews@gmail.com
I also have a public group on Facebook called “Poetry Events: Northampton, MA and Vicinity.” I update it regularly when a new event comes my way, so please go there in between if you want to post an event, and please join the group for updates. Thanks! Here’s a link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/369429966453898/
Wishing you Peace through Poetry,
Poetry Highlights of This Month in Western Massachusetts:
Tue. April 2 – Writers Night Out! Straw Dog presents Marion VanArsdell & Open Mic, The Basement, 11 Center St. Northampton, 7pm
Thu. April 4 – Collected Poets Series presents Patty Crane & Nicole M. Young, Mocha Maya Cafe, Shelburne Falls, 7pm
Fri. April 5 – Perugia Press Reading: Jennifer Martelli & Gail Thomas at Eileen Fisher Store, Northampton, 5:30-7:00pm
Sat. April 6 – Write- up Springfield A monthly creative writing group for Springfield area writers will be holding its monthly meeting in the Community Room at the Springfield Central Library. New members always welcome! 1-3pm
Sun. April 7 – Writers Read (Straw Dog) presents Gail Thomas & Open Mic, Belding Memorial Library, Ashfield, 2-4pm
Tue. April 9 – Northampton Poetry – Kai Pretto and Open Mic at The Deuce, WWII Club Northampton, 7pm.
Tue. April 9 – Jenny George at Smith College, Alumnae House Conference Hall, Northampton, 7:30pm
Tue. April 9 – UNBUTTONED presents Richard Horton & Open Mic, Luthiers Co-op, Easthampton, 7pm.
Thu. April 11- Florence Poets Society Meeting & Poetry Share, 2nd Thu. of the month, Lilly Library, Florence. All Welcome! 6:30pm
Sat. April 13 – Easthampton Bookfest! Presses include Perugia and many more, plus events. https://www.easthamptoncityarts.com/event/5th-annual-easthampton-book-fest/
Sat. April 13 – Danez Smith at Juniper Lit. Fest. Old Chapel, Amherst, 7pm
Sat. April 13 – Make it Springfield, poetry open mic, spons. by Poetic Recovery, 168 Worthington St. Springfield, 7 – 10pm.
Fri. April 12 – Sat. April 13: Juniper Literary Festival, Amherst: https://www.umass.edu/englishmfa/2019-juniper-literary-festival
Sat. April 13 – Reading by the Straw Dog Writers Guild poetry critique meetup group, White Square Books, Easthampton, 4pm.
Tue. April 16 – Northampton Poetry – generative workshop and reading with Sara Mae at The Deuce, WWII Club Northampton, 7pm
Tue. April 16 Third Tuesday Spoken Word: Storm, Rosie McMahon & Open Mic, 9 Mill St. Greenfield, 7pm.
Tue. April 23 – Jane Hirshfield, Smith College, Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall, Northampton, 7:30pm
Wed. April 24 – Teatro V!DA Youth Open Mic, Bing Arts Ctr., 716 Sumner, Springfield, 7pm
Sun. April 28 – Literary Rendezvous: Open Mic & feature at the Voo, (Rendezvous), Turners Falls, 2:30 – 4:30pm
IN DETAIL: POETRY EVENTS: PIONEER VALLEY AND BEYOND!
Saturday, April 20, 2-3 pm
Hurray It’s Spring! A Lyric Celebration of Mud Season
Join your emcees, poets Chris Sawyer-Lauḉanno and Janel Nockleby, as they welcome musician and poet Daniel Hales, poet and novelist Corwin Ericson, and poet Trish Crapo, to a lyric celebration of mud season. Wear your muck boots and join in with the open mic (3 minutes per reader). Meet in the Great Hall. Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls.
There are events throughout the semester at Smith.
For details, go to https://www.smith.edu/poetrycenter/wp/category/readings/
Last Sunday of every month, 3-5pm
Open Mic host: Candace Curran
The Rendezvous, Turners Falls, MA
Tuesday Nights 8pm – 10pm
Open Mic Signup starts at 7pm.
World War II Club, Conz St. Northampton,MA
Please bring a 3-5 minute selection of your work to share
Fabulous website with featured poets
http://www.northamptonpoetry.com/
Every last Wednesday of the month from 7-9 p.m. from September through April, youth ages 12-25 are invited to Ign!te the Mic, The Valley’s only open mic for youth by youth.A safe and non-competitive space for youth to share poetry, spoken word, music, monologues, theatrical scenes, dance, visual art, puppertry, or whatever your imagination can conceive!All languages welcome. Admission $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds) Come and experience the healing power of the arts!Co-sponsored by Teatro V!da and the The Bing Arts Center
Every last Wednesday of the month from 7-9 p.m.
Performers sign up at 6:45 p.m.
Bing Arts Center
716 Sumner Avenue
Springfield, MA
In the Forest Park neighborhood: free on street parking
www.teatrovida.com www.bingartscenter.org
Breathing, Age, and Different
WordXWord announces spring schedule for Poets Creating Conversation.
Pittsfield, MA – WordXWord’s Poets Creating Conversation continues to challenge poets to provoke and bear witness, asking them to put their words to work unpacking difficult issues in the current discourse. The spring schedule includes Breathing in America, April 29; Age in America, May 20; and Different in America, June 24. Poets Creating Conversation events take place at the Berkshire Museum and admission is free.
By challenging poets to circle loosely around a theme or issue PCC events create a broad, multi-dimensional “conversation” between poems, poets, and audience. By sharing personal stories, observations, challenges, as well as moments of inspiration and hope, these events weave a tapestry of creative voices that makes us stronger and helps us individually and collectively navigate the way forward.
April 29, 7P
Breathing in America
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Take a breath. Catch your breath. Hold your breath. Out of breath. I can’t breathe! From first breath to last, poets wrestle with breathing – in America.
May 20, 7P
Age in America
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
Poets of a certain age / all ages / ageless, may or may not act their age when we dive into what age means in America. If age is just a number, let’s do the math.
June 24, 7P
Different in America
Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
From inside and out, over and under, what does it mean to be different in America? What is “different“ and who gets to decide?
All WordXWord events are free and these programs are open to all; however, parents and guardians are advised that some content may be challenging for younger children.
The schedule is subject to change – for more information visit WordXWordFestival.com.
WordXWord is made possible by lead sponsor Greylock Federal Credit Union, with additional support from Housatonic Heritage.
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WordXWord encourages poets to accept a greater role in the cultural landscape, to provoke and bear witness, to use their craft to advocate for social justice, to act as agents of change, and to add their voices in celebration of the full potential of the human spirit. We use the arts – spoken word, poetry and storytelling – to build community, promote creativity, and provide a safe space for celebration of identity and exploration of the challenges of our time.
WordXWordFestival.com
ALBANY, NY POETRY
There’s a vibrant and active poetry community in the Albany area.
Go to http://www.albanypoets.com/ for schedules and events!
WORD IN WORCESTER
The Hangover Hour Poetry Salon
is every other Sunday afternoon, with a poet from the community reading the works of a poet from history. The open mic before the feature is a tight 5 minutes, for poems, stories or other spoken word propaganda. Spread the word nerd! The future is a drag, man!!! We start promptly at 5:00 p.m. every other Sunday, so come early, have a tasty beverage and be cool cats. 18+ Nicks (124 Millbury Street, Worcester)
The Little “a” Poetry Series
Every Thursday night at 7pm, with an open mic preceding the feature. It is free and all ages, and will be held at The Strange Attractor, 97D Webster St, Worcester MA. Hosted by “Cowboy” Matt Hopewell, who also does the booking and can be reached at themadcowboy@gmail.com or by phone at (508) 479 8311 .
CONNECTICUT POETRY
CT has a wonderful and comprehensive newsletter online. Write toctpoetnews@yahoo.com to get the CT Poet newsletter in your email, or the CT Poetry Calendar is online at http://www.ctpoetrycalendar.com
BOSTON/CAPE COD POETRY
If you want more events in the Boston area (and there are many more!) write to Dan Bouchard to get his poetry calendar in your email at bouchard@MIT.EDU
Cape Cod Poetry is under Barry Hellman’s Cape Cod Poetry Group on Facebook.
VERMONT POETRY
Poetry Slam
Every first and third Wednesday of the month. First, Poetry Slam, then is an open mic Equilibrium 14 Elm Street sign-up at 7:30 event is 8-10pmhttp://www.facebook.com/BrattleboroPoetry For a VT poetry events calendar go to: http://www.phayvanh.com/ For info on Brattleboro poetry and Write Action visit their website – http://www.writeaction.org Poetry readings at the Putney Library 55 Main Street, Putney VT (802) 387-4407
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News for Poetry News should be sent to thepoetrynews@gmail.com. Please send your announcements in text only – do not format (no special fonts, left-align, no colors, etc.) and please check it for errors. Send by the end of the month for publication. Thank you, Lori Desrosiers – Publisher, Editor, wearer of all hats.
Poetry News 