The Mad Poets Blog

POETS SANDY VAN DOREN AND ALEXANDER LONG TO READ AT THE MILK BOY ACOUSTIC CAFE TONIGHT 

            On Thursday, May 8, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., the Mad Poets Society will present a poetry reading featuring Alexander Long and Sandy Van Doren and at the Milk Boy Acoustic Café (in the Bryn Mawr Film Institute) 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, hosted by Autumn Konopka. 

Alexander Long’s Vigil was published with New Issues Press (2006).  A second book, Noise, that crosses the border of prose poetry and memoir is due out late 2008 from RockWay Press.  With Christopher Buckely, he is co-editor of A Condition of the Spirit: the Life and Work of Larry Levis (Eastern Washington UP, 2004).  His work has appeared in The Southern Review, Blackbird, Third Coast, Quarterly West, 5 A.M., The Cream City Review, among others; his poems also have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize six times.  He’s received a fellowship from the Prague Summer Seminars and a residency from The Vermont Studio Center.  Beginning this fall, he’ll be assistant professor in the English Department at John Jay College in New York City.  He writes, plays, and travels with the band Redhead Betty Takeout.

            Sandy Van Doren, a member of the West Chester Poetry Center Board, has been writing poetry twenty years. Her work has been published or forthcoming in Iambs and Trochees, Measure, Lyric, Mobius, NeoVictorian/Cochlea, Pivot, Sonnetto Poetsia, Medicinal Purposes and other literary journals.  She is an active member of an excellent local poetry critique group “Teeth and Claws:”

            An open reading will follow.  Bring your poems!  For further information about this event or the Mad Poets Society, contact Eileen D’Angelo at 610-586-9318, email: madpoets@comcast.net  or check the website:  www.madpoetssociety.com.

The Last Word Bookshop Series hosted by Leonard Gontarek presents featured poets William Kulik and Elizabeth Scanlon on Friday May 9^th at 7 pm. The book shop is located at 220 South 40^th St., Philadelphia, Pa.

William Kulik is a poet and translator who lives in North Central Pennsylvania. His books include Selected Poems of Max Jacob, (Oberlin 1999) and a volume of prose poems, Nowhere Fast.

Ellzabeth Scanlon’s poems have appeared in many magazines, including The Boston Review, The Colorado Review, Gulf Coast, Lit, Painted Bride Quarterly, and Ploughshares among others. She is also an editor at the American Poetry Review.

On Wednesday May 28^th  at 6 pm, The Donatucci Reading Series hosted by Diane Sahms Guarnieri features poets Barbara DeCesare and G Emil Reutter. The reading will be held at 1935 Shunk Street, Philadelphia, Pa.19145 . Library number is 215-685-1755

The tragic poems of Barbara DeCesare explore a world in which some of us feel too much, some of us feel too little, and most of us vary between these two states, uncertain how to feel or how to deal with the burdens and horrible confusions of love and life. These are poems of jealousy and rage, adoration and devotion, and the way the lines between these states blur. Barbara is the author of Jigsaw Eyesore, Silent Type and the CD titled Adrift. Her website is http://www.emster.com/BarbaraDeCesare/ 

G Emil Reutter has authored six collections of prose and poetry, most recently a collection titled “Broken Shells and Hope” released in February of 2008. His website is www.gemilreutter-author.com

On Saturday May 31^st The Rockledge/Fox Chase Business Association is sponsoring “Art in The Park” at the Lions Park located at Oxford Ave. and Loney Street in the Fox Chase Section of Philadelphia. The event will run from 1pm to 5pm and will feature works by local artists, hand-crafted jewelry, murals and other works from the arts community. Our friend Pat Quinn from 3 Sisters Corner Café is helping organize “Art in The Park”. If you are an artist/writer who wants to participate in this event click on the image and the registration information is located there. If you want to have a great Saturday afternoon come to “Art in The Park” on May 31^st and celebrate the Arts!

If you haven’t had the chance, do consider purchasing your copy of The Mad Poets Review. Issues 20 and 21 of this yearly publication are still available from the Mad Poets Society.

Issue 20 presents the work of poets from the Delaware Valley and from across the
United States packed with 223 pages of outstanding poetry. ISSN 1526-7792. The price $12.00 

Issue 21 presents the work of poets from the Delaware Valley and from across the
United States packed with 223 pages of outstanding poetry. ISSN 1526-7792. The price $12.00 

Send a check or money order to : The Mad Poets Society, P.O Box 1248, Media, Pa.
19063-8248

For more information please email: Madpoets@comcast.net

On April 16th at 6pm J.C. Todd and Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore will feature at the first Donatucci Library Reading Series hosted by Diane Sahms-Guarnieri. The Library is located at 1935 Shunk Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19145.  215-685-1755

MONDAY, MARCH 31st at 7:00 pm-

“LIVE” AT WRITERS HOUSE presents MAD POETS DAN MAGUIRE, STEVE DELIA, AUTUMN KONOPKA, MISSY GROTZ and EILEEN D’ANGELO, and Musical Guest DEVIN GREENWOOD, at Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk on University of Pennsylvania Campus. This program will air on WXPN on April 14th.  Free & open to the public.

The Fox Chase Reading Series at 3 Sisters Cafe was packed for Featured Poets Louis McKee and Eileen D’Angelo hosted by Kristine Grow. The open mic complimented the fine features with readings by Ellen Peckham, Bella Feliciano, Arthur Krasnow, Diane Sahms-Guarnieri, Steve Delia and Mike Cohen.

The series resumes on June 28^th at 2pm with Poet Vincent Quatroche  (www.rubbereden.com) and Poet Alla Vilnyanskaya who you can visit at ( http://www.tushkanchik.com )

Don’t forget to visit our featured and guest poets at The Fox Chase Review www.foxchasereview.org

From Eileen D’Angelo

THURSDAY, MARCH 27^TH  at 7:00 p.m.

MAD POETS OPEN STAGE AT TAYLOR’S AT THE OLDE MILL (200 W. Marshall St., Norristown, PA 19401; 610-272-2011)   -   Featuring YOU and a ton of other talented poets and musicians!  Hosted by Eileen D’Angelo.   This restaurant is a four story historic grist mill (circa 1880) This exciting new series will be held on 4th Thursdays through 2008, and offers an entertaining open forum for musicians poets, singer-songwriters– and anyone who enjoys listening to poetry and music is welcome.  Come early and have dinner (or you can also come, on time, at 7 pm, and order dinner during the event.)  The owners offered to make this event a mini-Mad Poets FUNDRAISER, by donating 10% of all dinners ordered that evening to Mad Poets.) See: http://www.taylorsoldemill.com/, you’ll find us on the events page, you can check out the menu, and you’ll get to see this stunning building. The readings will be on the 1^st Floor, (not the 4^th, as previously publicized.) And there is VALET PARKING– no need to drive around trying to find a spot.  

SATURDAY, MARCH 29th at 2:00 pm-

The THREE SISTERS CAFE READING SERIES, hosted by G. Emil Reutter, will present poets LOUIS McKEE and EILEEN D’ANGELO at Three Sisters Cafe, 7950 Oxford ave., (Corner of Loney & Barnes) in Philly, 19111. Phone: 215-725-6848.  An open mike follows.  Come out and join us !!!

MONDAY, MARCH 31^st at 7:00 pm-

“LIVE” AT WRITERS HOUSE presents MAD POETS DAN MAGUIRE, STEVE DELIA, AUTUMN KONOPKA, MISSY GROTZ and EILEEN D’ANGELO, and Musical Guest DEVIN GREENWOOD, at Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk on University of Pennsylvania Campus. This program will air on WXPN on April 14^th.  Free & open to the public.

          NATIONAL POETRY MONTH EVENTS!

*Something almost every day! Yikes !

FIRST !!   NOTE!  THE PHILADELPHIA WRITERS CONFERENCE DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS APRIL 15TH. I’M ON THE PWC BOARD, IT’S A GREAT CONFERENCE THIS YEAR:  POETRY CLASSES TAUGHT BY KATE NORTHROP + BARB DANIELS; THERESE HALSCHEID ON JOURNALING, MICHAEL SMERCONISH IS OPENING SPEAKER, MARK BOWDEN (AUTHOR OF BLACK HAWK DOWN) IS BANQUET SPEAKER, LORRAINE RANALLI AND BONNIE NEUBAUER OFFER CREATIVITY SEMINARS.. SEE: WWW.PWCWRITERS.ORG AND CHECK OUT ALL THE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP LEADERS !

    REMEMBER ! ANY WRITERS GROUP OF 7 OR MORE PEOPLE CAN SEND A MEMBER/WRITER ON A PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP !  INSTEAD OF PAYING $185 FOR THE THREE DAYS.. YOU PAY $100 .. FOR SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS, WRITE RAY PELHAM 1504 WARNER RD., MEADOWBROOK, PA, 19046-1913; SEND #10 STAMPED, SELF-ADDRESSED BUSINESS ENVELOPE FOR INFO.  ACT FAST! CONTEST DEADLINE IS ALSO APRIL 15TH, SO IF YOU ARE COMING TO THE CONFERENCE — YOU WANT TO GET REGISTERED, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER — AND GET YOUR ENTRIES IN !!!

TUESDAY, APRIL 1^ST at 7 PM  -

JOIN US FOR Another STEEL CITY COFFEEHOUSE MAD POET *OPEN MIKE* NIGHT*!   This series has moved from Sundays and are held FIRST TUESDAY NIGHTS at 7 pm, hosted by Eileen D’Angelo.  Located at 203 Bridge St. in Phoenixville, PA  19460; Store # 610-933-4043. You might want to come early & sign up, or email me in advance, at madpoets@comcast.net  (or if you are emailing on the day of the reading, zing a note to my work to reserve your spot:  eileendangelo@comcast.net, since I go straight from work to the readings.

Wednesday, APRIL 2^ND at 7 pm. 

HARVEST BOOK CRITIQUE CIRCLES !  Don’t miss the next MaD CiRcLe on  APRIL 2^ND .  Moderated by Amy Laub.  Bring 10 copies of a poem in progress for roundtable feedback, suggestions, discussion and critique *  Where else can you go to listen to people debate commas and line breaks ?!  It’s more fun than you can stand on a Wednesday night.  Harvest Book is directly across from Trader Joe’s on State St. in Media  (9 E. State St., 19063)

Tuesday, APRIL 8^TH at 7 pm

GRYPHON CAFÉ OPEN MIKE NIGHT - Richard Moyer hosts these cozy readings upstairs at the Gryphon Cafe, located at 105 W. Lancaster Ave., (2nd Fl) in Wayne, PA 19087); Cafe # is 610-688-1988. If you’ve never been there, it’s right on Rt. 30, next to the Anthony Wayne Theatre in the heart of Wayne.  The upstairs at the Gryphon is set up like a living room, and Richard offers a series of intimate gatherings of poets in an informal, comfortable atmosphere, poets who share original work, as well as their favorite poets’ and poems, as well.  A perfect setting for those who are just beginning to share their work, as well as those who are long time mad poets!

FRIDAY, APRIL 11^TH , 7 PM

THE LAST WORD BOOKSHOP

220 S. 40th Street      215-386-7750
(40th & Walnut Streets, U of Penn campus)
The Last Word Bookshop presents Dressing The Muse,

A Poetry Reading With:  Autumn McClintock + Leslie Valdez + Lisa Grunberger + Joyce Meyers + Rafi Lev + Anisa Rahim + Janet Spangler + Alison Hicks + Catherine Bancroft + Hanoch Guy
+ Steven Kleinman + Minna Duchovnay + Sekai Afua Zankel + Christy Schneider.

Hosted by LEONARD GONTAREK.

A Mad Poets Society & Peace/Works Event.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12^TH  at 7 pm

OTHERWISE - POETRY AT CHURCHILL - Mad Poets continue in 2008 at this venue, hosted by Glenn McLaughlin, at Churchill Artisan Baker & Chocolatier, 137 E. high St., Pottstown, PA 19464; 484-941-5100 - Come out to hear poetry by THERÉSE HALSCHEID and BOB WATTS ! An open mike follows.  Bring your poems ! 

SUNDAY, APRIL 13^TH AT 1:00 PM

YOUNG POETS AWARDS READING !

This is one of the most important events Mad Poets hosts all year. The student winners of the Young Poets Contest will come and read their award winning poems at the REDWOOD PLAYHOUSE, 6^th Street in Upland.  (Directions are on the website). It’s heartwarming and amazing to hear these young poets. This is one of the most important events Mad Poets hosts all year.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16^TH AT 6 PM – 8 PM

at the THOMAS DONATUCCI LIBRARY (formerly Passayunk Library)  DIANE GUARNIERI will host poets JC TODD and DANIEL ABDAL-HAYY MOORE, in celebration of POETRY MONTH.  Diane will host this series throughout the spring.. culminating in a special reading in June of her CENTER CITY POETS! Stay tuned!

Thomas Donatucci Library, 1935 Shunk St., Philly, 19145; Library # 215-685-1755.

Garrison Keillor reads Lou McKee’s “Angels” at the Writers Almanac on March 14^th.

To read and have a listen check out : http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2008/03/10/#friday