The Mad Poets Blog

It’s Memorial Day, so that means its officially summer, right? That may mean that the flow of poetry slows in some parts, but not these. This week, we’ve got two great events.

• Tuesday June 1st, 7 p.m.: Open mic poetry at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville. Hosted by Stu O’Connor and Mary Kathryn Morgeneier. Bring your poems, your instruments, and your enthusiasm. This event is free & open to the public.
• Thursday June 3rd, 6-8 p.m.: Light of Unity Association and Mad Poets Performance Series hits the University of Pennsylvania Bookstore in University City. This month’s line up features Jeffrey Ethan Lee, Dan Maguire, Quincy Scott Jones, Mel Brake, Tree Riesener, George McDermott, Bonnie MacAllister, and a musical/spoken performance by: Ian Wolf. Admission is $7 or $5 for students, seniors & MPS members. Proceeds benefit Philabundance.

Hope to see ya there!

Okay… so it’s Tuesday… I was hungover from all my Easter treats.

Tuesday, Monday… it’s all the same on the internet, really. So, lets get Shameless!!!! What are you doing this week? Reading, hosting, playing, performing, publishing??? Let us know.

We’ve got some good stuff happening. Here it is:

*Week of April 5*

• Tues., Apr. 6, 7p.m.: Open mic at Steel City Coffeehouse. Open to poets, songwriters & musicians!
• Thurs., Apr. 8, 7p.m.: John Yamrus & Minna Duchovnay at Milkboy Acoustic Cafe. Featured readers followed by an open mic – come through your hat into our open mic contest & try for the chance to win a featured spot at Milkboy this November!
• Sat., Apr. 10, 2p.m.: Open poetry workshop with Tamara Oakman at the Blue Grotto in West Philly. Bring your poems for critique and conversation.
• Sat., Apr. 10, 7p.m.: Otherwise – Poetry at Chuchill’s featuring a reading by the Mad Poets Hosts! The tables turn and those fearless leaders who show up month after month to host readings and workshops will get the chance to share their own poems. Come on out and show them some love!

It’s Monday… and again with all this rain! Blech!

Oh well, we press on into Spring, and as we press, we pause every once in a while for a great reading, a new book, a unique performance, etc. etc. etc. You just point us where to go. Get shameless and post a comment promoting yourself and your upcoming events!

Here’s what we’ve got going on this week. Thursday is a doozy for us!!

*Week of March 29*

• Thurs., April 1, 7:30p: Daniel Hoffman, former U.S. Poet Laureate, will read at the Swarthmore Public Library. This very special event kicks off National Poetry Month! It’s free and open to the public, and will be hosted by Linda Fischer.
• Thurs., April 1, 6p-8p: The Light of Unity Association and the Mad Poets Society present the 1st Thursdays performance series at the University of Pennsylvania Bookstore. This month, the line-up includes Deborah Derrickson Kossman, Peter Baroth, Michael Steffen, Denice Frohman (Ms. Misconception), Cole Larry Eubanks, Shani Sheryl Asantewaa, Strothers, and music by Jafar Barron & Anthony Mohammed. Admission is $7, with proceeds split between the performers and OIC International.

It’s Monday again. That means time to get Shameless with your good news. Reading coming up? Book getting published? Website we should check out? Type it in the comments & let us know. Or tweet it with the hashtag #ShamelessMonday. (And of course, if you’re not following us – @MadPoetsSociety – you should be!)

As for us, we’re really getting back in action this week!

*Week of Feb. 8, 2010*

• Wed, Feb 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: The MPS Critique Circle meets at the Coffee Club in Media, Pa. Please note, this is a new location & a new time for 2010. The critique circle is free, open to the public, and will convene in the Coffee Club’s glass-enclosed conference room.
• Thurs, Feb 11, 7 p.m.: We kick off our series at the Milkboy Acoustic Cafe in Bryn Mawr with our annual pre-Valentine’s Love/Anti-Love open mic. This is always LOTS of fun! No featured readers — just you, you, and you reading your poems about love, hate, lust, repulsion, and everything in between.
• Sat, Feb 13, 2 p.m.: Tamara Oakman’s Business of Words poetry workshop moves to the Blue Grotto (at Community Education Center) in University City. The workshop will meet monthly on the 2nd Saturday, Feb thru Nov.
• Sat, Feb 13, evening: The Mad Poets series in Pottstown kicks off… I don’t have full details, yet, but I’ll update later.

So, it’s Tuesday. So, it’s been a month since our last call for Monday Shamelessness. Are we the only ones who fell into the black hole of September??

Without further ado, we invite and encourage your shamelessness.  Where are you reading or performing? Where are you publishing? What the heck is going on in your world??? We want to know!

It’s fall, so things are picking up for us again.  This week is a little light, but we do have our biggest & best event of the year — the Mad Poets Festival — coming up on Sunday.  Check it out!!

*Week of Sept 28*

• Wed., Sept. 30, 6-7:30 p.m.: The Self & Place in Poetry, A workshop with Leonard Gontarek at the Walnut Street West Library (note this is a change of venue!)  The workshop is free, but registration is required. Click above for more info.
• Sun., Oct. 4, 12-5 p.m.: The Mad Poets Festival (woot woot!) at Media Borough Hall.

Tamara Oakman, of Philadelphia, has recently completed “Snatch” her MAE thesis project at Arcadia University. She’s been published in Mad Poets Review, Philadelphia Stories, Best of Philladelphia Stories, Many Mountains Moving, and other journals. She runs a series at the Parkway Central Library called The Light of Unity Artist’s and Writer’s Series 2009.

Earlier this year, Tamara initiated a new poetry workshop series for the Mad Poets Society. The Business of Words workshop meets at the University of Pennsylvania Bookstore on the 2nd Saturday of every month, from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. (The next meeting is Sept 13th.)  You can check her out sooner by heading over to Milkboy Acoustic Cafe this Thursday at 7 p.m. for the Mad Poets Hosts Reading.

I’m working on getting that calendar (yeah, that big empty one that says there are no events) off the righthand sidebar, but it takes a little finaggling.  So, please please please ignore, if you weren’t already doing so.  It’ll be gone soon enough.

If you’re looking for readings, check out the homepage & click on any of the venues in the lefthand sidebar, under the “Readings & Events” heading.

THE FOX CHASE READING SERIES

 The readings will begin at 2pm. Two featured poets will read their works followed by an open reading. Seating is limited so come early and enjoy the fantastic menu at 3 Sisters Corner Café.

READING SCHEDULE- 2009

      JAN 31 – Mike Cohen and Thomas Devaney

      FEB 28 – Diane Sahms-Guarnieri and J.C. Todd

     MARCH 28- Justin Vitiello and Ellen Peckham

     APRIL 25 – Chad Parenteau Ray Greenblatt

     JUNE  27-  Amy King and Amy Ouzoonian

     JULY  25  – Vincent Quatroche and Timothy Gager

     SEPT 26 – Frank Sherlock and CA Conrad

     OCT 31- Louis McKee and Beth Phillips Brown

     NOV 28 – Mel Brake and Adam Meora

All readings will start at 2pm 3 Sisters Corner Café is located at:

7950 Oxford Ave.(corner of Loney and Barnes) Philadelphia , Pa. 19111

www.foxchasereview.org

To learn more about the Mad Poets Society please visit http://www.madpoetssociety.com/

Autumn Konopka and MacGregor Rucker featured at the last reading of the 2008 Fox Chase Reading Series at 3 Sisters Corner Café in Fox Chase. Steve Burke and Rita Martin joined the features in the open mic.

The Fox Chase Reading Series resumes in January of 2009. The following poets will feature throughout 2009:

Mike Cohen, Thomas Devaney,  Diane Sahms-Guarnieri,  J.C. Todd,Justin Vitiello, Ellen
Peckham , Chad Parenteau Ray GreenblattAmy King, Amy Ouzoonian, Vincent Quatroche, Timothy Gager,  Frank Sherlock, CA Conrad, Louis McKee, Beth Phillips Brown,  Mel Brake and Adam Meora  To read the works of the 2009 feature poets at Fox Chase and the 2009 schedule please visit www.foxchasereview.org  

It was hot and it was July at 3 Sisters Corner Café the venue that hosts the MPS Fox Chase Reading Series. It was another packed house to hear the poetics of Glenn McLaughlin and Arlene Bernstein. Following the features for the open mic were Bob Finkelstein, Arthur Krasnow, Sincere Melody and J. Knivez.

The final reading for the Fox Chase Series for 2008 is Sept. 27^th at 2pm when MacGregor Rucker and Autumn Konopka will feature. For more information on the poets reading in Fox Chase or for the 2009 schedule please visit www.foxchasereview.org