Special Events

3RD ANNUAL PHILADELPHIA POETRY FESTIVAL

April 26, 2013, by 1 comment

In celebration of poetry month, The Philadelphia Poetry Festival will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 11 am to 4:30 p.m., in the Montgomery Auditorium,at the Philadelphia Free Library, 1901 Vine Street , Philadelphia , PA , 19103 . It is an afternoon dedicated to celebrating Greater Philadelphia poetry in all of its manifestations, and to unite and showcase the diverse organizations that work throughout the region to promote and share poetry.

Special guest include Sonia Sanchez, Leonard Gontarek, Dan Simpson and Dave Simpson, and Philly’s First Poet Laureate, Siduri Beckman and finalist Jaya Montague, both chosen by Sonia Sanchez.

Again this year, we are privileged to present some of the finest poetry venues, magazines, and series in the area, including the Asian Arts Initiative/Family Style Open Mic, Panoramic Poetry Series & Uptown Panoramic Poetry, American Poetry Review, Musehouse:A Center for the Literary Arts, Philadelphia Stories, Poetry Aloud & Alive at Big Blue Marble, Green Line Poetry Series, Moonstone Art Center, Painted Bride Quarterly, Mad Poets Society & Mad Poets Review, Monday Poets Series, Apiary Magazine, Philadelphia Poets, PoetryWITS, Philadelphia Writers Conference, Montgomery County Poet Laureate Program, and others.

Twenty organizations will present poetry performances, as well as a representative who will give information about that particular group’s projects, literary magazines, or poetry programs.

There will be an area for the circulation of program brochures, flyers and information about dozens of Philadelphia poetry and writing outlets.Bring your favorite series’ information to share!

This is the area’s most comprehensive poetry event solely dedicated to celebrating Greater Philadelphia Poetry in all of its manifestations. Be there or be square!

For further information about this event, email [email protected] ;for details and information as plans progress,check out our blog at http://phillypoetryfest.blogspot.com/

Below is the schedule for the event

Philadelphia Poetry Festival

saturday, april 27, 2013 – 11 AM – 4:30 PM

2013 Schedule

 

11:00 A.M. – WELCOME !

1ST SET * Hosted by JOANNE LEVA

* Featured Guest: Leonard GontareK

* Manayunk Roxborough Art Center/ Schuylkill Valley Journal (Peter Krok / Eileen Moeller)

*Philadelphia Stories (Courtney Bambrick / Blythe Davenport)

* Farley’s Bookstore -Poetry Series (Bernadette McBride/Lorraine Henrie Lins)

* Mad Poets Society/Mad Poets Review (Eileen D’Angelo / David Kozinski)

*Montgomery County Poet Laureate Program (Ethel Rackin / Glenn McLaughlin )

 

*NETWORKING BREAK ! 15 MIN.*

 

2ND SET * Hosted by GLENN McLAUGHLIN

* Moonstone Art Center (Larry Robin / Lester Mobley)

* Philadelphia Poets (Rosemary Cappello / Mel Brake)

* Big Blue Marble /Poetry Aloud & Alive (Mike Cohen / Dave Worrell)

* Asian Arts Initiative/Family Style Open Mic (Michelle Myers)

* Making Poems that Last Workshops (Leonard Gontarek / Phyllis Mass)

 

*NETWORKING BREAK ! 15 MIN.*

 

3RD SET * Hosted by DAVE WORRELL

* Featured Guests: DAVE SIMPSON & DAN SIMPSON

* Philadelphia Writers Conference (TO BE ANNOUNCED )

*Painted Bride Quarterly (Kathleen Volk Miller)

*Musehouse: A Literary Arts Center (Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno)

* American Poetry Review (David Bonanno)

* PoetryWITS ( Cleveland Wall)

 

*NETWORKING BREAK ! 15 MIN.*

 

4th SET * Hosted by HAYDEN SAUNIER

* Kelly Writers House/Penn Campus (TENTATIVE ! Jessica Lowenthal, Director)

* Panoramic Poetry Series / and Uptown Panoramic Poetry Series (Crucial)

* Green Line Poetry Series (Leonard Gontarek / Charles Carr)

* Monday Poets Series (Kay Wisniewski/Lamont Dixon, Host )

* Apiary (Amelia Longo / Warren Longmire)

* Featured Guest: Sonia Sanchez and Philadelphia ‘s First Student Poet Laureate: SIDURI BECKMAN and Finalist: JAYA MONTAGUE

Congrats to Three Mad Poets!

March 16, 2013, by No comments yet

Congratulations to three Mad Poets on their awards in the annual Charlotte Miller Simon Poetry Contest given by the Ardmore Library.

Joseph Dorazio won first prize and both Linda M. Fischer and Amy E. Laub received honorable mentions.  The winners will be reading their poems at the awards ceremony tomorrow, Sunday, March 17, at 2:00 p.m. in the Lower Merion Township Bldg., 75 East Lancaster Ave., Ardmore.

Come one, come all!

Memorial for Lou McKee

March 13, 2012, by No comments yet

Last November, the poetry world lost an important man: Louis McKee passed away at the age of 60. McKee was a long-time Mad Poet, and this Sunday, we will celebrate Lou — his life, his work, and his friendship — at the Mansion Parlor in Media Borough Hall.

Read more →

Peter Baroth at the Community Art Center

June 14, 2011, by No comments yet

Tomorrow night, the Mad Poets is super excited to present a special poetry reading and art show of multi-talented local artist — and long-time Mad Poet – PETER BAROTH.  This event will take place in the Community Art Center, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford , PA 19086. The featured reading & show will start at 7pm, with an open mic to follow. Light refreshments will also be provided.

"Self Portrait," by Peter Baroth

"Self Portrait," by Peter Baroth

Peter Baroth is a writer, artist, and musician based in Philadelphia. He was born in Chicago, raised in Norman, Oklahoma, and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and Temple Law School. He has published a novel, Long Green, with iUniverse; and his most recent chapbook is Ski Oklahoma, published with Wordrunner Chapbooks. His poetry has appeared in Mad Poets Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal, Philadelphia Poets, Legal Studies Forum, The Awakenings Review, E Pluribus Unum – An Anthology of Diverse Voices, Apiary, and elsewhere. He was the 2009 recipient of the Amy Tritsch Needle Award in poetry. He is also on the editorial board of Philadelphia Stories magazine.

You can read some of Peter’s poems here, here & here.

And you can check out Peter’s facebook album to view more of his exciting artwork.

Check us out TOMORROW at the Philly Poetry Festival

April 22, 2011, by No comments yet

For those who haven’t heard yet, tomorrow 25 poetry organizations from throughout the Philly area are getting together at the Central Library in Philadelphia to mix, mingle, and make merriment & mayhem at the Philadelphia Poetry Festival.

Philadelphia Poetry Festival
April 23, 2011
12pm-4pm
Free Library of Phila., Central Branch
Montgomery Auditorium
1901 Vine Street, Phila., PA 19103 [get directions]

The Fest is going down from 12p-4p in the Montgomery Auditorium (that’s downstairs) and will include representatives from an eclectic mix of Philly poetry orgs, talking about their work and spotlighting one of their favorite poets. The Mad Poets Society is one of those organizations. (In fact, Eileen & I have been part of the organizing committee, along with Joanne Leva, Tamara Oakman & Leonard Gontarek). Eileen will do the talking for MPS & John Timpane will be our representative poet. We’ll hit the stage in the 3rd set, early in the 2 o’clock hour. Right after featured poet Nathalie Anderson. Come check us out, throw us some love & hang out with about a bazillion other hardworking poets and organizers.

If you’ve ever kicked yourself for not getting to this reading or that reading, now is the time to get a taste of what all the city’s various poetry orgs have to offer. No kidding. Check out the FULL SCHEDULE for more info. See ya there!!

Tonight: Gregory Djanikian at Swarthmore Public Library

April 7, 2011, by No comments yet

If you haven’t already heard, it’s National Poetry Month… and if you haven’t heard, you probably live in a remote village, with limited access to the internet & only this website enabled. Because it’s everywhere! And of course we couldn’t be happier!!!!

We’re celebrating all month long, but tonight we’ve got an extra special event at Swarthmore Public Library, featuring nationally acclaimed poet Gregory Djanikian. The reading, which will be hosted by loyal Mad Poet Linda Fischer, will begin promptly at 7 pm. Refreshments will be served.

Gregory Djanikian, poet

Gregory Djanikian, poet

Gregory Djanikian is the Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published five collections of poetry, The Man in the Middle, Falling Deeply into America, About Distance, Years Later, and most recently, So I Will Till the Ground, all with Carnegie Mellon University Press. His awards include a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Eunice Tietjens Prize from Poetry magazine, and the Anahid Literary Award from the Armenian Center of Columbia University. You can read about him and preview some of his amazing poems here, here, and here.

Host Linda Fischer says: I heard Gregory Djanikian read some years ago under the auspices of the Mad Poets, and I became an immediate fan!  His poetry is completely accessible and always very moving, whether somber or humorous.  This is an evening you will really enjoy!”

THIS SATURDAY: Arts Against Abuse

November 30, 2010, by No comments yet

On Saturday night, December 4, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., a benefit concert and special fundraiser, Arts Against Abuse IV, will feature singer songwriters Craig Bickhardt, Lizanne Knott and JD Malone, at the Delaware County Institute of Science, 11 Veterans Square, in Media. The exciting concert will benefit the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County (DAP).

Craig Bickhardt has written songs that have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, B. B. King, Alison Krauss and dozens of other artists. His voice and songs can also be heard in the Academy Award winning film “Tender Mercies”. As a recording artist he is the winner of the 2007 International Acoustic Music Awards and his new CD “Brother to the Wind” has received critical acclaim and airplay around the world.

A long standing member of the music scene in Philadelphia and an award winning singer-songwriter, Lizanne Knott has been captivating audiences throughout the US and garnering attention from industry peers across the globe. Well known locally for her understated music, floating vocals and lyrical juxtapositions, she moves easily through dark poetic ballads to soul infused folk and roots driven folk rock. Ever making her way into the hearts of her audience, she will be sure to find you catching a tear, tapping your feet and smiling like there’s no tomorrow.

Born under a bright blue sky in the Green Mountain State of the USA, J.D Malone writes and sings songs about love and hate, angels and demons and the universal struggle to feel safe under the stars.

Hot off the press, a new collection of poems will be launched and available for sale: “Unbreakable and Other Poems on Domestic Abuse.” The volume includes poetry from locally and nationally known poets including Stephanie Morris, Autumn Konopka, Lisa Lutwyche, Tamara G. Oakman, Joanne Leva, Missy Grotz, Joyce Meyers, Barbara Wagner, Camille Norvaisis, susan h. robbins, Joan Huffman, Donald LaBranche, James O’Neil, Eileen D’Angelo, and others. All proceeds from book sales will benefit Domestic Abuse Project.

In addition to the concert, there will be an auction, door prizes, and refreshments will be served, courtesy of local businesses including On a Roll Restaurant and Professional Duplicating in Media, The Philadelphia Phillies, Media Theatre, Village Art Shoppe, Salon DeSante in Springfield, the Philadelphia Writers Conference, and the Philadelphia Liars Club, among other area organizations and businesses.

Admission is $15; $25 for two, pay at the door. For further details and info, contact Arts Against Abuse founder, Eileen D’Angelo,  madpoets [at] comcast [dot] net.

AT LONG LAST: Mad Poets Book Party

October 20, 2010, by 6 comments

It’s been a while… thanks to budget cuts and general financial yuck, it’s been a lot longer than any of us would have liked. But this weekend, we are thrilled to finally release Volume 23 of the Mad Poets Review!!!! We’ll be celebrating on Saturday, starting at 11am, at the Delaware County Institute of Science.

Mad Poets Review, Vol 23

Mad Poets Review, Vol 23

Volume 23 is definitely worth the wait! Bigger than your average MPR, this is an extra-stuffed, stunning issue — 272 pages, perfect bound, and filled with incredible poetry from local favorites, like Joe Roarty and Dan Maguire, as well as nationally renowned poets, like Therese Halscheid and Paul Martin. Sneak a peek at the Table of Contest below the jump.

For those who haven’t been to a book party before, it’s a read-till-you-drop extravaganza, where we go through the issue cover to cover and any published poet who’s there gets to read his/her work. Come for all or part. Come for great poetry. (I also have it on good authority that there will be some scrumptious munchies!) The party starts at 11am at the Delaware County Institute of Science.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Read more →

Thursday Oct 21st: Fiction & Poetry at the Delco Institute of Science

October 20, 2010, by No comments yet

Tomorrow night, the Delaware County Institute of Science will host Bill Wunder, Tracy MacNish, and special guest, open mic contest winner, Margaret Robinson. The featured reading, which is hosted by Brian Sammond, starts at 7pm and is followed by an open mic!

Poet Bill Wunder

Poet Bill Wunder

Bill Wunder is the author of Pointing at the Moon (WordTech Editions, 2008) and a chapbook, A Season of Storms (Via Dolorosa Press, 2002.) In 2004, he was named Poet Laureate of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His poems have been widely published, and he has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in poetry. Bill has been a finalist numerous times in The T. S. Eliot Prize, and the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards. In 2010, he was nominated for a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. He has read and lectured in local schools, colleges, festivals, book stores, libraries, and on public television. Bill serves as Poetry Editor of The Schuylkill Valley Journal, and lives with his two black labs in Bucks County.

Novelist Tracy MacNish

Novelist Tracy MacNish

Tracy MacNish has published four historical novels for Kensington Publishing, has written short, experimental fiction, and is working on a contemporary novel as well as another historical novel.

Finally, we are delighted to present Margaret A. Robinson as the Institute’s open mic contest winner. Robinson earned her reading by impressing audiences at the Science Institute time and again with powerful open mic performances. Robinson’s work has appeared recently in Prairie Schooner, and she is the author of several volumes of poetry including Sparks (Pudding House Press). She is an adjunct professor of Creative Writing at Widener University.

Margaret Robinson is the first of three audience-chosen readers the Mad Poets will feature this fall. Votes are still being tallied for the series at Churchill in Pottstown and Milkboy in Bryn Mawr. Stay tuned.

Week in Preview

October 4, 2010, by No comments yet

It’s a busy week, so I’ll skip all the witty preamble and get straight to the particulars. I’ll post more on each reading throughout the week. Be sure to follow us on twitter (@MadPoetsSociety) so you’re in the know.

Tues., Oct. 5th, 7-10pm: Open mic for poets & musicians at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, hosted by Stu O’Connor and Mary Kathryn Morgeneier. Sign up at 6:30pm.

Wed., Oct. 6th, 7pm: Potpourri of Poetry, a new MPS series at the Park House Cafe in Ridley Park. The debut reading will feature Dave Worrell, followed by an open mic. This reading is free & open to the public. Hosted by Camelia Nocella.

Thurs., Oct. 7th, 7pm: Book party for Bill Van Buskirk, winner of the Mad Poets’ Joie DeVivre Book Award. Van Buskirk will read and sign copies of his winning book, This Wild Joy that Thrills Outside the Law, selected by renowned Philadelphia poet and editor Louis McKee. This free event will be held at the Delaware County Institute of Science.

Sat., Oct. 9th, 2-5pm: The Business of Words Workshop, led by Tamara Oakman, at the Blue Grotto in West Philadelphia.

Sat., Oct. 9th, 7pm: Therese Halscheid & Aaren Perry read for the Otherwise – Poetry at Churchill series in Pottstown.