Dear Literary Folk,
April, as you all know, is National Poetry Month. It’s Shakespeare’s birth/death month. It’s tax month. William Carlos Williams called in “the saddest month,” and T. S. Eliot called it “the cruelest month.” It’s a month for fools and foolish whims.
“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” ~Japanese Proverb
But for literary fans and readers, it’s a month of non-stop delights of the poetic and prose variety nationally and locally. The Academy of American Poets suggests these ways to celebrate (click on each for more details):
Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day
The idea is simple: select a poem you love, carry it with you, then share it with co-workers, family, and friends.
Put poetry in an unexpected place
“Books should be brought to the doorstep like electricity, or like milk in England: they should be considered utilities.”
Play Exquisite Corpse
“Each participant is unaware of what the others have written, thus producing a surprising—sometimes absurd—yet often beautiful poem.”
Memorize a poem
“Getting a poem or prose passage truly ‘by heart’ implies getting it by mind and memory and understanding and delight.
Put a poem on the pavement
“Go one step beyond hopscotch squares and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk.”
Listen on your commute
“Often, hearing an author read their own work can clarify questions surrounding their work’s tone.”
Ask the Post Office for more poet stamps
“To be eligible, suggested poets must have been deceased for at least ten years and must be American or of American descent.”
Put a poem in a letter
“It’s always a treat to get a letter, but finding a poem in the envelope makes the experience extra special.”
Buy a book of poems for your library
“Many libraries have undergone or are facing severe cuts in funding. These cuts are often made manifest on library shelves.”
Here are a few from Sonoma County’s April Literary Calendar. And there are many, many more!
April 2, 1:00 pm. Occidental Fools Day Parade begins at the Community Center and wends its silly way through town, ending at Occidental Center for the Arts, Bohemian Hwy and Graton Rd. 2-5 pm. call 707-874-9392 or visit website: occidentalcenterforthearts.org.
April 7, 7:00 p.m. Popular Bay Area authors, editors, and publishers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida will speak in Santa Rosa on Thursday, April 7. For more details, see County News page.
April 14, 7:00 to 9:00 pm. “The Healing Arts of the Spoken Word.” FREE. An evening of readings, music, song, and performance poetry. The Green Bough, 531 Fifth Street, Santa Rosa. Readers and artists include Noelle Oxenhandler, Kristin Pearce, Jonah Raskin, Bart Schneider, Catherine Sevenau and Stacey Tuel. For information, email: jonah.raskin@sonoma.edu
April 23, 7:00 p.m. WordTemple Poetry Series. Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday! Paul Hoover will present his new book Sonnet 56 (terrific riffs on Shakespeare’s sonnet); Melissa Stein, author of Rough Honey; Pui Ying Wong reads from Yellow Plum Season; and Sonoma County poet Jodi L. Hottel. Sebastopol Center for the Arts. For more information go to www.wordtemple.com.
April 30, 7:00– 9:30 pm. An Evening of Poetry and Music by the Petaluma River, featuring: Terry Ehret with Caitlin Moe for vocals; Renee Owen with Brian Foster on harmonica, mandolin, guitar, and shakuhachi flute; Raphael Block with Judith Moon on the keyboard, mandolin, guitar and harmonium and Ananda on flute; Nancy Dougherty with musician friends. Tickets $12 for adults, $10 for students, children under 12 free. At The Post Wellness By Design Building, 224A Weller Street, Petaluma.
In the calls for submission category, check out these two:
Chocolate Poetry Contest, Presented by Beatriz Lagos and Viva Cocolat
Send an original of your poem and two copies with your name, address and telephone number on only one of the copies. Maximum two pages per poem. Poets may participate in one of two categories: A) Love and Chocolate or B) Chocolate and Frustration.Write which category on the envelope.
Send to: Poetry Contest/ Nora Wilkins, 1209 B St., Petaluma, CA 94952. Deadline April 30th. Prizes Awarded On: Saturday, May 14th, 5:30 p.m. at Viva Cocolat, 110 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, CA 94952
Poetry Collection: Wordrunner E-Chapbooks
Petaluma-based, Wordrunner Electronic Chapbooks publishes fiction, memoir and poetry online quarterly, featuring one author per echapbook. Submissions will be open for the summer 2011 POETRY echapbook from April 1 through May 31, 2011. No fee to submit. Payment: $65. See www.echapbook.com/submissions.htm for detailed guidelines and 2011 submission and publication schedule.
Terry Ehret
Sonoma County Literary Update co-editor
Sonoma County Literary Update 