POETRY NEWS: February 2010
Listings of readings
and performances in the Poetry News only include events in the greater
DC area (covering roughly the same area that the METRO public transit
system covers), although we include a larger geographic region for listings
of Competitions, Grants, Calls for Entries, Workshops, and Special Events
(covering all of DC, MD, VA, WV, and DE). To get listed in the Beltway
Poetry News, please send an email with full information (including a
phone number) any time during the month prior for readings and new releases,
and up to two months prior for Calls for Entries and Special Events.
We try to be as complete and accurate as possible; listing here does
not constitute an endorsement, nor can we be responsible for changes
and additions made after the first of the month. Please check with sponsors
to confirm the accuracy of listings. Send your news to beltway.poetry@juno.com.
NEW RELEASES
Grace Cavalieri,
Sounds Like Something I Would Say (Goss
183: Casa Menendez)
Perry Epes, Nothing
Happened (The Word Works)
Daniel
Gutstein, non/fiction (Edge
Books)
Dehejia
Maat, Deep Rooted Soul Sista Poems (CreateSpace)
Reetika
Vazirani, Radha Says (Drunken
Boat Books)
JMWW, Winter 2010, Jen
Michaelski, editor. Contributors include: Clarinda
Harriss, Lalita Noronha,
Gregg Mosson, Emily Peterson. http://jmww.150m.com/
COMPETITIONS, GRANTS and CALLS FOR
ENTRY
Library of Virginia Literary Awards. Three prizes
of $3,500 each given annually for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
published in the previous year by a writer who was born in or is a resident
of Virginia (or, in the case of nonfiction, books with a Virginia theme).
Submit 3 copies of book published in 2009. No entry fee. Deadline: Feb.
5. http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/index.htm.
Patrick Henry Fellowship at the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of
the American Experience at Washington College, Chestrown, MD. Given
annually to a nonfiction writer (can include creative nonfiction) working
on a book that addresses the history of legacy of the American Revolution
and the nation's founding ideas. Fellowship recipient gets $45,000,
teaches a one-semester undergraduate seminar, gives one public lecture.
Submit writing sample of 25 to 50 pages, project description, cv, and
3 references. Deadline: Feb. 15. http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu/fellows/index.php.
Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing at Bucknell University in
Lewisburg, PA. Open to poets over age 21 who are US residents and not
enrolled as students. Some record of publication is desireable. Term
of residence is late August through mid-December 2010. Mail application
with vitae, 3 recommendations, and writing sample (up to 10 pages).
Postmark deadline: Feb. 20. http://www.bucknell.edu/x3756.xml.
DC Commission on the Arts, Small Projects Mini-Grants, Deadline Feb.
24. http://dcarts.dc.gov.
Tidal Basin Review seeks submissions for their inaugural Spring
e-issue. Send previously unpublished work in English: 3-5 poems (no
more than 5 pages), one short story, one novel excerpt, or one creative
nonfiction piece (up to 2500 words). Deadline: Feb. 28. http://www.tidalbasinpress.org/.
The Word Works Washington Prize. Given annually to a US or Canadian
poet for a poetry collection of 48 to 64 pages. Prize of $1,500 and
publication. $25 entry fee. Submit between Jan. 15 and March 1. http://www.wordworksdc.com.
Plan B Press 2010 chapbook contest, judged by Barbara Crooker.
Winner gets publication, 50 copies, and $250. Mss. must by between 28
and 32 pages, sent in paper form in "blind" format with cover
sheet. Must include table of contents, with SASE (no mss. returned).
$15 reading fee. Deadline: March 1. Plan B Press, PO Box 4067, Alexandria,
VA 22303. http://www.planbpress.com/contestnew.html.
Apprentice House Chapbook Award, sponsored by Loyola University, Baltimore.
Contest for authors who have not previously published a book. Winner
gets $250 and 25 copies. Submit up to 30 pages of poetry with $25 reading
fee. Deadline: March 15. http://www.apprenticehouse.com/resources.
The Joaquin Miller Cabin Summer Reading Series seeks poets. Readings
are sponsored by The Word Works and take place in Rock Creek Park on
Tuesday evenings in June and July. A small honorarium is offered. Open
to poets who have not read in the series in the past four years. To
apply, send 5 poems, a one-paragraph bio, and a letter-sized SASE. Postmark
deadline: March 31. Rosemary Winslow, Dept. of English, Catholic University,
DC 20064.
Passager Contest for writers over 50. First prize: $300, honorable
mentions published. Send 5 poems of up to 35 lines each. Include bio,
SASE for results. $20 fee includes 1-year subscription. Deadline: April
1. http://passagerpress.com.
WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS,
AND SPECIAL EVENTS
"Call + Response," an exhibit pairing 16
writers and 16 visual artists. Through Feb. 13, Hamiltonian Gallery,
1353 U St. NW, historic U Street neighborhood, DC. Participants include:
William John Bert, Dan
Brady, Sean Carman,Wade Fletcher,
Jen Girdish, Eleanor Graves, Joe
Hall, Matt Klam, Gerald Maa,
Danika Stegeman. http://www.callandresponsedc.org/
The DC Chapter of the Women's National Book Assn. hosts a panel discussion,
"Book Reviews in a Changing World," featuring Rachel
Shea and Ron Charles of the Washington
Post. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 6:30 pm. $10 Admission. Charles Sumner School,
17th & M Streets NW, DC. RSVP: wnbaeventsdc@gmail.com.
Hurston/Wright 3-Day Writers' Workshop, March 5-7, on the campus of
Howard University, DC. Three concurrent master workshops in Poetry (led
by A. Van Jordan), Novel
(Mat Johnson), and Nonfiction essay (A'Lelia
Bundles). Fees charged. Applications deadline: Feb. 5. http://www.hurstonwright.org.
Free films with literary themes at the National Gallery of Art throughout
the month: "Henry V" on Feb. 7 at 4:30 (the Kenneth Branagh
version of 1989); and a celebration of Chekhov adaptations by Russian
filmmakers, "The Lady with the Dog" on Feb. 6 at 2:30, and
"Chekhovian Motifs" on Feb. 13 at 12:30. http://www.nga.gov
Black History Month Festival, February 13, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Gala
Hispanic Theater. Featuring performances by Marijo Moore,
E. Ethelbert Miller, and
Dolores Kendrick, plus dramatic readings by local actors.
http://www.nbm.org.
Workshop: "Everything is Translation: Poetry That Breaks Boundaries,"
led by Kathy Engel, Saturday, February 20, 1:00 to
4:00 pm. $25 fee; some scholarships available. Writing exercises and
discussion about "fear and censorship that gets in the way of telling
our stories..." No experience necessary; first come, first served.
Sponsored by Split This Rock. Institute for Policy Studies, 1112 16th
St. NW, DC. RSVP to browning@splitthisrock.org.
13th Annual Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, February 20, 8:00 am to
5:00 pm, Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD. Speakers, workshops, panels
on poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, and publishing.
Presenters include: John Elsberg,
Richard Peabody, Sue
Ellen Thompson, Anne Agnes Colwell, Ellen
Wise, Kate Blackwell, William O'Sullivan,
Jamie Brown. Fees charged. http://www.baytoocean.com/
"Poetry by the Fire" with Ron Weber, Niles
Cabin, Friends Wilderness Center, in the SE corner of the Eastern Panhandle
of WV. Saturday, Feb 27, 10:00 am. Bring nature poems (your own or by
others) to share. Come early for a self-guided hike in the woods and
bring a bag lunch if you wish. $10 suggested donation. RSVP to Sheila
Bach at (304) 728-4820. http://www.friendswilderness.org.
"I Want to Write" workshop and retreat, led by Marita
Golden. Feb. 27 and 28. Fee: $299. Held in Prince George's
County, MD. http://maritagolden.com/wanttowrite.html.
"Write in the Middle of Winter" retreat, March 4-7, Herrington
Manor State Park, Oakland, MD. Writing, reading, critiquing, information
on publishing. Poetry workshop led by Gerry
LaFemina; fiction led by Merrill Feitell.
$200 fee through Jan. 15 ($250 thereafter). Accommodations in cabins
extra. http://www.citylitproject.org/index.cfm?page=news&newsid=42.
Capturing Fire: The Queer Spoken Word Summit and Slam, March 7-9, various
locations in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, DC. Performances, workshops,
panels. Fees charged. http://www.3wordproductions.com/
Split This Rock Poetry Festival, March 10-13,
various locations in the U Street neighborhood, DC. Readings, panels,
workshops, films, book fair. Featured readers include: Chris
Abani, Lillian Allen, Sinan Antoon,
Francisco Aragon, Jan
Beatty, Martha Collins, Cornelius
Eady, Martin Espada, Andrea Gibson,
Allison Hedge Coke, Natalie Illum,
Fady Joudah, Toni
Asante Lightfoot, Richard
McCann, Jeffrey McDaniel, Lenelle
Moise, Nancy Morejon, Mark Nowak,
Wang Ping, Patricia Smith, Arthur
Sze, Quincy Troupe, Bruce Weigl.
Panelists include: Kim Roberts,
Scott Hightower,
Joseph Ross, Reginald
Harris, Heather Davis,
Yael Flusberg, and many
others. A Beltway Poetry Tenth Anniversary Reading (March 11
at 2:00 pm) will feature former guest editors Naomi
Ayala, Andrea Carter Brown,
Sarah Browning, Regie
Cabico, and Toni Asante
Lightfoot. Fees charged. http://www.splitthisrock.org.
"Writing the Future" Conference, March
20, 8:00 to 5:00 pm, The Writers Center, Bethesda, MD. Focus on "technological
advancements affecting the ways information is delivered to readers,
how the content itself will change, and what writers will need to know
to remain relevant in the second decade of the 21st Century--and beyond."
Panels and speakers. Participants include: Sandra
Beasley, Carolyn Forche, Lee Gutkind,
Richard Nash. Fee: $90 (includes one-year subscription
to Creative Nonfiction and one-year membership to The Writers
Center). http://tiny.cc/dn4VZ.
Dzanc National Workshop Day in DC, March 20,
1:00 - 5:00 pm, led by Barrelhouse editors Dan
Brady, Dave Housely, and Mike
Ingram, with Laura Ellen Scott, and Reb
Livingston. Four-hour workshop with craft lectures and
in-class writing exercises. Open to writers of poetry and fiction of
all levels and experience. Held at the Wonderland Ballroom, 2nd floor,
1101 Kenyon St. NW, DC. $50 fee. http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzancday/#DC.
10th National Black Writers' Conference, March 25-28, Medgar Evers
College, Brooklyn. Panels, Roundtables, "Talkshops," readings
and storytelling. Participants include Breena Clarke,
Edwige Danticat, James McBride, Jewell
Parker Rhodes, Kalamu ya Salaam, Colson
Whitehead. Honorees include Toni Morrison,
Amiri Baraka, Kamau Braithwaite. Fees
charged. http://www.aalbc.com.
AREA READINGS and
PERFORMANCES
February 1
Cafe Muse: Greg Pardlo and Ed Skoog
Monday, 7:00 pm
Free. Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase,
MD. (301) 656-2797.
February 1
"The Weary Blues": Recreating the 1958 Collaboration between
Langston Hughes and Charles
Mingus. Sponsored by Holly Bass Performance Projects and Washington
Musica Viva, featuring Holly Bass
with musicians Herman Burney, Lenny Robinson, Chris Ryal, Steve Herberman,
Carl Banner, and Charley Gerard
Monday, 8:00 pm
$18 Admission ($15 for students/seniors/artists; children under 10 free
with adult). Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. NW (at V St.), DC. Ticket
reservations: (301) 891-6844.
February 4
Hunter Gillezeau, followed by open mic
Thursday, 9:00 pm
$1 Admission. ECAC, 733 Euclid St. NW, 2nd floor, Pleasant Plains neighborhood,
DC. (202) 462-2285.
February 5
Plan B Press presents "The Poetry Lab," featuring Mary
Ann Larkin and Patric Pepper
Friday, 8:00 pm
Free. The Soundry, 316 Dominion Rd. NE, Vienna, VA (703) 698-0088.
***THE FOLLOWING EVENT IS CANCELLED
due to snow; will be rescheduled at a later date
February 7
"The Superbowl of Poetry": Celebrating the 10th Anniversary
of Beltway Poetry Quarterly, with a reading from the anthology
Full Moon on K Street by David Gewanter,
Esther Iverem, Samuel
Miranda, Michelle Parkerson, Katy
Richey, and Terence Winch.
Color commentary, half time entertainment.
Free. The Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD. (301) 654-8664.
February 9
Poetry at Noon: Love Poems, featuring Heddy Reid and
Margaret Mackinnon
Tuesday, 12:00 pm
Free. Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10
First St. SE, DC. (202) 707-5394.
February 9
Nine on the Ninth Series: featured reader plus open mic, hosted by Derrick
Weston Brown.
Tuesday, 9:00 pm
$3 Admission. Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Streets NW, DC. (202)
387-POET.
February 10
Brookland Reading Series: Poems on Lovers and Love, in time for Valentine's
Day
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Brookland Visitors Center, 3420 9th St. NE, DC. (202) 526-1632.
February 10
Poetry Discussion on Nancy Morejon's With Eyes
and Soul: Images of Cuba. Led by Yvette
Neisser Moreno. Copies of poems will be provided; no advance
reading necessary. Sponsored by Split This Rock and The Writers Center.
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th St. NW, DC. (202)
787-5210.
February 11
Jonathan Tucker, followed by open mic
Thursday, 9:00 pm
$1 Admission. ECAC, 733 Euclid St. NW, 2nd floor, Pleasant Plains neighborhood,
DC. (202) 462-2285.
February 12
11th Hour Poetry Slam: 2 rounds, audience chooses
winner, prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Friday, 11:00 pm (doors open at 10:00)
$5 Admission. Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Streets NW, historic U Street
neighborhood, DC. (202) 387-POET.
February 14
Iota Series: Lyn Lifshin
and Steven B. Rogers
Sunday, 6:00 pm
Free. Iota Club and Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Clarendon neighborhood,
Arlington, VA. (703) 256-9275.
February 17
A Space Inside: Kate Blackwell reads fiction, hosted
by Monica Jacobe
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Riverby Books, 417 E. Capitol St. SE, Capitol Hill neighborhood,
DC. (202) 543-4342.
February 17
Poesis Seris: Teri Ellen Cross
and Kathi Morrison-Taylor,
with Shep Williams on keyboards and Curly Robinson on drums. Open mike
follows. Hosted by Simki Ghebremichael.
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Pentagon City Borders, 1201 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA
(703) 418-0166.
February 18
Witter Bynner Poetry Fellows Jill McDonough and Atsuro
Riley, introduced by US Poet Laureate Kay
Ryan
Thursday, 6:45 pm
Free. Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mumford Room, 101 Independence
Ave. SE, 6th floor, DC.
(202) 707-5394.
February 18
Cheryl's Gone Series: Maureen Thorson,
James Belflower, and Laura Scott
Thursday, 8:00 pm
Free. Big Bear Cafe, 1st & R Streets NW, DC. (202) 470-5543.
February 18
Regie Cabico, followed by
open mic
Thursday, 9:00 pm
$1 Admission. ECAC, 733 Euclid St. NW, 2nd floor, Pleasant Plains neighborhood,
DC. (202) 462-2285.
February 19
HOME Series: featured reader, open mic.
Friday, 7:00 pm
$5 Admission. International Arts & Artists, Hillyer Art Space, 9
Hillyer Ct. NW, DC. (202) 338-0680.
February 19
Marianne Villanueva, Steve Fellner, and live music
by J. Robbins
Friday, 8:00 pm
Free. The Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD. (301) 654-8664.
February 20
Sulu Series: featuring Yellow Rage, Jenny C.
Lares, Gowri K., Mark Concerto,
Vijai Nathan, with music from DJ 9-Volt. Hosted by
Simone Jacobson.
Saturday, 7:00 pm
$10 Admission. Almaz Restaurant & Lounge, 1212 U St. NW, historic
U Street neighborhood, DC. (202) 462-1212.
February 21
Todd Colby and Ken Jacobs
Sunday, 3:00 pm
$5 Admission. DC Arts Center, 2438 18th Street NW, Adams Morgan neighborhood,
DC. (202) 462-7833.
February 21
Sunday Kind of Love: Kathy Engel
Sunday, 4:00 pm
Free, but donations collected. Busboys and Poets, Langston Room, 14th
& V Streets NW, DC. (202) 387-POET.
February 22
Charles Wright (rescheduled from February 8; all tickets
honored)
Monday, 7:30 pm
$12 Admission. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St., DC. (202)
544-7077.
February 24
Kensington Row Series: Adele Steiner and Dan
Vera
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786 Howard Avenue, Kensington MD. (301)
949-9416.
February 25
Trin-A-Thoughtz, followed by open mic
Thursday, 9:00 pm
$1 Admission. ECAC, 733 Euclid St. NW, 2nd floor, Pleasant Plains neighborhood,
DC. (202) 462-2285.
February 27
Time Shadows reading, featuring poems by Mary Tall Mountain,
James Lasdun, Gerald Stern, and others.
This project, now in its third year, displays poems on the subject of
"community" in English, Mandarin, and German on posters throughout
the Chinatown and Gallery Place neighborhoods through September. The
reading will be trilingual, with telephone bridge provided to selected
poets. Followed by reception.
Saturday, 2:00 pm
Free. Goethe-Institut, 812 7th St. NW, DC. (202) 289-1200.
PLEASE NOTE: Open mic events are not listed on this
page. Please see our full listing of Reading
Series for more information.