52 Cleveland Haiku (20)

Under the asphalt

the old brick paving shows through:

We walk on the past

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Leonora Carrington dies at 94; a leading figure of the Surrealist movement

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/la-me-leonora-carrington-20110527,0,2188132.story

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2011/05/leonora-carrington-1916-2011/

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=47731

http://legacy.southtownstar.com/obituaries/southtownstar/obituary.aspx?n=leonora-carrington&pid=151313077

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/jan/02/art#article_continue

Links to work:

Short Story: http://www.talkingpeople.net/tp/literature/carrington/carrington.html

Novel: The Hearing Trumpet

"One has to be careful what one takes when one goes away forever." — Leonora Carrington (The Hearing Trumpet)

Art:
http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/issue14/image.htm

the recital of dreams

You DO know that you are a dream don’t you?
Do you realize how completely alone the Divine Being is?
All that there is is only this Divine Being.
Our Beloved, our Self!
To hide from the Truth the Divine Beloved dreams that It is You!
And Me and All of US!!!
An infinately multiple personality
Look deeply inside of your self.
You will find only Me.
You and Me and Me and You!
But one of us is the other’s dream…
One of us must, in the end, die the death of a lie and the Other return to its aloneness.
But what good is this Truth?
Shall we not have pity on Our Self then and continue dreaming that We are You and I and I and You?
Let’s us live a little longer in this dream
Until we can no longer look into each other’s eyes, fool our selves and see another.
One day my dear mask, my poor victim, That shall crush in upon you and wash you helpless into an ocean you have long forgotten like a grain of sand.
Drowning, you will be forced to release yourself and return to Self.

Leonora Carrington

52 Cleveland Haiku (19)

Like popcorn

hailstones bouncing off the roof

as tornado sirens wail.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Bonus Haiku:

Sirens now silent;

hailstones melting in the grass.

Still the rain pelts down.

52 Cleveland Haiku (18)

Old four-door Buick
J. Geils through open windows:
Ah, the sounds of spring.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Hessler Street Poetry Winners!

On May 11, poets read their poems for the Hessler Street Fair poetry contest at Mac's Backs. After a great deal of discussion and analysis by the distinguished team of judges(*), the 2011 Hessler Poetry Contest winners were announced:

First place: Vladimir Swirynsky, for "Already the Sky on Bent Knees"

Second place: Shelley Chernin, for "Rise and Shine"

Third place: Andrew Line, for "Catalyst (in memorium)"

Honorable mentions went to T.M. Göttl, for "On the Feast of Snow and Shadow," and Michael Bernstein, for "What it Does."

(official list here).

You can read all the poems in the 2011 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest book, available at the Hessler booth at the Fair, May 21 & 22, or available for purchase at Mac's.

If you missed the reading at Mac's, don't be blue: you've got another chance. On Sunday the winners will read from the stage at the Hessler Street Fair, simulcast on WRUW at 91.1 FM on the radio, and also on the internet, and webcast at hesslerstreetfair.org.

• A YouTube video of Joshua Gage announcing the winners
• YouTuybe video of Vladimir Swirynsky reading his poem
• YouToob video of Shelley Chernin reading her poem
• YooTuue video of Andrew Line reading his poem
• Some photos from the reading:

MC Joshua Gage gets the program moving

The winners: Left to right: Andrew Line, Shelley Chernin, Vladimir Swirynsky

---

*judged by the winners of last year's Hessler contest: Mary Turzillo, Jill Riga, and me.

52 Cleveland Haiku (17)

Young toughs
outside the bar
talk about true love

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Cleveland Poet Phil Metres on Channel 3 News

Dr. Phil Metres' latest book, Ode to Oil, was just published by Kattywompus Press. Find him online at www.philipmetres.com.

Music and Words for Peace - May 14th in Cleveland

The Cleveland Non-Violence Network presents Music & Words for Peace, a coffeehouse fundraiser for the 10th Annual Labor Day Peace Show, with music by Deborah Van Kleef, Ian Heisey and the Cleveland Hip-Hop Club, and poetry by Kate Sopko, Phil Metres, Kazim Ali, Dianne Borsenik, John Burroughs and Sammy Greenspan.

Free will donations accepted at the door. Baked goods & fair trade coffee. Parking on Franklin Boulevard and adjoining streets. More info: www.clevelandnonviolence.org, 216-932-8546, engagepeace@gmail.com

It all happens Saturday, 7 p.m., at St. Paul's Community Church, 4427 Franklin Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. (Click on the image for a printable flier.)

52 Cleveland Haiku (16)

Goose

Honk honk honk honk honk!

This pond is mine! All of it!
You stay out!

Honk! Honk!

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Legendary Cleveland poet RA Washington tonight!

Arts in Stark and The Poet's Haven present Canton's First Friday Poetry Spectacular! May 6th's featured poet is RA Washington.

RA Washington is a writer, multi-media artist, and musician living in the historic North Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland. He is the author of a dozen books, most recently the novellas Open and HUEbris. Washington was awarded a Wexner Center for the Arts Fellowship in 2001. His paintings, photography, and mixed media installations have been exhibited in numerous galleries and art centers, including ARTbizzarre in Montreal, FACT.CO in London, and as part of SPACES Art Gallery’s Afrofuturism Exhibition in 2006. Washington's free jazz opera, Along the Eastern Shore: A Tribute to Albert Ayler, was premiered as part of the 2006 Cleveland Ingenuity Festival. A member of the performance ensemble Black Poetic, Washington is currently working on a play and film project based on the life of James Baldwin.

This show includes an open-mic, feature performance, and poetry slam. First place in the slam wins $50. Second place wins $30. Third place wins $20. Prize money provided by Arts in Stark.

This is an ALL-AGES/UNMODERATED event, meaning that all-ages are welcome to attend and participate, but parents should be aware that there are no restrictions on language and some performances may contain adult language and content.

52 Cleveland Haiku (15)

Playful spring wind
dressed up in leaves and rubbish
tries to wear my hat

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Zadie Smith's Rules for Writing

The Guardian has been running a series where various writers tell their rules for writing. Zadie Smith has some wise words, starting with

"1. When still a child, make sure you read a lot of books. Spend more time doing this than anything else."

...OK, maybe it's a little late to start on that one. But, then there is rule 7:

"7. Work on a computer that is disconnected from the internet."

Yep, got that one right!

Margaret Atwood's has some good advice, too:

"You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality."

Oh.

• Link to the series

National Poetry Month

So, what are you doing to celebrate National Poetry Month??

• National poetry month FAQ!
• Scholastic brings in Karla Kuskin, Maya Angelou, J. Patrick Lewis
• The Smithsonian gives us an "A" list of nine--ok, 10-- poets. (What? Ralph rated above Edgar? Above Walt????? No way.)
• Connie Schultz weighs in at Cleveland.com

What's your story?

HUGO Nominee Geoffrey A. Landis

Cleveland Poetics' own Geoffrey Landis is a 2011 Hugo Award Nominee in the Novella category.

All nominations are here: http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php


“The Sultan of the Clouds” by Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s, September 2010) - Read Online (PDF)

Deep Cleveland Poem o' the Week

I'd been wondering what ever happened to the Deep Cleveland "Poem o' the Week," since the PoTW archives over on the Deep Cleveland site hasn't had anything new for a while. (Nor the older archives, either.)

Well, I'm not wondering any more-- turns out the poems are still coming, but Deep Cleveland guru MarkK had simply moved the PoTW over to Facebook.

Mystery solved! So, if you want your Deep Cleveland fix, head on over to the Facebook for the "Poem o the Week" page.

--by the way, while you're over at Facebook, you want to hit the Kattywompus Press page for some poetry as well.

Island Writers Retreat in September. Plan for it Now.

Elise Bonza Geither, Lou Suarez, Larry Smith presenting writing workshops in theater, poetry, and fiction...September 10-11...at The Pines Retreat Center in Fremont, Ohio. Join us for good company, fun, and sharing. The Firelands Writing Center
Contact Larry Smith,director at Lsmithdog@aol.com

52 Cleveland Haiku (14)

Cleveland in the haze:

sunset on the bridge of Hope,

concrete gods look down

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Night Town Gathering for Daniel Thompson

For those who missed the Night Town tribute to Daniel Thompson and his BIG BOOK OF DANIEL from Bottom Dog Press, here is a clip of Ray McNiece really cooking with Drumplay and Tongue-in-Groove on Daniel's "Train" poem.
Next big gig is April 30th at Lakewood Public Library...7 pm. Come and share your poem on Daniel or read one of his for the new book. Best, Larry Smith

http://www.youtube.com/user/bottomdogger#p/a/u/0/XRLcuKx6NiM
Bottom Dog Press
http://smithdocs.net

Our Lady of I Can Do This Daily Poem Thang

Martha Silano gives her suggestions "for getting the daily poem knocked out." (And she also swings on the monkey bars, so watch out!)

And she asks, "if you have a secret for getting yourself writing each (or nearly each day), share it."

Any good ideas? I'll agree with her: we could all use a bit of advice and inspiration.

The Lure of Painted Poetry

One of Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang Rivers (detail), 1788. Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1980.188.1

From now until August 28, the Cleveland Museum of Art is presenting a show "The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art". They say:

"This exhibition, the first in-depth comparison of the achievements of Korea and Japan from the late 14th century, consists of some 100 examples from the CMA’s permanent collection—many that have never been shown since the 1990s. The show features every art form, including painting, calligraphy, and craft, that transformed Chinese lyrical aesthetics in the Korean Joseon period and in the Japanese Muromachi, Momoyama, and Edo periods."

...but if that's not enough for you, how about a little sake, too? Friday from 5-8:30 is "Nihonshu Night: An Evening of Sake, Fusion Food & Art":

"The evening features a sake tasting with three different sakes selected by the experts at The Marchetti Company and a fusion food tasting of Japanese/Korean food samples created exclusively for the event by SasaMatsu restaurant in Shaker Square. The evening will also include music from Beat Matrix’s Darrell Stout. Not only does this evening offer an engaging, intimate look at this beautiful art, it is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the sights, smells and tastes of a culture. And, tickets for the evening are only $18."

Sake, poetry, and paintings--

For those with a bit more of a taste for the academic, on Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m., Ann Sherif of Oberlin College will present "Linking Poems and Images: Basho and Communal Arts in East Asia."

Takaki Seikaku (Japanese, b. 1923). A Poem of Spring from Manyoshu, late 1900s. Ink on decorative paper. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of the Artist 2011.21]

Everett, Nichols, Roberts, Suarez & Grimm: 4/20&21/2011

Fore more information on 4/20's Lix & Kix event, click here.


For more information on 4/21's Avon Lake reading, click here.

Hessler Street Fair Deadline approaches! Submit poems!

The deadline for the Hessler Street Fair poetry contest is coming up on this Saturday! don't forget to get your poems in! Submit up to five poems. No entry fee.

Entry must be delivered via U. S. mail and postmarked Saturday April 23, 2011. Poets whose work has been accepted for publication will be notified via e-mail by April 30. Book will be released in early May.
A qualifying round of readings will be held on the evening of Wednesday, May 11 starting at 7pm at Mac's Backs on Coventry. About 20 minutes after all poets have read, the winners will be announced and prizes will be handed out. If you have won in the last three years you can submit to the book but will not be eligible to win a prize. To receive a prize you must read on May 22 at the Hessler Street Fair.

The Top Three Winners will be given the opportunity to read from the stage at the Hessler Street Fair, simulcast on WRUW 91.1 FM during the Fair. Poetry read on air must not include any words designated to be obscene language as stated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

U.S. Mail:

Poetry Contest

2011 Hessler Street Fair Committee

11326 Hessler Road, Cleveland OH 44106

e-mail:

hesslerstreetpoetry at gmail.com

Check the website for more details, or the event page on Facebook.

And don't forget to mark May 11 on your calendar, for the reading at Mac's-- it will be the poetry event of the season!

Ten Pics from The Big Book of Daniel reading at Nighttown

Bernstein and Andrews

      Nope - Bernstein and Andrews is not some personal injury law firm. They were the features at  a reading I attended at Visible Voice books in Tremont.

Michael Bernstein growls through his set.

    Michael Berstein and Nin Andrews held court in the cozy upstairs reading room for ten or so listeners on a rainy Saturday night. Berstein took the "stage" first dragging a chair up, sitting down, then launching sans prelude into scores of short poems. He flipped through pages stapled in the corner as if he were counting money from a bank heist in some backroom rarely looking up from his page punctuating every word with the same strained intensity. When he did look up he didn't raise his head giving the impression of a center eyeing a nosegaurd right before the snap of the ball.

     Then as abruptly as he started, Bernstein flashed a peace sign growled over and out and he was done. I felt like he was enduring his set as much as delivering a reading. In my opinion Bernstein seemed much more comfortable introducing his fellow feature Nin Andrews than he did presenting his own work.

Nin Andrews at Visible Voice Books

In stark contrast to our first reader Nin began her set  conversationally giving a bit of background info on the subject matter of her first couple pieces. Folksy narratives about  superstition, her father and aunt followed, poignant and humorous read with a smidgen of Southern charm.  She wasn't quite as comfortable when she switched to pieces from a new collection she is working on centered around a fictional island state where the ultimate authority and political power rests in woman's hands.

To paraphrase Nin's introduction - there was certainly worse things one could be doing with their time on a rainy Saturday night and I did not regret my trek.

52 Cleveland Haiku (13)

Stupid thoughtless sun

Why shine so brightly today

When taxes are due?

--Geoffrey A. Landis