Here it is!! The official poster for "The Fat Lady Sings!"

Designed by the wonderful local artists Phillip Bowles, it's all about me and raising funds to get to New York City in February to read poetry for the Tenth Anniversary of Terrain.org zine and attend the AWP.

I'm going to sing songs you don't hear much any more- and a poem here and there, a story or two- like when Joy E. and I took off for NYC to 'make it in the big time' and woke up in Alamogordo, NM - well, maybe 'sobered up' is closer to the truth-

among other crazy tales......

Call for reservations 266-YESS

Late September

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You know you're curious...

so call 266-YESS right now and reserve to see the I-Prov all music musical improv show tonight at 10pm at ComedySportz at Staples Mill and Hilliard (behind the Shoney's in the Ukrops strip mall, close to the Amtrak station).

The beer is cold, the players are hot and the piano lady is incredible!!!

Well, she's pretty good, anyway.

COMEDYSPORTZ I-Prov

All music, all improv! Friday night at 10pm
Call 266-YESS for reservations-

Seriously, you will love this show- come see it this Friday!

and be sure and say Hey! to the piano player...

P O E T I C P R I N C I P L E S- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Series Tickets: $36 (VMFA members, students $28); single tickets $9 (VMFA members, students $7); Ticket Desk, 804.340.1405

• 
  DAVID BAKER Wed, Nov 28, Pauley Center, 6 pm Author of eight collections of poetry, Baker is a professor of English at Denison University and poetry editor of the Kenyon Review.

COMING POETIC PRINCIPLES EVENTS

BRIAN HENRY, Dec 5

TOMAZ SALAMUN, Feb 13, 2008

MEGHAN O’ROURKE, Feb 27, 2008

PETER ORNER, April 9, 2008

This continuing series is co-sponsored by the New Virginia Review, a leading literary and artistic organization of the Commonwealth.

This is an excellent grouping this year- I am particularly excited about them rescheduling David Baker, who led my poetry workshop at West Virginia University in 2005.

Tonight!!!

at ArtSpace Gallery, Zero E. 4th St., Richmond, the Hypothetically Speaking Tour makes a stop, featuring spoken word artist Corey Houlihan and singer-songwriter Julia Carroll. Stop through and check out some art in motion (as in, up and down the East coast).
Georgia-based performers Julia Carroll and Corey Houlihan have teamed up for tour through the southeast. Beginning in Savannah, Georgia and concluding in south Florida, the two will travel the region making nine stops in eight different cities. Carroll is an acoustic singer-songwriter and Atlanta native who describes her music as "hardfolk," while Houlihan is a spoken word artist who hails from Long Island now residing in Georgia.

The two openly queer performers consider themselves activist artists and, through their work, frequently touch on political and social issues. Poet and author Michelle Tea on Houlihan: "I think we just found the missing link between Eminem and Gloria Steinem." Carroll, who recently released her sophomore recording, Migrating South is described by The Beltane Papers as "one of the tough and passionate young singer-songwriter musicians that will make you stop, think, and wonder what in the hell you are doing floating along in the mainstream music scene."

The Hypothetically Speaking Tour is a force to be reckoned with, literally.

See what browsing the web looking for the date of the Levis Prize reading can get you? Oh yeah, it's September 27th and the winner is Joshua Weiner- more info to follow.

anyway, I found this on Steve Scafidi- a previous Levis winner.

Lots of poets and writers in West Virginia.

Wet and Wild- yeah!

I-Prov!!

All-music, all improv! the new 10pm show at ComedySportz Richmond-

This Friday, thereafter every 2nd and 4th Friday at 10pm

Reserve your seat now! Call 266-YESS or you might end up sitting with the piano player (that would be me).

Here's a taste ooo- here's another!

Poetry in Motion- vidpo

Here are some video clips of Ashbery work- they take pithy places and make poster riffs- you can click on the whole poem, or simply be happy with what's there.

makes me wish I was still teaching high school creative writing-

almost.

Someone at MTV reads poetry, imagine that!!

They appointed a poet laureate and will have a contest (for college students)

I think it's great, if a little strange. Does anyone else remember the poetry contest that introduced the perfume Poeme? All flurry and no big finish. The winners were a few famous poets (no doubt handpicked) and some others that were barely passable as poetry.

follow the money.....

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You can always come hear it read at the next Shockoe Poets Open Mike

The longest running open mike in Richmond, includes regulars, virgins, new residents, and features. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Shockoe Espresso, 104 Shockoe Slip.

So many journals refuse to publish anything that has been seen anywhere, even on a personal blog, it has to be like this. I guess the ten to thirty of you who read my blog on a given day might not buy an issue of Seattle Esoteric Poetica (not a real zine) if it's full of poems seen in Richmond. Thanks you to the occasional strangers who comment, and the many friends, I appreciate your suggestions and time.

Sunday Poetry at Shockoe Espresso

104 Shockoe Slip

2pm to 4pm

Open mike, all voices welcome!

The longest running open mike in Richmond, no doubt about it-

The poets are gearing up for fall, some new venues, workshops, a renewed emphasis on taking your writing to the next level. As the Supertramp song asks- Where do we go from here?

Keep checking here and at FlashPaperPoetry for details...

Which wine with a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich?

I'm tempted to say Ripple, but I'm not even sure they make that anymore. So I look on Google and found this great blog- Bacon Unwrapped. What great site! And thanks to the Atkins diet, I can eat bacon-

The wine will just be my cheat today- I had just bought a sweet little thing from the Little Penguin an Australian winery. This is a summer white- a chardonnay-riesling blend.

s'okay with a BLT. A nice unoffensive thing (the wine, not the sandwich).

guess I'll write a poem now.

The Write Church-

"On Friday, September 14, The Diocese of Virginia will join with the Library of Virginia and James River Writers in co-sponsoring a viewing of Philip Groning's film, "Into Great Silence." This critically acclaimed documentary, first released in 2005, charts the lives of the Carthusian monks, one of the world's most severe and ascetic monastic orders. Mr. Groning lived with the monks in their abbey in the French Alps for six months, filming their daily activities.
Also joining the viewing will be author Nancy Klein Maguire. In her book, An Infinity of Little Hours, Ms. Maguire explores the life choices of five men as they contemplate joining the order. Ms. Maguire will open the evening with a presentation on the rigors and rewards of the contemplative Carthusian life.
The viewing will take place at The Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, in Richmond. Tickets will be on sale for $15, $10 for students, and include complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. For more information, visit www.jamesriverwriters.com or call 804-230-4575. "

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SLAM RICHMOND TONIGHT!

From Tom Prunier...

Come one, come all to the final event of SlamRichmond's "Season Too," featuring a farewell performance by Team Richmond 2007 and a poetry slam judged by the team, open to the first 10 poets to sign up.

It all goes down tomorrow night (8/18) at ArtSpace Gallery , Zero E. 4th St., Richmond, VA 23224, at 8PM. Hosted by Team Richmond member Transition, this promises to be the blowout of all blowouts.

This is also the farewell to outgoing slam master Tom Sanchez Prunier, who will relinquish his post to a slam master to be named later.

The raffle will be in full effect, as will the Madmonkie Beer & Wine Bar, so come, bring a measly $5 to get in, and be inspired, be very inspired one final time...

bringing home the bacon, yeah, the bacon...

Poetry, poetry- here's a really funny post on Poetic Orientation

Thanks, C Dale

Do you love Dick?? That is Philip K.

What in the world did you think I meant????

A Simic poem

In the New Yorker, of course.

I just found out the daughter of my friend CE Chaffin has died- a young and beautiful woman with a five year old son.

CE was the editor of the well-respected webzine The Melic Review, which is still archived online. Started in 1998, it continued for a little over seven years publishing some of the best writing on the internet and a paperback 'best of' at the five year mark. I had the great pleasure of being an assistant poetry editor for awhile- it was quite a job!

The staff was not permitted to submit or publish poems to the zine, unless they had already been published elsewhere. I had nine poems in the zine over the years, one I was told was nominated for a Pushcart (though at the time that meant nothing to me).

His essays in the various issues are well worth your time, look for Logopoetry and his work on the Eliot Quartets.

God be with you, friend.

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Shockoe Poets- the longest running open mike in Richmond (maybe Virginia)

Today at 2pm, Shockoe Espresso in the heart of Shockoe Slip!

C'mon down!