Sal Salasin has died

Sure, most of you have no idea who that was, but I had many email exchanges with him more than ten years ago when he published some of my poems in RealPoetik.

here's a link to some of his poetry

and also here

here's the news You can find the poems he accepted from me in the 1998 and 2002 archives. They are very early efforts, including the first version of "Mrs. Grape" (later published in Eclectica). RealPoetic was sent out periodically featuring one poet.

I may have copies of our email exchanges with my old compuserve files. He was very kind and generous to a very green writer.

Nothing is different, but everything's changed.

So says Paul Simon...

and last night in North Carolina I played piano for the last of the Richmond IProv performances. We were an all musical improvisational group that started at ComedySportz 2 years or so ago- went through changes, growing pains, little tussles of talent over time but in the middle of all that did some pretty decent work on making people laugh.


Did it change my life? Yes. No. Nothing is different, but everything's changed.

I'm pretty confident about sitting down and riffing, but I did take a step up with them. I made some friends I'll probably keep, but that's always a crapshoot anyway. We did some great holiday specials, I had a great time.

Will I miss it? Yes. No.

Nothing is different, but everything's changed.

Was it fun? Yes, every single performance.

Buy my CHANGE Chapbook!!

My eleven poem chapbook CHANGE won the 2009 Writer's Digest Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge, The poems were generated from a challenge in November to write a poem-a-day, something I've been doing for seven years during April, National Poetry Month, but have not attempted other months of the year until now.

Each poem reflects “the arc of a love affair” as Paul Simon says, from bright beginnings to the inevitable break and the hope for change. While the poems contain autobiographical elements, they are amalgams of a larger story

The beautiful cover photo was taken by my dear friend Dave Anchel and the book was created by FlashPaperPublications, my DIY imprint.

For $9.00 (P&H included) you will receive a well-crafted elegant book filled with my poems. Click on the Paypal link on the right side of the page!

A little extra surprise will be included with each order.

Thanks-

Iprov's last hurrah at Comedysportz tonight!

If you don't come tonight to Comedysportz at 10pm for the Iprov Love Cruise Special Show you will miss the last opportunity to see the only all-musical improv troupe on thr east coast perform- (and one of maybe three in the entire country!)

seriously- call 266-YESS for reservations-

We are performing one last show in North Carolina next Friday night, but those shows may already be sold out. Plus the drive there.

Don't miss it-

I won a chapbook contest!!

My manuscript "Change" won the Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge from Writer's Digest!

Very excited!

I read from it at the Art After Hours reading I did January 15th! If you missed it you can buy it at shop6 at art6 this First Friday!!

See ya there!

New site for FlashPaperPoetry

MSN is shutting down the 'groups' where I've kept a poetry calendar for Central Virginia for about ten years-

HERE is a try, at least- it's a little unwieldy but will suffice to keep the info up until I get something better.

The extra events for the rest of January are the poets reading every Thursday at ART AFTER HOURS at the VMFA, Beth Fennelly at Poetic Principles on the 28th, and Katy Lederer at UR on the 29th. more info and links on the new page

FlashPaperPoetry lives on!!

get your poetry fix on your phone!

Just what you need in that special moment-

there's even a cool icon for each category...

HERE

check out LUST...

more poetry news

Talking about poetry and politics-

In today's America, poetry is either high art or lowbrow commerce. It comes either from avant-garde poets, writing only for a snobbish elite and ignored by the broad public; or from commercial sources, assembly-line verses crammed into a Hallmark card, written for the masses and spurned by the tastemakers. In today's culture, the most popular poems are usually song lyrics, from rock anthems to rat-a-tat rap songs about the thug life. They're not the kind of poetry you read on marble platforms for presidents and Supreme Court justices.


Mystery & Birds: 5 Ways to Practice Poetry

A little obligatory Poe

Kay Ryan (current poet Laureate) loses her partner to cancer

Dodge Festival in 2010 isn't

Read here

I am very glad I went this past year. This is a major blow for poetry.

Art After Hours- Shann Palmer's poetry

Tonight's the night!!

Thursday January 15th

I read at 6:30 and at 7:00- different poems each time!

MUSIC: Bluz Catz - American Blues, Jump & More
6:30 & 7 pm Art OF POETRY: Shann Palmer
7 & 7:30 pmTOPIC TOUR: Art a la carte
8 pm ART MOMENT: Jeffrey Allison- Paul Mellon Collection Educator
FRIENDS OF ART SILENT AUCTION: View and bid on works of art by local and regional artists

Tickets $10 (members $8).

A disappointing First *Second* Friday

The crowds were small and the money was tight- I was concerned when I saw very little about First Friday being moved to Second Friday because of the proximity of New Year's (plus most galleries didn't want to be struggling to get a new show up)

Our gallery (and others, and Curated Culture) sent info to the papers, to radio stations, the usual publicity outlets- but the info was not given any weight (I know- choosing what gets major ink is hard and bla bla bla- but it seems to me an event such as First Friday which is BTW, one of Richmond's most successful events in spite of the city and such, should be better supported by the local media).

Of course, maybe the galleries should have thought in advance how this would all work- it seems these things often catch us short- short of time, short of money, short of everything.

Part of it, no doubt, is the lack of balance between the for profit and the non-profit galleries. Art is art- isn't it? I suppose I should also take a little dig at the artist who (and this is definitely not aimed at ALL artists, but you know who I mean) who think they are so talented they like to stroll in and take their kudos and stroll out as if they are so special that's all people came to see-

It makes it tough for the wonderful but working artists who are willing to mix with the hoi-polloi, bring a tray for the table and work the room (and try to help with their own publicity).

Just a little unfocused rant here- there are all sorts of meetings coming up this week and next for 'planning' and 'strategic goals' and other baloney that will only make money for consultants and survey makers.

I'll work on getting to meetings, work with groups, whatever it takes, and I hope other members of art6 and other galleries do, too. I wish I felt more people had ART in mind and not how they can make money. I wish more people would put a little time in, somewhere, and make this all happen.

And I wish those who could would buy art and support our local artists.

not to mention poets and poetry....

and a little friendly ink from RTD and STYLE and URGE and V etc wouldn't hurt.

Happy Birthday to me from Consider the Lily!

I got a call this afternoon I won the Vera Bradley set the store was giving away!!Very Exciting- I admit to being a VB fan ever since I started having back and shoulder problems from carrying heavy bags.

Consider the Lily is a pretty little giftshop on Lakeside Ave right by the corner of Lakeside Ave and Hilliard Rd- the parking and the hours are a little weird, but if you are looking for something interesting it's a great place to stop. The people there were very nice, even when I lost my glasses in my purse but thought I'd left them on the counter.

How can I not recommend it??

Happy Birthday to me!!

yep- 59 years
went by waaaay too fast!!

Happy New Year Y'all!!

We're having a great time here at art6 with Rattlemouth!!

Unless you live real close, you missed it!!

Art After Hours starts soon at the VMFA

And look who's reading her poetry on January 15th!!

Go HERE

Tickets to all seven events are $60 (members $48). Single tickets are $10 (members $8).
Single tickets, but not series tickets, may be ordered online. Series and single tickets are sold at the museum Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm or may be charged by telephoning 804.340.1405 Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. (VMFA members may purchase tickets in advance at the museum (limit two per event per member, members must show VMFA membership card at time of purchase).

Read a review of one of my poems HERE

You can purchase the entire anthology here Richmond poet Cheryl Pallant also has a poem in the book.

Send art6 six dollars for a holiday mitzvah!

Mitzvah: Hebrew for "commandment." "A combination of a religious law, personal obligation, and a privilege.". Plural is Mitzvah. Often used to refer to a good deed

Non-profits such as art6 are suffering from the economic problems we are all experiencing.

It's the holidays, it's a good thing to do!

Send a check for $6 or $60 or whatever you can to:

art6 Gallery
6 East Broad St
Richmond, VA 23219

Your gift if tax-deductible!

It will keep the doors open and the heat on, not to mention putting art on the wall.

art6

10 reasons to go to poetry readings

Reason number 8: To Support the Poet. A certain portion of the audience will be family and friends of the poets who know how broke and desperate for support they are.

For the rest of the list, click HERE

Hey local poets, I have been invited to a new venue on Broad Street near Gaskins Rd- anybody have thoghts? How about Tuesdays??

Art in a Box- Grand Illumination- Tonight!!

Come downtown and see the Grand Illumination and all those dear deer- then come on over to Broad Street for the First Friday Artwalk!

art 6 is open from 6-10pm and we have a variety of artists with "Art in a Box"- including my poems (Yay!!!) and lots of other cool stuff.

In addition to our usual wine and beer cash bar, we'll have HOT COFFEE!!

yes yes yes!

You can leave your hat on.

an advent poem

In the Episcopal Church, we celebrate the season of Advent during the month before Christmas. No carols in services until the 24th (some parishes won't even have a pageant until then) and our focus is encouraged to be on the waiting- I always get a little annoyed at the bombarding I must endure from the world- and how we sing carols through January when everyone else is sick of them- until I thought of the births of my own children- how I prepared joyfully, hopefully, with fear. So to close my poem-a-day challenge from Writers Digest, I offer this as my last poem in November.


Change

I used to hate December- the noise,
the expense, the false good cheer-
until I thought about having a baby-
decorating the nursery, humming
soft lullabies to my swelling belly,
going to showers, buying special toys;
how in the month before I counted
days, awake with anticipation, my
own advent vigil for a miracle child
who would save me from sadness,.
give me the opportunity to do what
my parent’s couldn’t- raise a child
in love with life, self assured, strong
enough to take on the world, for me.

help me! Vote!

Throwdown 1

Select the best caption. The one with the lowest score is OUT.

Which caption is the best?

Adam Deutsch
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The contest is o9ver at Avoid the Muse