Jennifer Matthews will be reading at the Dire Reader Series from her poetry book Fairytales and Misdemeanors ( Ibbetson 2003) Matthews
is a Boston singer/songwriter, who just finished a residency at the legendary Kendall Cafe. Out of the Blue Gallery 106 Prospect St. Cambridge 8Pm Jan. 2 Friday

A lot of exciting stuff around the small press scene here in the HUB. This month the Out of the Blue Gallery poetry and prose anthology will be released, go to www.timothygager.com for more info. I am told that the next issue of Poesy magazine is delayed, but should be out shortly after the first of the year...the website will be up before Christmas. www.poesy.org PLOUGHSHARES
the lit. mag has an emerging writers issue released, that is a showcase for new poetic and fiction talent. I will be writing an article about some of the local contributors for the SOMERVILLE NEWS. By-the-way, the NEWS will feature two poets who work in local eateries, stay tuned for more...around Dec. 18!

The Somerville News Writers Festival was a success. We had a good audience, and the performers were top rate. The Out of the Blue Gallery Writers anthology is about ready to come out go to: www.timothygager.com for mor info. Jack Powers got a Life Time Achievement award from the Ibbetson Street Press. This is well-deserved award for this founder of Stone Soup Poets.
Ibbetson 14 will be released ...Jan 11 2004 at McIntyre and Moore Books will be the reading davis sq. Somerville 5PM... My good friend Don DiVecchio has resigned as poetry editor for Spare Change News, to work on a new book: PEACE WORKS. This will be an anthology of poetry and prose from writers on WAR/PEACE.

Well two unsung heroes of the small press are Erin Gumbel and Lynne Sticklor. Lynne has designed a number of books for the Ibbetson Street Press and is now working on the Out of the Blue Gallery Poetry Anthology. She will also be working on a new poetry chap by Cambridge poet Deborah Priestly, due to be released by Ibbetson in the Winter of 2004.

Erin Gumble, a co-founder of Boston University's lit. mag CLARION, is now working on editing and designing her second issue of the Ibbetson Street Press. The first Issue she did (no. 13 ) was a pick of the month in the Small Press Review. http://www.dustbooks.com What a fine addition to our staff!

Well-- CHRONICLE the channel five news show filmed Stone Soup Poets at the Out of the Blue Gallery last monday 11/2003 Heard there was a full house....

The last issue of Ibbetson was a pick for the month in the Small Press Review....

Brickbottom gallery Poetry Series in Somerville will restart on Dec 18 with Doug Holder, Marc Goldfinger, Jennifer Matthews and Tim gager reading from their work. 7:30PM

Newton Free Library presents poets, Michael Brown, Jean Trounstine and Pam Bernard at 7:00 PM Nov. 18

Well...Tim Gager with the help of Jimmy Tingle, secured Michael McDonald, the author of ALL SOULS, as our guest speaker for the Somerville News Writers Festival. MacDonald's book concerns growing up on the means street of South Boston...

Newton Free Library Poetry Reading Series will host Michael Brown, Pam Bernard and Jean Trounstine, Nov. 18 at 7PM 330 Homer St. Newton, Ma.

I was pleased to get a Lucid Moon Poetry Award for hardest working editor in the small press, from founder of http://www.lucidmoonpoetry.com Ralph Haselmann, Jr.

I am excited that Deborah Priestly co-founder of the Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge will be releasing a poetry collection with Ibbetson Street in the Winter...

Well, I remember calling Louise Gluck, the soon-to-become new Poet Laureate, to ask for an interview and poetry spread for Spare Change Newspaper. She agreed to the spread and its in the Oct 16 issue...

Spare Change, thanks to Holly Hand, got Robert Pinsky to do a spread awhile back. Both are local poets.

I went to the Boston Globe Book Festival at the Boston Public Library to listen to the publishing panel. Frank Bidart, Diana-Der-Hovanessian, Helen Rees, Tony Rose and Alice Quinn spoke. Bidart had some good tips about putting together a poetry manuscript for publication. I jotted down a few of his points: Make sure you have a coherent theme to the collection, keep in mind what you are doing, isn't different from what other poets are doing?, put your best poems at the begining and end,
there should be a calculated order to the poems, you must have the experience of reading the manuscript fromcover to cover, the TITLE is crucial, but it does not have to be the same as a tiltled poem in the collection.

There will be other events throughout the month...

Tim Gager and Doug Holder are producing the Somerville News Writers Festival, sponsored by the Somervill News ( not the Journal!)--Nov 23 7Pm Jimmy Tingle Theatre Davis Sq. Somerville $15/ticket. We are going to have a lot of local talent like: Steve Almond ( My Life in Heavy Metal) Jennifer Matthews ( Fairy Tales and Misdemeanors), Patricia Wild, Marc Goldfinger ( Relationships), Deborah Priestly ( Buy a Camera: You Ain't That Ugly), Doug Holder ( On Either Side of the Charles), Elizabeth Graver and others! Tingle is going to host!

The New Renaissance Magazine is going to have a 35th Birthday party at McIntyre and Moore Books in Davis Square Somerville 7:30 PM Oct 9 Readers will be Steve Almond, Doug Holder, Marc Widershien,
and others!

Jim Behrle has invited the Ibbetson Street Press Poets to read at Wordsworth Books in Harvard Square Sept 20th at 5PM Jack Powers Doug Holder and Philip Burnham Jr. ( Sailing From Boston) are pegged to read...

Louise Gluck from Cambridge ( but like me secretly from Long Island, NY) was named Laureate--sent her a copy of the Spare Change All Poetry Issue- why the hell not.

Harris Gardner told me over breakfast at the Au Bon Pain ( Harvard Sq-- a rush of Harvard Kids in tow with anxious parents) that one half of the Boston Poetry Marathon will be at Northeastern University in April.

Lisa Smith of Somerville Community Access TV has organized a poetry reading on Saturday Sept 13 at 2PM. This is part of the Somerville Windows Art Project Celebration. Poets/Writers of Somerville will celebrate the city... I will be reading at 2PM...That's Channel 3 in Somerville

Well the Stone Soup Antholoy 2003 reception went well. Such folks as Buddah, Billy Barnum, Doug Holder, Joanna Nealon, Jack Powes, RUV, Lynne ( Prize Lady) Sticklor, Debbie Priestly, Sue Landon, Marc Widershien, VICTOR and others attended. The antholgy is now archived at the Univ. of Buffalo thanks to Mike Basinski. (asst.curator) Also: All of Jack Powers papers and tapes will be going to Buffalo, for a special Jack Powers collection. We all are very happy about that.

Ricki Moss of the Brickbottom Galleries in Somerville has told me she is interested in having a reading series at the Gallery, we are going to talk turkey this week... Poesy will have an interview with veteran area poet, Robert K. Johnson next month www.poesy.org... Newton Free Library Poetry Reading Series kicks of Tues Sept 9 with: Susie Davidson, Peter Desmond and Robin Pelzman...At the Out of the Blue Gallery, there will be a reception in celebration of the Stone Soup Anthology, at 3 Pm Sat Aug 23, Carol Weston, Jack Powers, and others will read--open to all! 106 Prospect St. in Cambridge...

There is a new player on the poetry scene in Boston. She doesn't just read, she sings...and oh how she sings... Jennifer Matthews, vocalist, musician, and songwriter, is working with Ibbetson Street to release a first book of poetry in Sept. Matthews, an accomplished singer and writer, has played the Boston- New York and European circuit, with her beguiling music and words. See Jennifer read Oct 9, McIntyre and Moore Books, Davis Square Somerville- call 617-628-2313 for details.

Well on Tuesday at the Grande Cafe at 61 Union Square in Somerville, Linda Lerner, Marc Goldfinger, Tim Gager, and Harris Gardner will be reading from their new releases from the Ibbetson Street Press-6pm-Aug5 2003... Stone Soup Inc..has released a new anthology they are proud of, go to http://wwww.stonesouppoets.com Harris Gardner has been signed on for another year as Poet-In-Residence at Endicott College...The New Renassiance Magazine will be having a reading at McIntyre and Moore in November...

On June 15 at McIntyre and Moore Books ( Somerville) Ibbetson Street will have an issue 13 reading. Some of the readers will be Harris Gardner, Marc Goldfinger, Jack Powers, Linda Haviland Conte and others. Open mic as well. Special musical guest Jennifer Matthews. www.jennifermatthews.com 5PM 255 Elm St. Davis Square

It will be Stone Soup Poetry 32nd birthday Monday May 5 7:30 PM at 240 Hanover Street In the North End of Boston, hosted by my old pal Jack Powers. Special musical guest: Jennifer Matthews.

Deb Priestly and Tim Gager got a grant from the Cambridge Arts Council to put out a poetry and prose anthology of local poets and writers. Deb Priestly stated: " with all the writers and artists in Cambridge, we thought it would be incredible to put together an anthology." The anthology will be diverse and refelect the points-of-view of gays, heroin addicts, veterans, trauma survivors, etc... The anthology should be out in the Late Summer, and will be about 300 pages. It will include folks who have featured or read at the Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge. http://www.outoftheblueartgallery.com

Well, I am gearing up for April 8 when Afaa Michael Weaver, Wendy Mnookin and Charles Coe read at the Newton Free Library
Poetry Series. Ibbetson author Gary Duehr is going to be reading at the New England Poetry Club, June 2nd. There is a little magazine around here in New England, called Button. It's about the size of your palm, and a gal named Sally Cragin founded it. There will be a 31st Celebration of Button at the Longfellow Carriage House 103 Brattle St. Cambridge at 3 pm.

Poet Douglas Bishop of Lowell gave me a call, and he said he is trying to organize a Poets Against The War Reading for March 21...we may be in by then...I will keep you posted... Poets Sarah Medinger, Ian Thal, Rachel Hyman, and Brian Morissey, and the Books of Hope Project will be featured in my Spare Change article ALL THE YOUNG POETS due out May 1, for the all-poetry issue. April 8 Afaa Michael Weaver, Charles Coe and Wendy Mnookin will be reading at the Newton Free Library 7 P M. I will be doing the hosting for the National Boston Poetry Festival at the Copley Square --Boston Public Library Branch- Raab Lecture Hall April 13 1 P M. Jack Powers will be having a number of poetry events during April Poetry Month- call him at: 617-227-0845

Tonight I am to attend an opening for Ibbetson artist, Gene Smith's work at the Citizen Bank in Central Square Cambridge at 6 PM. Gene is an old friend of mine, who is an experienced character actor in regional theatre and independent films, and contributed his fine artwork to the last issue of Ibbetson. While interviewing Vera Gold and Nancy Mehegan from 96 Inc., I turned around and saw John Silber the presient of Boston University staring me in the face. He was an old nemesis of us kids in the 70's, who were on the tailend of the 60's scene.

I was glad to hear that Linda Haviland Conte's poem "Little Weed" won an award at the Cambridge Poetry Festival last Sunday.
Tonight Harris Gardner , Marc Goldfinger and Rachel Goldstein read at the Newton Free Library at 7pm. Remember it's the Lummox Journal's all-poetry issue next month--look 'em up on Goggle. And the new Poesy website should be up tomorrow, with interviews and poetry from poets, coast to coast. http://www.poesy.org I hear Reggie Gibson's venue at the Zeitgeist is quite a hit, every Tuesday night...street musicians and poets, quite a mix.

Sunday March 9 are the poetry awards in Cambridge go to www.cambridgepoetryawards.org for more info---

blogger.com

Poesy Magazine www.poesy.org will have a new look for its 20th issue due out this month... it will be upgraded I have been proud to be the Boston Editor for the last few years. Brian Morrisey hads done a great job with Poesy, which he started when he was 14...he now is 27. You can send submissions to brian@poesy.org This weekend is the Cambridge Poetry Festival at Lesley Univ. in Cambridge. A Lot of folks from Ibbetson St. are in contention for prizes including: Portia Brockway, Susuie Davidson, Ian Thal, and Linda Conte... I expect our ace reviwer Laura Stamps will be sending us an exclusive interview with Lyn Lifshin, the Queen of the Small Press real soon...

I am told that Spare Change News is looking for new voices in the poetry section. So I would send your submissions to Spare Change News 1151 Mass. Ave. Cambridge, Ma. 02138 C/0 Don DiVecchio--poetry editor...

Last Saturday I went to the Open Bark Poetry Reading in Cambridge ( Out of the Blue Gallery) to check out the poets, and I found a very vibrant scene. One of the Ibbetson Updater reviewers, Sarah Medinger, strutted her lyrical stuff and she was quite compelling. She is one of the folks I will be interviewing for the young poets article in Spare Change. There was a combo of music and poetry, and the crowd for the most part was under thirty. A lot of good energy, and some fine talent. Deb Priestly makes a sporting host, and knows how to handle a crowd.

I had breakfeast with Don DiVecchio, poetry editor of Spare Change News. He is working on the All-Poetry Issue due to be out May1. Jack Powers, (Stone Soup Poets, Inc.) made the selection of best poem for that issue. Editor, Holly Hand, is looking for new voices on the poetry scene to submit their work...send it to Don DiVecchio Spare Change Newss 1151 Mass. Ave. Cambridge, Ma. 02138

Well...I had bagels with Harris Gardner ( founder of Tapestry of Voices), he is in high gear trying to get ready for the Boston Poetry Festival/ Marathon in April at the Boston Public Library. Susie Davidson, ( journalist for a number of publications) is busy at work on her book that should be released by Ibbetson Street this Spring. It will be an anthology of testimony from Holocaust survivors. Reggie Gibson tells me has a new venue at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge....

I have an exciting new project. Holly Hand, editor of Spare Change, wants me to do an article concerning young poets in the Boston area. Already got a list...I figure young means under 40, at least it does to me...being 47. Happy to hear that Somerville Poet, Linda Conte was nominated for two Cambridge Poetry Awards, she deserves it.

Hello...the Cambridge Poetry Awards will be held next month. I used to cover them for Spare Change News. It's a good alternative award venue, considering all the academic poets in Cambridge, Ma. Ever hear of 96inc... A great magazine in Boston that publishes poetry and fiction. It also has a social service mission to help youth, and homeless youth, through the Arts. I will be interviewing founder Vera Gold for Poesy Magazine soon. (www.poesy.org) Harris Gardner is gearing up for his annual Poetry Marathon in April at the Boston Public Library. Poets will be reading successively on a Saturday and Sunday. Hey--this is a paid gig!

I will start training for my new Scat T. V. Show Tomorrow.

This is my new blog.