Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A Boston Poet Tea Party: A Poetry Summer Marathon: July 30 to 31 2010





A Boston Poet Tea Party


A Boston Poet Tea Party

A Summer Poetry Marathon
featuring 88 local and visiting poets
reading for 8 minutes apiece

Friday 7/30, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Pierre Menard Gallery
10 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge

Saturday 7/31, 12 noon-10:00 p.m.
Sunday 8/1, 12 noon-5:00 p.m.
OUTPOST 186
186 1/2 Hampshire St., Inman Square, Cambridge

Featuring readings from: Seth Abramson, Kari Adelaide, Dena Barisano, Kish Song Bear, Jim Behrle, Ana Božičević, Oni Buchanan, Mairead Byrne, Macgregor Card, Mick Carr, Kate Colby, John Coletti, John Cotter, Amanda Cook, James Cook, Mike County, Amy D'Eath, Gillian Devereux ,Thom Donovan, Valerie Duff-Strauttman, Jim Dunn, Joe Elliot, Derek Fenner, Annie Finch, Greg Fuchs, Michael Franco, Elisa Gabbert, Michael Gizzi, Peter Gizzi, Kythe Heller, Mitch Highfill, Doug Holder, Fanny Howe, Jibade-Khalil Huffman, Andrew Hughes, Geoff Huth, N. F. Huth, Brenda Iijima, Lauren Ireland, Boni Joi, Ellen Kennedy, Aaron Kiely, Jack Kimball, Amy King, David Kirschenbaum, Mark Lamoureux, Gerrit Lansing, Tanya Larkin, Dorothea Lasky, Ruth Lepson, Brendan Lorber, Lori Lubeski, Bridget Madden, Douglas Manson, Fred Marchant, Filip Marinovich, Chris Martin, Joseph Massey, Ben Mazur, Gillian McCain, Suzanne Mercury, Hannah K. Messler, Debrah Morkun, Jason Morris, Anna Moschovakis, John Mulrooney, Eileen Myles, Jess Mynes, Amanda Nadelberg, Urayoan Noel, Martha Oatis, Geoffrey Olsen, January Gill O'Neil, Nathaniel Otting, Chad Parenteau, Kate Peebles, David Rivard, Chris Rizzo, Steve Roberts, Carlos Soto Roman, Douglas N. Rothschild, Lauren Russell, Kate Schapira, Alan Semerdijian, Minal Shekhawat, Nathaniel Siegel, Joel Sloman, Kimberly Ann Southwick, Chuck Stebleton, Aaron Tieger, Joe Torra, Dana Ward, Jacqueline Waters, Dustin Williamson, Elizabeth Willis, Rebecca Wolff, Angela Veronica Wong, Jon Woodward, and Elizabeth Marie Young with more TBA.

Organized by Jim Behrle, Michael Carr,
David Kirschenbaum, John Mulrooney, and Aaron Tieger



Here's the current schedule:


Friday 7/307:00 Joe Torra7:08 Jack Kimball7:16 Minal Shekhawat7:24 January O'Neil7:32 Geoffrey Olsen7:40 Kari Adelaide7:48 Elisa Gabbertbreak8:04 Thom Donovan8:12 Joan Houlihan8:20 John Cotter8:28 Dorothea Lasky8:36 Tanya Larkin8:44 Jibade-Khalil Huffman8:52 David Rivardbreak9:08 Greg Fuchs9:16 Pierre Joris9:24 Buck Downs9:32 Eileen Miles9:40 Martha Oatis9:48 Lori Lubeski9:56 Nicole Peyrafitte


Saturday 7/3112:00 Lauren Russell12:08 Suzanne Mercury12:16 Bridget Madden12:24 Seth Abramson12:32 Steve Roberts12:40 Cate Peeblesbreak12:56 Nathaniel Siegel1:04 Nathaniel Otting1:12 Dana Ward1:20 Doug Holder1:28 Mark Lamoureux1:36 Debrah Morkunbreak1:52 Chris Rizzo2:00 Ellen Kennedy2:08 Kate Colby2:16 Betsy Wheeler2:24 Douglas Manson2:32 Valerie Duff-Strauttmanbreak2:48 Kimberly Ann Southwick2:56 Mike County3:04 Andrew Hughes3:12 Amanda Cook3:20 Lauren Ireland3:28 Joel Slomanbreak3:44 James Cook3:56 Filip Marinovich4:04 Alan Semerdijian4:12 Urayoan Noel4:28 Jim Dunn4:36 Kythe Heller4:44 Lynn Behrendt5:00 Derek Fenner5:08 Joe Elliot5:16 Boni Joi5:24 Amanda Nadelberg5:32 Brenda Iijima5:40 Chad Parenteau 7:00 Jacqueline Waters7:08 Jess Mynes7:16 Chris Martin7:24 Elizabeth Willis7:32 Mitch Highfill7:40 Peter Gizzi7:48 Michael Gottliebbreak8:04 Jon Woodward8:12 Rebecca Wolff8:20 Brendan Lorber8:28 Gillian McCain8:36 Dustin Williamson8:44 Oni Buchanan8:52 Geof Huthbreak9:08 Joseph Massey9:16 Macgregor Card9:24 Elizabeth Marie Young9:32 Kish Song Bear9:40 Aaron Kiely9:48 Carlos Soto Roman9:56 Douglas N. Rothschild



Sunday 8/112:00 Michael Franco12:08 N. F. Huth12:16 Jessica Bozek12:24 Fred Marchant12:32 Angela Veronica Wong12:40 Ruth Lepsonbreak12:56 Annie Finch1:04 John Mulrooney1:12 David Kirschenbaum1:20 John Coletti1:28 Gerrit Lansing1:36 Fanny Howebreak1:52 Anna Moschovakis2:00 Michael Gizzi2:08 Ana Božičević2:16 Aaron Tieger2:24 Chuck Stebleton2:32 Mairead Byrnebreak2:48 Ben Mazer2:54 Amy King3:02 Michael Carr3:10 Janaka Stucky3:18 Gillian Devereux3:26 Laura Simsbreak3:42 Jason Morris3:50 Amy D'Eath3:58 Andi Pinto4:06 Kate Schapira4:14 Hannah K. Messler4:20 Molly Saccardobreak4:36 Chris Jackson4:44 Dena Barisano4:52 Cheryl Clark Vermeulen5:00 Jim Behrle

Monday, June 14, 2010

TEELE SQUARE WRITER IS AN "ODDBALL"






TEELE SQUARE WRITER IS AN "ODDBALL"

By Doug Holder

Jason Wright, a Somerville resident for the past 5 years is a self-described oddball. This 30 year old writer, waiter, and online magazine founder of "ODDBALL" magazine, like many young Somervillians pines to make his mark in the publishing industry. Wright, works at Bertucci's at Alewife Station to keep food on the table and just finished a certificate program in publishing at Emerson College. He stopped by to chat with me at my usual Saturday morning perch at the Au Bon Pain cafe in Davis Square.

Wright is a productive writer who started ODDBALL magazine when he was 16. It covers many subjects. It includes his own eclectic brand of poetry and prose, as well as profiles of interesting characters he runs across. Wright said the magazine gives a voice to the outsiders, and is in a way therapeutic for him. Wright who has a fondness for the philosopher Nietzsche paraphrases him to explain why he writes: ""Through chaos a star is born."

ODDBALL magazine is in blog format, and Wright traces his progress during his day to day. Wright describes it as as a poetry and graffiti magazine from Boston, Ma, that is dedicated to giving the voiceless a voice. There are accounts of his trial and travails as a writer, poetry that speaks to his unique frame of mind, as well as interesting profile (with YouTube video) of Pat Bartevian, who runs a small consignment shop in Boston. This archaic little store is sandwiched in between tall buildings in downtown Boston. It seems that this charmingly eccentric woman was a member of the long forgotten 40's singing group the " Hickory Sisters." Bartevian has tales of gigs with "old blue eyes" himself Frank Sinatra, and other famed crooners.

Wright has a B.A. in English from U/Mass Boston and studied with such distinguished Somerville writers on faculty like Joe Torra and Lloyd Schwartz. He also attended Bunker Hill Community College where yours truly is currently on faculty.

Living in Somerville is a great deal for Wright. His girlfriend works at Rounder Records, and he loves Johnny D's (he used to work there), and other venues. He told me that Somerville is a small city with a big city mentality.

Wright said he has twelve books of unpublished poetry. He has also written an unpublished work: " Journal of a Mad Man."

To finish his certificate requirements at Emerson College Wright is formulating a business plan for his nascent small press, and he is also penning a mission statement for his magazine. He is working on getting all the paperwork done that is necessary to have a legitimate enterprise.

Wright recently attended a lecture by Gloria Mindock the founder of the Cervena Barva Press at Emerson College. Both Mindock and myself are excited about the prospect of yet another publication playing a part in our rich literary milieu.


Check out ODDBALL Magazine: http://www. oddballmagazine.wordpress.com