Well... it was great to be manning the book table with poets Lisa Beatman and Harris Gardner at the Boston National Poetry Month Festival at the Boston Public Library on Saturday. ( April 3 2004) It was a lively crowd, and I got to talk to many of my fellow poets and friends like: Marc Goldfinger, Diana Saenz ( Boston Poet), Marc Widershien ( "The Life of All Worlds"), L. Schwartz ("Goodnight Gracie"), Michael Brown ( "Poetry Off Broadway"), Robert K. Johnson ( "The Latest News), Rhina Espillat ( Pow Wow River Poets) Barbara Helfgott Hyett ( Poem Works), Rosanna Warren, and many others. A lot of books were sold, as folks supported their favorite poets. Today we take the party to Northeastern--Dodge Hall 1PM--hope to see you there!

I just meet with Deborah Priestly and Lynne Sticklor about Deb's long awaited book The Woman Has A Voice. Lynne, who is designing and editing the book hopes to have it at the printers by Friday March 26. Deb is the cofounder of The Out of the Blue Art Gallery in Cambridge. This book is wonderfully illustrated L. Geharty and C. Fahey , and deals with women in all stages of their lives...

Also Ibbetson has a book by blind poet Joanna Nealon, that we hope to have out some time in April 2004 LIVING IT

Susie Davidson also has a book due out, so Ibbetson Street is quite busy.

Tim Gager is organizing a reading for poets and writers at the Boston University Bookstore on the evening of May 4. Such poets as: Jack Powers, Deborah Priestly and Yours Truly will be reading...

I will be heading for NYC for a literary dinner for the new renaissance magazine. We hope to raise funds for this fine literary journal. I have an interview with street poet Marc Goldfinger in the issue coming up. Also included is the poetry of Stephen Todd Booker, and the artwork of Arthur Polonsky.

The Spare Change Annual All Poetry Issue will be out April 1. There will be an interview with Afaa Michael Weaver, and one with poet/mime James Van Looy, not to mention selections of the best poetry of the year to appear on SPN's pages.

Well...Harris Gardner of Tapestry of Voices is gearing up for the Boston National Poetry Festival April 3 and 4 at the Boston Public Library and Northeastern Univeristy, respectively. Over 50 poets, open mics and more...it's free too!

Joanna Nealon is working with Ibbetson Street to get out her new, perfect-bound poetry collection LIVING IT. Joanna is an accomplished blind poet and a presence in the area poetry community.

Jennifer Matthews, poet/vocalist, tells me she will be hosting a poetry and music venue at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Inman Square Cambridge, contact: jmchickenbaby@aol.com for more info.

Gearing up for the Cambridge Poetry Award this Sunday at Lesley University...

Well The Cambridge Poetry Awards will be announced at Lesley University Sunday March 7 2Pm A lot of my friens were nominated like: Tim Gagaer, Susie Davidson,
Mary Bodwell, Susan Landon, Jennifer Matthews, irene Koronas and others... www.cambridgepoetryawards.org

Glad that David Kirschenbaum, bookdealer and editor of Boog Lit Magazine, put my piece about my late uncle Dave Kirschenbaum on his blog. Both he and my uncle are and were bookdealers in NYC, ah sweet mystery of life!

Well, the editorship of Spare Change News has changed hands. Holly Hand resigned and was replaced by Susan Horton. The poetry editorship is still not filled. Don DiVecchio had resigned not too long ago.

Poets Deborah Priestly and Joanna Nealon are slated to have poetry collections released by Somerville's Ibbetson Street Press.

Sophia Lintz, a poet for the magazine and Arts Organization 96Inc will be reading at the Newton Free Library Poetry Series March 9 2004 330 Homer St. Newton Free Library 7PM Also reading: Jennifer Matthews and Elizabeth Doran.

Michael Brown's Poetry-Off-Broadway continues to play at the Jimmy Tingle Theatre in Davis Square Somerville...

Next month March 7 at Lesley University the Cambridge Poetry Awards will be presented. Jeff Robinson is passing off the leadership to poet regie Gibson.

Gibson tells me he's studying at Simmons College with poet Afaa Michael Weaver.

I am pleased to announce that singer/songwriter, not to mention poet Jennifer Matthews was nominated for a spoken word award by the Cambridge Poetry Award Committee....

On Feb 7-8 at the Cambridge Adult Education Center, Harvard Square,
many of the nominnees will perform.

Jack Powers, founder of the Stone Soup Poets, was profiled in an article by Linda Lerner, on poetry.about.com, a major site for poetry...

Deborah Priestly, of the Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge, is planning to release a poetry collection through the Ibbetson Press...it's due out this month.

Harris Gardner, of Tapestry of Voices ( Boston) is feverishly planning the Boston Poetry Festival, to be held at the Boston Public Library ( Copley) and Northeastern University.

Poet Marc Goldfinger, former editor of Spare Change News, will be profiled, in the next issue of the New Renaissance Magazine due out
in April.

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.