A message from the NM Booksellers Assoc

FLASHnews February 24, 2011

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Borders Closing

It is no news to most of you by now that the 40-year-old bookstore chain Borders has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  The company says that debt and failure to adapt to the changing industry have led to the closing of 200 of its 642 stores over the coming weeks. The stores scheduled to close, which are all “superstores,” have been said to cost Borders $2 million a day in losses.  

Only two stores in New Mexico are slated for closing, which will happen in the next few weeks, according to reports.  I don't know what this will mean for your inventory at those 200 stores, but since 442 stores will remain open I hope it will be transferred to open stores. Follow this link for the complete list of store closings.

In another news story of concern to local publishers, Page One bookstore in Albuquerque has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.  For details, see the New Mexico Business Weekly of February 21, 2011.  

—James Mafchir, NMBA President

via us1.campaign-archive1.com

Posted via email from Meanderings

Saturday, February 26: DCYPC Writer's Intensive Workshop

... 1-3 pm at Warehouse 508, 508 First St. NW, Albuquerque NM

The Duke City Youth Poetry Collective, in partnership with Warehouse 508 and ABQSlams, presents its first monthly Writing Intensive of Spring 2011 with touring Houston poet SETH WALKER and MYRLIN HEPWORTH from Phoenix, AZ.

This all-ages event takes place SATURDAY, Feb. 26 at 1 pm at Warehouse 508, 508 First St. NW. 

The intensive is free to the first 10 youth writers and $5 for everyone else. Free to youth under 12 and seniors over 55.

Seth Walker 

... is Houston's premiere spoken word artist. His magnetic personality and electric humanism crackle in every performance providing audiences with an incomparably exhilarating and uplifting poetic experience. In 2007, Seth Walker entered the Houston poetry scene like thunder. Taking 1st place in the Houston Grand Slam, Seth was ranked as the top Slam Poet in Houston 2007. That same year, while on the Houston Slam Team, Seth also placed 2nd overall in Texas at the Texas Blue Bonnet Competition. In November of 2007, Seth left Houston to travel full time and has been touring full time ever since.

Myrlin Hepworth 

... is a renowned youth mentor and currently teaches at Maxwell Preschool Academy and attends college in Mesa. As a senior in high school, he began working with children of all ages through the Care For Kids Americorps program in Lewiston, Idaho. After graduation, Myrlin made his way to Arizona where he found work, college, and the Arizona Slam Scene. In August of 2008 Myrlin competed in his second consecutive National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisconsin, where he helped his team reach 27th place among 76 teams. He has performed at venues across the country

For more information or to RSVP, contact Kenn Rodriguez at Warehouse 508 at 505-353-2231 or kenn@warehouse508.org.

Issa's Sunday Service, #91

Today's song, "40" by U2, is based on the Psalm 40, lifting a great deal of the lyric directly from the Bible.   Here's U2's rendering:

40
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long...how long...how long...
How long...to sing this song

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and fear

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long...how long...how long..

"40" comes from the album War, the most famous song from which is "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a song which dealt with the Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland.  The reason I mention it is that, injected into the lines from Psalm 40 in U2's rendition, you'll find the refrain "How long, how long to sing this song," which it shares with "Sunday Bloody Sunday."  "Sunday" opens the album, "40" closes it; the refrain they share book ends the theme of how long, how long must this go on (and on and on).

Something we continue to ask

Read the rest of the Sunday Service at lilliputreview.blogspot.com

Posted via email from Meanderings

Friday, Mar25, DCYPC Writer's Intensive

The Duke City Youth Poetry Collective, in partnership with Warehouse 508 and ABQSlams present a SPECIAL YOUTH ONLY WRITING INTENSIVE with the Slampapi himself, the creator the poetry slam movement MARK KELLY (SO WHAT!) SMITH!

Friday, March 25 · 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Warehouse 508

508 First St. NW

Albuquerque, NM

This all-ages event takes place FRIDAY, March. 25 at 4 pm at Warehouse 508, 508 First St. NW. The intensive is free and open to youth writers and performers only! 

Marc Smith is best known for bringing to the worldwide poetry community a new style of poetic presentation that has spawned one the most important social/literary arts movements of our time. 

As stated in the PBS television series, The United States of Poetry, a “strand of new poetry began at Chicago’s Green Mill Tavern in 1987 when Marc Smith found a home for the Poetry Slam.” Since then, performance poetry has spread throughout the country and across the globe to hundreds of cities, universities, high schools, festivals, and cultural centers and is flourishing in Australia, Germany, UK, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Singapore, and even at the South Pole.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Kenn Rodriguez at Warehouse 508 at 505-353-2231 or kenn@warehouse508.org.

from the February P&W

Poets & Writers is the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers. Founded in 1970, it is the nation's largest nonprofit literary organization for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. LITERARY MAGAZINES LOOKING FOR YOUR WORK Our database features listings of over six hundred journals that publish poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, including twenty magazines added since January 1.   Go to the Literary Magazines Database Go Directly to the Newest Listings CONNECT WITH OTHER WRITERS Our popular Connect with Others page is your gateway to a community of writers. Go there to sample the conversations taking place in the Speakeasy Message Forum, to check out our directory of over nine thousand writers, and to publicize your events on our national Literary Events calendar.   Connect with Others  AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL'S HAGFISH In the latest installment of Writers Recommend, Aimee Nezhukumatathil relates how she turns to field guides and old issues of National Geographic to get her writing juices flowing.     Visit Writers Recommend  PROTEST POEMS IN EGYPT Poetry played a role in the historic protests in Egypt.  Clips, our curated selection of videos, provides a look at recent events with a video that includes photos by Hany Soliman and footage of poet Kamal Abdel Halim reciting amid the protests.      Watch the Video DISCOUNT OFFER FOR POETS & WRITERS MAGAZINE Don't miss out on the latest grants, awards, contests, and conferences. Join the community of writers! Subscribe Now and Save Up to 65% Off the Newsstand Price For more information about P&W programs, please visit pw.org; write to Poets & Writers, 90 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004; or call (212) 226-3586.

The apocalypse, brought to you by the letters Y, A, L and E

The Yale Daily News is republishing a dozen visions of the apocalypse commissioned from well known writers at a dollar a word (but because the editors were cash-strapped college kids in 1974, each writer was limited to 20 words). “As the editors noted in that 12th issue of the Magazine, ‘The writers that exceeded twenty words did so out of a love for their craft.’” Why the apocalypse? Perhaps they were just stunned to see their magazine reach its second anniversary.

Part one features John Cheever, Tom Wolfe and William Styron; part two includes Bernard Malamud, Eric Fromm and Anthony Burgess (who forgoes his fee so that editors John Tierney, Christopher Buckley, and Eric Goodman can buy themselves “a nice drink”); part three contributors range from Ayn Rand (who is still doing her part to bring about the apocalypse from beyond the grave) to John Barth, with visits from William Saroyan and Vladimir Nabokav’s wife:

VN thanks you for your charming letter. He says he is ‘trying to finish writing a novel before the end of the world.’ He regrets he must decline your kind offer.”

– Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov

But the hands down winner in the apocalyptic race is Ray Bradbury who has faith that humankind can outrun the four horsemen when the time comes. In part four, alongside Joyce Carol Oates and Art Buchwald, Bradbury writes:

Gloryosky, guys, there ain’t gonna be no end to no world! Sorry to disappoint you and depress you with my exuberant good spirits and optimism, but we will build starships and move on out to Alpha Centauri and beyond and then we won’t give a damn about what happens to Earth, for we will, in sum, live forever, give or take a billion years. End of quote. Send me my twenty bucks!

– Ray Bradbury

via poetryfoundation.org

Some days I have time and inclination to write more, some not. My thanks to Poetry News on Harriet the Blog from The Poetry Foundation for bringing this apocalypse to you

Posted via email from Meanderings

Feb 27: Son de Domingo Poetry Showcase

via Zachary Kluckman, NMSlam and ABQSlam announcement lists and NM Tourism Calendar (where I finally found a date for this event so I could post it). See also our own Poets and Writers Calendar.

Touring poet Seth Walker headlines this amazing evening of poetry and art, Sunday February 27th. Spinning word storms alongside him are Santa Fe Poet Laureate Joan Logghe, Jessica Helen Lopez, Sara Marie Ortiz and event organizer Zachary Kuckman who is joining forces with fire dancer Stephanie Huerta for an event you won't soon forget. Live art, classical Indian music on the sarod, and more.

There will also be a writing intensive workshop before the show at 4pm so come get your write on!

When: 

Workshop, 4pm
Show, 5pm to 7pm

Where: 

Teatro Paraguas
3221 Richards Lane Suite B
Santa Fe, NM 87507 

Contact

Zachary Kluckman
Email: zgkluckman@msn.com
Phone: 505-712-1475

Happy Valentine’s Day

... so here's an offering from the Poetry Foundation to all you lovebirds, heartbreakers, flirts, and loners by choice

Love Poems for Valentine's Day

Classic and contemporary love poems to share.

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BY LISA CATHERINE HARPER

Poems From My Ex

After the love affair, there were poems...

MORE FEATURES

Facebook Love

BY THE EDITORS
For Valentine's Day, our Facebook fans picked their favorite poems from our archive. They were so good we made them into a feature.

Poems to Send the Person You're Crushing On

BY BECCA KLAVER
When you care enough to send the very best.

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Queer Love Poems

BY BRIAN REED
Gay and lesbian love poems.

A Very Valentine

BY GERTRUDE STEIN
Animated poem read by the poet.

The #writing Daily, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011

View current issue of The #writing Daily at http://paper.li/tag/writing. 

FYI ~ paper.li generates the The #writing Daily by auto-aggregating tweeting links by tag, in this case "writing," or list of tags. The application annotates and formats writing links as an online newsletter updated daily, back issues archived. Content covers creative, script, fiction, non-fiction, web, technical and other writing as well teaching writing, calls for submission and other writing related news. 

Look for other dailies by hashtag (#), i.e. The #poetry Daily, The #bookreview Daily, The #books Daily, etc... or create your own.

Sat Feb 19: Poetry at the Belen Public Library

You are invited to a special #nmpoetry event: a reading hosted by George Forrest and featuring Bill Nevins, Jeanne Shannon and Gary Stewart Chorré, 1:30PM Saturday February 19,2011 at the Belen Public Library Lecture Hall, 333 Becker Ave.; Belen, NM 87002; 864-7522

There will also be an open-mic and special book sale by "Friends of the Library"

George Forrest served in the US Air Force, attended B.G.S.U. for pre-Law he and his wife moved to Valencia County, NM where he has honed his verse on the stark natural beauty of his country home.

Bill Nevins was raised in Connectucut by a family of police, firfighters and "sainted women." Calling Albuquerque home for many years, he currently teaches English Composition and Creative Writing at UNM-Valencia and reports for abqARTS, Local iQ, Trend, Irish American News and other magazines. He has interviewed such digintaries as Bernadette Devlin, Gerry Adams, Ian Paisley and others. His poetry reflects the deeply felt narratives of the ancient bards.

A graduate of Radford University. Jeanne Shannon is originally from Virginia and has lived in Albuquerque since 1969, where she earned an MA in English from UNM. Widely published, her books include Meditation for the Earth and Carrying Water in a Sieve. Jeanne is the founding editor/ publisher of The Wildflower Press.

Gary Stewart Chorré resides in Valencia County while also living a life in Albuquerque. He has been a practicing poet for over two decades, during which time he has traveled the country and Europe performing featured readings and inpromptu poetic offerings along the way. His books include Bits and Pieces of a Faint Shadow and Peering through the Third Eye.

The Written Word

The written word embraces you, hugs you warmly, calls you friend, calls you writer. 

(Credit: Google images)

Call for Submissions

Submission guidelines for the 2011 publication of BorderSenses magazine, El Paso TX. Submission period: Jan 1, 2011 to Mar 15, 2011. Publication: June 2011.

(x-posted Manzano Mountain Scribes writers group and Poets and Writers Picnic)

Poetry International, Poem of the week

Alberto Vélez

THE GUAMO TREE

Dawn breaks. On the dew-bathed
Guamo tree a blackbird sings.
Taste of time in that voice
And in those feathers that burn
Without ever turning to ash. The world
Wakes up to sadness, to its usual
Tasks, zealously insisting on
Not falling into oblivion.
Poor endeavor. The voracious Mouth
Will leave no bones foul.

And yet no one would deny
The beauty of the day opening in
The mist. Dampness and light
Kiss and part. Children
Wake up to their games. The mooing
Of cows fills stables
With joy. Men and women
Put an end
To their love battles. And the blackbird sings
On the dew-bathed guamo tree.

My heart sees it all from a
Dream. I know I'm neither blackbird
Nor morning that opens, but
Time, which is everything.
It joins us by parting us.
My joy is the joy of surprising a birth,
The florescence of life.
As long as that secret is revealed to us
It does not matter, that certainty of being doomed flesh,
Flesh without enduring time.

Poem of the week © 2005, Alberto Vélez; © Translation: 2011, Laura Chalar

If you aren't one already, become a PIW-follower on Twitter and Facebook!

Local Poets Guild: calendar and more

A quick notice from the Albuquerque centered NM poetry hub, Local Poets Guild, that the online calendar has just been updated, adding new events, including readings by Margaret Randall, Mary Oishi and more as well as several upcoming workshops and performances with touring poets from Seth Walker to Marc Smith....

Visit the Guild's NM Poetry Calendar directly or click on the calendar icon below the list of poets and venues on the home page, all the way at the bottom of the right hand sidebar. Keep a lookout, check back or subscribe to LPG on your feed reader for timely updates. Important open calls for submissions will be posted soon. 

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Brainstorming a Poetry Festival

Sal Treppiedi announces BIG NEWS FOR THE NEW MEXICO POETRY SCENE and invites you to join a Community Brainstorming Session at the Harwood Art Center, Wednesday February 9, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

"Brainstorming what?" you ask. Beginning in 2012, in conjunction with Albuquerque's New Mexico Centennial celebration, the Duke City will host the first annual Dylan Thomas Poetry Festival! – at least, if area poets and poetry enthusiasts have their way it will….. 

This is your invitation to help us make the festival a reality by coming out and attending a community brain-storming/planning session. Several local artists have come together to create a vision and now we're asking the community to join us in creating a poetry festival to celebrate the literary traditions and artistic heritage of our beautiful New Mexico! 

Every year New Jersey's Dodge Poetry Festival brings hundreds and hundreds of poets and fans together for several days and sends dozens of poets into area high schools to work with teens. The AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) conference hosts an annual book fair, panels, workshops and parties – drawing from the very best literary voices in the world. Our proposed festival seeks to draw from the best elements of both concepts…and more. 

We already have several very significant names on the table and in conversation for this festival, and have begun groundwork on a rough schedule. What we're asking you to do is come by and contribute your thoughts and ideas – this is an event for our community and we hope to have potential volunteers, venues, politicians and organizers come together to discuss the economic, artistic and community enhancement potential for this event.

Please join us for a dialogue on Wednesday night, February 9th, at the Harwood Arts Center. Bring your ideas, creative energy and a smile!

The time for Albuquerque to expand it's already expansive reputation for enduring artistic quality and unique voices is here!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Sal Treppiedi ~ VE=NT Founder
Zachary Kluckman ~ ABQ Slam Poet Laureate Program Director, Verse~Converse Poetry Festival Coordinator

Emerging Native American Voices

Jesse Glass, ahadada@GOL.COM, announces Ekleksographia 4.0 ~ The Emerging Native American Voices Issue, Guest Curated by Ann Filemyr and Jamie Figueroa

With a great introduction by Ann Filemyr, the director of the Institute of Native American Arts and compelling work in poetry and prose by a host of new voices.

Please check it out at: http://ekleksographia.ahadadabooks.com/native_american/index.html

Once again, we go live on the "Jacket Model" with the understanding that the issue is still open for corrections and additions.

Writing Workshop, Feb12

 

W R I T I N G W I L D

Whitfield Creative Writing Workshop

Sponsored by Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area

Where: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (WWCA) Visitor and Education Center 2424 Highway 47, Belen, New Mexico

When: Saturday, February 12, 2011 (10:00 AM-2:00 PM)

Workshop Leader: Gregory L. Candela, PhD, Professor Emeritus of English, Creative Writing and Theater, University of New Mexico

Participants: Children (ages 7 and older) and adults. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult (parents/adults with children attend free)

Materials: Journal, pencil, use of binoculars and refreshments provided by Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area

Description: Designed primarily as a "family activity" WRITING WILD introduces young writers to creative journaling at beautiful Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area and guides participants to transform journal entries into poems and stories; workshop poems and stories will be displayed at WWCA during spring 2011.

Activities:

• Orientation: WWCA, Journaling, and Field Notes 10:00 – 12:00

• Lunch: Bring Your Own Sack Lunch 12:00 – 12:30

• Writing Magic: Poems and Stories 12:30 – 2:00

Workshop Fee: $20 each participant; $10 for each additional child. Proceeds go to support the Friends of Whitfield Community Education Fund.

Information and Registration: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (505) 864-8914 Friends of WWCA friendsofwhitfield@live.com