Etheree-Spree!

Thistle
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis

VESUVIUS
—Ann Wehrman, Sacramento

the pie lay sweet,
golden before him
family surrounded
raised crystal glasses, silver
bellies distended
room still for pie
Dad shook the can
masterfully, theatrically
then it exploded
like a Redi Whip Fourth of July
cream covered his face, beard, glasses
chandelier, credenza, mirror
we howled, even Mom giggled
someone thought to snap a Polaroid
almost all around that table gone now
the moment lives again
this Thanksgiving, in my mind’s eye

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Thanks, Ann, for the Thanksgiving poem and for your plethora of etherees (below)! This week's Seed of the Week is Thanksgiving: Send me a Thanksgiving poem and I'll post it. But send me a Thanksgiving etheree, and I'll mail you Katy Brown's new 2009 calendar, Beyond the Hill. What's an etheree? See the fine examples below; I think you can figure out the form from them. (Hint: count the syllables in each line.) This Seed of the Week has a deadline, though: to get your free calendar, your etheree(s) must be sent by midnight (e-mailed or postmarked) Monday, November 24. Addresses are below.

And thanks to Katy Brown and Steph Schaefer for the coincidental photos. See more work from both of these artists in Snake 20, due out in mid-December. In addition to her usual Snake Eyes column, Katy has written an article, including photos, about last September's Dancing Poetry Festival in San Francisco. And don't forget to get your copy of her 2009 calendar, Beyond the Hill, available from Katy, from me, at The Book Collector, or from rattlesnakepress.com/.


This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Friday (11/21), 7:30 PM: Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul, celebrating Latino life and community across the nation. La Raza Galeria Posada, 1024 22nd St., Sacramento. The Writers of the New Sun / Escritores del Nuevo Sol invite you to warm up with an evening of Chicken Soup stories, memoirs and anecdotes from across the USA. Charlie Mariano is the only local writer included in this remarkable anthology. His essay, in a slightly altered form, originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee. Come settle in to have some snacks and hear these heartwarming stories. Copies of the book, in English or Spanish will be available for $13 each. Proceeds from this evening’s sales of Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul will be donated to the Escritores del Nuevo Soul and to La Raza Galeria Posada. Info: Graciela Ramirez: 916-456-5323.

•••Friday (11/21), 7:30-9 PM: The Other Voice, sponsored by the U.U. Church of Davis, presents the dynamic husband/wife poetry team of Susan and Joseph Finkleman giving us their unique two-voice poems. We meet in the library of the church located at 27074 Patwin Rd. in Davis. Susan Finkleman began her writing career at the age of 10 as a struggling young novelist in Detroit, Michigan, and as a poet at the age of 13. Recent work has been published in Susurrus, Rattlesnake Review, and the Yolo Crow. She now works as office manager at the Davis Cemetery. Joseph Finkleman was born in Hollywood, CA. He has a BFA and MFA from the S.F. Art Institute, was a professional photographer for 20 years and taught photography and animation. Finkleman is also an accomplished water-color artist whose work has been widely shown in Northern California. Several pieces can currently be seen at the Design Center in Davis. He recently completed a libretto for American Chamber Opera. Refreshments and Open Mike follow, so bring along a poem to share, and may we give thanks for poetry and for all art.

•••Friday (11/21), 7 PM: Poetry at Raven's Tale bookstore in Placerville. Featured readers are Moira Magneson and Wendy Patrice Williams, both of whom have new rattlechaps from Rattlesnake Press. A short poetry open-mic follows (sign up before the featured readers). Raven's Tale is located at 352 Main St., Placerville. There is no charge.

•••Sat. (11/22), 10-11:30 AM: Sacramento Poetry Center Saturday Poetry Workshop, held on the 2nd and 4th Sats. of the month from 10-11:30 AM at the South Natomas Community Center (next to the library), 2901 S. Truxel Rd., Sacramento. Bring 10 copies of your one-page poem for workshopping. Contact Frank Graham or Emmanuel Sigauke, facilitators. FREE!

•••Sat. (11/22), 8 PM: Reading at Luna's Cafe to celebrate the new anthology, La Luna: Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe, edited by frank andrick for Rattlesnake Press. Opening Poetic onslaught by Gene Bloom, Esteban Villa, Art Luna, Mario Ellis hill, and frank andrick, then Joe Montoya, the creator of Poetry Unplugged 13 years ago, makes a rare headlining appearance backed by Vincent Montoya and Scott George, both guitarists for The Tattooed Love Dogs and currently w/ ‘70’. It’s been 9 years since Joe has read at Poetry Unplugged and we are revved up and in a full-tilt poetic rage to present this night! That's Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. $6.00 at the door; anthologies will be for sale for $8 each.

•••Sat. (11/22), 1-4 PM: Ekphrasis Poetry and Art Reception in affiliation with Windermere Welcome Home Realty and sponsored by the City of Livermore. Windermere Welcome Home, 1790 First St., Livermore. Selected Poets and Artists will come together to celebrate the “marriage” of poetry and art. The public is invited to attend, meet the poets and artists, and view the show. Selected Artists include Linda Ryan, Marjorie Haggin, Robert Eastwood, Barbara Stanton, Trish Fenton, Carolyn Ramsey, Laura Thournir, Charan Sue Wollard, Katie Caulk, Ruth C. Jurs.

•••Mon. (11/24), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Janet Smith and Connie Post at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento. Open mic follows. Janet Smith moved to Yosemite when she was 18 and lived there until she started college at 35. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with an MFA in creative nonfiction in 2000, and then moved back west to Lake Tahoe, where she is on faculty in the English department of Lake Tahoe Community College. Her first book of poetry, All of a Sudden, will be published in 2010.

Connie Post is the first and current Poet Laureate of Livermore, California. During her term, she created two popular reading series, “Wine and Words” and “Ravenswood” in Livermore. She has written six collections of poetry. Her work has appeared in Kalliope, Comstock Review, Main Street Rag, Iodine Poetry Journal, White Pelican Review, Oberon, Monterey Poetry Review, California Quarterly, Hardpan, Song of the San Joaquin and the Carquinez Poetry Review. Her work is forthcoming in Calyx, Cold Mountain Review and RiverSedge. Her most recent book, City of Words, is a collection of all of the poems she has written during her term as Poet Laureate. She was one of for runners up in the Calyx 2008 Lois Cranston Memorial Awards. She was also a finalist in the 2007 & 2008 Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Awards.

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MY DOG IS CHEWING ON A CUP
—Chrissy D., Stockton

I'm busting at the seams
My skirt is too tight
It must have shrunk
Yeah, that is a good excuse

My skirt is too tight
Work sucks, but I manage to get dinner on
That is a good excuse
Kids are arguing with the wind

Work sucks, but I manage to get dinner on
I stub my toe
Kids are arguing with the wind
I check their homework

I stub my toe
Why can't I breathe?
I check their homework
And the room is spinning

Why can't I breathe?
I haven't had a drop in 6 years
And the room is spinning
My dog is chewing on a cup

I haven't had a drop in 6 years
Everything will be alright
My dog is chewing on a cup
I just laugh, life is good

Even though I'm busting at the seams

___________________

PENANCE
—Ann Wehrman

Great,
it’s yet
another
Thanksgiving Day,
and I find myself
alone, in the city,
no one with whom to feast,
disinclined to serve the poor…
like every day, the heart to give thanks,
once found, makes everything taste delicious

___________________

HOMESICK
—Ann Wehrman

fog
not snow
nor winters
blustery cold
take a walk outside
yellow gingko leaves spin
lay a carpet underfoot
this Thanksgiving once again
neither family nor friends surround
share a Spartan meal with TV—give thanks

___________________

A THANKSGIVING CAROL
—Ann Wehrman

Yams,
green bean
casserole,
dark meat or white,
champagne or cider?
Pumpkin pie a la mode,
dinner rolls with sweet butter,
Waldorf salad—peel me a grape!
Families gather from near and far,
Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are!

Thistle down
Photo by Stephani Schaefer, Los Molinos

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do.

—Stephen Spender

__________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: Deadline for the current issue (#20) has passed (it was Nov. 15); that issue is currently rattling around in the SnakePit and will be released at The Book Collector reading on December 10, then mailed to contributors and subscribers in mid-December. Next deadline is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

New for November: Now available at The Book Collector, or from the authors, or through rattlesnakepress.com (or—heck—just write to me and I'll send 'em to you): a new rattlechap from Red Fox Underground Poet Wendy Patrice Williams (Some New Forgetting); a littlesnake broadside from South Lake Tahoe Poet Ray Hadley (Children's Games); our 2009 calendar from Katy Brown (Beyond the Hill: A Poet’s Calendar) as well as Conversations, Vol. 4 of B.L. Kennedy’s Rattlesnake Interview Series, featuring conversations with Luke Breit, Gail Rudd Entrekin, Traci Gourdine, Taylor Graham, Noel Kroeplin, Rob Lozano, Crawdad Nelson, Monika Rose, Will Staple, Mary Zeppa and nila northSun. And don't forget to pick up your copies of B.L. Kennedy's new SpiralChap of his poetry and art, Luna's House of Words, as well as the anthology of poets, art and photos, La Luna: Poetry Unplugged from Luna's Cafe, edited by frank andrick.

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Write to me and I'll send you one. Free!

Coming in December: Join us at The Book Collector on Wednesday, December 10, for the release of a new chapbook from Danyen Powell (Blue Sky Flies Out); a littlesnake broadside from Kevin Jones, and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review (#20)! That's at 7:30, 1008 24th St., Sacramento. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's.


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.