Monday, April 17, 2006

Snakes & Taxes (& Po-events 4/17-23)

THE SHATTERED MIRROR
—Jacques Prevert

The little man who sang without ceasing
the little man who danced in my head
the little man of youth
broke his shoelace
and all the booths at the fair
all at once collapsed
and in the silence of this fair
in the desert of this head
I heard your happy voice
your torn and fragile voice
childish and desolate
coming from afar and calling me
and I put my hand upon my heart
where shivered
bloodily
the seven glass slivers of your starlit laughter.


_______________________
Lots to talk about today! Judith Monroe has a show of mixed media photographs called "TreeStories" on display at Appel Gallery, 931 T St., Sac. (corner of 10th and T), through the first week of May. Judith took photos of trees, posted them on a blog, and asked poets to respond to the images. She then used their poetry to create "Tree Stories" by working the poetry into the hand colored images. The poems, by Taylor Graham, Rebecca Morrison, Joe Finkleman, and Susan Hennies, among others, are posted next to the photographs at the gallery. You can get a taste by going to www.appelgallery.com.

Readings this week (let me know if I've missed any):

•••Tonight (Monday, 4/17), get your taxes done before 7:30 and go hear Rattlechapper (Northwind on I-5) Frank Taber, who will read for the Sacramento Poetry Centerabout, among other things, earthquakes. Headquarters for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac., 7:30 pm. [By the way, I know some of you have sent your own Earthquake poems to Frank as per his request; Medusa would dearly love to post these, if you're of a mind to send 'em over to her lackey at kathykieth@hotmail.com. And previously-published poems are always A-OK with Medusa.]

•••Wednesday (4/19), Urban Voices presents An Evening with Victoria Dalkey: a poetry reading and conversation from 6:30 to 8 pm, South Natomas Library, 2901 Truxel Road, Sac. Info: 916-566-2133. Rattlesnake Review Reviewer-in-Residence B.L. Kennedy hosts. Free.

•••Thursday (4/20): B.L. Kennedy himself will read at Luna's Cafe for Poetry Unplugged (1414 16th St., Sac.), 8 pm. Info: 916-441-3931. B.L.'s art is currently on display there, too.

•••Our House Defines Art will hold a poetry reading Friday (4/21) at 7 pm in El Dorado Hills. Featured readers are Kate Wells, John Donnelly, and Jean Salfen, followed by an open mic. Our House Defines Art Gallery & Framing is located at 4510 Post St. in El Dorado Hills Town Center. Free.

•••Also Friday (4/21): Writers, poets, singers, songwriters, dancers salute Earth Day at Literature Alive! in Grass Valley. St. Joseph's Cultural Center, 410 S. Church St., Grass Valley, 7 pm, $8-$10. Info: 530-272-5812.

•••Saturday (4/22): S.A. Griffin, John Dorsey, Ellyn Maybe, Robert Roden, Scott Wannberg, Lob read at 8 pm at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac.. Info: 916-442-9295. Free.

•••Sunday (4/23), Rattlechapper-to-be (November) Jane Blue will read at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., at 4 pm. Info: 442-9295.

•••Also Sunday (4/23), the Nevada County Poetry Series will continue to celebrate National Poetry Month by holding another open-mic reading at Booktown Books & Tomes. Open-mic readers are invited to submit their poems for possible inclusion in the NCPS 2006 Anthology. The readings are free, from 12 to 3 pm this Sunday and next (4/30) at Booktown Books and Tomes, 107 Bank St. (corner of South Auburn) in Grass Valley. Info: (530) 432-8196 or (530) 272-4655. Free.

•••Also Sunday (4/23), Poet's Corner Presents Kristi Britz and Josef Nguyen, Calliope Editors at University of the Pacific, who will read at Barnes & Noble, Stockton Weberstown Mall, 7 pm. (The address is 4950 Pacific Ave., Suite 319.) Free.

•••Or head up to Paradise (!) Sunday (4/23) for the inauguration of the new monthly Poets on the Ridge series, an open mic from 2:30-4:30 pm at Juice & Java, 7067 Skyway, Paradise. Info: 872-9633 (I'm assuming that's the 530 area code). Snake Pal Lara Gularte is hosting this new series, which will, I'm sure, feature some of the Skyway poets who were represented in the current issue of Rattlesnake Review. Free.

Looking for a contest? California Federation of Chaparral Poets, Inc. has a monthly contest that is open to all, whether they are members or not. Monthly Contest Chair Cleo Griffith writes: The April contest entries for CFCP are very low so far. This is a nice subject—“With a Song in my Heart”... hope to receive poems from all of you. Write to Monthly Contest Chair Cleo Griffith (cleor36@yahoo.com) for guidelines and other information. Prizes: $25, $15, $10.

_________________________

ONE SHOULDN'T...
—Jacques Prevert

One shouldn't let intellectuals play
with matches
Because Gentlemen when left to itself
The mental world Gennntlemen
Isn't at all brilliant
And as soon as it's alone
Works artibrarily
Erecting for itself
Out of self-styled generosity in honor of
building-workers
an auto-monument
Let's repeat it Gennnntlemen
When left to itself
The mental world
Lies
Monumentally.

________________________

One last thing: The Orangevale "Neighbors" supplement to The Bee was full of snakes yesterday: two articles: one about the coming movie, Snakes on a Plane, and how one Brian Finkelstein, a first-year student at Georgetown University Law School, saw the title of the upcoming movie and turned it into a joke, setting up a blogsite with some pretty funny stuff. Check it out at www.Snakesonablog.com. (Personally, I think there should be Snakes—the paper kind, at least—on every plane.) And there was also an article on snake removal—who to call when snakes show up on your doorstep. (Humane Rattlesnake Removal Services in Diamond Springs: humanerattlesnake.com, 530-295-5539; or Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal in Auburn, ramirezrattlesnakeremoval.com, 530-889-2775). Or, heck—you could just read 'em some poetry...

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry and announcements of Northern California poetry events to kathykieth@hotmail.com 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.)
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