Maine literary events, announcements and news for writers, organizations, publishers and readers. Email information to Maine Literature Daily
Tom Fallon
Editor/Webmaster





MONDAY, MARCH 15TH

Lewiston - Bates College, Pettengill Hall - 6 PM: Peter Uvin, author of "Life After Violence: A People's Story of Burundi", will speak.

Portland - Bull Feeney's - 7:00 PM: Seanachie Nights presents stories and music. Free or suggested $9 donation. Hosted by Lynn Cullen.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16TH

Waterville - Colby College, Robinson Room, Miller Library - 7 PM: David Shields will speak and sign his book, "Reality Hunger: A Manifesto", which serves as a call to fiction writers to “get real.”

Portland - Bull Feeney's, Yeats Room - 7 PM: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with an evening of stories, drama, and verse from three award-winning Irish writers: Ronan Noone, Mary O'Donoghue, and Aidan Rooney. All-ages. Suggested donation $5 at door. FMI see http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheTellingRoom/bf3093fc17/2b19f43302/543aa0464d 

Holden - Fields Pond Nature Center - 7 PM: Share a nature poem or listen. FMI: 989-2591.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17TH

Portland - USM, Glickman Family Library - 4:30 PM: Loretta Ross, author of "Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice", will speak on race and reproductive rights.

Stockton Springs - Pottery, Art & Writing Studio, 1156 U.S. Route 1 - 6 PM: Bring your own project in any medium to share your success, get help from others with any problems you might have, or simply enjoy working in the company of other artists & writers. Designed to get artists from different disciplines working together. Contact Info: asha fenn, 567-3928 or see http://www.ashafenn.com/events.html

Gorham Grind - 18 South St. - 6 PM: Open Mic Night. FMI: 839-3003.

Portland - Dogfish Bar - 7 PM: Acoustic Open Mic for spoken word, poetry and music. Featured artist at 8:30 PM.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18TH

Gorham - Gorham Grind, 18 South St. - 6 PM: Spoken Word Night. FMI: 839-4003.

Eastport - The Rose Garden, 9 Dana St. - 7 PM: Bring your own poetry or your favorite poetry to read or just come to listen. Youth poets welcome before 9:30 PM. Copies of the Spring 2009 International/Translation issue of Off the Coast magazine available, featuring poems and translations from around the world and including youth and Maine poets. Hosted by performance poets Valerie Lawson and Michael Brown. Free admission. FMI 853-9598, e-mail Valerie Lawson soshorepoet@aol.com or Michael Brown michaelbrown@lifename.com or 454-8026.

Portland - USM, Glickman Library - 7 PM: Poet and professor Mark Wunderlich, author of "Voluntary Servitude" and "The Anchorage", will read. He has been Professor of Literature at Bennington College in Vermont.

U of Maine at Farmington, Olsen Student Center - 7:30 PM: Visiting Writers Series with eco-journalist Richard Adams Carey. FMI: 778-7346.

Lewiston - Bates College, Chase Hall, Skelton Lounge - 7:30 PM: Language Arts Live: with Jessica Anthony, (Bates ’96), reading from her 2009 debut novel, "The Convalescent". Anthony is a visiting instructor in the English department. Sponsored by the English department, the Bates Humanities Fund, the Learning Associates Program and the John Tagliabue Fund for Poetry.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19TH

Bath - Cafe Creme - 6:30 PM: Sherry Hanson, featured poet will read, followed by open mic. Read your own or your favorite poet's work. 5 minutes per. Sign in. Free. FMI: Helene McGlauflin 443-2722.

Brunswick - Side Door Coffee House/Cafe, UU Church - 7 PM: Open mic. 8 minutes to do your thing. Sign up for open mic at 7 PM. Featured performer at 9 PM. Mostly music of the folky variety, but you never know what else to expect. Come and surprise us with a tale! FMI: 373-1526.

SATURDAY, MARCH 20TH

Machias - Coffee House, 192 Court St, blue bldg across from Machias High School - Noon: Book Sale, bake sale, organic coffee with Aputamkon Review participants to read. Music. All ages welcome. Children's activities and story lady! Cribbage tournament at 3 PM. Cash prize. Proceeds to benefit literacy volunteers of Washington County. FMI: 255-0344.

Belfast - Åarhus Gallery, 50 Main St. - 7 PM: As if short stories by Maine writers in live-performance by actors. First two stories will be about love and personal firsts: “The Blender” by Martha Fenton, read by Beverly Mann, and “Ernie’s Ark” by Monica Wood, read by Larason Guthrie. FMI: 338-0001.

SUNDAY, MARCH 21ST

Camden Public Library, History Center Meeting Room - 2 PM: Ducktrap Writers’ Round Table is a monthly writers workshop to share work, receive feedback and support led by Teresa Piccari of The Village Scribe writing and editing service. Fee: $15. FMI 344-7070. Dec. 20, January 17, and February 21; future dates to be determined.

Bridgton - Cafe DeCarlo - 3 PM: Open mic afternoon. Free. FMI: 647-4596.








Email your Maine literary events, announcements and news to Maine Literature Daily


NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

LAST CALL: 8th Annual Goose River Anthology 2010 seeks selections by March 31, 2020 of fine poetry, essays, and short stories (3,000 words or less). Book will be beautifully produced with full color cover. Author will receive a 10% royalty on all sales that he or she generates. There is no purchase required and nothing is required of the author for publication. Goose River Press retains one-time publishing rights only. Fall publication in time for Christmas gifts. Guidelines:? Submit clean-typed copy and if possible a disk (Word file) Reading fee: $1.00 per page (Do not put two poems on one page. Short stories and essays should be double-spaced.. SASE for notification and possible return. Author's name & address at top of each page. Submit to: Goose River Anthology, 2010, 3400 Friendship Road, Waldoboro, ME 04572-6337 Tel: (207) 832-6665 E mail: gooseriverpress@roadrunner.com If you have a full-length manuscript you'd like considered for publication by Goose River Press, request guidelines for submission.

Åarhus Gallery seeks literary short fiction by Maine writers for as if stories, an ongoing series of short story readings written by Maine Writers, and performed by Maine Actors. Submit one or two stories of up to 5,000 words (double spaced/12 font/numbered pages) via snail mail or email (Word attachment) to the address below. Include your name, street address, phone number and email address on the first page of the manuscript. Complete, polished stories only, please; no drafts, exercises or excerpts! If your story is suitable for our program and actors, we will contact you for permission to perform it. This is an OPEN CALL for an ongoing series. Note: Manuscripts will not be returned -- they will be recycled or deleted - so please retain your original. Snail mail:
Åarhus Gallery, attn: as if, 50 Main Street, Belfast, ME 04915. Or, Email: asifstories@gmail.comubject line: submission

Walter Skold's Dead Poets Society of America presents "Collected Bones", the Tombstone Art installation through the month of March at the Freeport Public Library. Each of the 20 pieces are collages arranged and photographed at the grave of an American poet. For those who can't make it to Freeport, you can see the images and press release here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gravelight/sets/72157623380631733/

The Flannel Collective, an art collective based in Orono, Maine, has announced the release of "Flannel", an art book featuring photography, illustration and essays by Maine artists and writers. The publication celebrates Maine — it’s people, arts, and regional identities — from native perspectives in collaborative form. In November 2008, the FC published the first issue of Flannel Zine, a handmade, limited-run ‘zine’ featuring work by Maine artists. Two issues of the Zine followed. While the Collective’s Zines were produced by hand in a basement, Flannel was printed and assembled at Northeast Reprographics, a Bangor printing house. To celebrate the publication’s release, the Collective held an opening event Feb.12 at The Hunting House, an art gallery in Orono — also home to Puckerbrush Review. The release party featured photography, illustrations and paintings by Collective members. Flannel features a variety of talent and does not discriminate based on experience. Flannel's contributors range from first-time artists to working professionals. The Collective’s goal is to expose its growing list of Flannel subscribers, whether in Kansas, Indonesia or Australia, to the cultural significance of Maine life. For more information about Flannel or the Flannel Collective, contact Sean Collinson at sean@flannelcollective.com. Visit us at flannelcollective.com.

For the love of Herring! With the closing of the last sardine factory in Maine and lots of wrangling, finger-pointing and politics, poets Karin Spitfire, ("My DNA can't imagine a world without sardines"), and Gary Lawless, ("We are all in the same can, arguing whether mustard sauce or olive oil is better"), are calling for 2010 to be the Year of the Sardine, a year of celebrating our fishy roots and raising a ruckus to encourage the proliferation and propagation of Herring, with the consequent by-catch of our fishermen and fisheries continuing their lively-hoods. Eastport actually started the year off by dropping a herring from the Tides building New Year's Eve. Spitfire is working with several groups and organizations creating events in Belfast. She seeks folks who worked in the sardine plant, for "Fish Tail" oral histories or folks who worked on the boats for "The One that got Away Stories."  Spitfire says there are lots of possibilities for fun and creativity, if you want to join call her at 338-5634. To see what Gary and Karin are up to with their sardine project, check out: http://sardinesong.blogspot.com, go to http://mygrations.blogspot.com

C. B. Bernard, of the Willard Beach section of South Portland, has fiction in the February/March issue of Gray’s Sporting Journal which is on the newstands. The magazine is described by Writers Market as,“Field and Stream meets the New Yorker.” See his website www.cbbernard.com

Carol W. Bachofner's latest collection of poetry, "Breakfast at the Brass Compass", is available at the Pulse Literary Store link here www.heartsoundspressliterary.com Visit the site to submit your best poetry, fiction, and reviews or to blog at Cardio Central (prose) or The Heartbeat (poetry). The site features a virtual art gallery for your original artwork. Heartsounds Press is always looking for some well-written reviews of prose and poetry. Visit the site to submit.

The poetry scene in the Rockand area is growing, Carol Bachofner wrote. Many events are planned for April, National Poetry Month, including a teen poetry slam, a writing contest that will award prizes for adults, teens, and kidz, Poems in the Street, a walk of words where shop windows will feature a poem by a local poet, and many other events to be announced later. The month will wind up with an event at the Rockland Public Library April 29th (The First Annual Poetry Swarm) . 9 poets will read in a single evening. A magnetic poetry board will be available at the library all month for people to come and share an on-the-spot poem.

Lew Turco has an on-line interview titled, “Poetry & Pop Culture Heroes: Firefly, Sci-Fi, & the Latterday Chronicles of Lewis Turco,” by Mike Chasar in Poetry & Popular Culture at TURCO

Jessy Kendall
is the only Maine artist following in the footsteps of the legendary Bern Porter. Like Porter, he is from the Maine boondocks, but with a mind reaching beyond the redneck woods. See the following link and beyond for Jessy Kendall's direction: FlikrKendallLive

from east to west
is now at http://www.fromeasttowestbv.com

Workshops at the Telling Room - poetry or hip-hop, personal essays or fantastic stories, the workshops challenge young storytellers to think differently about writing and the spoken word. Workshops are led by the following writers and artists.. A workshop may be held on one full afternoon or on a weekend day, or may happen over a span of time, like a series of four afternoons after school. Check out the workshopspage for more information. Check back for often as there are many workshops in discussion, including Eat this Essay, Stop Animation, Portland Museum, etc.

Visit Dustbooks for valuable books related to publishing. If you a beginning writer, I strongly suggest you take a look at the books. Reduced pre-publication prices are available until Sept. 1st.

BOOKS & LITERARY MAGAZINES

Dave Morrison has "Black Boat Black Water Black Sand" out with Moon Pie Press.  Led by poet / editor Alice persons Moon Pie has developed a great stable of writers, and a strong track record of putting poetry out into the world.

Goose River Press has published "Cooking With Shirley" by Cushing resident Shirley Simmons. Books are available from the publisher, Friendship Trap Company, and Wallace's Market in Friendship.

Bob Chute has a new anthology of story poems, "Constellations", from Just Write Books . Runs 190 pages with an intro by X. J. Kennedy. Fine design by Nancy Randolph.

Tom Lyford has published a chapbook, "Kilroy Was Here … Me Too” and a memoir, "Work Aversion Trauma: A Lifetime of Suffering", available at two Bangor book stores, Borders and Bookmarcs, and  www.tomlyford.typepad.com . The books werre reviewed in the Bangor Daily News at this link.

Jessy Kendall has the new issue of Letter Founder out! The only true avant-garde literary journal in Maine. We need this to get outside the box of our "comfortable" literature. Kendall carries on with the legacy of the legendary Bern Porter.

Always look at the Poets and Writers magazine link: http://www.pw.org The magazine is an invaluable resource for writers.

FESTIVALS, CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS

Online writing classes and live writing workshops available with Carol Bachofner, MFA Poetry. For details see the Announcements page at  www.heartsoundspressliterary.com and to sign up.

SUBMISSION CALLS, ETCETERA.

MAINE POETRY CENTRAL LAUNCHES VIDEO PROJECT WITH $3000 GRANT from The Maine Humanities Council to fund a pilot for a series of videos that celebrate poems about Maine written by Maine poets. The project, entitled "A Minute With the Muse," will be produced by Leighton Images of Durham, Maine, with the videos made available to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Maine Poetry Central, a local non-profit whose mission is to make poetry accessible to the general public, sees this as the beginning of bringing Maine poetry to a more media-savvy public. “There’s a lot of great Maine poetry out there that the public would enjoy if they were just exposed to it,” notes Executive Director, Dennis Camire. Project co-director, Anita Clearfield adds, “This is just the start of what we hope will be a long-lived series of animated, video poems that celebrate Maine's vibrant poetry scene and that excite the public’s imagination.”Maine Poetry Central was founded in 2006 to promote Maine poets and, currently, curates The Portland Poet Laureate Project. Because M.P.C. would like to produce as many videos as possible, they kindly welcome any tax-deductible donations from other patrons of the arts who are also charmed by the culture, character, and geography of Maine as interpreted by her poets. This project has been made possible, in part, by an Arts and Humanities grant from the Maine Humanitites Council and the Maine Arts Commission. To make a donation or for more information, contact Dennis Camire at bioluminescing@yahoo.com

Poetry Chapbook and Full-Length Book Contests: Larry Kramer Memorial Chapbook Award & William Dunbar Full-Length Book Contest, sponsored by Heartsounds Press. Submissions from Feb. 1 to April 1. See guidelines:  www.heartsoundspressliterary.com

Off the Coast Magazine seeks submissions of art and poetry. Upcoming Deadlines: Open Submissions March 15, Open Submissions June 15, Special Issue: WATER. The editors and editorial board are selecting poems now for the Fall 2009 Special Food Issue. A limited number of the Summer 2009 Issue are still available. Off the Coast will participate in the Small Press Fair at the second annual Massachusetts Poetry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Lowell, MA. Submissions: Send 1-3 previously unpublished, quality poems, any subject or style cut-and-paste in body of e-mail. Postal submissions with SASE. Include contact information. Seek B&W graphics and photos inside pages; color or B&W for tcover. Send 3-5 images in jpg format. For reviews, send a single copy of a newly published poetry book. Contributors receive one free copy. Additional copies of the issue work appears available for half cover price. Subscriptions $35. Single issue: $10. Forward inquiries, submissions, subscriptions to:poetrylane2@gmail.com or: Off the Coast, P.O. Box 14, Robbinston, ME 04671, 207-454-8026.

See the link, Maine Literary Magazines.

ONLINE, BLOGS, WEBSITES, ETC.

Henry Braun has a website which also refers to Off the Grid Press.

Tom Fallon
is "NOW" at this LINK
.

The Maine Humanities Council podcast includes readings, lectures, interviews, and other programs at MHCPodcast .

See The Telling Room.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow can be found at the HWF link. This year the 200th birthday is being celebrated of America's and Maine's famous poet.

Annie Finch has a website at Annie.

Do we need a Patch Adams for Maine literature? The Bern Porter Underground Maine Literary Laureate of Maine! See this LINK!

Gary Lawless has a Gulf of Maine Books BLOG.

Lewis Turco has a blog titled Poetics.

PJ NIGHTS cooperatively edits From East to West, an online poetry zine with chat, etc., and has a blog fish hook, an open eye

See Acoustic Spoken Word Blog and Port Veritas





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