Invites from Speak Poet, Playhouse, ROOST, + news Kevin, Virginia, Murph & Calls

[Lisa Gill]

High-Desert-Hello from Moriarty and a bit of ABQ news...

Tons happening poetry-wise this summer and here I'll just give you the tiniest rundown on some things you might want to be able to catch. (PLEASE NOTE: I did bcc some people who have huge and good list serves --mine is a bit undermaintained right now--, but much of this info is likely out swarming in circulation already---and I would prefer if you just forward individually if you know someone who might be interested in a particular anything or other....  I know I can't reach all who might be interested, but try not to inundate either.. Gracias)

#1

First an invite from Andrea Serrano for 6:30 PM THURSDAY JULY 11th  to enjoy a significant two year plus marker in a powerhouse series:

Andrea writes: Please join us to celebrate Two Years and One Month of Speak, Poet: Voz Palabra y Sonido! Featuring Akusua Akoto and Richard Vargas and special guest Virginia Hampton 

Plus the World (in)Famous Mic-less Open Mic!  We will be un-veiling our new logo, designed by Speak, Poet alum Fernando J. Lopez! 6:30 pm Thursday, July 11  at Copper Square at 500 Copper NW 87102 Downtown, directly across the street from the Main Public Library on the SW Corner of 5th and Copper PARKING LOT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING!  Please bring your own reusable cup.  Cake and drinks available.

#2

Second invite comes from Jules at the Poetry Playhouse  where she's been hosting lots of writers passing through towns and various workshops and endeavors. This is for Tuesday July 17th at 6:30 PM.

Jules writes:  visiting Minnesota poet Kevin Zepper will be featured at the POETRY PLAYHOUSE.  Open mic starts the evening, so bring your poems and give Kevin a warm Albuquerque welcome. Popcorn provided.  BYOB and bring other snacks if you wish.  Free.   1814 Old Town Road NW, Albuquerque (Jules' house). Corner of 19th Street  near Tiguex Park and the ABQ Museum.  

#3

Next invite comes from Local Poets Guild on behalf of celebrating Virginia Hampton's presence back in Burque on Sunday July 21 from 12-5 pm (original date got changed as she got a job teaching at University of Belize and has to return home faster) but meanwhile... 

LPG wants to stretch the good things she can teach a bit farther...  We're helping to host her leading a performance workshop from 1-4 pm at the now quieted Filling Station (1024-4th Street SW) just down from the old beautiful perfectola space Virginia and Stefanie ran, called Out'ChYonda... The workshop is in that 1-4 timeslot but milling, hellos and goodbyes, and even purse-and-wares-buying are encouraged the hour before and hour after the workshop (between 12-5). Virginia makes great stuff and is currently raising money to help some teens afford high school in Belize (They have to pay for it!!! and so most kids are ousted by 8th grade..) 

I put a few blog posts up the other day, including one with an article by Virginia on performance and she'll be posting another installment on choreopoem tomorrow. Her first link is here (with my intro before her essay) http://wp.me/pTrSB-Sg  And then after I reread that, and realized my neurological sense of time is currently WAY OFF due to medicines and brain lesions, so I wrote more. Clarified and/or un-clarified. I gave a bit more wandering neuro blog post with more fine memories on both Virginia and my friendship and paths crossing with Jules' feature Kevin Zepper (part of why my dates were mingling--two decades of performance and life transitions on my mind during the writing)... That's at http://wp.me/pTrSB-Sk And there's one more essay with more scoop from ND/Fargo (where Kevin is from, a place that has impacted me. The last essay wanders from Fargo into hobo territory also in Iowa, all via Marianne Moore... You can see the whole new LPG magazine layout and format and browse about at http://localpoetsguild.wordpress.com   

#4 

Wendy Schumann is also continuing the weekly open mic poetry tradition of East of Edith at her house West of Sunset... 

Private Home, 1585 Cerro Vista SW. Directions: West on Central Ave across the Rio Grande Bridge, then turn South on Sunset Rd, go 1.2 miles south and turn West on Cerro Vista SW, go almost to end of road and look for 1585 on mailbox, park in yard and come on in. Big older adobe house with large alamo trees, large front yard space.  Potluck, munchies, BYOB... more info call 

   ph (505)553-3191

At the LPG blog, I'll be welcoming submissions on poetics, aesthetics, process, community building and more. Sometimes I'll have official calls, sometimes just open. Right now, if you're moved, pop me something. Meanwhile, we are still working on a design format to allow easier announcements for the community (aaron greenwood is helping)... Bit by bit. Hope to allow this to help increase community discourse. I'd also like to highlight some local bloggers who are doing good work on their own literary sites with crossover posts... a tease at our address to help get people back to your own blog and explorations... I've seen great stuff lately from a whole bunch of dedicated writers and would love to help spread that joy, celebrate good minds.

Another significant announcement... Some of you remember Aaron Trumm, aka Murph, from the slam and poetry scene, as far back in Burque as the 90's and more recently at East of Edith series too http://wp.me/pTrSB-yc Well, he's been living a great life with cystic fibrosis but this year a few pneumonias got to him. Good news is that he's just had a lung transplant... HE HAS SHINY NEW LUNGS!!! Billy Brown, his stepfather, has been posting some info on that. I just wanted to give a shout out here with a bit of info . Aaron is a dedicated and extremely talented writer, who has traveled widely and impacted many poetry communities, including ABQ’s. Several years ago, he was the 10th ranked individual poetry slam competitor. His family asks for any support you can offer to help offset costs, including travel to california for the surgery. You can send checks directly to his mother, Sandi Blanton, 2909 Monterey SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. (Please make the checks out to Sandi Blanton.) Or donate directly to any Wells Fargo and specify “Aaron’s Lung Transplant” under the names of Sandi Blanton or Joe Trumm. Airline miles also appreciated. Or donate directly to “Lungs for Aaron” with the shiny...@gmail.com paypal account at link.

AND LAST THINGS:

Upcoming August and September, LPG will be back to the enjoy and support ROOST, the beautiful sound space of experimental jazz with some poetry curated by Mark Weaver... All the sundays you can fill your ears with will be happening at the OUtpost... and LPG, as per last few years, has a showcase in there too..> Best quick info is this short lineup currently... 

Aug.4 Catahoula Curse

Aug.11 Robert Muller with The Rumble Trio

Aug.18 BaBa live soundtrack to “The Goat”

Aug.25 Consort Un-Caged “Altered Time”

Sep.1 Matt Norman, Thollem McDonas

Sep.8 Brian Allen solo multi media

Sep.15 Brian Haas / Dave Wayne solo and duo

Sep.22 Local Poets Guild with Black Iron Trio

Aug. 4 Catahoula Curse

Some of this poetry and jazz stuff got a good foundation also back in the OutCh'Yonda days with a monthly poetry and jazz featuring TEO 315 and poetry... I'll give more on exactly what's up this incarnation forthcoming but have been extremely happy EVERY TIME poetry and sound find their various good comminglings, particularly under Weaver and TEO's guidance...  Keep your ears open... more calls on this type of theme for writings soon. (I know Malpais just wrapped up another issue with a jazz poetry feature curated by Don McIver also and can't wait to read that...)

That's all for today. Please, if you can, catch Virginia on 7/11 or 7/21 and Kevin  on 7/16 and enjoy Speak Poet Thurs and Play House  next Tues and then whip yourself into some good stage presence with Virginia the following, before we all part ways again...

l

Lisa Gill

Local Poets Guild
http://localpoetsguild.wordpress.com