Read the work of some of our Open Mic poets: Biz Zoc7, Mark, Elizabeth, Jerry, Marcia, Ronald, Tania, Maria, Carl, Stephen, sympetalous, William, Robin.
(If you've read at one of the events, and would like to post a poem, please send one in!)
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Poetry Page
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Open Mic Series - Poetry in the Park
Recent Open Mic photos on the library's Flickr account!
Your hostess, Crystal Senter Brown
www.crystalsenterbrown.com
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm
June 17, July 15, August 19
Quadrangle Tent, behind the Central Library, 220 State Street.
Bring a picnic dinner to eat under the tent!
(event will be held in the Central Library Community Room in case of bad weather)
Featured poets for July: TBA
The 2009 Poetry in the Park season is supported in part by the "Write On, Springfield!" grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council .
all ages - all forms of creative writing - all languages welcome!
Readings at the monthly Open Mic series should be "family-friendly."
Questions? Contact Anna at abrandenburg@springfieldlibrary.org or 263-6828 x426. Advance sign-ups are welcome, but not needed.
Free parking is available in the State Street lot across from the library, or in the Elliot Street lot next to the Springfield Museums Welcome Center.
Springfield Library Slam footage on YouTube!
We had over 60 folks at the April 12, 2008 Slam, including almost 20 contestants. Check out the performances from our top 3 on YouTube! Thanks to Robin Coolbeth for the camerawork.
Shariff Butler
Daisy Pereira-Tosado
Maurice "Soulfighter" Taylor
Slams were held at Western Mass. libraries throughout the months of April and May.
Winners from each slam competed in a GRAND FINALE POETRY SLAM on Sunday, May 25, 2008, at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst.
Winners from Springfield included:
Shariff Butler came in second overall.
Daisy Pereira-Tosado came in fourth.
Central Library Poetry Writing Workshops
Saturday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30
June 27, July 18, August 8, August 22
Once again, the Central Library will be hosting Saturday morning poetry writing workshops, which will be facilitated by María Luisa Arroyo. Sessions will include time for new writing as well as for feedback on existing pieces. If you want feedback, bring 10 copies of your piece. Both newcomers and regulars ages 12+ are welcome to join any or all dates. Please watch this space for upcoming dates.
Pre-registration is not necessary, but feel free to contact Anna for more information at (413) 263-6828 x426 or writing@springfieldlibrary.org.
A native of Springfield's North End educated at Colby (B.A.), Tufts (M.A.) and Harvard (A.B.D.), María Luisa Arroyo won a 2004 Massachusetts Cultural Council grant in poetry and first place in the Spanish-language division of the Library's 2006 Poetry Contest. In addition to being an award-winning poet, Arroyo is an educator, single parent, and currently, a GED instructor at a local non-profit organization. Her poems have been published in many journals including PALABRA: A Magazine for Chicano and Latino Literary Art , CALYX , and The Women's Times . The Bilingual Review/Press (AZ) published her first full-length volume of poems, Gathering Words/Recogiendo Palabras, last summer (2008).
These workshops are supported by the "Write On, Springfield!" grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council .
Write On, Springfield
In Spring 2009, the Springfield City Library will be seeking entries for a collection of original writings about, or related to, our City. We are particularly looking for pieces which tell untold stories, introduce fresh perspectives, and celebrate our City, its history, culture, and/or inhabitants. Programs will include writing workshops and other items. Check out the details here!
Websites for poetry readers and writers, listed in the library's Directory of the Web.
Poetry Resources at the Springfield City Library - a finding aid to help you locate material at the library.
Poetry Publishing Workshop - notes from the June 2008 presentation by María Luisa Arroyo.
Publishing Panel - notes from the February 2008 event held at the Central Library.
Poetry-related filmlist of titles available throughout the C/WMars system.
Collections of Love Poetry at the Springfield City Library.
Poems by the winners of the library's 2006 Poetry Contest.
Poems by the winners of the library's 2008 Poetry Contest.
Local Resources, Events, and Links
Word in Westfield: Every Tuesday evening at 6:00, Teapot Gallery, 22 Elm Street (route 10/202). For more information email: lori@thepoetrynews.com
Starving for Art: Open Mic at Blue Fusion, 487 St. James Ave., Springfield. For upcoming events, visit www.brendaschild.com/starving_for_art
Spoken Word Greenfield: Open Mic the 3rd Tuesday of every month.
Lori Desrosier's Poetry News covers poetry events in the Pioneer Valley and Western MA as well as the larger Springfield/Worcester/Hartford area.
The Florence Poets' Society hosts monthly meetings (open to all poets), sponsors an annual contest and publishes the annual anthology Silkworm.
Drive-By Poets is a non-profit public poetry postering project in Northampton, Massachusetts. Anyone may submit poems for consideration
The Poetry Center at Smith College hosts literary events and supports poetry programs in the local community.
The Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst offers a variety of programs throughout the year.
Northampton's Forbes Library hosts a weekly Poetry Discussion Group (Mondays 7:00-8:45) and a monthly Poetry Reading Series.
UMass Amherst's MFA Program for Poets and Writers: Visiting Writers Series.
Author events at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley frequently include poetry readings.
María Luisa Arroyo - local poet and educator, and regular at the Springfield Library Open Mic events.
AmaXonica, website of Magdalena Gomez, local poet, playwright and arts educator.
The Shine! Online Journal of literature, poetry, art, and photography is always looking for submissions. Edited by local writer/teacher Pamela Tyree Griffin.
Amherst Writers and Artists offers workshops, retreats & personal writing services for writers across the US.
Patchwork Farm Retreat offers creative writing and yoga workshops at their mountainside home in western Massachusetts.
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