Walking, Caffienated, Into G. Stein, Found Art & Musical (Three Easy Pieces)

Today I walked before sunset and drank coffee and looked at outdoor books on Verbeke. I wanted, my dream was/is to walk in the sun but, alas, it was cloudy, or overcast, some say. I try not to say that unless an emergency dictates. Cloudy, I believe, conjures as well-- well, better than overcast, or overcoat. But not better than "Over the Mountain", an r&b tune from the 50s. It's a weak man that cries, I think Chuck Willis said that, but I digress. Back to the coffee cup. I sat that down while I looked at some Kafka, and read a paragraph, ostensibly a landscape riff, in which G. Stein would sit on a folding chair and write words on paper whilst Alice B. stirred cattle to motion in Stein's peripheral vision. This was done by arrangement, not in a spirit of perturbation, if that is a word. & Hey! a Moby Dick sculpted in wood was on a shelf at the Shining Light Thrift store.

Now, we know it didn't happen like that because I'm reading outside, in fading light, and five loud motorcycles went by during my coffee cup-down-moment. But think of it as a spirit-of-the -moment narrative. Two days before the solstice too. Sorry, dear reader, but I'm very permissive when it comes to narrative flow. I remember in jumbles & flash. & hey, I calls 'em like I sees 'em. I went inside the bookstore looked at Facebook pix on a Nook-- I got me a send-out-verse- deadline-by-tomorrow-thang going & this is typical behavior for yrs-truly facing a deadline. The poems are done & all that/ but, I still have to find the e-addy and-- y'know-- other stressful technical things.

On my way home, west, down Verbeke, left on green-- stopped to snap pix of a Viva Las Verbeke window-- later I found a musical instrument by a tree, in three easy pieces. Okay, two were sharp and one was tiny, nonetheless an easy and valuable pick up. Tomorrow I'm going to wire-up the smallest piece so it can clang more sweetly on the larger instrument-shards.

Before I went into my place for the dreaded e-mailing of poems, I put my musical find down on my stoop and played a tribute-to-Kafka's-Vienna Angelus. Sounded not too bad for all the extemporaniety-ness. (The longer the words... the farther away my mail-out-reckoning... *sigh*.) And I vowed, then and there (6:36 est) to play the angelus every day at the same time for the rest of this late autumn. And i rlly, rilly shall-- I mean they don't call me Mr Responsible for nothing!

Poetry Cartelians Perform at Gettysburg Coffeehouse

Esworthy, Thiede, and Anna Jane Featured at Ragged Edge Coffeehouse

Christian Thiede, Anna Jane, and Marty Esworthy will represent the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel as featured performers at the monthly poetry reading at the Ragged Edge Coffee shop in Gettysburg, PA. The reading takes place on the first Friday of each month.

The poetry cartel hosts a weekly verse series in Harrisburg, Poetry Thursdays at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore.



The Ragged Edge Coffeehouse is located at 110 Chambersburg St in Gettysburg, and the reading begins at 7pm, and lasts until 9pm. An open reading will precede the feature presentation.

Dustin Nispel, a York poet, will be featured at Ragged Edge in January. And Maria James-Thiaw will be featured in February, oddly enough, a year hence. At a futuristic poetry cartel sponsored event. OK? That would be February 25, 2016 in Harrisburg at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 1302 N. 3rd St. 17102. 7-- 9pm. (717) 236-1680. Jules Verne would understand. Everything's waiting for you.

Trees. Susquehanna, Highway. Bridge

Longest Stone Arch Railroad Bridge in the World

Culture & Main Video Ep 68, Esworthy, Brabham, Nispel & Flynn

Carla (The Priestess) Christopher, host of Culture & Main: "Time to enjoy the behind-the-scenes raw poetic genius of the godfather of the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel and Iris G Press Fame-- Marty Esworthy!" Poetry Cartel flyer, 2004

Also check out the musical stylings of Kiko Brabham AND Dustin Nispel & Jessica Flynn take on First Friday."

Culture and Main Ep 68 White Rose Community TV

http://youtu.be/Sdw21jchz24?list=UU-1o28ZQVfsUWSqjd3lrVoQ

Dan Vera is featured poet November 6 at Harrisburg's Midtown Scholar

“The poetry of Dan Vera is clear, strong, honest and funny. He’s the sharp-eyed observer in the corner who doesn't say much but makes every word count.” --Martín Espada

Dan Vera is the featured poet November 6 at Harrisburg's Midtown Scholar Bookstore. The Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel hosts this community reading series, held every Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Dan Vera's a writer, editor and author of Speaking Wiri Wiri (Red Hen Press). He's the inaugural winner of the Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize, and The Space Between Our Danger and Delight (Beothuk Books). His poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies. He's the co-creator of the literary history site, DC Writers' Homes, and on the board of Split This Rock Poetry.

“To read Dan Vera is to believe the world is actually a good place after all – a place where the reputation of poetry is redeemed with humor and kindness. In the deepest part of the heart where we truly reside, there is always a wish that poetry will rinse off artifice. This is it.” --Grace Cavalieri

Poetry Thursdays is hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102. Every Thursday! Phone: 717.236.1680

https://twitter.com/gadZookia/status/529165250827157505/photo/1

Painting in July; Raining on May....

So, I painted today. :) Turns [turned] out to be a slate-y bluish green thang. Yeah, called verdigris.

In ancient times it was called existentialism.

Then I invented this complex form which encourages italics. It’s Mai,
it’s soggy-- Il pleut, no? Maybe. (I’m remembering a cat called Gris-gris.)

Mei-Mei Berrsenbrugge? Agh! without spell-check, it’s always a toss-up.
Shimmering silver-foil disintegrating as it arcs over a fence.
Her name? Agh!

Mai, y’know, Sammy’s wife? The rat-pack an’ all that.

And...yeah, May West, mais oui!

Poetry Book Sale/Summer Readings at Midtown Scholar

Now's the time to pick up some great poetry bargins at the Midtown Scholar. Get early Holiday gifts. There's a sale in the upstairs Poetry Nook: 20% off all poetry books! The sale runs from June 17 until June 30. And there are special upcoming poetry listening opportunities, beginning with Alyse Bensel on June 20. Her poetry has appeared in Cider Press Review, Cold Mountain Review, MAYDAY Magazine, and Word Riot. She is a regular contributor to Newpages and the Los Angeles Review, and additional work has appeared in CALYX, Colorado Review, Prairie Schooner, and Rain Taxi. In the fall of 2013, she will begin doctoral studies in creative writing. Internet Cafe at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102 Phone: 717.236.1680 Upcoming events at Midtown Scholar Poetry Thursdays: All Events are from 7-9 pm with an Open Reading from 7-8 pm followed by an 8-9 pm Feature, or continued Open. June 27 -- Feature Jack Veasey July 4 -- Holiday : No Reading July 11 -- Feature Yolanda Wisher July 18 -- Feature J. Love 'SoulCry' Kearse July 25 -- Open Reading August 1 -- Feature Gary Miller August 8 -- Feature Kenneth Walker August 15 -- Open Reading August 22 -- TBA August 29 -- Open Reading September 5 -- TBA September 12 -- Open Reading September 19 -- Feature J. C. Todd September 26 -- Feature Tony Oliveri