Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Important Stuff regarding the book launch for Almost Bluing for X-Tra Whiteness.

  PLEASE read to through the end. *  

   I’ve had some amazing book launches in the course of my nineteen  books. I read at all of them without any reservations, as I was confident in the work, had some friends to read with, and the turnout was great. All-in-all, very humbling. There were many highlights, which I remember fondly.



2014 Lasagna Launch for Bill Sloan---(Hi, mom and dad)


The Thursday Lunches of Bill Sloan 
In 2014 for The Thursday Appointments of Bill Sloan, I made a lasagna, and hand packed 15 or so brown bag lunches to give to those attending. In the novel, the main character, Bill Sloan used to bring the same brown bagged lunch every day. The lasagna had nothing to do with the book, but I make a killer lasagna, and no one spilled, spit out food, or destroyed anything at Porter Square Books. Those who brought home lunch bags messaged me the next day that they ate it for their lunch break at work.

Elephants anyone?

     Every Day There is Something About Elephants had a great launch, but in a way, sad now as The New England Mobile Bookstore closed during Covid. That was such an interesting place, and still is missed. On that day, the CEO for my publisher, Big Table Publishing, Robin Stratton brought food and elephant cutouts. After that launch I was texted pictures of elephant related anything and everything.

          Speaking of Covid, the book 2020 Poems, was launched on Zoom in January 2021. It was ten months into the pandemic, when people never left the house. I was grateful for the large support I received on camera that day.



         In 2022, and 2023,  Joe the Salamander and The Best of Timothy Gager brought in full houses on two Saturday afternoons  at The Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville. At Joe’s launch I had t-shirts from Sunnyslope, Az, where Joe and his family lived, Legend City Amusement Park, where Joe’s father worked, and a Superman shirt, which Joe often wore. 


        
  





     

  Which brings me to this Saturday, and the launch for my new book of poetry, Almost Bluing for X-tra Whiteness. I have some reservations because it will be difficult to read some of the poems, originally written 2022. A lot when down in 2022, and things got dark by the end of that year. Many of these poems reflect that. Those who knew me then know exactly what I’m talking about, and those I trust, have heard if from me. If this is new information…well, you and I really must work on our relationship.

I’m a proponent of in writing, that you must go there, to the difficult places, whether in memoir, fiction, non-fiction or memoir, because that’s what makes it real, and in my case, I just wouldn’t write. It’s obvious in my writing when I’ve made a decision to hold back. What I will say about those past struggles is the support which I received from many people during that time. I will never forget those friends who were and are still a part of my journey. I can say with complete honesty that now life is amazing, and everything going on today is full of hope, love, and gratitude.

Hope to see you all Saturday. I’m so happy to bring out the new book, and I hope someone asks me about the title.  Best of all, I’m extremely excited to present the other poets, supporting this reading, whom I find spectacular, Melissa Cundieff, Krysten Hill, and Chad Parenteau. I’m grateful for accepting my invitation to celebrate with me. Also, the Remnant Satellite Brewery in Cambridge is the sponsor of this event, because they wanted to support the arts in the area. They certainly stepped up to the plate.

2:30 Doors Open

3:00 the Readings

4:00 Reception, Cash Bar, Cash Food

 



  

Friday, September 27, 2024

Pushcart Nomination from my publisher Big Table Publishing

 

   It's always nice to get a nomination, and to get it from my publisher who 
believes in me. It is my 19th Pushcart nomination. Robin Stratton and Big Table are always on my side, and I'm very happy they published Almost Bluing for X-Tra Whiteness and nominating the poem Star Island, Night One, 2024. This is a poem I wrote on Star, and read in the chapel.  Also, kudos to Niles Reddick, Paul Beckman, and Zvi Sesling. 







Thursday, September 26, 2024

SEPT., 28, 2024 Boston Poetry Lineup. Find your favorite poets and hear them for 5 minutes

Very pleased to be included again. 


2024 Schedule

2024 Boston Poetry Marathon Schedule

Many thanks to all our participants. We have over 100 poets reading at this year’s Boston Poetry Marathon. <!–We are close to our fundraising goal, to cover the costs of this all-volunteer effort. Please donate today!–>

Please note this schedule is subject to change. No readers will be moved out of their hour without notice, but they may be moved around within their designated hour without notice. PDF version and the Zoom link forthcoming.

Thank you for your interest in the Boston Poetry Marathon! We look forward to seeing you on September 28!



Hour Name 
09:55:00 AMOrganizers intro/welcome
10:05:00 AMRob MacDonald
10:10:00 AMMichael Gottlieb
10:15:00 AMRobbie Gamble
10:20:00 AMJessica de Koninck
10:25:00 AMElisabeth Weiss
10:30:00 AMMarch Penn
10:35:00 AMJonathan Aibel
10:40:00 AMJulia Lisella
10:45:00 AMBridget Eileen Madden


BREAK 


11:00:00 AMWillie Wideman
11:05:00 AMEllen Steinbaum
11:10:00 AMDavid Miller
11:15:00 AMMairead Byrne
11:20:00 AMAlexis Bhagat
11:25:00 AMMarcia Ranglin-Vassell
11:30:00 AMMeredith Arena
11:35:00 AMMarcella Durand
11:40:00 AMMartha Collins
11:45:00 AMKaren Henry
11:50:00 AMMichael Steffen
BREAK 


12:00:00 PMJennifer Jean
12:05:00 PMKali Lightfoot
12:10:00 PMTom Daley
12:15:00 PMElizabeth Guthrie
12:20:00 PMJanuary O’Neil
12:25:00 PM------------------
12:30:00 PMJennifer Martelli
12:35:00 PMMattie Deed
12:40:00 PMJennifer Markell
12:45:00 PMJack Miller
BREAK 


01:00:00 PMDavid Kirschenbaum
01:05:00 PMJack Giaour
01:10:00 PM---------------------
01:15:00 PMAnn E. Wallace
01:20:00 PMAngelo D’Amato, Jr
01:25:00 PMSteven Riel
01:30:00 PMMid Walsh
01:35:00 PMTom Laughlin 
01:40:00 PMChuck Stebelton
BREAK 




02:00:00 PMJoy Ladin
02:05:00 PMDennis Nurske
02:10:00 PMRuth Lepson
02:15:00 PMGale Batchelder
02:20:00 PMDoug Holder
02:25:00 PMMax Heinegg
02:30:00 PMShira Dentz
02:35:00 PMGilmore Tamny 
02:40:00 PMJennifer Firestone
02:45:00 PM
02:50:00 PM
Sam Cha
Kimberly Lyons
BREAK 


03:05:00 PMTimothy Gager
03:10:00 PMM.P. Carver
03:15:00 PMJoey Gould
03:20:00 PMHanna Larrabee
03:25:00 PMGuy D’Annolfo
03:30:00 PMChad Parenteau
03:35:00 PMLloyd Schwartz
03:40:00 PMKayla J Cash
03:45:00 PMSimeon Berry
03:50:00 PMJoanna Fuhrman
BREAK 


04:00:00 PMClay Ventre
04:05:00 PMAriella Ruth
04:10:00 PMPhilip Hasouris
04:15:00 PMSarah Pearlstein
04:20:00 PMSimone John
04:25:00 PMHolly Guran
04:30:00 PMEd Gaudet
04:35:00 PM-----------------
04:40:00 PMJoe Elliot
04:45:00 PMSuzanne Mercury
BREAK 


05:00:00 PMJennifer LeBlanc
05:05:00 PMKacy Fallon
05:10:00 PMCarrie Bennett
05:15:00 PMFred Marchant
05:20:00 PMJosette Akresh-Gonzales
05:25:00 PMCarol Weston 
05:30:00 PMAmanda Cook
05:35:00 PMChristina Liu
05:40:00 PMSara Letourneau
05:45:00 PMCarla Schwartz
BREAK 


06:00:00 PMClarise Annette Brooks
06:05:00 PMElena Harap
06:10:00 PMDarren Black
06:15:00 PMEric Silverman
06:20:00 PMDaniel Pritchard


BREAK
 




07:05:00 PMSamuel Ace
07:10:00 PMThomas DeFreitas
07:15:00 PMJordan Turk
07:20:00 PM---------------------
07:25:00 PMJenny Grassl
07:30:00 PMParmit Crassa
07:35:00 PMAnnie Won
07:40:00 PMSean Cole
07:45:00 PMXtina Strong
BREAK 


08:00:00 PMJack Kimball
08:05:00 PMKelly DuMar
08:10:00 PMMeia Geddes
08:15:00 PMMarcia Karp
08:20:00 PM------------------
08:25:00 PMKenning JP Garcia
08:35:00 PMValerie Loveland
08:40:00 PMLauren Russell
08:45:00 PMJordan Davis

BREAK 


09:00:00 PMLinda Carney-Goodrich
09:05:00 PMKevin Gallagher
09:10:00 PMMark Lamoureux
09:15:00 PMAnnie Pluto
09:20:00 PM------------------------
09:25:00 PMTrisha Zembruski
09:30:00 PMThera Webb
09:35:00 PMStevie Subrizi
09:40:00 PMNada Gordon
09:45:00 PMJim Behrle
09:50:00 PM
Douglas Rothchild

The End

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Happy Birthday to "Almost Bluing for X-tra Whiteness"

It is real when you have the box and hold the book in your hand. It's my nineteenth child and I'm tired. If you'd like to buy it.

From me it's $15, free shipping

Signed by me: It's $15, free shipping

Add on ANY other of my books for half price. 

Of course, order it at your favorite outlets. 




Sunday, August 25, 2024

REPLAY CENTRAL: Summer 2024 Virtual Thursday Dire Literary Series (plus links to all)

The Summer Series features were wonderful readers. Talented, extremely intelligent, and easy to be in conversation with.  Check out the ones you missed.  

June

 Susan Zalkind



Jessica Anya Blau





July

Gregory Wolos



Melissa Cundieff




August

Ben Tanzer



John Amen





====================================================

The Rest of the Replay Centrals

Doug Crandall, Mathew Olzmann, Martin Ott, MP Carver, Phil Temples, William Orem, Mag Gabbert, Robert Fleming, Danielle Legros Georges, Michael Keith, Mark Wish

Marianne Leone, Tiffany Davenport, Jennifer Friedman Lang, Ray Guidrox, Gary Grossman, Elizabeth McKim, Carla Panciera, Dr. Dannagal G. Young, Ellis Elliot, Enzo Silon Surin, Josh Barkan, Laura Zigman, Tom Laughlin


Spring/Summer 2023 (links to website)
Jane Roper, John Wesick, Jennifer Martelli, John Fulton, Tricia Barker Barton, Cynthia Atkins, Katie Moulton, Yael Goldstein Love, Julia Lisella

Suzanne Frischkorn, Kim Addonizio, Thomas McNeely, Jenna Le, Sarah Bridgins, Lee Matthew Goldberg, Lise Hanes, Dr. Paula Perez, Michael Mark, Maya Williams, Hannah Sward, Caitlin Avery, Carla Swartz, Stacy TenHouton, Donna Spruijt-Metz, Morgan Baker

Jonathan Papernick, A.K. Small, Aaron Tillman, David Rockland, Kimberly Ann Priest, Sain Griffiths, Harris Gardner, Lisa Taylor, Michael Keith, Jim Shepard, Zach VandeZande, Rusty Barnes, Daniel Nester. Kurk Lovelace (reading from Annemarie O'Connell's book), and Nina Shope


Sara Lippmann, Robin McLean, Gregory Orr, Rich Murphy, Diane Suess, Ron Tanner, Aleathea Drehmer, Christina Adams, Sharon Applegate Greenwald, Lucas Scheelk, 
Joseph Milosch, Barbara Legere, Ellene Glenn Moore, Vincent Cellucci and Chris Shipman

Renuka Raghaven, Jessica Cuello, Jen Knox, Daniel Biegelson, Alison Stine, 
John Rosenthal, Peter Crowley, Maggie Doherty, Erin Khar, Elan Barnehama, 
Marguerite Guzman Bouvard


DeMisty Bellinger, Cheryl Pappas, Matt Bell, Michael Keith, Gloria Mindock, 
Molly Gaudry, CD Collins, Kevin Prufer, Beth Robinson/Chris Joseph, Alina Stefanuscu, Meg Smith, Gregory Wolos, Damian Dressic, Jason Wright, Blake Butler 


Natalie Brobin Bonfig, John Domini, Anna VQ Ross, Rachel Yoder


Sandra Simonds, George Wallace, Caroline Levitt, Charles Coe, Susan Henderson, 
Major Jackson, Kara Vernor, Meredith Goldstein, Kimberly Ann Priest, Joanna Rakoff


Rick Moody , Laurette Folk, Mark Saba, Sarah Anne Johnson, 
Josh Barkan/ Jennifer Haigh, Keetje Kuipers, January O'Neil,  Elle Nash, 
Danielle Zaccagnino, Marty Beckerman, Nathan Graziano , Steven Cramer


Carly Israel, Daphne Kalotay, Ryan Ridge, Marge Piercy, Kerry Beth Neville, 
Yuyutsu Sharma, Chris Joseph, Elizabeth Gordon McKim, Diana Spechler, 
Jonathan Escoffrey, Dewitt Henry, Brian Sonia-Wallace, Rebecca Fishow,
 Marguerite Bouvard, Pamela Painter, Kim Chinquee, Jessica Keener, Amy King


Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Reveals. We have front. We have back. We will have an available book within 30 days.

 
We have front                                                 


          









We have back.

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Sadness. Easy or Difficult to write?


     Early in the revision process I received the manuscript back for Almost Bluing for X-tra Whiteness from Big Table Publishing with the below note. It's not surprising. I've heard it before as it applies to my writing. Sad can be beautiful in writing, but, to many, not beautifully lived. I am very grateful for my publisher and notes like this. 




1) Sad. Oh, that's easy to write. 

 It's okay to be sad. We are often told to brush it   off, as if sadness is some sort of insect, some gigantic negative, that people don't ever want to see. Repeat. People don't like it because they don't want to see it. I'd say it's like walking up a sidewalk and seeing chunks of dogshit in your path. Please, brush it away.  Always keep in mind that the world is a difficult place, and emotions are a normal way to deal with that fact. 

  So, it's all okay. Sadness is okay. For me it's   being in a familiar place. According to official diagnosis, for me, it's in remission. Still, it's there---it's, if you can believe it, something which feels comfortable. It's something that I can hold, know it's there at times, and just go on with my life. For those who are on Team Brush It Away, things are good now. As a sober person, I get to walk through things. 

2) Sad. Oh, that's hard to write. 

  A funny thing happened after the announcement that my the novel,  The Shadows of the Seen (coming, 2025) was being accepted for publication. I've shared a lot about how his novel was draining and difficult to write. First of all, t has to do with gun deaths and shootings in this country, Second, what was more difficult was the  writing of one of the characters (Lucky) who is based on a challenging and difficult year I had experienced. Writing it, I was re-affected and exhausted after each reliving of my personal experiences. As a writer, as many of us know, often, there is nothing you can do about this except to go with it, and just keep writing. 

    So, what's the funny thing?  The Shadows of the Seen was accepted by Pierian Springs Press first, before Almost Bluing for X-Tra Whiteness. So, next up for me as a writer is the "What's next?" game.  I thought to look in my 'Poems' folder, thinking maybe there would be enough for maybe half a collection, and I could get to work on that. I was surprised to find there was enough for a full collection. Equally surprising I found the poems, written between 2022 and now, covered much of the same difficult times I had just finished writing within the novel. In a way these two books are companion pieces, covering a lot of the same people, places, and things.  

     I am very proud of both of these books, and very excited for the soon to be launch of Almost Bluing for X-tra Whiteness, and, later, in the future for The Shadows of the Seen, which, I feel, is a strong read, but more so, a very important book.