Highly Recommended: Sunday 30th, June, 2013.

A Celebration of WB Yeats: the second Tread Softly... festival, Sligo.

Tread Softly…  is a festival bringing the story of Sligo’s greatest artistic family to life with two weeks of Music, Theatre, Exhibitions and the Spoken Word. 

Sligo is the spiritual home of the Yeats family. The Nobel Prize-winning poet, William Butler Yeats and his brother, the artist Jack B., and their sisters, the embroiderer, Susan and fine press printer, Elizabeth have a life history inextricably linked to Sligo.

W. B. Yeats is considered by many to be the greatest English language poet of the 20th Century. Throughout his life he wrote about Sligo and the beauty, folklore and spirituality of the surrounding landscape. His brother Jack once said he never created a painting “without at least a thought of Sligo in it”.

Tread Softly... is an initiative of Blue Raincoat Theatre, Hawk’s Well Theatre, The Model, Sligo Live and Yeats International Summer School supported by Fáilte Ireland and is produced by Sligo Yeats Partnership: Michael Carty, Meg Harper, Niall Henry, Paul Keyes, Emer McGarry, Marie O’Byrne and Rory O’Connor.

Follow the link to the programme for more details.

http://www.seasonofyeats.com/TreadsoftlyProgramme.pdf

100 THOUSAND ARTISTS MARCH FOR GEZI PARK

START DATE: 22 JUNE 2013 (Every Saturday)

PLACE: Worldwide

WORLD ARTISTS MARCH FOR ‘GEZIPARK’ AS A SYMBOL OF CREATIVE RESISTANCE

'for resistance to shine &
peace to grow &
colors to spread'

The Gezi Park protests, started as an act of peaceful resistance to save the hundred year old trees at Gezi Park – the final green public space at the heart of Istanbul – have turned into a widespread Youth movement and have inspired millions of citizens in Turkey to stand up for their rights and freedoms which are being suppressed by the system and the people in power. Since May 31st, millions of activists, artists, academicians, students, civil society actors and citizens are marching in the streets of Turkey to save GeziPark, to challenge the status quo, which is ignoring the rights of humanity and the enviroment, and to voice their democratic demands.

The protests, which use the arts as a means for Creative Resistance, combined many artistic disciplines from Sufi dance to ballet, music, literature and humour to spread the message and raise consciousness. The deliberate censorship from national media during these protests once again showed that ART is the best and most powerful medium to connect with the PEOPLE.If you decide to organize an event,please contact for event details to share on worldwide:
ORGANIZER: Vedat Zar vedatzar@gmail.com
ORGANIZER: Derya Yuksek dyuksek@gmail.com

This event is in conjunction with "100 Thousand Poets For Change"

Turkey Official Page: http://www.100binsanatci.org/
Global Official Page: http://www.100tpcmedia.org/100TPC2012/2013/06/100-thousand-artists-march-for-gezi-park-2013/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/396689183773490/

Tender: a new quarterly journal made by women

Issue 1 of  tender journal (edited by Rachael Allen & Sophie Collins), is launched in The Galley Café on Saturday the 29th of June at 7.30pm.

Tender was established in April 2013 as a platform for work by female-identified writers and artists. The journal is published four times a year as a carefully curated pdf. An annual anthology of favourite pieces from throughout the year will follow in print.

http://www.tenderjournal.co.uk/

 

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY RUSSIAN POETRY

Edited by Larissa Shmailo

Contemporary Russian poetry was given a strong platform this week with the publication of this new anthology. Editor, Larissa Shmailo writes that

"This anthology celebrates the Russian translator along with the Russian poet. All the work herein is translated from the Russian originals, with a few exceptions for "English-as-a-Second-Language" poems from noted bilinguals Philip Nikolayev (who provided many of the translations in this volume), Katia Kapovich, Irina Mashinski, and Andrey Gritsman (who also provided translations); there is also one English-language poem from Alexandr Skidan. Except where noted, all of this work is seen in English for the first time.

In the interests of accuracy and inclusion of as many poets as possible, I have decided not to provide the Russian text of the poems. This omission will be rectified in a future and expanded print version of this anthology."

The anthology is published online and is free to access. The standard of work throughout is exceptionally high, proving, if it were needed, that recent reports of the death of contemporary poetry are premature. But you can judge this for yourself by following the link:

http://bigbridge.org/BB17/poetry/twentyfirstcenturyrussianpoetry/twenty-first-century-russian-poetry-contents.html#

THE ORIGINS OF RUSSIAN POETRY

If the anthology above has sparked an interest in Russian poetry, then the Russian Poetry in Translation page is one to keep in touch with. I found this introduction to the Origins of Russian Poetry, written by Philip Nikolayev, to be a great starting point.

Prashant Keshavmurthy asks whether Russian poetry is founded on a particular creation myth. You see, Prashant, Russian poetry is different from the Indian, Persian and Arabic poetic traditions in that it is new. Though it arguably has its "myths," it does not go back to a myth. Apart from liturgical verse, the first Russian lyric poems on record, anonymous, are from the early 17th century. They are fine texts of the courtly boyar culture, and they have survived in a mansucript exported from Moscow c. 1620 by Richard James, an Englishman. I have studied these poems in detail. In Russian scholarship, due to the influence of Marxist ideology, they have been traditionally discussed as "folk poetry," but there is no doubt in my mind that they are works by a poet of the courtly class, a boyar. They present a view from within the Kremlin. Among them, incidentally, is the first Russian metrical poem (just one at this time!).

But the first outstanding Russian poems, from the 18th century, are by Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765). Notice that I am a skeptic about the so-called Lay of Igor's campaign, a poetic narrative that allegedly dates from the 12th century; I looked into it closely at one point and am of the school that considers it to be an 18th-century forgery.

Russian literature is unquestionably ("typologically," as the word goes) a Western literature, and that includes our poetry, although the steppes of our south, the swamps and woods of our east and the permafrosty tundras of our north all contribute their tones and colors.

Mikhail Lomonosov's greatness lies in large measure in the fact that he, being possessed of a fine ear, took Western ideas of meter and applied them in an inventive and organic way to the Russian language, making meter work for Russian and thus forever defining standard Russian verse as accentual-syllabic (syllabotonic). The original models for verse used by certain lesser and earlier Russian poets came from Poland were syllabic in nature (syllable count without fixed accentual patterns); they that original syllabic verse sounds quaint and remote today (although I should also note Alexei Tsvetkov's interesting and robust experiments toward reviving the possibilities of Polsih-like syllabic verse in Russian). Lomonosov's influence is felt in poetry to this day. His greatest poem (I'll translate it sometime) is "And Ode Selected from Job," a verse translation of a part of the book of Job from the Old Testament, where, on having heard Job's plaint, God speaks to him out of the cloud. The recent book title -- "Behold the Behemoth" -- by Oleg Dozmorov, a major current poet, alludes to a line in that great ode of Lomonosov's, confirming our bond with and our debt to him.

Various poets followed Lomonsov, and the greatest among those was Gavriil (or Gavrila, i.e. Gabriel) Derzhavin.

And then in the early 19th century we had our greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin, his brilliant life and early tragic death, and that is the central, defining event and "mythos" of our poetry. In a way, he is to our poetry what Mozart is to Western classical music.

Such are the origins of Russian poetry.

Upcoming:

 Fermoy International Poetry Festival 

August 01 - 05,  2013.

Fermoy, Co Cork is getting ready for this gathering of poets from far and wide who come to share their poetry on open mic sessions, workshops and the ever popular 'Poetry Bus'. Come and enjoy readings from international and Irish published poets. Also attend book launches from a number of new and up and coming poets from Ireland and abroad. The winners of the National and the International Poetry Competitions will read their work at the festival. The competition judge is poet Noel King.

Why is Modern Poetry Criticism so Bad?

Why is Modern Poetry Criticism so Bad?

Two articles this week on the state of modern poetry - the first from the Washington Post where journalist Ron Charles comments on Professor Mark Edmundson's essay 'Poetry Slam', or 'The Decline of American Verse' which has just been published in Harper's Magazine.  The second article, from the Huffington Post by Seth Abraham responds by listing over twelve points under the heading 'Why is Contemporary American Poetry so Good?'

Links to the articles are provided but, the following is also a synopsis of the main points of the arguments offered, along with some comments which must be raised against this very predictable and lazy attack, as reported the Washington Post.

Ron Charles, quotes Edmundson as saying that modern poets are 'oblique, equivocal, painfully self-questioning … and withdrawn' .Edmundson names names - Muldoon - admitting that he still has 'barely a clue as to what Muldoon is going on about' (at best this is a limp point to bring against any poet and at worst an own goal for Edmundson). Undeterred by his lack of understanding, Edmundson cites John Ashbery as 'say[ing] little' in his 'perpetual hedging', and thereby ignoring the interrogation of epistemology, of our ability to comprehend the tentativeness of what we think we know, which Ashberry and others interact with.

Edmundson warns that 'one can't generalize about it all' before proceeding to generalize about most of it. He regards 'Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Charles Simic, Robert Pinsky' and others as being 'good in their ways' but 'simply [not] good enough'. They don't 'slake a reader's thirst for meanings that pass beyond the experience of the individual poet and light up the world we hold in common.' In short, he succeeds in proving that like Muldoon, he barely 'has a clue as to what [they are] going on about', or has not actually read the poets that he is condemning with faint praise.

Edmundson's central complaint is however that contemporary poets are  'too timid to speak for the people, to say 'we', to strike a major note on any fundamental truth of human experience. He complains that in the face of war, environmental destruction and economic collapse, 'they write as though the great public crisis were over and the most pressing business we had were self cultivation and the fending off of boredom.' He reveals himself as a critic who is therefore looking for a premodernist homogenous view of culture, almost a person in need of absolute horizons, or absolute truths. It hasn't dawned on him that many poets question the existence of absolute truths and, like Joyce, are determined to be true to their own unique experience and to express it as such, in the hope that it will register in the hearts of others. With regard to the issues such as environmentalism, politics, economics, there are so many established and newly emerging poets who contradict this opinion that I think we can finally conclude that Edmundson is simply out of touch. The arguments which he gives must be dismissed as lazy rather than the considered opinions of someone who has made an effort to engage with poets and their work.

As if to distance himself from the stultifying influence of academia and to imply that he himself is a trailblazer for modern readers he then blames the MFA programs for teaching poets to play safe and offend no-one, linking their nefarious influence to  'liberal post-modernists' who do not allow a 'white male poet to speak for anyone but himself'. And there finally is the worm at the heart of the rot in Edmundson's argument. In these words he reveals what has motivated such an attack on a group of people who have obviously not previously impinged upon his consciousness in any meaningful way. The idea that they are liberal and philosophically aware, critically aware despite what he sees as the 'toxic effect' of modern literary theorists, that their work stems from a subtle awareness of their status as individuals in a varied political system, rather than a ruling class who need to lead the people, offends Edmundson.

If the article in the Washington Post reflects the arguments of Edmundson correctly then he has done himself more of a disservice by attacking poetry in this generalized and lazy manner. He would need to demonstrate a greater awareness of his abilities to understand the poets he criticises and then to include specific criticisms of their work rather than the sweeping statements which seem designed to make a name for himself rather than contribute to literary debate.
Ron Charles piece can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2013/06/20/why-is-modern-poetry-so-bad/


The second article, by Seth Abrahamson, was written in reply to the above. Seth Abraham's reply in the Huffington Post  'Why is Contemporary American Poetry so Good?' can be found here.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/why-is-contemporary-ameri_b_3474969.html In it he lists twelve reasons why he feels Edmundson got it wrong. A brief over view of his arguments shows that he feels:

1) That there are more people in the US who are committed to writing poetry and that within the next few years every American will know one of these committed writers.

2) Creative Writing courses are the fastest growing field of studies in the US and that the traditionally bohemian and non-institutionalised practitioners of poetry are being embraced by the university system.

3) Because of the greater numbers of committed writers, poetry is now more openly discussed. Slam poetry attracts large crowds and is not generally acknowledge by print media. Visual media, mostly found in galleries, also extends the reach of modern poetry out to the community.

4) Not only are there more people in creative writing courses but there are greater numbers of people now taking Contemporary American Poetry courses.

5) Poetry, like every art form, is continually evolving and there is so much of modern poetry that it is impossible to assess this evolution at the present time. It requires a retrospective view to assess the work of the era more comprehensively.

6) Here he finally mentions some of the poets who he feels disprove the thesis. Matt Hart, Abraham Smith, Heather Chester, Anthony Madrid and …

7) US poets are younger now, on average, and see poetry as a lifetime choice. The changes in publishing and online presences make this more feasible.

8) Most reviewers focus on the poetry superstars - the ones who have won awards - and yet a cursory view of the history of poetry shows that the lasting poets rarely come from this class. They are generally unacknowledged for much of their lives.

9) US poetry is now more inclusive of race and gender.

10) The current President writes, reads and hosts discussions of poetry.

11) Linguistic, philosophical and psychological insights are now available to poets, deepening the levels of meaning which they can allude to and be understood by.

12) Poetry is good for everyone.

I have greatly simplified Abrahamson's arguments here, but in fairness some of them needed to be simplified. As much as I admire his defence of modern poetry, there is a 'high fog content' which in academic articles is  generally employed to beat opposition into submission but here is a sign that the article may have been  written in a hurry.  Nonetheless, he has responded by pointing out that many of Edmundson's criticisms are in fact, a sign of the ability of modern poetry to thrive.  Where Edmundson sees the MFA programmes as having a negative influence, Abrahamson sees it as a sign of vital activity, of real demand from students who take up the courses, and as a way to make the choice of a literary career a viable one for writers. He says that many people can now make a living, get published, be read by their peers around the world.  The internet has opened opportunities and made the writing of poetry less insular.  

Around paragraph six he finally gets to mention some of the poets who he feels disprove Edmundson's opinions, and this is where Abrahamson triumphs. In bringing forward the strengths of modern poets Abrahamson begins to dismantle Edmundson's thesis, but does not carry it forward enough. However, he opens the way for readers of modern poetry to name and claim modern poetry as the innovatative and creative force that they experience in their lives.

In reading and reviewing,  modern poetry for the Anna Livia Review I have seen exactly how comprehensively and subtly Melissa Green's 'Squanicook Eclogues' addresses our need to live in harmony with our environment. Ben Mazer's poetry addresses the role of the poet in a deeply existential way which also expresses the primal astonishment at the fact of the existence of the world, George Szirtes's poetry reveals the story of  the past through personal touches and makes momentous, tiny moments of time within relationships which expose their globally networked effect.  Joe Green's poetry insists upon a Zen like need for laughter, Djelloul Marbrook's first collection 'Far from Algiers' deals with the political borders and refugee camps which reside inside the heart of someone who is not automatically acceptable, not a white male, and by doing so offers a compassionate way for the white male, the female, the integrated and non-integrated, to make sense of their journey in the world.   Michael Longley's Collected Poems exhibits the profound impact which political division and blindness to our place in the environment results in and provides a route for war-torn cultures around the globe, based on a pragmatic compassion and  personal experience. Moyra Donaldson 'Selected Poems' show exactly why dominant world views must be challenged rather than prolonged, in her revelations of the uncontested harm done to socially excluded individuals in the past. Peadar O'Donoghue's punk instincts challenge the political and economic complacency which we have descended into in 'Jewel', as does the just published 'Ripple Effect' by  Terry McDonagh. Philip Nikolayev's poetry too, informed as it is by an awareness of differing cultures, by a career and life dedicated to poetry, expresses the insignificance of the human condition and yet its ability to express the world, is new, innovative and exciting ways.

There are many I have not touched upon to show the shallowness of Edmundson's attack.   The author of the Washington Post's article, Ron Charles, ends his piece by calling for essays on the socially and politically courageous poets who write today.  We would like to extend Anna Livia Review as a forum for such essays and invite you to name and claim the poets who dedicate their lives to this work.

Ann Fallon.

Highly Recommended 9th June, 2013.

Sunday

BLOOMSDAY: Next Sunday marks the 109th celebration of Bloomsday - 

One of the earliest Bloomsday celebrations was a Ulysses lunch, organised by Sylvia Beach in France in June 1929. Joyce and thirty other guests were invited to a luncheon at the Leopold Restaurant near Versailles for the 25th anniversary, and also to celebrate the French translation of Ulysses. 

The term 'Bloomsday' was coined in 1954 when Irish writers Flann O'Brien, Patrick Kavanagh, Anthony Cronin, and John Ryan arranged for a horse drawn procession to follow the route of Paddy Dignam's funeral. They planned to travel round the city through the day, visiting scenes of the novel and ending in Nighttown but the pilgrimage was abandoned half way at the Baily pub in the city centre, which Ryan owned. 

The first Joyce Symposium took place in dublin in 1967 and has since taken place in many of the cities in which Joyce lived.

The JAMES JOYCE TOWER AND MUSEUM, the opening setting of the book, is once again hosting readings and events all this week: http://jamesjoycetower.com/

Here is a selection of the many events which will be hosted world wide this year:

DUBLIN:

Joseph O'Connor, one of the readers for the inaugral
GLOBAL BLOOMSDAY GATHERING

Novelist Joseph O' Connor confirmed to read in the Dublin leg of Globalbloomsday.com - 
25 worldwide cities across 4 continents read Ulysses live on globalbloomsday.com

http://globalbloomsday.com/

Participating cities for the Global Bloomsday Gathering

Also in Dublin: 

The Rocky Horror Show meets Ulysses - Special interactive screening of the famous 1950s film featuring Milo O'Shea. Active participants are welcome! Irish Film Institute - Bookings www.ifi.ie and 01 6793477 Thursday 13th June.
Bewley's Cafe Theatre - Noel O'Grady - 13th June - a special one-off performance of his show The Voice of Joyce: An Exile Sings, and Declan Gorman's One-man version of Dubliners will run for two weeks until the 22nd June.

Dublin will be innundated with events this week and the best site to keep track of it all is the Dublin James Joyce Centre: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJoyceCentre?fref=ts

New York: The James Joyce Society page is the one to keep in touch with:

http://joycesociety.org/sched_current.html

Philadelphia: The Rosenbach Museum continue their wonderful tradition of Bloomsday readings: http://www.rosenbach.org/learn/events/bloomsday
Paris: The Parish Bloomsday Group host readings and songs from James Joyce's work with poet Jean O'Sullivan as MC. Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris.

http://jamesjoyce.ie/ai1ec_event/bloomsday-in-paris/?instance_id=

London: the London Irish Centre are hosting a Bloomsday Cabaret 

    http://www.londonirishcentre.org/events/bloomsday-cabaret

New Orleans: Writers and artists will gather at The Irish House, Charles Ave. where there will be readings, pints and food to celebrate. All are welcome!

    http://www.nola.com/festivals/index.ssf/2013/06/new_orleans_book_lovers_toast.html

The James Joyce, writer page is one of the pages that will keep you up-to-date with happenings. (Let them know if you want to include your event). 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Joyce-writer/332196660243207?fref=ts

Some great literary insults were hurled at us through fb and Flavorwire this week. Here's the link, along with some of our favourites.

“Barry, you’re over thirty years old. You owe it to your mum and dad not to sing in a group called Sonic Death Monkey.” – High Fidelity, Nick Hornby

“I desire that we be better strangers.” - As You Like It, William Shakespeare

http://flavorwire.com/328022/a-literary-insult-for-every-occasion

CONGRATULATIONS TO KEVIN BARRY 
on winning the IMPAC Literary Award 2013
 for his novel City of Bohane.
Here's a short snippet of Kevin reading from his novel at the Kilkenny Arts Festival   Followed by Belinda McKeon and Paul Murray.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-nPNOSpmg0

And here is Kevin being  interviewed after winning the The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award 2012 for his short story 'Beer Trip to Llandudno'. Hours after winning, author and Booktrust web editor Nikesh Shukla met Kevin in an Oxford beer garden to discuss his win, how he writes short stories and what the best ale he's ever had is.  Even at this stage Kevin had been writing the film script for City of Bohane - so this new award should provide the impetus for finishing that project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxPfnMVysb0

LITERARY EVENTS THIS WEEK:

BOSTON: Friday 14th, 6pm

Grolier Bookshop are hosting a reading of 'City of Angels' by Ben Mazer, to mark the publication of his NEW POEMS. The event is free, but space is limited so book early:  

http://grolierpoetrrybookshop.eventbrite.com/

BIRMINGHAM: Monday 10th, Open Mic Poetry Slam:
This month's special guest poets are Birmingham Slam Stars
PGR brings you not one but three outstanding slam poets. James, Jaden and Elisha took the Warwick Words Slam by storm. Their blend of wit poingnancy and lyricism left the audience cheering. Believe the hype!  https://www.facebook.com/events/196431360511890/

BELFAST: Monday 10th, 
Poetic Perspective: Through Artist' Eyes at the Belfast Book Festival, featuring the literary work of Geraldine O'Kane and live contemporary dance, painting and performance. Including artists such as
Colin Dardis, Amos Gideon Greig, Jenny Cleland, Peter Francis Fahy, David Armitage, Mimi O'Holloran, Anna Donovan, David Yates, Patricia Locker, Laura Kidd, Paul Kopal, Graeme McAllister and Stephen Millar. https://www.facebook.com/events/163186730523652/


Also in Belfast, on Wednesday 12th:
Poetry from Sam Riviere and Stephen Connolly.
https://www.facebook.com/events/191854887632500/

DUBLIN: The Ash Sessions:  Tuesday, 11th July.

The ladies from Bare Hands and the Ash Sessions combine to bring you a mini Electric Picnic in the heart of Dublin. Featuring Ireland’s leading performance poets Abby Oliviera, Andre K’por and John Cummins, hilariously dark and mischievous tales from Paul Timoney along with a dazzling array of alternative/indie/folk music from Sinead White, Ria Czerniak, Red Sail, Johnny Murphy, Pearse McGloughlin and Justin Grounds. Come. It will only be amazing.

Tickets €10/€8

http://www.10daysindublin.com/programme/baring-our-ashes/

TORONTO: Friday 14th June.
1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling. An Open Mike of storytelling, music and poetry. https://www.facebook.com/events/535074769864722/

Highly Recommended 2nd June, 2013.

SUNDAY:

William Carlos Williams Centre for the Arts

Wednesday, June 5th.
Great to see that
Philip Nikolayev and Katia Kapovich are reading from their English and Russian work here this week.

KATIA KAPOVICH reads here and in the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpf4S6sI9A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzQ9xCYT5No

PHILIP NIKOLAYEV reads here at the Carol Novack Tribute Reading in NYC last December.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR3ZyWAtT4U

Booking office: (201) 939 4902

Susan Millar DuMars,    Richard W. Halperin,       Noel King and John W. Sexton.

THURSDAY, 6th June. Irish Writers Centre

In Dublin, Salmon Press and the Irish Writer's Centre host the Dublin launch of four new collections by

http://www.salmonpoetry.com/event-details.php?ID=231

MONDAY:

The Carol Novack Tribute Reading mentioned above was organised by Larissa Shmailo and Marc Vincenz. Larissa will be well known to you from her work in translation, from her own poetry and the amazing poetry and music events which she and Mad Swirl organises. Here she is interviewed in POETRY THIN AIR, a great resource, interviewing important new poets.


Other poets in this series include Michael Graves, Eve Packer, Susan Scutti, Bruce Weber, Jee Leong Kohn / Miriam Stanley and Thomas Fucaloro….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j8XEDPXCS0

TUESDAY:

Orhan Pamuk, Turkey's Nobel Prize Winning author.

Disturbing reports from Turkey this week in particular. A nation with such culture and history is being torn apart by threats to its democracy. To help us keep in mind what is at stake we look at some of the contributions which Turkey has made to world literature.

Jason Goodwin studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and has listed his top ten picks, encompassing poetry, history, and fiction, about this 'elusive and contradictory' country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/31/jason-goodwin-top-10-books-turkey

Here, Mark Lawson looks at an early work from Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk and was struck at how the author has consistently worked 'close to contentious politics and history'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/oct/12/silent-house-orhan-pamuk-review

WEDNESDAY:

Robert Archambeau's indepth review of Prairie Style by C S Giscombe appears in the latest issue of  The Volta, and provides insights into the poet's work and the challenges facing modern poets today.

"In Giscombe’s hands, the emancipation of narrative dissonance becomes a means of emancipating himself—and, if we are attentive, us—from the kinds of narratives about race that perpetuate old inequities. And in using dissonance as a means of addressing race, he’s bringing to his poetry an attitude long-established in African-American music: As Duke Ellington once told a journalist for whom he played some of his recordings, “That’s the Negro’s life... Hear that chord! Dissonance is our way of life in America”http://www.thevolta.org/inreview-mainpage.html

Thursday:

Two important literary festivals to watch out for in Cork this summer:

Kinsale

A full programme of events is available here:  http://vimeo.com/67294356

Fermoy

Some of the featured poets in this year's festival include:
Tsead Bruinja, Noel King, Matthew Sweeney, Jan Glass, Michele Vassal and Gene Barry.
http://www.fermoypoetryfestival.com/Fermoy-Poetry-Festival-Guest-Poets-biographies-.html

FRIDAY

These two publications are now getting ready to publish their latest editions.
The Battersea Review, Issue 3. The Summer issue this year will include:

POETRY: Stephen Sturgeon, Philip Nikolayev, Pushkin and Mandelshtam tr. by Philip Nikolayev, Alfred Corn, Peter Robinson, Alexei Tsvetkov, Katia Kapovich, Geoffrey O'Brien, Greg Delanty, M.A. Schorr, John Hennessy, Mark Lamoureux, Whit Griffin, Elizabeth-Ashley Best, Adrienne Raphel, Kit Schluter, Sophocles tr. by U.S. Dhuga, Ben Mazer.

CRITICISM: An essay by Mandelshtam tr. by Philip Nikolayev, Stephen Sturgeon on Wallace Stevens, Robert Archambeau on T.S. Eliot and Class, Raymond Barfield on T.S. Eliot & F.H. Bradley, John Howard on Jonathan Edwards, Allison Vanouse on Aviation and Rockets, D.M. Stewart on Aesthetics, Cassandra Nelson on Screens, Thomas Graves on Edgar Allen Poe, Mario Murgia on Federico Garcia Lorca, Sean Campbell on Randall Jarrell and Robert Lowell, Ann Fallon on The King, Ben Mazer on Harvard & Yale Poetry Culture between the World Wars.
Website is here: http://thebatterseareview.com/
or keep in touch via their fb page here:  https://www.facebook.com/BatterseaReview?fref=ts



Poetry Bus 5 has secured funding for it's fifth print issue. An international literary magazine which publishes short stories, poetry, artwork and criticism as well as a cd of music and spoken poetry. Poetry Bus is becoming one of those magazines which you'll want to say you were involved with.

"The Poetry Bus has probably published more first time poets alongside well known ones than any other magazine. Now in its fifth incarnation with undoubtedly the best issue yet,(just wait til you see it!) it is perfect bound with full colour illustrations (including a graphic short story!) from amazing artists and crammed with poets new and not so new!

We have a truly eclectic selection of poetry from Irish and international poets regardless of age, sex, nationality, friendship or standing. The Poetry Bus continues to offer opportunities for all equally and never forgets that it was created to provide a top class showcase as well as a level playing field. This ethos remains vitally important to us."The Poetry Bus runs an open fb group which you can join and keep in touch with their shenanigans:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/125558570802681/?fref=ts

SATURDAY

The Guardian have been running a readers book blog section online since 2008. In case you haven't seen this you can take a look at some of the latest reviews here, and perhaps think of reviewing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/may/31/reader-reviews-roundup

For example, this blog below, posted by Billy Mills last week, takes a look at the international poetry world, from publishing to poetry slams.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/may/30/poetry-new-territory-sales-salt-publishing

While this link gets you to the latest round up of reader's reviews.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/may/31/reader-reviews-roundup

June Publishing Deadlines: 2013.

 3rd June deadline:

An international short fantasy fiction competition, of between 350 and 500 words of previously unpublished work. One entry per person. Use the entry form below:

http://sjihollidayblog.wordpress.com/sjibfs-flash-fiction-competition/

Extended deadline - June 5th:

Short stories, Essays, Prose pieces for the Queer Grits Anthology.

https://www.facebook.com/grits.anthology

June 15th - extended deadline:

Houston and Nomadic Voices

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, 

Creative Nonfiction and, 

Cross-Genre hybrid work.

Based in Houston, but they accept work from international sources. Jeni McFarland is Fiction and Non-Fiction Editor while Colin James Sturdevant is Managing Editor. This is relatively new, but there's a real buzz about it so give it a go.

http://houstonandnomadicvoicesmagazine.com/2013/05/30/call-for-submissions-houston-nomadic-voices-magazine-issue-2-speaking-my-mind/

BLUE FIFTH REVIEW - June 30th is the final deadline for their next issue.
Unsolicited work is accepted, but no previously published work.Take a look at their latest issue - it's a great read and will give you a better idea of their needs.
Poetry: open to traditional or experimental forms of any length
Flash Fiction: open to works of prose – up to 1,000 words – emphasizing varying degrees of narrative, form, language, voice, and pacing
Art: The editors generally solicit art for the issues but will consider unsolicited submissions. Attach the work as a .jpg, .jpeg, or .gif file.http://bluefifthreview.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

30th June:

THE LITPOP AWARDS

Open to residents of Canada and the United States only. Poetry / Short Fiction competition:

The POP Montreal International Music Festival and Matrix Magazine have joined forces to rock your literary world with Canada's most innovative and exciting literary competition. They're looking for writing that really pops. So if you can bring the noise with poetry and/or short fiction, it’s time to smash some bottles and trash some hotels (but not really though). If you have what it takes, you will get your work published in Matrix, and get free travel to POP Montreal for a night in your honour.



http://www.matrixmagazine.org/litpop/

Short literary fiction. Under 500 words.
currently looking for submissions, read their new edition, just published.
"Apocrypha and Abstractions is an online only Literary Journal specializing in very short (flash) fiction, of 500 words or fewer. The stories represented here strive to say something without actually saying it. We leave the interpretation entirely up to the reader."
http://apocryphaandabstractions.wordpress.com/

The Piker Press accepts fiction, non fiction, essays and art on a broad variety of topics and genres. 

A weekly journal for arts, sciences, fiction and non-fiction, 'we like to think of it as an illegitimate, online child of Analog and National Geographic, but funnier.' No payment, but take a look at their journal and submission details.

http://www.pikerpress.com/submissions/submissions.php

The Santa Fe Writers Project 

Their mission statement is to discover one new writer per year. If you've never been published, or if you're self published, or published by a small press who have used less than $15,000. to promote your work, you are eligible for this international project. They are looking for writers of novellas, or short stories and want to publish one author per year, starting spring of 2014. Andrew Gifford is the publisher.   They tells us that this project is separate and unrelated to the contest which they run and which has an entry fee of $30. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Fe-Writers-Project/283052815651

FICTION ATTIC PRESS

SHORT STORIES of 5,000 words or less.  Submissions open on 1st June, deadline 30th August.

Fiction Attic Press are now accepting submissions for their Short Story Contest. The winner will be published in their anthology and receive a payment of £150. (There's an entry fee of $7.)

http://fictionattic.com/first-novel-contest/

The Brooklyn Rail welcomes you to their web-exclusive section InTranslation, where they feature unpublished translations of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and dramatic writing. Launched in April 2007, InTranslation is a venue for outstanding work in translation and a resource for translators, authors, editors, and publishers seeking to collaborate. They regularly seek exceptional, unpublished English translations from all languages:

Sundog Lit seeks to publish active, vibrant, earth-scorching literature. They read year-round. One submission at a time and they do not consider previously published work. 

http://sundoglit.com/submissions/

Subterranean Blue 

have just published their third issue this month. They are looking for poetry and art  for the next issue. Take a look at their publication and submit here:

http://www.subterraneanbluepoetry.com/SubterraneanBluePoetry.Submissions.htm

iARTistas 
 the new iPAD/digital/print publication from the publisher of PoetsArtists. She is also now the FRESH look for MiPOesias Magazine. MiPOeisas (www.mipoesias.com) will stay online via the web site and the internet archives but all new work received will be published under the iARTistas title.

IARTistas seeks to publish authors and Visual artists who think outside of the box.

http://iartistas.wordpress.com/submissions/

Thumbnail Poetry Magazine launches its annual, guest-edited issues in January 2014. We are seeking original, unpublished poetry submissions in any style not to exceed 40 lines (though we might let an extra line or two sneak by). Series editor Beth Couture will be reviewing submissions for a guest editor that is still to be determined. The wait time on this will be exceptionally long. We're cool with simultaneous submissions, and we only ask that you let us know right away if your work has been published elsewhere.
https://thumbnailmag.submittable.com/submit/18780

DISTRICT LIT - publishes Art, Fiction and, Poetry on an ongoing basis:

http://districtlit.com/guidelines

Rufous City Review accepts on going submissions in original art, poetry, and poetic prose which surprises, unsettles, and excites. We want to experience writing that twists our expectations and reminds us what it means to be obsessed with language.

http://www.rufouscityreview.com/-the-fancy-submission-manager.html

PITHEAD CHAPEL:

Electronically publishes literary fiction and nonfiction - monthly. 

At present they are accepting submissions of under 4,000 words only.

Flash Fiction (under 1,000 words)

Short Fiction (under 4,000 words)

Non fiction - but no critical essays.

https://pitheadchapel.submittable.com/submit

http://ginoskoliteraryjournal.com/guidelines.htm

GINOSKO LITERARY JOURNAL:

Acceps short fiction & poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, social justice concerns, spiritual insights.


Editorial lead time 1-2 months; accept simultaneous submissions & reprints; length flexible, accept excerpts.

Receives postal submissions & email—prefer email submissions as attachments in Microsoft Works Word Processor, Rich Text Format or Word. Copyright reverts to author. Read year-round.