A Letter from the President
Hello, friends, I'm back! I went scuttling around airports that eventually took me to Portugal. There were several flight delays and a missed flight, as well as hours of dragging around a too-heavy suitcase, but I made it to the beach at Espinho to start my writer's retreat with seven brilliant, talented women from around the world plus one sweet dog named Bibi. I worked on my book (Same Moon Shining: A Story of Family Estrangement) and wrote some poems, but the most satisfying part of it all was our sense of community. Well, that and everything about Portugal.
In her poem "Vacation," Rita Dove shares her love for the hour before takeoff, "that stretch of no time, no home/but the gray vinyl seats linked/like unfolding paper dolls." It's always a relief to get to the gate and settle in, knowing you'll be on time. But for me, the takeoff itself is exhilarating. And we, dear members, have experienced the takeoff of our Every Corner, Every County initiative. We're well on our way now, having featured three readers in Georgetown, and one back in the old stomping grounds of Charleston. Now it's time to take wing again. Wait until I tell you about September... it's going to be glorious.
First, Amy Randall has arranged an Upstate Poets Reading at Greenville Center for Creative Arts as part of its September First Friday event. Special feature: Glenis Redmond!
Next, Claire Bateman will be reading on September 7 at the Charleston home of Della Watson, who has generously donated the space to us! Because of the space limit at this private residence, we do require prior registration for this reading at our website. Read more about this below in our feature of Claire, and please note the interview with her recently published by former board officer (and current member), Arthur McMaster, in the Members in the News section. Here's a sneak preview of remarks from Claire:
"People come to poetry wanting, needing, demanding very different and frequently incompatible things. What is praised in one quarter is sure to be vilified in another, and its opposite praised.” I see that as an asset, not a dilemma." I know we are all looking forward to seeing and hearing Claire.
Zoom links for Clare's workshop and reading are provided in the Every Corner, Every County section of this newsletter. I am aware that we again had some issues with the Zoom recording while I was away. I have worked diligently to try to resolve those issues while also incorporating new security features.
And... drum roll! Della is also hosting us for a special event, E. Bay Street La Noche, on September 13, and I am soooo excited about it. I don't think the Poetry Society has ever held an event quite like this before. You can read all about it at Della's website, DKW Productions, but here is the general description:
"This multi-stage, elegant event will delight the senses and inspire the artistic soul. Featuring Argentine Tango performances, Spanish poetry by guest readers, savory tapas, food-story pairings, and a gallery exhibition of Tango-inspired drawings and paintings, this artful evening will enchant guests as they enjoy the flavors of carefully curated cuisine and signature craft cocktails designed by Gin Joint’s talented mixologists."
The "ticket booth" (online) has just opened, and Della has already sold two tickets at the highest level, Patron of the Arts! I hope we will match that and more from our membership. I am asking you directly for your support. It will mean so much to me and to the board if you attend, consider buying a VIP ticket, sponsor some part of our expenses, and spread the word about this widely. DKW has invested deeply in this event, as have we, and we'd love to see it be a huge success. One word of advice we've received from grantors is that they are looking for multicultural events and mixed arts events, so we are stepping up our game to help the Society grow and do more. Our objectives include fundraising, community engagement, and awareness building.
Besides that, it's just so much fun!
Frazier Russel has a wonderful poem called "Blue Tango," in which he asks the reader to imagine our parents doing the tango, surrounded on all sides by other enthusiastic dancers and observers. The poem ends with a vision of everything ending this way:
Say somewhere birds lift off the lake and it never gets light. Think of this as another one of those moments before takeoff. Buy your ticket at the DKW Productions link, and you can lift off with us. There is an early bird discount, so get in early! I think Rita Dove would be proud to know we are combining tango and poetry. Several months ago, I was invited by Cambridge Scholars Publishing to submit a paper on Rita Dove, and I chose to write about her collection called American Smooth. American Smooth is a ballroom dance style that consists of four dances: the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz. It's serendipitous that shortly after submitting that paper, I met MarQuel Landy, a colleague who worked in IT --- who was a tango dancer. Then I met Della, and she wrote about the Poetry Society. Everything works together as it should.
And that's not all!
Elizabeth Robin is donating her time to provide a workshop related to creating a Poetry Trail like the one in Hilton Head.
Next up, I'll provide a recap of July. Please reach out to Jim if you have any questions about membership: FlatBlueSky@hotmail.com.
A little background on this event:
Back in July, 2023, Al Black organized an ekphrastic poetry reading to accompany Ginny Merett's gallery show at 701 Whaley in Columbia. He was then inspired to put together a collection of the poems and the paintings with Ginny, and it was published under the name of her collection, Tall Women.
Fast forward to July 14, 2024, and our book release!
Featured poets (some of whom are in the photos):
SC poets Amy Alley, Evelyn Berry, Cindi Boiter, Jennifer Bartell Boykin, Maria Collum, Amy Drennan, Jo Angela Edwins, Kristine Hartvigsen, Jessica Hylton, Miho Kinnas, Janet Kozachek, Monifa Lemons, Tamara Miles, Loli Munoz, Aïda Rogers, Michal Rubin, Cassie Primo Steele, Alyssa Stewart, Alison Trotter, Jane Zenger, and Catherine Zickgraf interpreted Ginny Merett 's art, editor Al Black.
It was a pleasure to spend our last evening of the Pee Dee Region with Marcus Amaker, his family, and our guests. He gave a beautiful reading, and we enjoyed looking at (and buying) his books.
A lovely workshop held on the porch of The Little Basket. Marcus provided insightful background and prompts, and we had several Zoom guests. Our host was so generous and kind, especially after we had the bad experience of being hacked on Zoom. I encourage you to visit the shop for wine, snacks, and gifts.
Emily from The Little Basket has sent me an e-mail asking us to do another event there. You know I will be working on that...
The monthly readings hosted by Al Black at the Friends Meeting House in Columbia are always a pleasure. We enjoyed Richard Allen Taylor's poetry as the feature, along with original music. If you haven't heard of the Peace Poles created by the Friends, check them out.
The Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize
When Oliver Bowman passed away at the age of 92 on July 25, 2023, the Poetry Society of South Carolina suffered the loss of one of our finest, most beloved central figures. Generations of PSSC members have experienced his friendship and graciousness, from his first appearance before the group in 1963 right up to the time of his unexpected death. To honor Oliver, we are raising funds for the Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize that will begin this coming calendar year and continue for at least 10 years, if we can raise sufficient funds. If you would like to contribute to this collective, "The Friends of Oliver Bowman," send a check for any amount you're comfortable with to PSSC, P.O. Box 1090, Charleston, SC 29402. Make check payable to "PSSC." Please indicate that your donation is for the "Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize." Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law and will be acknowledged with an official letter for tax purposes.
Every Corner, Every County
Claire Bateman Reading
184 E. Bay Street, Charleston, SC
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
September 7, 2024
Please register in advance at our website:
Zoom Link for the Reading:
Claire's workshop is also being held at this address at 1 p.m. Please register in advance at our website, poetrysocietysc.org
Unable to attend the workshop in person? Use the link below to attend via Zoom.
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
If you would like to add an event to future newsletters, email the information to FlatBlueSky@hotmail.com before the first of the month.
Members in the News
Arthur McMaster has a new book coming out October 15.
Arthur McMaster’s work has been featured in such literary journals as Southwest Review, North American Review, Poet Lore, Rattle, Rhino, and Poetry East. He teaches in the Continuing Education program at Furman University. His most recent poetry book is The Whole Picture Show. Arthur’s recent historical fiction novel is titled, In the Orchards of Our Mothers.
McMaster adroitly drops the reader behind the lines of
operations. The grim destruction of Europe is brought to life with beautiful imagery and reconnoitered characters—every bit as interesting as those of Ken Follett’s Eye of the Needle. A fine novel no one should pass up. -- William Walsh – author of LAKEWOOD
and don't miss Arthur's interview with Claire Bateman:
Charles Watts made a short video in collaboration with a videographer in Vermont that has over 3000 views in the last two months. Sweet! Have a look: "Does it Cost More?"
Ann-Chadwell Humphries has shared the following:
Marjory Wentworth has a book launch coming up on September 12 for One River, One Boat, and you are invited! Please see the link below for details.
Houston Sorrels from the Mountain Pleasant Library reached out to share this news:
Mt. Pleasant Library Open Mic Night
I would like to share an Open Mic Night Poetry event that we will be hosting on Thursday, Sept. 12 for 6-7 p.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Library. All ages are welcome to attend, and all attendees are encouraged (not required!) to bring original works to share. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you!
Houston Sorrels, Adult Services Librarian, Mount Pleasant Library 1133 Mathis Ferry Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Office: 843-849-6161 www.ccpl.org Love your Library? Make a gift to the Project: Main campaign today!
Richard Allen Taylor has shared a quick announcement regarding his two remaining readings from Letters to Karen Carpenter and Other Poems:
Wednesday, August 28, 7:00-9:00 PM - Mind Gravy, Cool Beans Coffee Company, 1217 College Street, Columbia, SC. Featured poet and featured musician will be followed by open mic. Hosted by Al Black.
Wednesday, September 25, 6:45-9:00 PM Waterbean Poetry Night at the Mic, Waterbean Coffee, 9705 Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, NC. Featured readers: Debra Kaufman and Richard Allen Taylor. Open mic follows. (Arrive by 6:45 to get a good seat and sign up for open mic.) Hosted by Leslie M. Rupracht.
If you're interested and available to attend either of these events, I'd love to see you there!
Richard Allen Taylor
Author, LETTERS TO KAREN CARPENTER AND OTHER POEMS available here
Check out my website: Richard Allen Taylor, Poet
Gilbert Allen has two poems ("These Seven Liter Leviathans" and "LSMFT") in the new issue of Tipton Poetry Journal (https://issuu.com/tiptonpoetryjournal/docs/tpj60 ). He also has work forthcoming in Poem (Huntsville, AL), Southern Voices: Fifty Contemporary Poets (Lamar University Literary Press), Coast Lines (CLASS Publishing), and the second edition of The Southern Poetry Anthology: Contemporary Appalachia (SHSU Press).
Congratulations to everyone!
Find Society merchandise below, followed by the Poetry Prompt Contest.
You can look sporty and support the important work of the Poetry Society with each purchase. Click here to visit the website.
You can also pick up a copy of The History of the Poetry Society of South Carolina from Amazon --- and if you enjoy it, please leave a review.
The Poetry Prompt Contest is a monthly contest where we encourage you to submit a piece inspired by the new prompt found below. The winning poem or flash fiction is published in the following month's newsletter. We also offer the winner the opportunity to record a video of him or herself reading the poem to be posted to the Poetry Society's YouTube channel. There is no obligation to record the video, it is only there as an offer if the winner feels comfortable doing so.
Thank you to those who entered our Poetry Prompt Contest for July!
Our judge for this round is Lisa Spears, and Christy Allen's poem "Fly Away Home" is the winner! Christy is from Greenville County.
Here are some thoughts from Lisa, followed by the complete poem:
"From the prompt, this poet has created symbolism of their own immortality and hope or “wonder to wonder” that life still holds possibility. Those 2 same words can hold a multitude of meaning —dependent on the reader to decipher and who is reading it. By the last line, we know the subject isn’t at home, but an abstract of home exists."
Fly Away Home
She vacuumed them with a tsk;
That clutter of corpses
Gathered in cove
Where sill and sash meet.
Once lady bugs, but now
An untidy symbol of time,
Of loss, of being lost,
Of houses on fire.
Over time she forgets
To vacuum them,
To speak their name;
Forgets all.
And now she is as fragile
As what they left behind;
Peeling away at the corners,
Too brittle to touch.
Only enough of her is left
To wonder and wonder:
Is it still possible to fly
Away home?
(Congratulations, Christy!)
This month's prompt is "takeoff" or "tango," or some derivative of those themes. Submit a poem or a piece of flash fiction related to one or both of these themes. Take this in any direction you want. We'll announce the winner in the next newsletter.
Send the poems to everycornereverycounty@gmail.com, and let me know which county you are in!
Can't wait to be up in the air again with you,
Tamara
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Editors: Tamara Miles and David Lemieux
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