Issue 2: Ambassador Poetry Project

I am pleased to announce the second issue of The Ambassador Poetry Project is now available online at www.AmbassadorPoetry.com. I hope you’ll visit the website to discover a variety of voices from Michigan and Ontario.

This issue includes selections from poets such as Judith A. Goren, Therese Becker, Linda Leedy Schneider, Matthew Falk, and sound poetry from Penn Kemp. Also included is visual work by Grand Blanc High School student Rob Chron.

You’ll also notice a few website improvements to help make your visit more enjoyable. Please let me know what you think of the improvements and your overall experience in visiting The Ambassador Poetry Project.

Thank you for your continued support and have a great weekend.

standing room only… for poetry!

The adrenaline has settled, the hype has calmed, and the photos are making memories last. To all those folks who made it out to Friday’s launch party, thank you for your support and for sharing a pretty cool night with me. Not only was this the launch party for the inaugural issue of The Ambassador Poetry Project, this was also my book launch for stains: early poems. I am so very, very pleased to report we had a wonderful crowd of nearly one hundred people… and yes, we were left with standing room only!

Suzanne Schneider Ross, of Marick Press, did a wonderful job as MC for the night, introducing such poets as Mariela Griffor, Ken Meisel, Dan Ames, and Amy Stilgenbauer. Ten poets read throughout the evening, with yours truly closing out the night with selections from my new book. The audience was a gem… truly supportive and enthusiastic about the launch of Ambassador and I couldn’t have been happier. We made the press, we made some friends, and I think we made a tough act to follow for any of my future events. I was truly impressed and humbled.

As if that weren’t enough, I was so pleased to see another wonderful thing today: a new review of stains: early poems. The review is at The Smoking Poet, a rockin’ review site where founder and editor-in-chief Zinta Aistars personally took the time to review my latest release. It’s really such a wonderful review, I hope you’ll click on this link and see what Zinta had to say about stains. Thank you, Zinta, for making me blush.

More events are in the works but for right now I am just going to take in all the wonderful moments of this past weekend…

one week: two launches

It’s hard to believe that September is about to come to a close. Before it does, however, I am pleased to share some information about two really cool launch events. And, yes, I am biased.

First off, thank you to all blog readers who have managed to put up with the amount of blatant self-promotion for the release of stains: early poems. It’s the release month, so naturally it’s topical. Which is why I am so excited about the release party happening this weekend. I’ll be reading selections from stains: early poems and there’s a signing to follow.

This night is not all about me, however. This Friday is also the official launch party for The Ambassador Poetry Project, a new online periodical featuring poetry from and about Michigan and Ontario. With ten poets reading selections from their work and a great musical performance, this is a not-to-be-missed event.

The evening will include readings by poets John Jeffire, Laurence W. Thomas, Olga Klekner, ML Liebler, Amy Stilgenbauer, Eric Torgersen, Ken Meisel, Dan Ames, Mariela Griffor and, of course, yours truly. Music will be provided by singer/songwriter Carly Keyes.

Here are the details:

Friday September 25th, 2009
7pm, free
Grosse Pointe Art Center
16900 Kercheval
Grosse Pointe MI 48236

Co-hosted by Marick Press &
Wayne State University Press
Refreshments will be served.
Email for more details

I hope you’ll be able to join in on the celebration! Let me know if you have any questions or need directions to the event.

Thanks for all the support!