We had an interesting meeting yesterday, with people reporting new publishing projects, heading to the end of their WIP, and asking for Beta readers. People offered great suggestions, and I had a few myself – see below.
As I’ve mentioned before, member Alison McBain keeps poets apprised of what’s going on in the world of poetry every month. In addition to running The Poets’ Salon, she produces a monthly list of poetry readings in Connecticut, as well as a list of places to submit your work. You can read the whole list here and subscribe, but here are some examples:
On Thursday, June 18, from 7-10pm check out the Open Mic Night at Factory Underground Studio, in Norwalk, CT. All Acts welcome: music, poetry, comedy, spoken word, etc. Doors/signup for open mic at 6:30pm. Each performance must be 6 minutes long.
On Saturday, June 20 at 2pm – the monthly CT Poetry Society Workshop, hosted by Ed Ahern, takes place on the 3rd Saturday of the month at the Wilton Public Library in CT. Bring a poem to share with the group for critique. Free to attend; registration required.
If you’d like an online opportunity to read poetry and build community, join fellow poets on Saturday, June 27 from 11am-12pm ET. Hosted by Blue Rivers Summer Poetry Reading Series, each session will begin with readings from poets published on Blue Rivers, followed by additional attendees to read as space allows. Free to attend; registration required for the link.
In partnership with Northeast Storytelling, spend one Sunday afternoon (2-3:30pm) every other month at the Westport Library, CT, immersed in the art of true, personal storytelling. Each gathering features a unique theme and invites both seasoned and first-time storytellers to share their five-minute tales, preferably without notes. Facilitated by storyteller, host, and Rendezvous member ChaChanna Simpson. Absolutely no experience is necessary. We all have stories, and all our stories matter! Upcoming themes include June 28 – Home, August 16 – Food, October 18 – Fear, and December 20 – Holiday. Please click on the date to register, and email ChaChanna if you’re interested in sharing a story. Free.
One of my favorite poetry events here in Connecticut is Poetry in the Garden, which takes place on Monday evenings at the Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center, in Ridgefield, CT. All readings are held in the museum’s historic walled garden, but move inside the Garden House in the event of rain or extreme heat. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket. Accessible venue. On July 6 at 7pm ET, poets Patricia Spears Jones and January Gill O’Neil will be reading. Free.
The Norwalk Library (CT) will be hosting poetry open mics on Sunday, July 14 and August 19, from 2:30-4:30. Walk-in signups accepted!
Liz Matthews, Program Director at the Westport Writers Workshop, will be leading her online 500 Words of Summer program again this summer. This is not a class; it’s a way for writers to stay committed to their writing practice collectively. Inspired by Jami Attenberg’s 1,000 words of summer (1,000 words a day for two straight weeks, which has just ended for this year), WWW’s challenge is to write 500 words every weekday in July. Liz will send you a daily prompt (and she has some great ones!) and ask you to write 500 words (or more) that day. For more information on how it works, visit their blog or email Liz. $150
British-based Arvon’s free 5-Day Writing Challenge offers a practical and inspiring way to create new work in just one week. Each day, starting Monday, July 20-24, you’ll receive a writing exercise and supporting materials designed to help you generate, shape, and refine a piece of fiction. Guided by novelist Claire Fuller, you’ll begin with a simple prompt drawn from a favorite book and develop it over five days into a short story, flash fiction piece, or the beginnings of something longer. Free. Sign up here.
More info to come on Monday!
