Future of the Writers' Center of Indiana

The Writers' Center of Indiana is retrenching. After losing funding for its operations budget, the organization canceled its classes and suspended activities. But, according to an e-mail from Barbara Shoup, executive director, the Indianapolis Art Center is allowing WCI to remain in its current offices for the time being, and WCI has rescheduled classes and is seeking to partner with other arts organizations. Check the web site at www.indianawriters.org for details.

Chi Sherman

The irrepressible Chi Sherman has announced she has free copies of her first spoken-word CD, wild/tendril. Check out her website with poetry samples at http://chisherman.net
Chi is also looking for a job. Catch her before someone else does.

To contact her about the CD or a job, go to her website.

UPDATE: Chi will be blogging about her travels at http://beepbeepmyturn.blogspot.com.

Indiana writers competition

The Indianapolis Star had an article Feb. 26 about how the public an nominate living Indiana authors for cash prizes. Read the story here.

The top awards of $10,000 would go to a writer whose work is nationally known, $7,500 to a "regional" writer whose work is know throughout Indiana, and $5,000 to an emerging writer who has written just one book. In addition, $2,500 would go the winning writers' hometown libraries.

The prizes are funded by the Glick Fund, named for Eugene Glick and his wife, Marilyn.

The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library will administer the competition. The deadline for nominations is April 8. Click here for a nomination form.

I'm planning to nominate some favorites (and I'll reveal whom after the nomination deadline has passed). Who would you nominate, and why? Feel free to leave a comment.



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Is Borders Bookstore in downtown Indy a goner?

A dialogue on the future of the Borders bookstore in downtown Indianapolis, from the Indianapolis Business Journal website:

http://propertylines.ibj.com/blogshell.asp?p=1077

Elizabeth Alexander

This post is being bumped up in advance of her appearance at Butler University this week and to link to The Indianapolis Star's Q&A

The following was posted Jan. 20:
Elizabeth Alexander's "Praise Song for the Day," for the inauguration of Barack Obama:



A transcript: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-poem.html?ref=booksWhile I'm not totally enamored with the poem, I could not believe the venomous reaction by YouTube viewers. Check their comments on this video and others. What's your reaction?


UPDATE: Edward Byrne's response: http://edwardbyrne.blogspot.com/2009/01/inaugural-poem-by-elizabeth-alexander.html

UPDATE: Lou Harry's IBJ blog elicits negative comments (scroll down to the Jan. 20 entry): http://ae.ibj.com//

A resignation in ISFPC

The latest Indiana Poet newsletter from the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs announced that Michael E. Strosahl, president, has resigned.

I know Michael (or Maik, as he is sometimes known) had ambitious plans for the organization. He risked ruffling some feathers. Michael had a vision to attract younger members and to broaden its activities. With that in mind, he helped launch a web site, which has, since his resignation, been taken down.

I don't know what sparked the disagreement that led to Michael's resignation, but I have to agree with the assessment, held by many outside of ISFPC, that the organization is too preoccupied with intramural contests and unwelcoming of contemporary poetry -- a recipe that will doom the organization as its members age and die off. It's somehwat disconcerting that I, at age 54, am one of the younger members.

I know some members are working actively with youth and community programs, but not enough is being done. I believe that within the big circus celebration of poetry, the ISFPC is a narrowly confined group that rarely ventures outside a small booth on the midway. Perhaps that is enough -- and even desired -- for the majority of its members, who believe this is what they want to do. But this isolationist view cannot sustain itself. ISFPC has so much potential to inspire and regenerate a love for poetry. And it's sad to see it wane.

Felix Stefanile

Keeper of the flame, arrivederci

Indianapolis Star columnist Dan Carpenter pays tribute to
Felix Stefanile

For Valentine's Day

From NPR, a poetry slam for Valentine's Day.

Marianne Boruch

Marianne Boruch in the February issue of Poetry: http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=182820

2009 titles

Do you want to be added to the list? Send your title and publishing information to jl.kato(at)sbcglobal.net.

Titles released in 2009

Carpenter, Dan: More Than I Could See (Restoration Press).
Flexon, Jan: Words Are Electric, But Not Always Static Free. Twenty-one poems on a spoken-word CD issued by Little Mountain Press. Available at Bookmama's in Indianapolis.
Forhan, Chris: Black Leapt In (Sparrow Street Press, $16.95). http://www.barrowstreet.org/.
Jackson, Matthew; Minding My Chaos. Due in April.
Kerschbaum, Joseph: The Handless Long for Sign Language (Pudding House Press chapbook)
Krapf, Norbert: Sweet Sister Moon, love poems and tributes to women (Word Tech Editions) due in August.
Maurer, Bonnie: Reconfigured (Finishing Line Press chapbook, $14) http://www.finishinglinepress.com/
McGarrah, Jim: Running the Voodoo Down
Musselman, Lylanne: A Charmed Bracelet for Cruising (chapbook published by Winged City Press)
Platt, Donald: Dirt Angels (New Issues Poetry & Prose).
Pulley, Nancy: Dream Puzzle ($15, available at http://www.nancypulley.com/)
Sherman, Chi: wild/tendril. A spoken-word CD. Free. For details, contact Chi at her website, http://www.chisherman.net/.
Smith, Stacy (ed.): Poetic Nature in the Hoosierland (chapbook published by Shadow Poetry, $8). Available at http://www.shadowpoetry.com/ or Mounds State Park gift shop, or can be ordered through your local bookstore by giving the ISBN number (978-09822996-3-0). Vancil, David: Moon Walking (Finishing Line Press chapbook) due March 14.
Wells, Martin: The Solvay Process (Tiger Bark Press). Due in spring.

Coming in 2011
Friman Alice: Vinculum (Louisiana State University Press)

Forthcoming (no date available)
Brennan, Matthew C.: The House With the Mansard Roof (The Backwaters Press)

Prelude Awards for Creative Writing

The 2009 Prelude Awards were announced Friday (Feb. 6). The awards recognizes high school students in Marion County. The winners for creative writing are:

Rebecca Boyle, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, 1st place;
Laura Appelt, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, 2nd place

Congratulations.

Brebeuf traditionally has been strong in this category. Why is this?

Mari Evans

In the Feb. 7 issue of The Indianapolis Star: Mari Evans 'helped define the 1960s Black Arts Movement.'


The article contains a link to one of her poems.(The link is on the right side of the article.)

Birth announcement

Milo Whitman Forhan-Lynch (7 lbs., 21 1/2 inches) was born Jan. 29, 2009, at 2:09 p.m.

Congratulations to Chris Forhan and Alessandra Lynch

Evening With the Muse: a program change

Richard Pflum reports that because of a medical condition involving Norbert Krapf's voice, he will not be able to read at the Evening With the Muse on Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Writers' Center of Indiana, 812 E. 67th St., Indianapolis.

He will reschedule his reading.

The open mic reading, however, is still on. And, according to the Eye on Indianapolis blog, Richard Pflum and Stephen R. Roberts will read their poetry:
http://eyeonindianapolis.blogspot.com/2009/02/poets-read-at-writers-center.html

Super Bowl and poetry

John Lundberg, who writes aboout poetry for the Huffington Post, has an interesting essay about tonight's Super Bowl matchup.

But while you'll have to look hard to find poetry on your TV tonight, I'd
encourage you to look. I say that as a football fan and a poet and, more
importantly, as someone who has sat through two Super Bowl parties with poets.
These are people I like immensely, but the nights played out how I imagine going
to the ballet with a bunch of frat brothers would play out. You know, they'd
make fun of the set and the outfits. They'd talk through the whole performance
and be quick to announce their boredom. And, of course, they wouldn't admit to
any of the beauty.

The complete article, with a poem, is at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/is-the-super-bowl-poetic_b_162582.html

'Bloodroot': A review

A review of Norbert Krap's Bloodroot: Indiana Poems, written by Michael Zimmerman, dean of Butler University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090201/LIVING20/902010313/1007/LIVING