Chez Robert Giron

Gival Press is pleased to announce the release of this debut collection of fiction which has been described as follows:

"Lockjaw sings with all the power of Appalachian storytelling—inventive language, unforgettable voices, narratives that take surprise hairpin turns—without ever romanticizing the region or leaning on stereotypes. Refreshing and passionate, these are stories of un-expected gestures, some brutal, some full of grace, and almost all acts of secret love."
—Ann Pancake, author of Given Ground

"Holly Farris's prose ranges from elegant to gutsy, gentle to edgy, spare to lush. Her settings are evocative, and we come to care deeply about her characters. Each of these stories is like an entrancingly lyrical song, the kind you find yourself singing long after the music has stopped playing." — Janice Eidus, author of The War Of The Rosens

"...If you have Harriet Arnow, Lou Crabtree, Wilma Dykeman, Ann Pancake or Lee Smith on your shelves, it's time to make room for Holly Farris."
—Gail Galloway Adams, West Virginia University


About the author:
Holly Farris, an Appalachian who has worked as an autopsy assistant, restaurant baker, and beekeeper, graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her short fiction which has appeared in journals as diverse as Heritage, The Greensboro Review, Lodestar Quarterly, and Frontiers. Farris is the fifth generation of her family to live on their farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia.


To purchase a copy at Amazon.com, click below:
Purchase a copy of Lockjaw at Amazon.com

Gival Press is pleased to announce the release of The Spanish Teacher by Barbara de la Cuesta which has been described as follows:

“…De la Cuesta’s novel maintains an accumulating power which holds onto a reader’s attention not only through the forceful figure of Ordóñez, but by demonstrating acutely how ordinary lives are impacted by the underlying social and political landscape. Compelling reading.” –Tom Tolnay, publisher, Birch Brook Press and author of Selling America and This is the Forest Primeval

“Barbara de la Cuesta’s The Spanish Teacher has everything to thrill you—pace, a great balance of description, gesture and action, charmed, perfectly-tuned dialogue, and most notably, a character we follow as closely and sympathetically as if we were living right there inside the story with him… So many books show us a character who seems to capably hang and move like marionettes from the strings of a fairly competent puppeteer, but rarely do we see a full drama like this, where every bit of the writing extends from, grows out of, is part and parcel with the author’s complete realization of and connection to her character….”—Don Berger, judge for the Gival Press Novel Award

Biography:
Barbara de la Cuesta is the author of the novel The Gold Mine, a long poem If There Weren't So Many of Them, and Westerly, a work of non-fiction in the field of arts therapy. Her fiction has appeared in California Quarterly and The Texas Review. She has received fellowships from the New Jersey Arts Council, the Geraldine Dodge Foundation to attend the Virginia Colony, and the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation, as well as a fellowship to Ragdale. Two of her plays have been produced off-off Broadway.


To purchase a copy at Amazon.com, click below:
The Spanish Teacher at Amazon.com

Local Metropolitan Washington Area resident and poet Joseph Ross sent me this call for action:

"History could happen tomorrow as the Matthew Shepherd Act comes before the Senate. For the first time in U.S. history, the Senate could pass a bill that designates violent crimes against gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered people as hate crimes. This could allow federal assistance to local law enforcement officials, helping to prosecute these crimes.

Right wing groups are deluging senators with misinformation like pastors couldn't preach the Bible if this bill passes. That is a lie.

This bill comes nearly exactly nine years after the murder of Matthew Shepherd, a 17 year old student at the University of Wyoming.

Please take a few moments and call your senator. You can call any senator, asking the operator to direct your call to your senator's office by calling: 202.224 3121.

Please call tomorrow morning, Thursday morning, as the bill will come to a vote tomorrow."

--Joseph Ross

To those out there in search of training to do literary translations, here is a course worth taking at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland.


THE ART OF LITERARY TRANSLATION: SPANISH TO ENGLISH

Instructor: Yvette Neisser Moreno

Dates: 10/20/07 to 11/10/07, Saturdays 2:00-4:30pm

Location: Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815

Fee: $140 for Writer’s Center members, $155 for non-members

This workshop is designed for creative writers who want to explore the exciting, mysterious art of literary translation. No previous translation experience is necessary; however, participants should have experience writing either poetry or creative prose in English (and have strong knowledge of Spanish). By examining different translations of sample texts, doing in-class exercises and experimenting with our own translations, we will discuss the myriad questions that a literary translator faces, such as word choice, sentence structure, tone, rhythm, and sound. Discover how the creative process of translation can enhance your skills as a writer and stimulate your own writing. 4 sessions.

To register, go to Writer.Org or call the Writer's Center at 301-654-8664.

For more info or questions about the workshop, contact Yvette Neisser Moreno at yvettenm@verizon.net.

Merrily We Roll Along, by Stephen Sondheim with the book by George Furth, has matched the summer production hit of The Withches of Eastwick, both directed by Eric Schaeffer, cofounder of the Signature Theatre, now located in the Shirlington area of Arlington.

The Signature Theatre made a wise choice to keep the concept of the black box theatre in its chicly new venue, just above the Shirlington Library and located among the many good restaurants and coffee/drink bars, all within walking distance of the theatre.

In Merrily We Roll Along we have Helen Hays Winner Will Gartshore--whom I first saw at the Lubber Run Theatre-in-the-Park series one summer and I knew then that he was going onto a successful career--in the leading role of Franklin Shepard. Gartshore, a handsome and talented fellow, brings to the role a sensitivity that others would not have been able to match, and he can sing and dance. His leading female actors, Tracy Lynn Olivera and Bayla Whitten, are strong in their roles and strike a nice balance. The Charley Kringas role is played by Erik Liberman, and had I not seen Raúl Esparza in the same role recently at the Kennedy Center in which he brought down the house, I would have been satisfied with the telephone scene but Esparza's acme is hard to match.


The set design in The Witches of Eastwick by Walt Spangler and in Merrily We Roll Along by James Kronzer has proven that the black box concept is capable of great things.

Schaeffer has had the fortune to have two great lead actors in these two productions: Marc Kudisch, who played Darryl Van Horne the devil character superbly and all but stole the show; and Will Gartshore, who plays Shepard in a manner that allows the character to show various sides comes across like butta, to steal a reference to Barbra Streisand.

Visit the Signature Theatre website:
Signature Theatre

Words can't express the wisdom I see in the decision of the Arlington County Board decision to condemn the regional attack on immigrants, mostly Hispanic / Spanish-speaking individuals in the adjacent areas.

It's becoming more apparent that the Republicans have run out of scapegoats so they are now attacking Hispanics. Unfortunately, these kinds of attitudes carry over to both legal as well as illegal individuals in this country.

How quickly this country forgets that during the Great Depression, Texans of Mexican descent who were American citizens but who only spoke Spanish and could not produce birth certificates because most parents at that time could not afford to have their children born in hospitals were put on trains and shipped to Mexico because the Texans in power believed them to be "aliens". The shipping of people by train to other areas leaves haunting images of the Nazis shipping Jews during World War II. I am not trying to imply that these two situations are in the least similar--how can shipping people to their death even compare to shipping people to an adjacent country in the case of Texas simply because the individuals didn't speak English.

So when people say, Hispanics are not being discriminated against, they really have no idea of what they are talking about.

Does anyone remember signs in New York City saying?
Irish Need Not Apply

Does anyone remember quotas for Jews regarding enrollment in major USA universities?

Does anyone remember the Japanese-Americans being round up in concentration camps after the Pearl Harbor attack?

Does anyone remember signs in Texas that used to say:
No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed

Does anyone remember signs in the USA saying:
Colored or Whites Only

Many say something needs to be done regarding the immigration process and persons entering this country illegally. This is a very complicated issue. But what has many people quite upset is that is an illegal person who is blond and looks American--whatever that means--versus some one who is brown-skinned and looks more American Indian or Hispanic--whatever that means since Hispanics can be anything from blond/blue eyed to brown to black and/or any combination--is not faced with negative attitudes of "What are you doing in the country?" or "Are you in this country legally?"

This is why the Arlington County Board insists that all of its residents be treated with "human dignity and respect". No one should get away from committing crimes but just because one speaks Spanish or doesn't speak English does not make him/her fodder for negative or malicious attacks.

The Consul General of the Mexican Embassy Enrique Escorza stated it clearly:
"Listening to a very responsible county board like Arlington is very gratifying."

The Studio Theatre production of My Children! My Africa! by playwright Anthol Fugard, a South African, is one of the best written plays I have seen in long time.

Though there are only three actors in the play, the action combined with the fine acting (they received a standing ovation) keeps the viewer in the palm of the playwright. Fugard eloquently and successfully interweaves several issues into the play: loyalty, friendship, and use of language. The deliver of these issues by the actors: James Brown-Orleans, Veronica del Cerro, and Yaegel T. Welch was on target and couldn't have been better.

Yes, South Africa has changed, but the issues faced by the people then are still issues many confront daily in different regions of the world. In fact, even in the USA we are faced with individuals who betray others because they think they are doing the right thing or in reality perhaps some are doing what they simply want to do because it is in their best interest.

How often do we hear elected official saying they are doing what is in the best interest of the country. Do they really mean the people and the laws of the land or are they using that as a pretext for their personal gain or the financial benefit of their supporters?

In this play, the school teacher is confronted with this very issue and he knows what the outcome is when he betrays his own kind. The teacher keeps his principles and must take the consequences they bring.

The play works on several levels because one cannot simply accept or reject one side or the other. Sometimes it is possible that both sides are right and therein lies the rub.

It is truly a wonderful experience when viewers (and thanks for the intermission to be able to move around) can leave the theatre excited about the language and polemics of a play. That goes to show that first is the word and the word must be written and yes it does take a talented director such as Serge Seiden, a Helen Hays nominee, to make the words shine like African diamonds.

Visit the Studio Theatre site:
Studio Theatre

The book club I am part of decided to read On the Road by Jack Kerouac in light of its 50th anniversary of publication, and oddly enough though we are all avid readers none of us had read the book before. So it was truly a treat to read his work and our discussion was one of the most lively we have had in a long time.

Unfortunately, there are many highly recommended books these days and though they are well written often there is not much to say/talk about in a book club. But On the Road was not one of those types.

For one, we all with the exception of one us read the traditional version that was published in 1957. My partner read mostly the On the Road: The Original Scroll which was published in 2007 by Viking. As a result, we jumped into the discussion of what we all read versus what Kerouac originally wrote. Kerouac's Original Scroll used real names, including Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. Add to that the Original Scroll was more clear about the sexuality of its characters being bisexual and/or gay one can argue that the 1957 version of the book is really not the same book. How can it be when such intricate aspects of the characters change who they are in the full sense of the word round character?

And though more than one us stated that mid way we felt like saying: "Why am I reading this and can I get through it?" We were all surprised and delighted that towards the end of the book, mainly the section of the trip to Mexico for Dean--perhaps an homage to James Dean and even to Sal Mineo as Jack becomes Sal Paradise in the 1957 version--(or Neal in real life) to get his divorce the book takes a wonderful turn and the writing reaches a level that is truly beautiful. This section is Kerouac's best writing in the 1957 version in my opinion. The yearning for a spiritual awakening is found throughout the book and Kerouac's deep rooted Catholicism is echoed throughout the book--to the Mexican Indian girls' eyes being compared to the Virgin's eyes to the talk of Nietzsche to the statement made by Dean: "And not only that but we both understand that I couldn't have time to explain why I know and you know God exists." Yet there is more that is wanted / needed in this quest: They (Dean and Sal) are both searching for the father figure. Who knows if this is both physical and spiritual? But sadly Old Dean Moriarty is never found by the end of the book, so the quest continues, both for the characters and perhaps for Neal and Jack in real life.

The constant reference to Nebraska in the book, both in a boring sense and in a striking awe of its 180 degree vistas, as well as Mexico's enchantment were enticing to me both as a reader but more so as a born-Nebraskan and one who grew up in El Paso across the border from Old Mexico or as some say, in Texas but Mexico by default due to its history and culture.

If you have not read On the Road, you owe it to yourself to read it before you die. Frankly there are very few books I can say that about.

If you are Noel Coward fan and enjoying sipping wine (if you happen to be in physical pain like myself due to an injury and want to distract the pain) in a smallish venue while watching superb actors literally within breathing space away from you, then I strongly suggest that you place the Washington Shakespeare Company's production of Private Lives & the Coward Cabaret on your "to see" list.

Given the small space allowed the actors, the set designer Richard Montgomery and director H. Lee Gable have done a wonderful job. Add that to the superb acting by the complete cast of Megan Dominy, Bruce Alan Rauscher, Jeremy Lister, Cam Magee and Barbara Papendorp (it is Papendorp who also sings the cabaret), you the attendee will be in for an amusing show. With such a small space, the actors had no choice but to take the physicality of the show "mano a mano" or hand to cheek; all of which brings the attendee into the reality of the scene.

The WSC which recently did Macbeth in the buff--a bold production and one I won't forget for some time--deserves our support. So get yourself down to the 1409 Playbill Cafe, buy a ticket, a glass of wine or whatever, and enjoy the play in a completely smoke-free environment, thanks to the wisdom of Washington, DC's anti-smoking law.

For information, contact:
Washington Shakespeare Company

An Award-winning Independent Press
PO Box 3812 ~ Arlington, VA 22203 ~ Tel: 703.351.0079 ~ givalpress@yahoo.com ~ www.givalpress.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 5, 2007

(Arlington, VA) September 5, 2007—Elizabeth Oness has won the Third Annual Gival Press Novel Award.

Gival Press is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Oness of Winona, Minnesota has won the Third Annual Gival Press Novel Award for her novel Twelve Rivers of the Body. Oness will receive $3,000.00 and her novel will be published in 2008.

“Twelve Rivers of the Body lyrically evokes downtown Washington, DC in the 1980s, before the real estate boom, before gentrification, as the city limped from one crisis to another--crack addiction, AIDS, a crumbling infrastructure. This beautifully evoked novel traces Elena's imperfect struggle, like her adopted city's, to find wholeness and healing.”—Kim Roberts, judge for the Gival Press Novel Award

Biography:
Elizabeth Oness's stories and poetry have appeared in The Hudson Review, Crazyhorse, Glimmer Train, The Georgia Review, The Gettysburg Review, and other magazines. Her stories have received an O. Henry Prize, a Nelson Algren Award, and her story collection Articles of Faith was selected for the 2000 Iowa Short Fiction Prize. Her first novel Departures was published by Penguin in 2004. She directs marketing and development for Sutton Hoo Press, a literary fine press, and lives in rural Minnesota.


Finalists:
Honorable Intentions
by Rachel Mork of Huntersville, North Carolina.

Fire Hollow
by Melissa Zobel of Old Mystic, Connecticut.

Chantal
by Louella Byrant of Lincoln, Vermont.

The Trion Syndrome
by Tom Glenn of Ellicott City, Maryland.

Judge:
Her manuscript was read anonymously and chosen by the final judge Kim Roberts, editor of Beltway Poetry Quarterly and author of The Kimnama.

***

Here below is a listing of news provided by Kim Roberts regarding local literary news:

Beltway Poetry Quarterly's September Poetry News is now online!
http://washingtonart.com/beltway/ponews.html


This month's listings are particularly rich, with lots of new publications, calls for entries, workshops, and readings for almost every single day of the month!


>>>>>>>>>>>


POETRY NEWS: September 2007
NEW RELEASES
Christopher Conlon, Mary Falls: Requiem for Mrs. Surratt (The Word Works, Inc.) http://www.wordworksdc.com.


Gerry LaFemina, The Book of Clown Baby and Figures from the Big Time Circus Book (prose poems, Mayapple Press) http://www.mayapplepress.com.


Cheryl Snell, Samsara (chapbook, Pudding House Press) http://www.puddinghouse.com.


Broadkill Review, Vol. 1, No. 4. Features an interview with Linda Pastan, and poems by Gerry LaFemina, Erin Murphy, Ernie Wormwood, others. Special section on poets from New South Wales, Australia. Info: the_broadkill_review@earthlink.net.


Poems Against War, Vol. 6. The "Music & Heroes" issue features work by Grace Cavalieri, Kate Powell Shine, and Gregg Mosson. (Wasteland Press) http://www.poemsagainstwar.com.


Urban Code, Issue 2. Features interviews with Truth Thomas and Peter Klappert, and poems by Mel Nichols, Karren Alenier, and Kwame Alexander. Info and free subscriptions: urbancodemag@gmail.com.




COMPETITIONS, GRANTS and CALLS FOR ENTRY
The Zora Neale Hurton/ Richard Wright Foundation (http://www.hurstonwright.org) seeks applications for Fall/Spring Internship program. Ideal candidates should have an interest in literature, particularly the promotion, advancement, and dissemination of literature from people of African descent. Candidates should have particular strengths/experience in writing and office administration. Interested in students from the following disciplines: Arts Administration, Fundraising, Public Relations, Graphics Design, Editing, Publishing, etc. College credit available. If you cannot receive college credit and are still interested, please send all inquiries and resumes with a cover letter to: abdulali63@aol.com. No deadline given.


The Takoma Park Arts and Humanities Commission seeks poets for the upcoming Fall reading series. Open to residents of Takoma Park and the surrounding area. Send 3-5 poems. Deadline: Sept. 4. Mail to: ahc@takomagov.org.


DCJCC Literary Festival Writing Contest. Theme: "Away from Home." Open to residents of the DC metro area. Submit a short essay or story that best captures the experience of being away from home by Sept. 10. Winners honored on opening night (Oct. 6) of the annual Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival. http://www.washingtondcjcc.org/litfest.


DC Commission on the Arts, Hip Hop Community Arts Initiative. Funds for programs that encourage the growth of quality Hip Hop activities throughout DC. Deadline: Sept. 12. http://dcarts.dc.gov.


Passager invites writing by authors over 50 for two upcoming issues of the journal. Seeking poems, short fiction, and memoirs for an open issue. Include cover letter with brief bio and SASE; no previously published; simultaneous submissions OK. Deadline: Sept. 1. Also seeks submissions to honor Dr. King's Memory, part of a season-long commemoration in Baltimore of the 40th anniversary of MLK's death, the civil rights movement, and the 1968 Baltimore riots. Send poems, fiction, memoir, photos. Deadline: Sept. 15. Passager, University of Baltimore, 1420 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201. http://www.passagerpress.com. For more information on the University of Baltimore's '68 Riots and Rebirth Collection, see: http://archives.ubalt.edu/bsr/intro.htm.


Hidden River Arts Residency Program. Offers 2 weeks residencies in the fall and spring at a beachfront condo in Bethany Beach, DE to writers or poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry or 25 pages of prose with brief bio, resume, $15 application fee. Deadline: Sept. 15. http://www.hiddenriverarts.org.


DC Commission on the Arts, Young Artists Program. Offers funds to emerging artists between the ages of 18 and 30. Offers individual grants and community service grants, up to $3,500. Deadline: Sept. 19. http://dcarts.dc.gov.


Just Like a Girl, an anthology from GirlChild Press, seeks submisssions from women and girls. "A travelogue for the bumpy, powerful, action-packed world of girlhood." Any subject matter; submit up to 3 pieces. Work especially welcomed from new and emerging writers. Essays and fiction to 3,000 words. Poems of any length. Also seeks science fiction. Deadline: Sept. 30. Submit to girlchildpress@aol.com with "Just Like a Girl" in the subject line and a Word attachment titled with the author's name. Or mail to: Michelle Sewell, GirlChild Press, PO Box 93, Hyattsville, MD 20781. http://www.girlchildpress.com.


Not Just Air seeks submissions for upcoming issue. Issue 8: "Pregnant" (deadline Sept. 30). Authors are encouraged to interpret the theme creatively. Seeks verse, fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, reviews, short plays, multimedia works, translations. Previously published material that is not available elsewhere on the web is welcome. Simultaneous OK. Send submissions to transom@notjustair.org. Attach only Word or Rich Text files. Full guidelines at: http://www.notjustair.org.


DCCAH grants: Elders Learning Through the Arts. Offers grants up to $5,000 to individuals and organizations serving DC residents aged 60 and older in arts programs in the areas of crafts, dance, literature, media, music, performance arts, theater, and visual arts. Deadline: Sept.. 26. http://dcarts.dc.gov.


DCCAH grants: Small Projects Program. Grants to organizations and individual artists for small scale porjects with budgets under $3,000. Deadline: Oct. 10. http://dcarts.dc.gov.


Barrelhouse seeks submissions for its second annual Pop Culture Essay Contest, for creative nonfiction with a pop culture slant. Winner receives $150 and publication in print issue 6. One runner-up will be published in the online edition. Fee: $7 per entry. Deadline: Oct. 31. Submit work on the online submissions manager at http://www.barrelhousemag.com.



WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Fall Workshops at the Writers' Center, Bethesda, MD.Fees charged. Instructors include Kenneth Carroll, Nan Fry, Anne Becker, Yvette Neisser, Judith McCombs, Rod Jellema, Stanley Plumly, Nancy Naomi Carlson, others. http://www.writer.org.


Fall workshops at Pyramid Atlantic in letterpress and book arts. Offerings include workshops in broadsides, creating your own journals, pop-up books, and digital media. Fees charged. Info: http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.


Jenny McKean Moore Free Community Writing Workshop at TheGeorge Washington University, led by Ryan Van Cleave. Thursdays 7-9 pm from Sept. 13 to Dec. 6. No academic qualifications needed to apply; not open to students at Consortium schools or those who have already participated in a prior Jenny McKean Moore Workshop. Designed for beginning or intermediate writers. The class will read poetry by established writers and provide roundtable critiques of work by class members. No fees. Limited to 10 students. To apply, send a brief biographical statement, statement of interest, including writing history and motivations for taking the course, 8-12 pages of original poetry and a SASE for return of your work by September 3. Mail to: Poetry Workshop, Dept. of English, GW University, 8-1 22nd St. NW, Suite 760, Washington, DC 20052.


"Loving the Earth" Drum Circle, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7:30 pm. Led by Stream Tomas Ohrstrom. Drum with the group, and listen to poetry and Native American flute "to deepen your connection to our planet." No drumming experience necessary; percussion instruments provided. $15 donation. Be You Bi Yu Wellness Center and Spa, Wyngate Medical Park, 5602 Shields Dr., Bethesda. (301) 493-4911.


Arts on Foot, Saturday, Sept. 15, 11am to 5pm. Downtown DC's celebration of the arts in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. 15th anniversary year. Events include a juried fine arts market, performance stage, cooking demonstrations, and readings. 25 neighborhood locations. Free Admission. http://www.artsonfoot.org.


Workshop with Susan Tichy, Sunday Sept. 16 from noon to 3:00 pm. $25 fee. Sponsored by Busboys and Poets and DC Poets Against the War. Register by sending an email to Sarah Browning at womenarts2@aol.com. Workshop held at Busboys, 14th & V Streets NW, DC.


Fall Intensive Screenwriting Workshop, led by Claudia Myers, Sept. 18 - Oct. 23, Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Designed for new and intermediate screenwriters. Class will review screenwriting fundamentals such as character and plot development, the three-act structure, visual scene writing, and effective dialogue. By the end, students should have produced or revised 60 pages of script, plus an outline for the rest of the movie. Limited to 8; $300 fee. Meets near Dupont Circle. Call (917) 921-2940 or email: cemo526@yahoo.com.


Urban Campfire Talk on Walt Whitman, Sept. 19 at 7:30 pm, in front of the Sylvan Theater at 15th St. and Independence Ave. SW. Sponsored by rhe National Park Service, National Capital Region. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and spend an hour on the Washington Monument grounds for "Civil War Washington Through the Eyes of a Poet." "Using Whitman's own words we will retrace his footsteps through the Washignton he knew and uncover the traces he left behind." Free admission. http://www.nps.gov/mall/.


Fall for the Book Festival, Sept. 23-28, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Free Admission. Readings, panels, storytelling. Participants include Mark McMorris, Mark Doty, Mark Strand, Claudia Rankine. http://www.fallforthebook.org.


Baltimore Book Festival, September 28 -30. Readings, book signings, live music, display tables, family events. Mount Vernon Place, 600 block of North Charles St., Baltimore. Free Admission. Features include: Nikki Giovanni, Hiram Larew, Deanna Nikaido, Kim Roberts, and a special memorial reading for Barbara Simon. http://207.114.6.204/resources/up182.aspx.


7th Annual National Book Festival, Sept. 29, the National Mall between 7th and 14th Streets, Washington DC. 10am to 5pm. Free Admission. Readings, panels, family events. Participants include: N. Scott Momaday, Charles Simic, Kevin Prufer, Anne Stevenson, Arnold Rampersad. http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/


3rd Annual Sotto Voce Poetry Festival, October 5-7, Shepherdstown, WV. Featured poets: Michael Collier, Steve Orlen, Richard Garcia, Amy Holman. Free Admission. Workshops, tutorials, readings, children's workshop. Early registration recommended. (888) 812-1885 or http://somondocopress.com/sottovoce.


3rd Annual Capital Book Fest, Saturday, Oct. 6. The Blvd @ Cap Center, inside and behind Borders Books, Largo, MD. Readings, performances, book fair. Free Admission. http://www.capitalbookfest.com.


30th Anniversary Celebration of Callaloo, Oct. 24-27, Hosted by the Center for Africana Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Free admission to most events. Panels on "Black Studies, the Academy and Contemporary Black Communities," "Caribbean Writers in the US," "Poetry and Legacy of the Black Arts Movement," parties, and poetry and fiction readings by Tayari Jones, Paule Marshall, Lucille Clifton, Natasha Trethewey, Yusef Komunyakaa, A. Van Jordan, Major Jackson, Terrance Hayes, John Edgar Wideman. http://web.jhu.edu/africana.




AREA READINGS and PERFORMANCES
September 5
Intersections series: readings by Derrick Weston-Brown, Alan King, and youth poets from FAN (Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso) and DC Writers Corps, plus discussion, live music, and open mic. Hosted by Fred Joiner.
Wednesday, 7:30 pm
$2 suggested donation. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE, DC. (202) 889-5000 x141.


September 9
Iota Poetry Series: 13th anniversary reading, with readings by featured authors from the past year.
Sunday, 6:00 pm
Free. Iota Cafe and Club, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Clarendon neighborhood, Arlington, VA. (703) 522-8340 or (703) 256-9275.


September 9
Nine on the Ninth Series: Tim'm West, followed by open mic.
Friday, 9:00 pm
$3 Admission. Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Streets NW, DC. (202) 387-POET.


September 12
Brookland Reading Series: 4th Annual Sterling Brown Invitational Reading
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Brookland Visitor's Center, 3420 9th St. NE, DC. (202) 526-1632.


September 13
Abdul Ali, Christina Beasley, Katy Richey, and Bernadette Van-Field
Sunday, 7:30 pm
Free. Nora School, 955 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, MD. (301) 495-6672.


September 15
"Concert in the Woods": featuring live music and poetry by Hiram Larew, Lynn Hollyfield, Cliff Lynn, and Rocky Jones. Sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.
Saturday, 8:00 pm
$12 Admission. Hard Bargain Farm Amphitheater, 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD.
(301) 292-5665.


September 16
Sunday Kind of Love, Susan Tichy, followed by open mic.
Sunday, 4:00 pm
Free. Busboys & Poets, 14th and V Streets NW, U Street neighborhood, DC. (202) 387-POET.


September 17
Cafe Muse: Judith Hemschemeyer reads from her translations of Anna Akhmatova. Classical guitar by Michael Davis and open mic.
Monday, 7:00 pm
Free. Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, MD. (301) 581-9439.


September 19
Poesis Series: Ellen Cole and Kim Roberts
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Pentagon City Borders Books, 1201 S. Hayes St., Arlington, VA (703) 418-0166.


September 19
Intersections series: reading by Tony Medina, discussion, live music, and open mic. Hosted by Fred Joiner.
Wednesday, 7:30 pm
$2 suggested donation. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE, DC. (202) 889-5000 x141.


September 19
Mothertongue
Wednesday, 9:00 pm
$5 Admission. The Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW, DC. (202) 726-1821.


September 20
Martín Espada
Thursday, 6:30 pm
Free. Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Streets NW, DC. (202) 387-POET.


September 20
Verse, Vibes and Bites: Mark Anderson and Angela Redmond, followed by open mic
Thursday, 7:00 pm
Free. Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW, Metro Center neighborhood, DC. (202) 246-0111.


September 20
Carolyn Joyner, Mike Scalise, Rocky Jones, and Mike Maggio. Hosted by Joe Hall.
Thursday, 8:00 pm
Free, but donations accepted. Big Bear Cafe, 1st and R Streets NW, DC. (202) 470-5543.


September 24
Burlesque Poetry Hour: Jennifer L. Knox, Piotr Gwiazda, and Dean Smith
Monday, 8:00 pm
Free. Bar Rouge, Hotel Rouge, 1315 16th St. NW, DC. (202) 232-8000.


September 26
A Space Inside: Kate Blackwell reads short fiction
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Riverby Books, 417 E. Capitol St. SE, Eastern Market neighborhood, DC. (202) 543-4342.


September 26
Sarah Browning and Steven B. Rogers. Followed by open reading.
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Kensington Row Books, 3786 Howard Ave., Kensington, MD. (301) 949-9416.


September 26
DC Slam, featuring Axiom
Wednesday, 7:30 pm
Free. Modern Times Coffeehouse, Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC. (202) 364-1919.


September 29
Constance Quarterman Bridges, author of Lions Don't Eat Us
Saturday, 2:00 pm
Free. Karibu Books, The Mall at Prince Georges, 3500 East West Hwy., Hyattsville, MD (301) 559-1140.


September 30
Poetry in the Garden: Ellen Cole, Andrea Hoag, Eliza King, Claire McGoff, and Kathryn Williams
Sunday, 3:30 pm
$6 Admission. Tudor Place Historica House and Garden, 1644 31st St. NW, Georgetown neighborhood, DC. (202) 965-0400 x110.


Information subject to change. Please call in advance to confirm events.
To get your event listed, send complete information during the month prior to beltway.poetry@juno.com.