Greetings, February 28, 2013
 + MAINE’S 2013 POETRY OUT LOUD FINALS
Poetry Out Loud—the national poetry recitation program organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered by the Maine Arts Commission—is building to a crescendo in Maine! The state finals will be held Wednesday, March 20 in Bangor.
Earlier this month at two regional finals, ten students were selected to appear at the state finals. Those ten students will compete to represent Maine at the  national finals in Washington, D.C. Maine’s Poetry Out Loud state final will be held at the Gracie Theater in Bangor on Wednesday, March 20. The event is free to attend and doors will open at 3:30 pm. The event will be recorded by MPBN for future airings on television. This year’s Poetry Out Loud finalists are:
Iman Omar - Deering High School Christian E. Heath - Gardiner Area High School Skyler Samuelson - Merriconeag Waldorf High School Jai Aslam - Messalonskee High School Isabelle Fall - Mt. Ararat High School Abigail Abbott - Rangeley Lakes Regional School Brianna Housman - Searsport District High School Morgan Wiggan - Thornton Academy Bethanie Brown - Waterville Senior High School Dyer Rhoads - Waynflete School
*Check out this great blog about Poetry Out Loud and poetry in general from poet Carl Little.
 + LIT LAB WITH BODWELL
MWPA Executive Director Joshua Bodwell doesn’t lead writing workshops too often these days. But when Engine, the community arts organization he helped co-found in Biddeford, asked him to lead “The Art of the Short Story,” he leapt.
This four-part workshop beginning April 6 will focus on detailed, workshop-style manuscript critiques with a maximum of ten registrants. Complete details and registration information about the workshop can be found HERE.
Prior to taking the helm at the MWPA, Bodwell served as the associate editor on the founding staff of Maine Home + Design magazine, and today is a regular contributor to Poets & Writers magazine, as well as a contributing editor of the online journal Fiction Writers Review. As a reporter and columnist for the York County Coast Star, his journalism garnered first place awards from the Maine Press Association, while his personal columns about Maine won awards from the New England Press Association.
*The photo of Bodwell (right) is by Irvin Serrano.
Did you know MWPA members are now eligible for special discounted pricing for author photos?
+ THIS JUST IN!
In
2012, poet David Sloan won both of the Betsy Sholl Award from Words
& Images magazine and the 2012 Maine Literary Award for Poetry in
the Short Works Competition. Now, Deerbrook Editions’ Jeff Haste has just announced that Sloan’s first collection—The Irresistible In Between—is due to be published by his Cumberland-based press this spring. Kudos to both author and publisher!
A Conversation in Poetry
Edited and Introduced by Maine Poet Laureate Wesley McNair
Today’s poem about dividing the spoils after a divorce comes from Donald Crane, who lives on the Down East coast above Milbridge.
To read “Divorce” by Donald Crane, please click HERE.
Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry is produced in collaboration with the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. Questions about submitting to Take Heart may be directed to David Turner, Special Assistant to the Maine Poet Laureate, at poetlaureate@mainewriters.org or 207-228-8263.
Thursday, May 2 - Sunday, May 5
Shoreline Camps on Big Lake in Grand Lake Stream
Registration Deadline: March 29, 2013
The MWPA is excited to announce the 2013 Black Fly Writing Retreat! Join us for an inspiring four-day, three-night weekend of workshops, readings, and writing at the idyllic Shoreline Camps on Big Lake in Grand Lake Stream.
THE RETREAT
2013 Black Fly Writing Retreat attendees will spend three mornings in workshops of no more than twelve participants working with one instructor. Afternoons will be open for writing and optional thirty-minute individual sessions with the instructors. In addition to the intensive workshops and one-on-one sessions, the weekend will include faculty and participant readings.
Shoreline Camps is a cluster of rustic, lakeside cabins. Each cabin will house a varying number of Black Fly Writing Retreat attendees. Each cabin includes an equipped kitchen, fresh linens, blankets, and bath towels. Each cabin includes a wood stove and outdoor fireplace with complementary firewood.
> General Description & Info
> Registration Form
THE WORKSHOPSLifting Up Your Reader’s Heart
Fiction with Brock Clarke
A Novelist’s Guide to Memoir
Memoir with Monica Wood
The Classroom of the Poem
Poetry with Wesley McNair
Story, Not Formula
Crime Fiction with Paul Doiron
Writing for Emotional Impact
Children’s & Y/A with Jennifer Jacobson
In partnership with the Maine Community Foundation, the MWPA is proud to offer the Martin Dibner Memorial Fellowship for Maine Writers.
The Dibner Fellowship will cover the full cost of one attendee to the 2013 Black Fly Writing Retreat. Every applicant must submit an application, statement of need, and work sample.
> Dibner INFORMATION
SUBMIT YOUR ORIGINAL SHORT STORIES! Summer Stories Competition
Deadline: postmarked by March 1, 2013
The MWPA has launched an exciting collaboration between literary and visual artists. In collaboration with Brunswick-based Shanti Arts Publishing, the MWPA invites Maine authors to write original short stories inspired by the paintings of Leslie Anderson. Winning submissions to the Summer Stories Short Story Competition will be published in
a printed collection alongside Anderson’s paintings. Award-winning
Maine author Ron Currie, Jr. will serve as the competition’s judge.
READ: Bob Keyes "Every Picture Will Tell a Story" > Full Entry Details
 WINTER WRITING WORKSHOPS
19 Statewide!
The MWPA is offering nineteen different winter writing workshops in towns across Maine, including Bangor, Belfast, Brunswick, Damariscotta, Lewiston, Portland, and Rockland. The workshop topics include fiction, memoir, poetry, essays, screenwriting, book reviewing, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more.
> Workshop Descriptions & Registrations Forms
> Register Now for March:
TRADITIONAL SCREENWRITING APPROACHES
Instructor: Polly Bennell
Date & Time: Three Thursdays: March 14, 21, 28 | 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: USM’s Glickman Library, Portland
PLACE IN POETRY: How Where We Live Inhabits Us
Instructor: Linda Aldrich
Date & Time: Saturday, March 16 |10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Belfast Free Library
THE FICTION MANUSCRIPT: Three Afternoons of Discussion and Critique
Instructor: Cynthia Thayer
Date & Time: Saturday, March 16, 23, 30 |12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Bangor Public Library
HOOSH!  Sunday, March 3 in Belfast
2:00 PM @ Left Bank BooksJason Anthony is one of a kind: Antarctic explorer-meets-foodie! Anthony reads from Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine at Left Bank Books in Belfast.
> More INFO
> Check out Jason Anthony's blog HERE.
> THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 at 7PM The Maine Poetry Express roars into the Patten Free Library in Bath! Conductors: Leslie Mortimer and Helene McGlauflin. Featured Poets: Gary Lawless, Wesley McNair, Sarah Woolf-Wade. Special Guests: Ted Allen, Susan Beegel, Nancy Brown Stump, Louise Bryant, David Ingmundson, Helen McGlauflin. Leslie Mortimer, lmortimer@patten.lib.me.us > FRIDAY, MARCH 1 at 12 PM Walter Bannon presents The White Pocketbook at the Portland Public Library’s Local Authors series. INFO > FRIDAY, MARCH 1 at 7 PM Annie Mahle presents Sugar and Salt: A Year At Home and At Sea at Longfellow Books in Portland. INFO
> SUNDAY, MARCH 3 at 3:00 PM Jason Anthony reads from Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine at Left Bank Books in Belfast. INFO
> TUESDAY, MARCH 5 at 12 PM David Buchanan presents Taste, Memory at the Maine Historical Society in Portland. INFO
> TUESDAY, MARCH 5 at 7 PM Jason Anthony presents from Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine at Frontier Cinema in Brunswick at part of Pecha Kucha. INFO
> WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 at 12 PM James Arthur presents Charms Against Lightning at the Portland Public Library Brown Bag Lecture series. INFO
> WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 at 6 PM Jason Anthony discusses Hoosh: Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine with Johnnie Kosnow on WRFR’s Open Book radio show. INFO > WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 at 7:30 PM Irish poets Ciaran Carson and Sinead Morrissey read in the University of Maine at Farmington’s Visiting Writers Series at The Landing in the UMF Olsen Student Center. INFO > THURSDAY, MARCH 7 at 4:30 PM Wesley McNair reads at York County Community College. INFO: Doreen Rogan, ydrogan@yccc.edu> THURSDAY, MARCH 7 at 7 PM Layne Witherell presents Wine Maniacs: Life in the Wine Biz at Longfellow Books in Portland. INFO > FRIDAY, MARCH 8 at 10:30 AM Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold presents her novel The Whaler’s Bride at Bartlett Woods Retirement Community in Rockland. INFO > FRIDAY, MARCH 8 at 12 PM Miriam Nesset presents Sea Smoke at the Portland Public Library Local Authors series. INFO > FRIDAY, MARCH 8 at 6:30 PM The Owl and Turtle Book Shop in Camden and poet Dave Morrison presents the Downtown Poetry Party and a specially printed limited edition of Morrison’s greatest poetry hits, Hot Tears of Shame. INFO
> SUNDAY, MARCH 10 at 2 PM Dana Pearson presents his debut novel Two Birds at Graves Memorial Library in Kennebunkport as part of the Pasco Lecture Series. INFO > SUNDAY, MARCH 10 at 2 PM Peaks Island Reading and Silent Auction to Benefit Longfellow Books at the Brackett Memorial United Church on Peaks Island. The event will feature an auction and authors Jamie Hogan, Scott Nash, Annie O’Brien, Nicole d’Entremont, James Hayman, and Eleanor Morse. INFO > MONDAY, MARCH 11 at 9 PM Port Veritas welcomes three time National Poetry Slam Finalist Rachel McKibbens and Ellyn Touchette to Mama’s CrowBar in Portland. INFO > TUESDAY, MARCH 12 at 7 PM Port Veritas welcomes three time National Poetry Slam Finalist Rachel McKibbens to Bull Feeney’s in Portland. INFO > WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 at 7 PM Award-Winning poet Marianne Boruch to read in University of Southern Maine’s Woodbury Campus Center on Bedford Street in Portland. INFO: 207-780-8393 or e-mail: jtussing@usm.maine.edu
> THURSDAY, MARCH 14 at 7 PM Join poet Annie Finch at Merrill Memorial Library in Yarmouth for a poetry celebration. Bring your favorite sonnets, villanelles, haiku, ballads or pantoums to read and discuss. INFO
> FRIDAY, MARCH 15 at 12 PM Bo Bigelow presents his novel Concessions as part of the Portland Public Library Local Authors series. INFO
> FRIDAY, MARCH 15 at 5 PM Bath City Hall welcomes poets, musicians, and travelers to celebrate the culture, music and landscape of Ireland as part of Bath's week-long Blarney Days celebration. Poets Marita ONeill, Duff Plunket, Helene McGlauflin, and Rick Dedek, will present. FMI: Helene McGlauflin at mcglauflinh@gmail.com ________________________ SAVE THE DATE> SAVE THE DATE POETRY OUT LOUD IN MAINE Maine State Finals: Gracie Theater, Bangor Wednesday, March 20
> SAVE THE DATE FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 The
Eleventh Annual Terry Plunkett Maine Poetry Festival at the University
of Maine at Augusta. Poetry and music on Friday and Saturday, with an
opening reception on Friday night. Saturday will include readings, a
panel discussion of Poetry and Food (the colloquium theme this year),
open mic, and more.
* Please send your pre-formatted event info to director@mainewriters.org *
 + NEW YORK TIMES? YES! Bill Roorbach’s new novel Life Among Giants not only recently landed a coveted review in the New York Times Book Review, it also happened to be a gushingly positive review! And don’t miss Bill’s great thoughts on the opening lines of seven books of fiction he randomly pulled from his shelves recently.
+ MS. BETTY WOOD If you missed the WGME piece on Monica Wood’s sister Betty and her love of anchor woman Kim Block, you missed something very special!
+ STUDENT? SUBMIT! The 2013 Terry Plunkett Maine Poetry Festival is now accepting submissions for two poetry contests: one for UMA/UMS students, and a second for Maine high school students. Up to two poems can be submitted. Submissions must include a cover letter below. Deadline is March 10th. Click HERE for more details.
+ BIG BUMP Kim Kalicky’s new book Mothers Fulfilled has been getting some serious endorsement bumps as of late…like landing on Maria Shriver’s web site!
+ TUNE IN Four-Alarm House author Carolyn Gelland was recently featured on What Are You Reading? with Bill Wood. Gelland also read her own poems and poems by her late husband Kenneth Frost.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Michael Macklin Book Prize 
Maine Poetry Central, the Portland Poet Laureate program, and Moon Pie Press announce a call for poetry manuscript submissions for the newly created Michael Macklin Book Prize. The competition honors the late Portland, Maine poet Michael Macklin.
The contest is open to New England poets 40 and older who have never had a full-length bound book published. (Chapbooks do not count for the purposes of this contest.) The winning manuscript will be published in fall 2013. The winner will receive copies of the book, a cash prize to be determined, and will have a number of readings arranged.
Submission guidelines:
- Open only to poets 40+ who have never had a full-length poetry book published, living in ME, NH, VT, MA, RI or CN.
- Deadline for submitting is June 1, 2013.
- Manuscript should be a minimum of 50 pages, maximum of 80 pages.
- Reading fee is $20.00, check payable to Moon Pie Press.
- Manuscripts should be mailed with check to: Moon Pie Press 16 Walton Street Westbrook , ME 04092
- If you plan to enter the contest, please send an email by March 15 so we can get an idea of how many submissions there will be. Please email: moonpiepress@yahoo.com.
The MWPA is proud to offer an exclusive deal from our friends at
Your membership in the MWPA entitles you to a special subscription rate of up to 69% off the newsstand price of Poets & Writers. That’s like getting 8 issues FREE!
By clicking HERE, you can subscribe for 2 years (12 issues) for $22.00 (or $1.83 an issue) or 1 year (6 issues) for $12.00 (or $2.00 an issue).
We hope you’ll take advantage of this generous offer Poets & Writers has extended to the MWPA membership.
 MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR WESLEY McNAIR'S
MAINE POETRY EXPRESS!
____________
February 28: Patten Free Library in Bath, 7 PM
Contact: Leslie Mortimer, lmortimer@patten.lib.me.us
Conductors
Leslie Mortimer
Helene McGlauflin
Featured Poets
Gary Lawless
Wesley McNair
Sarah Woolf-Wade
Special Guests
Ted Allen
Susan Beegel
Nancy Brown Stump
Louise Bryant
David Ingmundson
Helen McGlauflin
____________
March 21: Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott, 7 PM
Contact: Valerie Lawson, valerie_lawson1@hotmail.com____________
March 28: Turner Public Library, 7 PM
Contact: Betty Twitchell, btwitch@megalink.net
Conductors
Pat Dickinson
Betty Twitchell
Featured Poets
Wesley McNair
David Moreau
Jeffrey Thomson
Special Guests
Betsy Bullard
Linwood Gilbert
Aimee Goodwin
Pat Jacobs
Shaune Ouellette
Don Prince
*This event will be held at the Leavitt Institute Building.____________
April 4: Waterville Public Library, 7 PM
Contact: Pat Burdick, paburdic@colby.edu
April 9: York Public Library, 7 PM
Contact: Kim Meyers, kemyers@york.lib.me.us
April 25: Solon Meeting House, 7 PM
Contact: Barbara Sullivan, solonoid@tdstelme.net
May 7: Camden Public Library, 7 PM
Contact: Ken Gross, kgross@librarycamden.org
May 14: SPACE Gallery in Portland, 7 PM
Contact: Joshua Bodwell, director@mainewriters.org
New Stop Just Added!
June 29: Chebeague Island Library
Contact: Deborah Bowman, cheblib@hotmail.com
MaineBiz recently ran a great update on how Longfellow Books has been rebuilding post blizzard.
Now, who am I going to see this Saturday, March 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Longfellow Books Cash Mob?!?! One of best ways to help Longfellow Books, quite simply, is to buy books from them! But let’s stop and think for a moment, and plan ahead…
1. GIFTS. Check your calendar: Will you be purchasing birthday gifts for friends and family in the next six months? Why not buy them all Longfellow Books gift certificates right now and be done with your shopping?
2. BOOK CLUB PLEDGE. Are you in a book club? Can you get all your members to pledge that they will buy all their book-club books, for one year, from Longfellow Books? Yes, you can! And if you get your club to take the pledge, and you let us know at the MWPA, we’ll list your club and member’s first names on our website—“Marty, Jamie, Jean, Craig, Nick, and Frank from Greater Portland, meeting since 1997” have already made the pledge!
3. TREAT YOURSELF. Didn’t get that book you wanted for the holidays? Have you been saying to yourself, “I’ll get that later”? Well, now you know exactly when “later” will be: March 2 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
* There will be another fundraiser Longfellow Books on Sunday, March 10 at 2 PM on Peaks Island at the Brackett Memorial United Church on Peaks Island. The event will feature an auction and authors Jamie Hogan, Scott Nash, Annie O’Brien, Nicole d’Entremont, James Hayman, and Eleanor Morse. Click HERE for more info on the event! In the meantime, I’m here if you need me. Give me a call or drop me a note via email or snail. Every call gets returned and every note gets answered.
Onwards & Have Fun,
Joshua Bodwell, Executive Director director@mainewriters.orgMaine Writers & Publishers AllianceGlickman Family Library 314 Forest Avenue, Room 318 Portland, ME 04101 FMI: www.mainewriters.org or call 207-228-8263Join the MWPA on Facebook by clicking HERE.The Peavey is copy-edited and proofread by Dana M. Pearson. Visit Mr. Pearson's website HERE.
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