Fist In the air: a celebration of social activism through poetry, McAllen, Texas 14th June 2013

A showcase of selected poets who use their work as a tool for social change including

• Isaac Chavarria
• Chuck Taylor
• Jose Chapa V
• Erika Garza-Johnson
• Mary Ann Escamilla
• Cesar de Leon

Celebrate of the role of social activists in changing the world. Hear hear. Since poets are usually at the forefront of revolutions in most Latin American countries (Roque Dalton, Pablo Neruda, Susana Chavez) and around the world, poets should take on that role here in the United States today. Again - go poets!

You can find this event at the wonderful Hinovations Art Studio, 1009 Laurel from 7.30pm and find out more about it here https://www.facebook.com/events/445310865562648/

Le Festival de Fès des Musiques Sacrées du Monde, Fes, Morocco June 2013

Go to Fes in Morocco and attend the Sacred Music Festival with poet and singer Patti Smith. The theme is Andalusia and other acts include: Amina Alaoui, Morocco’s famous interpreter of Andalusian music, Paco de Lucia, flamenco singer Carmen Linares; and Portugal’s Ana Moura; experience Arabic verse and song in an authentic setting and hear its modern interpretations. This sounds very appealing right now...

Events start from 7th June until 15th June. Find out more here http://www.fesfestival.com/2013/

Supermarket poetry

Why do people turn to poetry? The most curious recent example must come from Tesco's. In attempt to deflect intense criticism over a horsemeat burger scandal, they phrased their apology in free verse in store and in adverts.

Dr Christopher Burlinson, English professor at Jesus College, Cambridge, labelled the text as clearly “a piece of concrete poetry, as well as a clever piece of advertising."  And it does make us wonder here at p&g about what the current state of poetry would be if advertising had not become such a lucrative job from the fifties onward. See what you make of their attempt:

More on this story here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21687776.

poetandgeek.com issue 6 now available

Yes. Yes. Yes. poetandgeek.com issue 6 is here and it is good.

You will find new work from Alistair Noon, John Quinn, Phil Isherwood, Andrew McCallum, Felino A. Soriano, Richie McCaffery, Anne Pia, Sarah Flint, Jennifer Martin, Allan-Alexander Lawson, Sy Roth, Frank C. Praeger, DIY taxidermy, Brownsbank gravy stains, pollsters, pelicans, Troy and the hall of the mouth...

Enjoy it all here http://www.poetandgeek.com/issue6/issue06.html.

...we crawled along the aisles.

Musical supermarket interludes interrupted by fish sale announcements,

endless rows of food to nourish creeping, slouching seconds to inevitability.

Sy Roth

World Goth Day party 2013 San Francisco USA

WGD is actually celebrated on the 22nd May every year but that has not stopped the good folks at Dancing Ghosts planning an evening celebrating gothic music, fashion, and community on the 31st May this year. And why not?

Goths have the unique merit of combining poet and geek without even trying...

Good value I would say at $3 before 10 pm,but  $7 after. The event runs 9:30 PM to 2:30 AM at The Cat Club 1190 Folsom @ 8th St. San Francisco.

More information on World Goth Day here http://www.worldgothday.com/ and party invites here https://www.facebook.com/events/168361163323258/.

Talking to birds

Sometimes it is worth stopping. And listening.

Even on a Monday AM.

See what you hear.

The cowboy with his oaten straw,
Although he hardly heard or saw
No more of music than he made,
Twas sweet; and when I pluckt the blade
Of grass upon the woodland hill
To mock the birds with artless skill,
No music in the world beside
Seemed half so sweet, till mine was tried.
So my boy- worship poesy
Made e'en the muses pleased with me,
Until I even danced for joy,
A happy and a lonely boy,
Each object to my ear and eye
Made paradise of poesy.

Extract from The progress of poetry by John Clare

You can read the full poem here http://www.archive.org/stream/poemsbyjohnclare00clariala/poemsbyjohnclare00clariala_djvu.txt.

Spoke n Slurred - Adelaide, Australia May 26th 2013

Adelaide gets hot and cool..

The main reader for the night is Lacole Foots described as "a great poet and a slick-as-shit performer". That'll do for us.

It is all kicking off from 7pm at The Squatters Arms, Port Road, Adelaide, South Australia 503 and other delights promised include: it sounds so good we are sticking with (I AM SHOUTING upper case).

• OPEN MIC
• FREE ENTRY
• 'BLOODY MARY' DRINKS SPECIAL ALL NIGHT
• GOLD COIN BBQ - VEGO FRIENDLY - Food served at 7.00

Review of the Squatter's Arms says the following "Who needs to be trendy when you have all the poets in Adelaide massing in the back room and waxing lyrical every few weeks - that says it all. Ever met a poet in a pub who didn't have a full glass and an eye for another?"

Another poet? Anyway p&g encourages you to attend as it sounds fun.

More information is available here https://www.facebook.com/events/396171103823386/ and about Lacole Foots here http://australianpoetryslam.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/lacole-foots-sa-national-finalist-2012/ (and credit to them for this photo of Foots)