Jan Steckel's Blog: Horizontal Poet Sings Bidyke Blues - Posts Tagged "suzanne-frost"

Thank you to Hilcia Suarez for her very thoughtful and kind review of my poetry book The Horizontal Poet on her blog, Impressions of a Reader, at
http://www.impressionsofareader.com/2...

I had a great time last night at a Mind/Body poetry reading in Santa Barbara. It was hosted by a friend, Ron Alexander, who organized the first Whitman-Stein Memorial LGBT Reading in which I took part last year. Among the readers were Suzanne Frost, who will be hosting me at The Poetry Zone at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Santa Barbara on April 14. Phil Taggart was there, and very kindly offered to host me at his reading in Ventura in July.

One of the things I love about Ron's readings is that he has each reader read poems of their own AND poems by a famous poet they admire. The result is that the quality of poetry at his readings is extremely high. The setting, the Wall Space Gallery in a beautifully restored Victorian house, couldn't be more lovely. Add delicious refreshments and the friendly presence of Ron himself, as well as the very appreciative Santa Barbara audience, and you've got a great reading series.

Tonight I'm reading for the first time at the Santa Barbara Poetry Series in the Contemporary Arts Forum at the Paseo Nuevo Mall on State Street in Santa Barbara from 7 to 9 PM. I'll be reading with Dean Rader, a writing professor from the University of San Francisco, and Elijah Imlay, a poet from Ventura. Again, it's a beautiful space, with great acoustics. Can't wait.

A terrific review of my book The Horizontal Poet just got posted by Marie Lecrivain, editor and publisher of the Los Angeles litzine poeticdiversity and a fine poet and writer.

http://alkhemiapoetica.blogspot.com/2...

I love the image of her reading the title poem aloud at a poetry reading in Los Angeles. Wish I could have been there!

April, National Poetry Month, is a whirlwind. Had a terrific time reading the other night at the 10th Anniversary of Poetry Express in Berkeley with my friend Al Averbach. I'll be the featured reader on April 14 at The Poetry Zone, a collegial open mic hosted by Suzanne Frost at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Santa Barbara. Then it's back up to Berkeley for a reading with excellent poet Jeanne Wagner at Expressions Gallery, hosted by Steve Arntson, on the evening of April 20, with an open mic, 7-9 PM. Finally, I'll read on April 24 at the Lambda Literary Finalists reading at 6 PM at the main San Francisco Public Library. I'll try to post details about each reading here a few days beforehand.

How are you celebrating National Poetry Month?

WOW! What a National Poetry Month it's been. Started out reading a friendly acquaintance's poem at his memorial -- a very moving and beautiful day. Had a three-reading weekend when I read at The Poetry Zone at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Santa Barbara, then got to hear host Suzanne Frost read in two more readings at the California Arts Forum and the Mission Poetry Series, both of which were excellent. Heard poet Michael C. Ford of Los Angeles at the Mission reading -- what a force he is!

Enjoyed reading with Jeanne Wagner at Expressions Gallery in Berkeley on Friday night-- the open mic was just as exciting as the features, with my publisher Bruce Isaacson putting in an appearance with his son Alan Isaacson -- both very fine poets and performers. Co-feature Jeanne Wagner's poetry made fireworks go off behind my eyelids.

Last night was the high point for me -- the Lambda Literary Finalists reading at the San Francisco Public Library. I got to meet Daphne Gottlieb, whom I've admired from afar for years. Her reading about her mother's dying was very moving. Also got to hear my friend Christina Hutchins read from her new book *The Stranger Dissolves* (Sixteen Rivers Press, 2011). I was scared to follow both of them, but I felt my poetry was well received. Such a wonderful, energizing event! Enjoyed meeting the other SF finalists as well as Ellery Washington(Lambda Literary Foundation Board Member), Tony Valenzuela (Executive Director of Lambda) and Karen Sundheim (Program Manager for the San Francisco Public Library). Everyone was so kind, and the event was so well executed.

Now I get to rest a bit before going to my friends Judy Wells and Dale Jensen's 10th Anniversary Reading at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts this Saturday evening in Alameda. If you live in the SF Bay Area, this is one reading not to miss.

I'll be one of several readers on May 12 at Works in Progress, a women's reading in the Piedmont neighborhood of Oakland. Irina Rivkin will be singing her wonderful Russian lesbian looping folk-rock. Write me for details if you're a woman in the SF Bay Area and you want to go. So much great queer energy! Reminds me why I moved back here.

After that, it's off to New York City the first week in June, where I'll visit the Ginsberg estate offices, read in Bi Lines at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the East Village with the other Bi finalists for the Lammies on June 3, and attend the 24th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony at the Graduate Center, CUNY, on June 4. Heavens. What does one wear to the Oscars of LGBT writing?