Newsletter Issue #34 April, 2014

Readers —

Welcome to Issue # 34 of Plume.

And, I’m afraid — or perhaps to your delight — we move this month directly to PLUME  news. (We’ll forgo our “hidden” poem this month — though there are two in the Editor’s Note.)

Just returned from Plume Anthology of Poetry readings in New York and Cambridge: both successful in every way. Good crowds, marvelous venues in Housing Works in the former, and Porter Square Books in the latter. And the readers! Please allow me to take a moment to thank you, friends (as I now think of you) for your generosity and great gifts. In New York, Tom Sleigh, D.Nurkse, Rachel Hadas, Grace Schulman, Nicole Cooley, and Sophie Cabot Black. And not to forget Alex Cigale, who both read from the anthology work he has translated for us, but acted as emcee extraordinaire. Quite a line-op, yes?

And in Cambridge, no slouches, either: Daniel Tobin, Clare Rosinni, Martha Collins, David Rivard, Len Krisak, and Ciaran Berry. With Alex’s counterpart in Josh Cook, reading from his work and superbly performing introductory duties. (Thank you, Ron Slate,too, for turning up.)

Even I, with my…, um, less than spell-binding stage presence, when called upon to provide a coda of sorts, couldn’t manage to entirely disappoint — I don’t think. But how would I know? Everyone so: yes, nice. so gracious, so full of goodwill and encouragement.

Thank you, all! Thank you!

Next on the reading docket, an event in support of the print anthology in our fair city: Saint Petersburg, Florida. Herewith the information on that venture, coming in less than a week:

PLUME ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY 2013 PLUME Poetry Series @ The Palladium  April 21, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Tess Gallagher (with Lawrence Matsuda). Free to SPC students, faculty, and staff. Ten dollars general public.

A shout-out here, as well, to Colette Bancroft, Book Editor for the esteemed (believe me, rightly so) Tampa Bay Times (“The South’s Largest Newspaper” — and winner of the 2014 Pulitzer for Local Reporting: Will Hobson and Michael LaForgia). Colette conducted an interview with Tess which will run in the Sunday (20 April) edition.

On the subject of the Pulitzer Prize: Congratulations to Vijay Seshadri — for his 3 Sections (Greywolf). As many of you know, Vijay is a PLUME contributor.

What else? Ah: We have a tentative booking in New Orleans in Mid- May: Peter Cooley, Carrie Causey, Ben Lowenkron, Chris Shipman, and — tentatively — Brad Richard. Date and venue almost nailed down: mid-June, it seems. More details as they coalesce.’

Finally, editor that I have become — initially reluctantly but more and more pleasingly — I would be remiss — and Marc Vincenz of MadHat would not forgive me — if I did not repeat, for at least one more month, the following plug for the print Plume Anthology of Poetry 2014. 

Again, you can purchase a copy at our STORE on the PLUME Website or through our publishers at MadHat Press  or online at Amazon and many other sites, as well. We are proud of it, and believe you will like it, too — almost all new work from PLUME poets, with a Featured Selection from Karl Krolow, translated by Stuart Friebert that is…astonishing.

Again, I am afraid, …one more shred of dignity cast aside as I ask once more for this favor: one, if you are on Facebook or Twitter, and like a particular poem very much: please share, retweet. The best way for PLUME to grow is as with everything, word of mouth.

Our cover art this month is from Chris Maynard — see his remarkable bio notes in the Editor’s note

Next up, after this issue’s multi-media Featured Selection from Hank Lazer, expect a stunning piece from Amit Mujmudar, followed by James Richardson.   Several more features are in the pipeline, as has been noted, with Nin Andrews and Linda Pasten the latest to join the queue. (Here, too, again, let me add as always: those with projects that might be suitable for the Featured Selection, please do contact us with your proposal at plumepoetry@gmail.com )

And — promise — last: PLUME is on the lookout for a publicist, with tech skills and contacts in the poetry world. As PLUME continues to, well, succeed, I find I need some assistance. Anyone interested, or who knows someone who might be in interested in this, alas unpaid (but titled!) position, please contact me through our usual email: plumepoetry@gmail.com

For a list of new work received this month, please see our Editor’s Note: particularly fruitful this session.

And: we approach, now, 10,000 readers each month.

That is well and truly all for now.

As always, I do hope you enjoy the issue!

Daniel Lawless
Editor, Plume

Author: Plume

Plume: