VOLUME 10

Our Tenth Anniversary Issue will be launched:

Wednesday, September 14
8PM
Poetswednesday
Barron Arts Center
Woodbridge, NJ

This is where we launched the ELR ten years ago and we are so excited to be able to celebrate this issue there as well!
This is a great issue – more than 50 poets are included here – as you can see from the cover. Many names you will recognize, a few poets may be new to you but I’m sure you will be hearing more from them in the future.
Go to the web site (edisonliteraryreview.org) for info on ordering a copy — or even more fun — come to the launch and buy one that night. Many of the poets will be reading and it should be great fun!

Go to http://www.edisonliteraryreview.org for more information.

What music do you listen to over and over? Why this genre?

John (son) posted that during his youth, I was always playing the one song I liked most at the time over and over and over….(“Slow Hands” is still embedded in his head).

Patrick (grandson), phenomenal drummer at 13, said he only likes rock and heavy metal and not any other genre. I asked him to send me a list of 5 reasons why this music was what he liked and what it was about music that make him choose this. He hasn’t done this yet and I thought why do I like certain music enough to play it over and over.

1 Music must make me want to move – I danced most of my life and I need to feel like dancing when the music plays: Tchaikovsky; the BeeGees; disco; almost any waltz; New Orleans jazz (I do all housework with this).

2. Lyrics: I am drawn to works that say things I agree with – 60’s folk and protest songs; some love songs; music from the 40’s; a lot of Billy Joel (“My life”).

3. It reminds me of a special time or place – “our song” (Autumn Leaves) ; songs from WWII that my aunts played on the victrola; beginnings of rock – Elvis, Buddy…; Glenn Miller (that dancing thing again).

4. Music that surrounds me – pulls me in and shuts out everything else – Vivaldi or almost anything Baroque; a capello groups; good Gregorian Chant.

If I had an Ipod, this is the kind of music I would put on it – but I don’t have an Ipod and I would need one that allowed me to play the one piece of music I was into at the moment over and over.

What makes you listen to music (or a particular piece or genre of music) over and over?

FIRST BOOK

     I spent way too many years saying “I want a book, my own book. I want to stand up and read from my book”. It took many years to get to the point where I could write this book. Lots of writes and rewrites and more rewrites. Then the trying to actually put it together – and starting over and showing it to others (thanks again, Jessica) and starting over. And finally saying that I could not face doing even one more draft. Then the proof comes and I realize that I have used the same word in 3 poems in a row and if I’m supposed to be a poet, couldn’t I come up with synonyms?

            Then – I hold the book in my hands – the actual book – my book! It is a thrill! Exciting! A dream I can touch!  BUT…Others can hold this book, too. And read my words and “know” me. This is different from reading a couple of poems at an open – these are my choice of what I think are my best work. Now that reader I imagined when I wrote these poems so long ago is real and is holding my book in his/her hands. And they can judge/react/love/hate these words. A chancy ego trip at best.

            This whole trip has been a roller coaster ride – thrill and anxiety, wow and damn, I’m good and I suck – one emotion after another and sometimes both at the same time. So glad it’s over at the same time as I miss the sorting and organizing and revising.

            So with this first month of being a published poet drawing to a close and actually having sold some copies and having stood up and read from “my book” – what is going through my head?  “Do I have any work that I could use in another book?” And so it starts again – with a large pile of papers in a folder labeled “these need work”.

I Think I am Angry

Does anyone else remember a book? policy? from Rove – a plan for total Republican take over of government?

Today:

• ID required to vote (target students, minorities, etc)
  Weaken unions
  Tax breaks/cuts for corporations and billionaires

     All diminish the # of those who vote Democratic

• Load Supreme Court
  In emergency, dissolve local  government (towns, cities) (MI)
  In emergency, nullify whatever law they diagree with (ME)
• Governor can declare an emergency for whatever.

     Smaller Government??

Social Issues:

1. No gay marriage
2. Anti public education (Yay vouchers) – blame teacher – especially if their union didn’t back you (NJ)

Family Values:

1. No abortion
2. No planned parenthood – therefore less availability of birth control info (Viagra = A OKAY)

All women’s issues – nb most teachers are women – see above

Maybe “they” learned from Newt – they are so patriotic ergo so tired ergo need adultery ( to feel better? be more patriotic?). It’s okay they have a new wife, C Street, and God’s forgiveness.

Does God forgive lying ads (paid for by the above corporations and billionaires the Supreme Court declared didn’t have to become public with donations):

1. Kerry
2. Birth certificate (lack thereof)
3. Muslim-by-name
4. Union workers earn 42% more than non-union workers
5. Death panels
6. Socialism (please define)
7. Social Security is an entitlement
8. What global warming?
9. What evolution?

Health coverage – (Obamacare, socialized medicine..) will leave deficit for kids to pay for in the future. (How can they if they have to work til they are 80 to pay for the environmental problems we don’t have and the oil we have so much of – drill baby drill) –

Why aren’t more people angry?

If $ men can destroy the middle class and  ignore or fail the elderly and lowest income groups – and be paid to do so  –

Why aren’t more people angry?

If state government can dissolve a city or nullify a law they don’t like; if the federal government can tap phones and email, declare war without telling Congress, lie about WMD’s – and not be prosecuted –

Why aren’t more people angry?

If Republicans stand for smaller government , why is dictatorial state government ok?
If tax cuts for wealthy have not yielded jobs yesterday or today – why will it tomorrow?

If repeating lies doesn’t mean we need stronger education and more teachers?

Why aren’t more people angry?

ONE ROUND OVER

Doctors at Columbia Presbyterian convened this morning and have suggested that we watch for 6 months then do another MRI and Endoscopy. This  has taken most of the day to process – maybe we really can breath for a while. Doctors saw little to indicate that this was cancerous (except the one huge CEA number) but should keep an eye on it. Maybe tomorrow this will sink in – I did unpack the suitcase I has packed for the 10 day stay after the operation.

Reading tonight strange – 4 or 5 in the audience (2 young children who were very bored) and none of whom seemed to want to be there or didn’t know why they were there.  Interesting, but very strange.  This was the first reading after a 4 month hiatus – so maybe word had not gotten out (no publicity that I could tell).  We put it on FB and email. Also, it is at 6PM which is early for a lot of people.

Did force me to do some revisions – sometimes revising puts me on the path to generate new work (much more fun than revision – even though a so-so 2nd draft beats a sh…y 1st draft).  What “pushes you to create new work??

GREAT UPCOMING POETRY EVENTS!!!

Diane Lockward is again holding two Great Events at
West Caldwell Library

Saturday, March 26 —-GIRL TALK
Sunday, May 15 —-MAGAZINE FESTIVAL

Both of these events are afternoons of wonderful poetry and fun visiting with old friends.
Check website: http://www.dianelockward.com for more info and watch here as the dates approach.

TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE OF EDISON LITERARY REVIEW
will be launched
Barron’s
September 14, 2011
This is a great issue – 60+ of the best poets from this area and afar, including Stephen Dunn!     More info here as the date nears!!

John and I will be reading on Thursday, March 3 at Poet’s Cafe, 6PM Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, Rahway – Would be wonderful if you could make it!!!

ROLLER COASTER

Been a while – if you follow facebook – you know:
1 My book is real
2. John has major health problems

BOOK: WHEN THE GODS PLAY HIDE AND SEEK available at Amazon.com. Edited a long time to actualy hold this in my hands! Thanks to Jessica and John and
especially Tony – they really were a great help in putting the mms together and walking me through the publishing. It has been quite a journey.

John has a spot on pancreas – could be benign or…not. Will probably have surgery – called Whipple surgery – it sounds, at best, unpleasant – 10 days at Columbia Presbyterian and 6 weeks recovery.

Makes life an emotional roller coaster:
Book high…..
surgery low.
Guess that’s life; will keep you posted.

IT IS ALMOST SUMMER

April may be Poetry Month – but locally, May and June are filled with words! Diane’s Girl Fest and Journal Festival – both wonder days!  David Crews and Jessica deKoninck read for the ELR and did a great job.  Check the web site (edisonliteraryreview.org) for pictures.  Maybe June seems full of readings, because many venues close for the summer. DVP (now at a new place – Borders on Rte 1 S in Princeton), Barron’s and Dublin House brave the heat and continue their series in July and August.

LAUNCH READING FOR VOL 9 ELR

Sunday, July 11  2 PM

Dublin House

Red Bank, NJ

John and Tony and I will be featured and hopefully many of the contributors to the issue will come and read in the Open

Father’s Day and John’s 75th birthday fall on the same day this year and after horror of 2009 healthwise – this is truly a day to celebrate.  Nest time I will share the celebration.

ELR NEWS

     This is an exciting time for ELR – lots of news to share:

POETRY FESTIVAL: A CELEBRATION OF LITERARY JOURNALS

     Diane has once again invited us to be a  part of this great day!

         Sunday, May 16     1 to 5 PM

        West Caldwell Library

         West Caldwell, N. J.

Check out all the details at dianelockward.com/fest.html

         David Crews and Jessica deKoninck will be reading for us that day – this is a wonderful day of poetry and gathering of  info about local journals, meet the editors and ask all those questions that have bothered you about submitting your own work.  It is a day to meet new people and to reconnect with old friends!!  Hope to see you there!

ELR VOLUME 9 – LAUNCH READING

     Vol. 9 will be available at the

     River Read Reading Series

     July 11     2 to 5PM

     Dublin House

      Red Bank, N. J.

John and Tony and I will be reading and it would be great to see as many of you as possible there to read in the Open!!  Check out the web site: edisonliteraryreview.org   for more info and we will update as the time gets nearer – let me know if you will be able to attend!!

NEW BLOG!!! BY POET ADELE KENNY

     Adele has a new poetry blog – adelekenny.blogspot.com

Now for a personal ad:  I HAVE  TWO POEMS IN ONLINE MAGS IN MAY

      chantarellesnotebook.com   Issue #20

      fivefishes.net     Friday Buckets – first Friday in May

Check them out – they are nice places for poetry – hope you enjoy the reads.

National Poetry Month was full of great readings and prompts and writing – it is always rather sad to reach the end of  this creative time – but  hopefully we can hold on to the motivation for a while longer !!

HAPPY EASTER

     I may even think of this week as Easter – it is warm!!! and there is only enough rain to make things grow.  All my indoor plants are yearning to be out on the porch – may I add – so am I!!!

     Tomorrow we will share supper with both daughters and their children – for me a wonderous sign of  Resurrection. I will miss my son and his daughter – but they will be there in our hearts – which also speaks of  Resurrection