Friends and family,

The big news since my last newsletter was that the Eyelands Book Awards named me a finalist for my book, Even the Dog Was Quiet. I was honored to be among five international poets. In the meantime, adventures await as Alex and I move westward and I concentrate on compiling a new book. 

If you are interested in attending the spoken word performances, reading the publications listed, or submitting your work to literary magazines, click on the hyperlinks provided. 

Meanwhile, my Ko-Fi site is up and running if you wish to buy signed copies of Even the Dog Was Quiet and If There Is No Wind from me. They are $15 each, plus shipping and handling. There are discounts available in my Ko-Fi shop for large quantity orders. Contact me for more information. Support independent publishers and writers by purchasing their books.

Best,

Margi

Upcoming Events (Events are free and in EST unless otherwise noted.)
1/27/2025 First Floor Walk Up, Feature. One and One, 76 E. 1st St. @ 1st Ave (take the F train to 2^nd Ave. station), 7 pm. Wayne Kral, host. Reading with Penny Melis, Gerald Wagoner, & Marie Sabatino. 

02/01/2025 Allen Ginsberg 2024 Poetry Award, Anthology reading. The Hamilton Club, 32 Church St., Paterson, NJ at 1 pm. Accessible by elevator.

2/08/25 Poets House Showcase, Reading with other poets from the exhibition. The Poet’s House 29th Celebration showcases thousands of poetry publications: books, chapbooks, broadsides, and poetry-related nonfiction, published in 2022 and 2023. This exhibition includes Even the Dog Was Quiet and If There Is No Wind. They will place books in their permanent collection at the conclusion of this event. The reading begins at 4 pm.

02/13/2025, Parkland Poets, Feature. Open mic (2 min.) Virtual reading. 9:00-10:30 pm. I’ll be reading with Susan McCaslin and Hiram Lirew. 

06/06/25-06/08/25, Twelfth Annual Hobart Festival of Women Writers, Participating Poet. Hobart, N.Y., the Book Village of the Catskills.

11/7/2025 Calling All Poets. Virtual. More information to follow.

Recent and Upcoming Publications (If you are interested in submitting to these publications, check out the hyperlinks.)

Sharon Knutson featured my work on her Storyteller Poetry Review blog as the “Storyteller Poet of the Week.” Sharon hosts a writer every week highlighting their work. The poems included were “Fixer Upper,” “Inspired,” “Pine Scent,” “Starlight Serenade,” and “The Spirit in Sarah’s Clay.”

Fixed and Free Quarterly, “Enough is Enough,” “Phoenix is Falling,” and my review of In the Year of Hurricane Agnes by Michelle Reale (reprint), Billy Brown, editor. 

Voices in Italian Americana, “I Excommunicated Myself at 12.”

Poetry of Protest and Struggle: January 1, 2025  I recorded “Crossing the Line” (originally in Panoply, A Literary Zine) for this video. Poetry selected and video compiled by Steve Bloom. Featured artists in this edition: Zigi Lowenberg, Gary Johnston, Michal Rubin, Basman Derawi, Chris Brandt, Katharine Beeman, Rayomnd Nat Turner, Ana Lopez-Betancourt, Margaret Sáraco, Wilfred Owen. If you would like to submit your work to “Poetry of Protest and Struggle,” send a sample to steve@stevebloompoetry.net.

The Opiate, “Ladder to Adulthood,” “Death, Then Grief,” and “I Try Not To Grow Old” to be published Spring, 2025.

Both of my books will travel on the Vagabond Poetry Caravan with Mark Lipman. He is going on a world poetry tour on a converted international school bus, “connecting people from all corners of the planet through arts, music and poetry as a Poetry Ambassador for Peace.” You can follow Mark (National Beat Poet Laureate for 2024-2025) and his bus on the website hyperlinked. 

Photos (clockwise from left to right): Paterson Literary Review Anthology Reading, the Alternative New Year’s Day Poetry Reading, IAWA’s Holiday Party at the Calandra Institute, Voices in Italian Americana flyer, Eyelands Book Award (Finalist) and Fixed and Free Quarterly. 

Congratulations to Friends and Family

There is always good news to share. If you have something to mention, drop me an email.

*Congratulations to Jessica Lewis on the publication of her book, The Poetry of Our Love . “… a collection of love poems that explores the many facets of love – its joy, its ache, and its transformative power. Jessica invites readers on a journey through the tender moments of falling in love, the bittersweet pain of loss, and the enduring beauty of connection. Whether you are seeking comfort or celebration, this book is a companion for every heart in search of meaning through love’s many expressions. You can follow Jessica on Instagram and Facebook at i_write_poems_jl.”

*Congratulations to my former colleague, Zetta B. Cool, on the launch of Ms. Blue Blazer Creative Director and Event Curation Service. (See her flyer below.) You can email her at msblueblazer@gmail.com.