GO CAT GO Jazz Poetry Reading Sunday, November 28

SUNDAY 11/28 – 4:30- p.m. (sign up 5 p.m.)

Peter Chelnik's "GO CAT GO Jazz Poetry"


~features~


Peter Chelnik, poet and host


Jazz by


Bob Feldman (tenor sax) & Lawrence Goldman (acoustic bass)


plus


The Open Mic


@

AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS

314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)

Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019

Sargent Theater 4th Floor

(212) 581-3044

www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html


http://peterchelnik.blogspot.com/



By Subway: C or E to West 50th Street

Walk north to West 54th Street, west to theatre

For more information, please contact Peter at 917-492-2554



Admission: $5

He's Back!!!!

PETER CHELNIK with Charles Butler and Bob Feldman on sax***
Monday, November 8, 2010
at 7:30pm
@
S A T U R N S E R I E S
P O E T R Y R E A D I N G
@
Nightingale Lounge
213 2nd Avenue at East 13th Street
New York, NY
Age 21 & up

$3 Suggested Donation + 2 Drink/$10 Minimum at the Bar
Hosted by Su Polo & David Elsasser

Reminder: FINAL Prairie Fire Reading Sunday September 26

PETER CHELNIK WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE POETRY SCENE AFTER MANY YEARS OF SERVING THE POETRY COMMUNITY

COME AND WISH HIM THE BEST

at the 

FINAL Praire Fire Reading Sunday, September 26

SUNDAY 9/26 – 6:30 p.m. (sign up 6 p.m.)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~

Iris Berman (poet/visual artist/photographer)

&

Bob Hart (poet)

&

Jazz by

Bob Feldman (tenor sax) & Jay Shulman (cello)

&

Host PETER CHELNIK (poetry)

&

The Open Mic

@

AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS

314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)

Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019

Sargent Theater 4th Floor

(212) 581-3044

www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html

http://peterchelnik.blogspot.com/

By Subway: C or E to West 50th Street

Walk north to West 54th Street, west to theatre

Admission: $5

Iris Berman is a visual artist, photographer and poet. Her published journals include Nomad’s Choir, Home Planet News, Errato, Brownstone Poets, Rogue Scholars, Stained Sheets, White Rabbit, MOBLIUS, THE POETRY MAGAZINE, and nationally in the Song of the San Joaquin and Back Street Quarterly. She has also published three chapbooks, Motherlode, The Little Book of Flowers and The Little Book of Fairy Tales and Love Poems – the last published by Poets Wear Prada Press. She has studied with Louise Gluck, William Packard, Barry Goldensohn, Charles Simic, and most recently with Patrick Rosal at Poets House.

Bob Hart has gone from middle age to old age these last years writing poetry.  He has seen word scenes like 77 Barrow Street, Centerfold Coffee House, ABC No Rio and most lately, the new Pink Pony at Cornelia Street Café, hoping they enjoyed him as much as he enjoyed them.

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday August 8

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday August 8

SUNDAY 8/8 - 6pm (sign up 5:30pm)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~

Brant Lyon (poet/jazz keyboard)

&

Ronnie Norpel (poet/writer)


&

Bob Feldman (sax)


&

Host PETER CHELNIK (poetry)

&

The Open Mic

@
AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS
314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)
Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019
Beckman Theater 2nd Floor
(212) 581-3044
www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html


By Subway: C or E to West 50th Street
Walk north to West 54th Street, west to theatre


Admission: $5

Brant Lyon writes poetry, prose, and music. His anthologies include “A Cautionary Tale: Seven New York Performing Poets” (Uphook Press, 2008), Beauty Keeps Laying Its Sharp Knife Against Me” (Logochrysalis Productions, 2008), “The Company We Keep” (Poet Warrior Productions, 2003). His journals include Big City Lit, Lullwater Review, Rattle, Rogue Scholars. He is an editor of Uphook Press, contributing editor of BigCityLit, and curator of the poetry and music reading series, Hydrogen Jukebox, in NYC. For more information, go to logochrysalis.com.


Ronnie Norpel is a performance poet, actor, photographer and jock with a deep passion for the Phillies, where she spent seven seasons as a ballgirl and fan accommodation manager. In New York, “Ronnie G” was the muse and collaborator of Warhol Factory superstar Gerard Malanga, whose phot of Ronnie, “Marble of Light,” was included for the exhibition and catalogue, Artists of the Warhol Circle Then & Now. She studied acting in Hollywood and worked at the Zero One Gallery. Today, Ronnie reads monthly in NYC with the Upper Left Side Writers and Poets. Other readings include the Lower East Side Festival, the SynonymUS collective at Nuyorican Poets Café, and the Wild Angels at St. John the Divine.

Peter Chelnik Will Ride The Son of Pony, Fri, 8/6 at 6 P.M.

Peter Chelnik with Bob Feldman on the Sax at The Son of Pony

Friday, August 6 at 6 p.m. sign-up at 5:45 p.m.
Open Mic

Cover $7 (includes one house drink)

Hosted by Kat Georges


Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, NYC 10014

212-989-9319

http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/index_performances.asp

Peter Chelnick Hits The Epoch Times

Read about Peter Chelnik's interview at the Poets House Showcase in the July 1st issue of The Epoch Times

online at

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38392/

Poets House Showcase A Literary Treasure Trove For Modern Bards

By Annie Wu

Poetry lovers are open to peruse the over 2,000 titles at the 18th Annual Poets House Showcase at 10 River Terrace near Battery Park. (Annie Wu/ The Epoch Times)

With a collection of over 50,000 volumes of poetry books and an impressive panoramic view that overlooks the Hudson River, there are more than enough reasons for any poetry enthusiast to take a trip down to Poets House by Battery Park in New York City.

“Can I die here?” remarked a Poets House patron.

This summer, there is yet another incentive, in the form of the 18th Annual Poets House Showcase, where all the poetry books published in the United States in the past year are on display for the public. This year, there are over 2,000 titles on exhibit, published by both large and small presses, and some by artists’ collectives. The showcase includes chapbooks, which are small booklets of poems, multimedia works, and poetry in other quirky presentations, including as scrolls inserted in cigarette cases.

The showcase includes anthologies, scholarly works, and translated poetry in 26 different languages. Many of the translated texts are presented in both English and the original language, including a translation of Chinese philosopher Lao Zi’s seminal work, “Tao Te Ching” (also spelled Dao De Jing).

Maggie Balistreri, the librarian at Poets House, explained that the showcase is all-inclusive and democratic, intending to include all the poetry that they can find. Poets are also invited to send in their work. The showcase includes first editions of works and those hot off the press, contemporary poetry as well as poetry from earlier periods. Every book is donated by publishers and artists.

“It’s an annual harvest of the field that is poetry,” said executive director of Poets House, Lee Briccetti, who conceived of the idea in the early years of the House’s history. With the books organized by publisher, visitors can see the breadth and diversity of the art, reminding them that poetry is still very much alive. This showcase is a place for poetry lovers to explore a wide range of literature that one cannot find in bookstores, and to expose them to “the different kinds of poetry and find one that’s bound to be right for you,” said Briccetti.

At the same time, Briccetti noted that through the showcase, poets get to be documented into the history of poetry. A large, eclectic crowd of up-and-coming poets showed up at the opening reception of the showcase on June 28. Some were poets who also ran their own reading series, which then developed into a publishing press, like Patricia Carragon’s Brownstone Poets based in Brooklyn, and Rachel Levitsky’s Belladonna Books.

Others like Peter Chelnik and Eugenia Macer-Story are poets and playwrights. Chelnik describes himself as an “American Highway poet,” who was once nominated for the coveted Pushcart Poetry Prize. Macer-Story writes about supernatural phenomena and also composes music for off-off-Broadway musicals.

Susan Maurer published her first e-book of poems called “Perfect Dark” from a Swedish publisher, ungovernable press. Meanwhile, Alan Baxter was at the reception to view the works written by poets from Kairos Poetry Café, a café in Greenwich Village where he is the curator and host of open mics that give poets a space to perform their work, often to music and under “the theme of peace and justice,” Baxter said.

These poets all have their works exhibited at the showcase, which will run from June 28 to July 31. After the showcase, the books will be moved to the library’s growing collection upstairs, which is also open to the public year-long.

Poets House is located at 10 River Terrace, New York, NY. Go to http://www.poetshouse.org/ for more information.

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday July 11

SUNDAY 7/11 - 6pm (sign up 5:30pm)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~

SHANA YADID (vocals)

&

DANNY HARTIG (guitar)

&

KAT GEORGES (poetry)

&

PETER CARLAFTES (poetry)

&

Host PETER CHELNIK (poetry)

&

The Open Mic

@

AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS

314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)

Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019

Beckman Theater 2nd Floor

(212) 581-3044

www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html

By Subway: C or E to West 50th Street

Walk north to West 54th Street, west to theatre

Admission: $5

Photo credits for Kat Georges & Peter Carlaftes: Tina Chan

Poet, playwright and director Kat Georges wrote and directed 15 plays 
during her 10-year tenure as artistic director of San Francisco’s 
Marilyn Monroe Memorial Theater, including SCUM: The Valerie Solanas 
Story, Paglia in Persona (a deconstruction of Camille Paglia), and Art 
was Here (inspired by Dada founder Arthur Cravan). Her poetry appears 
in The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (Thunder’s Mouth Press) and The 
Verdict is In (Manic D Press, also editor).

Kat has three collections of her poetry, Punk Rock Journal, Maiden Claiming and Slow Dance at 
120 Beats a Minute (all Three Rooms Press). In New York since 2003, 
she has directed numerous Off-Broadway plays, including most recently 
Jack Kerouac: Catholic and Twitter Theater, both written by award- 
winning playwright Larry Myers, and Sarah's Choice, by Peter Carlaftes. For more information, visit http://threeroomspress.blogspot.com/


Peter Carlaftes work has been described as "a beautiful poetic voice, filled with drop-dead humor, searing insight and reselient originality, even while resonating with overtones of Bukowski, Baudelarie and Bogart." He discovered his poetic voice on the playgrounds of the Bronx, and, after seeing the world, branched out to the bars of Manhattan. According to Carlaftes, DrunkYard Dog offers poems from "both sides of the bar," and marks his third Three Rooms Press release in 2010, following A Year on Facebook (humor) and Triumph for Rent (three plays). For more information, visit http://threeroomspress.blogspot.com/




Shana Yadid and Danny Hartig are members of the rock band The Sixth Floor since its formation back in the fall of 2006. Current Members: Danny Hartig: Guitarist, Brody: Bassist, Lior Baronn: Drummer, Paul Thegodly: Guitarist/Vocalist, Rosie Yadid: Vocals, Shana Yadid: Vocals Band Manager: Fez Levy People that sparingly and/or occasionally play with 6th Floor: Ian Berger: Blues Guitarist/ Harmonicker, Josh Frumkin: Drums. For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/the6thfloorband.

Elise Buchman | Patriarchy | Hickory Dickory Dock

Patriarchy

Then three days later when she came to where
she would use her ointments for the body,
the rock was rolled aside for all to see.
The tomb was now empty; no one was there.
So Mary told the others what she had learned.
They laughed and called her a silly woman,
yet one went back to look. But, being a man
he didn’t understand what he’d discerned,
but when he returned, he told the same story.
This time the others finally believed.
Suddenly there was no time left to grieve.
Mary sighed, “they would not listen to me.”
So through the years, the story was passed down
no trace of feminine left to be found.


Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory, dock
My phone is now a clock.
It takes pictures of you,
it's a flashlight, too!
And tomorrow, it'll wash my socks.



Elise Buchman is a poet, translator, teacher, and theatrical fencer. She was recently featured as the Guest Children's Poet at the 38th Annual City College Poetry Festival, and her first book, Animal Crackers and Their Friends was published by Publish America in 2009. She writes for both children and adults.


©Elise Buchman 2010

Dominick Arbolay | At S21, Phnom Penh

At S21, Phnom Penh


My guide, whose family was taken by the Khmer Rouge, told me the day started when inmates stripped for inspection. They did what they were told. Arms behind their backs, legs raised to check for loose shackles. Questions answered without reflection. No one cried when flogged. Blows from a rifle butt met any complaints or backtalk. Constantly needing consent, even to roll over in a cell. “You’re not worthy of a bullet,” was drummed into their heads.

A glass case held three hundred skulls. According to my guide, they once formed a map of Cambodia. Bed frames and racks, where inmates had been whipped and tortured, lay rusting. In one room, thousands of photos of students, teachers, writers, doctors...all disappeared.

Dominick Arbolay serves as Associate Editor for Mobius, The Poetry Magazine, and moderates the peer group workshop at the Poetry Society of America. He has published a chapbook of prose poems, The Phantoms, and is currently completing a series of stories about French writers that take place in 19th century Paris.

©Dominick Arbolay 2010

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday May 30

SUNDAY 5/30 - 6pm (sign up 5:30pm)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~

AC HAYLEY (vocals & bass)

&

ELISE BUCHMAN(poetry)

&

DOMINICK ARBOLAY (poetry)

&

Host PETER CHELNIK (poetry)

&

The Open Mic

@
AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS
314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)
Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019
(212) 581-3044
www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html


Admission: $5

AC Haley is a singer who accompanies herself on electric bass. After a career as a ballet dancer Ms. Haley turned her talents to music and is now performing in her self-styled cabaret, "Effervescent Hour." The show is an eclectic mix of classical music, contemporary songs, Broadway and choral offerings as well as Haley's own compositions. She has performed at numerous venues in NYC including; The Reprise Room at Dillons, Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland, The Algonquin Salon, The Recoup Lounge, and Vox Pop. Ms. Haley also sings in the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale under the direction of Nelly Vuksic. She continues to study voice and bass privately. More can be seen and heard at: http://www.myspace.com/achaley39seffervescenthour.

Dominick Arbolay has published his prose poems in World, Hanging Loose, U.S. Latino Review, The Paragraph, The Culvert Chronicles, and Mobius, The Poetry Magazine, where he serves as associate editor. He has published a chapbook of prose poems, The Phantoms, and moderates the peer group workshop at the Poetry Society of America. Mr. Arbolay also writes short stories, and is completing a series of stories about French writers that take place in 19th century Paris. The first two installments have been published in a chapbook, La Boheme. He has read at the Back Fence, The Bowery Poetry Club, Poets Corner, A Gathering of Tribes, the late Red Room in Hell’s Kitchen, the PSA, and a sports bar a few blocks away from the old Yankee Stadium. He has also traveled widely, from Brazil, Bhutan, Chile, China, France, Kenya, India, Morocco, Spain, and Guatemala.

Elise Buchman graduated from CCNY with an MFA in Creative Writing, where she won the Marilyn Sternglass Award for Writing, The Pam Laskin Children's Writing Award, and the Malinche Prize for Translation. Her work has been published in Promethean, 138journal.com, Poetry in Performance, The Brownstone Poetry Anthology 2010, Dinner With the Muse, and The Best Poems & Poets of 2005, among others. She was recently featured as the Guest Children's Poet at the 38th Annual City College Poetry Festival, and her first book, Animal Crackers and Their Friends was published by Publish America in 2009. She writes for both children and adults.

Charles J Butler | west 97th street lope

west 97th street lope

walking
       with the ladies
in
       the rain
down
       97th
                 past Amsterdam
they
       linger over a set
of
       prints
                 he knows to be theirs
smiles
       thinking stupid dogs
don’t
       even know you left a part of
yourselves
                 behind
then
       he looks
                          at them
they
       at him
       smiling
                 their dog
smiles
                                  they’ll
       go on walking
doing
       their business
loping
       together
                          thinking
hundred
       years from now others will see our
prints           fill their snouts
with our scents
                 they’ll know
Kirby and
       Eureka – ‘Reka to her
friends – were here            later
in the home       watching them sleep      he says a
prayer to the lord        for the souls
                                           of two stupid dogs

Charles J. Butler hosts the Park Slope Poetry Project, and is the sometime guest host at The Perch Café and recently had his first book published 39 Poems by No Shirt Press.

©Charles J. Butler 2010

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday April 18

SUNDAY 4/18 - 6pm (sign up 5:30pm)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~

ZEV TORRES

&

CHARLES BUTLER

&

Host PETER CHELNIK

with BOB FELDMAN on Tenor Saz

&

The Open Mic

@
AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS
314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)
Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019
(212) 581-3044
www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html


Admission: $5

Zev Torres’ most recent chapbook, Revision, was published January 2010. His earlier books are In Celebration of Hope and Change and The Beginning of Time. In addition to being the featured reader at numerous venues through New York City (including Otto’s Shrunken Head), Zev has also performed his poetry at the JVC Jazz Festival and the Make Music New York Festival. Zev blogs at http://zevtorres.wordpress.com/

Charles Butler co-hosts Literary Tuesdays at Perch Cafe in Brooklyn. Charles participated in Emilie Glen's legendary downtown readings in the 1970’s, and read at the original Nyorican Poets' Café. Re-emerging as a performance poet in 2006, he continues to share the inside story of the streets, through many views and voices. Butler’s work has appeared in Abestos, Brownstone Poets Anthology, Rogue Scholars, among other places.

Next Prairie Fire Reading Sunday March 28

SUNDAY 3/28 - 7pm (sign up 6:30pm)

Peter Chelnik's "Prairie Fire Jazz Poetry"

~features~


MS. DEEANNE GORMAN, Vocalist

w/AC Haley on Bass
for a 30-minute Music set to Open
for Poetry Features + Open Mic

@
AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS
314 W. 54th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.)
Hell's Kitchen, NYC 10019
(212) 581-3044
www.appleboxdesign.com/ATA/ata.html


Admission: $5

For more about Ms. Gorman visit her online at:

http://www.deeannegorman.com/

www.myspace.com/deeannegormanmusing

www.facebook.com/pages/DeeAnne-Gorman/7262923563

www.linkedin.com/in/deeannegorman

Little Sky Press Launches Peter Chelnik's STRAWBERRY HARMONY

"Peter Chelnik's poems take us across America's highways, down back roads, up city streets, across the tracks and into open fields. They sing a song of America and they swing with the blues and be-bop." -- Bob Feldman STRAWBERRY HARMONY New Poems By Peter Chelnik ISBN 978-0-964 270 9-9-3 $12.00 Little Sky Press Release Date: March 2010 "Peter Chelnik's Strawberry Harmony is an odyssey across the physical and spiritual plains of America with the fast paced images that are his signature poetry snapshots. In an age where voices often express cynicism and rage, Chelnik's energetic ovice always resonates with affirmation and optimism. Fans of Peter Chelnik with cheer his newest and strongest book of poems Strawberry Harmony." -- Laura Boss, Editor of Lips ~Book Launch + Open Mic~ ***PETER CHELNIK with BOB FELDMAN on Tenor Sax*** Monday, March 15, 2010 at 7:30pm @ S A T U R N S E R I E S P O E T R Y R E A D I N G @ Nightingale Lounge 213 2nd Avenue at East 13th Street New York, NY Age 21 & up $3 Suggested Donation + 2 Drink/$10 Minimum at the Bar Hosted by Su Polo & David Elsasser "Peter Chelnik's Strawberry Harmony tantalizes with its odd juxtapositions, its American Highway jump cuts. Using refrains and a broad range of cultural allusions, form "Baptist wood pew prayers" to "Matisse paint joy," Chelnik creates a 21st Century vision: three-dimensional, speedy, ecstatic and reverent. Chelnik's new book will entertain as it surprises readers and satisfies our hunger for poems that resonate in the mind." -- Austin Alexis, Author of Lovers and Drag Queens Peter Chelnik's books include Railroad Heart, East Coast Line, Manhattan Wilderness, Eternity Road and Wildflower Serenade. He has had seven plays produced Off-Off-Broadway. These dramatic works include Street Rag, Prairie Fire, Parking Lot, Moving Target, Scarsdale Station and Tremont Vortex. Peter has also written Trick Bag, a novel of the 1960's. And yes, he does believe "the word will set you free."