What Dread is a little chapbook with big ideas, great sensitivity and boundless wonder. Zilka Joseph’s last book, Lands I Live In, looked inward to her cultural identity and what it means to experience the duality of being from two different places: the U.S. and India. 

This new collection sets its gaze outward as it contemplates oceans, wild animals and warrior women.  Sometimes witty and sharp as the tooth of one of her tigers, other times ruthlessly piercing as the scorpion’s sting, Joseph is one of those who writes poems because she must. In her verses, there’s a palpable struggle. Each shining line is hard won, not only through work and examination, but also by a mad and fearless search for truth. 

Still, there’s a beautiful friction, a different kind of duality in these poems, as Joseph’s identification with what is untamed and wild is illuminated by the mythological glow of goddesses and the transcendent glories of love.

 A mix of romance, feminism, dream and archetype, What Dread is a tiny door into vast and “wild places.”

You can click here to purchase the book through Amazon.  You can also use the comments to ask any questions that you may have for the author, and I will forward them on to her.

Naomi Long Madgett

Detroit’s Poet Laureate Naomi Long Madgett, Poets Hilda Vest and Marilynn Rashid will read. In addition, Melba Joyce Boyd will perform her poetry in concert with jazz bassist, Marion Hayden. The event is co-sponsored by the Arts League of Michigan and Wayne State University’s Department of Africana Studies. It is free and open to the public.

Naomi Long Madgett is Detroit’s second poet laureate and winner of several awards including the Governor of Michigan’s Artist Award. She is the author of nine books of poetry and the memoir, Pilgrim Journey. She is the founder and editor of Lotus Press, and editor of Adam of Ife: Poetry In Praise of Black Men.

Authors will be available for a book signing after the reading. For more information call: 313-965-8430 or 313-577-2321.

Virgil Carr Center
311 E. Grand River
Detroit, MI

Linda K. Sienkiewicz
a longtime Metro Detroit Writers member, is a fiction writer, poet and artist who recently earned her MFA in Fiction at the University of Southern Maine. Her short stories have appeared in journals such as the Cleis Press anthology “Frenzy,” A Twist of Noir, and others, and her poetry and art has been published in numerous literary journals, including Prairie Schooner, Clackamas Literary Review, CALYX, Permafrost, and Spoon River Poetry Review. She won the Heartland Poetry Chapbook Contest in 1997. Her fourth chapbook, published by March Street Press, will be out in April. She has a novel and is represented by Maria Carvainis Agency.

Shayla Hawkins (Detroit poet & ArtServe of Michigan grant recipient)

Therese Becker (Oakland County poet & author of The Fear of
Cameras)

Plus Folk Singer Song Writer, Audra Kubat
Audra Kubat became one of the Motor City’s select female voices during the late ’90s, incorporating folk-rock and indie pop stylings. She and her group Stunning Amazon became a household act among local clubs and coffeehouses, also receiving airplay on Detroit radio. The band issued a self-titled debut in fall 1999 while Kubat also maintains her solo status.

All readings are free and open to the public. They are held the last Sunday of each month through April at The Scarab Club located at 217 E. Farnsworth at John R in the heart of the Cultural Center / Wayne State University Campus. The Scarab Club is directly behind the Detroit Institute for the Arts. We have our own free, safe, and close parking area. For Directions (313) 831-1250.

A new book being released on Penmanship Books of New York. The book is called “Moonwalking.” It’s a collection of poems regarding the life, career and influences of Michael Jackson, The King of Pop. Blair will be reading poems from the manuscript and then his band Blair & The Boyfriends will play a full set and very special guest Dee Matthews, straight from her 2nd place showing at Women of the World Poetry Slam, will open the show.

“Moonwalking,” is about the life, career and influences of Michael Jackson, The King of Pop. To discuss Michael is to discuss race, gender, sexuality, poverty, super-stardom, abuse of self, child abuse, justice etc. This book… is about America .

Blair will read poems published in The Pedestal Magazine, University of Alabama ’s Punch Journal, Metro Times, Dispatch Detroit , Between the Lines Newspaper and Critical Moment as well as poems from a forthcoming manuscript, Where The Mothership Landed, poems for and about Detroit .

Blair is 2010 Seattle Haiku Slam Champion, 2009 Metro Times Best Urban Folk Poet, Seattle , Washington’s BENT Writing Institute 2008 Mentor of the Year Recipient, 2003 Real Detroit Reader’s Poll Best Solo Artist, 2002 National Poetry Slam Champion, a published poet and seven time Detroit Music Award Nominee. His new book and CDs will be available for purchase.

The Park Bar
2040 Park Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226-1620

Chinonye Goddess

The infamous event known as the “Erotic Poetry & Music Festival” is one of the oldest community arts festivals in Detroit. The festival is an “eclectic celebration of the erotic arts!” It features provocative poetry, dirty spoken word, erotic art, music and dance performances by some of the city’s top artists. It promises to be an evening you won’t forget!

The date is: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 9 pm, 21 &over are welcome. Admission is $8. Partial proceeds benefit the Michigan based non-profit organization “Paws with a Cause,” who provide and train leader dogs for the disabled.
The event will be held at THE CORKTOWN TAVERN located at 1716 Michigan Avenue in Corktown. (313.964.5103) www.myspace.com/eroticfestivaldetroit

This year we are pleased to have Detroit’s premier performance artist, Satori Circus. Other highlights will be the debut musical collaboration of Hayley Jane & Audra Kubat and readings by poetess Archaela Cindy Cadaver and Blue Dogma Poet-Dena Luckett. The visual art portion of the show has expanded! Joining our perennial artist Jeff Hocking is Chopper Peshkepia, Julie Fournier and photography by LAWRENCEcreative and Eugene Sherrill.

Poetry & Music performances by:
Satori Circus
Hayley Jane & Audra Kubat
Dixon’s Violin
Olive Jus
Emily Rose

Satori Circus

Chinonye Goddess
Archaela Cindy Cadaver
Jimmy Doom
Vic Toledo
Blue Dogma Poet-Dena Luckett
Lisa Vicious
Scott Boman
Jaye Thomas
Blue J.
Catlistening
Laura Bodary
Art by: Jeff Hocking-Chopper Peshkepia-Julie Fournier-LAWRENCEcreative-Eugene Sherrill
Hosted by: The Impaler & Peter Schorn

MOCAD’s Winter 2010 Readings series curated by Barry Schwabsky begins on Saturday, March 20th w/ a bilingual poetry reading with preeminent Cuban poet, Jose Kozer reading his own works in the Spanish language and local poet, educator and activist, Marilynn Rashid reading English language translations of Kozer’s works.

The reading series is Free and open to the public. The readings begin at 7PM sharp. MOCAD’s fresh cafe will be open for service at 6PM.

JOSE KOZER, Havana, Cuba, 1940, is the son of Jewish parents that migrated to Cuba in the late twenties, father from Poland, mother from Czechoslovakia. He left Cuba in 1960, lived in New York until 1997, where he worked as a Prof. of Spanish and Latin American Literature, specializing in Poetry, at Queens College (CUNY) for 32 years. Upon retiring he moved to Spain, living in Málaga until 1999 and then moved to Hallandale, Florida, where he now resides. He has published a good number of books of poetry in Cuba, Spain, USA, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Chile; two books of prose (short poetical texts under the title of Mezcla para dos tiempos; and excerpts of his personal diaries – so far there are 40 handwritten volumes – under the title of Una huella destartalada). His work has been partially translated into English, Portuguese, Greek, Italian, French, German, Hebrew but alas not Japanese nor Chinese.

JOSE KOZER is a voracious, prolific writer of poems, indeed a graphomaniac, or rather a graphophile, and has as of this date written, corrected, filed away in his computer and forgotten exactly 5463 poems, some 1000 of which have been published here, and there.

Other readings in the series include;
3/18 – K. Silem Mohammad and Lara Glenum
4/01 – David-Baptiste Chirot and Wanda Phipps

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
www.mocadetroit.org
4454 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-6622

There is one month remaining for emerging and established metropolitan Detroit literary and performing artists to apply for one of 18 $25,000 Kresge Artist Fellowships. Applications are only available online at www.kresgeartsindetroit.org and must be completed by Friday, February 26, 2010. Kresge Artist Fellowships are funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies, with professional development opportunities for the selected fellows provided by ArtServe Michigan.

The fellowships provide support for 18 artists living and working in metropolitan Detroit (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties) whose commitment to innovation and artistic achievement are evident in the quality of their work. Artists in the following literary and performing arts disciplines are eligible to apply:
• Literary Arts: Art criticism in all disciplines (including visual, literary and performing arts), creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, playwriting and interdisciplinary work within the above disciplines.
• Performing Arts: Choreography, music composition (in all genres – classical, country, electronic, experimental, folk, hip-hop, jazz, rap, rock, etc.), performance art, spoken word, sound art and interdisciplinary work within the above arts disciplines.

The fellowships recognize creative vision and commitment to excellence within a wide range of artistic disciplines, including artists who have been classically and academically trained, self taught artists and artists whose art forms have been passed down through cultural and traditional heritage. The fellows are selected through an open, competitive process as judged by an independent panel of local and national artists and arts professionals. The 2010 Kresge Artist Fellows will be announced in June 2010.

The Kresge Foundation is a $2.8 billion private, national foundation, based in Troy, Michigan, that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services, and community development. Kresge Arts in Detroit, an initiative comprising the Kresge Eminent Artist Award, Kresge Artist Fellowships and Kresge Arts Support, represents one of five strategic objectives set forth in the foundation’s Detroit Program, a comprehensive community-development effort to strengthen the long-term economic, social and cultural fabric of the city and surrounding region by strengthening Detroit’s neighborhoods and downtown, promoting arts and culture, advancing regional economic development and enhancing the natural environment. For more information, visit www.kresge.org.

The Kresge Eminent Artist Award and Kresge Artist Fellowships are administered by the Kresge Arts in Detroit office at the College for Creative Studies. Located in Detroit, the college is a world leader in art and design education and prepares students to enter the new, global economy where creativity shapes better communities and societies. A private, fully accredited college, it enrolls 1,400 students pursuing Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. For more information, visit www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu.

ArtServe Michigan is the statewide arts and cultural advocacy organization. Its mission is to cultivate the creative potential of the arts and cultural sector to enhance the health and well-being of Michigan, its people and communities. The organization is committed to developing and supporting the creative and professional potential of artists and other creative practitioners working in Michigan. Through a portfolio of statewide programs, services and resources designed to connect practitioners to resources, information and networks needed to help them thrive, ArtServe Michigan provides practical opportunities that stimulate ideas and growth. Programs focus on four main areas: professional development, networking and dialogue, research and analysis, and awards and benefits. For more information, visit www.artservemichigan.org.

For more information about Kresge Arts in Detroit, visit www.kresgeartsindetroit.org.

Performances by
Nandi Comer
Jamaal May
Tommye Blount
 
217 E. Farnsworth at John R
Free Admission

Billione

Poets Eboni Hogan and Natasha “T” Miller, and performance artist Billione step onto the stage on Saturday, February 20th. Miller’s poetry interrogates what it means to be American in the age of Obama, while Hogan is quirkier, offering candid and often lurid tales of her many misadventures in the Big Apple. Native Detroiter, Billione, provides a grounding voice – sometimes spoken, sometimes sung – as he ponders the meaning of love and life. All three performers come to Ferndale on Saturday, February 20th for the 8:00 p.m. performance. The show is free to the public with a brief open mic slot as the performers warm up.

Natasha “T” Miller is a 24-year-old spoken word artist/slam poet raised on the west side of Detroit. In 2007, only a year after first hitting the stage as a performance poet, she was crowned the Detroit Poetry Slam’s Grand Slam Champion. Since then, she has been on three national teams and been a two-time Women of World Poetry Slam finalist.

Eboni Hogan is the voice of rebels wearing hand-me-down clothes, any girl with a few extra kinks in her hair or one too many words in her mouth and not enough ways to say them. This 24-year-old Bronx native studies theatre at New York University and has performed in over 30 U.S. cities. In 2006, she took part in a 5 month artist residency as a part of NYU’s Hip Hop Theatre Initiative in Ghana, West Africa.

A Detroit native, Billione is a versatile writer whose writings have appeared in newspapers, literary magazines and publications including Cellar Roots and the Michigan Citizen. A singer/songwiter, poet and social activist, his performances have raised funds for numerous organizations that support literacy, HIV/AIDS awareness and human rights. In 2007, Billione published his first chapbook of poetry entitled Love: In Hindsight and plans to publish his third book entitled 360 May 2010. Billione’s influences include Langston Hughes, Adaora Bandele, the Last Poets, Nina Simone and the late Michael Jackson.

The February 20th Spoken Word Performance is part of an array of February events celebrating Black History Month. The month of activities rounds out with a youth performance entitled “Trouble of the World” on February 24th that features Affirmations’ youth program members performing literary works by historic African American authors. In addition, books by noted African American authors are on display throughout Affirmations’ building and African American movies are featured in both men’s and women’s film groups.

For information about the Pittmann-Puckett Gallery, future exhibits or how to get involved, please contact Social Activities Coordinator, Rosalea Brown at 248-677-7230.

Affirmations is Metro Detroit’s community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender people and their allies. Open since 1989 and located in Detroit suburb of Ferndale, Affirmations provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance, and where they can learn, grow, socialize and have fun. For more information, visit our website www.GoAffirmations.org/.

An evening of prose and poetry at ARTCITE
Features Live readings by:

Len Gasparini
Jim Christy
Edward A. Watson
Salvatore Ala

To lead off the new decade, Artcite will feature an evening of prose and poetry by Windsor (and Toronto area) authors: Len Gasparini will be launching his latest book; “When does a kiss become a bite?”.
Jim Christy will read excerpts from his last year’s music and poetry CD “God’s little Angle” and other works.
Edward A. Watson will read from his newest work “Where Hidden Love Lies” and his collected works.
Salvatore (Sal) Ala will feature new poems and excerpts from his latest book: “Straight Razor and Other Poems”

Light refreshments, Admission as always is free.
Confirmed Guests

ARTCITE is located at b
109 University Ave. West Windsor ON