Global Update/Where Have I Been?

Good question as I have not posted since last summer’s end.  It has been a busy time although you did not know it–until now.

Prose:

Amazon and B&N carry my seven published books of which two are prose: Noir Ain’t the Half of It is a collection of short stories with foci on, well, noir–but also some “coverage” about growing up in Brooklyn in the 50s.

The second is my first published novel, entitled The Event.  An interesting thing happened with this novel, as Amazon replaced it so that when you entered my name you got my other six books and a seventh which, while entitled the same, was a completely different work by a different author.  It took weeks to fix this.

Now that the work is back on line at Amazon, I am launching an effort to find an agent who will be willing to seek a commercial publisher and hopefully a movie contact; the book is a techno/spy thriller set in Washington, Moscow, Boston and Ukraine and could not be more topical.  If anyone has a lead, please email me at [email protected].

Poetry Reading

Since I was honored over a year ago by election to the board of directors of New England Poetry Club (founded in 1915 by Amy Lowell, Robert Frost and Conrad Aiken), I am in fast company albeit separated from these particular poets by a few years. I have been working to spread the Poetry Club brand further than Greater Boston.  I have read at our Club’s ongoing series at the Fruitlands Museum and have hosted a couple of readings for other Club members and local poets in Keene, New Hampshire.

On August 24 I will be hosting, again on behalf of the Club, a reading at the Arts Center in Provincetown, which is a great venue; this will be co-sponsored by the Arts Center itself.  A few years ago I studied at the Center with Jill Bialosky, a wonderful poet and teacher (and author, inter alia, of Poetry Will Save Your Life).

I continue to read at the bi-monthly poetry readings at Newton Public Library, conducted by Doug Holder (co-President of the Club and a leader of the Boston poetry community for very many years); I plan to read at the open mic at the next Newton Library reading on Tuesday, February 13.  Let me know if you can attend.  All are invited and the event is without charge.

I am looking for a book store or library venue for more readings, on behalf of the Club, in Portland, Maine, and  in Providence. If anyone has any good contacts could you be good enough to link me up?  Email above.

Writing Poetry

I am pleased to report that one of my poems has been selected to appear in the year-end edition of Ibbetson Magazine; this is my fifth or sixth selection over the past few years and aside from their kindness in selecting one of my works the Magazine contains many other fine poems and is a major publisher of works by poets in the Boston area.  I recommend you contact them, and take a look at the publication.  The year-end (December) edition containing one of my poems is available now.  http://ibbetsonpress.com

Finally, I have spent a good deal of time, when not practicing law, celebrating holidays with friends and family and not writing my usual poem a day as a discipline, working on my sixth book of poetry, entitled Parallel Universes.  Having survived the scissors and suggestions of my editor the estimable Howard Wells, the book is now in the hands of Jennie Hefren (who designs the books in final form and supervises the printing and listing of the work with book vendors).  When anyone asks me how they might publish a book with quality content and presentation I refer them to these folks so, if you are interested in details, let me know (forgive this shameless plug but they deserve it).

A quick word about Parallel Universes: the poetry is written based on a premise advanced by the curator of an art exhibit at the Paris Museum of Modern Art this summer, claiming that art as exemplified in this particular exhibit has outgrown the label of “modern art” to such a degree that it should be viewed as art from a parallel universe.  I have attempted a methodology to write in the same vein by disconnecting verse from initial idea in a purposeful way; the book carries an introduction to that methodology of writing, a section suggesting how best to read the within thirty new poems, and then (because I could not resist) an anecdotal discussion of what it means to be in a parallel universe as envisioned in literature, film and quantum physics.  (Spoiler alert: I have not touched serious physics since I abandoned my astronomy major in college, so if you are a present-day physicist, read this book with kindness please.)

More than enough for now.  I promise to reappear here with regularity. PLEASE EMAIL ME with your thoughts, questions, suggestions, reactions to my writing, and recommendations as to poets/poetry.  I have been reading a lot of poetry this past year and next post I will let you know what I think I would recommend….