Poetry Atlanta, Inc

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Alice Friman & Megan Volpert, Jan. 17

2012-01-14T15:59:00.002-05:00

Poetry Atlanta Presents... partners with Georgia Center for the Book and Poets & Writers for a reading by Alice Friman and Megan Volpert on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur Library auditorium, 215 Sycamore St.

Alice Friman is the poet-in-residence at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville and the author of nine acclaimed volumes of poetry. Her latest isVinculum, a dazzling collection whose poems vibrantly embrace the deep connections between people.

Megan Volpert's anticipated new bookSonics in Warholia has just been released by Sibling Rivalry Press. It is a strikingly personal work that brilliantly revives the prose poem form. Megan currently is a teacher and co-directs the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival.

We'll have copies of the poets' new books for sale and signing at this program courtesy of Blue Elephant Book Shop.

January Readings & Events

2012-01-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, January 11, 8 p.m.
Callanwolde Open Mic Poetry Night
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Join amateur and professional poets alike as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with its open mic poetry reading night in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. Poets who would like to share their original poetry are welcome. Readings are open to the first ten poets who call and sign up. 404-872-5338 ext. 228. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. For more information call (404) 872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org.

Friday-Saturday, January 13-14, 7:30 p.m.
Kodac Harrison: In Too Deep
7 Stages Theatre
Poet, musician and artist Kodac Harrison returns to 7 Stages for a multi-media show featuring poetry, music, dance, art and more. Harrison is retiring from music after this special event and there will also be a CD release in conjunction with In Too Deep. 7 Stages is at 1105 Euclid Ave. in Little Five Points. www.7stages.com or www.kodacharrison.com

Tuesday, January 17, 7:15 p.m.
Poetry Atlanta Presents... Alice Friman and Megan Volpert
Decatur Library Auditorium
Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening with two noted poets. Friman's new collection, Vinculum, is out now from LSU Press, while Volpert's latest, Sonics in Warholia, is out from Sibling Rivalry Press. The library is at 215 Sycamore Street in Decatur. Park in the lower level of the deck to easily access the auditorium. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

Thursday, January 26, 8:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Evie Shockley, Chelsea Rathburn & Megan Kaminski
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Sunday, January 29, 4:00 p.m.
Billy Collins
Emory University
The former US poet laureate will give a free reading at Glenn Auditorium on the Emory University campus. The reading is free, but requires tickets. Contact the Emory box office for details. http://arts.emory.edu/box-office/

Tuesday, January 31, 7:15 p.m.
Collin Kelley reads from Remain In Light
Decatur Library Auditorium
Award-winning poet and novelist Collin Kelley launches his new novel, Remain In Light, at this event hosted by Georgia Center for the Book. The novel follows a young poet, Martin Paige, as he works with a Parisian widow to uncover the secrets of her husband's murder 30 years earlier during the 1968 student riots. The library is at 215 Sycamore Street in Decatur. Park in the lower level of the deck to easily access the auditorium. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

Benefit for Bryan Pattillo on Dec. 18

2011-12-10T12:21:00.001-05:00

A benefit for local poet and spoken word artist Bryan Pattillo will be held during Java Monkey Speaks on Sunday, Dec. 18, 8 p.m. Bryan, who has been on the Java Monkey Slam Team for seven years and performed around the world, was hit by a car while riding his bike last month and is unable to work and does not have health insurance.

Poets who want to read that evening will be asked to make a $5 donation to add their name to the sign-up sheet. The sign-up list will be limited to 40 people. Poets may also sign up, but give their slot to someone else as a tribute.

Host Kodac Harrison will also pass the collection jar, money usually reserved for the featured poet will be donated and Java Monkey Coffee House has agreed to give part of that night's proceeds to help Bryan. There will be a continuous open mic from 8 to 11 p.m., so come out and help support one of Atlanta's most noted poets. Java Monkey is located at 425 Church Street in downtown Decatur, across the street from the MARTA station.

December Readings & Events

2011-12-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

Sunday, December 4, 5:00 p.m.
Louise Runyon & Friends
Forever Friends Building, AtlantaPoet Louise Runyon will read from her newly published collection The Clearing at the Forever Friends Building, 1151 Sheridan Road, Atlanta, 30324. Music from Pat Vas Dias and Margaret Hayman will begin at 4:45 p.m. $10 suggest donation. www.louiserunyonperformance.com

Tuesday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry Night at Outwrite ft. Rupert Fike, Megan Volpert and Senoritawesome
Outwrite Bookstore
Poet Franklin Abbott hosts a reading by local poets Megan Volpert (Sonics in Warholia) and Rupert Fike (Lotus Buffet) as well as acoustic music by Lauren Fareira, who performs under the name Senoritawesome. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com

Thursday, December 8, 8:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Anselm Berrigan & Edmund Berrigan
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road, featuring Anselm and Edmun Berrigan. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Friday, December 9, 7 to 9:00 p.m.
Erato Spoken Word Competition
Georgia Tech Campus
Erato, Georgia Tech’s journal of arts and literature, is hosting its first annual Spoken Word Competition featuring college students from around the metro. The event includes the performance and judging of spoken word finalists as well as free coffee, provided by Octane Coffee Bar, and desserts, provided by the journal staff members. An anthology of finalists will be available the week before and at the event. The competition will take place in the center of Georgia Tech’s campus at the Campanile fountain.

Thursday, Dec. 15, 7:00 p.m.
The Last Tango at 10th & Piedmont
Outwrite Bookstore
THIS EVENT HA BEEN POSTPONED.

Sunday, December 18, 8:00 p.m.
A Benefit for Bryan Pattillo
Java Monkey Speaks
A benefit for local poet and spoken word artist Bryan Pattillo will be held at Java Monkey Coffee House on Sunday, Dec. 18, 8 p.m. Bryan, who has been on the Java Monkey Slam Team for seven years and performed around the world, was hit by a car while riding his bike last month and is unable to work and does not have health insurance. Host Kodac Harrison will pass the hat, money usually reserved for the featured poet will be donated and Java Monkey itself has agreed to give part of that night's proceeds to help Bryan. There will be a continuous open mic from 8 to 11 p.m., so come out and help support one of Atlanta's most noted poets. Java Monkey is located at 425 Church Street in downtown Decatur, across the street from the MARTA station.

November Readings & Events

2011-11-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, November 1, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry Seance
Bound to Be Read Books
Local poets will conjure up the spirit of their favorite dead poets for this special event featuring Franklin Abbott, Karen Head, Lisa Allender, Amy Pence, Alice Teeter, Cleo Creech and more. 481-B Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com.

Sunday, November 6, 4:30 p.m.
Louise Runyon
Shambhala Center, Decatur
Runyon reads from her newly-released third book of poetry, The Clearing. This book includes 39 poems exploring the subject of "clearing," as well as Petunias In The Window, a story for children and adults about a mother’s struggle to save her New York City apartment building from demolition. The book includes illustrations and other artwork by Suzanne Clements. $10 donation (optional). 1447 Church Street. www.LouiseRunyonPerformance.com/Poetry

Monday, November 7, 7:15 p.m.
David Bottoms
Decatur Library Auditorium
Georgia Center for the Book welcome back Georgia’s Poet Laureate David Bottoms to read and sign his new collection, ”We Almost Disappear." 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

Monday, November 7, 6:30 p.m.
Natasha Trethewey
Emory University
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Tretheweygives the Phillis Wheatley Reading as part of the Creative Writing ProgramReading Series at Emory University in theJones Room, 311 Woodruff Library. The reading will be followed a byreception and book signing. www.arts.emory.edu

Wednesday, November 9, 8:00 p.m.
Poetry At Callanwolde: Rupert Fike and Adrian Fillion
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Rupert Fike's collection of poems, Lotus Buffet, was published this year by Brick Road Poetry Press and will be available at the reading. Nominated for the Pushcart prize in fiction and poetry, his work has appeared in numerous publications, including Rosebud, The Georgetown Review and Natural Bridge. His non-fiction work Voices from The Farm is now available in paperback.Adrian Fillion has published poems in The Atlanta Gazette, The DeKalb Literary Arts Journal, Poetry Venture and Red Hand Book.Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members.For more information visit www.callanwolde.org.

Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m.
An Evening of Spoken Word with Kimberly Dark
Bound to Be Read Books
Kimberly Dark’s spoken word shows have twice been named on Curve magazine’s top 10 performances of the year and, in 2010, Campus Pride named her one of the “Top 25 LGBT Favorites” on Campus Pride’s 2010 “HOT LIST!” – the ‘best of the best’ in LGBT actors, comedians, performers, and more – diverse, provocative, inspiring, and enlightening. Bound to Be Read Books, 481-B Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com

Thursday, November 10, 8:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Bloof Books
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road, featuring poets published by Bloof Books: Shanna Compton, Maureen Thorson, Sandra Simonds, Anne Boyer, Patricia Lockwood, and Peter Davis. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Saturday, November 12, 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Johns Creek Poetry Festival
Northeast Spruill Oaks Library
A day of readings, events and activities for children and adults by local poets and a special appearance by Thomas Lux. 9560 Spruill Road.

Saturday, November 19, 4:00 p.m.
Barbara Knott
Academy Theatre, Avondale Estates
Barbara Knott’s poem “Boxwood” was selected by Nikki Giovanni as winner of the 2009 New Millennium Writings’ poetry award . Her chapbook Soul Mining was published by Finishing Line Press in 2011. In this program, she will be accompanied by dancers Sandra Hughes of the Mask Theater and Malita Belloso and Kevin Wilson of Calo Gitano Flamenco Dance Academy. Admission Free. 19 Center Street. For more information, visit www.grapevineartandsoulsalon.com and click on Barbara’s Book.

Tuesday, November 22, 7:30 p.m.
Antron-Reshaud
Outwrite Books
Antron-Reshaud signs his latest book of poems, short stories, and ruminations, Ayo: Lost and Found. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com

Friday, December 9, 7 to 9:00 p.m.
Erato Spoken Word Competition
Georgia Tech Campus
Erato, Georgia Tech’s journal of arts and literature, is hosting its first annual Spoken Word Competition featuring college students from around the metro. The event includes the performance and judging of spoken word finalists as well as free coffee, provided by Octane Coffee Bar, and desserts, provided by the journal staff members. An anthology of finalists will be available the week before and at the event. The first place winner will receive an award of $100, and the runner-up will receive $50. The competition will take place in the center of Georgia Tech’s campus at the Campanile fountain.

7th annual Voices Carry reading Oct. 29

2011-10-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta is teaming up with the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival to present the 7th annual Voices Carry reading on Saturday, October 29, 7:30 p.m. at The Philip Rush Center. This event is free and open to the public.

The evening will feature:

Cecilia Woloch: A recent National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and author of the collections Carpathia and Late, Woloch teaches at the University of Southern California and regularly teaches workshops in America and abroad.

Rupert Fike: Fike is the the author of Lotus Buffet, which has just been released by Brick Road Poetry Press. His work has appeared in many publications including Atlanta Review, FutureCycle and the Texas Review of Poetry.

Alice Lovelace: Lovelace is an award winning playwright, performance artist, internationally published and award winning poet producer, and a teacher of poetry. She is the editor of the anthology CRUX: A conversation in words and images South Africa to South USA and 100 Poems of Solidarity for Haiti.

Franklin Abbott: Abbott co-founded and serves as Chairperson of the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. He is a psychotherapist, editor and poet. Boyhood: Growing Up Male is his most recent anthology and Pink Zinnia is his most recent book of poetry.

Karen Head: Head is the author of Sassing (WordTech Press, 2009), My Paris Year (All Nations Press, 2009) and Shadow Boxes (All Nations Press, 2003). Her poetry has appeared in many journals and she is the graduate communications director at Georgia Tech.

Collin Kelley: Kelley is the author of three poetry collections including the recently re-issued Slow To Burn and two novels, Conquering Venus and the newly-released Remain In Light.

Th Philip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, 30307 (same building as Radial Cafe).

October Readings & Events

2011-10-01T18:52:00.003-04:00

Thursday, October 6, 7:00 p.m.
Poetry at Tech Event in Alpharetta
Featuring: Thomas Lux, Travis Denton and John Stepens
Special reading in association with Birmingham United Methodist Church and the City of Milton to be held at the church, 15770 Birmingham Highway. Open to all. To see the full Poetry at Tech 2011-12 schedule, visit www.poetry.gatech.edu.

Saturday, October 8, 7:30 p.m.
Finishing Line Press Poetry Reading
Bound to Be Read Books
Collin Kelley will host a reading by local poets published by Finishing Line Press including Eve Hoffman, Ann Lynn, Robert Wood, JC Reilly and Maureen McGranaghan. 481-B Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com.

Wednesday, October 12, 8 p.m.
Poetry At Callanwolde: Stacey Lynn Brown and Terry Hensel
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Stacey Lynn Brown, a poet, essayist, and playwright, is the author of the book-length poem Cradle Song (C&R Press, 2009). She teaches creative writing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.Terry Hensel has published poems in a number of anthologies, including Encore, O'Georgia, Reach of Song, and Creative Collaboration of the Southeast. He has won or placed in several state and national poetry contests, and is active in the Georgia Poetry Society.Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members.For more information visit www.callanwolde.org.

Friday, October 14, 7:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Susana Gardner, James Maughn, Marthe Reed, Mackenzie Carignan, Marci Nelligan
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Tuesday, October 18, 7:15 p.m.
A Southern Poets Reading Evening ft.Janisse Ray, John Lane & Thomas Rain Crowe
Decatur Library Auditorium
Georgia Center for the Book event featuring three acclaimed poets. Janisse is a native Georgian whose books include Ecology or a Cracker Childhood and Drifting Into Darien, and her new poetry collection, A House of Branches, is informed by her life-long interest in wilderness preservation.John Lane is a South Carolinian who writes powerfully about the woods and wilds in many books and whose new volume of poetry, Abandoned Quarry, marks him as ”the finest Southern landscape poet we have today.” Thomas Crowe is a native North Carolinian and author of a dozen books of prose and poetry, and his just-published book of poems Crack Light illustrated by photographs speaks movingly to the ties between humans and the earth in his western North Carolina hill country. 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

Wednesday, October 19, 7 p.m.
Erato Reading Series ft. Tania Rochelle, Tavares Stephens, and Alice Lovelace
Georgia Tech Library
Georgia Tech's literary magazine, Erato, will host three noted local poets in the Neely Room of Library West Commons. For information and directions, visit www.library.gatech.edu.

Thursday, October 20, 6 to 8:00 p.m.
AQLF Graphic Intervention Reading
Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)The Atlanta Queer Literary Festival partners with MODA as part the museum's Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Posters exhibition. Local poets will read poems inspired by posters on display. Expected to read are Cleo Creech, Franklin Abbott, Brent Calderwood, Megan Volpert, Theresa Davis, Collin Kelley and more. MODA, 1315 Peachtree St. (across from the High Museum). www.museumofdesign.org.

Thursday, October 27, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry at Tech: Stephen Dobyns, Carl Dennis & Kate Johnson
Kress Auditorium@The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
A free reading by three noted poets at the Adam Stephens Night Out For Poetry. Please note that Dobyns has been added to this even after missing the Sept. 27 reading. Kress Auditorium,500 Tenth Street, NWAtlanta, GA 30309. Plenty of free parking available just in front of the building's entrance or through the gate, which is straight ahead as you turn off 10th Street. To see the full Poetry at Tech 2011-12 schedule, visit www.poetry.gatech.edu.

Saturday, October 29, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry Atlanta & AQLF Present VOICES CARRY
The Philip Rush Center
Poetry Atlanta and Atlanta Queer Literary Festival present the seventh annual reading featuring Cecilia Woloch, Rupert Fike, Alice Lovelace, Franklin Abbott and Karen Head. Collin Kelley will host. Free! Philip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, 30307 (same building as Radial Cafe.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Rupert Fike on Sept. 27

2011-09-24T11:49:00.002-04:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book team up for another delightful evening of poetry featuring some of the region’s most outstanding writers. On Tuesday, Sept. 27 we’ll welcome Rupert Fike, author of the acclaimed new collection, Lotus Buffet, from Brick Road Poetry Press. His work has appeared in many publications including Atlanta Review, FutureCycle and the Texas Review of Poetry. As usual, this free evening will be hosted by Atlanta’s popular poet and novelist Collin Kelley. Books will be for sale in the lobby (cash or check only, please). The reading will be held in the auditorium of the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street. For more, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.com.

Java Monkey Speaks Anthology Vol. 4 Out Now!

2011-09-06T20:42:00.003-04:00

Poetry Atlanta Press announces the publication of Java Monkey Speaks: A Poetry Anthology, Vol. 4 edited by Kodac Harrison and Collin Kelley. The anthology is filled with both local, national and internationally known poets who have featured at the Java Monkey Speaks open mic/reading series held every Sunday night in Decatur. The series, held at Java Monkey Coffee House, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

This edition features poetry by Yolo Akili, Lynn Alexander, Amena Brown, Dr. William J. Carpenter, Chiara, Franny Choi, Gary Coseri, Sylvia Cross, Theresa Davis, Travis Wayne Denton, Rupert Fike, Darnell Fine, Fernando Fortin, Daryl A. Funn, Lori Gaurisco, Kodac Harrison, Karen Head, Courtney D. Hester, Robert Perry Ivey, Chas Jackson, F. Geoffrey Johnson, Seaborn Jones, Collin Kelley, Hillary Kobernick, Ivy Le, Marques Linly, Alice Lovelace, Ryk McIntyre, Marissa S. McNamara, Ray McNiece, Agnes Meadows, Stephen Micko, Opal Moore, Jason Myers, Meadow Overstreet, Bryan Pattillo, JC Reilly, Bethsheba A. Rem, Elaine Roberts, Louise Runyon, Ezra Stead, Bill Taft, Brent Taylor, Alita-Brielle Terry, Natasha Trethewey, Dan Veach, Megan Volpert and Karen Wurl.

The trade paperback edition is available for purchase for $8.00 at this link or as an ebook for only 99 cents at this link.

September Readings and Events

2011-08-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

Decatur Book Festival, September 2-4
The annual event takes over downtown Decatur for a weekend of literary delights. Poetry Atlanta is once again hosting the Local Poetry Stage at Java Monkey Coffee House on Saturday and Sunday. There will be continuous readings both days, with the Invitational Slam on Saturday night at 8 p.m. and the release of Java Monkey Speaks: A Poetry Anthology, Vol. 4 on Sunday night at 8 p.m. Pulitzer Prize-winner Natasha Trethewey will also feature Sunday night. Other noted poets appearing at venues around Decatur over the weekend include Jericho Brown, Michael Montlack, Thomas Lux, Chard diNord, David Bottoms, Collin Kelley, Dorianne Laux and many more. To see a complete schedule of events and authors, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com.

Sunday, September 11, 5 p.m.
Remembering 9/11
Bound to Be Read Books
Franklin Abbott will host a reading by local poets on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 481-B Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com

Wednesday, September 14, 8 p.m.
Poetry At Callanwolde: La Vita Poetica
Join guest poets from La Vita Poetica Press as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. La Vita Poetica, a small press devoted to the production of limited edition, handcrafted chapbooks, presents a poetry reading by four of their poets, Monica Burchfield, Katie Fesuk, Beth Gylys and Cheryl Stiles, as well as a brief talk about the editorial process and the design and production of the chapbooks by hand.Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members.For more information visit www.callanwolde.org.

Thursday, September 15, 8:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Matt Henriksen, Lee Ann Roripaugh & Daniel Nester
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org
Tuesday, September 27, 7:15 p.m.
Poetry Atlanta Presents... Rupert Fike and Brent Calderwood
Decatur Library Auditorium
Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening with two noted poets. Fike's debut collection, Lotus Buffet, is out now from Brick Road Poetry Press. Calderwoo won the 2011 AQLF Broadside Contest selected by Mark Doty. The library is at 215 Sycamore Street in Decatur. Park in the lower level of the deck to easily access the auditorium. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

Thursday, September 29, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry at Tech: Stephen Dobyns & Cynthia Cruz
Kress Auditorium@The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
A free reading by two noted poets. Kress Auditorium,500 Tenth Street, NWAtlanta, GA 30309. Plenty of free parking available just in front of the building's entrance or through the gate, which is straight ahead as you turn off 10th Street. To see the full Poetry at Tech 2011-12 schedule, visit www.poetry.gatech.edu.

Thursday, September 29, 8:00 p.m.
What's New In Poetry Series: Kiki Petrosino, Angela Veronica Wong & Steven Karl
Emory University
The Emory Poetry Council will host a reading at the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore, 1390 Oxford Road. The reading is free and parking is available on the street and in the deck behind the store. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

August Readings & Events

2011-08-03T11:17:00.002-04:00

Friday, August 5, 8 p.m.
Emory Poetry Council: Michael Ogletree, Jennifer Denrow & Gina Myers
Emory Bookstore (Barnes & Noble)
Three noted poets will give a free reading open to the public. For more about the event, visit this link

Wednesday, August 10, 8 p.m.
Callanwolde Open Mic Poetry Reading
The first ten poets to call and sign up at (404) 872-5338 ext. 228 will have the opportunity to read for 5 minutes at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. General Admission $5. Seniors, Students and members pay $3. Tickets are sold at the door. www.callanwolde.org

Friday, August 12, 8:30 p.m.
Loose Change Anniversary
Loose Change, WonderRoot’s literary magazine, will mark its first year of publication this summer with Paper Anniversary, an open-invitation party celebrating the close of Volume I (and rise of Volume II) with a night of live art, music and dancing ‘til the wee hours. Paper Anniversary unfolds at 8:30 p.m., Friday, August 12, at Kavarna Coffee House on Decatur’s Oakhurst Square. Five of the magazine’s published writers will headline the evening with readings from Year One. Attendees are also encouraged to create and share their own word-based art during the event itself: Loose Change is partnering with Creative ReUse, a fellow offshoot project of WonderRoot dedicated to environmentally conscious art-making, presenting literary contests and interactive art for all. The evening will begin and end with music, wrapping up with a DJ set until close and featuring food and drink specials for hungry/thirsty revelers. The next Loose Change submission deadline is September 2, 2011. All forms of poetry, prose, non-fiction, and more are welcome. For more information on Paper Anniversary and submitting to Loose Change, visit www.loosechangemagazine.org.

Mark Your Calendar!
The Decatur Book Festival returns Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-4. Poetry Atlanta will be hosting the Local Poetry Stage at Java Monkey Coffee House both Saturday and Sunday with the city's best poets performing their work. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey will read at Java Monkey on Sunday night along with the open mic session starting at 8 p.m. For a schedule of events, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com.

July Readings & Events

2011-07-04T19:01:00.000-04:00

Friday, July 8, 8 p.m.
Emory Poetry Council: James May, Molly Brodak and Lyndsey Cohen
Emory Bookstore (Barnes & Noble)
Three noted poets will give a free reading open to the public. For more about the event, visit this link.

July 8, 9 & 10
Turner Cassity Literary Festival
Cultural Arts Center of Douglasville
The late poet Turner Cassity is the namesake of this first annual festival, which will feature poet David B. Axelrod, creative writing guru Bobbi Christmas, poet Gregory Fraser, poet and memoirist Emily Hipchen and poet William Wright. For the full schedule events, www.artsdouglas.org.

Wednesday, July 13, 8 p.m.
Callanwolde Open Mic Poetry Reading
The first ten poets to call and sign up at (404) 872-5338 ext. 228 will have the opportunity to read for 5 minutes at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. General Admission $5. Seniors, Students and members pay $3. Tickets are sold at the door. www.callanwolde.org

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Theresa Davis & Gypsee Yo

2011-06-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening with Women of the World Slam Champs Theresa Davis and Gypsee Yo on Wednesday, June 29, 7:15 at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. The event is free and open to the public.

Theresa Davis is a poet, spoken word artist and teacher. In 2011, she won the Women of the World Poetry Slam held in Columbus, Ohio. She has released two albums of her work, This is for Family and The Uncivil War, as well as two published collections, Torn and Head Games. She is a member of The Word Diversity Collective/Art Amok and represented Atlanta as a member of the 2006 - 2010 Art Amok Slam Team. Davis has shared the stage with Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Pearl Cleage and Doria Roberts in The Vagina Monologues, with Berniece Johnson Reagan (Sweet Honey in the Rock) and recently with Def Poet Jon Goode in their joint production of Wish You Were Here at 7 Stages Theater in Atlanta.

Jonida Beqo a.k.a. Gypsee Yo is a native of Tirana, Albania, currently residing in Atlanta, Ga. She received her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where she founded Lighthouse Productions, an independent theatre company dedicated to original works that educate about and empower communities in crisis. In 2003 the American College Theatre Festival and the Kennedy Center for the Arts recognized Jonida’s one-woman show “The Women I Know” with the Dell’Arte Diversity Award. She has been published in magazines and anthologies such as Mehr Licht!, Java Monkey Speaks Anthology, Her Circle Ezine , Estrology, as well as in a series of periodicals in Albanian. Jonida is the author of three poetry collections in her native tongue, and of four audio CD collections in English, including Kitchensinkdrama, and Firstborn Daughters. As Gypsee Yo , she performs internationally as a spoken word artist, and has competed in slams worldwide, most recently coming in second at the 2011 Women of the World Poetry Slam.

June Readings & Events

2011-05-31T16:19:00.002-04:00

Friday, June 3, 7:30 p.m.
Howl-A-Thon
First Existentialist Congregation
The Atlanta Queer Literary Festival and Poetry Atlanta present an evening of Allen Ginsberg at the First Existentialist Congregation in Candler Park, 470 Candler Park Drive. Come listen to some of Atlanta's most talented poets read from his works. It promises to be a trippy evening. $5 Suggested Donation, benefit for AQLF. Featured readers include: Alice Lovelace, Collin Kelley, Franklin Abbott, Cleo Creech, Mindy Friedman, Karen Head, Kodac Harrison, M. Ayodele Heath, Theresa Davis, JC Reilly, Sharan Strange, Megan Volpert, Dan Veach and a few surprise guests. Rupert Fike is your host.

Wednesday, June 8, 8 p.m.
Callanwolde Open Mic Poetry Reading
The first ten poets to call and sign up at (404) 872-5338 ext. 228 will have the opportunity to read for 5 minutes at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. General Admission $5. Seniors, Students and members pay $3. Tickets are sold at the door. www.callanwolde.org

Sunday, January 19, 8 p.m.
Java Monkey Speaks 10th Anniversary
Featuring Kodac Harrison and Collin Kelley
The open mic and reading series will mark a decade at Java Monkey Coffee House in downtown Decatur with features by host Kodac Harrison and poet/novelist Collin Kelley, who are editing the next edition of the Java Monkey Speaks Anthology. Sign up for open mic begins at 7:30 p.m. If you have a poem that references Java Monkey, please come out and read it! 425 Church St.

June 23-25
Atlanta Queer Literary Festival
The fifth AQLF will take part in venues around the city including an opening night reading at Charis Books and more in Little Five Points, keynote addresses by Bryan Borland and Theresa Davis at the Decatur Library, a full day of workshops, panels and readings on Saturday at the Decatur Library and the AQLF Slam at Java Monkey Coffee House in Decatur. For the full line-up of event, visit www.atlqueerlitfest.com.

Wednesday, June 29, 7:15 p.m.
Poetry Atlanta Presents: Theresa Davis and Gypsee Yo
Decatur Library Auditorium
Poetry Atlanta partners with Georgia Center for the Book for ongoing quarterly reading series. Davis and Jonida "Gypsee Yo" Beqo came in first and second place, respectively, at the Women of the World Poetry Slam this past spring. Free. 215 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA.

All of June
Amy Pence will be conducting four poetry workshops during the month of June on Tuesdays from 11:00-1:00 at the Coffee Pot in downtown Alpharetta to benefit Ninebark Press. Pence is author of the poetry collection The Decadent Lovely and the chapbook Skin’s Dark Night. Her forthcoming book, Armor, Amour will be published by Ninebark Press in 2012. Donations will be $20 per class and $75.00 for all four classes and are tax-deductible. The group will be small (4-8 students). We will read and discuss contemporary poems, participate in in-class poetry exercises and workshop poems from the group. Please contact her at threepence@bellsouth.net to reserve a space.

Howl-a-Thon set for June 3

2011-05-11T22:45:00.000-04:00

Please join the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival and Poetry Atlanta in presenting an evening of Allen Ginsberg at the First Existentialist Congregation in Candler Park, 470 Candler Park Drive, on Friday, June 3, 7:30 p.m. Come listen to some of Atlanta's most talented poets read from his works. It promises to be a trippy evening. $5 Suggested Donation, benefit for AQLF. More details soon!

May Readings & Events

2011-05-03T16:48:00.006-04:00

Tuesday, May 3, 7:30 p.m.
Straight Night at Outwrite featuring M. Ayodele Heath, Eve Hoffman, Elise Witt and Franklin Abbott
Outwrite Books hosts a night of GLBT allied poets for this special reading. The event is free. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com

Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.
Amy Benson Brown
Charis Books
Amy Benson Brown reads from her new book of poetry, The Book of Sarah, about Sarah Grimké who grew up in Charleston at the turn of the nineteenth-century, a privileged daughter of a slave-owning family. But she went on to argue for abolition and women’s rights, provoking—along with her sister Angelina--public outrage in the 1830s. 1189 Euclid Ave. www.charisbooksandmore.com

Wednesday, May 11, 8 p.m.
Mike Dockins an Eugene Ellis
Poetry at Callanwolde
Join two guest poets, Mike Dockins and Eugene V. Ellis, as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library.
Mike Dockins' first book of poems, Slouching in the Path of a Comet (Sage Hill Press, 2007), is in its second print run. His poems have appeared in Crazyhorse, The Gettysburg Review, Gulf Coast, and The Best American Poetry 2007. He currently lives in Decatur and teaches full time at Georgia Perimeter College. Eugene V. Ellis, (r) an architect and graduate of Georgia Tech, has been chairman/co-chairman of the Callanwolde Poetry Committee since 1975. His poetry has been published in journals in England and the United States. His poem, Alewives was given an honorable mention by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. www.callanwolde.com

Friday, May 13, 7 p.m.
Nikky Finney & Pearl Cleage: Conversations on Art and Activism
Auburn Avenue Research Library
Charis Books, Charis Circle, ZAMI NOBLA, and the Auburn Avenue Research Library invite you to a very special reading and conversation with poet Nikky Finney and novelist/playwright/essayist Pearl Cleage. Nikky will treat us to selections from her new collection: Head Off & Split and Pearl will read from her wildly funny new novel set in Atlanta's West End, Just Wanna Testify. After their readings Nikki and Pearl will invite us to listen in on a conversation about art, activism, and the role of the writer in the larger world. 101 Auburn Avenue.

Sunday, May 15
River of Words
Chattahoochee Nature Preserve
Georgia Center for the Book invite you to celebrate the winners of our 2010 Rivers of Words competition. The annual awards ceremony will pay tribute to the students across the state whose poetry and visual art entries have been judged best. Once again the honors program will be held at the lovely Chattahoochee Nature Preserve. The ceremony is free and open to everyone. Visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org for updates on time and details.

Saturday, May 21, 8 p.m.
Sun & Moon Reading: David Need & Ken Taylor
Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop
David Need lives in Durham and teaches South Asian Religions and International Comparative Studies at Duke University. He curates the "Arcade Taberna" long poem series; his poetry and essays have been published in Golden Handcuffs Review, Hambone, Talisman, and Fascile, among others. Ken Taylor lives and writes in North Carolina. In a former life, he was an actor and playwright in Atlanta, New York and LA. He is currently working on a manuscript of poetry, some of which has appeared or is forthcoming in The Chattahoochee Review, The Stony Thursday Book, The Fish Anthology, elimae, MiPOesias, Whale Sound, Eclectica Magazine, The New Guard, Poets & Artists and OCHO. 510 Flat Shoals Ave.

April Readings & Events

2011-04-03T13:54:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, April 6, 5:30 p.m.
Catherine Wing & Jim Shepard
University of West Georgia
Poet Catherine Wing and fiction writer Jim Shepard will be reading at the release party for Eclectic, the undergraduate literary magazine of the University of West Georgia. Wing's poems have appeared in such journals as Chicago Review, Field, and Poetry. Enter Invisible is her debut collection from Sarabande Books. Shepard's short story collection, Like You'd Understand, Anyway, won the Story Prize in 2008, and was nominated for a National Book Award in 2007. The novel Project X won the 2005 Massachusetts Book Award. His latest book of stories, You Think That's Bad, was released this month through Knopf.

Thursday, April 7, 7 p.m.
Publication event for She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems
Barnes & Noble, Peachtree Road
This special reading features Atlanta poets Beth Gylys, Alice Lovelace, Chelsea Rathburn, and Sharan Strange on the publication of She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems, an anthology edited by Caroline Kennedy. This free event is part of a national series curated by Poets & Writers and sponsored by Hyperion/Voice. The B&N is located at 2900 Peachtree Road.

Thursday, April 7, 8 p.m.
Poetry at Emory: Kim Gek Lin Short, Emily Kendal Frey, Heidi Lynn Staples, Anthony McCann
Emory Barnes & Noble Student Bookstore
Hear this talented group of poets share their work at the Barnes & Noble at Emory, 1390 Oxford Road. Free and open to the public. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Thursday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry at Tech: Campbell McGrath & Marjorie Wentworth
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
The final reading of the season features MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant recipient and Kingsley Tufts Poetry Prize winner, Campbell McGrath, and South Carolina Poet Laureate, Marjory Wentworth. Kress Auditorium of the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum on the Georgia Tech campus, 50010th Street. Plenty of free parking available just in front of the building's entrance or through the gate, which is straight ahead as you turn off 10th Street. To see poet bios and for more info, visit www.poetry.gatech.edu.

April 11-12
Thomas Lynch & Thomas G. Long
Emory University
Poet Thomas Lynch and preacher Thomas G. Long know they can’t stop death, but they’re on a mission to change how the living deal with it. They take the stage April 11-12 at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology as part of a four-city lecture tour called “The Undertaking,” designed to return reverential ritual and metaphor to end-of-life practices. “The Undertaking” serves as Candler’s annual Whiteside Lectures sponsored by the school’s Office of Lifelong Learning. It includes a reading by Lynch on April 11 at 7 p.m. in Candler room 252, which is free and open to the public. Read the complete story: http://bit.ly/undertakingslecture

Tuesday, April 12, 4 p.m.
Lita Hooper & T. Lang
Spelman College
Hooper, Lang and members of the departments of drama and dance at Spelman College present a multimedia performance of Hooper's poems, Thunder in Her Voice: The Narrative of Sojourner Truth. The event will be held in the Cosby Academic Center Lobby, 350 Spelman Lane SW, Atlanta, 30314. The event is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, April 12, 8 p.m.
Alice Notley
Emory University
Notley is an award-winning poet with many collections to her credit, including In the Pines, Grave of Light: New and Selected Poems 1970-2005, which was awarded the 2007 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets, and Disobedience, winner of the 2002 International Griffin Poetry Prize. The reading will take place in the Jones Room, 3rd floor of Woodruff Library at Emory University. www.emory.edu

Wednesday, April 13, 8 p.m.
Lita Hooper & Mani Rao
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Lita Hooper is a poet, playwright and college professor whose work has appeared in several anthologies, journals and magazines. A Cave Canem Fellow and recipient of the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Grant, Ms. Hooper has produced staged productions of her collection of poems, Thunder in Her Voice: The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, which was published in 2010. Mani Rao is the author of seven books of poetry, including a translation of the Sanskrit Bhagavad Gita as a poem. Her poems have been published in many journals and anthologies including Colorado Review, Iowa Review, Washington Square, and Penguin’s 60 Indian Poets. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. For more information call 404-872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org

Thursday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.
Mendy Knott
Charis Books & More
Mendy Knott reads from her collection A Little Lazarus. Part narrative,part song, these are poems about the physical body, the blood of sacrifice, an unforgettable communion of spirits—human and otherwise. Charis Books is at 1189 Euclid Ave. in Little Five Points. www.charisbooksandmore.com

Poetry Atlanta Presents... M. Ayodele Heath & Alice Lovelace

2011-03-25T13:39:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening with M. Ayodele Heath and Alice Lovelace on Tuesday, March 29, 7:15 at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. The event is free and open to the public.

Heath's debut collection, Otherness, has just been published by Brick Road Poetry Press. The Atlanta native earned an MFA at New England College and has had his work published in many journals including New York Quarterly and Mississippi Review. He held the McEver Chair in Writing at Georgia Tech, is a two-time Southeastern Region Slam champion and has presented at the National Black Arts Festival.

Lovelace is an award winning playwright, performance artist, internationally published and award winning poet producer, and a teacher of poetry. Since 1995, she has worked as coeditor of Art Changes at In Motion Magazine, a multicultural, online publication about democracy. She is the editor of the anthology CRUX: A conversation in words and images South Africa to South USA; and 100 Poems of Solidarity for Haiti.

March Readings & Events

2011-03-01T19:04:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, March 2, 6:30 p.m.
Matthew & Michael Dickman
Woodruff Library, Emory University
Matthew Dickman is the author of "All-American Poem," winner of the 2009 Oregon Book Award for Poetry and the APR/Honickman First Book Prize. His poetry often references pop culture and expresses lust and yearning. Michael Dickman, author of "The End of the West," writes poems that document the bright desires and all-too-common sufferings of modern times: spiritual longing, drug abuse, surviving violence, and lost friends. His second collection of poems, "Flies," won the James Laughlin Award and is forthcoming in May 2011. The reading is free and open to the public. Jones Room, Level 3, Woodruff Library at Emory University. For more information, click here.

Thursday, March 3, 6:30 p.m.
Chris Abani
SCAD Atlanta
An L.A. artist's search for identity forms the core of the diffuse but haunting new novel, "The Virgin of Falmes," by Nigerian-born poet and Graceland novelist Abani. Free and open to the public. 1600 Peachtree St. www.scad.edu

Saturday, March 5, 5 p.m.
Pre-release party for Megan Volpert's "Sonics in Warholia"
Sycamore Place Gallery, Decatur
A pre-order party for Megan Volpert's new chapbook, "Sonics in Warholia." Features all new and unpublished work by Atlanta's literary icons Bruce Covey, Jim Elledge, Rupert Fike, Paul Guest, Collin Kelley, Randy Prunty, Karen Head & Karen G, written directly in response to the new chapbook. Audience will vote for the top two response pieces and Megan will read those two root pieces. $5 donation for entry; $10 to pre-order book. 120 Sycamore Place, Decatur, GA.

Wednesday, March 9, 8 p.m.
M. Ayodele Heath and Maudelle Driskell
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
M. Ayodele Heath, whose debut collection, "Otherness," has just been published by Brick Road Poetry Press and Maudelle Driskell, recipient of a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, will read from their work. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. For more information call 404-872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org

Saturday, March 12, 8p.m.
Sun & Moon Reading: Molly Brodak and Christine Swint
Joe's Coffee
Molly Brodak is originally from Michigan and currently teaches in Augusta, Georgia. Her poems have appeared recently in Kenyon Review, Field, Ninth Letter, Bateau, the Colorado Review, and she is the author of the chapbook Instructions for a Painting (GreenTower Press) and the book A Little Middle of the Night (U of Iowa Press). Christine Swint lives in the Atlanta area with her family and her two dogs, Red and Duffy. A former Spanish teacher, she now studies in the M.F.A. program in poetry at Georgia State University, where she also teaches basic composition. You can find her online at her quaint, homey blog, Balanced on the Edge. 520 Flat Shoals Drive, East Atlanta.

Tuesday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry at Tech: Chad Davidson, Gerry LaFemina and Joel Brouwer
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
Poetry at Tech welcomes three noted poets to its next reading in the Kress Auditorium of the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum on the Georgia Tech campus, 50010th Street. Plenty of free parking available just in front of the building's entrance or through the gate, which is straight ahead as you turn off 10th Street. To see poet bios and for more info, visit www.poetry.gatech.edu.

March 20-22
Women's History Month Series featuring Rita Dove
Emory University
The Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate will lead three events on the Emory campus including a reading from her latest collection, "Sonata Mulattica," which tells the story of a nineteenth-century black violin virtuoso, Bridgetower, who inspired Beethoven but died in obscurity. Dove will also read with Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey. To see the full schedule of events and readings, visit this link.

Thursday, March 24, 8 p.m.
Emory Poetry Council: Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Elizabeth Bryant, Chris DeWeese
Emory Bookstore (Barnes & Noble)
Three noted poets will read from their work at this free event. For more information, visit. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Saturday, March 26, 8 p.m.
Seth Parker, Lyndsey Cohen and T.J. Jarrett
Beep Beep Gallery
Seth Parker is an editor at Agnes Fox Press and of SKEIN Magazine. Lyndsey Cohen is an editor at Agnes Fox Press and her poems have appeared in magazines such as DIAGRAM, Octopus, and Sentence. T. J. Jarrett's poems have appeared in African American Review, Boston Review, DIAGRAM, and Ninth Letter. 696 Charles Allen Dr. www.beepbeepgallery.com

Tuesday, March 29, 7:15 p.m.
Poetry Atlanta Presents... M. Ayodele Heath
Decatur Library
Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening with poet M. Ayodele Heath, whose debut collection, "Otherness," has just been published by Brick Road Poetry Press. Free and open to the public. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

March 31-April 1
Agnes Scott College Writers Festival
The featured poet at the festival will be Arda Collins. Her collection of poems, "It Is Daylight," won the 2008 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize. Her poems have recently appeared in The New Yorker, American Poetry Review and A Public Space. Collins will be giving her reading Friday, April 1, 1 p.m. in the Winter Theatre of the Dana Fine Arts Building. There will be a book signing and reception to follow. Books of both writers will be available for purchase at the events. More events are happening over the two-day festival. To see the full schedule, visit www.agnesscott.edu/events/writersfestival

February Readings & Events

2011-02-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, February 9, 8 p.m.
Toni Alexander and Amy Pence
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Join two guest poets, Toni Alexander and Amy Pence, as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with readings in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. For more information call 404-872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org

Saturday, February 12, 2011, 6 p.m.
Launch of Otherness by M. Ayodele Heath
Apex Musuem
The official book launch event for the debut poetry collection, Otherness by award-winning performance poet, M. Ayodele Heath. With feature performances by HBO Def Poet Jon Goode, internationally-acclaimed slam poet Gypsee Yo, and emceed by Chezon Jackson. Admission is FREE. Apex Museum, 135 Auburn Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.ayospeaks.com

Thursday, February 17, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry at Tech: Richard Jackson, Bob Wood, Rosemary Daniel and Bruce McEver
The Robert C.Williams Paper Museum
The series continues with this special reading at the Kress Auditorium in The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, 500 10th Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. The reading is free and open to the public. Visit www.poetry.gatech.edu for more info. Plenty of free parking available just in front of the building's entrance or through the gate, which is straight ahead as you turn off 10th Street. For more directions and parking info visit: www.ipst.gatech.edu/amp/

Thursday, February 17, 7 p.m.
Slammin' in th Suburbs
Red Door Playhouse
Enjoy an evening of wonderful entertainment unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, join us for “Slammin’ in the Suburbs”. This is Roswell’s 7th annual poetry slam during which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience on content (discretion encouraged) and performance. Hosted by award winning spoken word artist, M. Ayodele Heath. A $300 cash 1st Place prize sponsored by the Georgia Poetry Society will be awarded as well as a $200 2nd Place and a $100 3rd Place Prize. Admission is FREE. Red Door Playhouse, 587 Atlanta Street, Roswell, GA 30075. http://www.roswellgov.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1673.

Thursday, February 17, 4 p.m.
Adrian Matejka
Spelman College Museum of Fine Art
Adrian Matejka reads and discusses poems from Mixology, Thursday, February 17, 4:00 p.m. in the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, 350 Spelman Lane, SW, Atlanta 30314. This event is part of the 2010 - 2011 Creative Writing Series sponsored by the English Department. FREE & Open to the public.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... An Evening with Karen Head & Collin Kelley, Jan. 31 at Decatur Library

2011-01-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book are pleased to present a special evening with award-winning poets Karen Head and Collin Kelley on Monday, January 31, 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St. This event is free!

The reading, Call & Response, will feature Head and Kelley reading their poetry round-robin style selecting poems on the fly to find common themes, moods and imagery. It’s a fun, experimental and unexpected evening of poetry because the audience -- and the poets -- aren’t sure what’s coming next.

Karen Head is the author of Sassing (WordTech), My Paris Year and Shadow Boxes (both from All Nations Press). Her poetry has appeared in journals and anthologies around the world.

Collin Kelley is the author of Better To Travel, After the Poison and Slow To Burn, which is being re-issued by Seven Kitchens Press in July 2011. His debut novel, Conquering Venus, is out now.

For more information, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

January Readings & Events

2011-01-03T16:37:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, January 12, 8 p.m.
Callanwolde Open Mic Poetry Night
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Join amateur and professional poets alike as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with its open mic poetry reading night in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. Poets who would like to share their original poetry are welcome. Readings are open to the first ten poets who call and sign up. 404-872-5338 ext. 228. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students with ID, Seniors, and Members. For more information call (404) 872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org.

Thursday, January 27, 8 p.m.
Emory Poetry Council Presents: James Sanders, Sandra Doller & Ben Doller
Emory Bookstore (Barnes & Noble)
Three noted poets will read from their latest work at this ongoing series of readings sponsored by Emory University. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org

Sunday, January 30, 4 p.m.
Mary Oliver
Emory University, Glenn Memorial Auditorium
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver will give a public reading as part of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Reading Series at the Emory Libraries' Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL).The reading will take place at Glenn Memorial Auditorium, 1652 N. Decatur Rd. The event is free but general admission tickets are required. Limit four tickets per person. Tickets are available at A Cappela Books and the Emory Libraries by e-mail (libraryprograms@emory.edu). Tickets requested through the Libraries' e-mail will be held at will call; patrons should plan to arrive well before the start of the reading to pick up their tickets. Parking is available in the Fishburne Deck, but may be limited, so allow extra time to find alternative parking. UPDATE: We're hearing there are no tickets left for this event. Please check with Emory for further details.

Monday, January 31, 7:15 p.m.
Call & Response: An Evening of Poetry with Karen Head & Collin Kelley
Decatur Library Auditorium
Poetry Atlanta, Georgia Center for the Book and Poets & Writers are co-sponsoring this special, free evening at the Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St. The two award-winning poets will read their poetry round-robin style selecting poems on the fly to find common themes, moods and imagery. It’s a fun, experimental and unexpected evening of poetry because the audience -- and the poets -- aren’t sure what’s coming next. Karen Head is the author of Sassing (WordTech), My Paris Year and Shadow Boxes (both from All Nations Press). Her poetry has appeared in journals and anthologies around the world. Collin Kelley is the author of Better To Travel, After the Poison and Slow To Burn, which is being re-issued by Seven Kitchens Press in July 2011. His debut novel, Conquering Venus, is out now. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

In Memoriam: JS van Buskirk

2010-12-03T10:32:00.001-05:00

We were saddened to learn of the death of Atlanta poet and performer Stephanie Ann Paulk, known to many in the writing community by her pen name, JS van Buskirk. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001 and died from complications on Tuesday at the age of 38.

Even after her diagnosis, Stephanie was active on the poetry scene – including appearances at the Decatur Book Festival and at Java Monkey Speaks. She was the founder and original MC of the variety show INFO DEMO, performed with the Atlanta Poets Group and collaborated with artist Julie Püttgen on the multi-media project, "An Infinite Variety of Similar Things." She was also active on Twitter, using the social media platform to create haiku and short sonnets.

Our sympathies go out to Stephanie's friends and family, in particular her husband, poet Randy Prunty. To read and discover more of Stephanie's work, visit www.jsvanbuskirk.com.

December Readings & Events

2010-12-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 7:30PM
POETRY AT TECH
FEATURING GREGORY FRASER, KATHLEEN ANN GOONAN & JILLIAN WEISE
ROBERT C. WILLIAMS PAPER MUSEUM
For the first time in Poetry at Tech's 10 year history, this reading will featur not just poetry, but science fiction. Poets Gregory Fraser and Jillian Weise will be joined by acclaimed sci-fi writer Kathleen Ann Goonan. Please note that this reading is also in a new venue: Kress Auditorium at The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, which is located in the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at Georgia Tech at 500 Tenth St. Atlanta, GA 30309. The Kress is easy to find and it has plenty of free, secure parking. For directions or parking information visit www.ipst.gatech.edu/amp/ Free!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 7:30PM
DAVID BAKER
OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART
David Baker is the author of nine books of poems over the past 30 years. His poems and essays appear in such magazines as The American Poetry Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Yale Review, and many others. Oglethorpe University Museum of Art is located at 4484 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. (404) 364-8555. Free!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 8:00PM
EMORY POETRY COUNCIL PRESENTS JULES COHEN, LILY BROWN & NICOLE STEINBERG
EMORY UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

A special evening of poetry featuring three noted poets from around the country. The reading is free and open to the public. More information at http://www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org/

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 8:00PM
KODAC HARRISON
SYCAMORE PLACE GALLERY SATURDAY
Singer, songwriter, poet Kodac Harrison performs a set of music and poetry, In Too Deep 2, with special guest guitarist Jody Worrell. The gallery is located at 120 Sycamore Place in Decatur, GA across the street from Carpe Diem. $5 admission. www.kodacharrison.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1:30PM

ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB POETRY DAY

FEATURING: MEME CURTIS TUCKER, AMY PENCE, JOHN OTTLEY & HOST JILL JENNINGS

An afternoon of poetry with the AWC at Georgia Perimeter College-Dunwoody with some of Georgia's most noted poets. Meme Curtis Tucker is an award-winning poet, whose collection "The Watchers" was recently named one of the 25 Books Every Georgia Should Read by Georgia Center for the Book. Amy Pence will be reading from her new collection "The Decadent Lovely" and former Georgia Poetry Society president John Ottley will read from his latest collection "The Seventh Deadliest Fear." Jill Jennings, author of the collection "The Poetry Alarm Clock" will emcee. 2101 Womack Road, Dunwoody. For more visit, www.atlantawritersclub.org.

November Readings & Events

2010-11-05T01:26:00.006-04:00

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, NOON
NIKKI GIOVANNI
CHARIS BOOKS
Join Charis for a very special midday reading and book signing with Nikki Giovanni! Nikki is in town promoting her newest poetry anthology, The 100 Best African American Poems. You do not need a ticket to this event but you may want to arrive early to guarantee a spot. 1189 Euclid Ave. www.charisbooksandmore.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 8 pm
POETRY AT CALLANWOLDE PRESENTS KAREN HOLMES AND ANA KRUGOVOY SILVER
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER
Callanwolde’s regular poetry series continues featuring Karen Holmes and Anya Krugovoy Silver as they read from their latest published works. Experience an evening of poetry in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. Karen Paul Holmes has had her poems published in Poetry East, Atlanta Review, Sow's Ear Poetry Review, the anthology Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, and elsewhere. She coordinates a monthly poetry critique group in Buckhead. Anya Krugovoy Silver is an associate professor of English at Mercer University in Macon. Her debut poetry collection The Ninety-Third Name of God was published this year by Louisiana State University Press. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. For more information call (404) 872-5338. www.callanwolde.org

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 8 pm
EMORY POETRY COUNCIL PRESENTS SANDRA BEASLEY, ALKA ROY & CHAD DAVIDSON
EMORY UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

A special evening of poetry featuring three noted poets from around the country. The reading is free and open to the public. More information at http://www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org/

Seventh annual Voices Carry, Oct. 30

2010-10-17T17:20:00.002-04:00

Poetry Atlanta will present the seventh annual Voices Carry reading on Saturday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m. at Sycamore Place Gallery in Decatur. The line-up for this year's reading is one of the most stellar ever including Natasha Trethewey, Patrick Donnelly, Cecilia Woloch, M. Ayodele Heath and Collin Kelley. The event is free and open to the public, although we will be accepting donations to help offset the cost of wine and nibbles for the reception. The gallery is located at 120 Sycamore Place, Decatur, GA 30030.

Natasha Trethewey won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection Native Guard. A professor at Emory University, Trethewey's other collections include Domestic Work and Bellocq's Ophelia. Her latest work is a book of non-fiction called Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Patrick Donnelly is the author of The Charge and Nocturnes of the Brothel of Ruin, forthcoming from Four Way Books. He is an associate editor of Poetry International and his work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, Virginia Quarterly Review and many more.

Cecilia Woloch is the author of five collections of poems, most recently Carpathia, from BOA Editions. She is currently a lecturer in the creative writing program at the University of Southern California, as well as the founding director of The Paris Poetry Workshop.

M. Ayodele Heath is a regional and national poetry slam champ. He was named a 2002 Lexus Leader in the Arts, given an Emerging Artists grant by the Atlanta Bureau for Cultural Affairs and received a fellowship to the Caversham Center for the Arts in South Africa. His work has appeared in Chattahoochee Review and storySouth among others.

Collin Kelley is the author of the novel Conquering Venus and three collections of poetry, Better To Travel, Slow To Burn and After the Poison. A Georgia Author of the Year Award winner, Kelley's poetry has appeared in Atlanta Review, Chattahoochee Review, Ecotone, New Delta Review and many more.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Colin Cheney & Ginger Murchison, Oct. 26

2010-10-17T16:37:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present a special evening of poetry featuring National Poetry Series winner Colin Cheney and local favorite Ginger Murchison. The free reading will be Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 7:15 p.m. in the lower level auditorium at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. Books will be available for purchase.

About Colin Cheney
Colin Cheney's first book, Here Be Monsters, was selected as a winner of the 2009 National Poetry Series Open Competition and published by the University of Georgia Press. A Pushcart Prize winner and 2006 recipient of the Ruth Lily Fellowship, his work has appeared in Poetry, Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast, American Poetry Review and more. Visit his website at www.colincheney.com.

About Ginger Murchison
A graduate of the M.F.A. Program in Poetry at Warren Wilson College, Ginger Murchison retired from teaching in 1997 to write. A two-time Pushcart nominee, she has published articles, book reviews, and interviews, and her poems have appeared most recently in Atlanta Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Terminus Magazine and numerous anthologies. She assisted Thomas Lux in the founding of POETRY at TECH, Georgia Tech's widely-acclaimed poetry program and is editor of The Cortland Review. Her first collection of poems, Out Here, was published by Jeanne Duval Editions in 2008.

October Readings & Events

2010-10-01T15:37:00.001-04:00

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 7:30 PM
POETRY AT TECH PRESENTS BILLY COLLINS
LECRAW AUDITORIUM
Poetry at Tech opens its 2010-11 season with a bang, featuring former US poet laureate Billy Collins. The LeCraw Auditorium is on the first floor of the College of Management Building in Technology Square, corner of West Peachtree and 5th streets. Parking is available in the parking deck of the Georgia Tech Conference Center Hotel on Spring Street. The event is free and open to the public, but please arrive early to secure a seat. www.poetry.gatech.edu.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1:30 PM
ATLANTA PRIDE LITERARY EVENT
PIEDMONT PARK
Poets and writers – including Theresa Davis, Franklin Abbott, David Matthew Barnes, Mose Hardin, and Cleo Creech – will read on the Budweiser Stage during the Atlanta Pride festival. www.atlantapride.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 8 pm
POETRY AT CALLANWOLDE PRESENTS BARRY MARKS AND PHIL SMITH
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER
Callanwolde’s regular poetry series continues featuring Barry Marks and Phil Smith as they read from their latest published works. Experience an evening of poetry in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library. Barry Marks is the author of Possible Crocodiles (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2010), and has won numerous contests including the Alabama State Poetry Society chapbook competition for There is Nothing Oppressive as a Good Man. Phil Smith formerly directed a writer's series at the Maryland Writers Council. His collection of poetry and essays Impure Honey! was published in 2007, and two of his poems are included on the CD Words on War. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 students with ID, seniors and Callanwolde members. For more information call (404) 872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org.

OCTOBER 13-16
ATLANTA QUEER LITERARY FESTIVAL
VARIOUS VENUES
The fourth annual AQLF will be held at venues around the city including Charis Books, Outwrite Books, Emory University, Auburn Avenue Research Library, Decatur Library, Java Monkey Coffee House and First Existentialist Congregation. There will be poets both local and national reading – including Steven Reigns, Amy King, Montgomery Maxton and Collin Kelley – along with prose and non-fiction writers. There will be a slam showcase featuring Blair, Joanna Hoffman, Ifa Bumi and more at Java Monkey on Saturday night. For a full schedule and details, visit www.atlqueerlitfest.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7:00 PM
AMENA BROWN LIVE
BLUE MARK STUDIOS
Spoken word artist Amena Brown will read new at Blue Mark Studios, 892 Jefferson St. (near King Plow Arts Center) along with music performances by J. Winston, Gritz & Jelly Butter, Adan Beane and more. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. amenabrownlive.eventbrite.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 6:30 PM
SHERRY WILLIAMS
PUSH PUSH THEATRE
Sherry Williams, poet, playwright and novelist will present her latest collection of poetry, Queen, at Push Push Theater,121 New Street, Decatur. The evening will be augmented by a live jazz performance by the Intown Band. Cover is $15. www.mooreoliphant.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 7:30 PM
CHARIS BOOKS PRESENTS ALICE WALKER
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION
The author of The Color Purple will read from and sign her new book of poetry, Hard Times Call For Furious Dancing, at this special event at the Unitarian building, 1911 Cliff Valley Way. Tickets are $25. www.charisbooksandmore.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 7:15 PM
POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS... COLIN CHENEY & GINGER MURCHISON
DECATUR LIBRARY
Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present a special evening of poetry featuring National Poetry Series winner Colin Cheney (Here Be Monsters) and local favorite Ginger Murchison (Out Here). The free reading will be Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 7:15 p.m. in the lower level auditorium at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. Books will be available for purchase.www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 8:00 PM
VOICES CARRY
FEATURING: NATASHA TRETHEWEY, CECILIA WOLOCH, PATRICK DONNELLY, RICHARD GARCIA, M. AYODELE HEATH & COLLIN KELLEY
SYCAMORE PLACE GALLERY, DECATUR
The sixth annual reading boasts and all-star line up of poets including Pulitzer Prize-winner Trethewey at the intimate gallery, 125 Sycamore Place. The event is free, but donations are requested for wine and food and to help offset costs of the event.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Finishing Line Press Reading, Sept. 30

2010-09-29T12:08:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening of local poets who have been published by the acclaimed Finishing Line Press. The free reading will begin at 7:15 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street. Books will be for sale.

Scheduled to Appear

JC Reilly - La Petite Mort
Robert Wood - Gorizia Notebook
Eve Hoffman - Red Clay
Ann Lynn - In the Butterfly House
Jenny Sadre-Orafai - Weed Over Flower
Collin Kelley (Host) - After the Poison

For more information, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

September Readings & Events

2010-09-06T21:15:00.002-04:00

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 8:00 PM

POETRY AT CALLANWOLDE
FEATURING FRANKLIN ABBOTT & EVE HOFFMANPoet, activist and founder of the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival Franklin Abbott will read work from his latest collection, Pink Zinnias, along with Eve Hoffman, whose debut chapbook, Red Clay, was just published by Finishing Line Press. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. www.callanwolde.org

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 8:00 PM

I SEE STRAIGHT PEOPLE

A BENEFIT FOR ATLANTA QUEER LITERARY FESTIVAL

I See Straight People will take place at the First Existentialist Congregation, 470 Candler Park Road overlooking Candler Park. Rupert Fike hosts for the second year in a row with poetry, music and spoken word to raise money for AQLF. Performers include Elise Witt and musical friends, Alice Lovelace, Stephen Wing, Bruce Covey, James May and Jon Goode. A $10 donation (tax deductible) is suggested to help continue the programming of AQLF. www.atlqueerlitfest.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 7:30 PM

AN EVENING OF POETRY AND JAZZ

CELEBRATING DR. HAKI MADHUBUTI & THIRD WORLD PRESS

The founder of the acclaimed African American press will be honored for 40 years of publishing some of poetry's most noted voices including Gwndolyn Brooks, Gloria Naylor, Pearl Cleage and Sonia Sanchez. The evening will feature poetry readings by Theresa Davis, Felton Eaddy, Alice Lovelace, Lita Hooper, Opal Moore, Michael Simanga and Dr. Madhubuti. There will also be jazz performances. Admission is $10 at the door. Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road, Atlanta, GA 30331. www.fultonarts.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 8:00 PM
EMORY POETRY COUNCIL PRESENTS WHAT'S NEW IN POETRY
EMORY UNIVERSITY
The season kicks off with a reading by four fantastic poets: Jennifer L. Knox, Peter Davis, Shanna Compton & Sandra Simons. The reading will be held in the Few Hall multipurpose room on the Emory campus. Free! www.arts.emory.edu

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 7:30 PM

POETRY NIGHT AT OUTWRITE BOOKS

A SPECIAL OPEN MIC

Franklin Abbott will host a special open mic at Outwrite Books, 995 Piedmont Ave. in Midtown. Bring a poem or two to read and find out more about the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival upcoming in October. www.outwritebooks.com or www.atlqueerlitfest.com.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 7:00 PM
NEW SOUTH PRESENTS RODNEY JONES
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Rodney Jones is the author of eight books of poetry: Salvation Blues: 100 Poems, 1985–2005 (2006), Kingdom of the Instant: Poems (2004), Elegy for the Southern Drawl (1999), Things That Happen Once (1996), Apocalyptic Narrative (1993), and Transparent Gestures (1989), all from Houghton Mifflin, as well as The Unborn (Atlantic Monthly, 1985) and The Story They Told Us of Light (Alabama, 1980). He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His other honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Peter IB Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets, the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, a Southeast Booksellers Association Award, a Harper Lee Award, and the 1989 National Book Critics Circle Award. Troy Moore Library, 9th Floor of the General Classroom Building at the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Decatur Street. Free!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 7:15 PM

POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS...

AN EVENING OF FINISHING LINE PRESS POETS

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present an evening of local poets who have been published by the acclaimed Finishing Line Press. The free reading will begin at 7:15 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street. Books will be for sale. Poets scheduled to appear include JC Reilly - La Petite Mort; Robert Wood - Gorizia Notebook; Eve Hoffman - Red Clay; Ann Lynn - In the Butterfly House; Jenny Sadre-Orafai - Weed Over Flower; and host Collin Kelley - After the Poison. For more information, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

Poetry Atlanta at Decatur Book Festival

2010-09-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

The annual Decatur Book Festival returns this weekend, Sept. 3-5, with hundreds of authors on hand for readings, signings, panel discussions and more. Poetry Atlanta will once again host the Local Poets Stage.

Saturday, September 4
From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Poetry Atlanta will host the local poets stage at Java Monkey Coffee House, 425 Church St. A different poet will read every 15 minutes. At 8 p.m., Kodac Harrison will host the Invitational Slam. This showcase will feature many of the areas top slam poets, who will compete for cash prizes.

Sunday, September 5
From noon until 6 p.m., Poetry Atlanta will host the Local Poets Stage at Java Monkey. A different poet will read every 15 minutes. The regular Java Monkey Speaks open mic will begin as usual at 8 p.m. (sign up at 7:30, but come early to find a seat and get your name on the list!). The special guest is award-winning poet Patricia Smith, who is a slam champ, Pushcart Prize and National Poetry Series Award winner for her collection, Teahouse of the Almighty. Her latest collection, Blood Dazzler, gives voice to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

For a full schedule of events at the Decatur Book Festival, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com.

A new look for Poetry Atlanta

2010-08-09T14:00:00.001-04:00

Hello poets! As you can see, Poetry Atlanta has a spiffy new look, plus an easy to use navigation bar at the top of the page to get to News, the Poet's Phonebook (coming soon) and to purchase books and DVDs from Poetry Atlanta Press. We'll be adding news items regularly (check out the submission call for Loose Change Magazine there now!) and soon we'll have a page specifically for the weekly and monthly open mics that happen around the city.

You'll notice below that you can also easily share content on Facebook, Twitter or Gmail by hitting one of the links in the post footer.

Make sure to bookmark our page to find out everything that's happening in the Atlanta poetry community.

August Readings & Events

2010-08-02T13:40:00.002-04:00

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 7:30 PM

PLAY PEN OPEN MIC

JOHNNIE MACCRACKEN’S CELTIC PUB, MARIETTA

The Write Room literary magazine sponsors an open mic of poetry, prose, and music the first Tuesday of each month. Writers, poets, and musicians of all genres are welcome and participation is encouraged. Play Pens provide a casual, supportive, and fun atmosphere where those in the arts community can meet, perform, and network. The event is free and open to those 21 years of age and up. http://www.thewritemag.com/2010/07/play-pen-august-3-2010/ 15 Atlanta Street.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 8:15 PM
SUMMER COFFEEHOUSE SERIES
OPEN MIC POETRY READING
Callanwolde’s popular summertime coffee house series returns with live music, coffee and refreshments and open-mic poetry readings. Held in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library, the evening begins at 7:30 with live acoustic music and at 8:15 the open mic readings are open to poets who would like to read their original poetry. This month's special musical guest is local spoken word and music legend Kodac Harrison. The first ten poets to call and sign up at 404-872-5338 ext. 228 will read for 5 minutes. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. www.callanwolde.org

July Readings and Events

2010-07-03T12:45:00.003-04:00

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 8:15 PM
SUMMER COFFEEHOUSE SERIES
OPEN MIC POETRY READING
Callanwolde’s popular summertime coffee house series returns with live music, coffee and refreshments and open-mic poetry readings. Held in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library, the evening begins at 7:30 with live acoustic music and at 8:15 the open mic readings are open to poets who would like to read their original poetry. Rhythmic acoustic guitar player Veronika Jackson sings with the flavor of blues and with a sprinkling of storytelling that touches the heart. The first ten poets to call and sign up at 404-872-5338 ext. 228 will read for 5 minutes. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. www.callanwolde.org

TUESDAY, JULY 20, 8:00 PM

WRITERS' EXCHANGE

EYEDRUM GALLERY
Writers' Exchange is a monthly free-form environment for literature-based exchanges, ideas, and performance among experimentally-minded Atlanta-area writers and artists. Writers' Exchange was created in an effort to encourage exposure of techniques and processes and their live presentation. Show up early and sign up to participate. All genres and styles welcome. www.eyedrum.org. 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

THURSDAY, JULY 22, 7:15PM

DAVID BOTTOMS

DECATUR LIBRARY AUDITORIUM

Georgia Center for the Book presents a reading by Georgia Poet Laureate David Bottoms, who will read from The Onion’s Dark Core, a collection of essays composed by the poet. Poet Edward Hirsch calls it a book that is ”personal, keenly thoughtful” and ”that treats poetry with the seriousness it deserves, as ’the most natural vehicle of the spirit’.” Free. 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 8:00PM

KODAC HARRISON

SYCAMORE PLACE GALLERY, DECATUR

From Kodac: This show, which was inspired by Neil Young's recent solo performance at the Fox, will start at 8 pm and will have a $5 cover. I want to put together a show in an arty atmosphere, where I do all the things I do in performance. That is play guitar, sing, tell stories and perform spoken word. I will tell the story of my experience in the German Irish Pub and much more. 120 Sycamore Place, Decatur.

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 7:00PM

PRIVATE POETRY UNVEILED

CHOCOLATE PERKS, DULUTH
Free poetry reading at 7:00 PM, Saturday, July 24th, at Chocolate Perks, 3160 Main Street, Duluth. Event hosted by Private Poetry Unveiled -- a group of Gwinnett poets. New readers welcomed and encouraged. First 10 poets will be accepted. Program will be poets reading their original poetry for 5 minutes each - with a possible open mic after the program. Poets interested in reading or for more information contact Lisa Andrews at heal2day@bellsouth.net.

June Readings and Events

2010-06-01T18:18:00.006-04:00

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 7:30PM

NEW SOUTH READING: MATTHEW PITT, JOSH GREEN & KATIE CHAPLE

KAVARNA, DECATUR

Matthew Pitt’s first story collection, Attention Please Now, is the winner of the 2009 Autumn House Fiction Prize. Stories of his were recently cited in the Best American Short Stories, Best American Nonrequired Reading, and Pushcart Prize anthologies. Josh Green is a journalist and fiction writer living in Atlanta. His work has appeared in The Adirondack Review, New South, Lake Effect, Bloodroot, Amarillo Bay, The Indianapolis Star and most recently placed second for the Kneale Award in Purdue University’s 76th Annual Literary Competition. He covers the crime beat for a metro newspaper, adhering reluctantly to facts. Katie Chaple teaches poetry and writing at the University of West Georgia. Her work has appeared in 32 Poems, Antioch Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Crab Orchard Review, Passages North, Southern Humanities Review, Washington Square, and she was the recipient of Southern Humanities Review's Theodore Christian Hoepfner Award as well as awarded a McEver Chair appointment with Poetry@Tech in the spring of 2009. Kavarna is located at 707 East Lake Dr.

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 7:00PM

ART AMOK POETRY SLAM & GRIND

URBAN GRIND COFFEE HOUSE

ART AMOK opens June with 2 wildly inspiring, talented & amazing veterans of poetry-both on and off the page, Denise Jolly and Ryler Dustin. First come, first served poetry slam= 2 rounds of 3 minute original poems.$6 to support the artists and Art Amok Slam Team. FREE to judge.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 8:15 PM
SUMMER COFFEEHOUSE SERIES
OPEN MIC POETRY READING
Callanwolde’s popular summertime coffee house series returns with live music, coffee and refreshments and open-mic poetry readings. Held in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Library, the evening begins at 7:30 with live acoustic music and at 8:15 the open mic readings are open to poets who would like to read their original poetry. John Kunz, a musician's musician, will sing his own heartfelt and observant songs along with acoustic guitar. He has performed at many acoustic venues in Atlanta including the Freight Room and Lena's Place, as well as playing jazz-style piano around the Southeast. The first ten poets to call and sign up at 404-872-5338 ext. 228 will read for 5 minutes. Tickets are sold at the door. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members.

JUNE 25 & 26, 8:00 PM

WISH YOU WERE HERE

FEATURING JON GOODE & THERESA DAVIS

7 STAGES THEATRE

Wish You Were Here, the spoken word performance show featuring Theresa Davis & Jon Goode, returns to 7 Stages June 25th and 26th! The 25th will be an encore performance of the original show and the 26th will be the staging of a new performance. Special guests include Slam Poet April AP Smith, Slam Poet Gus Wood, Slam Poet Darnell Fine, BET Lyric Cafe's Cola Rum and HBO Def Poetry/BET Lyric Cafe's Malik Salaam to name a few. It promises to be two incredible nights of art and artistry. Come see what the fuss is all about; 7 Stages Theater, 1105 Euclid Ave tickets $10 in advance and $15 at the door. www.7stages.org or call 404-523-7647.

May Readings & Events

2010-05-02T12:44:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 7:15PM

PAUL GUEST

GEORGIA CENTER FOR THE BOOK

Poet Paul Guest will read from his just-published memoir, One More Theory About Happiness, at the Georgia Center for the Book auditorium at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. in Decatur. Free. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

SATURDAY, May 8, 8:00PM
SOUL REVELATIONS
Soulcial Climax premiers Soul Revelations! Come out and celebrate our special Mother's Day edition of smooth jazz and phenomenal poets. Special guest performer Kenny Nightingale is sure to entertain. Join us at REV Coffee located in Smyrna, GA from 8 PM - 10 PM.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2:00PM
DEAD POETS GRAND TOUR
DECATUR CEMETERY
Poets are encouraged to come and read a poem by one of their favorite deceased poets as part of the Dead Poets Grand Tour, which is visiting historic sites and cemeteries around the country. The event is in the historic Decatur Cemetery near the grave of Thomas Holley Chivers, the Georgia doctor and poet who was a friend of Edgar Allen Poe. South Carolina Poet Laureate Majory Wentworth will be reading during the event, which is being filmed as part of documentary. The cemetery is located at 299 Bell St. For more information and to sign up to read, visit this link.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 8:00 PM
PRESS 53 READING
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER LIBRARY
Press 53 presents an evening of poetry featuring Charleston poet Linda Annas Ferguson, poet laureate of South Carolina Marjory Heath Wentworth, Atlanta poet Alexa Selph, Macon poet Austin Segrest, and poet laureate of Georgia, David Bottoms. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road. www.callanwolde.org.

25 Books All Georgians Should Read

2010-04-28T20:17:00.001-04:00

The Georgia Center for the Book will reveal the ”25 Books All Georgians Should Read” at a special event on Thursday night (April 29) at 7 p.m. at the Decatur Public Library, 215 Sycamore St.

The fourth edition of the prestigious “25 Books” list includes 11 novels and short story collections, three volumes of poetry, and 11 nonfiction books, and boasts three Pulitzer Prize winners.

Eighteen of the authors are expected to be at the event to talk with attendees and sign books. Who’s on the list? We can’t tell you that, so you’ll just have to go and find out for yourself.

For more details, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

April Readings & Events

2010-03-31T19:40:00.010-04:00

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 7:15PM

POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS... JANUARY GILL O'NEIL AND JAMES MAY

DECATUR LIBRARY

THURSDAY APRIL 1, 7:30PM

JAMIE IREDELL, MARC FITTEN & AMANDA GABLE

TROY MOORE LIBRARY, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Poet Iredell joins novelists Fitten and Gable for a reading from their latest work in the Troy Moore Library, 9th floor of the General Classroom Building on campus. Free.

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 8:00PM

REB LIVINGSTON, MATT HART & ABRAHAM SMITH

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Three top notch poets read from their latest work at the Schwartz Center Lab, 1700 N. Decatur Road, on the campus of Emory University. www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 7:00PM

POETRY AT TECH: BARBARA HAMBY & ROBERT FANNING

ACADEMY OF MEDICINE

Poetry at Tech wraps up it's season with a reading by two dynamic poets. The first 50 guests will receive a limited edition broadside featuring poems by the featured writers. The Academy of Medicine is at 875 West Peachtree St. Limited parking is available behind the building and there is also street parking around the vicinity. A book signing will follow. Free. www.poetry.gatech.edu.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 3:00PM

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH READING

BOUND TO BE READ BOOKS

Franklin Abbott will host this afternoon of poets -- including Collin Kelley, Cleo Creech, Alice Teeter, Robin Kemp, Megan Volpert, Theresa Davis and more -- performing their work at the indie book shop. Free. 481-B Flat Shoals Ave. in East Atlanta Village. www.boundtobereadbooks.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 7:30PM

KAREN HEAD, BLAKE LELAND, ROBERT WOOD & JC REILLY

OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY

Four distinguished poets read at the university's art museum. Free and open to public. 4484 Peachtree Road. http://museum.oglethorpe.edu/programs.htm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 8:00 PM
CHRIS "COCKTAILS" CORNELL & JAMES MAY
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER LIBRARY
Spoken word artist Cocktails and New South journal editor and poet May will read in the library. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road. www.callanwolde.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 7:00PM

TERRANCE HAYES

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The award-winning poet will read in GSU's Troy Moore Library (9th floor / General Classroom Building / 38 Peachtree Center Avenue) at 7pm. The event, which is sponsered and organized by New South, is free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 8:00PM

KOSTAS ANAGNOPOULOS

WHITESPACE GALLERY, INMAN PARK

Ready Set Readings at Whitespace is pleased to welcome Kostas Anagnopoulos. A limited number of letterpress books created especially for this event will be given away at the reading. His new chapbook, Some of My Reasons, is forthcoming from Insurance. Whitespace Gallery, 814 Edgewood Ave. (404) 688.1892, www.whitespace814.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 8:00PM

TALKING BACK TO THE MUSE

COMPOSITION GALLERY

Poetry Atlanta and Composition Gallery in Candler Park team up for this special evening to celebrate National Poetry Month on Saturday, April 17, 8 p.m. Favorite Atlanta poets will be reading a classic poem followed by a response, rebuttal or rant of their own. It's sure to be a unique evening of poetry. Readers will be announced soon.

Talking Back to the Muse, April 17

2010-03-20T14:22:00.004-04:00

Featured poets include: Alice Lovelace, Kodac Harrison, Chelsea Rathburn, Jon Goode, Bill Taft, Theresa Davis, Collin Kelly, Bruce Covey, Beth Gylys, Dan Veech, Megan Volpert, Franklin Abbott, Christine Swint, Rupert Fike, Jamie Iredell, Karen Head, Mr. Funn, Bob Wood, Tania Rochelle, Cleo Creech, Marissa McNamara, Mike Dockins, Ginger Murchison, James May, JC Reilly, Amy Pence, Robin Kemp, Marshall Gillson, Michael Diebert and Alice Teeter.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... January Gill O'Neil and James May, April 1

2010-03-12T17:49:00.007-05:00

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the book team up to present another Poetry Atlanta Presents... with two fantastic poets performing and signing their latest work. The reading is Thursday, April 1, 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. Admission is free and free parking is available in the deck behind the library. This event is made possible by a grant from Poets & Writers.

The featured poets:

January Gill O’Neil is the author of Underlife (CavanKerry Press). Her poems and articles have appeared in The MOM Egg, Crab Creek Review, Ouroboros Review, Drunken Boat, Crab Orchard Review, Callaloo,Babel Fruit, Edible Phoenix, Literary Mama,Field, Seattle Review, Stuff Magazine, Can We Have Our Ball Back, Read Write Poem, and Cave Canem anthologies II and IV. In 2009, January was awarded a Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund grant. She is featured in Poets & Writers magazine's January/February 2010 Inspiration issue as one of their 12 debut poets. A Cave Canem fellow, she is a senior writer/editor at Babson College, runs a popular blog called Poet Mom, and lives with her two children in Beverly, MA.

James May's work has recently appeared in The New Republic, The New Ohio Review, and 32 Poems. He is the editor-in-chief of New South and soon to be married to the poet Chelsea Rathburn.

March Readings & Events

2010-03-02T16:47:00.005-05:00

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 7:00PM
ART AMOK SLAM FINAL
URBAN GRIND COFFEE HOUSE
Find out who will win a spot on the Art Amok Slam Team at this summer's National Poetry Slam. Urban Grind is at 962 Marietta St. Admission is $6, but if you're selected as a judge, your admission is free.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 8:00 PM
TANIA ROCHELLE & BLAKE LELAND
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER LIBRARY
Rochelle ("The World's Last Bone") and Leland (whose poetry has appeared in The New Yorker and many other publications) will read in the library. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road.www.callanwolde.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 8:00PM
BRUCE COVEY

WHITESPACE GALLERY, INMAN PARK
Ready Set Readings at Whitespace is pleased to welcome Bruce Covey. A limited number of letterpress books created especially for this event will be given away at the reading. Bruce Covey's fourth and fifth books of poems, Glass Is Really a Liquid (No Tell Books) and Reveal (Black Radish) will both be out in 2010. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he teaches at Emory University, edits Coconut Poetry, and curates the What's New in Poetry reading series. This event is free and open to the public. Whitespace Gallery, 814 Edgewood Ave. (404) 688.1892, www.whitespace814.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 7:00 PM

CD RELEASE PARTY FOR YOLO AKILI

BELLISSIMA ATLANTA

Spoken word artist and poet Yolo will hold a release party & reading for his new album "Purple Galaxy" at Bellissima, 560-B Amsterdam Ave. For more inof visit www.yoloakili.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 7:00PM

PRIVATE POETRY UNVEILED

CHOCOLATE PERKS, DULUTH

Community event in historic downtown Duluth featuring 10 poets reading followed by open mic. To be one of the 10, email heal2day@bellsouth.net or kathy@sojournwithmyself.com. Chocolate Perks is at 3160 Main St.

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 5:00 PM

LINDA BIERDS READING & BOOK SIGNING

OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART

Linda Bierds will read from her latest book Flight: New and Selected Poems. Book signing and reception will follow. Presented in conjunction with the exhibit Henri Matisse: A Celebration of French Poets & Poetry. Bierds has won the PEN West Poetry Award, the Poetry Society of America's Consuelo Ford Award, and four Pushcart Prizes. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Poetry, and The Hudson Review. Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, 4484 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta. The event is free and open to the public. www.museum.oglethorpe.edu

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 7:15PM

KEVING YOUNG & NATASHA TRETHEWAY

GEORGIA CENTER FOR THE BOOK

Acclaimed poets Young (who has a new collection, "The Art of Losing") and Pulitzer Prize-winner Tretheway ("Native Guard") share the stage for this special evening of poetry. Free. Georgia Center for the Book is located in the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 7:00 PM

SUN & MOON READING FEATURING COLLIN KELLEY, MIKE DOCKINS & AMY McDANIEL

THE HOT SPOT, EAST ATLANTA

Host Laura Carter welcomes up-and-coming and well-known poets at this new series held at The Hot Spot, 749 Moreland Ave., Suite 101A (corner of Moreland and Ormewood).

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

39th ANNUAL AGNES SCOTT WRITERS' FESTIVAL

AGNES SCOTT CAMPUS, DECATUR

An afternoon Q&A and series of readings by Sarah Scoles, Scott Russell Sanders and Paul Guest. For the full line-up of events, visit www.agnesscott.edu/events.

February Readings & Events

2010-02-01T19:03:00.008-05:00

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 7:00 PM
POETRY AT TECH FEATURING GINGER MURCHISON, BRUCE MCEVER & ROBERT PERRY IVEY
CLARY THEATRE, GEORGIA TECH CAMPUS
Thomas Lux introduces the three featured poets as part of the 8th annual McEver Poetry Reading. Free and open to the public. The Clary Theatre is located in the Bill Moore Student Success Center. Parking is available in the Burge Deck across North Avenue. www.poetry.gatech.edu.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 7:30 PM
QUEER POETRY NIGHT FEATURING FRANKLIN ABBOTT, MEGAN VOLPERT, THERESA DAVIS & COLLIN KELLEY
OUTWRITE BOOKS
A special evening of poetry featuring four of Atlanta's well-known poets reading new and favorite work. Free and open to the public. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 8:00 PM
ROBIN KEMP & ANNE WEBSTER
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER LIBRARY
Kemp ("This Pagan Heaven") and Webster ("A History of Nursing") will read from their collections. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road.www.callanwolde.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 7:00 PM

SUN & MOON READING FEATURING DAVE DANIELS, PUMA NAVARRO & MICHELLE GRIMES SHAMASNEH

THE HOT SPOT, EAST ATLANTA

Host Laura Carter welcomes up-and-coming and well-known poets at this new series held at The Hot Spot, 749 Moreland Ave., Suite 101A (corner of Moreland and Ormewood).

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 3:00 PM

LOVE IS UNIVERSAL: A VALENTINE POETRY READING

BOUND TO BE READ BOOKS

The East Atlanta Village indie bookstore hosts an afternoon of poetry hosted by Franklin Abbott and featuring an all-star line up of local poets including Karen Head, Collin Kelley, Dustin Brookshire and more. The event will be streamed live over the Internet. More details soon. 481-B Flat Shoals Ave. www.boundtobereadbooks.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 7:00 PM

SLAMMIN' IN THE SUBURBS

RED DOOR PLAYHOUSE, ROSWELL

The City of Roswell and Georgia Poetry Society host the annual slam competition at Red Door Playhouse, 587 Atlanta St. in Roswell. Sign-up begins at 7 p.m. and the competition at 8 p.m. Prizes: $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third. The event is free and open to the public. www.georgiapoetrysociety.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 8:00PM
SABRINA ORAH MARK
WHITESPACE GALLERY, INMAN PARK
Ready Set Readings at Whitespace is pleased to welcome Sabrina Orah Mark. A limited number of letterpress books created especially for this event will be given away at the reading. Mark is the author of The Babies (2004) and Tsim Tsum (2009). She has received fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, the Glenn Schaeffer Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in many journals and in the anthologies, Legitimate Dangers, The Best American Poetry 2007, and My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales. She teaches at the University of Georgia. This event is free and open to the public. Whitespace Gallery, 814 Edgewood Ave. (404) 688.1892, www.whitespace814.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 5:30PM

NEW SOUTH READING

KAVARNA, OAKHURST

New South contributors Chelsea Rathburn, Karen Lee Boren, and Laurie Capps read at Kavarna in Oakhurst. 707 East Lake Dr. www.review.gsu.edu.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 7:15 PM

POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS... BLACK HISTORY MONTH READING

DECATUR LIBRARY

Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book present a special evening of poetry and spoken word hosted by Theresa Davis and featuring fresh new voices from the local scene. Free and open to the public. 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 8:00 PM

DENISE DUHAMEL

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Award-winning poet Denise Duhamel will read on campus in the multipurpose room at Few Hall. Parking is available in the Peavine Lot. To get to Few Hall, turn left out of Peavine and walk along Eagle Row, passing the Greek houses. Few Hall is the second dorm on your right at the end of the Greek houses.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 7:00 PM

LOVE OUT LOUD FOR HAITI

FIRST EXISTENTIALIST CONGREGATION

Join poets and musicians for an evening of celebration to help raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Admission is $5. 470 Candler Park Dr.

January Readings & Events

2010-01-03T20:34:00.004-05:00

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 8:00 PM
WISHE YOU WERE HERE: AN EVENING OF POETRY FT. JON GOODE & THERESA DAVIS
7 STAGES
Award-winning poets and spoken word artists Goode and Davis share the stage for this special night of new work and old favorites. Tickets available at the door are $10-15. 1105 Euclid Ave. in Little Five Points.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 7:15 PM
POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS... TARA BETTS, TANIA ROCHELLE & TRAVIS DENTON
DECATUR LIBRARY
Poetry Atlanta and Georgia Center for the Book team up for another in the ongoing series, Poetry Atlanta Presents... featuring acclaimed poets Betts, Rochelle and Denton. The reading is free and open to the public. 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org. For more about the reading, scroll down to the previous post.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 8:00 PM NEW TIME & LOCATION!
OPEN POETRY READING
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER LIBRARY
The first ten poets to call 404-872-5338 x228 may read from their work. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road. www.callanwolde.org.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 10:00 AM

RITA DOVE

GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE, CLARKSTON CAMPUS

The former Poet Laureate of the United States and Virginia and an award-winning poet, makes a special visit to Georgia Perimeter College. The author of many notable volumes of poetry including American Smooth, a short story collection and a novel, Rita Dove will be interviewed by Valerie Jackson during a taping of the program "Between the Lines." The appearance is part of the Chattahoochee Review's 30th anniversary. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 8:00 PM
POETRY ON THE MOVE FT. JOANNA FUHRMAN, STACEY LYNN BROWN, JENNY SADRE-ORAFI
EMORY UNIVERSITY
The next reading sponsored by the Emory Poetry Council will feature three up-and-coming new poets at a location to be determined. Visit http://www.poetrycouncil.campuslifetech.org/ for more details about this reading and others.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 4:00 PM

ROBERT PINSKY

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Former US Poet Laureate will give a free reading at Glenn Memorial Auditorium, 1652 N. Decatur Road. The event is part of the part of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Reading Series at Emory Libraries’ Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library (MARBL). For more information, call (404) 727-6887.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... January 12

2009-12-23T12:56:00.005-05:00

The next Poetry Atlanta Presents... in conjunction with Georgia Center for the Book and Poets & Writers is set for Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., in downtown Decatur. We're excited to feature Tara Betts, Tania Rochelle and Travis Denton -- all reading from their brand new collections. This is FREE event and you won't want to miss this exciting night of poetry!

Tara Betts is the author of Arc and Hue, her debut collection on the Willow Books imprint of Aquarius Press. Tara is a lecturer in creative writing at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She is also a Cave Canem fellow and a poetry editor at The November 3rd Club. Her poetry has appeared in dozens of journals and anthologies. She has appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and performed her work at venues around the world.

Tania Rochelle is the author of the critically acclaimed collection Karaoke Funeral and the newly released The World’s Last Bone, both from Snake Nation Press. Rochelle is the poetry editor for Chattahoochee Review and her work has appeared in numerous journals around the country.

Travis Wayne Denton is the Associate Director of Poetry at Tech as well as a McEver Chair in Poetry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the founding editor of Terminus literary magazine and his poems have appeared in journals, magazines and publications around the country. The Burden of Speech (C&R Press) is his debut collection of poetry.

December Readings & Events

2009-12-02T00:40:00.003-05:00

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 8:00 PM

WHAT'S NEW IN POETRY SERIES

FEATURING MICHAEL RERICK, GINA MYERS & KRISTI MAXWELL

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Michael Rerick's poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Bathhouse, Cue, Diagram, Fence, Nidus, No Tell Motel, Shampoo, Word For/Word, and Words on Walls. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati. Gina Myers' most recent chapbook is Behind the R from ypolita press. Her first full length collection, A Model Year, will be published by Coconut Books later this year. She currently works for Lame House Press. Kristi Maxwell is the author of Realm Sixty-four, Elsewhere & Wise, and Hush Sessions. She is currently a PhD candidate in English & Comparative Lit at the University of Cincinnati, where she completed a graduate certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. This free reading will be held in the Schwartz Center Theater Lab. www.college.emory.edu/poetrycouncil

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 7:00 PM

POETRY AT TECH

FEATURING BRUCE WEIGL & KEVIN PILKINGTON

ACADEMY OF MEDICINE

Two noted poets perform as part of 2009-10 Poetry at Tech season at the Academy of Medicine Building, 875 West Peachtree St. Free parking behind the building and along side streets. www.poetry.gatech.edu. Poetry at Tech workshops led by Chelsea Rathburn, Travis Denton, Thomas Lux and Kodac Harrison will take place in early 2010. To receive an application and more details, email travis.denton@lcc.gatech.edu.

DECEMBER 18-20
AdVERSE EFFECTS
THE MADAME CJ WALKER BEAUTY SHOPPE AND MUSEUM
AdVERSE Effects is an engaging and exciting 3-day poetry event held in Atlanta's historic Sweet Auburn District. AdVERSE Effects is comprised of a themed showcase, a very special feature set, and a book release. Join us! The full roster of artists, and more information on the event are available at www.revengeofthepinkpony.com

November Readings & Events

2009-11-01T21:19:00.002-05:00

NOVEMBER 4-7

ATLANTA QUEER LITERARY FESTIVAL

MULTIPLE VENUES

Poets and writers of all kinds will converge on Atlanta for the third annual AQLF. Poet and memorist Staceyann Chin and novelist Manil Suri are the keynote speakers. Other special guests include Michael Montlack, Terry Galloway, Regie Cabico, Charles Jensen and many more. There will be a full day of free readings and workshops on Saturday at the Decatur Library. A full schedule of events and author bios is available at www.atlqueerlitfest.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 7:30PM

FUTURECYCLE READING FEATURNG RUPERT FIKE & CLAIRE BATEMAN

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

This new reading series is hosted by FutureCycle Press featuring local poets Rupert Fike and Claire Batemen reading from their latest work. Free admission and parking. 265 Washington St. www.futurecycle.org.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 6:00PM

C.K. WILLIAMS

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet C.K. Williams will give a free reading at the Woodruff Library, Jones Room, third floor. 540 Ashbury Dr. Parking is available in the adjacent Fishburne Deck. http://marbl.library.emory.edu.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 8:15 PM

ALICE LOVELACE & ALICE TEETER

CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER

Lovelace ("Forever") and Teeter ("String Theory" and "When It Happens To You") will read from their collections. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road. www.callanwolde.org.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... Voices Carry, Oct. 23

2009-10-03T12:25:00.006-04:00

The annual Voices Carry reading is set for Friday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. at Sycamore Place Gallery in Decatur, 120 Sycamore Place. The event is free and open to the public.

Featured poets include Cecilia Woloch (Carpathia), Tania Rochelle (The World's Last Bone), Karen Head (Sassing) and Theresa Davis (Torn). Kodac Harrison will close the evening with song and poet and novelist Collin Kelley will be the host.

There will be light refreshments and wine. Please come out and join us as we celebrate the sixth anniversary of this yearly reading.

Parking at Sycamore Place Gallery is available on Sycamore Place, along E. Howard Avenue and behind the gallery on Hillyer Place. Please do not park in the Felinni's Pizza lot or you may be towed.

October Readings & Events

2009-10-01T13:43:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 7:30 PM

ROBIN KEMP

OUTWRITE BOOKS

Robin Kemp reads from her just-published and highly-acclaimed debut collection, "This Pagan Heaven" at Outwrite Books, 991 Piedmont Ave. Books will be for sale and Kemp will do a signing. www.outwritebooks.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 8:00 PM

WHAT'S NEW IN POETRY: KEN RUMBLE, AMBER NELSON & CARMEN GIMENEZ SMITH

KEMP MALONE LIBRARY, EMORY UNIVERSITY

Free reading by three poets on the Emory Campus. Hosted by Bruce Covey. The easiest way to find the Kemp Malone Library is to enter Callaway from the north side (the side opposite the Quad). After entering, turn left and take the elevator (across the hall from the Comparative Literature Department) up to the third floor. The Kemp Malone Library will be directly in front of you, in Room N301. www.college.emory.edu/poetrycouncil

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 7:30 PM

LIBRARY COFFEE OPEN MIC

This is a test run for a new open mic at Library Coffee, 2523 Caldwell Road, Suite 1000, Atlanta, 30319. Amena Brown will host. The open is open to poets, singers, songwriters, essayists and more. If this event is successful, it will become a regular open mic. www.librarycoffeecompany.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 6:30 PM

WINE & WORDS READING SERIES: LITA HOOPER, OPAL MOORE & NAGUEYALTI WARREN

HAMMONDS HOUSE MUSEUM

An evening of poetry at the historic West End home. Admission is $5 for Hammonds House members, $10 for non-members. 503 Peeples Street. www.hammondshouse.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 8:15 PM

KAREN HEAD & BOB WOOD

CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER

Head ("My Paris Year" and "Sassing") and Wood ("Gorizia Notebook") will read from their new collections. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for students/seniors/members. 980 Briarcliff Road. www.callanwolde.org.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 8:00 PM

VOICES CARRY: CECILIA WOLOCH, TANIA ROCHELLE, KAREN HEAD, THERESA DAVIS, COLLIN KELLEY & KODAC HARRISON

SYCAMORE PLACE GALLERY, DECATUR

The sixth annual Voices Carry reading sponsored by Poetry Atlanta will take place this year at Sycamore Place Gallrey, 120 Sycamore Place, in Decatur. Woloch will read from her new collection "Carpathia," Rochelle from "The World's Last Bone" and Head from "Sassing." Slam champ Davis will premiere new work, while poet and novelist Kelley will be the host and read a short passage from his debut novel, "Conquering Venus," and new poems. Harrison will close the show with song and poetry. Free!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 7:00 PM

POETRY AT TECH: DAVID BAKER & KHADIJAH QUEEN

THE ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, MIDTOWN

Thomas Lux introduces poets Baker and Queen, who will reading from their latest works. Book sale and signing will follow this free reading. 875 West Peachtree St. Parking is behind the building and along 6th and 7th streets. www.poetry.gatech.edu.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 7:00 PM

ANTRON-RESHUAD

EVOLUTION PROJECT, AUBURN AVENUE

Poet and activist Antron-Reshaud will read from his newly-released collection "The Rising, Vol. 2" at Evolution Project, 250 Auburn Ave. Books will be available for signing after the event.

Poetry Atlanta Presents... set for Sept. 29

2009-09-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

Poetry Atlanta Presents...

The next Poetry Atlanta Presents... reading in conjunction with Georgia Center for the Book will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7:15 p.m. The reading will be held at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. The reading is free, but we encourage you to purchase books, which will be available for sale.

Robin Kemp was born in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day. A former print journalist and CNN newswriter, she holds degrees in English and creative writing from Georgia State and the University of New Orleans, and is finishing her Ph.D. at Georgia State, where she teaches writing. Her poetry has appeared in New Orleans Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Texas Review, and elsewhere, and has been anthologized in Rites of Spring (Pecan Grove Press), Maple Leaf Rag III (Portals Press), and Letters from the World: Poems from the WOM-PO Listserv (Red Hen Press). This Pagan Heaven (Pecan Grove Press) is her debut collection.

Karen Head is the author of Sassing (2009, WordTech Editions), My Paris Year (All Nations Press, 2009) and Shadow Boxes (All Nations Press, 2003). Her poetry appears, or is forthcoming, in a number of national and international journals and anthologies, and has been invited to present her work in the U.S. and Europe. As a scholar of contemporary American poetry, she has begun to explore the connections between traditional text-based poetry and digitally-enhanced poetry, an exploration that involves her in a number of creative projects being conducted in the Wesley Center for New Media at Georgia Tech. Her first digital poetry project, Poetic Rub, was featured at the E-Poetry 2007 festival in Paris. Head is the Graduate Communication Coordinator and Special Advisor to the Writing and Communication Program at Georgia Tech.

Robert E. Wood teaches in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Tech. His poetry has appeared recently in Quiddity, Quercus Review, Blue Fifth Review, Ouroboros and Umbrella. His chapbook, Gorizia Notebook, was published this year by Finishing Line Press.

For more information, visit www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

September Readings & Events

2009-09-01T21:20:00.007-04:00

SEPTEMBER 4-6

DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL

DOWNTOWN DECATUR

Natasha Trethewey, Patricia Smith, James Allen Hall, C. Dale Young and dozens of local poets will all be featured at the annual Decatur Book Festival. For a full schedule of the weekend events, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com. There will be poetry all day Saturday and Sunday on the Poetry Atlanta Stage at Java Monkey Coffee House. On Saturday night, there will be a slam at 8 p.m. and on Sunday night, Patricia Smith will read during the open mic at Java Monkey.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 8:15 PM

POETRY AT CALLANWOLDE

FEATURING ANN LYNN & LYNN PEDERSON

Ann Lynn's article about her poetry-writing workshops for female veterans appeared in the May/June Poets & Writers Magazine. Her poetry has been published in Poetry East, Many Mountains Moving, The Christian Science Monitor and elsewhere, and Finishing Line Press released her chapbook In the Butterfly House in 2009. She was featured at the New Trier Literary Festival in Illinois, and was a Southern Women Writers Conference Emerging Writers Contest finalist. Lynn Pedersen, a resident of Atlanta, is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing Program. Her chapbook Theories of Rain was published by Main Street Rag in 2009 as part of the Editor’s Choice Chapbook Series. Her poems, essays, and reviews have appeared in New England Review, Poet Lore, Southern Poetry Review, Palo Alto Review, Comstock Review, Chattahoochee Review and Ecotone. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. For more information call 404-872-5338. www.callanwolde.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 7:30 PM

MEMORIAL POETRY READING FOR TURNER CASSITY

CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER

On Wednesday, September 16 at 7:30 pm, a poetry reading will be held in memory of Turner Cassity, poet and a co-founder of the Callanwolde Poetry Reading Series, to include Cassity's poems and other poems for the occasion. The public is invited to participate in the reading. The reading will be held in the Conservatory. Admission and parking are free. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30306, (404) 872-5338. For more information call Ruth Windham at (770) 591-5477, email cfacpoetry@gmail.com, or visit www.callanwolde.org. Another memorial event for Turner Cassity, to be held on the Emory campus, is planned for Thursday, September 24. See the details below.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 4:30 PM
MEMORIAL EVENT FOR TURNER CASSITY
WOODRUFF LIBRARY, EMORY UNIVERSITY
A celebration of the life and poetry of Allen Turner Cassity (1929-2009) will be held Thursday, September 24, 4:30 pm, Jones Room, Level 3, Woodruff Library, Emory University. Parking is in the Fishburne Deck. Please share word of this gathering among Turner’s friends and fans and invite them to join us. For more information, please contact Ginger Cain, Director of Library Public Programs, virginia.cain@emory.edu or (404) 727-3160. (www.emory.edu)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 7:00 PM

POETRY AT TECH

FEATURING: MARK HALLIDAY & ALLISON JOSEPH

ACADEMY OF MEDICINE

The 2009-10 season of Poetry at Tech kicks off with a free reading by these two acclaimed poets. The event will be held at the Academy of Medicine building, 875 West Peachtree St. (at the corner of 7th St.) Parking available behind the building and along 7th. www.poetry.gatech.edu.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 7:15 PM

POETRY ATLANTA PRESENTS...

KAREN HEAD, ROBIN KEMP & BOB WOOD

DECATUR LIBRARY

Poetry Atlanta presents a reading by these three fantastic poets in conjunction with Georgia Center for the Book. See the blog post about the books at poets at this link. The free reading is at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.

Watch Karen Head on the Fourth Plinth

2009-08-24T10:47:00.004-04:00

Atlanta poet and Poetry Atlanta community board member Karen Head made history by performing poetry from London's Fourth Plinth as part of the One and Other project. You can now watch a video documentary made by Time magazine about Head's adventure at this link.

August Readings & Events

2009-08-02T23:29:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 7:00 PM

SOLAR ANUS READING SERIES

FEATURING COLLIN KELLEY & BEN TANZER

BEEP BEEP GALLERY

Poet and novelist Collin Kelley (Conquering Venus) will read with novelist Ben Tanzer (Lucky Man) as Beep Beep Gallery's Solar Anus reading. Expect a mixture of poetry and fiction. 696 Charles Allen Dr. www.beepbeepgallery.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 7:30 PM
SUMMER COFFEEHOUSE SERIES WITH OPEN MIC POETRY READING
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER
Held in the Callanwolde Conservatory, the evening begins at 7:30 with musical performance by acoustic duo Blurred Rhythms (Cory Ehrlicher and Ben Provencial). Then at 8:15, the open mic readings are open to all poets who would like to read their original poetry. The first ten poets to call and sign up at 404-872-5338 ext. 228 will have the opportunity to read for 5 minutes. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Rd, NE, 404-872-5338, www.callanwolde.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 7:30 PM

COLLIN KELLEY READS & SIGNS CONQUERING VENUS

OUTWRITE BOOKS

Award-winning poet Collin Kelley makes his fiction debut with the novel, Conquering Venus, at Outwrite Books. There will be a reading, signing and Q&A. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com or www.collinkelley.com.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 7:30 PM

POETRY NIGHT AT OUTWRITE

FEATURING: KAREN HEAD, KEN J. MARTIN & QUEEN SHEBA

OUTWRITE BOOKS

Join host Franklin Abbott for an eclectic mix of poetry from Karen Head and Queen Sheba and music from Ken J. 991 Piedmont Ave. www.outwritebooks.com.

Poetry Atlanta Fundraiser - in London - July 31

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Award-winning Atlanta poet and Poetry Atlanta community board member, Karen Head, has been selected to take part in the historic Fourth Plinth project, One & Other, in London. More than 2,000 people were selected to stand on the famed Fourth Plinth over 100 days in Trafalgar Square to help create a snapshot of modern Britain. Head, who is teaching at Worcester College in Oxford this summer, was one of the 2,400 selected from more than 14,000 applicants to stand on the Fourth Plinth on Friday, July 31, from 5 to 6 p.m. British Standard Time (12 noon in Atlanta). While on the Plinth, Head will be writing and reading poems, as well as using Twitter and her blog, Poetic Acts in A Digital World, to communicate with others both in London and around the world. Read Karen's statement about her participation in the project at this link.

Head is looking for sponsorships for her hour on the Plinth as a fundraiser for Poetry Atlanta. You can donate any amount, but those who donate $25 will be recognized here at Poetry Atlanta and will also receive a copy of the new Poetry Atlanta DVD anthology, Trouble and Hope. If you donate $100 or more, you get a DVD and Head will interact with you via Twitter and the web from the Plinth. Money raised during this special event will be used to help Poetry Atlanta continue its mission of promoting poetry in the city, including readings, open mics, workshops, publications, films and recordings.

Head is the author the recently released collection Sassing (WordTech Editions) and the award-winning collections, My Paris Year and Shadow Boxes (both from All Nations Press). She is the graduate communications coordinator and special advisor to the writing and communications program at Georgia Tech.

UPDATE: Read the article in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution about Head's participation in the One & Other project at this link.

Thanks to the donors who have contributed so far:

Katherine Kincer
Christine Swint
Robert Wood
Carolyn Wierson
Julie Blomeke
Donna Llewellyn
Lisa Allender

Make a donation via PayPal by pressing the button below.

July Special Readings & Events

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 7:30 PM

SUMMER COFFEEHOUSE SERIES & OPEN MIC POETRY READING
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER
Join amateur and professional poets alike as Callanwolde celebrates the art and performance of poetry with its Summer Coffeehouse Series and Open Mic Poetry Readings. Held in the unique setting of the Callanwolde Conservatory, the evening begins at 7:30 with singer/songwriter/poet Kodac Harrison. Then at 8:15, the open mic readings are open to all poets who would like to read their original poetry. The first ten poets to call and sign up at 404-872-5338 ext. 228 will have the opportunity to read for 5 minutes. $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors/Members. For more information call 404-872-5338. www.callanwolde.org

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 7:00 PM

NEW SOUTH READING

FEATURING JAMIE ALLEN, PETER HYLAND & MELISSA RANGE

HIGHLAND INN BALLROOM

Georgia State's literary magazine, New South, will host a reading featuring contributing writers Allen, Hyland and Range. There will also be music by The Secret Weapon Quartet. www.review.gsu.edu

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 8:00 PM

COLLIN KELLEY, LAKARA FOSTER & YOLO AKILI

UNITED 4 SAFETY TASK FORCE BENEFIT

Award-winning poets Collin Kelley, Lakara Foster and Yolo Akili perform at this fundraising event, "The Coming Out Party," to aid victims of violence in the LGBTQ community. The event will be held on the rooftop terrace of the Oakland Park condos, 563 Memorial Dr. (just across from Oakland Cemetery). There will be live music, food and wine. Admission is $20. RSVP to united4safety@gmail.com

MONDAY - FRIDAY, JULY 20 - 24, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

ADULT CREATIVE WRITING CLASS

LED BY NATALIE LYALIN & BRUCE COVEY

Natalie Lyalin, Creative Writing Professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and co-editor of GlitterPonyMagazine (www.glitterponymag.com), will teach a 5-day workshop in creative writing and poetry at the Abernathy Arts Center in Sandy Springs. Guest readers will be present throughout week and class will culminate with a reading Friday evening featuring student work and Atlanta poet and Emory Professor, Bruce Covey. Class cost is $150. Class held at Abernathy Arts Center at 254 Johnson Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, GA 30328. Please call 404-303-6172 or e-mail Abernathy Program Coordinator, Lauren Bernazza, atlauren.bernazza@fultoncountyga.gov for more information and to register.

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 9:00 PM

BLOOD BATH SLAM

APACHE CAFE

The Atlanta-Java Monkey, Decatur-Art Amok and Charlotte slam teams square off before heading to the National Poetry Slam in August. Hosted by Queen Sheba and Kodac Harrison, with special performance by slam champ Gypsee Yo. Doors open at 8 p.m., show begins at 9 p.m. and slam at 10 p.m. Admission is $15-20 at the door. The event is a fundraiser to help offset the costs of the teams traveling to the Nationals. Apache Cafe is at 64 Third St.

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 8:15 PM

COLEMAN BARKS

GEORGIA CENTER FOR THE BOOK

Coleman Barks, the distinguished, prize-winning poet and translator, visits us with an important new book, Winter Sky: New and Selected Poems, 1968-2008. Critics are calling it "masterful," rich in vitalilty and originality, "funny, brave and honest." Barks has taught creative writing and American poetry in the English department at the University of Georgia for 30 years, and has written and translated dozens of books. He is the foremost translator of the 13th century mystic poet Jalal Al-Din, and his bestsellers include The Essential Rumi, The Soul of Rumi and Rumi: The Book of Love. 7:15 p.m., Thursday, July 30, Decatur Library Auditorium. www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

Weekly & Monthly Open Mics

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Note: Please call or email the venue to make sure the event is happening, and please email poetryatlanta@hotmail.com if there are errors or changes to be made to these listings.

THIRD SATURDAYS, 12:45 PM

ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB

GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE
Information about speakers, driving directions, and club activities can be viewed at www.atlantawritersclub.org. The club is now meeting at Georgia Perimeter College, Dunwoody Campus, 2101 Womack Road.

GEORGIA WRITERS ASSOCIATION  WORKSHOPS
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY 
Monthly workshops are now held on the campus of Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw GA, 30144. For more information, visit. www.georgiawriters.org.

EVERY SUNDAY, 8:00 PM (SIGN UP AT 7:30)
JAVA MONKEY SPEAKS POETRY OPEN MIC 
JAVA MONKEY COFEE HOUSE, DECATUR  
Kodac Harrison hosts this event at Java Monkey Coffeehouse (404-378-5002), on the covered patio and open courtyard at 425 Church Street) across from the downtown Decatur MARTA station. In addition to open mic there is a featured poet who performs for 20 to 30 minutes. Arrive well before 7:30 p.m. to sign up to read. For more information, or to get updates on featured poets, visit www.myspace.com/kodacharrison.

EVERY SUNDAY, 8:30 PM 
WORD IS BORN OPEN MIC
APACHE CAFÉ  
Spoken word open mic. $7 cover charge. 64 Third St. in Midtown. For more information call (404) 876-5436. www.apachecafe.info.

EVERY MONDAY, 7:00 -9:00 PM 
WRITERS CRITIQUE GROUP 
PINCKNEYVILLE ARTS CENTER 
Writers critique group meets every Monday 7 to 9 p.m. at Pinckneyville Arts Center, 4650 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross. Free and open to the public. All genres welcome. (770) 339-8752.

EVERY OTHER TUESDAY 8-11PM
"TAKE A LOAD OFF TUESDAYS" WITH BLACK ON BLACK RHYME - ATLANTA
STUDIO CLOUT
Hosted every other Tuesday night by BackTalk! Poetry Troupe at Studio Clout, 144 Walker Street. Poets, Singers and Musicians welcome. There is a Networking hour from 8 - 9P, and the Show starts at 9P. Open Mic list with occasional features and Live Music. Cover is $7 ($10 if we have a feature). If you RSVP before the day of the event, it is only $5! To RSVP, send First/Last name email to: blackonblackrhyme@gmail.com or join our Facebook Group: BLACK ON BLACK RHYME - ATLANTA. For more information, visit us online: www. blackonblackrhyme.com

EVERY WEDNESDAY, 7:30 PM  
POETICALLY SPEAKING: SPOKEN WORD OPEN MIC 
REV COFFEE, SMYRNA 
A.Marie and Dorise Dixon are hosting this new open mic every Wednesday night at REV Coffee in Smyrna. 1680-B Spring Road. www.revcoffee.com or (770) 874-8407.

EVERY THURSDAY, 8:00 PM
SMART THURSDAYS AT JAMAICA FLAVA
Chris "Cocktails" Cornell hosts this open mic every Thursday at Jamaica Flava, 2440 Wesley Chapel Rd, Suite H, Decatur, GA 30035. Open mic for poets, singers, musicians and comedians. Free admission. www.blackonblackrhyme.com

EVERY THURSDAY, 7 - 10 PM

URBAN GRIND OPEN MIC

Urban Grind Coffee House hosts an open mic every Thursday night with a rotating roster of hosts. No charge, but visitors encouraged to buy a drink. 962 Marietta St. (404) 724-0605 or www.urbangrindatl.com.

EVERY THIRD THURSDAY, 7:30 PM  
CLITERATI  AT CHARIS BOOKS
Charis and Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic & reading series on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Hosted by the anarchic spoken word team of Karen G and Theresa Davis, members of the Art Amok Slam Team, this series cultivates the voices of authors, novices and an assortment of poets, songstresses and storytellers. If you've never been to Cliterati what are you waiting for? 1189 Euclid Ave. in Little Five Points. www.charisbooksandmore.com

FOURTH SATURDAYS, 3:00 PM
POETS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
DR. BOMBAY’S COFFEE SHOP, 1645 McLENDON AVENUE, CANDLER PARK
Whether you’re harnessing the healing power of language to transcend personal trauma or transform social ills, this group is open to all literary artists dedicated to the constructive use of their creativity. Bring poetry to share and we’ll explore possible avenues of promotion, publication, performance and outreach. For more information, contact Roxanne at unitypoet@gmail.com.

FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAYS, 1:00 TO 3:00 PM
WRITERS CIRCLE

GEORGIA PERIMETER COLLEGE, DUNWOODY
orgia Perimeter College hosts the Writer’s Circle, a creative writing group, at the Dunwoody campus, 2101 Womack Road . The meetings are free and open to the public. For more information visit http://writerscircle.homestead.com/

FOURTH FRIDAYS, 8:30 PM
TEAFUSE OPEN MIC
Open mic every fourth Friday. In order to attend, there is a $5 minimum purchase required, but no fee for admission or participation. Vinings Jubilee shopping plaza at 4300 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta GA 30339. http://teafuse.com