Front Royal Reading and Open Mic a Huge Success

In the beautiful and cozy setting of Changes Antique Gallery, 3 featured poets and 16 open mic readers performed in celebration of Women's History Month last Saturday, March 14. The creative vibe was palpable as local poets from teens to seniors got up an shared their work. The house was packed!

Thanks go out to Catherine Wolnievicz for her hard work to coordinate the event, JoEllen McNeal for her enthusiasm and support, Tory, Pat, Christian, and Melissa for hosting the event and providing refreshments, and guest featured readers Mattie Quesenberry Smith and Julia Campbell Johnson.

Here is the article in the Warren Sentinel: http://www.shenandoah.com/stories/?headlineID=17427&sourceID=68

Stop by Changes Antiques Gallery sometime to see the current art show on their walls and shop for something unique then head next door for excellent wine and cheese at Vino y Formaggio then to the neighboring D & B Chocolates for handmade chocolates, fudge, and gelato!

Review of Hagerstown Reading

Wow, someone was really listening! Check out this write-up by reporter Lauren LaRocca. You'll have to scroll down a bit to find the story.

"...the reading was a bright spot — sometimes piercing lemon yellow — on an otherwise cold and dreary Saturday afternoon in Hagerstown...I was most inspired by Heather Davis and Jose Padua, who are poets and happen to be married — or maybe it’s the other way around."

And visit the Washington County Museum of Fine Art--it is a gorgeous place.

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/blogs/blog.htm?bid=7&headerTitle=the%20art%20chakra

New Poem Published in Exhalezine.com

Exhale is a "literary magazine for intelligent people who have lost a baby,or have trouble making babies in the first place." Check out my new poem "Casino" just published in Exhale. This is a unique and much needed lit mag. Click on the button below to go to Exhale:

2 Readings in January with Jose Padua

The old man and I will be reading together on two Sundays in January. Jose has been very productive since we moved to the boonies where people look at us (and especially him) real funny. You won't want to miss his new P-Funk inspired piece!

Sunday, January 11:
Iota Club & Cafe
Arlington, VA
6 PM
IOTA is located at 2832 Wilson Boulevard in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arington, VA. Wilson Boulevard starts in Rosslyn, which is just across the river from Washington D.C. IOTA is just a couple miles up on Wilson, between Edgewood and Fillmore Streets.

Sunday, January 18:
Washington County Museum of the Fine Arts
Hagerstown, MD
2:30 PM
"The Lost Tribe of Us" featuring poets Heather Davis, Sonja James and Jose Padua with music by the Frederick Baroque Ensemble.
Location: In the middle of the beautiful Hagerstown City Park, the Museum is easily accessible from Interstates 70 and 81. Click here for directions. Free admission. Plenty of free parking. Building is fully accessible to those with disabilities.

Reading at The Daily Grind on July 17 and More

Jose Padua, Kristin Camitta Zimet, and I will be reading at The Daily Grind at 215 Main Street in Front Royal on Thursday July 17.

This event is part of the Third Thursday Art Walk in Front Royal--come on down and sip on a cool coffee frap and catch some metaphors then stroll on over to The Lucky Star Lounge for some Guinness or hard cider.

Future Readings:

• Thursday, August 21 at the Gallery of the Blue Ridge Arts Council as part of "Virginia Monologues"
• Sunday, September 14 at Iota Bar and Cafe in Clarendon, VA
• Friday, October 3 at the Winchester Book Gallery in Winchester, VA

Poetry Coming to Front Royal!

Well, I've finally hooked up with some artsy folks here in Front Royal and it looks like Jose (my ever faithful companion) and I will be reading on July 17 somewhere on Main Street. We're still working out the details. There is now a Third Thursday Art Walk in Front Royal and more shops are opening up. A new bar called the Lucky Star Bar is coming and a gourmet wine and cheese shop. Yeeha! We're just bursting with kultcha!

The reading in Lexington at Studio 11 was fantastic. Lexington is a beautiful town and Jeanne Larsen and Mattie Quesenberry Smith were so much fun to read with. But I really want to know how Mattie manages to write anything while home schooling her 10 kids--I mean, oh my gosh!

Here are 2 beautiful poems from Jeanne's latest book of translations from the Chinese --Willow, Wine, Mirror, Moon:


Poem is attributed (!) to Pei Yixian, dates unknown, Tang dynasty
(618-907 CE):

MISSING HIM: TWO POEMS
1.
Winds lift and curl the level
sands. Sun slips
into their dusk. Signal
smoke. A distant guess--
nomads' flocks on the move.
called up, captured, gone sick
in the camps: some
heroes never come home.
I'll wear out my gaze on
barbarous skies. I'll
cry over clouds
on the northern front.

2.
Once, love, you patrolled
the western tribes. Deployed,
you took war's force
to be no heavy thing.
Now you're gone.
You're one of the dead.
What point, this leaving
a woman like me, here
to hate the dull
half-light of another day's end?

Events Coming Up Soon!

Come on out!

Book Signing:
Friday and Saturday, April 25 (2-8 PM) & April 26 (11-6 PM)
With Jose Padua and Pat Padua--Selling and signing books and photos
Winchester Wine and Fine Arts Festival
Old Town Mall-Loudon Street
Winchester, VA
http://www.thebloom.com/events/wine-arts-festival.html

Reading:
Friday, May 9, 8:00 PM
With Jose Padua and Sarah Browning of Split This Rock
Art-O-Matic
Capitol Plaza I
1200 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Metro: Red Line, New York Ave., M St exit
http://www.artomatic.org/

Reading:
Friday, May 16, 7:00 PM
With Jeanne Larsen and Mattie Quesenberry Smith; Artist reception for Agnes Carbrey
Studio 11
11 S. Jefferson St.
Lexington,VA
(540) 463-2799
http://www.studioelevenlexva.com/