Things in the literary scene are winding down for the year, and the LR staff is going to be taking some time off from the blog for the holidays starting tomorrow (December 23), and ending on January 8th. It’s been a great last few months, and we’ve been bowled over again and again by your support and enthusiasm as this community has begun to take root. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be taking time to rest, spend time with friends and family, attend to personal matters, and prepare for LR’s next steps in 2010. In light of the fact that we’ll be taking such a long span of time off, we’ve decided that four our events roundup this week, we will cover a longer time period than usual. The Holiday Roundup below covers events happening from December 23rd until January 11th, and, since there are several contests and festivals with deadlines coming up in the next month or so, we’ve also included a list of calls for entries. As always, please let us know of any corrections that need to be made, or if you have an event that you’d like to add. Happy Holidays!
Boston
East Meets Words Open Mic (sponsored by the Boston Progress Art Collective)
January 8 at the East Meets West Bookstore.
934 Mass Ave.
Cambridge, MA
$3 Suggested Donation
Chicago
Poetry Cafe with the Chicago Public Library
January 11 | 6:30 – 7:45 pm
Blackstone
4904 S. Lake Park Avenue
Bring at least 3 selections, each no longer than 4 minutes.
New York City
Broken Light: The 16th annual Alternative New Year’s Day Spoken Word and Performance Extravaganza
January 1 | 2 pm to midnight
Bowery Poetry Club
Special Collection for Books Through Bars & Urban Pathways (please bring paperback books and canned food).
OR, watch it live on the web: http://www.rfg3travel.com/bowerylive103008.html
Asian American Arts Alliance’s Annual Town Hall
January 5 | 10 am to 12 pm
Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI – CUNY)
25 West 43rd Street, 18th Fl (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
RSVP at http://alliancetownhall.eventbrite.com
“Artists and arts workers: If you wish to make a 2-minute pitch to promote your events, perform excerpts of your work, call for collaborators, or call for submissions, include a one sentence description of your pitch when you rsvp and we will add you to the agenda.”
FREE and Open to the Public
The Soft Skull Presents: Michael Muhammad Knigh and the Kominas
January 6 | 10 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
$8 Admission | OR, watch live online
San Francisco Bay Area
Poet/Speak Open Reading, presented by Poetry Santa Cruz
December 17 | 2 pm
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room
224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
FREE
Film Screening: “Autumn Gem” (A film by Rae Chang & Adam Tow)
January 9 | 2:30 – 4 pm
Chinatown Meeting Room (SFPL)
1135 Jackson St. (Near Powell)
San Francisco
James Scully and Adrienne Rich
January 12 | 7:30 pm
Capitola Book Cafe
1475 41st Avenue, Capitola
Suggested $3 Donation
Seattle
Castalia Reading Series (feat. UW MFA writers)
January 5 | 8 pm
Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue
FREE and open to the public
Opening Reception: Return Home from the War Exhibit
(Perspectives on War by Asian American Veterans)
January 7 | 5:30 pm (during free first Thursday)
Wing Luke Asian Museum
719 South King Street
* * *
Calls for Entries
Meritage Press 9th Annual Holiday Poetry Contest, judged by Aileen Ibardaloza
Deadline: January 5th (submit via email)
Seeking: Work by Filipino poets worldwide
Kundiman Book Prize
Postmark Deadline: January 15
Seeking: Unpublished full-length poetry manuscripts (50-70 pages)
Entry Fee: $25
Asian American International Film Festival 2010
Postmark Deadline: January 27 (Early); February 24 (Final)
Seeking: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Short Films, Music Video, Screenplays, Works-In-Progress, Youth Films (by filmmakers under 20)
Slant Film Festival: Bold Asian American Images
10th Annual Shorts Film Festival. May 22, 2010.
Postmark Deadline: January 30, 2010
Seeking: Short Films by Asian American Filmmakers; All genres accepted