News!

NEW YEAR  FOR  FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY 

    We kick off our new year with our September 11 meeting.  All poets are welcome to join in.

     Dues of $15.00   are  now due for 2008 --- 2009   year.

 Rich   Puchalsky   reminds  us  that the UMASS  LIBRARY Chapbook  Archive is actively seeking  chapbooks  from local  poets  as well as any and all information on the poetry scene  (INCLUDING   POSTERS,  ARTICLES  AND VIDEOS)  here in the  Valley.

FLORENCE POETS  Annual Outdoor Poetry Festival to be held on OCTOBER 5, 2008 at LOOK PARK. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON   June  29   IN CUMMINGTON

              FLORENCE POETS AGAIN  HONORED THE MEMORY OF THE GREAT 19TH CENTURY POET     WILLIAM  CULLEN   BRYANT.   Jim Cahillane,  Howie Faerstein,  Saundra and Harry Azmitia,  Elizabeth  Crowell.  Nancy  Denig,   Anita Gallars  and  Tommy Twilite

THIS  EVENT  WAS FILMED  FOR  Northampton Community TV .  It was produced by  Florence Poets Society, Carl Russo and The Trustees of the Reservations.  Entitled Poetry in the Country, it is currently being broadcast on that  system.  Nozzle Productions filmed and edited the program.

CONTEST HAS   A WINNER      

     SEE   CONTEST PAGE FOR DETAILS

BREAKING NEWS        FLORENCE POETS  Awarded Northampton Arts Council grant for 4th year running..  This grant supports our Annual Outdoor Poetry Festival to be held on OCTOBER 5, 2008 at LOOK PARK.     ALSO the grant supports the publication of SILKWORM 2008.

  GRATEFUL  THANKS TO NORTHAMPTON ARTS COUNCIL FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY events.

This year there  were grant requests to NAC of  $103,000 and a budget of less than $20,000.  We are most fortunate to be in very select company,   THANK YOU   again to  NORTHAMPTON    ARTS   COUNCIL.

LOCAL POETS

   DON'T FORGET THE CHAPBOOK PROJECT

CONTACT  US TO GET YOUR POETRY CHAPBOOK INCLUDED IN THIS ARCHIVE.

Poets on television!

THE INVISIBLE FOUNTAIN READING ON APRIL 12, 2008 WAS PRODUCED FOR NORTHAMPTON CABLE TV by Carl Russo,

        Also note that a recent reading by Northampton Poet Laureate  Leslea Newman was filmed  broadcast by NCTV.  It is the mission of FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY to get poetry out to everyone. Readings are often not well attended. Event readings like Florence Poets does lend themselves to filming and broadcast.  We will be doing more of this.  So keep writing those fine new poems. 

Writing group has openings contact Rich Puchalsky. 

INVISIBLE FOUNTAIN ART GALLERY   Reading 7:00 PM  on Saturday, April 12, 2008  at Eastworks on Pleasant Street in Easthampton, second floor.  A fine turnout,  a really fun time, with great readings and  exciting poems.  We enjoyed some beer, wine and food.  We also had  a few members read over at the Blue Guitar Gallery later in the evening and that was fine experience as that Gallery ran a Carbaret with music, dance and readings.

JAN SLAM  huge success great afternoon of fun and fine poetry. 

Yes---- if you were there and saw it you know how great it was. Lots of fine poetry, (neary a klinker in the bunch) and 26 readers from 12 to (well fairly older).  The final duel in the last round of six fine poets Anita Gallers, Paul Richmond, and Lori Desrosiers were wonderful the scoring showed it came down to a showdown between Northampton High Slam Champ Ya Ya Yazerack, Former Jan Slam winner Dane Kuttler and Michael Arraj it was a thing of poetic beauty. although Michael's fine presentation ultimately prevailed Ya Ya and Dane were excellent. The hall was basically full the entire afternoon people came and went throughout the day with perhaps 80 to 100 attendees and participants. WHAT A PHENOMENAL TURNOUT FOR POETRY.
  Also we must profoundly thank our judges who were faced with difficult decisions all afternoon, the second round was scored very closely and presented the judges with a real challenge.
  Florence Poets Society deeply thanks everyone who was involved in promoting the event, supporting it, and helping with the logistics of getting chairs and tables up and then putting them back.
  Northampton Community TV videoed the event for later broadcast check out their program guide for a replay.
  Finally it was a real honor to present Lori Desrosiers with the Quill and Ink Award for her contributions to poetry in the Valley.
   THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE JAN SLAM SUCH A GREAT SUCCESS.

 FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY MEMBER participated in  Five-College Poetryfest!

Kimberley Rogers AC 08 at Smith College and member of the Florence Poets Society represented Smith at the February 21st Poetryfest.

Florence Poets Society  has agreed to work with the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System to provide assistance to them in an extensive Poetry Slam  competition program.  

CHAPBOOK PROJECT  moves forward.  Florence Poets Society will be collecting books and transmitting them to the UMASS library special collection.   The same is  true of Forbes (but Northampton poets only). We will also soon post an instruction sheet with names and address to send your book to.

FESTIVAL  GREAT SUCCESS.

SILKWORM 2007 well received.

Sunday   October 7, 

 FESTIVAL schedule FINDS NEW AND EXCITING READERS bringing us fine poetry with impact and passionate delivery.

Great   weather caps a fine day.

A special Thank You to Northampton Arts Council. This support made the Festival and Silkworm 2007 possible. We are deeply grateful to this organization.

The writing group is up and running. It had a good attendance on Thursday nite. Look for it once a month on the third Thursday nite at Lilly Library 6:30 to 9:00 (NB the group is limited to about 8 members so please contact Rich Puchalsky if your interested in participating

GREAT NEWS:  FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY ANNOUNCES:

FLORENCE POET'S SOCIETY PRESS

OUR OWN IMPRINT READY FOR PUBLISHING POETRY.

Forbes Library wishes to archive all information regarding the formation and operation of the Florence Poets Society. We will be working with the staff there to provide information to them.

TWILITES POETRY PUB          POETRY RADIO   

First, Third and fifth (if there is one) Wednesday from 9 to 10 am.

   103.3 FM  also streaming on the internet at Valley Free Radio.org

•  The Bryant Homestead in Cummington was the venue for our second group reading by members of the FLORENCE POETS SOCIETY. Held on a beautiful Sunday afternoon June 24 of this year.  Several guests had an opportunity to hear a wide range of member presentations from insightful soulsearching works, too well crafted works depicting hilltown country life to dramatic pieces conveying strong emotion. Nancy Denig, Jim Cahillane, Howie Faerstein, Carl Russo and Tom Clark were featured with an able assist from one of our new members Rich Puchasky.  

THANK   YOU  

 NORTHAMPTON  ARTS COUNCIL

GRANT   for   $1,000.00 received from NORTHAMPTON ARTS COUNCIL.  

The group  had a great  reading at Arms Library on Friday evening May 18.  Tom Clark,  Howie Faerstein,  Anita Gallers, and Bob Susskind brought a different slant on poetry to the usual group that reads at that venue.  It was a difference that was well appreciated that evening.

 April 14, 2007 at the Invisible Fountain, Eastworks Building, Easthampton - 7:00 pm -
"Poetry Night Out, A Night To Remember"

2.

3.   WE  WERE THE  FEATURED GROUP ON  MAY 18,  2007  AT THE  ARMS  LIBRARY IN  SHELBURNE FALLS.  

4.FPS POETRY FESTIVAL AT THE FLORENCE COMMUNITY CENTER  AUDITORIUM, in FLORENCE. COMPLETE SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well over 100 attendees heard 25 poets read their fine work. The Society wishes to thanks these fine poets for their time, efforts and energy which made the Fall Poetry Festival a great success: Harry Azmitia, Jr., Saundra Aszmitia, Howie Faerstein, Kate Bell, Alyssa Lovell, Lori Desrosiers,  Stanley Pollock, Stephen Lindow, Maria Arroyo, Maurice Taylor, Christel Warren, Eileen Doherty, Claire Dacey, Bob Susskind, Karen Johnston,  Johnna Bossuot, Virginia Settle,