Welcome!
Upcoming Events
NOTE: Most events are held on the first Thursday of each month at Bloomsburg Public Library, 225 Market Street, Bloomsburg (downtown, revitalized) PA. Poetry readings will start PROMPTLY at 7:30 pm.
June 7, 2012 7:30 pm
June 7, 2012 – Featured Reader: Jim Murray
Theme: Normalcy. What is normal? Can it be defined? Can you go to strange places in your mind where great poetry sleeps, and still pass complacently through daily life? Open reading. MC: Dave Barsky
Visit www.hardcoalstudios.com
Jim Murray is a long time River Poet, starting in 1995 while at Bloomsburg University. He has read poetry in Rapid City, South Dakota in the first South Dakota poetry slam; read poetry in South Korea, Australia, and many other places. His first full poetry collection, Almost Normal, is full of poetic tales of travel and philosophy. Back from overseas, he started Hard Coal Studios, where he publishes poetry, comic books, prose, and more.
June 30, 2012 11:00 am
June 30, 2012 – A Saturday Different venue – not the library! At Kat’s cabin at Beaver Lake @ 11:00 AM. Potluck & lucky poetry. Directions please contact Janet Locke 275-2272 or jlocke@bloomu.edu.
Announcements
March 1, 2012– Featured Reader: Richard Kahn
Theme: Poetry is what you get from crossing lions with lambs.
Open reading. MC:Sue Brook
Richard Kahn never earned his poetic license at any DMV or MFA, but that never stopped him from driving. Poetry seems to him like joyriding on stolen language. He did eventually get an English teacher’s license (which acts kind of like a poetic driver’s permit) and has taught in a juvenile prison, which is nothing like you imagine, whatever you imagine, and composition courses at Bucknell and Bloomsburg University, which is better than you imagine. He recently returned from Kazakhstan where he was a Peace Corps volunteer. Joyriding language evidently brings you to many places but gets you nowhere
April 5, 2012 –
Featured Reader: Mike DeMarco –Theme: Rivers and water.
Open reading. MC: Richard Brook
May 3, 2012 – Featured Readers: Tara Holdren & Richard Brook
Theme: Walking, hiking, poetic steps. Open reading. MC: Mike DeMarco
Disclaimers and Possible Grains of Truth Department:
BOOKLET – You must be heard to be seen. Poems for this year’s booklet must have been read aloud between the April 2011 and April 2012 readings; so verbalize and SUBMIT!! Limit is TWO PAGES of poems per poet. You may bring a paper copy of poetry to the April reading, or e-mail it to Richard Brook at richardb@ptd.net. Most often booklets are assembled and ready for distribution by April’s reading and you may buy one (or more). Another Pitch: there are copies of earlier River Poets booklets if you are curious about RP’s progress, art, and production.
ORIGINS – Founded in May 1994 at the Bloomsburg Public Library, River Poets has attracted members and poets from Scranton to Selinsgrove and other undisclosed locations. The format is themed (suggested, not required; encouraged not forced) or a featured reader(s) followed by an open reading. Although not strictly rule-bound, we do encourage a 3-poem or 5-minute time constraint on open readers, before we bring out a hook. Mostly we try to avoid having the audience zone out or run away screaming. All people and all works are welcomed – bring original items, favorite works, songs, a lie or two. River Poets is an encouraging and supportive group of pilgrims, pioneers, not too preachy, and notoriously polite. Really!!
GETTING CONNECTED – Well, you could just show up at the Bloomsburg Public Library on any first Thursday at 7:30 PM or to any other scheduled event (see July and August when we play outside). However, if that is not your style (you are shy perhaps?) then Phone Dave Barsky at 570-784-9231; email Mike DeMarco at mdmep@ptd.net or phone him at 570-387-0920; or email Dick Sweeney at rms8634@verizon.net or phone him at 570-437-2661.
If you are computer friendly and would like to receive reminders of poetry events, please send your e-mail address to Janet Locke jlocke@bloomu.edu.
