One day all your strange parts will be a monument.
One day all your strange parts will be a monument.
Category: Asheville
There’s a thick haze over the city this morning.
Izzy’s West on a Sunday afternoon.
A view from tonight’s private salon.
Downtown #AVL before the city awakes to the bustle of commerce.
This thing of beauty I see in the morning fog.
Last night at the Kava Bar
Poetry writing workshop classes begin this week at Montford Books & More
Classes will meet in the lovely sun room on the second floor of the bookstore.
Bring poems you are currently working on or poems you would like to have published in the workshop’s poetry book (to be published at the end of class).
This poetry writing workshop is open to students of all writing levels from high school students on up. Not only will your poems be workshopped, but will be prepared for publication in the workshop’s poetry book anthology. If you don’t feel like your poetry is ready for publication, there will be writing exercises and to help generate new content and editorial assistance in crafting them into the poems that best represent you, the poet.
Classes meet Wednesday afternoons (May 25, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29) 3 – 5 p.m. at Montford Books & More, 31 Montford Ave., Asheville, NC 28801.
Matthew Mulder has published poetry and prose in national and international journals and magazines including Crab Creek Review, H_NGM_N, The Indie, ISM Quarterly, Southern Cross Review and others. He teaches poetry writing classes at Asheville bookstores and fine arts centers and is presently translating selected works of German poet Rolf Dieter Brinkmann. He is the author of LATE NIGHT WRITING (2004) and editor of TOMORROW WE SWEAT POETRY (2009) and A BODY TURNING (2010). His new poems are anthologized in ROOFTOP POETS (2010).
Community garden with the neighbors
Spent much of the weekend gardening with friends and neighbors. On a quick trip downtown, I met a guy this weekend who said he thinks most Americans have lost their connection to the earth and agrarian principles. In some respects, I think he is correct. Within the mass media, consumeristic culture it is difficult to avoid the desire of immediate gratification, to change pace, and to wait 90 to 100 days to harvest the vegetables you plant. But it is rewarding to share in the labor and bounty of a harvest.
Limited edition – Rooftop Poets poetry book
In September 2010 an idea was born to hold a poetry reading under a full moon at the Roof Garden of the historic Battery Park Hotel. Three weeks after that September afternoon, sixty people attended an invite-only poetry reading, book-signing and jazz show on Friday, October 22, 2010. The event was publicized almost exclusively through Twitter, Facebook and word-of-mouth and featured Asheville, North Carolina poets Barbara Gravelle, myself (Matthew Mulder) and Brian Sneeden with special musical performance by Vendetta Creme and Aaron Price. And thus, Rooftop Poets was born in Asheville under a full moon.
Since the Roof Garden reading, the Rooftop Poets have been invited to read at various venues and interviewed for newspaper and television. Brian’s poem “The Temple” (included in Rooftop Poets poetry book) went on to be the Mountain Xpress’s first place winner in their 2011 poetry contest.
If you missed the memorable evening last October, there are still a few copies of the limited-edition, 64-page book. You may purchase copies at Malaprop’s.
Rooftop Poets is a limited-edition, 64-page book of poems featuring the work of three Asheville, North Carolina poets.
Barbara Gravelle, author of several poetry books including, Keepsake, Dancing the Naked Dance of Love, and her latest collection of poems, Poet on the Roof of the World.
Matthew Mulder, one of the original members of the Traveling Bonfires, his poetry and prose have appeared or are forthcoming in Crab Creek Review, Small Press Review, The Indie, H_NGM_N, and other publications.
Brian Sneeden has produced, designed or written for more than a hundred theatrical performances. He is the current director and MC of Asheville Vaudeville.
Saturday’s Asheville Wordfest poetry events
Yesterday I enjoyed listening to great poets read their work at Grateful Steps Publishing House and Bookshop and Altamont Theater. There are some many wonderful poetry related events it’s a challenge to decide which events to attend. That being said, here’s today’s list of Asheville Wordfest events:
Saturday, May 7
10:00 a.m.
Children’s events at Spellbound Children’s Bookshop10:00 a.m.
Youth Writing Scavenger Hunt at Thomas Wolfe House with Janet Hurley of True Ink9:30-11:00 a.m.
Resilience Panel with Brian Turner, Paul Guest and Katja Esson Explore with poets and film-maker and each other how resilience “works,” what it is and how we develop it.11:00 a.m.
WORDslam highlights at YMI Cultural Center12:00 p.m.
Our Voice: Together We Are Strong reading This event is sponsored by Our Voice and celebrates the voice and writings of survivors of sexual assault, at YMI Cultural Center.1:00 pm
THE DAY CARL SANDBURG DIED at Fine Arts Theatre1-3 p.m.
IMAGINATURE w/ Hobey Ford, Melinda Tennison, Lisa Alcorn, Cindy Bowen, Hal Mahan, Janet Hurley, Heartworks, SisterJ Spiritvoice. A family event where families can move, make art, learn and discover. Convene at Splashville.3:00 p.m.
Poetry Under the Magnolia Tree: Listen to the poems our children write!
The Magnolia Tree is between Pack Tavern and the City Building in the park.4:00 p.m.
William Matthews Poetry Prize Winners YMI Cultural Center7:00 p.m.
Justin Bigos, Rose McLarney, Kwame Dawes, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Linda Hogan YMI Cultural Center10:00 p.m.
Mountain Xpress Poetry Bash w/ beer and music YMI Cultural Center
If you are using Twitter, please use the hashtags #avlpoetry and/or #wordfest so others may follow social media updates. Hope to see you at one of these fine poetry events!
Today’s Asheville Wordfest poetry events
I just returned from a spiritually energizing retreat of sorts. So, I haven’t been connected to the internet.
This is a big week for poetry in Asheville. Here’s today’s Asheville Wordfest events:
Friday May 6
4:00 p.m.
Britt Kaufman, Mendy Knott and Luke Hankins Grateful Steps Publishing House and Bookshop 159 Lexington Station.7:00 p.m.
Landon Godfrey, Paul Guest, Holly Iglesias, Brian Turner, YMI Cultural Center9:00 p.m .
An Evening of Translation Altamont Theater at 18 Church St. featuring Thomas Rain Crowe, Emoke B’Racz, Nan Watkins, Luke Hankins, Caleb Beissert
Having been away on a spiritual retreat, I need to get back to the grind of work. But hopefully I’ll be able to attend these Friday events. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Update: If you’re using Twitter, please use the hashtag #avlpoetry and/or #wordfest to follow social media updates.
Thanks to all who attended the May 2011 Poetrio
Sunday, May 1, Poetrio reading
I am scheduled to read poems with poets Diana Pinckney and Barbara Gravelle as part of Poetrio at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café May 1, 2011 at 3 p.m.
I plan to read poems from the anthology Rooftop Poets (2010) as well as selected published and unpublished material.
Also, I take requests. If you’ve seen something I’ve posted recently as part of the 30 poems in 30 days challenge that you would like me to read for Poetrio, please email me, DM me on Twitter (@mxmulder) or leave a comment and I’ll make sure to read your requests. Hope to see you on Sunday!
Poetrio – 3 poets at 3 PM – May 1, 2011
Poets Diana Pinckney, Barbara Gravelle and Matthew Mulder plan to read from their recently published books for Poetrio at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café May 1, 2011 at 3 p.m.
Diana Pinckney has published poetry and prose in such journals and magazines as Southern Poetry Review, Cream City Review, Tar River Poetry, Cave Wall, Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Icarus International, Atlanta Review, Green Mountains Review, Main Street Rag, Kalliope, Iodine, Asheville Poetry Review, Calyx, RHINO, Charlotte Viewpoint… Magazine, The Pedestal Magazine.com, Creative Loafing and many others. Her chapbook, Fishing With Tall Women, won North Carolina’s 1996 Persephone Press Book Award and South Carolina’s Kinlock Rivers Memorial Chapbook Contest. Nightshade Press, Troy, Maine, published her second book of poems, White Linen, in 1998. Alchemy, the third collection was published by Main Street Rag Publishing Co. in 2004. The latest full-length book of poems concerns the many fascinations and mysteries of the sea, among other things. Green Daughters was released April 2011.
Barbara Gravelle, author of several poetry books including, Keepsake, Dancing the Naked Dance of Love, and her latest collection of poems, Poet on the Roof of the World. Barbara Gravelle began to publish poetry in the 1960s when she was in Detroit at Wayne State University. In 1970 she moved to Berkeley, California where her first book, Keepsake, was published by Two Windows Press. She worked with the San Francisco State NEA Poetry in the Schools program at Northern California schools. Concurrently she worked at Intersection Center for the Arts in North Beach directing the Women’ Reading Series and an experimental Feminist Writing Workshop. Dancing the Naked Dance of Love, her book of San Francisco poems was published during this time. In the mid 1980’s Barbara began to migrate to the island of Kythera in Southern Greece, while living there she wrote the poems for Poet on the Roof of the World.
Matthew Mulder has published poetry and prose in such journals and magazines as Crab Creek Review, H_NGM_N, The Indie, Rapid River Magazine, ISM Quarterly, Salamander, Wander, The Blotter, Southern Cross Review and others. He teaches poetry writing classes at Asheville bookstores and fine arts centers and is presently translating selected works of German poet Rolf Dieter Brinkmann. He is the author Late Night Writing (2004) and editor of A Body Turning (2010) and Tomorrow We Sweat Poetry (2009). His new poems are anthologized in Rooftop Poets (2010).
The rumor is true–reading poems at Malaprop’s for Poetrio, May 1st
The winning poetry prize moment captured on video
Friday night’s Mountain Xpress poetry prize event was captured on video by Jesse Hamm. Check out the video of Brian Sneeden winning the poetry prize and reading the award winning poem, “The Temple.”
And the Winner of the 2011 Mountain Xpress Poetry Prize is…
Selected from ten finalists by Keith Flynn, founder and managing editor of Asheville Poetry Review, Brian Sneeden’s “The Temple” won the 2011 Mountain Xpress Poetry Prize. Congratulations Brian!
Brian shared double duty Friday night at the 2011 Mountain Xpress Poetry Show as he and I were invited as members of the Rooftop Poets to read at the event as part of “the next generation” of Asheville poets.
The Poetry Show provided an excellent environment to read and hear local poetry. Each one of the finalists read well-crafted verse; from laundry to bath tubs. Laura Hope-Gill kicked off the evening with a wonderful collection of poems. It was also a special delight for me to hear Matt Owens and Mesha Maren of the Juniper Bends reading series present their work. I’ll spare you an event review. But I will mention that Jaye Bartell was the evening’s host and I would like to thank the person whose cell phone rang incessantly during the reading of my poem “The Last Chestnut Tree.” Without you I wouldn’t have been able to pull off that performance.
A wonderful and full evening provided by the Mountain Xpress team and talented local poets!
Tonight – The Poetry Show
Quick note of correction about the Mountain X ad: members of the Rooftop Poets will be reading poems. Rooftop Poets is a creative collective or poetic triumvirate of Barbara Gravelle, Brian Sneeden and myself.
A quick story about the ethos of the Rooftop Poets. Barbara invited Brian and I to read at the historic Battery Park Hotel roof garden ballroom one evening. As the sun set in the west the shadows from the west window frames mirrored the frames of the east windows of the ballroom. It’s an amazing alignment of architecture and environment. As we read in round-robin fashion, one poem building upon previous poems read, the sky grew dark with night. Many poems were read in that space first before they were read publicly. While Barbara read a new poem, Brian exclaimed, ‘Barabara, look…’ We all looked out the east windows of the roof garden ballroom to see a full moon rise over the mountains. It seemed as if Barbara had called up the moon. One of the poems I hope to read tonight at the Mountain Xpress Poetry Show I hope will honor that moment and the poetic triumvirate of the Rooftop Poets.
Who will be the winner of the 2011 Mountain Xpress Poetry Prize?
And the finalists are:
- Randal Pride, “Coal Palace”
- Jessie Shires, “Corpus unum”
- Jesse S. Rice-Evans, “Taking A Bath In Frida Kahlo’s Tub”
- James Cox, “By the Lake in Northern Michigan”
- James Davis, “Sourwood”
- Jessica Claire Newton, “Two Weeks Deep Into the Dirty Laundry”
- Tamsen Turner, “Sestina”
- Brian Sneeden, “The Temple”
- John Eells, “Sleep And Dreams”
- Andrew Procyk, “Life and Death”
Some good poets represented on this list. Should be great evening of poetry and music.
I am honored and humbled to be on the list of featured poets for event. There’s a nice write-up in the Mountain Xpress (Rhyme and reason) that mentions my involvement with the Rooftop Poets. Last time I was mentioned in the Xpress was when I was contributing to The Traveling Bonfires.
If you can make it to the big show tomorrow night, here’s some more details from the Mountain Xpress’s Facebook event page:
Featured poets include:
• Laura Hope-Gill, Director of Asheville Wordfest and Blue Ridge Parkway poet laureate.
• Matt Owens and Mesha Maren of the Juniper Bends reading series.
• Matthew Mulder and Brian Sneeden of the Rooftop Poets series.
• The top 10 finalists of the 2011 Mountain Xpress poetry prize will read their poems, and the overall winner of the contest will be announced. (The 10 finalists will also read their winning poems at the Saturday night YMI party during Wordfest in May.)The evening concludes with a live performance by Keith Flynn & the Holy Men in celebration of the release of their album, “LIVE at the Diana Wortham Theatre.”
The even begins at 7 p.m. with a reception. Poetry readings begin at 8 p.m., and music begins at 9 p.m.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at http://www.mountainx.com/mxcore/poem/tickets or at the door.
Hope to see you there!
The Mountain Xpress Poetry Show Ashevill – coming up in 1 day
Friday, April 8th, 7PM, The Mountain Xpress Poetry Show featuring Laura Hope-Gill, Director of Asheville Wordfest, Matt Owens, Mesha Maren, Matthew Mulder, Brian Sneeden and the top 10 finalists of the 2011 Mountain Xpress poetry prize. Plus a performance by Keith Flynn & the Holy Men.
Poem: Never Look A Doughnut Dealer in the Eyes
Note: These poems are rough drafts and include typos, erroneous grammar and other literary warts. In this case, perfume is intentionally misspelled to represent a unique American accent.
Poetry Prize finalists announced
Mountain Xpress announced their poetry prize finalists today. Among the finalists are a couple of friends. Hope all my friends win first place! The winning poet will be announced next Friday, April 8th, at the Mountain Xpress Poetry Show.
As part of the Mountain Xpress Poetry Show, I have been invited as a guest poet to read alongside some of Asheville’s talented and notable poets. I’ll be the poet wearing the t-shirt that reads: “Haikus are easy/but sometimes they don’t make sense/refrigerator.”
Hope to see you next Friday night!
Poem: What makes people so bulletproof?
The daffodil blooms shudder in the breeze. The phlox shows signs of pregnant blooms. It’s a prefect day for a Spring walk. I guess that’s what makes the moment captured in the poem so poignant.
But alas, I think I broke a rule regarding poetry: never explain your poem.
Coffeehouse Junkie 