LibriVox offers 34 different renditions of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll.

Anyone like to give it a try? It’s in the public domain. This is the land of creatures/monsters/things, of Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, and Mothman, isn’t it? I’d think “Jabberwocky” would be popular here.

To listen (click here) … some dramatic and some not so… and see if you can best them. Many of them are well-done, but everyone has their own twist. Click my e-mail link here to e-mail your mp3s to me.

Or call me at (304) 348-5184, let it ring through to the voice mail, and read away.

Leave your name and not-to-be-published number.

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The West Virginia University Native American Studies Program is hosting a Sycamore Circle presentation this Thursday, featuring two of its faculty authors, Cari Carpenter and Carol Markstrom, who will discuss their recently published books.

Carpenter is an assistant professor of English, and a core member of the Native American Studies Committee. Her book, “Seeing Red: Anger, Sentimentality, and American Indians,” (Ohio State University Press) is the first of its kind to examine expressions of women’s anger as a potential force for social change through the poetry and prose of three early American Indian writers.

Markstrom is a professor in the Department of Technology, Learning and Culture in the College of Human Resources and Education at WVU. Her book, “Empowerment of North American Indian Girls: Ritual Expressions at Puberty,” (University of Nebraska Press), examines ceremonies for American Indian girls past and present, featuring an in-depth look at Native American ideas about human development and puberty with special attention to four communities: Apache, Navajo, Lakota and Ojibwa.

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The Fifth Annual Sarah Lawrence College Poetry Festival takes place next weekend, April 25-27, 2008. It is said to be the largest free poetry festival in the Eastern United States.

With gasoline approaching $4 a gallon, it would cost a lot to get to 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY … another reason to plan more events around here.

Emerging and famous poets and teachers blend together at Sarah Lawrence for events ranging from day and night poetry readings, open mic readings, receptions, concerts and more. Here’s a link for information.

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Two Dandelions — Photo by Vic Burkhammer

Dandelions. We used to call them hope weeds, partly because they seem to be able to withstand almost anything and bounce back. Well, it’s that dandelion time of year again, and today — Thursday, April 17 — is national Poem In Your Pocket Day.

To participate, make a copy of your favorite poem, carry it around and share it with whomever you please.

If you miss the national event today, why not declare your own Poem in Your Pocket day anytime?
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Davis & Elkins presents its 11th Annual Spring Writers’ Week starting today through Friday. Poetry readings, writing workshops and music will include poet John Hoppenthaler with a poetry-writing workshop at 4 p.m. today and a public poetry reading at 7 p.m. today in the Booth Library Community Room.

Writer Colleen Anderson will lead a writing workshop at 4 p.m., Thursday, April 17, in the Booth Library.

The group Public Outcry, comprised of performance artists Jessie Lynne Keltner, Kate Larken, Anne Shelby, George Ella Lyon, Jason Howard, and Silas House, will perform Friday evening, April 18, at 8 p.m. in Harper-McNeely Auditorium.

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Kate Long tells me West Virginia Public Broadcasting plans to rebroadcast “Kettle Bottom” on Tuesday, May 22, 2008.  Check for times at West Virginia Public Broadcasting online. I loved what I heard of the “Kettle Bottom” special, in between deadlines on the news desk … I’ve yet to hear it all, but the resonance of voices in Long’s presentation is very effective.

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Don’t forget the open mic “Speak Your Mind” Saturday in downtown Charleston, W.Va. Click here for the recent post with all the information about that.

 Intercepted e-mail:

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Poet Joanie Mackowski will read from her work at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 17 in the Shawkey Room of the Memorial Student Center on Marshall University’s Huntington campus.
 
Mackowski’s book of poems “The Zoo” won the 2000 Associated Writing Programs Award in Poetry and was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

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Norman Jordan’s monthly poetry workshop in Malden, W.Va., is coming up 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 12. It was snowed out last month. The weather is expected to be fine this time. For information, click here. If anyone wants to ride with me, just call my office phone: 348-5184, and leave a message on my voicemail by midnight this Friday night. Be sure to leave your number so I can call you back.

Here’s a link to a post about Jordan I wrote last month, including background, two poems and an audio interview.

“Some people never go crazy.
What truly horrible lives they must lead.” — Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski — poet of the lowlife, trademark humor, deadend jobs, unrepentant alkie, gambler, “ugliest man in L.A.,” original, telling it straight like it is … these are some of the things we associate with Buk, as he’s sometimes affectionately called. His name still emerges occasionally in relation to a West Virginia writer as it did recently in a blurb about Matt Morris, who had a book signing last weekend at Empire Books in Huntington.

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