Archive for October, 2010

BOA poet Ales Steger. Photo by Joze Suhadolnik.

Guernica’s poetry editor Erica Wright reviews The Book of Things and reveals that she’s been “impatiently waiting for this collection” since January of last year! 

Here’s an excerpt from the review:

“Henry has brought these poems to life for those of us not lucky enough to read Slovenian. Some of Henry’s translations are impressive for sheer acrobatics. “Mint” begins with the line “Mintafiction, minthane, mintabolism,” and the work of the translator can be both seen and appreciated. The translation continues with “There the smell of mint grows out of bone, / Out of a neighbor’s thumb and a stranger’s shin.” With the off-rhyme “shin,” Henry creates a subtle music. In other poems, the fireworks conceal the inner workings. These poems end explosively as in “Bread”: “Yes, yes, he loves you, that is why he accepts your knife. / He knows that all his wounds crumble in your hands.” I am reluctant to use sex to push poetry, but these poems are downright sexy.”

Read the complete review here [Guernica Review of The Book of Things]

Anne Germanacos. BOA fiction author.

This link takes you to a beautifully clear video of Anne Germanacos reading from her new story collection, In the Time of the Girls. The reading took place on October 5th, 2010 at the Simon Pearce Gallery in Quechee, Vermont.

You do have to download the video to watch it, but I highly recommend doing it. There are so many grainy, poor sounding author readings online – it’s a treat to watch one with real production value and the fiction is, of course, knock out. (BTW, all you profs and teachers, I bet your students would love this too!)

[Anne Germanacos Reads from In the Time of the Girls]

Eight new poetry reviews appear in this week’s Publishers Weekly including one for BOA’s newest Lannan Translations Series selection: The Book of Things poems by Ales Steger, translated from the Slovenian by Brian Henry.

“The prolific poet Henry renders Steger’s long lines in an unfailingly fluent American English.Steger’s efforts sometimes bring to mind such Western European figures as Francis Ponge and Craig Raine, who also sought to make household things look new and strange. Yet Steger brings a melancholy Central European sense of history–his objects tend to remember, or cause, great pain.”

Read the complete review here [PW on The Book of Things]

BOA poet Ales Steger. Photo by Joze Suhadolnik.

A. Poulin, Jr. BOA Founder.

For all you poets out there, just a reminder that the annual A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Contest is in full swing! The prize honors a poet’s first collection, while honoring the late founder of BOA Editions, a not-for-profit publishing house of poetry and other literature right here in Rochester, so send us your work!

Each year the Poulin Prize winner is selected by a prestigious judge from a highly competitive pool of contestants. BOA will publish the winning manuscript for 2010 as part of the New Poets of America Series. This year’s judge, Jane Hirshfield is a highly acclaimed poet, who has won The Poetry Center Book Award as well as fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations.

The winning poet receives a $1,500 Honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. For all contest guidelines, please see out our website, www.boaeditions.org

Thanks and good luck!!!

Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday to make Dine & Rhyme a huge success! Over the next week or two we’ll post pictures from the reading, the reception, and all the surrounding hooplah.

For now, we want to share some pics from a portion of the Dine & Rhyme that most people didn’t get to see. As part of this year’s event, we partnered with Nazareth College and the Rochester Literacy Movement to offer writing workshops to underserved area youths. Accompanied by their Rochester Literacy Movement mentors, the kids came to Nazareth where they participated in small group writing workshops with Janice N. Harrington and Sean Thomas Dougherty. Along with a nice lunch and brand new backpacks stuffed with BOA books, writing notebooks, and writing utensils, the kids were given inspiration and new “tools” to help them write their own poetry.

Special thank you to Nazareth College faculty Dr. Naomi Erdman and Julie Postler for their help in organizing this amazing workshop. Thank you to Darly Dickson and her staff at the Rochester Literacy Movement for bringing these great kids to work with our poets. Thanks to Sean Thomas Dougherty and Janice N. Harrington for their lively and engaging teaching. But mainly, thanks to the kids for bringing their enthusiasm and imagination to this unique opportunity.

Due to a plane malfunction in Los Angeles, Cecilia Woloch will not be attending this year’s Dine & Rhyme. We will all miss her presence and hope to bring her to Rochester at a different time.

However, we’re also thrilled to announce that BOA poet Sean Thomas Dougherty will be performing on tomorrow night’s bill along with Janice N. Harrington!  

Sean Thomas Dougherty. BOA Poet.

Sean Thomas Dougherty has read and performed his poetry extensively across North America and Europe. His most recent collection, Sasha Sings the Laundry on the Line, was written in part while on a Fulbright Scholarship in Macedonia. As with all of Sean’s work, the book also chronicles the lives, the people, the struggles and joys of blue collar America. Most specifically, those of Sean’s current home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Poet Dorianne Laux says of this collection, “Sean Thomas Dougherty’s poems vibrate with ‘red and blue braids of light’, in a voice that resonates and transports. Arresting, precise imagery from a poet of grand and memorable vision, this is the gypsy punk heart of American poetry.”

We are thrilled to welcome Sean Thomas Dougherty to Rochester for Dine & Rhyme. In addition to being a master poet, he is truly one of BOA’s favorite sons.

Tickets will be on sale at the door at the event tomorrow night (10/16/2010). The reading takes place at the Linehan Chapel at Nazareth College. Reading at 6PM and reception/dinner/silent auction at 7:30. Reading and book signing $25 at the door. Reading, dinner and silent auction $125 per person and tickets will also be available at the door.

See you at Dine & Rhyme!

In case you haven’t noticed, BOA is in full-tilt pre-Dine & Rhyme mode! We’re selling last minute tickets (have you got yours yet? hmmm?), arranging final details, and gathering a stunning array of auction items. Here’s another sneak peek at some of our more photogenic pieces (gift certificates just don’t photograph well). Keep in mind our inexpensive digital camera doesn’t do any of these pieces justice, but you’ll get the idea!

Hand-crafted wooden box by Dan Westervelt

Painting by Steve Smock made during our Poetry Is Jazz event

Table full of auction items

See these and more auction items in person this weekend! Plus Janice N. Harrington and Cecilia Woloch reading their work! The event takes place at the Linehan Chapel at Nazareth College, Saturday, Oct 16. Reading at 6PM and reception/dinner/silent auction at 7:30. Reading and book signing $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Reading, dinner and silent auction $125 per person. Tickets are still available! For info and reservations contact Melissa Hall at (585) 546-3410 or email hall@boaeditions.org

We love when our BOA authors come to Rochester! This afternoon, we were fortunate enough to have Peter Makuck here in the office. Peter is in the area doing readings in support of his career-spanning new collection, Long Lens: New and Selected Poems. Long Lens represents forty years of Peter’s work including twenty-five new poems – it’s a fitting milestone in a dedicated poetic career.

Boo Poulin, Peter Conners, Peter Makuck, Melissa Hall

As many of you know, this weekend we’ll have two more BOA authors – Janice N. Harrington and Cecilia Woloch – here for our annual Dine &  Rhyme celebration. The event takes place at the Linehan Chapel at Nazareth College, Saturday, Oct 16. Reading at 6PM and reception/dinner/silent auction at 7:30. Reading and book signing $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Reading, dinner and silent auction $125 per person. Tickets are still available! For info and reservations contact Melissa Hall at (585) 546-3410 or email hall@boaeditions.org

We’ve compiled some amazing, cool, artistic & comfy (spa treatment, anyone?) items for the Dine & Rhyme auction this year! We thought it would be fun to give you a sneak peek at some of them (with apologies for the poor level of photography here). Thanks to all the generous donors and craftspeople who are making this the best BOA auction ever! Here are two items we just received:

Original painting by Amie Freling inspired by Cecilia Woloch

One-of-a-kind handmade evening bag by Rochester designer Bryce Grantham (modeled by Melissa Hall)

Another view of one-of-a-kind handmade evening bag by Bryce Grantham

We’ll be posting some more items over the next few days leading up to Dine & Rhyme on Saturday October 16th. Here’s a small, partial list of items we’ve compiled:

One year membership to Midtown Athletic Club; Monroe Country Club lunch and round of golf for two; dinner for two at 2Vine with Jack and Bonnie Garner; overnight stay for two at the Delmonte Lodge; Scott Miller Salon gift basket and spa package; one-of-a-kind handcrafted wooden box by Dan Westervelt…

We’ve got memberships, artwork, condos, sporting event packages, signed books, broadsides… enough to please anyone’s taste! 

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks and if you’re planning on going to Dine & Rhyme, now’s the time to make your reservation. Call Melissa Hall at 585-546-3410, ext. 11.