On Wednesday, May 2, 2007, Lewis Turco's Fearful Pleasures: The Complete Poems 1959-2007 will be published by Star Cloud Press and he will be reading from it at the Meriden Public Library on that date at 7:00 p.m. If you are in the area at that time, we hope you'll check out this very cool event. Please put the date on your calendar.

Click here for map and directions.

Star Cloud Press is a small, independent press committed to publishing poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction of vision and enduring excellence. We think you will enjoy their offerings.

Lewis Turco, Professor Emeritus of English Writing Arts, is perhaps the most widely respected poet-scholar in the United States. He took his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in 1959 and his M.A. from the University of Iowa in 1962. In 2000, he received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Ashland University in Ohio.

Founding Director of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center (1962) and the Program in Writing Arts at the State University of New York at Oswego (1968) before his retirement in 1996, he was chosen to write the major essay on "Poetry" - as well as a dozen other entries - for the Encyclopedia of American Literature, and he was himself included in it as a biographee. His poems, essays, stories and plays have appeared in most of the major literary periodicals over the past half-century, and in over one hundred books and anthologies.

Penny-Farthing Press (PFP) is proud to announce their inaugural attendance at SPX 2006 in Bethesda, Maryland was very successful.   Total sales from the Expo greatly exceeded PFP's expectations.   The top sellers were The Victorian Act I: Self-Realization graphic novel and Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril graphic novel.   Also popular was the Anne Steelyard : The Garden of Emptiness previews signed by bestselling author Barbara Hambly ( The Darwath Trilogy , The Benjamin January mysteries, Patriot Hearts coming January 2007).

The folks from Dusty Owl are pretty excited about the upcoming Dusty Owl reading, and we hope you are too! This Sunday, they're bringing the one and only George Elliott Clarke to their mike. He almost needs no introduction (especially for those of us who've studied Contemporary Canadian Lit), but just in case he does, here's one:

Poet, playwright, screenwriter, librettist and literary critic George Elliott Clarke is the E. J. Pratt Professor of Canadian Literature at the University of Toronto. His many awards include the Portia White Prize, a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Fellowship, a Governor General's Award for Poetry, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Achievement Award and a Trudeau Foundation Fellowship. His works include Black, Illuminated Verses, George & Rue, Beatrice Chancy, Whylah Falls, Execution Poems, and _Québécité_ (which you might have seen performed at the 2006 Ottawa Fringe Festival). His readings are thoroughly enjoyable—you don't want to miss this one!

They're expecting a good turnout for the show, so come early to grab a drink and a chair! Dusty Owl is also partnering with Octopus Books to bring copies of George's books to the reading, so they will be available for purchase (and, I would assume, signing.) Click here for contact info and a map to the event!

At this weekend's Test, Bill Kennedy + Darren Wershler-Henry and Jessica Smith. A great line-up! Click here for further details, map & directions!

The goal of the Test Reading Series is to provide its audience with an opportunity for immersion in vital works of contemporary poetry within a context that facilitates inquiry. Held at Mercer Union, a Centre for Contemporary Art, Test also encourages mutual awareness and dialogue among members of Toronto’s various arts communities.

Spread the word! It’s new, it’s literary and it promises to be a great evening!

This is the first of what we hope will be an ongoing Reading Series in Sudbury. Take a mid-week break, relax, enjoy and help foster a northern Ontario literary culture

Your Scrivener Press and Peddler’s Pub present the inaugural event of the Open Pit Reading Series Wednesday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m. (Peddler’s Pub, 63 Cedar St.). Click here for map and directions.

Featured writers include Charlie Smith, Roger Nash, Valerie Senyk, Tony Armstrong, and Matt Heiti.

There will also be an open mic session (on a sign-up basis) for writers and spoken word artists who wish to read/perform their work. First come, first served. Books or CDs to buy and get signed. Admission is free. More info. call Your Scrivener Press at 522-5126.