A Stirring Tribute: Carmen Nickerson reads Solari’s “Meditation for my Country” During 9/11 Concert Singer-songwriter Carmen Nickerson delivers a touching performance of Rose Solari's poem during her No Studios unplugged session Accomplished singer-songwriter Carmen Nickerson and pianist Kostia Efimov provide an intimate, acoustic set as part of the No Studios unplugged series.  At approximately 42 minutes into the set, Nickerson pauses to acknowledge the date - September 11th - and pulls out a sheet of paper. The poem she reads is Rose Solari's "Meditation for my … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Releases New Podcast with Jeffrey Lamar Coleman Coleman is a professor of English at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He is the editor of Words of Protest, Words of Freedom: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement and Era (Duke University Press) and author of Spirits Distilled: Poems (Red Hen Press). Grace Cavalieri's new series on the poets of Maryland, for which she was recently funded by Maryland Humanities, is off to a strong and engaging start. This week's guest, professor of English, Jeffrey Lamar Coleman, is the editor of Words of Protest, Words of … [Read more...]

Former Student Describes Reuben Jackson’s Jazz-infused Poetry Class “I’m going to play you some John Coltrane,” he said, his voice serious, soft-spoken. “Some people say Coltrane sounds like a bunch of salad,” he continued, “but it’s all in the way he mixes it.” He pressed “PLAY” and told us to write what came to mind. Miles Liss, who recently graduated with an MFA in poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts, reflects on his time taking classes under maestro Reuben Jackson in this short essay. You can read the whole thing on Past-Ten here. Read Reuben's poetry here. In the essay, … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Featured in New Article, “Making Sense of the World through Poetry” As Grace Cavalieri prepares to launch her new podcast, The Poet and the Poem: Voices of Maryland Poets, her legacy and continued significance is honored by Bay Weekly MARYLAND'S TENTH poet laureate, Grace Cavalieri, prepares to launch her new podcast, a spin-off of her famous "The Poet and The Poem" exploring Maryland's poetic voices, during a tumultuous and uncertain time in the history of the country. Despite all this, Paula Anne Delve Phillips of the Bay Weekly assures us, "It’s an opportune … [Read more...]

Rose Solari Tackles Frost, Coste Lewis, and Imaginary Landscapes in New Rose Reads Rose Solari's style continues to evolve as she tackles more difficult poetic concepts. Hear her speak to poetry and song as "gifts," detail Coleridge's writing from a sick bed, remark on Frost's famous "Directive", and reminisce on Smokey Robinson in this new episode of Rose Reads. In this episode of Rose Reads, Rose discusses and reads from poems that create self-contained universes. Authors include Frost, Coleridge, and Robin Coste Lewis. If you enjoy Rose Reads, please consider SHARING this … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri’s “The Poet and The Poem” Receives Grant From MD Humanities The Other Voices, Other Lives author says of the grant, "It seems like a modest amount, but if you need that amount, it is abundant.” More About the Poet and the Poem GRace's Book: Other Voices, Other Lives MD Poet laureate, 2-time Ginsberg Prize winner, and WIRoB lifetime achievement honoree, Grace Cavalieri, received her latest honor this Tuesday, a $1000 grant, for her long-running radio program and podcast, The Poet and the Poem. The grant comes from Maryland Humanities whose aim is to "support … [Read more...]

Episode 15 of LFTRR Examines Kickass Female Characters in Three Novels What do contemporay novels A SECRET WOMAN, THE SILVER GIRL, and DETHRONED have in common? Each prominently features strong female characters. James J. Patterson extends his string of excellent episodes concerning women writers of literature. On this, the fifteenth(!) episode of LFTRR, he looks at three contemporary novels dear to his heart, all of which feature strong-willed female characters. Purchase A Secret Woman Purchase Dethroned Purchase Silver Girl … [Read more...]

In a New Interview, Rose Solari Opens up about Publishing and Writing in the era of COVID "At the beginning of ASP we were told 'You'd be lucky if you made it 3-5 years.'" 10 years and a million trials later, poet and ASP co-founder Rose Solari delivers this extremely honest interview to author Kathy Rampsberger Author Kathy Rampsberger conducts this incredible digital interview as part of her "Story Hour" series. It's been months now since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and much has changed in the landscape of publishing and writing. Always attuned to change and always in … [Read more...]

James J. Patterson Reads HUIDEKOPER on the new LFTRR Patterson's story about a group home of artists and musicians first appeared in BERMUDA SHORTS In this episode of LFTRR, James J. Patterson reads "HUIDEKOPER", a story about a wild group home full of artists and musicians.  In clothing, Bermuda shorts are a kind of casual formal wear – and in this collection of essays, Bermuda Shorts is the perfect metaphor for James J. Patterson’s fundamentally serious but playful literary style. Patterson grew up with a foot planted in each of two worlds, one in Washington DC, and one … [Read more...]

Rose Reads, Writing about Art and an UPDATE The 12th episode of Rose Reads brings us writings on Art and an update on the show, *The Richard Peabody Reader is currently 25% off from the ASP Store and all US domestic shipping is free* On the 12th episode of Rose Reads, Rose Solari goes in-depth on writers writing about writing and art. She reads from her own novel which contains a good deal of beautiful prose about visual art, A Secret Woman, and the extraordinary short work of Richard Peabody as found in The Richard Peabody Reader. SPOILER ALERT: Rose Reads is changing … [Read more...]

New LFTRR Tackles the Question: Should We Write? In this episode James J. Patterson reads from Simone de Beauvoir and DC's bookworm philosopher Richard Peabody In this episode of Live from the Reading Room, James J. Patterson reads selections from Simone de Beauvoir's The Mandarins and Richard Peabody's The Richard Peabody Reader all in pursuit of answering the question: Should I write? The Richard Peabody Reader is a wide-ranging selection of this great writer’s poetry and prose, filling an important gap in the literary world. As a publisher, Peabody’s steadfast … [Read more...]

The Johns Hopkins Review Publishes two Poems by Elizabeth Hazen "Circling" and "Imperatives" both appear in Elizabeth Hazen's full-length collection GIRLS LIKE US Read the Poems Check out Girls Like Us Two poems from Elizabeth Hazen's new collection Girls Like Us have been published in the spring edition of the esteemed Hopkins Review. Hazen, a graduate of the Hopkins Writing Seminars, has been receiving a lot of attention as of late for her collection Girls Like Us. New reviews in Lit Pub and The Literary Review rave about her "Precision-tool craft with … [Read more...]

James J. Patterson Reads from MELANIE’S SONG on Latest LFTRR The new mystery novel by ASP's Joanna Biggar is given the Patterson treatment in Episode 11 of Live from the Reading Room Missed an episode of LFTRR? Melanie's song is 25% off this week only “Melanie’s Song is an unputdownable, riveting feat of storytelling.” Set in the era of Woodstock and Watergate, Melanie’s Song centers on a young woman’s mysterious disappearance, and on her friend’s determined search for her. Melanie, who fled her marriage to a straight-laced classical musician in order to hitch-hike to … [Read more...]

TLR Delivers a Stellar Review of GIRLS LIKE US Michael Quinn of TLR traces the arc of Elizabeth Hazen's new collection "The Last Girl" and discovers the ways in which "Absence asserts permanence." Read the full review from TLR Buy Girls Like Us A new review this week from The Literary Review traces the arc of Elizabeth Hazen's Girls Like Us from a "[focus] primarily on the self, [to] poems [that] are gradually consumed by a responsibility to others, primarily through motherhood and its all-consuming need to provide for and protect." Motherhood, womanhood, girlhood, … [Read more...]

Lit Pub Raves about Hazen's Girls Like Us in New Review Hazen's opus gets a well-deserved lauding from rising literary star Nandini Bhattacharya. Read the Full Review Buy Girls Like Us More from Bhattacharya October 2020 was a tough time to release a book. In fact, next to August 1929 and February 2007, October 2020 might have been the worst time to release a book in modern history. Fortunately for Elizabeth Hazen, Girls Like Us has seemed to find staying power in the minds of critics. Nandini Bhattacharya's new review of the collection sheds special light on the skill and … [Read more...]

An introduction to Rita Dove by Grace Cavalieri In a stunning video, Grace covers the life and work of the first female of color US Poet Laureate "If critics look at a literary model of a balanced life, the thinking, feeling, sensual, and intuitive, this can be seen as a template for Rita Dove’s writing." Grace Cavalieri's new web series "20th-Century Poets Commentaries" is off to a strong start with introductions and commentaries on such poets as Robert Hayden, Ted Kooser, Robert Pinsky, and Josephine Jacobsen. Rita Dove, the first female of color to hold the vaunted position of US … [Read more...]

Maryland Lit Review Publishes new Essay by James J. Patterson Nathan Leslie's excellent Maryland Literary Review publishes James J. Patterson's new essay "Hermes at the Spouter Inn" Read the full essay in the Maryland Literary Review Buy James J. Patterson's first book of essays "Bermuda Shorts" Hermes is back in this new personal essay by Bermuda Shorts author James J. Patterson. This time the trickster god dons the countenance of a voluble stranger at the Spouter Inn, a bar in Nantucket, a faded paperback of Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections in his hand. "Hermes is a crazy … [Read more...]

The Ongoing Relevance of Reuben Jackson's "For Trayvon Martin" The tragic death of Trayvon Martin is as relevant today as it was in 2012 as is Reuben's most anthologized poem "For Trayvon Martin." Scattered Clouds Bail Funds In Reuben Jackson's reimagining of the night Trayvon Martin was murdered, Jackson cast himself as the boy's guardian angel, leading him home and out of harm's way. Instead of sleeping— I walk with him from the store. No Skittles, thank you. We do not talk much— Sneakers crossing the courtyard. Humid Southern night. We shake hands and hug— Ancient, stoic … [Read more...]