April Poetry Hickory Reminder and Open Mic Readers

April’s Poetry Hickory, featuring Hickory’s own Tim Peeler reading from his new book, “Checking Out,” which consists of poems from his 7 years in the Hickory hotel industry, and Raleigh’s Harry Calhoun, is tonight at 6:30 at Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse.  We’ll begin with three Open Mic readers, who will be Helen Losse, editor of Dead Mule, Anderson O’Brien of Winston-Salem, and Fernand Chandonnet (yes, he is related to Ann Chandonnet, who has read at PH on several occasions.

Anyone interested in networking with other writers, learning about opportunities related to writing, or getting their work looked at by other writers is welcome to arrive at 5:00 for the NC Writers’ Network Writers’ Night Out.

As always, a big thank you to Taste Full Beans for hosting us and to Main Street Rag for sponsoring us.  On Poetry Hickory nights any purchase of books written by the featured writers merits a free book from the sponsors’ book shelf, which includes copies of the new Main Street Rag magazine (normally $8).

March Poetry Hickory Open Mic and Reminder

It almost snuck up on me, but next Tuesday, March 9, is the next Poetry Hickory.  Featured writers are Pedestal Magazine Founding Editor, John Amen, and Mike Smith, author of 3 collections of poetry, including the most technically remarkable book of poems I’ve seen in a very, very, very long time.  Both authors will have copies of their books available for purchase and are more than willing to make your copy a bit more special by signing it.

Open Mic readers are Nancy Posey, winner of the Poetic Asides 2009 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, and winner of two top 5 poems in the April 2009 PAD Challenge; John Womack, who has a new book of poems just out; and Justin Ganser.

As always, we’ll start at 6:30, but we will also have the NC Writers’ Network Writers’ Night Out at 5:00. This networking and critiquing group is open to any and all who wish to participate.  Those who usually attend include both beginning writers and well-established writers and journal editors.  It’s a great opportunity to gain insight towards beginning or furthering your occupation as a writer.

Attendance at Poetry Hickory and Writers’ Night Out is always free and is sponsored by Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse, Main Street Rag, and the North Carolina Writers’ Network.

February Poetry Hickory Videos

Here are links to 5 video samples from February’s Poetry Hickory, thanks to Jessie Carty.  It was a fantastic night, and I want to thank all those who attended and especially our readers who came from Emory, VA, Chapel Hill, Elkin, Statesville, and Charlotte.  As always, thanks to Taste Full Beans and Main Street Rag.  I will attempt to embed these links in the sidebar under videos so that they’ll be available here even after this blog entry has scrolled into oblivion.

–Jessie Carty:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khf53AJ8BwY

–Tony Ricciardelli http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGJ3kCD8K58

–Bill Blackley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo_ds2afWxY

–Felicia Mitchell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPzT9byZGR4

—http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S06PST-AIs Joanna Catherine Scott

March 2010 Poetry HIckory

March 2010 Poetry Hickory

February Open Mic Readers Set

I was already pretty excited about February’s Poetry Hickory.  I mean, you can’t get much better than Joanna Catherine Scott and Felicia Mitchell as featured writers.  If you don’t already know their work, then you could start by reading the reviews I wrote of their recent books for Wild Goose Poetry Review.  Both reviews have been archived on my blog at http://scottowensmusings.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-of-joanna-catherine-scotts-night.html and http://scottowensmusings.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-of-felicia-mitchells-cleft-of.html.

But now, the Open Mic has shaped up to be perhaps the best we’ve ever had.  First there is Jessie Carty, who has already been a featured writer and will be so again soon but is doing the Open Mic now because she has a new book out, The Wait of Atom, a review of which will be in the next Wild Goose Poetry Review.  If you can’t wait for that, you can read a sort of preview here:  http://scottowensmusings.blogspot.com/2010/01/twins-weasleys-and-wait-of-atom-or.html.  You can also read some of her recent work in Wild Goose where she is the Featured Poet in the current issue.

The second Open Mic reader will be one of my favorite people in the world of NC poetry and a repeat Open Mic reader at Poetry Hickory, Tony Ricciardelli.  Tony is the founder and coordinator of the Phi Beat Open Mic Reading Series in Statesville where he teaches at Mitchell Community College.  Poetry Hickory fans will remember his poem “Ryan O.” which he read back in October and is in the current issue of Wild Goose.

The final Open Mic reader is a first-timer at Poetry Hickory, but certainly not in the world of poetry.  Bill Blackley has, in fact, been the President of the NC Poetry Society and is this year’s Chair of the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series.  This is his first time at Poetry Hickory simply because he will have to drive all the way from Elkin to participate.  I hope we can make so worth his time that he wants to come back and do it again.

This is definitely one not to miss.  So I hope to see you all at 6:30 on February 9 at Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse.  By the way, we’ll also have copies of the new Main Street Rag and several new books from Main Street Rag, available for purchase at the usual incredible Poetry Hickory discount prices.

February Poetry Hickory

January 12 Poetry Hickory

January 12 Poetry Hickory

What Is Poetry Hickory

What Is Poetry Hickory?

Poetry Hickory is a monthy reading series held the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 – 8:00 P.M. at Taste Full Beans Coffee House (29 Second St. NW) in downtown Hickory, NC.  Each reading is preceded by Writers’ Night Out, beginning at 5:00 also at Taste Full Beans, coordinated by Scott Owens as NC Writers’ Network Regional Representative.  These meetings and readings are open to the public and free of charge.

The series was founded by Scott Owens in September 2007 and is sponsored by Taste Full Beans and Main Street Rag.  Each reading includes two featured writers preceded by a 30-minute Open Mic.  Upcoming readings will be posted on this website.  Ten-minute video samples of several of the readings are also available here.

Previous featured writers have included the following:

John Amen, Margaret Booth Baddour, Rand Brandes, Ann Campanella, Robert Canipe, Jessie Carty, Bud Caywood, Ann Fox Chandonnet, Sara Claytor, DB Cox, Jeff Davis, M. Scott Douglass, Linda Annas Ferguson, Brenda Graham, Bill Griffin, Lissa Hamilton, Sigrid Hice, Jack Hicks, Irene Blair Honeycutt, Debra Kaufman, Kevin Keck, Helen Losse, Al Maginnes, Carter Monroe, Tim Peeler, John Picard, Ted Pope, Pat Riviere-Seel, Dannye Romine Powell, Adrian Rice, Jonathan K. Rice, Molly Rice, Katherine Soniat, Mark Smith-Soto, Chuck Sullivan, Brad Vogler, Tammy Wilson.

Directions to Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse

From I-40 driving west into Hickory
Take Exit 125
Turn right at top of ramp onto Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard.
At the construction blockade (4th light), turn left onto Tate Boulevard.
After about 3 blocks you’ll come to a light at 2nd St. NE. Stay Straight.
After another 3 blocks or so you’ll see 2nd St. NW (There’s a “Downtown Shopping” Sign). Turn Right onto 2nd St. NW (AFTER 3rd light on Tate)
Cross the tracks, go past the parking lot and the alley, and Taste Full Beans will be on your left.

For information on either Poetry Hickory or Writers’ Night Out, contact Scott Owens at asowens1@yahoo.com or 828-234-4266.