A Day & Night Filled With Words (and More)

The 2nd Annual Riverwood Poetry Festival runs from June 24 - 28 (see here for full schedule.) 3 of the events take place in Middletown this Saturday (June 27.)

From 1 - 4 p.m., Broad Street Books hosts Artemis Rising, a group of women writers and poets formed in 1997. Among those scheduled to read are Eileen Albrizio (pictured above), Priscilla Herrington, Suzy Lamson, Mary Elizabeth Lang, Suzanne Niedzielska, Paula Panzarella, Victoria Rivas, and Linda Yuhas. Many, if not all, of these writers have read in this town and all are impressive. To find out more about the group, go to www.yeolde.org/artemis/. For more information about the event, call 685-7323.

The scene shifts to The Buttonwood Tree for a 6:30 p.m. reading of Antrim House Press Poets. Hosted by Press owner and editor Rennie McQuillken, poets include Steve Foley, Jen Gates, Jim Kelleher, Norah Pollard and Ginny Lowe Connors (pictured.) In existence since 1990, the Press (in its own words) "is devoted to the cause of bringing poetry into the mainstream of American life and to promoting the work of poets who are unfashionably clear and interested in edifying rather than mystifying their readers and audiences." Susan Allison's new collection, "Down by the Riverside Ways", was issued earlier this year by Antrim House. To find out more about the Press and its catalog, go to www.antrimhousebooks.com.

The final event of the day takes place from 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. at Gatekeepers Tavern, 73 Ferry Street, and is titled "Outlaw Poetry Night." Hosted by Yvon Cormier, readers come from all around the country and include Puma Perl (pictured, New York City), David Smith and S.A. Griffin (California), Dan Kellett (Virginia), Rob Plath (Long Island), Karl Koweski (Alabama), James Darman (Pennsylvania), Scott Wannberg (Oregon), Zach King-Smith and James Crafford (Connecticut.) There will also be music at the event provided by guitarist/vocalist Freddy Moses and guitarist Mick Bolduc. And, there's more - there will be time allotted for an "Open Mic." For more information about this event and the entire festival, go to www.riverwoodpoetry.org and follow the links.