Agent 409 at the USSF!

Going to the US Social Forum? Come check out this workshop by my industrious writing group!

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Writing Workshop for Activists and Organizers
Nurturing Creativity in Social Justice Movements
at the U.S. Social Forum
Friday, June 29, 2007
10:30am - 12:30pm
Delphi Room, Atlanta Marriott Downtown
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Workshop Description
Sometimes, in the furious midst of grassroots organizing, we forget about the very necessity of self-expression, the undeniable need to create, share, and witness "beautiful, radiant things" (Emma Goldman). Every movement needs its writers and artists to reflect the courageous, life-changing work we do. At the same time, writers and artists in the movement need nurturing and freedom to create this life- and movement-sustaining art.

In the midst of the furiously exciting U.S. Social Forum this year, the writers of Agent 409 invite you to join us in a 2-hour workshop that will give participants a place to come together and write, where all parts of their identities will be acknowledged and respected, where their creativity will be honored, and where they will gain the tools they need to establish their own writing space/group that fits into their lives a activists/organizers. We welcome everyone - no specific writing experience is necessary.

Reading and Open Mic - 7 Min. Max
Be sure to also check out Agent 409's reading and open mic:
Friday, June 29, 2007
3:30 - 5:30pm
Olympic A Room, Atlanta Marriott Downtown

A supportive space to hear fabulous progressive artists and share your work with the US Social Forum community.

Who is Agent 409?
Agent 409 (Alea Woodlee, cory schmanke parrish, Danielle Morgan Feris, Jane Koh, Judy Yu, Ronica Sanyal, Daniel Rose, and Tamiko Beyer ) gathers each week to write poetry, prose, and comedy for the revolution. An unruly bunch of multi-racial queers and trannies, we are anti-everything that is oppressive and wrong with this world, and pro-everything that is liberating and good. Members are involved in various national and international activist and artistic projects, and our work is a reflection of our individual experiences as well as out activist/artistic work in places as varied as Palestine, India, Japan, Korea, China, Cuba, and all over the United States. In the almost-three years of our existence, we have published 3 zines and performed in NYC, Boston, and Washington, DC.

Agent 409 strikes again!

My fabulous writing group, Agent 409 will be releasing our new zine and raising funds for some of us to go to the US Social Forum. Come by and say hi!

Agent 409 (Alea Woodlee, cory schmanke parrish, Danielle Morgan Feris, Jane Koh, Judy Yu, Ronica Sanyal, Daniel Rose, and Tamiko Beyer) gathers each week to write poetry, prose, and comedy for the revolution. An unruly bunch of multi-racial queers and trannies, we are anti-everything that is oppressive and wrong with this world, and pro-everything that is liberating and good.

$5-10 sliding scale
Friday, June 15th, 7pm
Bluestockings
172 Allen Street
btw Stanton and Rivington
NYC

Tamiko Battles the Comics

Come watch the showdown!

PVC: The POETRY Vs. COMEDY VARIETY SHOW
CHICKS & GIGGLES Extravaganza!

May 22nd, 8 PM
Mo Pitkins
34 Avenue A
F Train to Second Ave.
FREE
www.myspace.com/pvcshow

PVC: The Poetry vs. Comedy Variety Show brings together the high-paced excitement of a poetry slam with the astute hilarity of smart, observational comedy.

EMCEE:
Carolyn Castiglia (Caroline's)

STARRING:

Comedians
Brandy Barber (The Kissing Booth)
Desiree Burch (SMUT)
Katina Corrao (VH1's Best Night Ever)
Poets
Tamiko Beyer (Calyx)
Carol Novack (Mad Hatters' Review)
Leibya Rogers (My Nipples Taste Like Tofu)

MUSICAL GUEST:
Jessica Delfino ("A cross between Redd Foxx and Jewel" - The Onion)

Two NYC Events Next Week

Next week, I'm curating a mixed-genre reading of emerging queer writers, and I'm performing in a fun show that combines poetry and improv. If you're in the NYC area, I'd love to see you at one or both!

UNDER THE INFLUENCE
The process is collaboration between poets and improvisers. The product is a unique artistic experience. Each week, the cast of Under the Influence invites a guest poet to read his or her original work. The actors, unfamiliar with the text, then perform scenes inspired by anything from a single word to an image to a tone that is set by the voice of the reader. The result is a performance in which various artists are truly affected by one another in a new way.The cast includes Magnet instructor Jean Villepique, Becky Drysdale, Matt Evans, George Basil, Rylan Morrison and Mark Grenier

Tuesday, May 8th, 8:00pm
MAGNET THEATER
254 W 29th St btw 7th and 8th
212-244-8824
www.magnettheater.com
Cost: $5

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WRITING ALOUD
New York Writers Coalition's regular Reading Series continues with featured readers A. Naomi Jackson, An Xiao, Cupid, and Rachel Kahn, Ronica Sanyal. Curated by Tamiko Beyer.


Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 pm
Brecht Forum
451 West Street between Bank & Bethune Streets, Manhattan
Directions
www.nywriterscoalition.org

Boxcar and Muses

A couple of annoucements:

* Boxcar Poetry Review has published one of my pieces.
* "Setagaya-ku Haiku" will be appearing in Cheers to Muses: Contemporary Works by Asian American Women, to be published in the coming months. Pre-publication discounts are available. Check it out!

Three Publications

I'm happy to announce that I have poems in the latest issue of the following journals:

Mizna: Prose, Poetry, and Art Exploring Arab America
The Gay and Lesbian Review
The Drunken Boat (Link is in the left column, under "from the U.S.") I'm particularly pleased to be part of this issue with so many other Kundiman fellows, faculty, and staff.

Enjoy!

Girlsalon Redux

I will be reading again at Girlsalon, along with the lovely An Xiao. Come hear us read fierce girl poetry.

Thursday, December 7th
6:30 pm
The Perch Cafe, Park Slope
365 5th Ave (btw. 5th & 6th Streets)
FREE!

Her Mark 2007 Datebook Now Available

The Her Mark 2007 Datebook from Women Made Gallery in Chicago is out! It's a beautiful book, and I'm very proud to be part of it. The datebook also includes a gorgeous poem by another Kundiman Fellow, Purvi Shah, whose first book, Terrain Tracks, is just out.

Click here to read the poems, see the artwork, and buy it if you are so inclined.

Reading Sept. 16th, Identity House

Join me for an evening of LGBTQ poetry & spoken word at Identity House!

Speaking My Mind
Saturday, September 16th, 7-9pm

The I Gallery
Identity House
39 W. 14th Street, Suite 205
New York, NY 10011
$5-10 suggested donation
www.identityhouse.org/igallery.html

Reading At GirlSalon

I'm a Leo. I love to read my work and be on stage. Come hear me read at GirlSalon next week!

GirlSalon
Thursday, August 24
7 pm
Drama Cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn
(5th Ave btw. 4th and 5th St)

Summer Poetry Adventures and News

• My poem, "Checkpoint, Fallujah" was recently nominated for Sundress Publication's Best of the Web Anthology by the editors of Triplopia, where it was originally published. We'll see what happens... More info about all that here.

• Another poem, "Setagayaku Haibun" will be published in the 2007 Her Mark Calendar from Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL. Ordering info is not yet up on their site, but I'll be sure to post the info when it's available.

• I recently performed at the 2006 Fresh Fruit Festival's Pure Poetry evening - a fun night of great poetry by queer writers. A webpage was created from that evening.

• I also recently performed at Under the Influence, at the Magnet Theater. It was nothing like I'd ever done before. I would read a poem, then a brilliant improv troupe would create sad, funny, wacky scenes inspired by my poem, then I would read another poem, and more scenes were preformed...It went on like this for an hour. If you are apoet, I highly recommend getting in touch with Scott at the Magnet. They are looking for ore published poets, and it's a great experience.

• And finally, at the beginning of July, I spent a wonderful week at VONA, The Voices Summer Workshops for Writers of Color. It was an amazing opportunity to work with and get to know Suheir Hammad, who is a powerhouse of a writer and teacher and a lovely human being. I was thrilled to spend the week connecting and writing with so many talented writers of color. The faculty reading on Thursday night was electric, and the student reading on Friday was powerful and moving.

Welcome!

I will be posting information about my upcoming readings, publications, and other poetry-related information. I might also post some poems now and then, and an occasional random blog, perhaps.

Wonder back here again soon!