“by any other name…”
Please help me by answering a poll question. Publishing schedule changes. A special event for Rhina Espaillat in Boston in case you want to meet up.
I am in a quandary… please help. In short, I am considering changing the podcast name to The Beauty of Things podcast since it seems like Poetry Mixtape is already thing. (Of course… why didn’t I check? Because I am rash and impetuous!) I only just started this little podcast of mine so I think it is fine to make a switch, but please let me know what you think in via the poll and/or the comments.
In personal news, this past week I had five children starting in three different schools all this week. Next week most of the kids’ extracurriculars start in earnest. Filipino school and religious education will follow shortly thereafter. I just began an MFA class which meets every Monday. I am finishing up my FCSN special education advocacy internship, and I just completed my training in becoming a Special Education Surrogate Parent. My part-time paid job would like me to pick up more hours. And just because I can’t help it… I am studying The Odyssey with my old classmates from The Catherine Project, and I am keeping up with the Close Reads HQ reading schedule. (We are closing out The Picture of Dorian Gray and starting One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.)
Though I am a tad busy I have two posts that will be coming out soon. I try to do only 1-2 long posts a week, but I am excited about the essays that will be headed your way.
And just in case anyone is interested, I will be headed to an event at Boston College later this month in honor of my workshop mentor Rhina Espaillat. Lots of great poets will be there. Let me know if you are interesting in meeting up!
Here is the information from the website:
Red Shoe Night: Celebrating Dominican-American Poet Rhina Espaillat
Thursday, September 28, 5:30pm until …?
O’Neill Library, main floor reading room
An evening extravaganza of poetry, music, and tributes celebrating Dominican-American poet Rhina Espaillat and the donation of her archives to Boston College, featuring: Dana Gioia, Julia Alvarez, Silvio Torres-Saillant, Nancy Kang, Sarah Aponte, Alfred Nicol, John Tavano, Roger Kimball, Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey, and more … and Rhina!
Rhina P. Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932 and came to the United States as a young girl with her family as exiles from dictatorship, settling in New York City. Following a career as a public school teacher, she returned to writing poetry after attending the first West Chester University Poetry Conference, established in 1995 by New Formalist poets Michael Peich and Dana Gioia.
Author and translator of dozens of award-winning poetry collections, Espaillat is a founding member of the Fresh Meadows Poets and a founding member and former director of the Powow River Poets. A resident of Newburyport since 1990, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Salem State College in 2008, and in 2021, Plough Quarterly established the annual Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award in her honor.
The program will begin at 5:30pm and continue through the evening. Come when you can, leave when you must. Free food and beverages. Books and CDs available for sale and signing. All are welcome. Bring your friends. And put on your red shoes!
That is it for now! Short post. Busy week. A number of great things coming up…
People who get things done jump right in! I think that's a positive for impetuousness!
Hi Zina, I’m reading Wilson’s Odyssey translation now and it’s awesome. Before that I re-read most of Lattimore’s Iliad in anticipation of Wilson’s release. The difference is crazy. I read his Odyssey in college too. The Catherine project looks interesting too. Lots of good info in this post 😊