Keith Snow, featured poet August 11 at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Keith Snow will be featured poet Thursday, August 11 at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. This event is hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel. Snow has, for many years, acted as Harrisburg’s “Self-proclaimed Ambassador of Poetry.” He was born and raised in Harrisburg and wrote perhaps the ultimate Harrisburg poem, “I Am”, published in A Poet’s Tour of Harrisburg (GoodSport Press, 2006). Keith Snow has curated, hosted, competed in numerous poetry slams, and been featured in a plethora of venues through out the area. Publications include Fledgling Rag, Experimental Forest, Haggard and Halloo and other distinguished journals.

Snow's studied verse structure, and form and continues to work diligently at his craft, hoping to reconcile and distill the energies of “all of his many voices.” He is past editor of Megaera poetry review and has hosted several major poetry venues in the ‘burg. The Midtown Scholar is at 1301 North Third Street, 17102. There will be a short open poetry reading prior to the feature presentation. Anna Jane and Marty Esworthy are co-hosting. Doors open at 6:45pm. For more information, (717) 236-1680.

FEATURED POET MANNY CARTAGENA, JULY 28, at POETRY THURSDAYS

The featured reader/performer July 28 at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s Poetry Thursdays is the engaging Manny Cartagena, an up and coming author, artist, and poet from Berks County, PA. This event is hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel.

Poetry of great depth, and unexpected literary turns, Cartagena’s work is often contemplative, yet compelling. His verse has been published in numerous journals, such as Paper Planes, the Atlantean, TopHat Raven, New Plains Review, and PigeonBike Poetry.

He’s performed his verse extensively throughout the Middle–Atlantic states. TYhe artist Cartagena is currently compiling a book of drawings expected to be released in late Autumn, Against the Flow of the Grain.

This event is part of Poetry Thursdays, the long-running poetry poetry series (1999-2016), 7-9pm,.held weekly at the Midtown Scholar. 1302 N. 3rd Street. Just cross the street from Harrisburg's famed Broad Street Market House. For more information, (717) 236-1680.

K-BAM! Poetry Thursdays: Bastille Day open reading

July 14, Poetry Thursdays-- Special Bastille Day open reading. Poetry and verbal fireworks every Thursday, hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel at the Midtown Scholar bookstore.

Bastille Day open reading. The French National Day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, an important event in Paris in a violent revolution.

The open reading will begin at seven pm. Doors open at six-thirty, seating is limited.

July 14-- Bastille day open poetry reading

July 21—no reading. (the Scholar will be closed.)

July 28-- Featuring Manny Cartagena

Midtown Scholar.Bookstore. 1302 N. 3rd Street, 17102..(717) 236-1680

The Bastille Day feature event is part of Poetry Thursdays, a continuing poetry series (1999-2016), 7-9pm,.held weekly at the Midtown Scholar. 1302 N. 3rd Street. For more information, (717) 236-1680.

Poetry Thursdays, June 30-- Jeff Rath is featured, one night only!

On June 3o, artist, poet and author Jeff Rath will be the featured reader at Poetry Thursdays' poetry series at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

Rath has done four outstanding collections of poetry beginning with The Waiting Room at the End of the World (2007), In the Shooting Gallery of the Heart (2009) and Film Noir (2011), and, most recently, The Old Utopia Hotel (2015), all published by Iris G. Press. His works have been published in a numerous journals including Everyday Genius, Delmarva Review, and Fledgling Rag. He is the 2007 R.E. Foundation Award winner and a Pushcart Prize nominee.7-9pm.

Iris G. Press editor Le Hinton says, in his introduction to The Waiting Room at the End of the World, "If you are one who prefers to experience life and savor its moments, sacred, painful, and true, I promise that you will find several of your own favorites that you will return to for sustenance, for pleasure, and for wisdom, and you will never be disappointed."

This event is part of Poetry Thursdays, a continuing poetry series, which began in 1999, now held weekly at the Midtown Scholar. 1302 N. 3rd Street. 7-9pm. For more information, (717) 236-1680. Hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel.

Kearns & Catalano, Words & Music, December 29 , Poetry Thursdays

Coming soon, creative duo working in two volatile dimensions, poetry and music-- not easily tamed-- at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s Poetry Thursdays. On December 29, Rick Kearns and John Catalano will bring their own compelling magic, and the spirit of Lorca, and Tolstoy too!

Music and poetry, one night only--Rick Kearns will recite some of his flamenco poetry, and more, while accompanied by the talented John Catalano on guitar.

Both men have been jamming together in the storied “flamenco kitchen” and in various group situations for over 10 years. John Vincent Catalano (c. 1955) is an American musician, teacher and performer whose areas of interest include prepared and improvised music, flamenco, folk, blues, experimental classical and Gypsy jazz. Catalano is widely sought for performances, workshops and private music instruction.

Rick Kearns is the current Poet Laureate of Harrisburg and Northern Bressler. For many years he edited the poetry journal Blue Guitar. His work now appears regularly in numerous reviews and anthologies. He’s done four verse collections (another: imminent), and has been sowing poetic mayhem along the Eastern seaboard for 30 years. For this performance, these artists have been working rigorously to complete a bold lyric adaptation of the Soviet march song Polyushka Polye into “regimentally exacting” couplets in time to mark their second major collaboration on a free-form literary/music plane.

It’s all goes down December 29. 7-9pm. This special event is part of Poetry Thursdays, since 1999, a continuing poetry series, now held weekly at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 1302 N. Third Street. For more information, (717) 236-1680. Hosted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel.