Buffalo Area Poetry & Literature Calendar (week of April 29-May 4)

Monday, 7 p.m.: Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center and Talking Leaves Books present a reading, book-signing and book launch event  for The Letters of Emily Dickinson (Belknap Press, 2024), co-edited by UB English Professor Cristanne Miller and Domhnall Mitchell.

This new edition of Emily Dickinson’s correspondence co-edited (with Domhnall Mitchell) by the noted Dickinson scholar offers a transformative portrait of the famous American poet that takes readers beyond vague notions of Dickinson’s loneliness and isolation to reveal instead an intensely interactive and deeply involved member of a community who was very much engaged with friends, family, and the unfolding events of her time.

The Letters of Emily Dickinson is the first comprehensive collection of Dickinson’s letters since Thomas H. Johnson and Theodora Ward published their edition more than 60 years ago.

This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase courtesy of Talking Leaves.

Cristanne Miller received her PhD in 1980 from the University of Chicago, and was for many years the W.M. Keck Distinguished Service Professor at Pomona College. Since 2006 she has taught at the University at Buffalo where she is SUNY Distinguished Professor and Edward H. Butler Professor of English.

Domhnall Mitchell is a professor of English literature at the Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, 341 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, 7 p.m.: Ground and Sky Poetry Series Roundtable led by Joel Lesses.
Roundtable community meets to have organic discussion of life through shared poetry: no mic, no list, no podium. Inspiration Point, 483 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.: CFI Literary Café Series reading hosted by poet Ryki Zuckerman and featuring poets Jane Adam and Irene Sipos. Center for Inquiry, 1310 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, 9 p.m.: Poetry Night at Caffe Aroma, biweekly open mic reading series hosted by Ben Brindise and Justin Karcher. This week's special guest is poet Heather Rae Ackerman, author of the debut full-length collection Little Apartment (Fair Isle Publishing), 957 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo.

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.: Just Buffalo Literary Center and the UB Poetics Program will present an evening of readings from poets Travis Sharp  and Asiya Wadud, with a musical performance from Katie Weismann.

Travis Sharp is the author of the book-length poem Monoculture (Unicorn Press 2024) and the poetry collection Yes, I am a corpse flower (Knife Fork Book 2021). A former postdoctoral fellow at the University at Buffalo, he is currently a lecturer in the writing program at Howard University. Since 2019, he is the executive editor at Essay Press.

Asiya Wadud is the author of five poetry collections, most recently No Knowledge Is Complete Until It Passes Through My Body (Nightboat Books, 2021) and Mandible Wishbone Solvent (University of Chicago Press, 2024). Her recent work appears in e-flux journal, BOMB Magazine, Triple Canopy, POETRY, Yale Review and elsewhere. Asiya’s work has been supported by the Foundation Jan Michalski, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Danspace Project, Finnish Cultural Institute of New York, Rosendal Theater Norway, and Kunstenfestivaldesarts among others. She lives in New York City, where she teaches poetry at Saint Ann’s School, Columbia University, and Pacific Northwest College of Art.
 
Just Buffalo Literary Center, 468 Washington Street, 2nd floor, Buffalo, NY. Books from the poets will be available for purchase from Fitz Books.

Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Western New York Book Arts Center presents  a Block Printing on Fabric workshop, with printmaker and teaching artist Talia Ryan. The workshop will be an opportunity for attendees to carve their own linocut block to be printed on fabric. Workshoppers will have assistance with brainstorming ideas, and get hands on demonstrations and assistance with the carving process. Attendees will be provided one cotton tea towel or tote to test out their stamp, but may also bring their own fabric items (up to 2 per person) to print if desired. All ages and experience levels are welcome, though we will work with a sharp tool, so adult supervision is required for children under the age of 12. $55-$60, contact https://wnybookarts.org/event/block-printing-fabric-workshop/  for further information. Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo.