Printed Matter Vancouver

Printed Matter Vancouver Publisher Christopher Luna’s Creative Writing Class Schedule for Winter 2015

January 1, 2015

Christopher Luna

Photo by Louise Wynn

Below are the classes that Christopher Luna will be teaching at Multnomah Arts Center and Clark College Corporate & Continuing Education this winter, including a new creative writing workshop for teens. Please share this message with your friends and contacts.

Christopher Luna’s Creative Writing Classes at Multnomah Arts Center
http://www.multnomahartscenter.org/classes/winter2015/macWinter15_colorWeb.pdf

Winter 2015 catalog, page 22

Writing Poetry That Pops
Ages 16 & up

Poetry as a means of expression, exploration, and experience is available to everyone. Write poetry in response to prompts and read a variety of published poems that you can use as inspiration. Read and respond to one another’s work in this supportive setting, paying close attention to revision. All levels.

Christopher Luna
1019150 Mon. 1 – 2:30 pm
Jan. 12 – Mar. 9 $98 [7 classes]
No class January 19, February 16

Christopher Luna’s Creative Writing Classes at Clark College

Poetry Matters: Writing Poetry and Other Things Poets Need to Know
http://www.campusce.net/Clark/Course/Course.aspx?c=3237

This poetry workshop is for beginners and experienced writers who would like to generate new work and engage in discussions about the poet’s role in the community. You will read, listen to, and write poetry together in a safe environment focused on providing constructive feedback based on the poet’s needs rather than the listener’s personal taste. Class will also discuss how to construct a manuscript and get it ready for publication. Writers of all experience levels are welcome. Bring paper & pen or laptop. Age 16+. Monday nights 6-8:30 1/12-3/23 (no class 1/19)

The Art of Memoir
http://www.campusce.net/Clark/Course/Course.aspx?c=3601

Everyone has a story to tell. Each person’s life is filled with adventure, mystery, trouble, and triumph. Documenting this process can be a wonderful gift for your family and friends. Memoir is also a powerful way to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all human beings. Clark County’s Poet Laureate will encourage you to begin to see yourself as a part of history. Whether you are interested in publishing a book or simply leaving a legacy for your family, this course is an opportunity to explore the creative process of this genre while learning the craft of storytelling. Includes writing exercises, examples of published memoirs, and class discussion. Designed for writers both beginner and those who possess more experience. Includes exercises and class discussion. Wednesday nights 6:30-8:30 1/28-3/4

Memoir Writing for Mature Learners (55+)
http://www.campusce.net/Clark/Course/Course.aspx?c=3260

Everyone has a story to tell. Each person’s life is filled with adventure, mystery, trouble, and triumph. Memoir is a powerful way to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all human beings. This course, facilitated by the Poet Laureate of Clark County, will encourage you to begin to see yourself as a part of history. There is a value to documenting the story of your life. Thursday afternoons 1/8-3/12 1:00-2:50pm

Poetry Mini Class NEW!
http://www.campusce.net/Clark/Course/Course.aspx?c=3676

Come to a one session mini course for beginners and experienced writers alike who wish to generate new work and engage in dialogue. Read, listen to, and briefly write poetry together. Whet your appetite for poetry – a deeply moving expression of feelings. Understand the components of style. Bring paper and pen or laptop. Age 16+. Saturday, January 24 9:00am – 1:00pm

Teen Writers NEW!
http://www.campusce.net/Clark/Course/Course.aspx?c=3675
Writers ages 13 to 17 — do you wish to learn the basics of writing poetry, fiction and non-fiction? Through writing exercises and discussion, we will begin to see the power in self-expression as we discover and develop our own style. Talk about writing with others in a supportive community environment with gentle feedback. Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna is a published author and the founder of the popular Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic reading series. Bring paper and pen or laptop and a sample of your writing to share. Saturday, February 7 and 21 9:00am – 1:00pm

Flight of the Drones, a Short Story by Jack Loranger

December 5, 2014

Printed Matter Vancouver is proud to present

Flight of the Drones
A Short Story by Jack Loranger

Order on Kindle for 99 cents!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Drones-Jack-Loranger-ebook/dp/B00N8BRGC8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417824904&sr=1-1

Nothing is what it seems in this taut thriller by new author Jack Loranger, who hails from the Columbia
River Gorge in SW Washington.

Flight of the Drones is an engaging and thoughtful tale of blurred lines between reality and fantasy, and the consequences of being unaware of which side of the line you’re on.

Published by Printed Matter Vancouver
Copyright 2014 all rights reserved

[POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER] Celebrate a Decade of Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic with Christopher Luna, Toni Partington, and Featured Reader Peggy Barnett On Saturday, November 22, 2014

October 24, 2014

Due to the severe weather warning issued for Oregon and SW Washington, Cover to Cover owner Mel Sanders has decided to close the bookstore on November 13. Therefore, we are postponing this month’s reading until Saturday, November 22 at 3pm. Please share this news with your friends and contact, and then join us on the 22nd for a celebration of our 10th Anniversary.

In November 2004, Christopher Luna founded what later came to be known as Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic. At the time there were very few poetry events in Vancouver, WA. The series began at Ice Cream Renaissance. He realized that he was filling a need in the community when the shop was packed for the first night of the reading. Today Ghost Town Poetry continues to be a community in which new and emerging writers can share their work in an environment that is fun, safe, and supportive. This month please join us in celebrating ten years of open mic poetry in Vancouver….

GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC
Hosted by Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna
and Printed Matter Vancouver founder Toni Partington

3pm
Saturday, November 22
Cover to Cover Books
6300 NE St. James Rd., Suite 104B (St. James & Minnehaha)
Vancouver, WA 98663

LGBTQ-friendly, all ages, and uncensored since 2004
printedmattervancouver.com

Featuring Peggy Barnett

Peggy Barnett was born in 1945 and grew up in Queens, New York in the 1950’s. She went to Public School 89, Joseph Pulitzer JHS 145, Music and Art High School and graduated from The Cooper Union with a degree in Fine Art. She opened a photography studio in 1968 and became a very successful corporate still-life and portrait photographer. She sold the studio in 2006 and moved north of Seattle to the green fields of Maltby, Washington.

Peggy knows that the Northwest is beautiful, but memories of the past haunt her: the Holocaust, growing up Jewish in an Italian and Irish neighborhood in Queens, the atomic bomb, public school, junior high school, and childhood’s distant happenings arise in her poetry as in a dream. Her mind flits back and forth between the present and the past. The present on the West Coast is always interrupted by the past of the East Coast. Her poetic memoirs On Your Left dwell on the specifics of unending change. For more info, visit http://www.prbarnett.com

My Vagabond Song

“The scarlett of the maples can shake me like
the cry of bugles going by”
A Vagabond Song, Bliss Carmen, 1894

A Macintosh Apple doesn’t travel well
across the country.
It needs to stay home in New England

in the crisp autumn nights that
turn leaves red and gold

in the black soil full of humous
and colonial history

crisp thin skin with
tang and tartness
cut with sugary juices to the snap bite.

Last year on my birthday
Kathy sent me
in an envelope
some Macintosh seeds
from an apple she had just eaten.

The smell of woodsmoke
down Frost’s country road
thick in mudtime

past orchards getting smaller
as they are everywhere.

I want to feel it’s dark red roundness
warm in my palm
so I can put my head down
and smell it
and go home.
Peggy Barnett, 2014

March Music Moderne Presents Ghost Town Poetry and Jazz with Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna and musicians Julio Appling, Rich Halley, Eric Padget, and Jim Templeton at Niche Wine and Art Bar in Vancouver, WA March 22, 2014

March 11, 2014

Please join me on Saturday afternoon in Ghost Town, USA for poetry and music at Niche- a wine & art bar. This will be the only event in the March Music Moderne festival that happens on the Vancouver side of the river. My thanks to MMM organizer Bob Priest for making this exception when we lost access to our original venue. I am very excited about the once-in-a-lifetime lineup I have assembled for your enjoyment. Don’t miss it!

March Music Moderne Presents Ghost Town Poetry and Jazz with Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna and musicians Julio Appling, Rich Halley, Eric Padget, and Jim Templeton at Niche Wine and Art Bar in Vancouver, WA March 22, 2014

2 pm

Saturday, March 22

Niche Wine and Art Bar

1013 Main Street

Vancouver, WA

Sponsored by Leah Jackson, Printed Matter Vancouver, and March Music Moderne

Double bassist, educator, techie, and coffee shop loiterer Julio Appling lives in Vancouver, WA, and serves as the primary bassist for Portland-based jamgrass group The Student Loan, and fusion group Trio Flux. Growing up in Tacoma, Washington, his upbringing included classical piano and guitar, gospel guitar and bass, a little bit of trombone, an Amiga computer, comics, and a lot of Legos. Julio earned his B.A. in Music (Bass Performance) from the University of Redlands and an M.M. in Musicology from Bowling Green State University. As an educator Julio has served as an instructor of both music and technology courses at BGSU Firelands, Tiffin University, and Clark College. For more info, please visit: http://julioappling.com/

Christopher Luna and Rich Halley at Shemanski Park, Portland, August 2011

Rich Halley is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He has released 15 recordings as a leader and is known for his asymmetrical and rhythmic compositions and his fiery playing. Halley emphasizes the importance what he calls compositional group improvisation. This is the spontaneous development of musical structures by the group as it improvises, creating a varied musical story which provides a foundation for the drama and emotion in the music. Rich Halley has worked with poets and dancers over the years and in 2011 he released Children of the Blue Supermarket with poet Dan Raphael and drummer Carson Halley. This CD was picked as one of the best recordings of the year by Tom Hull in the Rhapsody jazz poll. In 2011, the Rich Halley 4 released Requiem for a Pit Viper, which was picked by Francis Davis in the Village Voice as one of the best recordings of the year. Davis recognized Halley as one of the top up and coming saxophonists in jazz. In 2012, the Rich Halley 4 released Back From Beyond, which was listed in DownBeat as one of the best CD’s of the year. Halley has performed with Obo Addy, Michael Bisio, Rob Blakeslee, Bobby Bradford, Nels Cline, David Friesen, Vinny Golia, Julius Hemphill, Andrew Hill, Oliver Lake, Tony Malaby and Michael Vlatkovich. For more info, please visit: http://richhalley.com

Eric Padget has been tootin’ around Seattle for about seven years. In that time he has collaborated (on trumpet) with the likes of the Degenerate Art Ensemble, Andrew Joslyn, Mark Lanegan, Steve Fisk, Jason Webley, Pezzner, Sean Nelson (Long Winters, Harvey Danger), Orkestar Zirkonium and countless others. He has since performed at nearly every major music festival and performance hall in the NW. Besides the trumpet racket, he is the song-writer for FUTURE FRIDAYS (a duo with his partner Sari), teaches kids, teaches adults, arranges, composes, and generally enjoys himself. Prior to Seattle, Eric attended the Crane School of Music in NY, where he learned how to fix a bassoon and how to hold a drumstick. He is currently performing in “Seattle VICE”, a new musical based on the life and times of infamous Seattle pimp and racketeer Frank Colacurcio.

Jim Templeton is a pianist and composer.

For more than two decades, Christopher Luna has collaborated with musicians including Jason Levis (Heftpistole Chamber Ensemble, Joseph’s Bones), Rob Ewing (Disappear Incompletely), Tyler Burba, Matt Meighan, Totter, Liquid Logic, Steven Taylor (the Fugs, Allen Ginsberg), and local favorites Rich and Carson Halley, Eric Padget (Future Fridays, Sigourney Reverb, Orkestar Zirconium), Julio Appling (Trio Flux, the Student Loan), Five Guys Playing Jazz, Beth Karp, Lincoln’s Beard, headshapes, and Aram Arslanian. He has appeared on recordings by Pimpcore and Dystopia One. “Steve Buscemi,” an ode to actor and director that Luna recorded with Dystopia One, appeared on Dr. Demento and Vin Scelsa’s “Idiot’s Delight.” More Recently, Luna has appeared on the air on KBOO FM’s Talking Earth (hosted by Walt Curtis and Barbara LaMorticella) and Radio Lost and Found (hosted by Rich Lindsay).

Before being named the first Poet Laureate of Clark County, Niche and Angst Gallery owner Leah Jackson named Christopher Luna, the poet laureate of those two venues. Luna is the co-founder, with Toni Partington, of Printed Matter Vancouver, whose books include Ghost Town Poetry, an anthology of poems from the popular Vancouver, WA open mic reading he founded in 2004, and Serenity in the Brutal Garden, the debut collection by Vancouver poet Jenney Pauer. His books include GHOST TOWN, USA and The Flame Is Ours: The Letters of Stan Brakhage and Michael McClure 1961-1978, an important piece of film and literary history that Luna edited at Brakhage’s request, available on Michael Rothenberg’s Big Bridge.org. Recent publications include Bombay Gin, Unshod Quills, The Understanding Between Foxes and Light, Chiron Review, and Soundings Review.

Musicians who are interested in collaborating with Christopher Luna at an upcoming event are asked to contact him at christopherjluna@gmail.com

http://nichewinebar.com/

http://christopherluna-poetry.blogspot.com

http://www.printedmattervancouver.com

http://www.clarkcountyartscommission.org/Poet_Laureate.html

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Joyce Colson March 13

February 22, 2014

GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC

Hosted By Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna

And Printed Matter Vancouver publisher Toni Partington

7pm

March 13, 2014

Cover to Cover Books

6300 NE St. James Rd., Suite 104B (St. James & Minnehaha)

Vancouver, WA 98663

LGBTQ-friendly, all ages, and uncensored since 2004

Featuring Joyce Colson:

Joyce Fiona Colson was born in 1948 and has spent most of her life writing. She started writing at age 12 and hasn’t stopped since. She writes mostly poetry, short stories and satire, although she has also written non-fiction, four novels and one radio play. Joyce owns her own publishing company, Eclectic Publishing, and is otherwise semi-retired.

Joyce Colson’s poetry is featured in Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two, and anthology of poems from the Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic published in January by Printed Matter Vancouver. Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two is available locally at Cover to Cover Books: mail@covertocoverbooks.net.

The book can also be ordered through CreateSpace (https://www.createspace.com/4559411) and Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Town-Poetry-Volume-Two/dp/0615938892/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390333629&sr=8-1&keywords=ghost+town+poetry+volume+two).

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Gwendolyn Morgan and the Book Release Party for Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two at Cover to Cover Books in Vancouver, WA February 13, 2014

January 12, 2014

GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC

Hosted By Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna

And Printed Matter Vancouver publisher Toni Partington

7pm

February 13, 2014

Cover to Cover Books

6300 NE St. James Rd., Suite 104B (St. James & Minnehaha)

Vancouver, WA 98663

LGBTQ-friendly, all ages, and uncensored since 2004

printedmattervancouver.com

Photo by Kim Salgado

Winner of the 2013 Wild Earth Poetry Prize, Gwendolyn Morgan’s first collection, Crow Feathers, Red Ochre, Green Tea ($14), offers richly textured poetic renderings of natural landscapes and emotional nuances in response to those landscapes. She weaves concerns for global warming, social inequities, and health care together with images of birds, plants, animals, breath, evoking our interconnectedness with all sentient beings and the spiritual universe. There is in these poems a deep sense of care for and rootedness in the natural world. Gwendolyn Morgan learned the names of birds and wildflowers and inherited paint brushes and boxes from her grandmothers. With a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Goddard College, and a M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary, she has been a recipient of writing residencies at Artsmith, Caldera and Soapstone. Morgan’s poems appear in Calyx, Dakotah, Kalliope, Kinesis, Manzanita Quarterly, Mudfish, Tributaries: a Journal of Nature Writing, VoiceCatcher, Written River among other anthologies and literary journals. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society for Community Ministries and is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. She serves as the manager of interfaith Spiritual Care at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. Gwendolyn and Judy A. Rose, her partner, share their home with Abbey Skye, a rescued Pembroke Corgi. Judy, who is a musician, will be offering Native American flute during the reading. For more information: http://hiraethpress.com/crow-feathers-red-ochre-green-tea-now-available/

Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two commemorates ten years of open mic poetry in Vancouver, WA. Christopher Luna founded the popular Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic reading series at Ice Cream Renaissance in November 2004. In 2007 the series moved to Cover to Cover Books, and Toni Partington joined Luna as a co-host. In 2011 Luna and Partington co-founded Printed Matter Vancouver, an editing service and small press which previously published Ghost Town Poetry, which includes poets from the first six years of the series, and Serenity in the Brutal Garden, the debut collection by Vancouver poet Jenney Pauer. Like its namesake, Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two is “all ages and uncensored.” The anthology includes poems from the following local and national authors, each of whom has read at the Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic: Judith Arcana, Elizabeth Archers, Lana Ayers, Melinda Bell, Kristin Berger, April Bullard, Tiffany Burba-Schramm, Sheryl Clough, Ed Coletti, Joyce Colson, Brittney Corrigan, Michael Daley, Eileen Davis Elliott, Kathleen Flenniken, Daniel Gilchrist, Rob Gourley, Johnna Gurgel, Miles Hewitt, David Hill, Rainy Knight, Christi Krug, Jake Loranger, Lori Loranger, Zoe Loranger, Jack Lorts, Peter Ludwin, Christopher Luna, M, David Madgalene, Dryas Martin, Jim Martin, Doug Marx, David Matthews, Dennis McBride, Jack McCarthy, Mike G, A. Molotkov, Russell Monroe, Angeline Nguyen, Maggie O’Mara, Toni Partington, Jenney Pauer, Jennifer Pratt-Walter, Sidra Grace Quinn, Dan Raphael, Carlos Reyes, Kristin Roedell, Michael Rothenberg, Ralph Salisbury, Katharine Salzmann, Raul Sanchez, Mary Slocum, Gerald Donnelly Smith, Leah Stenson, Meredith Stewart, George Thomas, Nathan Tompkins, Grace Valentine, Ric Vrana, Julene Weaver, Ingrid Wendt, Steve Williams, John Sibley Williams, Sally Wong, Carolyne Wright, and Louise Wynn.

The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images at Angst Gallery April 2013

May 14, 2013

Toni Partington and I would like to thank everyone who participated in or supported The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images, our first art show as curators. We are especially grateful to Angst Gallery Director Leah Jackson for entrusting the space to us for National Poetry Month. We encourage the community to send any photos they may have taken of the event so that we can add them to this page or the Facebook photo album:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4790349569206.1073741826.1609878790&type=3 . In addition, if any of the writers whose work is featured in the show would like for us to post their pieces here, please send them to christopherjluna@gmail.com.

The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images at Angst Gallery

Work by Olinka Broadfoot, Jolyn Wolfe, Toni Partington, Jim Martin, and DaBat

Work by Olinka Broadfoot, Jolyn Wolfe, Toni Partington, and Jim Martin

Work by Jolyn Wolfe, Toni Partington, and Jim Martin

Here is the announcement for the show:

The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images

April 5-30 2013

Angst Gallery, Vancouver, WA

1015 Main Street

Curated by Christopher Luna and Toni Partington

Sponsored by Leah Jackson and Printed Matter Vancouver

Opening Reception: 5-9 pm April 5, Angst Gallery

Poetry Reading: 6pm April 27, Niche Wine and Art Bar

Many creative people work in more than one medium. The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images aims to present the unique impact of language and image when melded together in visual art. This will take the form of photographs, painting, sculpture, and mixed media. Some of the work will be inspired by poetry, while other pieces will be visual art that includes text. The show will also include poetry that is presented in a particularly visual way, or is inspired by art. While many of the pieces in the show are the result of collaborations between artists and writers, many of our contributors will be utilizing both language and visual art. The majority of the artists live in Vancouver; however, we will also feature work from artists and writers from Yakima, WA and Portland, OR.

The show will also feature two poetry readings: throughout the evening of First Friday’s opening reception on April 5, and at Niche Wine and Art Bar (1013 Main Street) on Saturday, April 27. The reading on April 27 will also feature live music and a Q&A with the artists and writers.

The artists and writers who are featured in this show include: Anni Becker, Greg Bee, Olinka Broadfoot, April Bullard, DaBat, Erin Dengerink, Eileen Davis Elliott, John Furniss, Jeremy Gaulke, Leah Jackson, Kelly Keigwin, Christopher Luna, Jim Martin, Toni Partington, Jenney Pauer, Michael Smith, Michele Venclik, and Jolyn Wolfe.

Poets Christopher Luna and Toni Partington are the co-hosts of the popular Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic and co-founders of Printed Matter Vancouver, a local small press and editing service. Their visual art has appeared in Angst Gallery, North Bank Artists Gallery, Gallery 360, Art in the Heart, Multnomah Arts Center, and the Vancouver Community Library.

Visual artist Leah Jackson is the owner of Angst Gallery and Niche Wine and Art Bar.

http://www.angstgallery.com

http://www.printedmattervancouver.com

Work by Jim Martin

Work by DaBat

Art by Kelly Keigwin, text by Jenney Pauer

Work by DaBat, Kelly Keigwin and Jenney Pauer

Here is our curator’s statement, which was posted in the gallery:

We are very fortunate to be a part of Vancouver’s growing, vibrant arts community. One of the qualities we have noticed about this particular community is that many people work in more than one medium. The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images aims to convey the unique impact that language and image have when presented together in visual art.

The show includes photographs, painting, sculpture, and mixed media. Some of the work is inspired by poetry, while other pieces are visual art that incorporates text in some way. Some pieces feature poetry that is presented in a particularly visual way, or is inspired by art. While many of the pieces in the show are the result of collaborations between artists and writers, many of our contributors utilize both text and visual art.

The essence of combining poetic language with visual image is meant to challenge the brain of the viewer/reader. The brain processes language and visual images differently. The work in this show asks you to integrate the two and by doing so, make them come alive. It is our intentional to provide you with an opportunity that allows you to experience the work emotionally and cognitively at nearly the same time.

The majority of the artists who have contributed to this show live in Vancouver, WA; however, the show also features work from artists and writers from Yakima, WA and Portland, OR. Angst Gallery owner Leah Jackson has been a great supporter of art, poetry, and music in downtown Vancouver for many years, and has supported us as we have evolved as poets, visual artists, and community organizers. Therefore, her gallery is the perfect location for such a show.

Christopher Luna and Toni Partington
Writers/Artists
Editors and Publishers, Printed Matter Vancouver

Art by Erin Dengerink and Christopher Luna, poem by Christopher Luna

Christopher Luna poses in front of his collaboration with Erin Dengerink

Here is the text of the poem that formed the basis of the work seen above:

The Tarot Facilitates a Long-Overdue Goodbye

by Christopher Luna, March 2008

three become one

envision bounty

loose robes fall

among grapes, squash, tomato

there are oranges behind you

and a volcano

connects your genitalia

dig in

and don’t tell me

who my elders ought to be

outdated though my ways may be

they still have potential to bring peace to the valley

rove naked

bang on the wall

between you

and the other half

you are already there

upside down, The Butterfly Queen

disappears into the clouds

you will remember neither

the pattern of her garment

nor the curl of her hair

II.

Bend eternally. Raise a sword. Accept the tongue of the lion you once were. It’s alright to dream of the butterfly you may become. Heart open. Head aflame. The avenging angel spreads its hands, sending six rays of light which pierce the soldiers’ armor. And the hills run red with blood. Raise the glasses you were given. Celebrate the bounty assembled before your feet. Tired—nay, exhausted.

After completion

begin again.

Michael Smith’s drawing based on Christopher Luna’s “pavement pastoral”

Art and poetry by Eileen Elliott

Art and poetry by April Bullard

“River God” by April Bullard

Work by Jolyn Wolfe, Greg Bee, Olinka Broadfoot, Michele Venclik, Kelly Keigwin,

Christopher Luna, Toni Partington, and Eileen Elliott

Work by Greg Bee

Art by Jolyn Wolfe, poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelly

Bust of Christopher Luna by Olinka Broadfoot, bird sculpture by Toni Partington

Work by Michele Venclik, Kelly Keigwin, Eileen Elliott, Toni Partington, Christopher Luna and Jeremy Gaulke,

Leah Jackson, Anni Becker and John Furniss, and Toni Partington

Work by Michele Venclik and Kelly Keigwin

Art and text by Michele Venclik

Work by Michele Venclik, Kelly Keigwin, and Eileen Elliott

Work by Michele Venclik and Kelly Keigwin

Poetry and fabric art by Eileen Elliott

Art by Anni Becker and John Furniss

“What I Tried to Say” by Leah Jackson

Jeremy Gaulke’s illustration of Christopher Luna’s poem “full text hallucination 102”

“Into the Muir Woods” by Toni Partington

Christopher Luna’s sketch of poet Dan Raphael in action

and “Into the Muir Woods” by Toni Partington

Sculpture by Toni Partington, based on and featuring text from her poem “Implication”

Work by Olinka Broadfoot, Christopher Luna, Toni Partington, Jolyn Wolfe, Jim Martin, and DaBat

I was very moved by the enormous work that Olinka Broadfoot created that was inspired by my poem “sometimes the latticework of the veil”:

Christopher Luna poses next to Olinka Broadfoot’s work based on “sometimes the latticework of the veil”

sometimes the latticework of the veil

is so perfectly constructed

that it has the appearance of reality

flesh and blood, rather than

a sorry excuse for truth

pastiche of fortune cookie wisdom

ad copy & lines from old movies

stand in for the darkness

which is not evil after all

but the residue of a broken heart

throbbing, sweating

flooding blood-soaked tears

in a melodramatic gush

not to be contained by the

gauzy barrier of our skin

eventually

all

is revealed

are

hopelessly

(beautifully)

human

after all

On April 27, some of the artists and writers who participated in the show held a poetry reading at Niche Wine and Art Bar. Here is the announcement for that event, followed by some photos from that night:

6pm

Saturday, April 27

Niche Wine and Art Bar

1013 Main Street

Vancouver, WA

A Poetry Reading and Q&A

With artists and writers from

The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images

An art exhibit at Angst Gallery (1015 Main)

Curated by Christopher Luna and Toni Partington

Music by Five Guys Playing Jazz

Exhibit closes Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sponsored by Leah Jackson and Printed Matter Vancouver

Join us for a reading and Q&A at Niche Wine and Art Bar featuring some of the writers and artists featured in The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images, an exhibit curated by Printed Matter Vancouver founders Toni Partington and Christopher Luna to commemorate National Poetry Month. Confirmed to be in attendance as of this writing: Christopher Luna, Jim Martin, Jenney Pauer, Toni Partington, and Michele Venclik.

Saturday night’s event will be dedicated to our friend Greg Bee, who assists Leah Jackson in numerous ways, has work in the show, and is currently in the ICU. Because flowers are not allowed in the ICU, Leah has set up a station where people can create flowers to be taken to Greg. This will be available until closing time on Saturday. Here is more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/182822975204920/

The artists and writers who are featured in this show include: Anni Becker, Greg Bee, Olinka Broadfoot, April Bullard, DaBat, Erin Dengerink, Eileen Davis Elliott, Jeremy Gaulke, Leah Jackson, Kelly Keigwin, Christopher Luna, Jim Martin, Toni Partington, Jenney Pauer, Michael Smith, Michele Venclik, and Jolyn Wolfe.

Christopher Luna reads at Niche Wine and Art Bar on April 27, 2013

DaBat reads his poetry at Niche Wine and Art Bar on April 27, 2013

Jim Martin reads his poetry at Niche on April 27, 2013

Toni Partington reads her poetry at Niche on April 27, 2013

We are also very grateful to Jenney Pauer for reading from her work that evening, and to Leah Jackson, Erin Dengerink, and Michele Venclik for attending the reading. Finally, Toni and Christopher would like to say a big thank you to Leah Jackson for her leadership, and for all that she does for the arts in Vancouver. Thank you for trusting us to curate a show at your gallery, and for supporting our work.

Artist, Angst Gallery Director, and Niche Proprietor Leah Jackson with artists Heidi Morkert and Erin Dengerink

at Niche April 27, 2013

Announcing a Call for Submissions: GHOST TOWN POETRY VOLUME TWO

February 3, 2013

PRINTED MATTER VANCOUVER

Toni Partington & Christopher Luna, Editors

Photo by Julian Nelson

Call For Submissions

Printed Matter Vancouver is proud to announce the submission period for Ghost Town Poetry, Volume 2, a poetry anthology to be released in January 2014. 2014 marks the ten-year anniversary of the popular open mic reading series, hosted by Christopher Luna and Toni Partington and founded by Luna. Ghost Town Poetry takes place on the second Thursday of the month at Cover to Cover Books (6300 NE St. James, Suite 104B) in Vancouver, WA. For more information on the bookstore, go to: http://covertocoverbooks.net

We look forward to reading your work.

Submission Guidelines:

The Stuff You Need To Know:

Poems will be accepted beginning April 1, 2013 through May 12, 2013 at 11:59pm, Pacific Standard Time.

To be considered for the anthology you will have read your work at the poetry series held the second Thursday of each month at Cover To Cover Books in Vancouver, WA prior to the submission deadline of May 12, 2013.

Submissions will be accepted via email only.

Submit a maximum of two (2) poems. Previously published poems may be accepted subject to the discretion of the editors. Indicate the publication name, date, poem title, and publication rights in the body of the submission email.

If one of your poems is accepted for publication, the editors may have suggestions for edits or format changes to prepare the work for publication. Whenever possible the editors will work with the author to review suggested changes. Authors will have the final decision on the edits. The editors are unable to guarantee publication of your work if they feel the edits are necessary and the author disapproves of the changes.

Authors whose work appears in the anthology will receive one copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for purchase. Printed Matter Vancouver retains first rights to pieces published in the collection. From there, rights revert back to the authors.

Authors agree to have their work appear online at printedmattervancouver.com

Poem Format:

Poem(s) must be in Times New Roman, 12-point font with one-inch margins.
Include your name, address, phone, and email at the top left of each page.
Include the poem’s title below your contact information.
Poems should be single-spaced with one space between stanzas.
Poems should not exceed 2 pages.
Poems should be saved as a Microsoft Word Document.
Save each poem as a separate document (last name+poem title).

What To Email:

Type “Printed Matter Submission” in the subject line of the Email.
Include in the body of the Email:
- The title(s) of your poem(s).
- Contact information: name, address, email, and phone (home and cell).
- For previously published poems, indicate the publication name, date, poem title, and whether you own the publication rights.
- Include each poem(s) as a separate attachment.
- Include all attachments in one email.

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS BEGINNING APRIL 1, 2013 TO: printedmattervancouver@gmail.com

CELEBRATE SIX YEARS OF GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC AT COVER TO COVER BOOKS with Miles of Pies author Eileen Elliott and songwriter Matt Meighan

January 5, 2013

Printed Matter Vancouver would like to thank the following businesses and individuals for making 2012 another great year for poetry in the ‘Couve: The Catalyst, Everybody’s Music, Leah Jackson (Angst Gallery and Niche Wine and Art Bar), Mint Tea, Moe’s, One World Merchants, Pop Culture, and Urban Eccentric.

We would also like to thank the featured readers and musicians who shared their work with our community in 2012: Jennifer Pratt-Walter, Bret Jorgensen, Lincoln’s Beard, John Sibley Williams, John Burgess, Raul Sanchez, Jenney Pauer, David Matthews, Leah Stenson, Patrick Bocarde, Melissa Sillitoe, A. Molotkov, Ragon Linde, Julene Tripp Weaver, Kristin Roedell, Traci Schatz, Ric Vrana, Jane Ormerod of great weather for MEDIA, Gina Williams, Dan Raphael, Richard Loranger, and Mary Slocum.

In addition, we owe a debt of gratitude to the many poets who have moved and entertained us at the open mic—without your continued participation and support, we would have nothing to celebrate.

Finally, our thanks to Mel Sanders for staying open late once a month and for her undying commitment to local writers.

Bios:

Eileen Davis Elliott works as a poet and visual artist after retiring from a career in mental health and education. She has consistently focused on themes of struggle and redemption of the human spirit in whatever state it finds itself; trying to find personal meaning or while interacting with other souls. She has two books of poetry: Prodigal Cowgirl and the newly released Miles of Pies. Her most current writings have focused on how autism affects families. She is also doing a series of prose poems about life in Mexico, for a chapbook with the draft title Pobrecitos. Her art quilts tell stories about the people who receive them and she hopes they give warmth and comfort. She also likes to feed people and have long, lingering conversations while the dirty dishes wait for later.

“Though the way ahead never did get clear, I guess we made it after all” sings Portland songwriter Matt Meighan, and the experience of miles traveled is easy to hear in his music. Drawing on his years as an activist, journalist, parent and poet, Matt writes tradition-steeped, thought-provoking songs that are at turns personal, political, poignant and funny, infused with a philosophical bent and an audible love of language.

A song collector as well as writer, Matt mixes his originals with songs by fellow songwriters as well as older songs from the folk and blues traditions. His commitments to good writing and “truth-telling” are clear in the songs he chooses and the songs he writes, many of which are performed by other songwriters. He is currently recording his second CD, Long Way ‘Round.

Matt’s engaging, relaxed performance style and fingerstyle acoustic guitar make him an ideal performer for house concerts and similar listening venues. He also performs as a duo, with Sherry Pendarvis on upright bass, and adds a fiddle or mandolin player to perform as a trio.

After earning an MFA in poetry at the Jack Keruoac school of Disembodied Poetics (Naropa University) in Boulder, Colorado, Matt turned his hand to songwriting and became a signifcant part of the Boulder acoustic music scene, organizing monthly songwriter gatherings and hosting numerous songwriter showcases. In 2003 moved to Portland, where he performs regularly, teaches a popular “Songwriting as Truth Telling” class, and hosts the weekly Songwriter Roundup show at Artichoke Music.

Matt began playing songs while still in high school in Chicago in the 1960s. His musical education began at the Old Town School of Folk Music and haunting the blues and jazz clubs of 1960s Chicago. He has since traveled the world with his music, performing in venues and on street corners across the U.S., Australia and Italy, and has regularly brought his songs to the pubs of Ireland over the last 20 years. He and his wife Nancy met at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville Texas, which they attend every year. Since moving to Portland Matt has become both a popular performer and an ardent supporter of the Portland-area acoustic music community.

Printed Matter Vancouver Nominates Jenney Pauer for the 2012 Pushcart Prize

November 27, 2012

Pushcart Nominee Jenney Pauer

Photo by Anni Becker

Printed Matter Vancouver is proud to nominate the following poems from Jenney Pauer’s debut collection, Serenity in the Brutal Garden (ISBN-10: 1470132591; ISBN-13: 978-1470132590), for the 2012 Pushcart Prize: “Ruben” (p. 5); “A White Bed Sheet” (p. 8); “Dreamer” (p. 34); “What You Meant By It” (p. 37); “Chairs” (p. 43); and “Mrs. Donahue” (p. 46)

When we founded the press, Jenney Pauer was at the top of the list of authors who we considered publishing. Since arriving in Vancouver, Jenney has touched the hearts of many in the community with her powerful command of the craft, and astounded us with her breathtaking spoken word performances. Jenney Pauer is a Vancouver treasure, a gracious and humble master of the art of poetry. We are honored to have been able to present the public with her debut.

If you do not yet have a copy of Serenity in the Brutal Garden, please contact Printed Matter Vancouver or visit Cover to Cover Books (http://covertocoverbooks.net) or Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Brutal-Garden-Poetry-Jenney/dp/1470132591/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354085384&sr=8-1&keywords=Jenney+Pauer

For more information on the Pushcart Prize, go to: http://www.pushcartprize.com/

Christopher Luna

Toni Partington

Co-Editors

Printed Matter Vancouver

we write because we must

Tag: Printed Matter Vancouver

Printed Matter Vancouver Publisher Christopher Luna’s Creative Writing Class Schedule for Winter 2015

Flight of the Drones, a Short Story by Jack Loranger

[POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER] Celebrate a Decade of Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic with Christopher Luna, Toni Partington, and Featured Reader Peggy Barnett On Saturday, November 22, 2014

March Music Moderne Presents Ghost Town Poetry and Jazz with Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna and musicians Julio Appling, Rich Halley, Eric Padget, and Jim Templeton at Niche Wine and Art Bar in Vancouver, WA March 22, 2014

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Joyce Colson March 13

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Gwendolyn Morgan and the Book Release Party for Ghost Town Poetry Volume Two at Cover to Cover Books in Vancouver, WA February 13, 2014

The Marriage of Poetic Words and Images at Angst Gallery April 2013

Announcing a Call for Submissions: GHOST TOWN POETRY VOLUME TWO

CELEBRATE SIX YEARS OF GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC AT COVER TO COVER BOOKS with Miles of Pies author Eileen Elliott and songwriter Matt Meighan

Printed Matter Vancouver Nominates Jenney Pauer for the 2012 Pushcart Prize