A Message from Alla V, Hostess of Blend

Hi Everyone:

Just wanted to remind you that the next ""BLEND" event is on Thursday June 4th at Blue Banana Located on 223 South Street. (Start time for performance is 7:30PM) If you have not yet come out to this series, please come out this time. We will be featuring Tamara Oakman and Nate Graham. They are both amazing! If you have any questions please let me know. If you have come to this event before, please come again! Your support is greatly appreciated. There will be an open mic as well so if you would like to read let me know. The more diversity of voices we have, the better!

Alla V

Frank Walsh's Summer Poetry Workshop

THE ANGEL OF EXPERIENCE, THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE: REDISCOVERING THE PUBLIC ART OF AMERICAN POETRY IN THE PRIVATE HEART OF THE INDIVIDUAL WRITER.

Each workshop begins with at least a 15 min. non-secular Buddhist Samantha- Vipassana meditation session with the object of calming the mind and body and building mental concentration, lessening distraction, to better serve the student in their pursuit of writing and poetry in particular. Cushions to be supplied by workshop participants.

Also Shamanistic techniques and body “work”-- Chi-gong, yoga, spontaneous vaudeville dance routines, etc.-- will be employed if agreed upon by the workshop participants.

1. Poem as portal, entry, into the deep present, whereas the significant past is seen as “texture” supra-imposed by which individual emotions and intellect gain “traction”.
(a). Memory and perception are identified.
(b). Other art forms such as painting, music, and sculpture will be observed to reinforce this.
Exercise: Familiarity with every America literary movement of the last hundred years, such as Imagism, Post- Apocryphal, Objectivism, Black Mountain School, Beat, Amodernism, etc. will be lightly cultivated through historic and contemporary examples.

2. Poetry as direct action, experience, that initiates transformation and change in the socio- economic environment, as well.
(a). Experience and experiment are related by reflection.
Exercise: “Copying” the techniques and styles above in kind. Reading aloud the result of such to an audience as a way to enhance critical abilities.

3. And “meaning” is only that that is a possible future brought into play by making sense of the poem as the poem is made. Meaning is given to the poem by the reader and/ or listener.
Exercise: Getting the feel of the senses involved in the appreciation of the creative and tuning those sensibilities.

4.The Poem as the process and pursuit of truth and beauty and resolution, focused in thought and breath, coincidentally, and “measure”, verging on the real news per se: a non-didactic, ultra- temporal, non- fictional narration accountable to the skillful extent of self expression and communication.
(a). Urban oracle and games of chance explored.
Exercise: Exploring the graphic look of the poem in print as like musical notation and in turn the banner and headline type nature of the line, stanza, overall form through which certain facts are brought to light especially as regards the relationship and function of the individual and societal milieu, especially nature with a big “N”.

5. Whereas form and parts-of-speech are “occasional” yet necessary and organic adept and ever having a body of formal and traditional reserve at hand during the critical point of composition and “making”.
Exercise: The student will consider and in part accomplish various occasional pieces, such as for a wedding, a memorial, an elegy for the dead, love, and good luck in business and travel.

6. Poetry as an art form proper exists in the instant as an aural phenomenon, conditioned, ultimately by audience disposition-- triangulated in space and time by the listener on either side of its effective sufficient performance.
(a). Vowel modulation beyond mere rhyme.
(b.) Extended metaphor and metonymy beyond image become “vision”.
Exercise: Getting the drift of the American spoken language by embracing the street, and the context of parlance in social situations. Seeing past signage and outdoor advertising.

Bottom line and goals---
Public performance, action- reading, facility in the accomplishment thereof, will be emphasized.
Gaining skillful means though listening while alternately engaging with purpose in everyday speech and parlance.

June Blend

Poetic Arts Performance Project Presents:
Blend @ Blue Bananas Café
(A series featuring poetry, spoken word, and music 1st Thursdays of every month)

This month we are featuring Tamara Oakman and Nate Graham.

Blue Bananas Café is located next to the Laff House, 223 South Street, Philadelphia PA. Their website features their tasty menu as well as directions to the restaurant:
http:/www.bluebananascafe.com/

Tamara Oakman- A graduate of Temple University, has won awards in poetry, fiction, creative non fiction, and drama. She has been published by Many Mountains Moving, Philadelphia Stories, Mad Poets Review, and other journals; reads poetry and fiction everywhere in Philadelphia and the tri-state area; judged a fiction and drama contest for Hidden River Arts, and is completed her Master's thesis in English at Arcadia University; a book of poetry called "Snatched". She has hosted at venues such as; Book Corner, Robin's Bookstore and Voices and Visions Bookstore. She created The Light of Unity Festival two years running, is currently leading The Business of Words poetry workshop at The University of Pennsylvania Bookstore for Mad Poets Society, runs a chapbook called "The Business of Words," and coordinated a Fringe Festival performance at The Rotunda called Arsenic Pizza. She manages The Light of Unity Artist’s and Writer’s Series at The Central Library where she showcases the talents of new writers and musicians. Her efforts have been documented in The Metro and The City Paper. She has read poetry just about everywhere including her living room. She is the director of The Light of Unity Arts Association and currently lives and loves in Philadelphia.



Nate Graham - After 4 years in music school, Nate Graham hit the Philadelphia music scene. He performed with his former band in such Philly venues as The Electric Factory and World Café Live before releasing his debut solo album Daylight in 2007 and Trio EP in 2008. Thoughtful melodies and lyrics are staples of Graham's songs, while clever hooks leave the ear craving more. His music has been described as possessing "the ease of Elton John" and the "raw perspective of Ben Folds". Graham currently lives in NYC.



* To sign up for the open mic, or ask questions please email allavilnyanskaya@earthlink.net
* Blue Bananas Café validates parking at Abbott Square Parking Lot, 3rd & South. ($4.00 to park all night!)

Picture Recap: May 15, 2009 Arsenic Pizza Preview

Here are some pictures from the Yogasutra event, Arsenic Pizza: Left Overs (Preview). Videos will slowly be put on our Youtube page.

May 23rd, 2009: PAPP Presents!

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, May 23rd, the Poetic Arts Performance Project (PAPP) will host an evening of hip hop, song, and poetry at the University City Arts League in West Philadelphia. The event will feature Iron Solomon (an internationally known battle rapper), Yolanda Palacio Wisher (the guru behind the Germantown poetry festival), Ms. Wise (a spoken word/slam poet), La Melodia (providing warm, soulful hip hop with a raw touch), and Aquil  (who will provide hip hop interpretations). The event promises to provide a diverse, provocative assortment of entertainment that will bend ears, expand mental capacities, and reveal new beauties. You don't want to miss this!

Stop by the UCAL (4226 Spruce Street) at 7:00pm when the doors open, or 7:30pm when the show starts to understand what it means for words to move walls.

The show is all ages, and has a $7.00 to $10.00 sliding scale. Food and beverages will be provided. The show will go until 10 or 11pm.

For more information, contact PAPP's director Adam Meora directly at 267-312-7108.
Or email us: poeticartsperformanceproject@yahoo.com

Please visit the performers Myspace pages, listed below: 

Iron Solomon
Yolanda Palacio Wisher
Ms. Wise
La Melodia
Auquil

Videos from Blend at the Blue Banana

From 05-07-09:

Arsenic Pizza Preview--this Friday!

Please join us for a preview of Arsenic Pizza as the first installment of the Yoga Sutra Friday Night Art Series. This is an all ages event!

The show will take place Friday, May 15, 2009 at 8:00pm at 1401 Walnut Street (right off the orange-line subway).

Adam "Naked" Meora, Tamara Oakman, Quincy Scott Jones, St. Skribbly Lacroix and musicians will be performing. There will also be food and wine. The suggested donation is $5. It'll be a blast!

For more information: yogasutraphilly.com. Spread the word. The revolution will be reheated!

Down the Road: Light of Unity Series

Upcoming Events

The following events will be coming up in the next few months and feature many members of PAPP.

The Light of Unity Artist's and Writer's Series 2009

The Light of Unity Association bridges cultural, racial and regional backgrounds to bring the Light of Unity Artist's and Writer's Series 2009 to The Central Library. These free performances, scheduled for Tuesday evenings, showcase arts ranging from poets and essayists to musicians and even theatrical performances, in order to promote social and cultural unity in the city of Philadelphia and beyond. Over 30 wonderfully talented artists are expected to perform in this year's series. Fans of performers and poetics are encouraged to attend as artists will sell their work at the performances.

Tuesday Evenings Hosted by Quincy Scott Jones (Ask him about his new book, The T-Bone Series)

Free and Open to the Public | Refreshments will be Provided

Parkway Central Library
Skyline Room | 4th Floor
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

(Between 19th and 20th Street on the Parkway)

215-686-5322  

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 7pm

Alla Vilnyanskay
Joe Jordan
Plumdragoness
PLP the Unity

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 6pm

Arsenic Pizza: Leftovers

Naked Meora
Dan "the man" Schall
Quincy Scott Jones
Tamara G. Oakman
St. Skribbly La Croix
My Imaginary Band
Rick Szybowski

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 6pm

Ian Wolf
Prof. Jeff Ingram
Paul Siegell
Ebony Malaika Collier
Dr. Anne Kaier
The Alien Architect

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 7pm

In Celebration of Women

Eileen D' Angelo
Nzadi Keita
Mecca Jamillah Sullivan
Geraldine Drakes
Tarannum Laila
Adonaya Boyd
Tamara Oakman
Joanne Leva
Stephanie Durann
Jen Kramny
Yellow Rage

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 7pm

Mel Brake
Courtney Bambrick
Cole Eubanks
Iain Haley Pollock
Alexis Simmons
Steve Young
Vernyce Daniels
Joyce Lee Slater-Williams
Tessa Micaela
Beth Phillips-Brown

The Imaginary Band, Nathalie Felix, and Quincy Scott Jones

Some of our performer friends now have their videos uploaded. The videos are from the 25th of April.

The following are a sampling. You can go to our Youtube page to see more.

May 7th Event Information

Poetic Arts Performance Project Presents:
Blend @ Blue Bananas Café

(A new series featuring poetry, spoken word, and music 1st Thursdays of every month)

Ashraf Osman and Brian Markley
May 7th, 2009, 7:30 – 9:30 PM, $5 for entry 

Blue Bananas Café is located next to the Laff House, 223 South Street, Philadelphia PA. Their website features their tasty menu as well as directions to the restaurant:  
http:/www.bluebananascafe.com/

Ashraf Osman- Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Ashraf Osman has been living in Philadelphia since 2002 where he works as an architect. Ashraf has been engaged in online poetry since 2002: in addition to his award-winning personal poetry blog, arch.memory, Ashraf hosts a website of Philadelphia poetry links and calendars called PhillyPoetry.com. His poetry has been featured in the Mad Poets Review, Comstock Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal and Islamica magazine, and has been selected for inclusion in several anthologies including Queering Language and The Other Voices International Project.

Brian Markley is an emerging song writer and musician from South Jersey. While being classically trained on the trumpet for over twenty years, Brian has studied and explored other instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, piano, and harmonica, as well as various tribal instruments such as the didgeridoo and wooden flute. His musical journey has taken him on both American and European tours and has afforded him opportunities to work with and learn from accomplished musicians such as Frank Foster, Dennis DeBlasio, Maynard Ferguson, Nathan Davis, Toby Lightman, and other rising South Jersey artists. These experiences have inspired him to pursue a very eclectic approach to music incorporating acoustic, funk, spoken word, bluegrass, political folk, hip-hop, reggae, rock, country, blues, and of course jazz.

* To sign up for the open mic, or if you have any questions please email allavilnyanskaya@earthlink.net

* Blue Bananas Café can validate parking at Abbott Square Parking Lot, 3rd & South. ($4.00 to park all night!)

More Pictures from the Rubye's Kids Event!

A new Flickr account was created for PAPP. Here is the first example of what Flickr can really do, even at its most basic level. Expect more slideshows down the road. Also keep an eye out for videos from this weekend's event.

Pictures from the Poetry Potluck/Rubye's Kids Festival

Here are some pictures of the excitement at the Rubye's Kids Event a couple days ago. Videos will be uploaded over the course of the next two weeks.

 

More to come soon!

PAPP Event Follow-Up

Thank you to everyone who came out to the UCAL yesterday and participated as a performer or audience member. The event was wild, unexpected, and extremely satisfying. Look for videos and photos posted soon.

Updated Info for the May 25th Poetry Potluck at UCAL

As a reminder, this Saturday, April 25th, we are throwing our huge poetry event over at the University City Arts League. The address is 42nd and Spruce, so it's not exactly difficult to reach. Take the train. Take the subway. Take your car. Take your bike. There are plenty of free parking spots and bike-ready telephone poles nearby. The event starts around 5:00pm and gets done around 11:00pm. Want to know more about the event? Keep reading.

THE POETRY POTLUCK

This three-room, marathon event of artistic expression is in celebration of the last weekend of Poetry Month, featuring music, poetry, and shared food. It is also an important benefit. We are asking donations of five dollars at the door. All procedes are going to a good cause. What cause? Rubye's Kids,  an important organization that "Rubye's Kids provides charitable services which further the social, emotional, and educational welfare of underprivileged children all year long." Learn more about them at their website.

Check the schedule below for a listing of all artists and performance times. There is a high chance that surprises will occur, and last-minute changes will be made.

Second Floor Main Room

6:00-6:45

Kid Poets (interspersed) and Featured Adult Poets

Hosted by Naila/Sydney

Deejay: Adam Meora

1. Naila

2. Fatima Adamu

3. Sydney Coffin

4. Mel Brake

5. Ian Wolf

---

8:30-9:00 / 9:15

Falling From

Hosted by Adam Meora

---

9:30-?

Featured Adult Poets

Hosted by Skribbly and Ebony

1. Naked

2. Ebony Collier

3. Poorman Blackstar

4. Debrah Morkun

5. Greg Bem 

6. Jen Kramny

7. Roger Williams

8. Frank Walsh

9. Abject Reality

10. Wes Gil

11. My Imaginary Band

12. Alexis

13. Vision from Quiet Rage

14. Alien Architect

---

Second Floor Food Room (Acoustic Setup)

5:00-5:45

Dobbins Band

Hosted by Adam Meora and Roz Weiss

---
 
7:00-8:30

Adult Poets with Acoustic Backing

Hosted by Greg Bem and Alla V

Music by Jesse Schurr and John Todd

1. Charles Carr (five minutes)

2. Justin Vitello (seven minutes)

3. Mark Jones (five minutes)

4. Tamara Oakman (seven minutes)

5. John Timpane (seven minutes)

6. Jeff King (five minutes)

7. Alla V (seven minutes)

8. Dan Schall (seven minutes)

9. Jordan Gamble (five minutes)

10. Quincy Scott Jones (seven minutes)

11. Jam/Open Mic Session (until 8:30)

Other performers may include Plumdragoness and Maleka.

---

Third Floor Room

7:00-8:30

CAPA/DOBBINS POETS (one amp/one mic)

Hosted by Jen Kramny and the Capa Jazz Band

May include additional teen poets, followed by open mic

1. Jamar Hall (7:05-7:10)

2. CAPA (7:10-7:15)

3. Vernon Jordan (7:15-7:20)

4. CAPA (7:20-7:25)

5. CAPA (7:25-7:30)

6. Jamielle Ortiz (7:30-7:35)

7. Bria Green (7:35-7:40)

8. Kalilah Shoatz (7:40-7:45)

9. CAPA (7:45-7:50)

10. CAPA (7:50-7:55)

11. CAPA (7:55-8:00)

12. CAPA(8-8:05)

13. CAPA (8:05-8:10) 

14. Ashley Williams (8:10-8:15)

15. Montco Poetry Slam Team: Lindo, Sappho, Alisia 

***

Stay tuned to the site throughout the week as videos and sites are linked to each artist. Additional information will be posted here too.

East Falls Open

Arranged and hosted by our own Courtney Bambrick:

In honor of Poetry Month, we present the…

East Falls Open

~Favorite Poems Event~

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

6:30-8:00 pm

at the Falls Library

Join poets Ebony Malaika Collier, Mike Cohen, Blythe Davenport, Valerie Anderson, and Peter Baroth! Bring a favorite poem by a favorite poet – or two, you’ll have about 5 minutes to read.  

If you have an original poem you would like to share, please bring that, too!

To get involved contact

ckbambrick@gmail.com

Our open mic is a monthly event; so if you are unable to join us this month, try to catch up another time. We meet the 4th Wednesday of each month.

The Library is located on Midvale at Conrad/Warden, between Ridge and Henry Avenues. It is easily accessible from the East Falls R6 Septa station and a number of buses (including the K, R, 32, and 61).  

For more information, reach Courtney by phone at 267-240-3249 or by email at ckbambrick@gmail.com. 

Our Very Large and Exciting Upcoming Event

Poetic Arts Performance Project Presents:

An intergenerational poetry festival to benefit Rubye's Kids/University City Arts League and Poetic Arts Performance Project:

Gigantic open mic and features......contact to sign up!!!

Date:
4/25/09

Time:
5-10 pm

Cost:
$5

Place:
University Cirty Arts League
4226 Spuce st, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Happening:
Gigantic multiple space performances including poets of all ages ... kids, teens, adults ...

... with music by Alien Architect and band ... Jesse Schurr ... Forgotten Fall ... the Dobbins High School Band ... High School for the Performing Arts Jazz Band ... DJ Meora ... The Mighty Paradocs.

... featured poets include kid poets ... Frank Walsh and cohorts ... poets from Poetic Arts Performance Project ... St. Skribbly Lacroix ... Alla V ... Lynn Blue ... Adam "Naked" Meora ... Greg Bem ... Debrah Morkun ... Ebony Collier ...Ian Wolf ... Sydney Coffin ... Jen Kramny ... Tamara Oakman ... High School for the Perfoming Arts Poets ... Dobbins High School Poets ... and much more!

Reminder: this is a Pot Luck! Bring food, goodies, drinkables ... we will too.

For more information contact:
Adam Meora 267-312-7108 or adamreal2000@yaoo.com

Upcoming Blend Event!

May 7th will be the first Thursday in May and thus will be the evening of the Blend event series over at Blue Banana on South Street.

There are two amazing performers that evening (as well as the usual, solid open mic), Ashraf Osman and Brian Markley.

Ashraf Osman: Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Ashraf Osman has been living in Philadelphia since 2002 where he works as an architect. Ashraf has been engaged in online poetry since 2002: in addition to his award-winning personal poetry blog, arch.memory, Ashraf hosts a website of Philadelphia poetry links and calendars called PhillyPoetry.com. His poetry has been featured in the Mad Poets Review, Comstock Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal and Islamica magazine, and has been selected for inclusion in several anthologies including Queering Language and The Other Voices International Project.

Brian Markley is an emerging song writer and musician from South Jersey. While being classically trained on the trumpet for over twenty years, Brian has studied and explored other instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, piano, and harmonica, as well as various tribal instruments such as the didgeridoo and wooden flute. His musical journey has taken him on both American and European tours and has afforded him opportunities to work with and learn from accomplished musicians such as Frank Foster, Dennis DeBlasio, Maynard Ferguson, Nathan Davis, Toby Lightman, and other rising South Jersey artists. These experiences have inspired him to pursue a very eclectic approach to music incorporating acoustic, funk, spoken word, bluegrass, political folk, hip-hop, reggae, rock, country, blues, and of course jazz.

Proud of his roots, Brian is the leader of the Pineland Medicine Band. Centered in a melting pot of musical genres, the Medicine Band reflects the sounds from Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and D.C., and is the essence of the South Jersey music scene.

Click here to go to our page of recordings from the previous Blend event.

Videos Being Uploaded and Issues Uploading Videos

Good evening folks!

I see that some people are watching the videos, which is a great thing. Keep it up! Show us you love us! New content is added daily. Well, almost-daily. Lately Youtube, and the greater Internet of greater Philadelphia has been going only semi-okay. But with patience, the good videos from the past event from last Thursday (Blend featuring Trapeta B. Mayson, at the Blue Banana) will all be up. In case you haven't been able to see them just yet, watch this one right here:

To see more videos from the Blend event, just click here to go to the Blend playlist page. That reminds me--now that there are so many videos being "archived" through a video hosting service like Youtube, it's important that PAPP stays organized. One way that I will be attempting this organization is through the playlist option, which basically lets anyone who goes onto the PAPP Youtube page (click here to access the main page) click on the playlists button and see folders where different types of videos can be found. I'm arranging all the folders into different events, and so far it seems to be working.

Also, I do not hesitate to record videos at the open-mics that we host, which has its ups and downs. If you do not want a video of you remaining on this wonderfully public thing we call the Internet, just pop me an email and I'll remove it, no questions asked.

In any case, we are always looking for better-quality equipment, so if you or someone you know has and wants to operate a video camera that can operate especially-well under lighting conditions the my camera finds horrible, please email us! Also, send us any comments or questions you might have.

Thanks,

Gregory Bem

Flatterers of Dionysus

Gabriella B. C., one of the Performance Project's newest members, is acting in this show! Please support her, and everyone else involved!

This Thursday!

Poetic Arts Performance Project Presents:
Blend @ Blue Bananas Café
(A new series featuring poetry, spoken word, and music 1st Thursdays of every month)

Featuring: Trapeta B. Mayson and Monnette Sudler

April 2nd, 2009, 7:30 – 9:30 PM, $5 for entry

Blue Bananas Café is located next to the Laff House, 223 South Street, Philadelphia PA. Their website features their tasty menu as well as directions to the restaurant:
http:/www.bluebananascafe.com/

TRAPETA B. MAYSON is a poet, social worker, and workshop leader living in Germantown. Trapeta works extensively with youth locally and nationally conducting poetry and creative writing workshops. She has also worked with the Art Sanctuary and Painted Bride for a number of years. Trapeta has received numerous literary and publication honors including a Pew Fellowship, a Leeway Transformation Award, and a PA Council on the Arts fellowship.

MONNETTE SUDLER, a dynamite guitarist, writer, composer, and arranger, has played with many all-time jazz greats, such as Hugh Masekela, Philly Joe Jones, Grover Washington, Jr., Byard Lancaster, Sounds of Liberation and Kenny Baron, as well as hot new artists like bassist Gerald Veasely. Europe, Japan, South Africa, Jamaica and the United States have welcomed jazz guitarist Monnette Sudler with her original music and unique arrangements. Ms. Sudler has her degree from Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music. Her background covers composition, music therapy and performance. Monnette Sudler conducts guitar workshops, private instruction, workshops on creative development and composition. More information can be found at MonnetteSudlerMusic.com.

* To sign up for the open mic, or if you have any questions please email allavilnyanskaya@earthlink.net
* Blue Bananas Café can validate parking at Abbott Square Parking Lot, 3rd & South. ($4.00 to park all night!)