Woodstock Poetry Society
Featured Reading and Open Mike
Saturday, September 14th, 2024 at 1pm (special time)
Woodstock Library

HYBRID: in-person and virtually via Zoom

Christopher Heffernan
Jerrice J. Baptiste

Poets Christopher Heffernan and Jerrice J. Baptiste will be the featured readers, along with an open mike when the Woodstock Poetry Society when the Woodstock Poetry Society meets in person and streamed via Zoom on Saturday, September 14th, 2024 at 1pm(eastern)(special time).

WPS meetings are held the 2nd Saturday (usually at 2pm) of every month.

Woodstock Library
5 Library Lane, Woodstock, NY 12498
(845)679-2213
www.woodstock.org

The Zoom app can be downloaded here: Zoom Download Center

To attend: contact phillip@woodstockpoetry.com to receive Zoom info
If attending, please indicate if you would like to be on the open mike. Thank you.

The reading will be hosted by poet Phillip X Levine. All meetings are free, open to the public, and include an open mike.

*
Features:

Christopher Heffernan - Christopher Heffernan was born in the Hudson Valley and traveled throughout the country having spent much time living in New Orleans and the Northeast. He has had poetry and fiction published in magazines and journals around the United States such as The Believer, The Writer’s Journal, Pacific Coast Journal, Cottonwood, Louisiana Literature, the Sierra Nevada Review, 34th Parallel, the Madison Review, Whisky Island, the South Dakota Review and the Cape Cod Poetry Review, as well as others. He has two books of poetry, Rag Water, published by Fly By Night Press, and most recently (laughter) published by Fomite Press. He lives and works in New York.



It Holds This Going From Across The Hall

the way he’s angry
without cause
when she puts on
a new pair of pants,
as he shakes his pack
of cigarettes to feel
how many are left—
a pigeon wing cut from
the still bleeding bird—
a falling whistle
trying to keep the tune—
they share an orange
while a bee bangs on
the glass of the window
on the door—there’s a
bit of sleep in there
too—guitar strings
hold up her last
marionette thoughts of
the day when her heart
was beating through
her breasts as a small raccoon
waiting for night—a furry
thief he’ll shoo from
the trash

-Christopher Heffernan

*

Jerrice J. Baptiste - Jerrice J. Baptiste is a poet born in Haiti. She has educated different ages through her seven multicultural children’s books and also her full-length poetry book Wintry Mix. As an author she has presented her books in hundreds of public & private schools and various other venues. Her new poetry book is titled Coral in The Diaspora published by Abode Press on August 1st 2024.

Jerrice is also the founder of Authentic Poetry workshops in The Hudson Valley, NY for the past 20 years. The Poet-in- Residence in Prattsville, NY for the past three years. She’s also been a returning teaching artist/poet at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.

A recipient of a Grant from Poets & Writers for April 2024 for Hunter, NY; a CREATE Grant recipient for poetry performance & teaching in Prattsville, NY in 2022, and of a residency for the Women’s Leadership Program at The Omega Institute in 2019.

She’s a Pushcart Prize nominee for 2024 and also a Best of The Net nominee by Blue Stem of Eastern Illinois University for 2022. This year, she’s one of the three judges for The Michael Perkins Poetry Prize for 2024.

Jerrice has been the featured poet on Planet Poet: Words in Space in Roxbury, NY, The Woodstock Poetry Society, and The International Women’s Writing Guild.

Her poetry has been published and forthcoming in Urthona: Buddhism & Art, Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & The Arts, Artemis Journal, The Yale Review, Mantis, Poetica Review, The Minetta Review, The Banyan Review, Kosmos Journal, The Caribbean Writer, Big Wing Review, Chronogram & hundreds of others.

Jerrice enjoys doing humanitarian work for others in Haiti. Her poetry and collaborative songwriting are featured on the Grammy nominated album, Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti.



Pomegranates

Inching out on a limb, my best friend plucks
and tosses pomegranates from branches. My black
skirt becomes a cloth basket. I run to catch each fruit.
Basket full, I wait under the tree for her descent.

We break flesh with hands,
Suck on red ruby seeds.

-Jerrice J. Baptiste
From Coral in The Diaspora (Abode Press, 2024)

*

WPS 2024 Schedule - now in-person at the Woodstock Library and via Zoom
All WPS Events: Events

01/January 13th - Patrick Hammer, Jr.; Robert Langdon
02/February 10th - Lissa Kiernan; Mary K O'Melveny
03/March 9th - Ethan Sirotko; Janet Kaplan
04/April 13th - Poetry Month Special Event ("Unbroken Circle")
05/May 11th - Roger Mitchell; Steve Clorfeine
06/June 8th - Barry Wallenstein; Richard Levine
07/July 13th - Karen Schoemer; Martin Steingesser
08/August 10th - Craig Hancock; Marnie Andrews
09/September 14th - Christopher Heffernan; Jerrice J. Baptiste
10/October 12th - Joann Deiudicibus; Thomas Festa
11/November 9th - Judy Lechner; Teresa Costa
12/December 14th - H.R. Webster; Ken Holland and Annual Business Meeting

Also, why not become a 2024 Member of the Woodstock Poetry Society?

Membership is $20 a year. (To join, send your check to the Woodstock Poetry Society, P.O. Box 531, Woodstock, NY 12498. Include your email address as well as your mailing address and phone number. Or join online at: www.woodstockpoetry.com/become.html). Your membership helps pay for meeting space rental, post-office-box rental, the WPS website, and costs associated with publicizing the monthly events. One benefit of membership is the opportunity to have a brief biography and several of your poems appear on this website.

(click here to close this window)