POEtry Contest winners recognized at Open Mic events

George Batrouny was the first to read his poems at the Teen and Adult POEtry Open Mic event.  Photos by Steven Yunghans/EPS Media

Lee Filbert read his poem "The Wyrm Glow" to a full house at the 21 East Bookstore & Cafe.

Joey VanDette, 8, received an audience favorite prize for reading his poem, "The Myth," at the Young Poets Open Mic.

Reed Library’s Big Read POEtry Contest recognized poets at two separate open mic events.

The first was held Friday, Oct. 14, at the Literacy Volunteers Café and Bookstore in Dunkirk and the second was held Saturday, Oct.r 15 at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market.

First, the Literacy Volunteers 21 East Café and Bookstore hosted the Teen and Adult Poets’ Open Mic event. 21 East Café was packed with poets bravely waiting for their turn at the microphone, coffee sipping listeners hanging on every syllable, and awardees beaming with pride as they received awards in front of their relatives and friends who applauded and snapped photos.

“I was very pleased with the turnout. In general, contests that generate enough interest from young people and members of the community to show off their work are fantastic” said Amanda Walden, Executive Director of the Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County.

“It takes a certain kind of interest and a strong support network to put on events like the open mic night and hopefully that’s what we can provide” Walden said.

The Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting literacy in the region. 21 East Bookstore and Café offers coffee, espresso drinks, tea, pastries, and light lunch fare catered by the Mustard Seed restaurant. Both the café and bookstore are staffed by volunteers and students of the Literacy Volunteers’ program.

When asked if 21 East would be interested in hosting another open mic event in the future, Walden responded favorably.

“Absolutely, I’d like to have a regular poetry reading night at the café” Walden said.

Currently, works by Edgar Allen Poe that have been donated are available for purchase at the 21 East book store. For more information about the Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County and the 21 East Café, visit lvoccread.org or call 366-4438 or lvacc@netsync.net.

Then on Saturday, Oct. 15, several costumed children shared their original poetry at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market during the Big Read POEtry Contest Young Poets’ Open Mic event. This event was held in conjunction with the Fredonia Farmers’ Market, which moved inside due to the cold, rainy weather. Kids were invited to the market to trick or treat, read their spooky poems, and listen to scary stories.

“It was awesome to see all the kids dressed up in their cute costumes and to be able to hear their poetry.” said Malinda McGuinn. McGuinn is the Winter Market Manager as well as a vendor at the market who own Lamberton Hollow Farms. McGuinn sells freshly baked all natural bread and humanely raised natural eggs.

“I’m glad the Fredonia Farmers’ Market was able to provide kids with a venue to share their poetry. Events like this one are important because they get people out more and make them aware of what’s happening in their community” McGuinn said.

McGuinn also indicated that she would be in favor of having additional poetry reading events at the upcoming Winter Market. The Fredonia Farmers’ Market is year round and will be relocating to an indoor location starting in November.

Immediately following the open mic for young poets at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market, Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society members read spooky stories for kids and handed out books to eager listeners. Submissions were judged by SUNY Fredonia students from Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society and from a creative writing group called the Writers’ Ring. These students volunteered their time and talents to accomplish the difficult task of selecting a handful of winners from a nearly 200 poems.

“Sigma Tau Delta wanted to judge the poetry contest because we thought it would be a lot of fun. Many of us are education majors, yet we do not have many opportunities to see student work” said Tomi Stratton, president of Writer’s Ring and co-President of Sigma Tau Delta.

“The experience was one of the most enjoyable ones I have ever experienced. Reading the poetry was fun, but talking about it with a group of my peers was amazing. We were able to sit back, relax, and marvel at the great work of young authors” said Stratton.

In addition to serving as a judge for the contest, Stratton was also among the students who read spooky stories after the open mic at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market. Sigma Tau Delta also gave away spooky books to all of the children at the event.

All poets were invited to read at the open mic events, but the following poets received awards:

Young Poets (Grades K-5 & 6-8) Overall Grand Prize

• “Zombie School,” by Merry Milliman

Grades K-5:

• 1st place, “The Night I encountered Death,” by Tyler Sillanpaa
• 2nd place, “Skeleton Haiku,” by Madisyn Herman
• Honorable Mentions for “The Call of the Spooks,” by Tay Reynolds and
• “Mushy,” by Adrianna Heary

Grades 6-8:

• 1st place, “What Goes Bump in the Night,” by Ashley Johnson
• 2nd place, “Halloween,” by Hannah Wallace
• Honorable Mention for “Spooky Poem,” by Ian Wittenbrook

Young Poets Audience Favorites:

• “The Myth,” by Joseph Vandette and
• “The Call of the Spooks,” by Tay Reynolds

Teen and Adult Poets Overall Grand Prize:

• “The Veil,” by Casey Takacs

Grades 9-12:

• 1st place, “Who The Devil Is,” by Emily Masiker
• 2nd place, “The Burning Autumn,” by Chelsea Kilbury
• Honorable Mentions for “The Glory of Windows,” by Megan Brown, “Daunting is the Melody,” by Thomas Warmbrodt, “The Craving,” Colin Perry; and “Deep in the Shadows,” by Ali Barton

Adult:

• 1 st place, “The Glow,” by Nicole Jankowiak
• 2 nd place, “The Accused,” by Kristin Puglisi
• Honorable Mention for “And So I Stand,” by Shawn Huestis

Adult & Teen Audience Favorites:

• “Brain Surgery,” by George Clever and
• “Old Lady Cracklyn,” by Laura Evans
•  

All contest winners received graphic design posters to commemorate their poems made by the SUNY Fredonia Publications office. Others received gift cards and Poe books from the Book Nook in Dunkirk. A few audience favorite book prizes were awarded to readers who received the most votes at the open mic events as well.

The Big Read POEtry Contest organizers would also like to give special thanks to the following open mic readers: George Batrouny, George Clever, Laura Evans, Casey Takacs, Niki Jankowiak, Lee Filbert, Emily Masiker, Thomas Warmbrodt, Natalie Gerber, Ian Wittenbrook, Hannah Wallace, Tay Reynolds, Silvie Eckenrode, Sebastian Puglisi, and Joseph Vandette.

The POEtry Contest was one of Reed Library’s kick off events for the Big Read of Edgar Allan Poe. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Reed Library is one of 76 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read from September 2011-June 2012.

Student-designed exhibits interpret Poe's work in Reed Library and throughout the county

During this year's Big Read, students have been inspired to create works in various media that interpret Edgar Allan Poe's writings. On exhibit in Reed Library, the Buster Brown Bean Company Cafe and Bistro, and the James Prendergast Library, the creations Include costumes designed by theatre students, a creative writing project, animation film storyboards, photography, and more.

Photo by Steven Yunghans/EPS Media

"Costume Designs”
Location: Registrar's Office curved wall
By: Amanda Moore, Josh Porter, Anna Slocum, Danielle Waterman, and Amra Cuelova

Students from Prof. Dixon Reynolds’s Costume Design II class have created a series of costuming designs based upon their interpretation of several of Poe’s works, including “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Purloined Letter”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “Ligeia” These will be on display throughout the month of October.

Photo by Steven Yunghans/EPS Media

"Poe and the Exquisite Corpse"
Location: Friends of Reed Library Room.
Organized by: Scott Richmond, Librarian

Come and make your create mark -- contribute your creative talents to this fun, community creative writing project. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to contribute a line or two in the writing of a community poem. Ongoing through the month of October.

"The Raven"
Location: Friends of Reed Library Room and Buster Brown Bean Company Cafe and Bistro, 33 Church St., Fredonia.
By: Andrew Carter, Stephanie Casella, Matt Corrigan, Taylor Hultquist, Hyo Jin (Erica) Kang, Brittany Morelli, Sarah Peck, Ariana Tressel-Orner, Lindsey Alfred, Jessica Winner, Zakiyah Woodson

Students from Prof. Jill Johnston's Intro to 2D Animation created a two-minute black and white line drawn animation based on Poe's poem "The Raven". Each student's section contains approximately 120 drawings (eight seconds of screen time) and repeats as an endless cycle. Media used were paper, pencils, pens, brushes, ink washes, created on individual light tables and scanned into the computer for final output.

"Valley of Unrest"
Location: Buster Brown Bean Company Cafe and Bistro, 33 Church St., Fredonia.
By: Zack Joseph and Kristen J Sherwood.
When: Oct. 14 and 15, 7 to 11 p.m.

Created by students in Prof. Ellen Litwicki's History 338: 19th Century American Culture class, the exhibit will show the practices of mourning and burial, as well as the attitudes people had toward death and the afterlife in the 19th century, making connections to Poe's work, "Valley of Unrest," as an expression of attitudes toward death and dying during this era. The exhibit will be accompanied by a photo album of different graves at the Forest Hill cemetery and a description of each stone in relation to the progression of mourning practices. This exhibit has been developed as a companion piece to The Harvest Moon Cemetary Tours.

"The Black Cat"
Location: Buster Brown Bean Company Cafe and Bistro, 33 Church St., Fredonia.
By: Patrick Condon, Stacey Gawel, Brian Hathaway, William Lauko, Mary Kate Lynch, Christine McMullen, Brittany Morelli, Sarah Peck, Nadiya Romanyuk, Carlos Sanchez, Mayumi Tanoue, Ariana Tressel-Orner, George Wagner

Students from Prof. Jill Johnston's Intermediate Illustration class have created detailed storyboard panel adaptions of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat". Each student created a 12-panel image sequence with black and white media using either analog, digital, or tradigital processes that were printed and mounted on boards. Ongoing through the month of October.

"Edgar Allan Poe's Works and Life Display"
Location: James Prendergast Library, Jamestown, New York 14701
When: Friday, Oct 14 through Saturday, Oct. 29.

During the month of October, the Prendergast Library will have a display of the many books, audiobooks and videos based on Edgar Allan Poe's works and life.

Big Read POEtry Contest Open Mic events set for this weekend

Community members are invited to participate in one of two Big Read POEtry Contest Open Mic events on Oct. 14-15. Teen and adult poets are invited to share their poems on Friday, Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Literacy Volunteers, 21 East Book Store and Café located at 21 East Second Street in Dunkirk. Young poets are also encouraged to share their poems on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m., to 12:30 p.m., at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market located on Church Street in Fredonia. Both events are free to attend. All are invited to share poetry or just listen and enjoy.

Teens and adults will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the 21 East Book Store and Café for the first Open Mic event. 21 East offers coffee and espresso drinks as well as pastries and light lunch fare catered by the Mustard Seed. 21 East also has a great selection of gently used books available for purchase. All sales from the café and book store benefit the Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County.

On Saturday, young poets will control the microphone at the Fredonia Farmers’ Market Trick-or-Treat Day. Children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes, get treats from the market’s vendors, decorate a free pumpkin, and enjoy spooky stories read by Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society members.

Contest winners will be recognized and awarded at both Open Mic events. A first and second place will be awarded for each of the four age categories: grades K-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and adult. In addition, two, “Overall Grand Prize,” winners will be selected from among all the participants. An “audience favorite” will also be selected at each Open Mic event. Winning poets will receive an age appropriate collected works of Edgar Allan Poe and a gift certificate to the Book Nook in Dunkirk. Honorable mention poets will be recognized at these events as well.

The Open Mic events mark the end of the Big Read POEtry Contest, which closed on Oct. 5. The Big Read POEtry Contest invited community members of all ages to submit original macabre and spooky poems as part of Chautauqua County’s month long celebration of Poe’s works.

For more information on The Big Read, visit www.fredonia.edu/bigread or join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/BigReadFredonia/.

Award-winning author Mat Johnson is keynote speaker for Big Read

Daniel A. Reed Library at SUNY Fredonia, in cooperation with the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System and the National Endowment for the Arts, is pleased to announce that the poetry and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe has been selected for this year's Big Read. To help celebrate Poe’s literary works, award-winning, contemporary author Mat Johnson will be the keynote speaker for this year’s program.

Johnson, a faculty member at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, was named the first USA James Baldwin Fellow by the United States Artists Foundation in 2007 and was recently awarded the 2011 John Dos Passos Prize for Literature.

While much of Johnson’s writing is about the lives of African-Americans across literary genres including novels Hunting in Harlem (2003); Drop (2000); a nonfiction novella The Great Negro Plot (2007); and graphic novels Dark Rain (2010) and Incognegro (2008.)  His latest work, PYM (2011) turns Poe’s; The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket on its head cap with the discovery of a manuscript that suggests Poe’s story is more fact than fiction. The revelation sends a disgruntled professor off on an improbable odyssey to find the island near Antarctica described by Poe.

Johnson will present “Pym Poe’s Gauntlet” at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The event is free however a canned food donation is suggested to the Salvation Army Food Pantry in Dunkirk. Opera House doors open at 7 p.m. Johnson will also be giving a craft talk on campus at 4 p.m.,
in McEwen 202.

In preparation for Johnson’s keynote address, Reed reference librarian Scott Richmond will facilitate a discussion entitled Poe, Pym and Beyond: A Modern Obsession on Wednesday, Oct. 12 starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Buster Brown Bean Company Café and Bistro, 33 Church St., in Fredonia.  Copies of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and Johnson's spin-off,  Pym: Novel are available for purchase at The Book Nook. The public is encouraged to attend this event, even if you haven’t had the opportunity to review both novels ahead of time.

There are many great events going on at public libraries and other community venues throughout the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus region during the month of October. To check out the full calendar of events,  http://www.fredonia.edu/bigread/. You can also join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/BigReadFredonia/.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.