11/1 All Good Things
Hi everyone,
I’m excited about two upcoming events—
November 12 at 4-6 PM I’m teaching yoga to raise funds for Veterans Yoga Project. If you’re local, drop me a line. Details are on the way.
January 7, 2026 Meditate, Move, & Create returns! It’s online at 7 PM EST, so mark your next year calendar.
And now—
THINGS HAPPENED
The Walk2EndAlz was a great success! A beautiful day to walk in a beautiful autumn-ified park. Thanks to all who donated and supported the team.
I spent a quick weekend in Syracuse where I learned all about the Erie Canal. Did you know Syracuse is nicknamed Salt City? I came home with local salt. I also saw a waterfall and a sculpture park.
I then saw another waterfall in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. This might be a new thing. Send me your waterfall hot tips.
Book club’s coffee and tea swap was highly successful as were our book discussion and beer/non-alcohol book pairings.
WELLNESS CORNER
Sukha’s open studio day to celebrate Yoga Month was so much fun! Congrats to the studio for being featured in GC News!
As aforementioned, I’m leading a yoga class for Veterans Yoga Project on 11/12 (details on the way). I completed their basic training, and it was transformative. I’m thrilled to be able to give back.
Also, new program offering: Reiki & Write! Details for all wellness programming are here.
KUDOS!
Jami Macarty's chapbook The Whole Catastrophe (Vallum Chapbook Series, 2024) is a finalist for the 2025 bpNichol Chapbook Award! https://meetthepresses.wordpress.com/
Brendan McEntee’s collection Before We Reached The Sea is on its way with Kelsay Books!
BOOKSHELF
Book club books plus starting to get through my massive to-read pile. Now that I’m planning book club for next year, I’m using it as a way to get even further through the pile.
Fiction
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Poetry
“The Herdsman” by Fernando Pessoa
https://www.onlypoemsdaily.com/p/the-herdsman-fernando-pessoa
“Even Now After All These Years” by Heidi Seaborn
https://poems.com/poem/even-now-after-all-these-years/
“Kanye West Is Not Picasso” by Leonard Cohen
https://www.onlypoemsdaily.com/p/kanye-west-is-not-picasso-leonard-cohen
“Ships” by Tomaz Salamun
https://www.onlypoemsdaily.com/p/ships-tomaz-salamun
Two poems by Yannis Ritsos
https://poems.com/poem/two-poems-ritsos/
“My Body Knows Its Limits” by Page Hill Starzinger
https://www.slowdownshow.org/episode/2025/10/13/1372-my-body-knows-its-limits-by-page-hill-starzinger
Internet
The stolen golden toilet is back again
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j8z6r8zl6o
Interview with Ada Limon
https://www.littleinfinite.com/interview-with-the-hurting-kind-author-and-us-poet-laureate-ada-limon/
U. S. Poet Laureate Transition: Arthur Sze’s New Era
https://www.littleinfinite.com/u-s-poet-laureate-transition-arthur-szes-new-era/
And of course check out these:
Brand new typewriter photographs! If you haven’t perused them yet, definitely do so now! Also available: signed copies of How We Make Amends, post card sentiments, found poetry, and inspirational stickers.
LISTEN
My poem “Friar’s Lantern” aired on Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction radio show. https://captphilonline.com/Destinies/Destinies_10_17_25.mp3 (Poem at 17:14)
I also narrated “From the River to the Moon” by Kelsey Hutton for Starship Sofa.
http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2025/10/15/starshipsofa-767-kelsey-hutton/
Here’s Sunday Funday Book Club’s soundtrack for Before The Coffee Gets Cold.
WATCH
Ally The Piper and Metallica
Battleship
The Running Man (from the 80s)
Final Draft (Netflix)
You Can’t Ask That (Netflix)
OPPORTUNITIES
New Ohio Review has several opportunities for submissions.
https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit
Literary Arts Fund has several opportunities.
https://literaryartsfund.org/
Rabble R eview is open for submissions.
https://rabblereview.com/guidelines
The Starving Artist has opportunities for visual artists and writers.
https://starvingartist.cargo.site/opportunities
Barrax/Bayes Poetry Contest, For Active Military and Veterans, Deadline November 15
https://www.ncwriters.org/programs/competitions/barrax-bayes-poetry-contest/
Long Island Imagine Awards, Deadline November 24
https://www.imagineawardsli.org/
Strange Pilgrim Open Submissions, Deadline November 30
https://submissions.strangepilgrims.com/
Chestnut Review is accepting submissions for chapbooks through November 30. (Reading fee).
https://chestnutreview.com/chapbooks/
Oak Spring Garden Foundation Eliza Moore Fellowship, Opens Feb 2026/Closes May 2026
https://www.osgf.org/fellowships/eliza-moore-artistic-excellence
SUGGESTED THINGS
Tandoori Twist (Valley Stream, NY)
Poetica Coffee (Brooklyn)
La Gran Amazonia (Patchogue)
Syracuse/Cazenovia Edition!
Everson Museum of Art
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
Chittenango Falls State Park
Erie Canal Museum
MISCELLANY
I went back to the dental practice I used to go to when I was in elementary school. The new dentist is the son of the dentist I saw back then. Before leaving, I told the folks at reception that after my appointments when I was a kid, I used to go behind the desk and grab a prize from the treasure box. They said that was a cute memory. They did not get the hint that I still want a prize.
All good things,
Christina
**Of course, you can forward this email to those you think may have interest. If you post information publicly, please link back to me. Appreciate it.
THINGS ARE HAPPENING
My calendar is here.
Updated book club info is here.
Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 2-4 PM
William Cullen Bryant Birthday Celebration at Cedarmere, Roslyn, NY
https://www.christinamrau.com/calendar/cedarmere-poetry-reading-series-nov-2-2025
Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 1 PM EST
Punctuation: A Poet’s Dilemma with Sue Ellen Thompson at The Writer’s Center
Register here: https://writer.org/event/punctuation-a-poets-dilemma/
Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 7:30-9 PM EST
The Nonfiction Publishing Playbook with Jim Duffy and ESWA
Register here: https://www.easternshorewriters.org/event-6409607
Saturdays, November 8 – December 6, 2025 at 11 AM EST
Threshold of Tongues: Writing from our Ancestral Wombs with Kashiana Singh and Pramila Venkateswaran and the TLA Network
Register here: https://www.tlanetwork.org/event-6308138
November 8-December 19, 2025 / Reception November 8, 2-5 PM
Sensorial Fusion: Relationship Art and Architecture at The Arts Center, Governors Island
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nylaat-opening-reception-at-the-arts-center-tickets-1804925423529?aff=oddtdtcreator
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 4-6 PM
Yoga for Veterans Yoga Project Fundraiser, Glen Oaks, NY
https://www.christinamrau.com/calendar/yogavyp-11-12-25
Saturday, November 15 at 12 PM EST
The Prose Poem Party with Denise Duhamel
Register here: https://shop.onlypoems.com/products/prose-poem-party-denise-duhamel
Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Sunday Sounds: The Gypsy Felons Acoustic Trio at Merrick Library, NY
https://events.nassaulibrary.org/event/sunday-sounds-featuring-the-gypsy-felons-acoustic-trio/
Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 10 AM-Noon
Sunday Funday Book Club reading Jerks
https://www.christinamrau.com/book-club
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 7 PM EST
Meditate, Move, & Create with Christina M Rau and the TLA Network
Register in advance: https://tlanetwork.org/event-6418090
Members: $30 / Nonmembers: $40
On The Regular (Always check with venues. If no contact info is listed below, google it. If your series has changed, let me know for next time. If you want to add your series, drop me a line).
One Sunday a month: Mid-Island Y JCC Poetry Series 2-4 PM https://www.gaylteller.com/mid-island-2/
First Sundays: Poetic License, online, 4 PM, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82298684083#success
One Sunday a month: Speculative Sundays with Akua Lezli Hope, online, 7 PM EST
https://akualezlihope.com/speculative-poetry
Later-in-the-month Sundays: Book Club at Ghost Brewing Company from 10-noon
Third Sundays: Sunday Reading Series at The Hungry Brain, 6:30 PM, http://www.hungrybrainchicago.com/
Every Monday: Open Mic at Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, 6:30 PM
Every Monday: Restless Open Mic, Marché Le Woof 31-03 Vernon Boulevard Astoria. Signups at 6:30 PM
Every Monday: Phoenix Reading Series, Shades of Green 125 e 15th NY NY, 6:30 PM, $5 plus food purchase
Every Monday: The Underground Open Mic at Bar Freda (Queens/Brooklyn Border), 7:30 PM
Every Monday: Easy Paradise Open Mic at KGB Red Room, 8 PM, sign up in advance, 21+, 2 drink min
First Tuesdays: First Tuesdays Series, Espresso 77 Cafe, Jackson Heights, 6:40 Sign up, 7 PM open begins, feature follows, $5 purchase, https://firsttuesdays.net/
First Tuesdays: Poetry At Greenspace, 47 Broadway Rocky Pt, NY, 7 PM (open mic sign up 6:30), jeweliasdad@aol.com for info
First Tuesdays: Calling All Writers Spoken Word Open Mic, Urban Coffee, 101 Broadway, Greenlawn, NY, 7-8 PM, 5 minute limit, kindness required
Every Wednesday: Wednesday Night Poetry, Kollective Coffee and Tea, Hot Springs, AZ, 6:30-9 PM
First Wednesdays: The Platform, Madison Community Arts Center 10 Kings Rd Madison NH, 8 PM, https://www.madisonartsnj.org/about/community-arts-center
Second Wednesdays: Poetry: It's a Shore Thing!, Long Beach Library (NY), 6 PM https://longbeachlibrary.org/
Second Wednesdays/Thursdays: The Muse at Neirs Tavern, Queens, 7 PM
Fourth Wednesdays: Risk of Discovery at QED Astoria, 7:30-9 PM
https://www.pw.org/content/the_risk_of_discovery_reading_series_and_the_queens_literary_scene
First Thursdays: BVAC at Jack Jacks, Babylon, 7 PM babylonvillagearts.org
First Thursdays: Poetry Circle Open Mic, Living Room Café, Ardmore, PA, 6:30 PM livingroomardmore.com
Third Thursdays: Poetry Pairs Series, Literature Repository Reading, Bohemia, 7 PM
Third Thursdays: NeuroNautic Institute Presents open mic with features, Otto’s Shrunken Head, NYC, 7-9 PM
Third Thursdays: At Brookline Booksmith, MA, 7 PM, www.brooklinebooksmith.com
Third Thursdays: SAFTA Reading Series, Pretentious Beer Co, Old City Knoxville, TN https://www.sundresspublications.com/safta/reading-series/
Every Friday: Fridays: Seed Café Open Mic, 250 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI, 6:30 PM
https://allevents.in/pawtucket/seed-caf%C3%A9-open-mic-fridays/200025919132025
First Fridays: Revolutionary Poetry Nights, Grounds Books and Coffee, Tuscon, AZ www.revolutionarygrounds.com
First Fridays: Maryland Writers’ Association, 7 PM EST, online, https://marylandwriters.org/first_fridays
Third Fridays: Hudson Valley Writers Center in person and online, 7 PM https://writerscenter.org/calendar/
Last Fridays: Northport Arts Coalition Poetry Reading, Northport and online, 7:30 PM EST https://www.northportarts.org/
Last Fridays: Friday Night Fire, Teatro Yerbabruja Second Avenue Fire House, Bay Shore, NY, 7 PM, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friday-night-fire-featured-artist-and-open-mic-event-tickets-488297128857
Last Fridays: Redmond Association of Spoken Word, Centro Cultural Mexicano Redmond, WA, 7-9 PM, www.centroculturalmexicano.org
Every Saturday: Astoria Music Collective Saturday Songwriters at The Local Bar, 3 PM,
https://happeningnext.com/event/saturday-songwriters-open-mic-at-the-local-bar-astoria-eid3a0889pfbk
Every Saturday: Cultivating Voices Live, online, 3 PM EST
https://www.nmpoetry.com/wp/events/cultivating-voices-live-poetry-online
Biweekly Saturdays: Lip Balm, online, 5 PM EST
First Saturdays: PPA East Meadow Library, 1-3 PM, hosted by J R Turek and Margarette Wahl
Third Saturdays: PPA Levittown Town Hall, 1-3 PM, hosted by J R Turek
Various Saturdays: It’s Poetry Baby!, Oceanside Library, NY, 2 PM
Last Saturdays: Poetry Street On The Road at Riverhead Library and online, Riverhead NY, 2 – 4 PM, poetrystreetontheroad.com
Various monthly: Ludy Café and Hudson Valley Poetry, Irvington, NY, ludycafe.com
Congrats! You've made it to the end! As always, this newsletter is gratis. If you wish to at any time, you can feel free to buy me a tea (or a coffee).