Heya everyone!
Not to shout at you but –
THINGS ARE HAPPENING LIKE RIGHT NOW
Sunday, November 1, 2026: Cedarmere celebrates William Cullen Bryant’s Birthday Register here.
Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 7:30-9 PM EST: I’m leading a chat online: For the Love of Lists with the Eastern Shore Writers Association
Register here.
Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 10 AM – 12 Noon: Hike Around and Write with Walt Whitman Birthplace, Jayne’s Hill, Huntington, NYRegister in advance.
And now onto the stuff—
THINGS HAPPENED
If you’ve never seen giant trolls across the landscape, go to New Jersey, where you will find trolls along with addresses where trolls used to be and also places where absolutely nothing is—I’d mapped out a bunch of trolls as a birthday gift, and though we saw only a few trolls, fun was had by all.
My brother and I fulfilled a lifelong inside joke by attending opening day at the Whitney’s new Lichtenstein exhibit.
Over at Cedarmere, Stefanie Maura and I led our second writing retreat, this one including yoga, and from these two retreats, we found our poets to read at Bryant’s birthday celebration.
A huge thanks to everyone who donated to the Walk 2 End Alz; Team J and J met our goal even though none of us actually set one, and on walk day, some young volunteers Whoooooed in our faces and rang bells at us.
Book club brought about one of my favorite games—Seattle Grunge Band, Defunct 70s Magazine, or Blackhole Terminology—with thanks to Nikki and Stay Green Brewing. I celebrated Halloween early in two ways. First, I headed to Sukha Studio with Somnambulant Visuals for a witchy vibe night of costumed yoga and oracle and tarot readings. Also, I got to Walt Whitman Birthplace to find out what happened to Whitman’s brain and then took a candlelight tour of the house, which is the best way to see any old house.
WELLNESS CORNER
As aforementioned, Stefanie Maura and I got to lead yoga together during our Cedarmere retreat. Doing yoga in a poet’s weekend mansion is an activity I’d like to do more.
Slow flow is flowing at Sukha Studio every Tuesday at 7:15 PM. I’ve also been taking yin classes again on Fridays at 11:15 AM. Additionally, doing yin on my own two more times a week. It’s the best decision I’ve made recently.
Yin is a slow yoga that involves holding poses for about three minutes to release fascia—if that sounds like it’s not for you, then it’s definitely for you.
KUDOS!
Susana H. Case’s tenth book of poetry Matinée Girls is out from Broadstone Books!
“The Qin Mountains: The Seven States of the Boulder Manor” and “Seven Days in the Qin Mountains” (Translation of Yan An’s poem by Chen Du and Xisheng Chen) were published in Kyoto Journal in October 2026 in Japan!
Turning Poetry Into Food: A Collection of Poetry X Hunger Poems, edited by Hiram Larew and Christina Daub, is out now!
Matt Marr and Kenneth Suarez have a new podcast: Life In Parallel!
My second sci-fi fem full length poetry collection Women in Space! will arrive from Aqueduct Press in 2027. The first ten pre-orders come with free shipping! All pre-orders come with stickers! Pre-order here.
BOOKSHELF
Visit Bookshop.org for shelves of lists of recs.
I’ve been reading SFBC’s November read Lady Tremaine for a while and I’m almost done. Other than that, papers. A lot of papers.
Poetry
Ionosphere features former Grand Masters of SFPA in this issue.
“Are You Worried About A Breakdown?” by Ace Boggess
“Miniature” by Mary Jo Bang
“Byline, By Sky” by Alina Stefanescu
Excerpts from “The Book of Absence” by Alireza Roshan, trans. by Erfan Mojib and Gary Gach
“[Music is not a tree]” by Ron Padgett
“I Don’t Want To Hear Any Good News or Bad News” by Elisa Gabbert
“My Lover Worships Horses” by Ìfẹ́olúwa Àyàndélé
“The Boat” by Sal Randolph
“An Ocean Is Anything You Can’t See The Other Side Of” by Nick Martino
“Seed” by Jeanne Obbard
“We Are All God’s Poems” by Philip Metres
“Vespers” by Meg Day
“tonight I feel like my last lover” by Adrija Ghosh
“Dear Ilium” by Chiyuma Elliott
“Unconditional Belief In Heat” by Anna Journey
“Butterfly Effect” by Angela Liu
“Knot Work / Not Work / Knot Hole / Not Whole: A Mapping / Jishin-no-ben” by LeeAnn Roripaugh
“The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” by Matthew Tuckner
“Summer, You’re A Boneyard” by Gustavo Hernandez
“Erosion” by Arielle Hebert
“Anniversary” by Diannely Antigua
Excerpts from “Outgoing Vessel” by Ursula Andkjaer Olsen, trans. by Katrine Ogaard Jensen (with apologies for not knowing how to find the correct Danish letters in MS Word)
“Big Clock” by Li-Young Lee
“Suburban Dusk” by Bert Meyers
“Self-Care” by Faylita Hicks
“Let Us Talk About It As Though It Existed” by Eva Heisler
Internet
DoorDash is committed to your delivery.
How many drinks does it take to entice a flamingo?
What’s the best size underwear to entice ten birds?
Reading is fundamental for all animals.
Another ordinary day in NYC when folks are emerging from under the sidewalk.
The Vanta Black controversy—you can’t keep a good color hostage.
Artists as A-Corps
And of course check out these:
Typewriter photographs! Erasure poems! Postcard sentiments! Signed copies of How We Make Amends!
LISTEN
Sunday Funday Book Club’s soundtrack for Black Hole
Life In Parallel “Boys Aren’t Nurses (in 1980s Nebraska)”
Andy Grammer’s new album is out now!
WATCH
These robots decide to leave.
Bad puns and a bear who likes to browse the market.
Against The Ice
To The Max (Netflix)
Unbroken
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for poets, Poetry Near & Afar online series, Oceanside Library
Workshops at Center for Book Arts (NYC)
Millay Arts Residencies, Various deadlines
NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, Nomination Deadline November 12
Nebraska Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, Deadline November 16
Poetry submissions for Approach to the Meaning Deadline Nov 30
LMCC Dance Residencies
SUGGESTED THINGS
Somnambulant Visuals’ Kickstarter for the Somnambulant Tarot
Poetry Walk at SCCC’s Ammerman Campus
MISCELLANY
I made a small speech about the importance of literature at a Board of Trustees meeting, and I mentioned my scifi class to show how it involves not only reading literature but teaches writing and critical thinking, especially for real world issues. The college is not offering scifi next semester. I’d like to think this situation is a coincidence, but I’ve read enough scifi to think otherwise.
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 1, 2026
Cedarmere celebrates William Cullen Bryant’s Birthday, Register here.
Tuesdays, November 3, 10, 17, December 1,8,15, 2026, 6:30-8:30 PM EST
Poetry and Its Forms: Learn the Rules and Break Them with Sarah Stern
$450 for six-week Zoom Workshop
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 5:30-6:30 PM
Writing Workshop: Journaling Through Cancer with Lit Youngstown and Yellow Brick Place, OH
Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 7:30-9 PM EST
For the Love of Lists with the Eastern Shore Writers Association, online, Register here
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Mahoning Valley Book Bazaar, Youngstown, OH
Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 10 AM – 12 Noon
Hike Around and Write with Walt Whitman Birthplace, Jayne’s Hill, Huntington, NY, Register in advance.
Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 10 - noon
Sunday Funday Book Club reading Lady Tremaine at Stay Green, Farmingdale, NY
Sunday, November 29, 2026 at 6 PM (signup) / 6:30 PM start
Open Mic & Vibe presented by Production Babes, featuring Cass House, Medford, NY
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 1-2:30 PM
JM Vinyasa Masterclass with Jared McCann, Sukha Studio, Garden City, NY
Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 10-noon
Sunday Funday Book Club reading Dungeon Crawler Carl at Stay Green, Farmingdale, NY
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
First Sundays: Poetic License, online, 4 PM
One Sunday a month: Speculative Sundays with Akua Lezli Hope, online, 7 PM EST
Later-in-the-month Sundays: Sunday Funday Book Club at Stay Green, 10-noon, Farmingdale, NY
Third Sundays: Sunday Reading Series at The Hungry Brain, 6:30 PM
Last Sundays: Po’Jazz with Golda Solomon at Blue Door Arts Center, Yonkers, NY, 2-4 PM, Free
ON HIATUS: Every Monday: Summer Gazebo Reading Series, Oceanside, NY and on zoom, 7 PM
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: 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
First Tuesdays: Poetry At Book and Mortar 157 N Country Rd Mount Sinai, NY 11766 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
Fourth Tuesdays: Caffe Lena Poetry Open Mic, Saratoga Springs, NY
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
Second Wednesdays: Poetry: It's a Shore Thing!, Long Beach Library (NY), 6 PM
Second Wednesdays/Thursdays: The Muse at Neirs Tavern, Queens, 7 PM
Fourth Wednesdays: Risk of Discovery at QED Astoria, 7:30-9 PM
First Thursdays: BVAC at Jack Jacks, Babylon, 7 PM
First Thursdays: Poetry Circle Open Mic, Living Room Café, Ardmore, PA, 6:30 PM
First Thursdays: Lowell Writers Open Mic, lalabooks, Market St, Lowell, MA, 6:30-8PM
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
Third Thursdays: SAFTA Reading Series, Pretentious Beer Co, Old City Knoxville, TN
Third Thursdays: Poetry At The Pub, Public House Brewing, Rolla, MO
Last Thursdays: Poetry Nights with Bluestone Poets, Inquiring Minds, Saugerties, NY
Every Friday: Fridays: Seed Café Open Mic, 250 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI, 6:30 PM
First Fridays: Revolutionary Poetry Nights, Grounds Books and Coffee, Tuscon, AZ
First Fridays: Maryland Writers’ Association, 7 PM EST, online
Second Fridays: Open Mic at Deja Brew Café, 102nd&Jamaica Ave Queens, 7:30-9 PM, hosted by Michael Alpiner
Third Fridays: Hudson Valley Writers Center in person and online, 7 PM
Last Fridays: Northport Arts Coalition Poetry Reading, Northport and online, 7:30 PM EST
Last Fridays: Friday Night Fire, Teatro Yerbabruja Second Avenue Fire House, Bay Shore, NY, 7 PM
Last Fridays: Redmond Association of Spoken Word, Centro Cultural Mexicano Redmond, WA, 7-9 PM
Every Saturday: Astoria Music Collective Saturday Songwriters at The Local Bar, 3 PM,
Every Saturday: Cultivating Voices Live, online, 3 PM EST
Biweekly Saturdays: Lip Balm, online, 5 PM EST
First Saturdays: East Meadow Library, 1-3 PM, hosted by J R Turek and Margarette Wahl
Third Saturdays: 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
Various monthly: Ludy Café and Hudson Valley Poetry, Irvington, NY
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).