9/1 All Good Things
Heya everyone!
Usually, I like to reserve this space for less self-centered information, but I’ve got some pertinent announcements!
First and most importantly, September 7 is my birthday.
If you missed the first book trailer, here’s the second.
I’m heading back to WWBA soon! Join me for Tactile Poetry.
Reminder: Stefanie Maura and I will be back at Cedarmere for another writing retreat in October.
Another reminder: Details about the Walk2EndAlz are here. (A donation to the walk makes a great birthday gift!)
Finally, I’m the new Poetry Editor at Drunken Boat! I’m thrilled to be working on a literary journal again after the sudden shutdown of The Nassau Review (if you don’t know the story and want to know the story, drop me a line). For the upcoming issue, poetry submissions are by solicitation only, so if you don’t hear from me, please don’t submit and don’t take it personally. Taking this endeavor on slowly to be able to grow it into something grand.
THINGS HAPPENED
My mom wanted to go on vacation, so we went on vacation. Her idea was to pay respects at the Flight 93 Memorial; I decided we needed to do more than that, so we went to Pittsburgh first. Warhol! Mr. Rogers! Bridges over three rivers and tunnels through mountains! The Carnegies! Lots of humidity and rain! Heinz ketchup! Pittsburgh’s got it all. Then we went to Shanksville to pay respects though I wasn't thrilled about it. Basically, I told my mom whenever she wants to do something, I’ll do it. The exceptions are The Lion King and, what I learned on this trip, dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are boring unless they are having a fist fight (see: every Jurassic Park).
Before that, one more Sibling Adventure day unfolded—we planned for battlefields and canals in New Jersey but we wound up crossing the Delaware on a very narrow bridge that I still think was for bicycles only and found ourselves in Pennsylvania, apparently the theme of August. We learned history. We got caught in the worst rain but did not get flooded out in the middle of a park as we thought we might.
Additionally, book club booked at a new venue. Stay Green Brewing has a light-up bar! Did some yoga-ing and Reiki-ing. Went to the MoMA and saw Duchamp’s unoriginals. Read at the Oceanside Summer Gazebo with some talented poets (Vivian Rose, Chip Williford, and Brendan McEntee). Visited City Island. Escaped an escape room with birthday wishes to Southpaw Sweets. I love Virgo season.
WELLNESS CORNER
As aforementioned, October 18 is the Walk2EndAlz. Donate or root us on!
Also in October, Reiki & Write unfolds at WWBA.
Keep on coming to slow flow on Tuesdays at 7:15 PM at Sukha. I’m also subbing regular flow on 9/15 right before my own class, so come for both!
KUDOS!
My second sci-fi fem full length poetry collection Women in Space! will arrive from Aqueduct Press in 2027. That’s old news. The new news is I have a pre-order link! The first ten pre-orders come with free shipping! All pre-orders come with stickers! Pre-order here.
And more kudos to me because my poem “Whatever Happened To Baby J” has been nominated by The Disappointed Housewife for Best of the Net 2027!
Hiram Larew was a featured poet for Flapper Press Poetry Café!
BOOKSHELF
Visit Bookshop.org for shelves of lists of recs.
I read more of Spiral and a few chapters of the Buddhism book after reading Hot Desk for SFBC. Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is on its way from the library for September’s read. This is when the reading sadly slows down as I’ll be reading a lot of comp essays soon.
Poetry
“Golden Hour” by Jennifer Polson Peterson
“As a Father of Daughters” by Hannah Aizenman
“More” by Alex Dimitrov
“Violent Triage” by Vahni Capildeo
“December” by Jos Charles
“Standing by a Shelf” by Brandon D. Johnson
“[The whale already]” by Kimiko Hahn
“February” by Tamiko Beyer
Two poems by Gemma Gorga, Trans. by Sharon Dolin
“Essential maxims for Husbandry” by Anna Newman
“Heaven and Its Teenage Riot” by Mary Biddinger
“Rust Honey” by Zach Savich
“Cyclanders II” by Mg Roberts
“Habituation” by Hala Alyan/
“fleeing” by Kara Jackson
“To the First-Born Daughter on the Fourteenth Floor of the Marlboro Housing Project, 1958” by Mara Lee Grayson
“she-god after she-god” by Trish Hopkinson
“Castnet Seafood” by Karisma Price
“Paying Queen Anne a Visit, or Picking Wildflowers Along a Country Road” by Clarabelle Miray Fields
“Logic” by Bob Hicok
Fiction
“A Hundred Ways The Story Ends” by Tara Sim
“Cryogenic Beauty” by Allison Wyss
“Instructions for the Next Girl” by Honni Van Rijswijk
Cartoons/Comics
“It’s Just a Number, Right?” by Suanne Reece
Nonfiction
“This Is Not About AI” by Hana Lee
“Physics, Fractals, and A Zumba Playlist” by Randi Miller
“Imprisoned Lightning: Trust and AI-Generated Submissions” by Romie Stott
Mixed Media / Cross Genre
“Packing Up The Streetlights” by Alexa Brockamp Hoggat (poem) and Michayla Grbich (art)
Internet
The AI in academia saga continues
The AI in publishing saga continues
The AI is destroying everything saga continues
Mankh’s “The Buddha Isn’t Always Smiling”
Marlena Chertok’s “35 Things I’ve Learned in 35 Years”
On not finishing a book and Goodreads’s new category
“Crushing Grief: Ten Years of Fish in Exile” on Scientists & Poets
“The Luxury of Poetry” on Still Point: Poetry & Culture
Dr. Gina Sipley’s got 5 AM Rituals
“The Three Dimensions of Yan An’s Poetic Art” by Yingqin Xiong, Translated by Chen Du
“To reach a place higher and farther: An Interview with Chen Du and Xisheng Chen on Translating Rock Arrangement by Yan An”
And of course check out these:
Typewriter photographs! Erasure poems! Post card sentiments! Signed copies of How We Make Amends!
LISTEN
Sunday Funday Book Club’s soundtrack for Hot Desk
“About As Far Back As You Can Possibly Go” aired on Destinies. (Poem at 6:59).
WATCH
Anatomy of a Fall
Mapplethorpe
BEEF Season 2 (Netflix — and Season 1 if you didn’t watch it yet but you don’t have to watch in order)
Tar
The Residence (Netflix — I actually miss watching this. It’s fantastic.)
OPPORTUNITIES
Press Play 2026, PioneerWorks call for annual fair, Deadline September 4
Weekly open mic for musicians, comics, and artists at The Cleaners, Merrick NY
Empire Arts Summit, Proposal Deadline September 10
Lit Youngstown Upcoming Workshops
The Writers’ Center Upcoming Workshops
The Center for Fiction Upcoming Events
Poetry submissions for Approach to the Meaning open Nov 1, Deadline Nov 30
Manager, Virginia Festival of the Book, University of Virginia
SUGGESTED THINGS
Intention Boutique, a maker-marketplace with a woowoo slant, like Etsy but niche
Somnambulant Visuals’ Kickstarter for the Somnambulant Tarot
You still have time to finish Long Island’s History Hunt
Big Bang Poetry (with thanks to Ann Cefola for the rec)
Poet Carla Sarett
LI Creative Reuse Project through Long Island Arts
Author Drew Pissara
Interdisciplinary Artist Sok Song
Translators Chen Du and Xisheng Chen
Pittsburgh / Somerset Edition
Smithsonian History Center (Heinz, Mr. Rogers, and more!)
Puttshack
Carnegie Museum of Art
Carnegie Museum of Natural History if you like being bored by dinosaurs
Water Steps and Mr. Rogers Memorial
The Andy Warhol Museum
Randyland (It’s FREE but you can donate. It’s not $75 as some websites state.)
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Sho
Laurel Hill State Par
Eat’n Park
Jersey/Pennsylvania Edition
Prallsville Mills
Washington Crossing Park—the PA side
MISCELLANY
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory and legacy Dr. Howard Margolin, the host of Destinies: The Voice Of Science Fiction radio show and the best eye doctor I've ever had. Wishing you the best of all possible destinies, Howard.
All good things,
Christina
**If you share any of this information publicly, please link back to me. Appreciate it.
THINGS ARE HAPPENING
Updated book club info is here.
Friday, September 4, 2026 at 12 PM CDT
First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Marjorie Saiser and Larksong Writers Place, Free
September 10, 12, and 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Curriculum IV: Spin and Spin! Turn! Turn! Turn! commissioned by LMCC’s River to River Festival
Saturday, September 12, 2026, 7:30 PM
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center presents Bruce Molsky, Putnam Valley, NY, Tickets $25
Sunday, September 13, 2026
On-The-Spot Poetry Private Event. Book yours here.
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 3 PM
Poets’ Corner features Stephanie JT Russel plus open mic for Tompkins Corners Cultural Center, Putnam Valley, NY, Door $10
Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 10-noon
Sunday Funday Book Club at Stay Green Brewing reading Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 6 PM – 8 PM
Tactile Poetry Workshop at Walt Whitman Birthplace, Huntington, NY, Register in advance.
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 12:30-2 PM
Sukha Backyard Book Club reading Saltwater Buddha Register in advance.
Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM
NY Insight Meditation Center Benefit Event: The Wisdom to Meet This Moment at Symphony Space NYC
Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 10 AM - 4 PM
Cedaremere Writing Retreat with Stefanie Maura and Christina M. Rau
Details and registration here.
Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 10 AM
Walk2EndAlz with Team J and J. Donate or root us on here.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 6 PM – 8 PM
Reiki & Write at Walt Whitman Birthplace, Huntington, NY, Register in advance.
Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 10-noon
Sunday Funday Book Club reading Black Hole
Sunday, November 1, 2026 Time TBA
Cedarmere celebrates William Cullen Bryant’s Birthday
Registration link coming soon
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
Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 10-noon
Sunday Funday Book Club reading Dungeon Crawler Carl
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: Book Club at Great South Bay Brewing, Bay Shore, NY from 10-noon
Third Sundays: Sunday Reading Series at The Hungry Brain, 6:30 PMLast Sundays: Po’Jazz with Golda Solomon at Blue Door Arts Center, Yonkers, NY, 2-4 PM, Free
ON HIATUS Every Summer Monday: Summer Gazebo Reading Series, Oceanside, NY and on zoom, 7 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
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
NEW 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
ON HIATUS UNTIL OCT. 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
NEW Third Thursdays: Poetry At The Pub, Public House Brewing, Rolla, MO
NEW 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, onlineSecond
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: 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
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).