Jack McCarthy RIP

Photo Credit Seattle Poetry Slam

In a week when the Washington Post publishes an article with the title, "Is Poetry Dead?" we have lost one of the poets whose work gave that question a resounding no.
Or as Keats said "...the poetry of the earth is never dead."

The Boston Globe called McCarthy a"...consummate storyteller whose métier was verse."

You may read his work and see videos of his performances at:
http://standupoet.net/

Here is a link to a tribute from fellow poets on IndieFeed at
http://indiefeedpp.libsyn.com/jack-mc-carthy-victory

Victor Infante wrote a beautiful piece in the Worcester Telegram:
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130118/COLUMN86/130119557/0

"Here and Now," on Boston's NPR Station has a podcast on Jack entitled
"Remembering a Slam Legand" at:
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/01/25/jack-mccarthy-poetry

Memorial Services for McCarthy will take place at:

The Northeast memorial will take place on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at the Follen Unitarian Church in Lexington, Massachusetts at 2PM. The service will be followed by a reception at the church and an open mic at 6PM at the Chelmsford Public Library.

The Washington memorial service will be on Saturday, February 16, 2013 in Marysville, Washington at the Evergreen Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 2PM, followed by a reception.

Finally, the California memorial service will be at 4PM on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center in Venice, California.

Jack was much loved and one last rebuttal to the Washington Post who asked the age old question of if poetry can ever change anything, here is Jack's poem "Drunks." 

Write Bloody Press is publishing a book by Jack on recovery that includes "Drunks."
You can read on how the book came about in this lovely exchange of emails
between Jack and publisher/poet Derrick Brown on Write Bloody.

PS The Washington Post issued a retraction Poetry-is-not-Dead-Says-Poetry

Valentine's Dance

New York Memory Center & Alzheimer’s Poetry Project Present

Valentine’s Dance at the Memory Arts Café

Memory Arts Café is a new series of free art events for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, their caregivers and the general public and is co-produced by New York Memory Center and the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project. The series, which takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, includes light refreshments and the opportunity to chat with the guest artists.

This Memory Arts Café event features the dance company Rhythm Break Cares (RBC). Poet Gary Glazner will host the event.

Wednesday, February 13th, at 6 pm

New York Memory Center

199 14th Street at 4th Avenue • Brooklyn, NY 11215

(Take the R to Prospect Ave.)

For info: call (718) 499-7701 or visit alzpoetry.com

Please join us for an evening of fun, dancing and socializing. Rhythm Break Cares (RBC) takes a unique and highly effective approach to address the widespread and immediate needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s, associated dementias, and their caregivers, by engaging them in partner dance as a means to improve their quality of life. Since 2009, RBC has successfully offered this interesting form of dance therapy, which capitalizes on the demonstrated benefits of music, movement and touch. Their sessions provide a rare opportunity for patients and their caregivers to escape some of the burdens associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia, in a stress-free environment where they can observe, participate and be entertained.