Thanks to Marjolijn de Jager, our November 10 PoemAlley session was extraordinary. She brought her French houseguest, Claudine Monteil, the author of the biography "The Beauvoir Sisters." (The book was translated into English by Marjolijn.) Simone de Beauvoir was a noted French feminist/existentialist philosopher whose work is still very current. Thank you, Marjolijn and Claudine, for coming despite a very tight schedule, and for answering so many questions.

The poet Professor Arturo, author of the poem "My Name Is New Orleans," also paid us a short visit with his friends Elise Coleman and Bruce Clayton.

Because of all that wonderful extra activity, we’ll conclude on Thursday, December 8, the Browning/Anderson/Brothers Grimm session.

Please put Saturday, December 17, on your calendar. There will be a poetry reading to celebrate the publication of the new chapbook "Beyond the Fence," edited by Ralph Nazareth and Catherine Ednie. Location: Social Room at UUSIS at 4:00 PM.

Eva-Maria and
The PoemAlley friends

Ferrying Secrets
Ralph Nazareth
Yugadi Publishers
U.S. distributor: Yuganta Press
ISBN Number: 81-87745-16-9

Review from The Pedestal Magazine:

The collection of poetry entitled Ferrying Secrets contains everything you’d expect from a multidimensional poet and scholar like Ralph Nazareth, and it provides a trove of unexpected treasures, as well. With the music of many languages in his ear, the poet wrestles with day-to-day life in a shifting context that straddles eras, continents, disciplines and traditions.

Nazareth and his personae escort us through diverse journeys of discovery in this rare collection, exploring landscapes exotic and mundane, taking on poetical postures ranging from the spiritually intense to the slyly humorous, and bringing us to places most of us have never been before. Whether the venue is a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea, the trash can of a hot dog stand or the bustling street of a Los Angeles neighborhood, the poem’s perspective is usually fresh and entertaining, with a touch of mystery frequently thrown in, to boot. Read more

Reviewer: David Lieberman

Did we have fun going down memory lane? Yes, indeed! (Lots of alleys still to be explored.)

Dawn brought The Golden Book of Poetry, 85 Childhood Favorites, first published in 1947. Did we read them all? No, only some of her favorites. Thank you for sharing with us.

And Jim read a little from the book The Wind in the Willows by K. Grahame. Changed my mind about moles. I like them.

We enjoyed Catherine Ednie’s favorite Mother Goose rhyme so much. Here it is:

Old Woman, Old Woman

There was an old woman tossed in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon;
But where she was going no mortal could tell,
For under her arm she carried a broom.

"Old woman, old woman, old woman," said I,
"Whither, oh whither, oh whither so high?"
"To sweep the cobwebs from the sky;
And I’ll be with you by-and-by."

Hans Christian Anderson's autobiographical novel was so much admired by E.B. Browning that she dedicated her last poem, before she died, to H.C. Anderson.

On Thursday, November 10, we'll speak about Browning and, if there is time, the Brothers Grimm. Don't forget, our own poetry is priority! All else will be dropped. We'll be all ears for the reader and his/her new poem.

See you on Thursday, November 10, at 7:30pm. Remember, we meet behind the UUSIS church (20 Forest St.) at the rectory building. Take the left of the two entrance doors; if door is locked, ring intercom bell. Go down the corridor, up the stairs. When you are at the top, turn left and you'll see conference room A. That's where we meet.

Eva-Maria &
The PoemAlley Friends

Have you had a favorite children’s author, a story you had
your mother read to you over and over again; or a poem?
Come to the conference room #1. Let’s share memories.
See you Thursday, October 13, 7:30. Unitarian Univeralist
Society in Stamford, 20 Forest Street.

PoemAlley Friends

(For more information, click the PoemAlley link.)

When Ann Yarmal moved to Arizona and PoemAlley was without a “captain”, Ralph Nazareth graciously offered to fill the great void. He has not missed one meeting since, come rain or shine. Thank you, Ralph, for your loyal and wise leadership.

Now because of an additional teaching obligation that falls on every Friday evening, Ralph agreed that if PoemAlley could be held on a Thursday evening, he would still be able to attend but not lead the sessions. With that support in mind, I accepted to lead the group.

I was invited by Ann Yarmal to come to PoemAlley just a few months after it was founded and have been a member ever since. This group, no matter how many congregated on a second Friday, has created an ambiance of incredibly interesting people, having a chance to read or hear poetry and to discuss the work of a poet/author or current topics.

Thanks to UUSIS, (its minister Ron Sala and its congregation) PoemAlley has been given accommodations that will enable it to continue on the second Thursday of every month. The first meeting will be September 8, 2005, at 7:30 PM in Conference Room #1 (the “Bart” room next to Ron Sala’s office, across the "Alley" from the church building, entrance off 20 Forest Street across from the Children's store).

We are looking forward very much to September 8. Hope to see you in
Conference Room #1 as a participant or a listener.

Sincerely,
Eva-Maria

Bernier Dance & Peace Action
Present

Artists for Peace
Dancers, Musicians and Poets

PERFORMING FOR MEDICAL AID TO DARFUR

Saturday, Aug. 13th, 7:30 PM
Crystal Theater, Norwalk

Yugadi Publishers (Hyderabad, India) proudly announce the publication
of Ferrying Secrets, a book of poems by Ralph Nazareth.

Ferrying Secrets by Ralph Nazareth
Yugadi Publishers, Hyderabad, India
ISBN 81-87745-16-9
$9.95 / Rs. 150

US Distributor: Yuganta Press (yuganta@aol.com) or call 203 322 5438.

To order, please make checks payable to Yuganta Press ($9.95 + $2.50
postage & handling) and mail to Yuganta Press, 6 Rushmore Circle,
Stamford, CT 06905

A write-up of Janet Krauss' reading on Saturday 25, 2005

Please celebrate with us as Janet Krauss reads from her book of poems

Borrowed Scenery
(Yuganta Press 2005)

on Saturday, June 25th at 3:00 PM

A workshop for women, Saturday July 23

"Life's Perilous Journey: How We Remember, How We Forget:.
A Workshop in Writing Poetry and Memoir"

PRESENTED BY
BESSY REYNA and EDWINA TRENTHAM