What’s the Buzz? — what’s up with the festival

The Buzz, a new feature of masspoetry.org, is aggregating stories others have published in newsletters, blogs, newspapers, and websites about Mass Poetry and the festival. Check back often. We’ll have new material — especially if you send me links to your stories and to ones you’ve read. Send to jackie@masspoetry.com.

• Interview with Patricia Smith. This is an excerpt of Literary Madness STREET GUIDE TO YOUR LOCAL LIFE’s May Issue. Inspired by the arrival of the Mass Poetry Festival, May’s issue explores the present and past life of letters here on the North Shore, examining it through the lens of Salem, our home town. In addition to the Patricia Smith profile, you will find a book review of Andre Dubious’ recent memoir Townie, a look into Salem’s Literary Past and Present and listings of this month’s hottest literary events. Please visit our site www.nsarrthrob.com to see our April launch issue.
• Massachusetts Poetry Festival to illuminate Salem next weekend – The Salem News.  J.D. Scrimgeour says the festival is for the community, not just poets.
• Mass. Poetry Festival headed to Salem – Wicked Local Salem, an interview with Michael Ansara and J.D. Scrimgeour
• Buy Poetry Festival Buttons in Salem! Destination Salem blog
  

•  January O’Neil  interviews Michael Ansara, cofounder of the Mass Poetry Festival, about the  history, ambitions, and scope of Mass Poetry 
  

• Jennifer Jean blogs about working on the planning committee for the Festival.
  
• YouTube offers these readings by three of the headline poets:
  Mark Doty
  Patricia Smith
  Brian Turner
  
•  Seventh graders at Brookline’s Pierce School participate in Common Threads. Many of the events in April, National Poetry Month, were celebratory, and all seemed to promise a renaissance of poetry in our culture. Perhaps none more so that the group of friends in this photo who read and discussed the seven poems Mass Poetry was promoting through its Common Threads program. The program offered text and audio of the poems, discussion questions and background material.
  Josh Grossman, who coordinated the Common Threads program at the Pierce School in Brookline, is in the 7th grade.  “It was great to have the Common Threads downloadable program available at our disposal.  And it really helped to move along the discussion,” he said.
• Doug Holder interviews Michael Ansara and January O’Neil about the Mass Poetry Festival for the Somerville News.
  
• The Peabody Essex Museum celebrates its involvement in the Mass Poetry Festival.
  
• Don Mclagan conducts a Common Threads discussion at the Acton Council on Aging
  A group gathers in a comfortable living room-like setting to the the seven poems the Common Threads program promoted.

• The Massachusetts Cultural Council promotes the offerings of the festival.
  
• Poetry Festival brings wide range of writers to Bay State – Worcester Telegram
  
• Huntington Theatre Company sews up Common Threads
  The Huntinton Theatre Company has decided to meet monthly to explore some of their favorite poems and poets because they had such a great time.  They met during their lunch hour and found out a lot about the poems as well as each other.  Donna Glick and Charles Haugland are not in the picture on the left, but they were also involved. In the back row: Danny Bryck, Emily Griffin, Nahem Garcia, Meg Wieder, Shanice Alexander. The front row: Glenda Fishman, Lynne Johnson (seated) Barbara Crowther (in hat)
  
• Amy Dryansky talks about the joys of last year’s festival and encourages her readers to attend this year.
  
• Kolleen Carney gives an update on the need for volunteers at the Mass Poetry Festival.
  
• Quincy’s Patriot Ledger on the town library’s Common Threads presentation.