Video Intereview of Maria Gillan at The Poetry Center in Paterson

Maria Mazziotti Gillan video recorded at the Poetry Center at PCCC in Paterson by Liana Vioa, host of the radio show Contemplative, Expressive and Imaginative Arts at http://blogtalkradio.com.

Video at http://vimeo.com/56094522

Audio & other files at version at Contemplative, Expressive and Imaginative Arts

The Place I Call Home Reviewed

 The Place I Call Home (NYQ Books) by Maria Mazziotti Gillan was recently reviewed by : CL Bledsoe on www.thepedestalmagazine.com

In these fifty-two poems, Gillan chronicles the life of an Italian immigrant girl, presumably herself, the child of immigrants who worked and sacrificed to give her and her siblings a better life. Gillan’s collection is a meditation on home, whether the home of her childhood, the home of her married life, or the home she lives in now. Location is an important element, but the people who share the home are the true glue Gillan focuses on. She begins with “That Sound Carries Me toward Childhood,” a meditation on her mother’s voice: “It is dark. I swear I hear my mother calling, though it is/ fifteen years since she died and more than fifty years/ since we lived in the 17th Street apartment that I think of/ when I think of my childhood….” Gillan paints a vivid portrait of her childhood home, its garden full with “corn stalks taller/ than any of us, its vines heavy with tomatoes, the air/ tangy with herbs, rosemary, oregano, and mint and the tart/ aroma of zucchini and eggplant." She describes capturing fireflies, eating homemade snacks, listening to radio programs, and playing games. All of these things Gillan describes no longer exist; as she explicitly states, the mentioned family members are all dead, but they live on in her memory. Even though there’s pain and loss in these memories, there’s also hope and joy. As Gillan states in “My Mother Used to Wash My Hair,” she is still surprised by beauty, “the broken world/ still filled with so much surprising grace.” Her hope and salvation walk hand-in-hand with her poetic spirit...

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Retreat at St. Marguerite's

More than 30 poets convened for a retreat at St. Marguerite's in Mendham, NJ, this past weekend.

This retreat, led by by Maria Mazziotti Gillan and Laura Boss, is held twice a year and gives poets the chance to write and share poetry in a beautiful, wooded setting.

On Saturday afternoon, the group enjoyed a viewing of "All That Lies Between Us", the documentary on Maria's life, which was written, produced and directed by Kevin Carey and Mark Hillringhouse, who also attended the retreat. The cherry atop the sundae was Bob Evans' live performance of  the "The Crows of Paterson," the song he wrote for the movie.   

Catch Maria's interview with Liana Voia

Liana Vioa, is a clinical hypnotherapist, Mindfulness and Guided Imagery practitioner and instructor in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She hosts the radio show Contemplative, Expressive and Imaginative Arts at http://blogtalkradio.com. 

Liana was on the road Monday, and came to Paterson, NJ, to interview Maria in her office at the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.  For the live interview, click here.   

Smith and Blanco at the Poetry Center

Maria Mazziotti Gillan shown here with Patricia Smith and Richard Blanco 

after the December 8th Distinguished Poets Series Reading,
which was held at the Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ. 

KCMH Pictures Presents the DVD…

All That Lies Between Us

A documentary film on the life and work of

Maria Mazziotti Gillan

Written, Produced & Directed by

Kevin Carey & Mark Hillringhouse

Music by Bob Evans

60 Minutes

Copyright KCMH 2012

All That Lies Between Us is a journey through the life of one New Jersey poet and her mission to keep poetry alive in her native city of Paterson and beyond. Maria Mazziotti Gillan's story is a true American tale: the daughter of Italian immigrants, she rose out of poverty to become a force in the poetry world and an inspiration to writers everywhere.            

"When this fascinating documentary is over you understand that if there were a country called Poetry, Paterson would be its capital and Maria Mazziotti Gillan would be its president."

Jeff Page, Journalist/Writer

"Paterson is lucky to call [her] a native daughter."

Jim Haba, Poet/Producer of the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival

To order DVD: Send check or money order for $17.00

($15.00 plus $2.00 for postage and handling)

payable to Kevin Carey at 605 Cabot St., Beverly, MA 01915. 

For more information, contact: kcarey@salemstate.edu

 

Poet Wanda Coleman Needs Your Help

Wanda Coleman, widely considered the "unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles," has been battling an upper respiratory infection since September; she has been hospitalized more than once.

According to an email from Richard Modiano, director of Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center, Coleman had to cancel several appearances this fall due to illness, and recently went back into the hospital again. She is scheduled to be released early this week but will need additional care after she is discharged.

Because Coleman's outpatient care will not be covered by insurance, she is asking for assistance.

Donation checks can be sent to: Wanda Coleman, P.O. Box 571, Lancaster, CA 93534.

From The Academy of American Poets:

Born in 1946, Wanda Coleman grew up in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. She is the author of Bathwater Wine (Black Sparrow Press, 1998), winner of the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize.

A former medical secretary, magazine editor, journalist and scriptwriter, Coleman has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation for her poetry. Her other books of poetry include Mercurochrome: New Poems (2001);Native in a Strange Land: Trials & Tremors (1996); Hand Dance (1993); African Sleeping Sickness (1990); A War of Eyes & Other Stories (1988); Heavy Daughter Blues: Poems & Stories 1968-1986 (1988); and Imagoes (1983). She has also written Mambo Hips & Make Believe: A Novel (Black Sparrow Press, 1999) and Jazz and Twelve O'Clock Tales: New Stories (2008).