I’m sure you’ve already heard about all the interesting events taking place on Saturday, May 14, during the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem. There are the poetry trains and trolleys which sound like a ton of fun to me. On the trains, poets have volunteered to help shepherd travelers from Boston’s North Station to Salem by designating a special train car for the Festival. The volunteer then essentially reads poems for the duration of the trip or offers to sort of moderate an impromptu open mic. Then the Salem Trolley pick up passengers and takes them to the various venues again with a volunteer reading poetry as the trolley travels around.

Otherwise I’m pretty torn about what events to attend and how to best schedule my time to get the most out of this very educationally packed day. So, I thought I’d share my preliminary schedule with you and hope that you’ll weigh-in to help me decide. What are you going to? It will be great to be in sessions with other NSPF friends… everything’s better when you’re doing it with friends, isn’t it?

I’ll be volunteering as a “guide” 9-11 a.m. a perfect time as far as that goes because it seems like that will be the key “arrival” period. And it doesn’t seem like I’ll miss too many of the Festival “sessions.”

At 11 a.m. there is “The Art of Critique and the Development of Craft” panel at Colonial Hall. I’m hoping this will provide some insight on different methods to help us NSPF members critique each others’ works when we meet again next time.

At 12:15 p.m., I was thinking about heading over to the Morse Auditorium at the PEM for “Speaking Pictures: Beyond Ekphrastic Workshop” led by Susan Rich. This goes until 1:45 p.m.

I wanted to also make it to the Boston Haiku Society reading 1-2:30 p.m. as preparation for the 2:30 p.m. haiku writing workshop.

At 1:45-2:45 p.m., there’s a workshop called “Becoming the Other: Writing the Dramatic Monologue” which I’d hoped might help provide a little insight on how to enhance “perspective” and “personae” in my poems. But this workshop is all the way over at the House of Seven Gables.

At 2-3:30 p.m. Kim Richey leads a workshop on songwriting that I thought would be a blast to attend with my singer/songwriter/artist/teacher hubby (if, of course, I can rope him into coming with me!).

But… I will be presenting as part of a panel of poets regarding the somewhat controversial topic of why poets should seek to obtain a master of fine arts degree at 3-4 p.m., upstairs in the Old Town Hall. I would really really really love to see some friendly faces in the audience if you don’t already have something scheduled.

Phew! At 4-5 p.m. I’m rushing over to the Salem Anthenaeum for a workshop with Patricia Smith, author of “Blood Dazzler” a collection of poems about Hurricane

Katrina that she tells from a variety of perspectives including personifying the city of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina herself. I just started reading it and it is pretty powerful stuff.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to catch the evening headline readings which feature poets Mark Doty, Kim Richey, and Patricia Smith which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the First Universality Society of Salem. My nephews and nieces need some time with their Aunti.

You’ve probably already received this little “Top 10” list if you are the Massachusetts Poetry Festival e-mail list but I thought it was kinda cute (who doesn’t love poetry jokes?) so I’ll put it in this post:

10. Witch persecutions in Salem no longer an issue.

9. Poetry Trolleys!

8. Watch MC Christopher Lydon try to pronounce “Aimee Nezhukumatathil.”

7. Rare opportunity to hear barbaric yawps.

6. Borders is closing—buy books at the Small Press Fair and book sellers.

5. See secret “eighth gable” in basement of the House of Seven Gables.

4. No problem parking — plenty of meter.

3. Long-form birth certificates not required for entry.

2. Bad poetry—this means you!—celebrated by Steve Almond.

 1. Free Versers/Formalists food fight!

Okay then my NSPF friends… help a girl out! What sessions are you going to and where we can meet each other? Maybe next year we can have a NSPF poets reading session in some little Salem café?

See you soon!