This weekend 5 of us from PSV were privileged to hob-knob with countless English and Language Arts teachers from across Virginia attending the annual VATE [Virginia Association of Teachers of English] in the Willieborough (Williamsburg) surrounds. We made many contacts and met many really energetic, enthusiastic people dedicated to teaching young people to master their language through literature and writing. We “harvested” new PSV members and sold a substantial array of books. We have just cemented tighter our PSV relationship with VATE, to everyone’s benefit.

Looking into the rest of this week and ahead, remember to check the links on the Calendar and know the whole story for events you are thinking about attending. Details are in those links – when, where, contacts and more: www.chesbaypoets.org/Calendar.html

This week’s poetic riches start coming to us Wednesday evening at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center where you will find the long awaited The Third NIGHT OF SHARING POETRY.
For those community-minded folk who don’t want to take a day-trip from the Peninsula, there are two opportunities to be heard regarding the plans for Fort Monroe’s future as a National Park. Two events, the first on Tuesday and the other on Thursday.

Friday evening presents the 2nd First Friday Night at ijill’s crib (formerly knows as Jill Freistad, and then Saturday morning the Library at Norge hosts the First Saturday poetry reading with the PSV.

Note: coming soon, like Thursday evening next week Dr Natalia Robertson, author of The Slave Ship Clotilda at the Hampton Library, or like Saturday next week the First Annual Black Writers Literary Festival in Richmond, or like Tuesday evening Nov 17 the VB Open Page Poets present Voices Lost – Voices Found, a workshop by Pete Freas and Jack Callan at the VB HEC. Even as far ahead, look at Saturday Dec 5 for the PSV Poetry Luncheon and poetry reading at Ford’s Colony Country Club near Willieborough.

And don’t forget to check out Olde Towne Art Gallery at 525 High Street in downtown Portsmouth, for a forthcoming ekphrastic challenge in January [which will involve a December deadline to submit poems from the art work]. www.chesbaypoets.org/OldeTowneArt.pdf

That’s plenty to gnaw on for now. So keep on readin’ and keep on writin’

Oh, by the way. We are straining to get SKIPPING STONES VOL VI to the printers this week. When they then give us a delivery date, we’ll start planning release readings and receptions around HR. Also, I am extending the deadline for submission to Vol VII (2010) to November 20. Check the SKIPPING STONES link on the website homepage.

Hoo ahhhhhhhhhh
pete