Interstices: An Anthology includes Orange County Contributors: John Gardiner, Rod Vickery, John Perry, MaryAnn Easley, John Capanna, Robin Wethe Altman, Cliff Ervin, Michael Varma, Ardie Hamilton Sarris, Kristin Orloff, Michele Ruvalcaba, Clara Foulger, Joyce Ward, Tom Pike, Julie Bishop, Barbara Potter, Franklin Yun, Heidi Shayla Rosofsky, Diane Wetherbee, Melissa Sokol, Martha Stothard, Nancy Rabbitt, Jim McCrillis, Joy Blank, Mary Anne Balmuth, Chris Wakefield, Jean Whitney, Anne Moose, Rossandra White, Anne Tammel, Lynn Smith, Joyce Robertson, Margie Hartford, Barbara Neal Varma, Peter Dingus, Ron McGuire, Diana J. Ewing, Leslie Anvari, Nita Talbot, Sonia Marsh, Jo Ellen Byrnes, Sean Mahoney, Elizabeth McGuire




Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Book Launch

Interstices: An Anthology was launched in style last night at a standing room only event that included six featured poets, open mic, musicians, and even a belly dancer! Emcee for the evening Barbara Potter kept things moving as John Gardiner read "Enniskillen" in an appropriate Irish brogue before four other poems that included "Crossing the Street in Laguna Beach." Gardiner has read his poetry in Russia, Prague, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He teaches Shakespeare and poetry for the Gifted Students Academy at UCI.

Rod Vickery, author of Osama Among Us: Sightings and an avid mountain biker, followed with a number of poems that included "Letter from the Front: Orange County, 2010" and "Snapshot." Martha Stothard writes of love, sex, abuse, and WalMart, and read samples of her work that included "Words" and "Capricious Thoughts." John Perry read selections from his current work-in-progress as well as "Directions" and "Nightly News." Jim McCrillis, a retired science teacher and wrestling coach, read "Breathless" and "Les Paul and Mary Ford Tunes." Shayla Rosofsky, the final featured poet, read "Prayer of an Overly Ambitious Poet" as well "Saturday Night at the Stop-n-Rob" and "Etymology." The feature poets were followed by an open mic time and celebrants were entertained with more poetry, fiction, music, and even a belly dancer.

Over one hundred people crammed into Irvine's popular Paradise Perks to celebrate the launch of this new anthology that features poetry, stories, memoirs, and essays. The cross generational event brought many local Irvine residents as well as students from Irvine Valley College.

Artist Robin Wethe Altman brought the original art work that appears on the anthology cover. Jann Harmon, book designer, was introduced. Contributors who pre-ordered books received their copies at the launch.

A CD sampler is available for $2.00 that commemorates the occasion and includes a number of poets reading their contributions to the anthology. The book as well as the CD is now available to the general public. SPECIAL DOWNLOAD SAMPLER (see sidebar) now available.