Enjoy and contribute to the warm Holiday spirit we can exude during this special time of the year. Remember some people have a particularly hard time during the holidays for economic or emotional reasons. Reach out with compassion and kindness the entire year--but particularly right now. 2nd Wednesdays (tonight) I host a reading at Parkplace Books in Kirkland, Washington. The featured poets tonight are from Bellingham; Maria McLeod and Malcolm Kenyon as well as open mics. It's free. On 3rd Fridays I host a reading at Bookworm Exchange in the Columbia city Neighborhood of Seattle. It's also free. Everyone is invited.

Reminder for those in the Seattle Area.  Or those who visit the area.

2nd Wednesdays I host a poetry reading with featured poets and an open mic at Parkplace Books in Kirkland, Washington.  The reading is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Open mic sign ups at 6:45.  It is FREE. 

3rd Fridays of the month in the Columbia City area of South Seattle I host a reading at an independent new and used bookstore called Bookworm Exchange.  It is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Open mic Sign up is at 6:45.  It is free.

On October 24th and 25th I will be part of Seattle Bookfest, hosting readings from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m. both days.  They will have featured readers and open mics in an informal setting.   Dozens of small press, several bookstores, about 60 authors, some panels, formal readings and more are part of the Bookfest.   Suggested donation is $5.00.   It will happen in the Columbia City area of South Seattle.  

 

Last December I stepped into a state of the Art recording studio in Burbank, California with Pulitzer Prize and Grammy nominated poet Michael C. Ford to record some spoken word poetry. Now a special limited edition of the 76 minute CD Radio Pictures: Aural Anxieties is about to be released. It's pretty exciting to me. Michael C. Ford and I are embarking on a mini tour in the Northwest to promote his new book and this CD. If you need details email me at emeraldchris@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading my reviews. Keep writing.

Big Bowl Sunday, new month, new President, opportunity to renew positive goals, create new opportunities, try something you've never done before.  Whirlwind January, trip to Florida, settling into new residence, what's in store this month?  Bring it on.

Difficult to radically change your life around the holiday season.  Moving from a 23 year old marriage to a new life,  from a beautiful home with a view of the lake to a one bedroom apartment, learning how to juggle and balance in a whole new way.
Thank goodness for friends and wonderful acquaintances.   I'm going to catch the Christmas spirit and pass it along, because I am a foolish man who still believes in magic and the giving of gifts.   So have a Merry one.. or two.. please... we all can warm our hands on the warmth you feel and exude.

My trip to Los Angeles was busy and productive.  Saw some old friends, met a few new ones, saw a friend's new film, recorded a spoken word cd with a talented award winning pulitzer nominated poet (Michael C. Ford) which I hope will be available early next year.  Now I'm back in Seattle and getting ready to adjust to a new life as a single person.  Wish me luck.......

Recent readings and performances have gone well.  Preparing for Thanksgiving and then a trip to Los Angeles for PEN activities ;  lit-fest and board meeting;  seeing old friends and maybe making a spoken word CD....

Tomorrow night I'll be co-hosting and reading at an All open mic located at LRS' old studio location on Franklin off of Eastlake in Seattle.  www.littleredstudioseattle dot com   no spaces and .com  Taking it a little slow this weekend... need it.  Thanks to some of you for noticing I've posted some new reviews. mostly movie reviews with a Halloween twist.  Enjoy.

October 21, 2008

Several readings and performances coming up for me in the near future. I host and curate several readings 2nd Saturdays Ugly Mug on Rainier in South Seattle  and, 3rd Fridays  Bookworm Exchange Seattle 98118 on Rainier Avenue too. Both begin at 7 p.m.  both are free. Featured poets open mic.  I've had a regular reading going on in Seattle now for over 8 years !!!

On November 22nd I'm part of an all day poetry/spoken word celebration that's being held in Tacoma at Kings Books.  A heck of a lin-up of poets let me tell you...  Saturday, November 22 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
King's Books, 218 St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma
Distinguished Writer Series features Open House and Poetry Marathon.  

Schedule for Nov. 22's Marathon
    Welcome- 10:55-11:00 -MC, Maggie
    11:00 -11:20-Lana Hechtman Ayers
    11:25 -11:45-Michael Magee
    Open Mic 11:45-1205-Michael Magee hosts
    12:10 -12:30-Jack McCarthy
    12:35-12:55-Chris Jarmick  w/ Eileen Fix
    1:00-1:20 - Open Mic - Shannon O'Donnell hosts
    1:25-1:45 -Kevin Miller and Casey Fuller
    1:50-2:10 - Tim Sherry
    2:15-2:35 -Kelly Richstein
    2:40-3:00 -Jeff Lair
    3:05-3:25 -Richard Brugger
    3:30-3:50 -Open Mic - Connie Walle hosts
    3:55-4:15 - Josh Riseberg
    4:20-4:40- Peter Ludwin
    4:45-5:05- Lorraine Healy
    5:10-5:30 -Allen Braden

Crazy busy schedule.....

October 7th, 2008 Hosting poetry at Parkplace Books in Kirkland Washington on October 8th at 7 p.m. Featured poets are Eileen Fix and Dennis Caswell and an open mic. Hosting and performing Poetry at the Erotic Poetry Night at the Ugly Mug Coffee House on Rainier in Seattle, Saturday October 11th, 7 p.m. Performing, reading poetry in The Saffron show at Little Red Studio Seattle Saturday October 18th. Also doing something at the October 10th: Gold Show. www.littleredstudioseattle.com April 24th, 2008 Viewpoints updates and all these new members are exciting. The warm culture of the website continues. Thanks for the ratings, comments and making me feel good that I am contributing essays, reviews and even a little poetry to a website that is living up to its promise! March 18, 2008 Time flies by. Thanks for the comments, good points, and reading my stuff once in a while. I've been writing here for a year already!!! February 27, 2008 The Oscars and Spirit Awards are done. Remember to click on the Good Points for anything you read that you believe was written fairly well. Even if you don't agree with the opinion, if you want the writer to keep writing, a Good Point is like a pat on the back. Yeah... keep writing, I want to read something else you wrote. Anyway, too bad Sidney Lumet's latest film was overlooked, but do be sure to see it when it comes out on DVD in April. Anyone in the Seattle area should email me and get on my literary list to find out about readings prose and poetry and more. Enjoy 2008, Leap Year, and KEEP WRITING!!!! January 4, 2008 It's 2008 !!! Hope everyone is enjoying Viewpoints, the writing, the making of new connections. Encourage and mentor other writers--most will appreciate it very much. Remember to Good Point and comment more than you ever done in the past. Make people your friends too!!! December 18th, 2007 Happy Holidays to everyone. Be a FAN and Good Point the writers you check out around this wonderful, growing place that continue to attracts great people, and writers. Write On!!!! November 17th,2007 Back from Los Angeles and fun time brushing up against people like Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Gary Marshall, Gore Vidal, Larry Gelbart, and many others. The best part was seeing old friends, spending time with my nephew, getting some friends and acquaintances to witness my reading with Michael C. Ford and Laurel Bogen -- making a few new friends and then returning safe and sound to the Pacific Northwest. Now how about remembering to click those Good points. C'mon you can do it. Keep writing !!!! October 22nd. Some of you know I'm an active poet, curating and hosting poetry readings and sometimes presenting my own stuff. If you're near Venice, California on November 10th, come see the show at Beyond Baroque at 7 p.m. Michael C. Ford, Laurel Ann Bogen and Chris Jarmick present Poetry on the Dark Side. In the meantime do more reading of reviews, don't forget Good Point clicks and KEEP WRITING. Sept 1, 2007 I encourage you to hit the GOOD POINTS button on all reviews you read through. Please leave comments of agreement or disagreement as you have time to do. I love feedback from folks and will try to respond. Busy schedule at work, home, and a few writing projects have kept me a little less active at viewoints than I would like to be. Still hosting poetry readings and doing some reading myself around the Seattle area. KEEP WRITING!!! August 8, 2007 Busy, crazy month for me. I look forward to this community growing and becoming even more interactive. Thanks for the comments, the good points and of course the compliments. Some wonderful people are around these parts. Have fun. Keep writing. July 2, 2007 I write to be read and Good Points checks and comments make it official that someone is out there reading my writings. I can talk in the mirror all I want, it's not going to help me grow as a writer. Thanks for reading, rating, commenting, & letting others know to browse around viewpoints and read, rate comment. Oh and you can write about things too!!!! June 30, 2007 I've been challenging myself to get not just a large volume of reviews posted, but to try to make each one informative and fun to read. Some I've taken even more time with to try and be a litlte more creative with my presentation. I decided to follow my 50 Great Movies with a Great Kids and Family Movies series and then a Worst Kids Movies series. Any 'series' ideas your craving for me to do? Great Baaad Movies, Great Cheesy Movies, Best Romantic Movies, Best Sports Movies, Best Horror Films, just drop me a line on what you'd like. Thanks for the points, comments and encouragement. April 2007 Hopefully my contributions inform, entertain and don't contain too many misteaks. I'm an avid film buff and afficianado, a writer, and poet who grew up on the East Coast, spent waaaay too much time in Los Angeles and now live in Seattle. I host two monthly poetry readings in the Seattle area on a monthly basis. I have contributed essays, articles, and interviews regarding film directors, writers and more to a variety of magazines and newspapers. I co-wrote the suspense novel, The Glass Cocoon with Serena Holder.