|

|
| Starboat by Sniedze Rungis |
THE
SMOKING POET SUMMER 2010
“A fine cigar and good literature―two
of life’s most enduring pleasures.”
So much cause
for celebration! The Summer 2010 issue of The Smoking Poet, marking the beginning of our
fifth year of publication, is brimming with newness. Brimming with creativity. Brimming with talent, passion for
new ideas, and encouragement for forward movement. Wherever you dip in first, you will find something you’ve never found
in TSP before—and we are pretty sure you will be as moved, as surprised, as impressed, as inspired as we have
been.
Enjoy the most
spectacular issue of The Smoking Poet yet ... Summer 2010.
Feature author/illustrator:
David Small
Feature artist:
Sniedze Rungis
Feature poet:
Derick Burleson
Feature nonfiction
author: Kip Kreiling
New: Andris'
Blue Note, music page edited by Andris Silis
New: Kalamazoo
& Beyond, featuring Kalamazoo area talent
New: Mick Parsons,
cigar editor, has entered the Cigar Lounge
and The Winners'
Circle with 1st, 2nd, 3rd Prize Winners of TSP's Third Annual Short Story Contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Zinta Aistars on Southwest Michigan's Second Wave (story and video)
Dog mushing: It's not just a winter pastime
Thursday, May 20, 2010 "Hike!" With a sharp command, Mary Vowell streaks by with
dogs panting. At a bend in the trail she and the dogs are gone deep into woods. Depending upon the season, a spray of snow
or pebbles, kicks up behind them. By day, Vowell tweaks web pages, designs newsletters, takes orders by phone, and
consults with gardeners as she maintains a network of mail-order customer service at Oikos Tree Crops, just outside of Kalamazoo. Oikos
is the Greek word for "home." Ken Asmus founded the arboretum bearing that name in 1985 to preserve wild selections of plants
from all over the world. Vowell's boss develops and grows strains of plants, edible food crops and trees that enhance wildlife
habitat and are resilient to environmental changes. "It is rather like home to me," Vowell says of her day job. "I
enjoy the type of people drawn to natural and organic ways of life. I enjoy anything that gives me the chance to bond with
nature." Vowell is nowhere more at home, however, than when she is behind her dogs on a sled or a wheeled rig. By night
and by weekend, at every spare moment, she leaves the office to transform into a dog musher. Mary caught mush fever
in .... READ THE FULL ARTICLE and view the video and photos by Erik Holladay.VIDEO: Gone to the DogsBY: Jordan Hochstetler of Joho Productions Photo: Mary Vowell mushing with her girls: Willow, Nabu,
Hannah, Moose Tracks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Zinta Aistars for Southwest Michigan's Second WaveThursday, May 06, 2010
Kalamazoo is proud of the high level of its cultural offerings. One of those is the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Writer Zinta Aistars talks to members of the Kalamazoo community to hear their thoughts about how The Gilmore influences
Kalamazoo. There's a certain steady beat to the thunk of the baseball when it hits the
leather baseball glove on Thomas Evans' hand. Almost like a metronome. Inside that baseball glove is the hand of a
musician, a conductor of orchestras. But on this day, it is the hand of a father playing catch with his son in the backyard.
Thunk, pause, toss, thunk, pause, toss, thunk. While Evans was tossing the ball to his son, in nearby Chenery Auditorium,
members of the world renowned Beaux Arts Trio were tuning their instruments. Evans says he'll never forget the impact of playing
ball with Matt, only minutes and just a few miles from a world-class concert. "I tossed the ball one more time to
Matt," Evans says, "got into my car, drove a few blocks to Chenery, parked my car for free, and sat down to listen to one
of the most incredible ... Visit SECOND WAVE for full article and photos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
Smokin' words —Zinta Aistars, editor-in-chief on 05 May 2010
What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
Our keenest competitors, although there really aren't any ... what we do is unique. That
said, Drunken Boat, AGNI, Poets & Writers, Copper Canyon Press, Press 53, Her Circle Ezine, Poets Against War, Literary
Traveler. More. —Zinta Aistars, editor-in-chief on 05 May 2010
If you publish fiction, who are your favorite fiction writers? If you publish poetry,
who are your favorite poets?
Usually the ones we feature in that particular issue, because that means we've just spent
a couple months immersed in their work. For the current issue (Spring 2010), that means Marge Piercy - her fiction, nonfiction,
poetry. Just previous, we interviewed Bonnie Jo Campbell, whose "American Salvage," story collection published by Wayne State
University Press, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Upcoming issue (Summer 2010) will be David Small and his graphic
memoir, "Stitches." Ever read a comic book that brought tears to your eyes and haunted you? Yeah. Our upcoming feature poet
will be Derick Burleson, Alaskan poet, who makes language a new discovery. —Zinta Aistars, editor-in-chief on
05 May 2010
What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
Read the rest of the interview here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Second Wave Media
http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/
Zinta Aistars Thursday, April 08, 2010
People are discovering they don't have to go to the big city to get world-class art. Writer Zinta Aistars talks to Terry
Nihart about how he got the nerve to open a downtown Kalamazoo gallery to show that art in the teeth of a fierce economic
downturn. Sometimes he shows art so edgy it tickles. read on…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fourteenth
Annual Kalamazoo Gazette Community Literary Awards
Zinta is pleased
and honored to serve as a judge on the Fourteenth Annual Kalamazoo Gazette Community Literary Awards in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Awards are for (1) Adult Poetry (ages 19 years and older);
(2) Youth/Teen Poetry (three age groups for ages 10 years and younger, 11 to 14 years, and 15 to 18 years); (3) Adult Short
Story (ages 19 years and older); (4) Youth/Teen Short Story and Creative Non-Fiction (two age groups for ages 14 years and
younger and 15 to 18 years); and (5) Memoirs/Creative Non-Fiction (ages 19 years and older). Topics are authors’ choice;
however, all entries must be suitable, in sponsors’ judgment, for printing in a family newspaper. Short stories and
memoirs/creative non-fiction must not exceed 1,750 words. There are no limitations on poems. All entries must be original
writing by the entrant that has not been previously published and must not infringe the rights of any third party. You may
submit up to three entries in each category, but each entry must be submitted separately and an entry may not be submitted
in more than one category. For example, you may submit three entries in the Adult Short Story category but those three entries
may not be submitted in the Memoir/Creative Non-fiction category. Entry forms are available during regular business hours
at the Kalamazoo Gazette; Kalamazoo Gazette Customer Service Center at The Crossroads mall; Kalamazoo Public Library its branches and the Bookmobile; the Portage District Library; Bookbug; Kazoo Books; Lowry’s Books and Michigan News Agency.
To learn more
and to download entry forms, visit here.
Deadline February
12, 2010.
Read the 2009 winning entries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mītnes zemju (agrāk devēto trimdas zemju) rakstnieki un dzejnieki, kuri ir kalpojuši un kalpo kā
"teicēji" latviešu kopienai svešumā, savos darbos skaidrojuši kopienas likteni, ilgas pēc dzimtenes,
uzņēmību saglabāt latviešu valodu, kultūru un saikni ar dzimteni, mūsdienās ir piemirsti
kā diasporā, tā arī Latvijā, it sevišķi jaunāko lasītāju vidū. Projekta
"Tilti" un latviešu mītnes zemju dzejas un prozas antoloģiju - "Tilti I" (proza) un "Tilti II" (dzeja) - mērķis
ir plašai lasītāju auditorijai Latvijā un mītnes zemēs atgādināt par šī
kultūras fenomena eksistenci un iepazīstināt ar diasporas rakstnieku un dzejnieku daiļradi. Grāmatās
pārstāvēta visu paaudžu rakstnieku un dzejnieku daiļrade, arī jaunākie autori. Vāka
noformējumam izmantota Dainas Dagnijas tekstilkolāža "Jāņu diena" (2003). Gunāra Janaiša
foto. Māra Garjāņa vāka dizains.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press 53 Open Awards 2010
Opens: September 1, 2009
Closes: January 31, 2010
Winners Announced: June 1, 2010
16 Entries Published
in the Press 53 Open Awards Anthology: October 1, 2010
The Press 53 Open Awards Writing Contest is open to writers anywhere in the world who write in English. Press 53 employees and family members are not eligible.
Writers who have published full-length books with Press 53 are not eligible. Writers whose work appears in anthologies
published by Press 53 are eligible. Judges have agreed to disqualify any work that, for whatever reason, they may recognize.
Use your best judgment when entering.
Judges
Poetry: Zinta Aistars
Flash Fiction: Tara L. Masih
Short-Short Story: Aaron Burch
Short Story: Ann Pancake
Creative Nonfiction: Lise Funderburg
Novella: Amy Rogers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kalamazoo Weekly News, Vol. 8, Issue 18
July
29, 2009
Writer
Turns Passion Into International Phenomenon
By Jessica Short
“A fine cigar
and good literature—two of life’s most enduring pleasures” is the motto behind The Smoking Poet (TSP).
Established in 2006,
the literary e-zine (an online magazine) has become a worldwide phenomenon attracting readers and writers from countries including
Spain, Singapore, France, Australia, New
Zealand, and Indonesia.
The ambiance of the
website offers its users a unique atmosphere, incomparable to any other.
“What makes The Smoking Poet unique is this cigar-lounge atmosphere,” said Managing Editor
Zinta Aistars. “We offer something to nourish the spirit—an atmosphere of relaxation… a moment away from
the raucous world to restore the spirit… a retreat into the finer arts.”
As a writer, Aistars
saw the need for The Smoking Poet while on a business trip to Austin, Texas. After meeting a man named Charlie, who was
the owner of a cigar lounge, and hearing about the day-to-day pleasure he derives from running his business, Aistars and her
[travel] companion, J. Conrad Guest, now coeditor of The Smoking Poet, were inspired
to begin a similar business of their own—a business that would embody the atmosphere of a classy cigar lounge.
“There is this
ambiance of relaxation, of leaving the hectic and stressful world outside, and retreating to this place where one can enjoy
a fragrant, hand rolled cigar, and ream a little,” said Aistars, who also works as a health care writer in Grand Rapids.
Raised by Latvian parents,
Aistars grew up in a household where the American culture played a near-to-nonexistent role in her upbringing. Growing up,
she realized how intertwined art, culture, and language are and how all of the factors play a role in how people truly grasp
a style of reading and writing.
“Many of us resolve
at that threshold crossing into independence that we must reinvent ourselves and need an entirely new environment around us
to do so,” said Aistars. “Later in life, we learn that is not necessary. Wherever we go, there we are.”
“In addition to
cigar-themed stories and reviews, the quarterly publication also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, with occasional
excerpts from novels, book reviews, and interviews that feature various artists and their work, including those from family
and friends.
“I hope our readers
enjoy that high quality of literary pleasures and enjoy the beauty of the artwork,” said Aistars.
“I hope they might
be introduced to a writer they may not have read yet. And I hope they might be moved to make a difference, too, for a cause
we feature, or for one of their own,” she said.
New to TSP is a page called “A Good Cause,” which focuses on select issues about those who have been abused
and neglected, an area in which her daughter, Lorena Audra Rutens is both educated and passionate.
Rutens, who works as
the editor of “A Good Cause” lives in Chicago.
Like many editors of The Smoking Poet who live out of state, the ease of being
able to access and utilize the e-zine has given them the opportunity to read and write about areas of literature and society
that they feel the most passionate about.
“Home is where
you make it, where your heart is,” said Aistars.
“What I love perhaps
most of all about TSP is its international flavor. This is a lounge where anyone
can drop in, from any point on the globe, and find something for them. Had we opened a lounge in Michigan, we would not have had this international community to such a degree. I can stay
in Kalamazoo, sink my roots deep into the soil, and keep on
traveling. Or, have the world come to me,” she said.
For More Information
For more info on The Smoking Poet, visit www.thesmokingpoet.net .

|