Calling All Poets

  Mission Statement & History

From its inception seventeen years ago, Calling All Poets' prime objective has been to provide the community with an open and democratic stage, as well to as foster future poets and spoken word artists. To that end, CAPS has been hugely successful.  The longest running poetry series in the Hudson Valley, CAPS has become what its founders, Beacon poet Jim Eve and fellow poets Mike Jurkovic and Robert Milby envisioned: an  expansive network connecting poets from across New York State, from Long Island to Albany, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. More recently, CAPS' reach now includes the virtual global community, streaming events live and streaming in poets for live readings from across the Northeast as well as Arizona, Colorado, Slovenia, California, and North Carolina.

Relying on tenacity, and a shoestring budget, CAPS has recently become a federal, tax exempt, nonprofit organization. The live streaming from our website,  www.callingallpoets.net, and archived CAPSCASTS  showcase the artistic diversity that sustains CAPS.  Your generous, tax-free donations will enable CAPS to purchase  equipment needed to expand our online presence and streaming capabilities.  Your dollars will go towards  a dedicated CAPS laptop, better wireless connectivity, a flat screen tv, camera upgrades, off-site hard drives, lighting, and the publication of the second Calling All Poets Anthology.



                             Personal Statements

“Poetry in the Hudson Valley is as important to American culture in the 21st century as the Hudson River School of Painting was in the 19th century and Calling All Poets is at the forefront.”  
– Dr. Barbara Adams, poet, author, Professor Emerita, Pace University1981-2001

“Calling All Poets has successfully created a diverse community of poets and writers who support one another. Whenever I’m there, I feel as if I am part of something bigger, a movement in the arts. In addition, they have embraced technology, streaming readers outside the area live and broadcasting the events online. Calling all Poets is the best series in the Hudson Valley!  
- Rebecca Schumejda, poet Cadillac Men, Waiting at the Dead End Diner

 “CAPS is about poetry of course. But it's also about community, how it's actually created a community of diverse personalities and backgrounds that come together each month to speak in the one language we all know.  The spoken word.  Every month there's a mark on the calendar that we all look forward to.”    
– Ken Holland, poet, Pushcart nominee

"Being a part of CAPS has been a tremendously enriching experience from the very first time I read there.  It is a truly nurturing, inspiring, environment where you can develop your voice among a diverse family of extremely talented writers.”   
- Larry Sansone, 1st Poet Laureate of Beacon, co-CAPS Tech Czar


 "The Hudson Valley is one of the most vibrant and exciting poetry regions in the country and Calling All Poets at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon is a centerpiece for the power of words. I feel fortunate to be part of this creative current and to be able to share the art of language with the hundreds of writers I’ve met and whose works I’ve been able to read and hear over the years.”  
- Laurence Carr, author, Pancake Hollow Primer; editor Riverine, co-editor of WaterWrites & A Slant of Light (Codhill Press), Professor of English & Theatre, SUNY New Paltz

 “Some communities have talented poets, but no event organizers. Some have organizers, but not much talent.  In the Valley we’re blessed with both. The dedicated people who create our poetry scene are themselves wonderful writers. Thanks to their unflagging efforts, readings, cds, chapbooks, marathons and anthologies have sprung up on both sides of the river for almost twenty years. My own journey from open-mike poet to Off-Broadway playwright was due in large part to the ongoing opportunities and warmth provided by my fellow poets.  I’ll always be grateful.”  
  - Irene O’Garden,Pushcart award wining poet, author, playwright, Women On Fire

"Thanks to both the many hardworking poetry hosts and the scores of poets who come out to share their work it sometimes seems one could attend a reading every day. And the truly wonderful thing is that the region is home to a number of extremely gifted poets who can leave an audience wishing their reading would never end." 
   - Matthew J. Spireng, poet, and three time Pushcart nominee

“The Hudson Valley boasts a plethora of fascinating poets whose active participation in readings and local events makes them a reliable source of wisdom and inspiration.”
 - Dr. Lucia Cherci, poet, Lepădarea de Limbă (The Abandonment of Language)

“Though my poetry base is Long Island and Manhattan, over the past decade or so I've been fortunate to share work with HV poets regularly. The venues are great, the range of voices impressive, and the sense of community is something that I appreciate personally and professionally.”
- George Wallace,poet, First Poet Laureate, Suffolk County

 "I can't imagine living anywhere else in the world. Where else could I find the variety, the devotion, the matter-of-fact respect for poetry not just as an art but a fact of life? From the poetry gangs of Albany to the lost souls of Orange County, I believe the Hudson Valley provides a unique climate for poets of all inclinations to share their work in a supportive environment, a gift not always available to other creators."
  - Cheryl A. Rice, poet,  My Minnesota Boyhood, Moses Parts The Tulips

 “The Hudson Valley gives voice to writers and poets who have something of value to say and a comfortable environment for accomplishing this important endeavor.  From the caves of Rosendale to the richness of the Howland Center, the Hudson Valley has nurtured me and advanced my career.” 
– Eddie Bell, author, poet, Capt’s Dreaming Chair, Festival of Tears

"Founded in 1999, Calling All Poets is among the oldest poetry series in the Valley. Its artistic magic derives from our diversity, talent, and the dedication of our supporters - college kids, octogenarians, novice, famous, street poets and professors. And let's not forget Howland is a featured poet in and of itself."
- Robert Milby, poet, Ophelia's Offspring, Crow Weather, co-host Calling All Poets

“Like the heart of Henry's tidal river beating by manic Manhattan streets, sleepy villages, and hardscrabble cities, Hudson Valley poets touch all walks of life.  Not always pretty, but always passionate , honest and curious enough to stir our souls, minds and imagination.” - Tony Pena, poet, Opening Night in Gehenna

"The varied crowd Calling All Poets attracts makes for lively nights. It's rare that we have a dull evening. The fact that the hosts are welcoming and gracious for the presence of a supportive crowd speaks volumes. You don't have nearly the sense of camaraderie anywhere else."
– Christopher Wheeling, poet, CAPS photographer

 “I believe that if CAPS continues on the path it is now blazing it will become an important milestone in the growth of American Poetry.”
– Glenn Werner, poet, Premeditated Contrition and other poems, CAPS Tech Czar

 "Poets have grown up at CAPS."
 - Jim Eve, poet, founder, co-host Calling All Poets

www.callingallpoets.net  
Facebook: Calling All Poets Series