I’m Teaching a Winter Poetry Workshop at the Downtown Writer’s Center in Syracuse

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I’m excited to be teaching a poetry writing workshop called “Building the Better Bird” this winter at The Downtown Writer’s Center in sunny Syracuse, NY. It starts the last week of January and there are still seats available!

Building the Better Bird with Christopher
Citro Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00. 8 weeks, starting
Jan. 27, 2016. To quote Dean Young, “We’re not making
bird cages, we’re making birds.” In this workshop
we’ll discuss poetry gathered from recent books
and literary journals, then use exercises derived
from our readings to energize and inspire us to lift
a few more wings into the air.

 

Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the winter class schedule, and register for this workshop, visit the Center’s website HERE. Feel free to share with anyone in the area who might be interested!

My Poem Among Story Magazine’s Most Powerful Stories of 2015

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I’m honored to find that my poem “Our Beautiful Life When It’s Filled with Shrieks” – a finalist for the 2015 Rattle Poetry Prize and recently published in Issue 50 – was included in this list of the Most Powerful Stories of 2015 by the editors of Story Magazine. It’s so cool to see my poem among this eclectic gathering of 2015’s essays, novels, news stories, film, music and more, rubbing metaphorical shoulders (after the top 10) with Marc Maron’s WTF interview with President Obama and the final season of Mad Men. Thanks Story Magazine!

Crab Creek Review

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I’m delighted to have received my contributor’s copy of the fall issue of Crab Creek Review, which contains my poem “You Can Keep Your Employee of the Month Award” — in addition to so much great poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Thanks so much again Martha Silano, Ronda Broatch, and Jenifer Browne Lawrence!

To celebrate, I’ve uploaded to SoundCloud audio of me reading this poem at The Downtown Writer’s Center’s 2015 August Occasion in Clinton, NY.

Listen to the poem HERE.

2016 Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing

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As winter strengthens its grip upon our hearts and our thoughts naturally turn toward where we’ll go for fun and stimulation next summer, I’d like to announce that I’ll again be joining the faculty of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing! Come join us!

From the Director:

The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing http://www.mvicw.com/ is officially open for registration and scholarship applications for the 2016 Summer Season! We have an amazing line-up this year: Tony Ardizzone, Matthew Gavin Frank, Christopher Citro, francine j. harris, Amy Meng, Phong Nguyen, and Alexander Weinstein. Feel free to share the announcement, and I hope to see you on the Vineyard this summer!

Visit HERE for information on how to attend.

“As If Hurtling” in the Greensboro Review

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I’m super excited to have received my contributor copies of the fall 2015 issue of Greensboro Review – which contains my poem “As If Hurtling” along with poems by favorites such as Glenn Shaheen and Traci Brimhall and lots more great poetry and fiction.

Thanks so much Poetry Editor Mackenzie Connellee and the other Greensboro Review editors and readers!

Hey, Why’d You Do That?

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Here’s an interview with me, published today at Great Writers Steal — as part of their series called “Hey, Why’d You Do That?” — in which I respond to questions about my poem “Nerve Endings Like Strawberry Runners” recently published online at Witness.

The interview includes both the phrase “(certainty + uncertainty)” and my idea of what a poem written for a cat would look like. So, like, you’ve been warned. 🙂

Thanks Ken Nichols!

Audio of my 10/23/2015 reading at the Downtown Writer’s Center available at Talk About Poetry

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I’m delighted to be able to share this audio recording of my poetry reading at The Downtown Writer’s Center in Syracuse on October 23, 2015. The recording was made by Bob Herz and is released as part of the Talk About Poetry podcast. This recording features poems from my first book, The Maintenance of the Shimmy-Shammy, as well as newer work. Thank you so much Bob and thanks again Phil Memmer for inviting me to read!
You can listen on Soundcloud HERE.
You can listen via iTunes HERE.