Great think piece by Don McIver online at New Mexico Mercury--

"When I first started producing poetry shows, this was my format:  in a two hour block, I had 5 poets read for two sets of 10 minutes each with a 15-20 minute break between.   It worked, or at least the feedback from the poets was that it worked.  As the show (dubbed “Don McIver & Friends” by the venue) progressed I kept noticing that I would lose audience at the break.   So I adjusted to a 12 minute set and an 8 minute set but people still split at the break.   For a variety of reasons, after 3 years, I switched from the above format to the traditional 2 hour Open Mike-Feature-Slam format and we kept going until the venue went out of business.  When I switched to the new format a lot of the audience left at that break too.  To be honest, not everybody left at break, but enough people left that I tinkered with the schedule.   If given a break, many of the audience would leave after about an hour.  Recently I realized that I had been asking the wrong question when I asked, “How can I hold on to them longer so they hear more poetry before leaving?”  When I should’ve been asking, “Why are they leaving after about an hour?”  . . . "

read more at: newmexicomercury.com/blog/comments/a_spoonful_of_cinnamon_poetry_is_better_in_doses

The Southwest Book Fiesta
Albuquerque Convention Center, Southeast Hall
May 10-12, 2013

The first Southwest Book Fiesta will be in the Southeast Hall of Albuquerque Convention Center on Mother’s Day weekend, May 10-12, 2013. In addition to the trade area of booths and tables, the floor will also have a stage that will feature talks by well-known authors and cooking demonstrations by cookbook authors. In the breakout rooms adjacent to the Southeast Hall, there will be three rooms devoted to presentations by authors and publishers: Author Readings, Publishing Seminars, and Writing Seminars. This will be a true family activity to celebrate books and reading.

Show management is handled by Sunbelt Shows. the producer of the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, the largest food show in New Mexico for 25 years, partnering with Local iQ magazine.

Net proceeds from the event will be donated to literacy groups and non-profit organizations devoted to books, media, and learning. In addition to over the author and publisher vendors, author readings, and special author events we will feature exhibitors devoted to other media such as graphic novels, comics, films, videos, blogs, and social media groups.

La Alameda Press, plus around 200 exhibitors, and a Poet Laureate panel with Joanne Bodin

New Mexico Literary Arts has been around for awhile, but we just haven't gotten around to having a website until now. We will begin posting news and events as we get them—or create them!

Originally granted 501(c)3 status as the Poetry Center of New Mexico, the board of that organization threw in the towel. In 1997, a meeting was held with numerous poets and small press people as to what to do next. Consequently a new board of directors was formed as New Mexico Literary Arts.

There has been a lot of activity over the years and various incarnations with every board constellation. Each member of each board has themselves produced many literary/visual art shows, readings, forums, workshops, small press faire, and participation in events from north to south. As an organization, we have successfully collaborated to co-create the kinds of projects that fulfill our goals, if not our desires. We also act as a fiscal agent for many other organizations. We like poetry in particular, but firmly believe that “art saves lives” so we strive to interact in fresh ways with creative projects of many stripes and persuasions.

All of us on the current board have been around the poetry scene in New Mexico for a long time. We know who does what and what happens because of grassroots passion and community idealism. We have tremendous enthusiasm for dedicated people willing to do the work to make things happen, holding things together, and making a potent and viable contribution to the literary arts and cultural
community of New Mexico. We would like to hear from others around the state who we may not know, or would like to know better. Please contact us with your own news and events so that we may post the information.