Come and enjoy the divinity of woman at the Candlelight Reading Series’ upcoming event, “Poetry of the Goddess,” a celebration of poetry written by famous and less famous women poets on Saturday, April 29, 2006, 8 PM at Revelations, upstairs, 112 North Main Street, Fairfield, Iowa. You will be hearing some stirring poetry from many diverse cultures, ancient as well as contemporary, from all over the world.

Several poems will be presented as duets, trios, quartets, and even full ensemble pieces, among them a powerful “Song of Isis.” Musical contributions provided by Lise Mahima Marcell, harmonium and santoor, James Duke, tampura and Freddy Niagara Fonseca, cymbals.

Freddy, the series’ founder has invited eight local ladies to read with him: Sharalyn Harris, Stacey Hurlin, Hilary Kurtz, Diana Quinlan, Megan Robinson, Raquel Cakau Valls, Laura Weinberg, and Patricia Wood.

Deborah Roberts, winner of the Poetry of the Goddess local contest, will read her poem, "I Am Beautiful."

Admission is free. Donations will be accepted for the Women for Women Campaign benefiting the Crisis Center. Please come on time.

PROGRAM

POETRY OF THE GODDESS

Saturday, April 29, 2006, 8 PM, Revelations Bookstore, Fairfield, Iowa

with Sharalyn Harris, Stacey Hurlin, Hilary Kurtz, Diana Quinlan, Megan Robinson, Raquel Cakau Valls, Laura Weinberg, Patricia Wood with Lise Mahima Marcell, harmonium & santoor, James Duke, tampura, and Freddy Niagara Fonseca, cymbals

The Shulamite - Song of Songs - Laura, Megan, Patricia, Sharalyn, Stacey, Cakau, Diana, Hilary with harmonium, tampura and cymbals

    BIRTH

Joy Harjo - Early Morning Woman - Megan

Mira Bai - I Remember How My Mother - Sharalyn

Gloria Fuertes - Human Geography - Cakau

Yü Hsüan-chi - Letting My Feelings Out - Hilary

Lucille Clifton - Holy Night - Laura

Nahuatl (Aztec) - Poem to Ease Birth - Stacey with santoor

Mary Oliver - Sunrise - Diana

Edna St. Vincent Millay God’s World - Freddy

    INITIATION

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) - Invisible, Indivisible Spirit - Sharalyn

Lakshminkara - Lay Your Head on a Block of Butter - Megan

Zen Oleary - A Language I Cannot Speak Without You - Stacey

Sylvia Plath - Mushrooms - Freddy

Dorothy Walters - Preparing to Greet the Goddess - Patricia

Normandi Ellis - Song of Isis - Cakau, Hilary, Diana & ensemble with harmonium, tampura, santoor and cymbals

    MARRIAGE

Elizabeth Reninger - Dawn - Laura

Kubatum - Bridegroom, Beloved of My Heart - Stacey with santoor

Countess Beatriz de Die - Lately I’ve Felt a Grave Concern - Cakau

Sharalyn Harris - You Left Me - Sharalyn

Mahadeviyakka - I Do Not Call It His Sign - Diana, Patricia, Megan, Stacey

Mahadeviyakka - When the Body - Diana

Vidya - Friends, You Are Lucky - Hilary

Mary Austin - Shoshone Wedding Song - Stacey & Freddy with santoor

Deborah Roberts - THE WINNING POEM: I Am Beautiful - Deborah

    OLD AGE

Vijali - Family of Earth - Megan & Diana

Yü Hsüan-chi - Spring Thoughts Sent to Tzu-an - Patricia

Wang Ch’ing-hui - Now the Lotuses in the Imperial Lake - Hilary & Freddy

Laura Weinberg - The Life of a Gopi - Laura with tampura and cymbals

Julia de Burgos - Nothing - Cakau

Elizabeth Jennings - One Flesh - Sharalyn & Freddy

    WISE WOMEN

Nikki Giovanni - ego tripping (there may be a reason why) - Cakau & Megan

Mira Bai - My Love is in My House - Laura

Gunilla Norris - Entering Rest - Stacey

Ch’iu Chin - How Many Wise Men and Heroes - Freddy

Yeshe Tsogyel - Listen, O Brothers and Sisters - Cakau

Mira Bai - I Have Talked To You - Sharalyn

Kathleen Raine - Amo Ergo Sum - Laura, Sharalyn, Stacey, Hilary, Megan, Cakau, Patricia with harmonium, tampura and cymbals

The 2006 Readings

Design and copyright 2009 Freddy Niagara Fonseca

Fairfield Creates