MICHAEL FRANCO
email: mfranco34@aol.com
DIRECTOR: XIT THE BEAR: READINGS IN THE PRESS ROOM 2016-PRESENT
A series of readings in the newly constructed Press Room opened in 2016: The fall season that year featured Gerrit Lansing, William Corbett and Fanny Howe; In 2019 a celebration “Returning to The Field: Robert Duncan at 100” returned the Series to its home ground.
MEMBER of THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE PIONEER VALLEY POETRY FESTIVAL 2018-PRESENT
UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA, PORTUGAL Masters Program in Creative Writing: Guest Writer: 2021-PREASENT
DIRECTOR : OXFORD STREET TALKS & READS a series of subscribed talks and informal readings. April-May of 1999 with a set of talks by Gerrit Lansing and Diane di Prima & Susan Thackrey.
DIRECTOR, WORD OF MOUTH READING SERIES: 1987-1998
Word of Mouth has presented poets from England to California; from unknown to established poets [such as Robert Creeley, Diane di Prima, Fanny Howe, Nathaniel Mackey, Kenward Elmslie, Robin Blaser, William Corbett Forrest Gander, CD Wright Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno David Ratray Clayton Eshleman, Charles Bernstein, Tom Raworth]; Commissioned plays from local poets; Presented a two part festival of poetry on film; Produced reading versions of numerous central contemporary and modernist texts [Stein's TENDER BUTTONS, and FOUR SAINTS IN THREE ACTS, Spicer's AFTER LORCA, and A COMPLETE CORRESPONDENCE; THE LETTERS OF OLSON CORMAN AND CREELEY. [all edited and arranged by M. Franco] as well as organizing exhibitions of work by artists & photographers (such as Ben Watkins, Katha Seidman, Michael Mazur and Jess) shown during the readings and bringing together the all too often isolated groups of " writers" and "artists" whose work as Stein says is the "composition in which we live" and so the composition from /in which we create.
MEMBER OF THE POETRY PANEL FOR AGNI MAGAZINE [BOSTON UNIVERSITY 1996-1999
EDITOR /PUBLISHER dromenon press 1975- present
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR lift magazine 1990- 1995
RECENT VIDEOS:
Texts For Nothing: Conversations with Poets
Cambridge Community Television: https://textsfornothingtv.com/2019/01/10... {starts at 2.05}
Woodberry Poetry Room: Harvard University:
“Boston Originals” Reading: [2017] Https://Youtu.Be/8wyg7obnlpy?T=1514
Grolier Bookshop: [2018] Https://Www.Youtube.Com/Watch?V=Au7t-Nazx1k
Xit The Bear [2017]
PUBLICATIONS:
BOOKS: [selected]
from the library of Michael Franco’s A Book of Measure: THE MARVELS OF DAVID LEERING [PRESSED WAFER 2017]
A BOOK OF MEASURE VOLUME ONE: THE JOURNALS OF THE MAN WHO KEEPS BEES [Talisman House 2017]
T HE LIBRARY OF DR DEE [author’s edition DROMENON PRESS /FOR / PRESSED WAFER, 2007]
HOW TO LIVE AS A SINGLE NATURAL BEING THE DOGMATIC NATURE OF EXPERIENCE Zoland Books; [fall 1998]
TALES FROM THE PORTUGUESE [dromenon press] 1996
THE JOURNALS OF THE MAN WHO KEPT BEES [lift books] 1996
PARALLEL LINES [dromenon press] 1990
CONFERENCES [dromenon press] 1987
NARRATION [dromenon press] 1984
THREE POEMS FROM THE PROCESSIONAL SEQUENCE [poems in broadsides] [dromenon press] 1976
Ancient Art and Ritual [dromenon press] 1976
[EDITOR]
A BOSTON SELECTION [TALISMAN 1996]
MAGAZINES:[selected]
SPOKE
LET THE BUCKET DOWN
LINGO
NOTUS
KEY SATCH
COMPOUND EYE
TALISMAN
FIVEFINGER REVIEW
AGNI
lift
CAFE REVIEW
ATELIER
ANTHOLOGIES:
Reverberations 3: A Visual Conversation: [Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 2024]
Reverberations 1: A Visual Conversation: [Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 2018]
Agni 56: Thirtieth Anniversary Poetry Anthology [Boston University, 2002]
THE BLIND SEE ONLY THIS WORLD: POEMS FOR JOHN WIENERS [PRESSED WAFER/GRANARY BOOKS, 2000]
POESIA DO MUNDO [UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA, PORTUGAL, 1996 {BI-lingual}
TRANSLATIONS
selected poems from HOW TO LIVE [Lattitude: Aveiro, Portugal 1995]
interview with Jõao de Mancelos [Lattitude: Aveiro, Portugal 1996]
ARTICLES ON/REVIEWS:
“Thoughts After Reading Michael Franco’s A BOOK OF MEASURE” Peter Valente 2017
“Speaking Franco” interview: AGNI
“Michael Franco’s Word of Mouth” : article AGNI
READINGS:[selected]
2024
Xit the Bear Readings in the Press Room: Somerville Ma
2022
Universadade de Coimbra, Masters in Creative Writing Program: Readings/ Talk [When Everything Speaks] & Workshop
Universadade de Coimbra: Reading for “A Tradução na Prática ∞ A Prática da Tradução VIII” conference: Presentation of a student led translation of the poem “Turning Towards an Old Form” with a reading by actors and the author.
2018
GROLIER BOOKSHOP
2017
Gloucester writers center
Xit the bear: readings in the press room: Somerville ma.
Woodberry poetry room: harvard university “Boston originals readings”
Casa de Escrita, Coimbra Portugal [bi-lingual reading and book launch]
Hubert Jennings/fernando Pessoa colloquium • Brown University
“The Proprioception Panel” The writers Center Gloucester, Ma.
selected Past Readings:
FOUR FABULISTS: reading in conjunction with exhibit of paintings by Katha Seidman with readings by Corbett, Torra, & Franco and a performance by early music group Tapestry.
Publication readings: for The Blind See Only This World: Poems For John Wieners:
Brookline Booksmith
publication party at the home of William Corbett
Poetry Project: St Marks: New York [January]
2nd Boston Alternative Poetry Conference
Livraria Minerva, Coimbra, Portugal [Introduction By Maria Irene Ramalho, Universidade De Coimbra]
Blacksmith House, Cambridge Ma
Waterston’s Books, Boston
Boston Alternative Poetry Conference
MIT
Small Press Traffic, San Francisco
MIT
Small Press Traffic - San Francisco
Universidade De Coimbra, Portugal
Blacksmith House, Cambridge
International Meeting Of Poets, Coimbra Portugal 1992
[One of four americans invited [Robert Creeley and Charles Bernstein & Robert J. Bertholf.]
LECTURES/ TALKS [selected]
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA, Portugal:
1995 “Author Author Authority: Readings in the writing of contemporary american poetry”.
1994 Meaning Meaning“ [Talk and reading with Angie Mlinko];
1993: HART CRANE & FRIENDS; THE ILLUSION OF INFLUENCE
1992: ["HEARING THE COLLAGE OF SEEING"]. UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA, Portugal 1992 & 1993 GENERAL TALK ON POETRY / THE POETICS OF FINDING, respectively.
UNIVERSITY CATÓLICA, VISEU, Portugal. 1995:[Reading & talk on American Poetry]
BOSTON UNIVERSITY; guest lecturer for Askold Melnyczuk, editor AGNI.[1991,92,93,94]
"POET IN RESIDENCE" Alameda High School: 1984, 1985, 1986.
"ON DERIVATION AND ROBERT DUNCAN" talk delivered to the California Association of Teachers of English. [1985]
