Georgia Popoff holds the proclamation declaring her Onondaga County poet laureate at the CNY Book Awards. She is pictured with CNY Arts Executive Director Steve Butler at left, and at center, Phil Memmer, executive director of the Arts Branch of the YMCA of Central New York. The annual CNY Book Awards, sponsored by the Y's Downtown Writers Center, is for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature in an eight-county region of CNY.

The Writers Voice CNY Pop-Up Book Festival, a brand-new event, will have its premiere March 9 at the Atrium at City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington St.

Between noon and five p.m., there will be opportunities to talk to local writers and perhaps buy their books. 

Georgia Popoff, one of the event’s organizers, says the festival both celebrates authors from the Syracuse area and gives visitors a chance to meet them in an informal setting. She’s a poet in her own right and a long-time teacher/staff member at the Downtown Writers Center, a group now known as Writers Voice. And she notes that the price is right for the book fair; there’s no admission charge.

The pop-up event will host poets and non-fiction writers, authors of memoirs and novelists like Chris Gould who has written “The George Stories” and “The Boys and Girls of America.”

In addition, the participants come from disparate writing backgrounds. For example, Mary Jumbelic just published her first book, “Here, Where Death Delights: A Literary Memoir.” She’s a forensic pathologist who performed thousands of autopsies during a 25-year career. She worked as chief medical examiner for Onondaga County. 

That book has received positive reviews and extensive media coverage. She not only discusses high-profile cases but moves well beyond a merely clinical approach. Jumbelic is deeply compassionate as she deals with instances of death, trauma and grief. 

Paul Kocak, in contrast, has written 27 books. They’ve covered varied subjects such as baseball (“Chasing Willie Mays” and “Baseball’s Starry Night: Major League Baseball’s 2011 Wild Card Night of Shock and Awe”), a favorite spot in Europe (“Shades of Tuscany”), and a well-known city neighborhood (“Tipp Hill Litanies: Celebrating a Syracuse Heritage”).

The festival also encompasses individuals with multiple creative interests. Joshua Jumbles is a poet and visual artist; he did the cover for Jumbelic’s book. 

Tom Townsley, meanwhile, is a blues musician, the former host of the Sunday night blues show on WAER-FM, and a teacher of literature and creative writing at Mohawk Valley Community College. Beyond that, his five books of poetry include “Holding a Seance by Myself” and “Night Classes for Insomniacs.”

He’s just one of a number of poets who will be at the festival on Saturday, March 9. Deborah Diemont is a translator and poet who’s had her work published in journals such as “Stone Canoe” and “Oleander Review.” Her books of poetry include “Diverting Angels” and “The Charmed House.”

And Martin Willits Jr. is a prolific poet. He’s written 20 chapbooks and nine books of poetry, with the books ranging from “Searching for What You Cannot See” to Dylan Thomas and the Writers Shed.”

As noted earlier in this article, Popoff is a well established poet. She’s had three books of poetry published and a fourth, “Living with Haints,” scheduled for release this spring. A book launch is slated for April 5. 

Also in attendance will be Apple An, author of the memoir “Las Crosses: An Unwavering Journey to a New Life in America.” That journey began with An leaving China to attend graduate school in the United States. 

During part of the afternoon, the Kambuyu Marimba Ensemble will play. A long-time local band, they’re performed at ArtRage and other venues. 

In discussing the festival. Popoff says it will feature a segment of the local writers community. There’s no way to stage an event encompassing all local writers. 

Similarly, the book fair isn’t suggesting there’s a Syracuse style of writing. Everyone taking part in the March 9 festival follows an individual creative direction. 

Popoff does think the festival will meet some basic objectives: breaking up the winter doldrums; promoting interactions between local authors and readers. 

And she notes that Syracuse can be a supportive environment for writers. The cost of living, in comparison to San Francisco and Manhattan, is modest. In addition, writing classes are offered at Syracuse University, Le Moyne College, Onondaga Community College and SUNY Oswego, as well as Writers Choice, which is based at the downtown YMCA.

Finally, the festival takes place in a space coordinated by CNY Arts that’s open to both literary events and visual artists. Anyone attending the festival can also look at a group exhibition focusing on the demolition of the 15th Ward, a largely African American neighborhood, and the implications for Syracuse as a city. 

The show, organized by the Black Artist Collective, features various media, with four established artists paired up with four emerging artists. The roster of artists includes Martikah Williams, Jaleel Campbell and Kofi Antwi, among others. 

Carl Mellor wrote about visual arts for the Syracuse New Times from 1994 to 2016. He continues to cover artists and exhibitions and other cultural events in the Syracuse area.

read more of central current’s coverage

Volunteers help Syracuse’s community gardens prepare for their growing season (photo of the week)

Volunteers from Syracuse Grows, Jubilee Homes of Syracuse, Inc., Onondaga Earth Corps and other organizations joined forces Saturday on Community Volunteer Day. They helped community gardens and urban farms throughout Syracuse prepare for the upcoming growing season. Pictured are: Cooper Olds, a Syracuse University food studies graduate student, Kareem Youngblood, of Syracuse and Brooklyn, Dachaun…

by Michelle Gabel

Suggested Reading