The breezy, frigid, air did not prevent hundreds of people from coming out to gather on the steps of Cambridge’s City Hall. And even though the third Monday of every January is a national holiday in the U.S.A., instead of ‘lamping’ on their couches folks came out to serve despite their day off.

Volunteers heard the call from Many Helping Hands and arrived to accomplish a number of tasks in the center of Cambridge, MA: create scarves and blankets for the homeless; design cards for seniors; drop food and clothing for those in need; and much more. http://manyhelpinghands.blogspot.com/

That is the force of Many Helping Hands a- group of women who decided about three years ago to make year round volunteering their mission. North Cambridge resident Lori Lander guides the bunch, and helps set the agenda along with her friends. read more...

Children’s book illustrator and author Kadir Nelson took dozens of Cambridge residents on a journey through his lifetime of art in the children’s room at the main branch of the Cambridge Public Library. Last Friday , he stopped in the city to promote his new book “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans”

Betsy Hornik and her husband stopped by to meet Nelson because, “He’s able to put the character of the person in their faces, and it is a good way of recording history-very compelling”

Daryl Mark, Director of Childrens' Services at Cambridge Public Library, introduced the winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award by saying “He has always loved to paint and to draw” and noted that, …you will also be interested in knowing that his artwork is what is being used on the album cover for Micheal …” a compilation album by Michael Jackson released in late 2010. read more...

Caneen Canning, daughter of Mary who is owner of Follow the Honey
PHOTO by Dan Watkins http://danwatkins.net/

It was the name of the store, Follow the Honey, and its stern yet sweet directive that first piqued my interest. And it was the note that the store would open grandly on National Honey Bee Day that made me mind another’s beeswax and saunter downstairs into 1132 Massachusetts Avenue. http://followthehoney.com/
SEE Rachel Greenberger's Pics of the opening at http://exm.nr/rachelpics read more...

VIDEO Patrick Sylvain reads in Salem and shall read tomorrow at Cambridge River Festival

PIC Toni Bee poet populist of Cambridge with Michael Brown former Cantab Lounge Poetry Slam organizer

MY MIRTHFUL MID-MAY POETRY FESTIVAL
I had a literal sweet time in Salem, in mid- May at the Massachusetts Poetry Fest.
My tummy butterflew with excitement on the train ride to Salem; seeing Cave Canem
readers and Seven Gabled homes and black houses and piano orchestra's and...
and book presses small who think big ... a spell bound me that May Saturday

http://bit.ly/mB35cY CHECK out my part one of PICS and SEE a lil' video
of masterful youths pow their poems along with powerful Ms. Patricia Smith!

THE ART of WORDS POETRY TENT at the Cambridge River Festival Saturday June 4, 2011
I look forward to seeing you under the Art of Words Poetry Tent at the Weekes read more...

WATCH BeLive with Bee TONIGHT for a Live Poetry Reading called…

Stream of Poets! With host Toni Bee
Celebrating Poetry Month with a Diversity of Words
Wednesday, April 6, from 6:30-7:30pm
ON Channel 9 CCTV Cambridge

Watch poets read their artful words in Celebration of April Poetry Month.
Drink your Tall Glass of Poetry with folks who live, work, or love, Cambridge
tonight at 6:30. We will dialogue too. Here’s the line up:

Readers:
Alan Smith Soto, of San José, Costa Rica
Gayle Roby, of Illinois
Jean-Dany Joachim, of Haiti
Kwene, of Boston
Leonardo Toppin, of Dorchester
Nica VanBuezecom, of Area 4 Cambridge
Selena Yard, 9 year-old Morse School Student

I shall rock the tv screen with my poetry too!
for more info email readbee@yahoo.com
bzzzzzzzzzzz

HARK, Citizens of Cambridge!, It is April, the poetry is’ brewing’, and Jean-Dany Joachim will once again ‘serve a mug full’ of his boastful band of bards who will perform all across the city at the 2011 Poetry Festival on Sunday April 3rd
English is the main poetic course of words but I heard about dessert and 'they' tell me that French, Spanish, and Haitian Creole ditties may be served

For the second year in a row, Joachim – the city’s current poet populist – will curate the 2011 Poetry Festival. Dozens of diverse poets will read their works at four different spots in Cambridge. Plus you get to meet the four candidates running for the 2011 Poet Populist at the opening ceremony. http://bit.ly/edvTdR

Candidates shall recite at the fest, attempt to sweet the mic’, to pass the public’s test, Alas,citizens vote on which bard was the best read more...

the picture shows a huge glass door in the entry way of the newly renovated Cambridge Public Library

WAIT 6 seconds for video SOUND!

One of the huge glass doors fell down in the entry way of the Cambridge Public Library on Friday afternoon on Broadway Street in Cambridge.

The door fell and did not shatter near closing time - a time when dozens of library patrons visit the facility in order grab last minute items to enjoy over the weekend.

It is unknown if anyone was hurt in the incident.

Sometime between 4:30 and 5pm the door broke from its hinges and toppled forward into the doorway of the building quite possibly due to the nearly 30 mile an hour winds that flew through the city.

There are a total of 4 glass doors standing nearly 12 feet high at the front entrance of the library

EMPLOYEES CLEAN UP http://blip.tv/file/4906233 read more...