poetry and old-time music

In my poetry life, I write poems, give readings, teach writing classes and workshops, and encourage poetry everywhere. I have three books, Now (Bear Star Press 2007), By a Thread (Van West & Company, 2000), and The Cupboard Artist (Floating Bridge Press, 2011), and my work appears in many journals and magazines.


 


In my music life, I play old-time banjo, fiddle and guitar. I give banjo lessons, play for dances, concerts, and in living rooms, and love to get together with friends who play. My bands are The Queen City Bulldogs and Dram County. My CDs are Instead of a Pony, and Goose and Gander.

 

 

 news

  • May 9, 2012: Reading from The Cupboard Artist with Kathleen Flenniken, Washington State's new Poet Laureate, who'll be reading from her amazing new book, Plume. Parkplace Books, 348 Parkplace Center, Kirkland, WA.
  • April 24, 2012, 7pm: Reading from The Cupboard Artist at University Bookstore, 4326 University Way, Seattle.
  • Fire on Her Tongue, e-anthology of contemporary poems by women, is now available! Contains poems not only by me, but also by Kim Addonizio, Dorianne Laux, Martha Silano, Patricia Smith, Nance Van Winkel, and many other fine poets. Here's the Amazon link so you can download it now and start reading.
  • Check out my poem "My New Library," just out in issue #9 of Anti-, a journal of contrarian poems.
  • See my guest blog post at Her Circle E-zine, where I discuss the difference between poetry and music, poets and musicians.
  • I have two poems in the new issue (Issue 75) of Cutbank. The poems are not posted online, unfortunately, but hey, buy the magazine: I'm finding a lot of new favorite poems in there.
  • Read some insomniac poems in the new issue of Fringe.
  • Look, my poem "I Live in a Yellow Ice Cream Truck" has prompted an artistic response from the magnificently creative Anna Lena Phillips!
  • "The Aprons of Adam and Eve" has won the Editor's Prize from Crab Creek Review.
  • My new banjo CD, Goose and Gander, is here! It features me on banjo and vocals, and my brother Dan Tenenbaum on guitar. Here's "Bowling Green": 
  • Praise for Goose and Gander from Bill Martin's weekly Portland newsletter: "Molly Tenenbaum's "Goose
    and Gander" is another superb channeling. In particular, "Old Kimball" makes my socks roll up and down in a terrible frenzy." "...fresh and alive, brilliantly played and innovative within the style. It takes a high degree of artistry and discipline to express yourself within a style of music and not mutilate it."
  • Read my poem "Next Day" in Triquarterly Online.