Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.

In Iowa in the 1950s, when we at last heard about pizza, my mother decided to make one for us. She rolled out bread dough, put catsup on it, and baked it. Voila! Pizza! And inexpensive, too.

Here’s Grace Cavalieri, a poet and playwright who lives in Maryland, serving something similar and undoubtedly better.

Tomato Pies, 25 Cents

Tomato pies are what we called them, those days,

before Pizza came in,

at my Grandmother’s restaurant,

in Trenton New Jersey.

My grandfather is rolling meatballs

in the back. He studied to be a priest in Sicily but

saved his sister Maggie from marrying a bad guy

by coming to America.

Uncle Joey is rolling dough and spooning sauce.

Uncle Joey, is always scrubbed clean,

sobered up, in a white starched shirt, after

cops delivered him home just hours before.

The waitresses are helping

themselves to handfuls of cash out of the drawer,

playing the numbers with Moon Mullin

and Shad, sent in from Broad Street. 1942,

tomato pies with cheese, 25 cents.

With anchovies, large, 50 cents.

A whole dinner is 60 cents (before 6 pm).

How the soldiers, bussed in from Fort Dix,

would stand outside all the way down Warren Street,

waiting for this new taste treat,

young guys in uniform,

lined up and laughing, learning Italian,

before being shipped out to fight the last great war.

Ted Kooser was US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. He is a professor in the English Department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He lives on an acreage near the village of Garland, Nebraska, with his wife Kathleen Rutledge, the editor of the Lincoln Journal Star.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2010 by Grace Cavalieri from her most recent book of poetry, Sounds Like Something I Would Say, Goss 183 Casa Menendez, 2010. Reprinted by permission of Grace Cavalieri and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2010 by The Poetry Foundation.

For the last few years the public response has been growing steadily to the Winter Music Fest in the Soper-Reese due to the excellent acoustics, visibility, and comfort the theater provides, and as the crowds have swelled, the quality of the performers, always high, has gotten even higher.

Artists who would like to participate in the Winter Music Fest should contact the Lake County Arts Council office before Jan. 8 in order to be sure to get a place in the audition lineup.

Auditions will be held all day Jan. 15 at the Soper-Reese, and although you can show up there on the day of the auditions, you might have to wait around until there is an opening. Sign up right away and get a specific audition time.

All kinds and styles of music are welcome for this show, and groups of any size from soloist up are encouraged to audition.

Auditions can be accompanied by recorded music, but use of commercial recorded music for background accompaniment by performers is strongly discouraged, partly because this is a local show and not meant to showcase performers recording in LA, and partly because in the presence of live music, recorded music tends to reveal its artificiality. They will help solo singers find an accompanist for their performances.

The council also encourages performers to show acts that are completely ready for the stage, and prepared for a professional presentation.

The council has a theater with a dark background, and a light colored or reflective costume sets the performer off to the greatest advantage. Care in producing a well-thought-out costume shows the audience that you care about their enjoyment, and adds to the audience-performer dynamic. That is to say, they like your music better when you look cool.

To contact the Lake County Arts Council, call 707-263-6658 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., write to the Main Street Gallery, 325 North Main St., Lakeport 95453, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The show, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County (UUCLC), will begin at 7 p.m. at the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.

A suggested donation of $15 is asked, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

“Live From the Starving Ear” is 90 minutes of “wickedly inventive satirical songs” according to Carol Cole-Lewis of the UUCLC.

The Tea Party, the economy, same-sex marriage, Rush Limbaugh, Creationism, guns, taxes, abstinence and even Barack Obama all come under musical scrutiny.

“There's a whole new political landscape,” said Zimmerman, “painted by Jackson Pollock.”

The Starving Ear is Roy's homage to San Francisco's legendary nightclub, the hungry i, and the name of his new series on YouTube.

For more information, call 707-587-4243.

This thought-provoking, highly informative film will be shown for free, as always, on Sunday, Jan. 9, at the Clearlake United Methodist Church, 14521 Pearl Ave., Clearlake.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the film to start at 6 p.m.

There’s a recent quote that says, “Pay the farmer or pay the doctor.” This film builds its case that it is far better to buy and eat healthy, organic food while avoiding meat, oil and dairy products – and avoid paying the doctor and Big Pharma later.

Yes, it’s a big deal to change the dietary habits of a lifetime. But cancer and diabetes are big deals too.

Of equal or greater importance for this evening is the presentation by local health educator and consultant Ron Strauss.

Following the rather short one-hour film Strauss, a dynamic speaker, will take 45 minutes to share a rich offering of natural healing information. It goes without saying that neither Strauss nor SSC can or will be diagnosing anything for anyone.

For more information about Second Sunday Cinema, call 707-889-7735.

In the spirit of growing community, SSC is happy to mention that local Unitarian Universalists are sponsoring nationally-known Roy Zimmerman's “Live From the Starving Ear” on Jan 8 at the Kelseyville Senior Center.

This show is 90 minutes of wickedly inventive satirical songs on everything from the Tea Party to Obama. Donations are requested.

For more information about the show call Carol (or RSVP) at 707-994-7758.

Start 2011 off right with rock legend Mike Wilhelm at Hopper's Corner Saloon, 10770 Main St., Potter Valley, Calif. Courtesy photo.

POTTER VALLEY, Calif. – Dance the night away at the Hopper's Corner Saloon New Year's Eve party featuring music by Mike Wilhelm.

Potluck supper will start at 6 p.m. and the band starts at 7 p.m.

Complimentary champagne will be served at midnight.

The band will consist of veteran musicians Wilhelm on guitar, slide guitar and vocal; Frank Roblano, from the Ft. Bragg band Rootstock on drums and James Weber, formerly with the band 12:30, on bass. Special guest guitarist Dave Diaz also will perform.

Hopper's Corner Saloon is located at 10770 Main St., Potter Valley, telephone 707-743-1678.