Friday, May 26, 2006
Recently purchased at local Chico used bookstore:
The Voyeur, by Alain Robbe-Grillet, Grove
Mulligan's Stew, Gilbert Sorrentino, Grove
The Complete Poems, Edwin Denby, Random House
*
I admired the ending of this later poem by Denby:
Disorder, mental, strikes me; I
Slip from my pocket Dante to
Chance hit a word, a friend's reply
In this bar; bare, dark avenue
The lunge of headlights, then bare dark
Cross on red, two blocks home, old Sixth
The alive, the dead, answer, ask
Miracle consciousness I'm with
At home cat chirps, Norwegian sweater
Slumped in the bar, I mind Dante
As dawn enters the sunk city
Answer a one can understand
Actual events are obscure
Though the observers appear clear
The Voyeur, by Alain Robbe-Grillet, Grove
Mulligan's Stew, Gilbert Sorrentino, Grove
The Complete Poems, Edwin Denby, Random House
*
I admired the ending of this later poem by Denby:
Disorder, mental, strikes me; I
Slip from my pocket Dante to
Chance hit a word, a friend's reply
In this bar; bare, dark avenue
The lunge of headlights, then bare dark
Cross on red, two blocks home, old Sixth
The alive, the dead, answer, ask
Miracle consciousness I'm with
At home cat chirps, Norwegian sweater
Slumped in the bar, I mind Dante
As dawn enters the sunk city
Answer a one can understand
Actual events are obscure
Though the observers appear clear
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
As with most of my work, the currently appearing work is usually older work. Thus, the newly released Trilce was actually written in mid 2003 to spring 2004. The manuscript that followed this was Claims of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which consists of three sections (w/holes onto themselves) called Reynolds, Claims of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Syracuse. I've been sending out pieces from Reynolds and Claims... (singular) recently, and they have been showing up in various places. 6x6 published, well, six of them in their current issue, while seven more are now up at Sidebrow, and three more will be appearing in Tarpaulin Sky in a few days (sneak peek).
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Received or purchased in New York:
R-hu, Leslie Scalapino, Atelos, 2000
Astoria, Malena Morling, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006
Disturbances in the Ocean of Air, Eléna Rivera, Phylum Press, 2005
Two Poems, Eléna Rivera, Kater Murr's Press (Piraeus Series), 2005
Silent Teachers Remembered Series, Hannah Weiner, Tender Buttons, 1994
Political Cactus Poems, Jonathan Skinner, Palm Press, 2005
The American Poetry Review, Vol. 35/No. 2, Various authors, World Poetry Inc., 2006
*
In haphazard fashion, I am slowly gathering all of the Atelos publications. I think I have 17 of them. This is a wonderful series, with truly lively, intelligent writing.
Malena's Astoria and the new APR were given to me by a friend. I remember when Malena was teaching at Syracuse University and going over to her house. I could not believe the sheer amount of Buddhist texts. If I'm remembering correctly, they filled two six-shelf bookcases entirely. She has a very light touch and is deeply present.
Eléna's two books were part of an exchange/friendship with my books, and I'm fairly certain I got the better of the deal. She is really one of the most underrated/undersung talents. I have loved her work from the moment I first read it in an old apex of the M.
Weiner's book was purchased at St. Mark's. I have only read bits and pieces of her work before, which I enjoyed. I planned on buying more of hers, but this was the only one they had. Still reading this polyvocal within one poetry book.
Jonathan's Cactus book also was an exchange when we read together at the Tarpaulin Sky series. These are tightly moving, disruptive, controlled, humorous, and socially concerned poems. I am still reading this book. I liked Jonathan's little part of his bio where he explains that he "edits the review _ecopoetics_ in Buffalo, NY, [though I think that's changed], where he curated the Steel Bar reading series and where he continues to misidentify birds along the Niagara River."
Jonathan read with Jane Sprague, whose book, Fuck Your Pastoral, unfortunately wasn't on the display table. I would've bought that as well.
R-hu, Leslie Scalapino, Atelos, 2000
Astoria, Malena Morling, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006
Disturbances in the Ocean of Air, Eléna Rivera, Phylum Press, 2005
Two Poems, Eléna Rivera, Kater Murr's Press (Piraeus Series), 2005
Silent Teachers Remembered Series, Hannah Weiner, Tender Buttons, 1994
Political Cactus Poems, Jonathan Skinner, Palm Press, 2005
The American Poetry Review, Vol. 35/No. 2, Various authors, World Poetry Inc., 2006
*
In haphazard fashion, I am slowly gathering all of the Atelos publications. I think I have 17 of them. This is a wonderful series, with truly lively, intelligent writing.
Malena's Astoria and the new APR were given to me by a friend. I remember when Malena was teaching at Syracuse University and going over to her house. I could not believe the sheer amount of Buddhist texts. If I'm remembering correctly, they filled two six-shelf bookcases entirely. She has a very light touch and is deeply present.
Eléna's two books were part of an exchange/friendship with my books, and I'm fairly certain I got the better of the deal. She is really one of the most underrated/undersung talents. I have loved her work from the moment I first read it in an old apex of the M.
Weiner's book was purchased at St. Mark's. I have only read bits and pieces of her work before, which I enjoyed. I planned on buying more of hers, but this was the only one they had. Still reading this polyvocal within one poetry book.
Jonathan's Cactus book also was an exchange when we read together at the Tarpaulin Sky series. These are tightly moving, disruptive, controlled, humorous, and socially concerned poems. I am still reading this book. I liked Jonathan's little part of his bio where he explains that he "edits the review _ecopoetics_ in Buffalo, NY, [though I think that's changed], where he curated the Steel Bar reading series and where he continues to misidentify birds along the Niagara River."
Jonathan read with Jane Sprague, whose book, Fuck Your Pastoral, unfortunately wasn't on the display table. I would've bought that as well.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Is there any group of people that looks more haggard, more beaten-up, even in their designer clothes, than New Yorkers?
*
I'd rather just pay you back the price of the gift that you gave to me than to spend the time looking for a gift for you, along with all of the attendant anxiety.
*
As loud as the poet/writer gets in strenously advocating his/her thinking is in his/her thought is in his/her language is in his/her diction and grammar...this is a magic show of one. The louder the protest the more pathetic the assertion.
*
Reading the internet news, and my surprise at the surprise in the title of the article that Iraqis were cheering on the crash of the British helicopter. As if the British wouldn't be cheering on the crash of an invasionary Iraqi force's helicopter, in Piccadilly Circus.
*
Imagine the psychology of a writer who views other people's opinions, even if dissenting, as "attacks".
*
I'd rather just pay you back the price of the gift that you gave to me than to spend the time looking for a gift for you, along with all of the attendant anxiety.
*
As loud as the poet/writer gets in strenously advocating his/her thinking is in his/her thought is in his/her language is in his/her diction and grammar...this is a magic show of one. The louder the protest the more pathetic the assertion.
*
Reading the internet news, and my surprise at the surprise in the title of the article that Iraqis were cheering on the crash of the British helicopter. As if the British wouldn't be cheering on the crash of an invasionary Iraqi force's helicopter, in Piccadilly Circus.
*
Imagine the psychology of a writer who views other people's opinions, even if dissenting, as "attacks".
