Site Fidelity

Amy, did you get the 2 poems I messaged to you?

2010-02-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

I read this on Facebook, and loved how it sounded: "the poems I messaged to you."

Ed Skoog in Topeka!

2009-09-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ed reads at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library!

Other cities I wish to be in

2009-09-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

New York, from FENCE:
"Fence/Fence Books is delighted to request the pleasure of your company at a garden party in Brooklyn to celebrate the publication of A Best of Fence: The First Nine Years, Volumes 1 & 2.
Saturday, September 12, 1 pm till 6 pm
381 Park Place, #1, Brooklyn, New York
These two fat books will be available at a pleasing discount: One for $20/two for $35. And subscriptions to Fence for $10!
Readings every hour on the hour by editors and contributors including but not limited to: Peter Gizzi, Matthew Rohrer, Lynne Tillman, and Max Winter.
Hope to see you there."

*

Seattle, and my friend Ed Skoog, from Open Books:
"Open Books: Events
October 11, 2009 03:00 PM

ED SKOOG
Ed Skoog reads from his first full-length collection, Mister Skylight, published by Copper Canyon Press. A resident of Seattle, he was born in Topeka, Kansas, and earned degrees from Kansas State University and the University of Montana. His poems have appeared in many magazines, including Poetry, American Poetry Review, and The Paris Review. His chapbook, Field Recordings, was published by LitRag Press in 2003."

Relational Investigative Poetics by Kristin Prevallet

2009-08-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

I came across this wonderful essay by Kristin Prevallet found in FENCE, Spring/Summer 2003.

I enjoy how she begins with describing the political environment and how poetry can develop a relationship with political activism. As Prevallet describes it:
"Instead of buying gas masks and digging underground shelters (or moving to Canada), I turn my rage and confusion towards poetry, the unacknowledged legislation of worlds unacknowledged, to reveal both systems of knowing (content) and structures of ideology (form). Poetry, the work of radical linguistic, contextual, and metrical articulation, is a way to structure my sometimes perpendicular thought processes, transforming confusion and anger into form and meaning."

This is something Adrienne Rich confers with in her essay "Poetry and Commitment," which is also available as a small chapbook.

The elegy

2009-08-30T16:54:00.001-07:00

It seems that an elegy form has evolved in this decade's work.

Tony Tost's syllabus

2009-08-24T09:11:00.001-07:00

On facebook, I noticed Tony Tost posted his syllabus for Telling Stories in the Modern World. I enjoy a lot of what he has on it. (I wonder if he will talk about La jetée's inspiration for 12 Monkeys?)

Many colleges are doing this--posting the syllabi for everyone to see--including MIT. I am thinking about it. For now, enjoy Tony's:

Wednesday August 26, 2009. Introductions.
Friday August 28, 2009. “The Storyteller,” Walter Benjamin.

Wednesday September 2, 2009. Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino. Sections 1-5.
Friday September 4, 2009. Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino. Sections 6-9.

Wednesday September 9, 2009. Pale Fire, Nabokov. pp. 1-69.
Friday September 11, 2009. Pale Fire, Nabokov. pp. 73-174

Wednesday September 16, 2009. Pale Fire, Nabokov. pp. 174-239
Friday September 18, 2009. Pale Fire, Nabokov. pp. 240-315

Wednesday September 23, 2009. The Body, Jenny Boully.
Friday September 25, 2009. film: La jetée, Chris Marker.

Wednesday September 30, 2009. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel.
Friday October 2, 2009. NO CLASS (fall break begins)

Wednesday October 7, 2009. Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson. pp. 1-75.
Friday October 9, 2009. Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson. pp. 76-108

Wednesday October 14, 2009. Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson. pp-109-219
Friday October 16, 2009. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson. pp 1-51.

Wednesday October 21, 2009. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson. pp. 53-160.
Friday October 23, 2009. Blood & Soap, Linh Dinh. pp. 1-53

Wednesday October 28, 2009. Blood & Soap, Linh Dinh. pp. 55-138.
Friday October 30, 2009. Panama, Thomas McGuane. pp. 1-59.

Wednesday November 4, 2009. Panama, Thomas McGuane. pp. 60-124.
Friday November 6, 2009. Panama, Thomas McGuane. pp. 125-175.

Wednesday November 4, 2009. Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Nick Tosches. pp. 1-96.
Friday November 6, 2009. Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Nick Tosches. pp. 97-148.

Wednesday November 11, 2009. Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Nick Tosches. pp. 151-213.
Friday November 13, 2009. Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Nick Tosches. pp. 215-263. Songs by Dylan/Cash/Springsteen etc.

Wednesday November 18, 2009. film: excerpts from Indian Runner & I’m Not There.
Friday November 20, 2009. Leadbelly, Tyehimba Jess. pp. 1-62.

Wednesday November 25, 2009. NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
Friday November 27, 2009. NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

Wednesday December 2, 2009. Leadbelly, Tyehimba Jess. pp. 65-111. Various ballads and blues.
Friday December 4, 2009. Videos: “In the Closet,” R. Kelly. “Black and White,” M. Jackson. “November Rain,” Guns N’ Roses, etc

A new blog

2009-08-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the blogging biz when I noticed the blog I set up for poetry and poetics became a rant page. (I did find it useful when our son was born, though.) I've decided to restart--to return--to blogging, hopefully to reenter the conversation about poetics. These are uncertain times, and I've enjoyed that poetry (in the Simician sense) reflects that uncertainty. If anything, I'd like to reconnect.