Journal: Sep 09, 2010
Past Entries: January 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Those of us with little kids know they see and hear about this poetry stuff we do: there ought to be a space made for them to explore it. So Dave Noble and I are going to put together a kids' poetry workshop. Judging from the available kids it will be for the littler munchkins -- like 3-8. I mentioned the idea to my daughter this morning and she immediately started writing a poem about the stars. Andrew's poems tend to be about Tigers and Balloons.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
I was telling someone yesterday how I turn almost everything into a system. Processes for which I made some kind of system or routine:
1. All of the smaller tasks at my job. This always happens in every job, I figure out how to make stuff more routine. It's like my instinct is on the one hand to make things boring and on the other to invite interruptions -- which I love.
2. Producing the montly chapbook (not the writing of it, the making of it)
3. Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, etc.
4. Everything surrounding the poems of the day. The actual writing of poems always seems different than anything else -- that's part of why I like doing it -- something so unique to me is wrapped in routines.
5. 3 minute Scrabble
6. I could go onDrawbacks:
1. I stop paying attention to whatever I have turned into a system.
Well, that's pretty much the big drawback. I get kind of disappointed in myself for shutting down on things like that.
It was suggested to me that this isn't a bad way to be. So I think I will try to capitalize on it. Look at what I've done with the poems of the day, that's good isn't it? I mean I've got the system and the art. I made a great space in which to work. Maybe it's a way to stop paying attention to extraneous things.
So onward, let us embrace the system. But you all should let me know when I stop paying attention to something important.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I saw Terrance Hayes last night at Larry's. I had only read one of his poems prior to this featured reading: Woofer (When I Consider the African-American).
It was interesting to hear more of his work. I could hear the influence of being in academia.
I had a discussion with Jory Farr about Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) because of one of Hayes' poems done in the voice of Seuss. A quote: "Blacks in one box. Blacks in two box/ Blacks on/ Blacks stacked in boxes stacked on boxes." It was a good poem.
Here's the question: Was it fair to use Geisel's voice? Geisel -- the man who wrote the Lorax for goodness sakes -- was pretty liberal, open-minded, thinking, accepting person, opposed Hitler early on, and worked to fight illiteracy in children (thus "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham" were born). His earliest work ("And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street", 1936) reveals a slight sexism, but that's as narrow-minded as he gets*.
I kind of feel that since the Seuss voice is ubiquitous and well-known and common property (kind of), that it is fair. But does Hayes' poem suggest Geisel was bigoted? Or can we only go so far as to suggest the poem implies he was just part of the machinery of racism in the US? And is that fair? Well, Geisel's dead and not taking calls, so we won't know how he feels.
BTW: Did I study Dr. Seuss? Yes. At Oberlin, I studied Dr. Seuss. Sure, it was an ex-co class. (Ex-co classes were informal upperclass-, faculty-, or colorful community leader-run classes which were one credit each and which you were allowed to take only two of for credit).
AND
As a tangent, I'd like to say, based on this discussion, it seems that at first glance some people resist thinking folks like Dr. Seuss are poets because of style, audience, subject matter. How come Seuss doesn't get called a poet until you mention Ogden Nash?
*The "offending" statement in Mulberry Street is when the boy says something like "Ted could think of a better story, John could think of a better story -- even Mary Jane could do better." Yeah, gals, surprise! apparently, at the time we were considered to be the lowest intellectual bar.
Record-keeping: I read "Your Poem" and "Terri Schiavo's Heaven".
Monday, January 22, 2007
I only like a couple things I've written recently. I feel stuck in a rut. Heck, I am stuck in a rut. I'm so busy with everything, I let myself organize my writing into neat little packages and it feels wrong. I let myself do nothing over Christmas break. I let myself limit my writing time to lunch hours and gaps in the day.
Yuck.
UPDATE: Comments closed due to comment spam.
* Sky high -- ok why does she like him (Will Stronghold) when she can like him (Warren Peace)!
* American Beauty -- great
* Capote -- They did not spare Capote and maintained a thesis that Capote was the other side of the killer's coin. Or maybe he was a manipulative ass. Great movie.
* Little Miss Sunshine -- Someone told me this movie had child molestation in it. Do you know what it's like to go through a charming and wonderful film thinking at any moment the 7-year-old girl is going to reveal or be subject to being molested? Argh. Don't leave her alone! I kept thinking. Is the Grandpa a rat-bastard? It turns out, there no molestation. It's a perfectly charming movie.Previously viewed but not mentioned: Rize: five stars.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Last night I went out to a really nice -- and crowded -- new poem night (Writers' Block) at Kafe Kerouac. Vernell laid down a feature in new poems. Rock on Vernell! And she did a nice job with it too.
Record keeping: I read "Ode to Shy People" and "Day Four of My Sister's Wedding".
Thursday, January 18, 2007
I have been thinking about lineation as long as I've been writing poetry. My earliest conscious experiments at control and manipulation were executed through line breaks. All of which is to say, I know a thing or two about line breaks through self-study, experimentation, and a few teachers along the way.
I have been reading several people's work with short lines. And it is driving me nuts when the short lines are used on lines that simple don't merit the extra weight and tension. In one case, today, I read a poem that started out with short lines that were annoying and then the lines loosened a tiny bit and that was perfect. (This was a poem by Tony Brown that he just wrote and posted on livejournal. I'm picking on him in public because he is an accomplished and talented poet, not a newbie, and, I think, someone who is not insecure about his work.)
Reprise of my favorite poem on about line breaks: A Theory of Prosody by Philip Levine
UPDATE: COMMENTS CLOSED DUE TO COMMENT SPAN. I'm going to have to start banning IP addresses soon. Sheesh.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
I'm having a crown replaced. There was a small cavity at the gumline of the old one. So this morning I got up early and went to the dentist office at which place many different chemicals where rubbed on, injected into, wiped off, pressed against, more injected into, wiped off, chipped off, scraped off, dug out, pressed against, spread on, and fitted on. (Notice: anymore they don't do that epinephrine stringy thing under your gum that was the absolute pits.) Then they charged double what it was before. Don't eat for half an hour. Headache. Photography event. Back to work. No food. No food. Get food. Email has way too many unread messages. I'm starting to feel very tired.
Now the dentists are eying some more of my teeth. It even says in my chart (which I always read feeling guilty -- but I always read it as if it were a duty) that they need to talk to me about my bottom canines. I know there's a problem, I've said as much. They know there's a problem. Now, who's going to say how much what they want me to do is going to cost?
Headache reigns.
UPDATE: COMMENTS CLOSED DUE TO COMMENT SPAM.
Friday, January 12, 2007
There's the cover. If you had a subscription, your next issue of the Poem of the Day Series would be all ready and bundled up for you. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the monthly chapbooks I'm making out of all the poems of the day. Actually, I rip one poem from "the vault" and put it together with the best 8 poems from that month and that's the chapbook. So usually there's a lost poem that's getting a little extra attention because I think it deserves a little extra attention and there are 8 fresh baked poems.
The Buy Now page doesn't have this issue up because those who have a subscription get first crack.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
I've been feeling relatively unfocused in the poetry department. I've got a mss out to a few contests. I've got some poems out in submission land. I've got the poems of the day and the poems of the day series. I've got no features for months and months. In this kind of situtation I usually just keep going, doing what I'm doing. Sometimes I pick an aspect of my poetic life and work harder on it. In any case, I'm sure it won't take too long before something pops up. What the hell kind of boring entry is this? Are you still with me? OMG, Louise, get a life. Hmmm, maybe I'll watch another movie.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Book:
* Fluke by Christopher Moore -- you know all these Christopher Moore books I've been reading? Moore is the same Moore who wrote "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff".Movies:
Here are two DVDs I forgot to mention because they were watched very early on in the break and I just forgot:
* Mr. Bean, the Complete Series -- ok, maybe that's just a little too much Mr. Bean to watch at one time.
* Team America -- Well, I kept thinking they're going to do something besides play the macho American joke many of us find a little too realistic. Alas, no. It was terrible. But I had to mention it because of another movie I watched over break.* Life Aquatic -- If you watch it after Team America, here's a film about which you might find yourself thinking, "At least it's better than Team America." And then? Then it gets really good. The casting was brilliant. It wasn't just Jeffrey "I'm part gay" Goldblum and Bill "We all are" Murray, but also Willem Defoe who was a great Klaus and Angelica Houston and Kate Blanchett and whoever that was as Ned (Owen Wilson). Awesome film. I'm going to hunt down the soundtrack on this one for the South American covers of David Bowie by Seu Jorge.
* Flying Daggers -- another beautiful film by the people who brought you Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I love the echo game. Don't turn the sound down just because it's subtitled -- who does that? Ha. Turn the sound up.
* Ant Bully -- completely predictable.And I think that's it. I feel like I forgot a book in there somewhere.
COMMENTS CLOSED DUE TO COMMENT SPAM.
Monday, January 1, 2007
More Movies:
* Leroy and Stitch -- This was a straight to DVD release no where near as good as the original Lilo and Stitch
* 12 Monkeys -- I'd seen this before and still really liked it. I think this might have been when I started liked Bruce Willis. Maybe that was Sixth Sense.
* Serenity -- I now own the movie as well as the series. I'd seen the movie before and gotten all huffy about it. It's pretty good, but my re-assessment is that they did not spend very much time on any one but Mal and River. For example, the doctor's role was reduced to looking concerned and Kaylie's role was kind of a whiner.
* iWPS 2004 finals -- A slam is never as good recorded as it is live, but it's nice to be able to fast forward through poems if you want to. I feel like I know Rachel McKibbons work much better now.
* NATS 2003 indy and team finalsBooks:
* Preacher, Gone to Texas -- a comic and o, quite violent.
* Lucifer: Devil in the Gate Way -- a comic, I liked it
* Lucifer: Children and Monsters -- a sequel to the above, I liked it ever more
* The Summer of Katya by Trevanian -- mm lovely prose. Trevanian is a great writer.
* A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore -- o wow! This was awesome. I've read two more by him and plan to follow this guy's books. This was the best of the lot.
* Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore -- Pretty good. He always puts something really sad in these humorous books.
* The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christophe Moore -- Still liking him
* Logos Redesigned -- I read this with my kids -- I think I'm inadvertently teaching them something about graphic design
* Open Me Carefully, letter by Emily Dickinsin -- she writes letters like she wrote poetry.
* The Architecture of Language by Quincy Troupe -- poetry. great work here with more narrative than I was expecting.
* Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman -- Pullman wrote the Golden Compass series. This book shared some elements but didn't achieve the heights of the Golden Compass series. Still a good read.