Journal: Sep 09, 2010
Past Entries: September 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
You know Jamie Kilstein who featured Wednesday at Writers' Block? He's on IndieFeed now.
Can I plug IndieFeed again? Sure:
Also, I have a quick music "review" of the new stuff I've been listening to lately. (That is to say, they were new to me which isn't always saying much.)
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Thursday, September 28, 2006
I took 2nd in the Writers' Block slam last night.
The worst part of doing well in a slam is the moment when you have already done your second poem and find yourself in 2nd place and are sitting there wishing your friends would screw up a little. You hope and hope they hit that narrow range of doing well, doing respectably, but not so well as to knock you out. How to repent of this?
I performed "You Know that Woman" and the apparently notorious (though I've only read it a couple times in the history of the universe and one of those times was not even in Columbus) "Ok, Fuckers".
The second, 2-minute round was impressive. Hmm, maybe it's the time limit that makes people edit more, but I really thought there was strong stuff all around. Vernell Bristow won. I didn't hear her second poem because I was having a pre-reading isolation moment. Hell, I barely heard her first poem because I was kind of blitzed on nerves; it was a much edited and reformed version of "Baloney".
I'm going to lame on the re-cap aspect 'cause it's hard for me to pay attention as I ought if I'm in the slam.
There was a feature too! Hot shit! It was Jamie Kilstein. I bought the comic chapbook. I'll see if I can't download something of his somewhere online today. I'll start with that link I just put in this post. Pretty great stuff.
Cleveland was there too! My god! Tom Noyes (sp?) and One Truth came down to grace the night with their awesome poetry. Man, I think Columbus should road trip to other nearby cities more.
It's raining, Nina Simone and Buddy Guy will be playing on the iPod all day.
TTFN.
BTW: "Holy Fuck" is a quote.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
I'm a gonna need something else to read here. I finished the Artemis Fowl The Lost Colony book -- very good, four stars. Eoin Colfer's slipping though. Usually when the main mortal character starts acquiring the super powers of his cohorts, that's a signal to the book is turning to pulp. There's no need for Artemis to have magic just like there's no reason for Anita Blake to acquire vampire powers without becoming a vampire. There's a reason Harry Potter barely passes his potions class.
This is how much I need something good to read: I am reading Charlaine Harris' Dead books again. (Those are the Laurell K. Hamilton-like books that are actually a notch up from Laurell K. Hamilton.) I've got an Ursula K. Leguin warming up. Still, I hope I can find something with I can sink my teeth into, no vampire pun intended. I'd like to discover someone like Peter Dexter or Margaret Atwood or Percival Everett.
I watched the second season of Deadwood over the weekend. Wow. I love that show. Five stars.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The first new poem night (Writers' Block Production) was really fun. Small, but cool. It would have been just right if everyone had put their name down at the beginning. Eh?
Misc: There was a birthday (Donielle). It was good to have Teri back in Ohio. I liked Scott's second poem "Ships". Vernell is venturing into one-minute-poem land and the one I paid attention for had good pacing. Do I feel threatened? Do I? Do I? Mayyybe. I'd say the quality was very good all around even if there was a little more rawness in the air.
I read "You Know That Woman".
Thursday, September 21, 2006
I mailed out the first in the POTD Series last weekend. I've got copies all set to sell. This is the beginning of the year in which I write a chapbook a month.
I also took down links from the friends-only site to these poems. Now if you want to read these poems again, you have to get this issue of the POTD Series.
And in case you wanted to page through hillarious mockery of the 2005 "Best" American Poetry (heck. Jorie Graham used to do it, could it have gotten less nepotistic or more?), go here: http://greatestlivingpoet.blogspot.com/, it's Jim Behrle's blog. Link courtesy of Collin Kelley who has got another great post on the state of affairs in publishing and awards in poetry.
UPDATE: Comments closed due to comment spam.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
NASA has delayed tomorrow's landing of the space shuttle Atlantis after engineers spotted a mystery object outside the shuttle; weather at the Florida landing site also is a concern. From CNN
What if this is it? What if this is the discovery of life from another planet?
Monday, September 18, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a new convert to myspace, but I had an honorable reason to set up a page. I plan to neglect its blog and stuff. Here it is:
http://myspace.com/rewritinglouise
Enjoy.
Now I have a lot to get done and I am not going to be distracted again.
I think.
I hope.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
God, I'm tired! Enough said? No.
Let's just say it was a great night at the Writers' Block open mic last night. There were lots of regulars, old faces returned, and a few new faces.
Enough said? Did I say I was tired?
Oh, record-keeping: I announced the Poem of the Day series (buy online). Took some pictures. Heard some great poetry, lots of it new, some covers, it was very good all around. That "Lovely Lady Humps" song took over after it was mentioned in one of Ed Plunkett's poems (of course I liked the second poem of his better, go figure). Pacoblanc was right on it.
I'd hate to pick out any poems, because I liked so much of what was going on. If you got up to the mic last night and are now reading this, I liked your poem best. I did not do anything new for once. I performed "Harvest Moon Voice" and "Terri Schiavo's Heaven". I woke up this morning in a panic realizing I'd dropped a line in "TSH".
Enough? No! Many of us went out to see Pacoblanc aka Dan Thress jazz it up with a fantastic group at a little place. That was amazing music. They set up a mic for poets. Scott read, Donielle read, I did "Who [sic] to Blame for Bad Poetry". Dave did a haiku or two while the irrepressible Rachel danced.
It was great music.
Enough. Now work.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
I am probably the last person to hear about Buddy Guy. But if I'm not, I have this to say: Do you like blues? Do you like it at all? Do you like goovy music? Do you like rock? You like any of that at all? Go listen to Buddy Guy. It'll change your life.
I'm listening to Buddy Guy right now and it is altering my brain chemistry in a good way -- in a very good way.
Scott Woods works at a library. He uses this position to get great media to his friends by putting stuff on reserve. I can't even begin to thank him enough. I love movies and books and music. (Ok, so like who doesn't?) So there's been a request for reviews of the stuff he puts on reserve. I usually either keep it to myself, tell it to him directly, or jot it down in an email.
To begin, I've written down the media I can recall that he recommended which I would recommend anyone take a look at. I'm missing some, for sure. But this is as far as I got during lunch. [more]
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Here's the pricing:
* $5 for each issue as it comes out or
* $45 for the whole year.Buying the whole year not only gets you a discount of 25% on the cover price, but you also get shipping for free. I'm offering online payment. Check here for what's available now. This page will be updated. When the final issue is available I'll post the poem list.
Saturday, September 9, 2006
Note to self: do not take pictures while driving -- you'll never get the shot right.
I played photographer last night at the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy annual wine-tasting fundraiser. I haven't seen the pictures yet, but I know there are going to be some good ones. Last year I did this event and was very grumpy about it. This year I went in there wanting to get good pictures. Over the past year I realized you have to care about the person being photographed and it is possibly to care about anyone. (That sounds kind of Christian, huh?) And there is nothing wrong with asking people to pose or even pretend to pose. They want a good picture too.
Also, I love love love trying to crack people up when I have a camera in my hand. My mom always did that while taking pictures. She always made jokes to make us laugh. I'm glad to have inherited that -- whether or not my jokes are as good as my mom's ... I don't know. I feel invulnerable with a camera.
There was lots of great wine and great chocolate at this event. There was lots of other stuff, but I stuck to the wine (mostly chardonney) and chocolate. Then I called Joanna out for a little hang out time. What fun.
This was last year's entry. I was apparently trying to make people laugh then too.
And by the way, this year, I was thanked.
Friday, September 8, 2006
Thursday, September 7, 2006
Hopes, wishes, daydreams? What is this a meme? I'm not going to write that down on the Internet. Instead here are some poetry-related plans for Sept.
Fri.-Sun., Sept. 8, 9, 10 - Hot Times Festival - I'll make more of an effort to stop by at it this year. Lot's of poetry. Joanna Schroeder's in it Sat. at 1:45 pm.
Wed., Sept. 13, 8 p.m. - Writers' Block Poetry Open Mic
Sun., Sept. 17 - The first POTD issues comes out. Buy Now.
Fri., Sept. 22, 8 p.m. - New Poem Night by Writers' Block
Sun., Sept. 24, 8:30 p.m. - RWO Workshop 4. Pre-pay with paypal.
Wed., Sept. 27, 8 p.m. - Writers' Block Poetry Open Mic and SlamTuesday, September 5, 2006
Tomorrow is the anniversary of my big car accident (coma, coma, walking trouble, vision trouble balance trouble etc etc), but I got a small reminder of what it's like to be that far gone again.
I gave blood today. It went so fast. I thought I was going going gone. Yes, that is what it's like unbearable unbearable, then you're out, it's over, only since I'm not dead I have to come back and figure everything out again -- where am I who am I supposed to be who is that teen-age looking guy who all of a sudden seems really old putting cold paper towels on my face, neck, and hands and telling me to stay awake. Well, the little drama is over and it might be the end of my donating blood. Over the years, I've given 2 gallons and that might just be enough unless it's really important.
Does this make any sense?
Saturday, September 2, 2006
Friday, September 1, 2006
It's September. The first of the Poem of the Day chapbook series is due out this month.
Here's the line:
What I write now is for that, not for some elusive journal publication, not for an imagined slam score, not even for the LiveJournal comments which I always enjoy.
The first issue is due to be mailed out September 17, to celebrate the anniversary of the first poem of the day, Blue Sky September. Expect future issues to be release on the New Poem Night run by Writers' Block Poetry. These will be the third Friday of every month.
Cost? It'll be $5 an issue or $45 for a subscription to the whole year. If you get a subscription, give me your address so I can mail it to you.
I haven't seen Snakes on a Plane, but I have seen a Snakes on a Plane video.
It's a pop song. Here it is:
Musical virtuosity or the lack thereof isn't what I am venturing out to say. After seeing this video, I have to agree with my friend Kelly that yes, they are cute as muppets. That's not what I ventured out to say either.
Let me go back a little. It was the early to mid-90s before I noticed elements of hip hop had entered the musical repetoire of white pop music. I thought it was a great addition to their vocabulary and sat back to listen to them try to incorporate it.
But here I see this video and about two thirds of the way through, a little before the 2:00 mark, there's a person of color who enters this otherwise repetitive tune with a bit of rap-ish talking. It seems to be an element of the song that is almost entirely a token. It wasn't a flair, accent, spice, counterpoint, foil or vocabulary word, they just threw it in.
