MAYSA, DUWA, TALLO

UNO
Speaking of numbers, a Chicago bookstore sent me an order for Allen Bramhall's forthcoming, two-volume DAYS POEM, confirming it will pay $42 for each volume. The animals raised their fur on the mountain as I felt compelled to keeeeeeeeeen for five minutes, before correcting that bookstore's purchase order to say -- Actually, it's $42 for BOTH volumes. You must understand that for me to lose that rare animal in (my) poetry publishing known as *100%-plus profit margin* is .... keen-worthy. (And a reminder, too, that the special PRE-RELEASE OFFER for Allen's book expires at the end of this month.) Allen Bramhall, btw, is of course Boston's new Poet Laureate!

DOS
I began this week working to put out the next issue of Galatea Resurrects. The next issue is one where I stayed relatively silent in soliciting reviews. And so I'm amazed that, as of this writing, I have commitments for 53 new reviews! Talk about a project that swiftly generated its own momentum -- way above and beyond my initial hope to get at least 5 reviews per issue! Here's the latest stat round-up for the Metaphor Who Leapt Offa Her Pedestal:

Issue 1: 27 new reviews

Issue 2: 39 new reviews (one project was reviewed twice by different reviewers)

Issue 3: 49 new reviews (two projects were each reviewed twice by different reviewers)

Issue 4: 61 new reviews (one project was reviewed thrice, and three projects were each reviewed twice by different reviewers)

Issue 5: 56 (four projects were each reviewed twice)

Forthcoming Issue 6: 53 new reviews (preliminary)

I can tell ya that each issue receives more hits than my personal blog -- and we all know this chatty blog has 9 billion peeps. Amazing...and just wonderful!

So to remind, the deadline for sending over reviews for the next issue was this Friday, May 5, but you can certainly have the rest of the weekend if you need it. And if you alert me ahead of time, I can wait through to next Friday, May 12. Let's keep engaging!

TRES
Tres but not trieste or least, I woke up this morning to discover that this blog's hits -- if taken on an annualized basis -- is running at the implication of 90 billion peeps versus my normal 9 billion peep readership. I wondered at the slippage of that decimal point, but soon enough discovered the reason during my morning blog jog: Ron Silliman referenced moi perky name.

Apparently, I inspire Ron Silliman. Well, Preeen. And Thankeee, Ron. The spike in Silliman referrals reminds me that I have to do my monthly Art Forum Jog-and-Pick-Exercise where I leaf through the glossy and pick the most effective art work based on its reproduction therein. Ron reminds me of Art Forum because his blog was picked as No. 1 in Rae Armantrout's TOP TEN recommended readings in the March issue. So, check with me this weekend, ye Art Forum readers -- and Moi shall help parse you through the conceptual underpinnings to determine which art work actually manifests its rationale. If you're gonna look with your ears, you might as well listen to moi blather.

(And speaking of blather, Ron, I agree re your take on Rauschenberg.)