NOTES FROM POET LARIAT DUTIES

Earlier this week, while conducting my poet laureate duties (yawn) at Dutch Henry Winery, a young student came by doing some spreading-the-word about her project to trace the history of two local workers who immigrated to Napa Valley from Mexico. I was dozing by the wine barrels minding my own business -- which dozing-and-minding-one's-business is, frankly, the better way for some recent poet laureates to do their lariat duties -- when one of the wine tasting room's curators directed her to me because "she's a poet."

So, seated at this bench and trying to be poet lariat-like, I stopped yawning. And talked to the young lady about her project. She apparently spent four years (which means she began at 16! Love young un's industriousnesses...es) interviewing these workers and then ended up writing a 250-page novel! And now she's going to trace back their migrant steps all the way back to Mexico, along with Maria, one of the workers.

Thing is, after our discussion, she returned back to her car where Maria apparently was waiting. And she told Maria she'd just spoken to a poet. And this Maria zipped out of her car and came up to me all excited!

Maria: Habla espanol? [Don't ask me to do the accent marks; don't know how to do that html thingie]

Moi: Unnnnnnn poquito. Muuuuy un poquito.

Maria [undeterred]: I want you to hear my poem and tell me how to make it better!

And with no further ado, she launched into her (English) poem which was about her migration to the U.S.

I tell ya! 'Twas enough to wake me up. A really moving poem that she'd memorized...enabling her to share it with a total stranger. It's pretty rare to be addressed like this in this day and age. Wow. Later, of course, I toasted Maria.

Speaking of winepoetics, wanna see what Moi looks like when she's tipsy but still slogging along on a poetry reading? Check Moi HERE (this link of friends of the winery that they titled "Peeps" -- really? where'd you get that from, boys?). 'Twas during a Katrina fundraising held at the winery. I look at that photo now and, gads, all I can remember is how heavy that BRICK is, particularly after several glasses of wine.

So, TGIF!

THE WATCHING-THAT-ROI-FLOAT-BY-BLUES

Got another order today for a Tiny Book. And it occurred to me that the Tiny Book Series is my most profitable project done for Meritage Press. But wouldn't ya know -- all proceeds get donated to charity.

So, yet again, poetry economics...sucks.

Even as that Handwritten-on-Demand (HOD) structure just ramped up its "cost" -- and the poor Chatelaine looks at her right arm twinge-ing twitching tetching from carpal tunnel syndrome....

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!

I'm ecstatic to announce that THE PINAYS READING is going to have special guests that basically will turn it into PINOY POETS READING! We have special guests coming, including Al Robles and Tony Robles!

Woot. Rather, Mabuhay!

Tony is delightful but Manong Al? NO LESS THAN AN HONOR! Now that's a guy who knows how to do that "Poetry As A Way of Life" thing!

Join us, please! There's the possibility of another SPECIAL GUEST who also would further ramp up the party if she shows (we're working to confirm!):

3 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, 2007

Eastwind Books of Berkeley
2066 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
books@ewbb.com
http://www.ewbb.com
510-548-2350

A PRIZE(D) ADMISSION

I rarely talk publicly about when people nominate me for poetry prizes. I don't talk about the *nominations* because if I don't get the prize I'm being nominated for, I get deeply embarassed. For myself and the editors who nominated me.

One can talk forever about how responses to poems (all art) is subjective and all that. But though I don't cringe if a journal editor doesn't nominate my poem(s) for, say, the Pushcart Prize, I somehow cringe when they do nominate a poem and it doesn't get the award. That doesn't even make sense, does it.

On one list serve, this topic came up a few months back and I was humored (even as I empathetically cringed) over a poet sharing how there was this one editor who consistently nominated his poems for the Pushcart for numerous years until, one day, they discussed it and just mutally agreed that the editor should stop nominating him anymore. Because it was just getting to be too much work for the editor to fill out the forms for that particular poet's work that consistently has not been to the Pushcart people's tastes. Because it was getting to be too painful for that poet and editor to discuss, year after year, that, cough, the poem didn't get the final Pushcart nod.

Anyway, I don't keep track so I don't know the exact number but I've been nominated for the Pushcart for probably more than a dozen times. This year, I have three nominations for the Pushcart and one for Best of the Net.

In the past, upon hearing of my nominations, I have felt grateful, said Thank you to the editors, but then pull in to my own embarrassment. I've never even publicly acknowledged, until this post, the Best of the Net Nomination by WOMB Poetry which was revealed this past September (and I do so now by publicly thanking them).

I'm writing this post now because I'm thinking -- what exactly is my embarrassment to the Grace being shown by the nominating editors? Nada. I want to show gratitude to those who've liked my work well enough to nominate them for such prizes. So thank you, too, to SENTENCE for its Pushcart nomination which I've just learned. I want to thank you within five minutes of hearing about it, hence this post. Because one should always never be ashamed of these moments of Grace.

I mean, I won't win (there she goes....sigh) but, truly -- sincerely and humbly -- I am grateful that you liked my poems.

PRE- ANGEL HUNTING

It's official. I have carpal tunnel syndrome. And the thing is, I wasn't surprised when the doctor diagnosed it yesterday -- because I'd heard that it was a typical writer's affliction nowadays. But, no, it's not. If anything, it's something genetic having to do with the size of the wrist veins.

The good thing about it not being writerly-related is that I don't have to change anything about my keyboarding (hence writing) habits. I do have to wear this sling at night for a while to keep my left wrist from bending when I'm asleep (most people sleep with bent wrists, in case you didn't know).

One thing the doctor did say is that no one has figured out why the diagnoses of carpal tunnel syndrome has risen significantly....

Hm. When I go offline, I think I'll hunt one of those angels down from the ceiling, sit on its back and bend its wing back until it goes Ow. Just because I can.

While I do that, you might want to check out Galatea Resurrects' just-updated list of review copies. Some interesting new additions -- really.

For example, yesterday's snailmail brought WORDS IN YOUR FACE: A GUIDED TOUR THORUGH TWENTY YEARS OF THE NEW YORK CITY POETRY SLAM by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz. I have had and have no particular interest in the poetry slam....but I ended up reading this 364-page book in one sitting. Aptowicz has written a riveting, page-turning read. And, interesting and admirable layer -- there's elegance and grace (a lot of class!) in Aptowicz's treatment of her subject.

It's about poetry slam -- but has all the elements of a great story; writes itself really....with the vagaries of ego, passion, literature, vendettas, rivalries, and love love love for poetry really uplifting what may have been individual petty incidents into necessary threads to a glorious fabric...you get the yarn drift. Highly recommended, as they say. Someone please review this book!

Okay, off to traffic with an angel....Poor angel.

PRAU A PROW LOOKING POR TOI!

[Pls Forward]

Dear Friendly Folks,
Please note that the RELEASE SPECIAL offer for Jean Vengua's award-winning collection PRAU (Meritage Press, 2007) expires at the end of this month. For any orders postmarked as late as Nov. 30, 2007, you can take advantage of this offer. And if you want to send this as a holiday present, I'll toss in gift-wrapping and mail it on your behalf!

In addition, Jean Vengua will launch her book this December 8 at Berkeley. Details below. Hope you can join us!

Eileen

THREE PINAYS POETS LAUNCH BOOKS
IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING!

You are invited to a poetry reading and book launch featuring

Michelle Bautista, author of Kali's Blade
Eileen Tabios, author of The Light Sang As It Left Your Eyes
Jean Vengua, author of Prau

Please join us, enjoy good poetry, and do pick up some books for Holiday Gift-Giving this Year at:

3 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, 2007

Eastwind Books of Berkeley
2066 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
books@ewbb.com
http://www.ewbb.com
510-548-2350

BIOS:
Michelle Bautista is a SF Bay Area poet and performer, having worked with Kearney Street Workshop, Bindlestiff Studios, Asian American Theater Company, KaliArts and Teatro ng Tanan. She has been published in Going Home to a Landscape, Babaylan, maganda magazine, Eros Pinoy, Asian Pacific American Journal, TMP Irregular and MiPOesias Magazine. She is also a 4th degree black belt in the Kamatuuran School of Kali under the direction of Tuhan Joseph T. Oliva Arriola. She teaches kali in Oakland, CA.

Eileen R. Tabios has released 14 print, four electronic and 1 CD poetry collections, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, and a short story book. Her most recent book, a multi-genre poetry collection, is The Light Sang As It Left Your Eyes (Marsh Hawk Press, 2007). In her poetry, she has crafted a body of work that is unique for melding ekphrasis with transcolonialism. She's also edited or co-edited five books of poetry, fiction and essays. Her poems have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Tagalog, Japanese, Portuguese, Paintings, Video, Drawings, Visual Poetry, Mixed Media Collages, Kali Martial Arts, Modern Dance and Sculpture.

Jean Vengua's poetry has been published in many print and online journals and anthologies, including Going Home to a Landscape, Babaylan, Proliferation, Returning a Borrowed Tongue, Fugacity 05, Sidereality, Moria and Otoliths, and in her chapbook, The Aching Vicinities (Otoliths). With Mark Young she is editor of the First Hay(na)ku Anthology. Jean's essays, articles and reviews on literature and music have been published in many journals including Jouvert, Geopolitics of the Visual (Ateneo U. Press), Pinoy Poetics, Our Own Voice, Seattle's International Examiner, and CultureCatch.com. Jean Vengua lives in the Monterey Bay Area, where she works as an editor. She is the first place recipient of the Filamore Tabios Sr. Memorial Prize for her poetry book manuscript entitled Prau. Most of the poetry contained in Prau was written online, afloat on the sea of pixels.

DEAR FILIPINO POETS,

[Please Forward]

Dear Filipino Poets Worldwide:
You are invited to submit to a fun poetry contest. No submission fees. E-mail submissions. Details below:


MP SEVENTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY POETRY CONTEST
Sponsor: Meritage Press
Judge: Eric Gamalinda
Deadline: December 31, 2007


ABOUT THE JUDGE:
Eric Gamalinda's publications include Amigo Warfare [Cherry Grove Collections], Zero Gravity [Alice James Books], Lyrics from a Dead Language [Anvil, Manila], poems; My Sad Republic [University of the Philippines Press], Empire of Memory, Confessions of a Volcano [ both Anvil Publishers, Manila], Planet Waves [New Day, Manila], novels; Peripheral Vision [New Day], short stories; Flippin': Filipinos on America, anthology [Asian American Writers Workshop, co-edited with Luis Francia]. His awards include the Cultural Center of the Philippines Independent Film and Video Awards [2004], the Asian American Literary Award for Zero Gravity [poems, 2000], the New York Foundation for the Arts [fiction, 1998], the Philippine Centennial Literary Prize for My Sad Republic [novel, 1998], the National Book Award, Manila, for Planet Waves [novel, 1990], and a number of Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for fiction, poetry, essay and playwriting in the Philippines. He is working on a new collection of poems to be entitled Relic Light. More information about him and his works are available at his website: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeslrlq/gamalinda/index.html


ABOUT THE CONTEST:
All poets are encouraged to submit by e-mailing 1 or 2 poems to MeritagePress@aol.com. (Send no more than 2 poems). Please present poems within the body of the email as we do not open attachments.) Please include your full name along with your e-mail address. However, the poems will be sent without your names to judge Eric Gamalinda, thereby allowing the poems to be read on their own merit. All poets are welcome to submit — it doesn’t matter whether you’re established or emerging as the work is read on its own merit.

There are no limitations to poetry styles or content. All types of poems are welcome. We are now taking submissions up to the deadline of December 31, 2007.

Only previously unpublished poems are eligible (you may, however, submit poems that you have featured on your own web sites or or blogs, or that have been published in limited edition chapbooks of no more than 250 copies).


PRIZES:
Meritage Press has asked Eric Gamalinda to choose one winner. However, Eric may choose other finalist-winners, depending on the quality of the submissions. The winner(s) will have their poems published in the February 2008 edition of “Babaylan Speaks” at http://meritagepress.com/babaylan/

The FIRST PLACE WINNER also will receive SELECTED FILIPINO TITLES:

AMIGO WARFARE by Eric Gamalinda; for more information about the book, go to http://www.cherry-grove.com/gamalinda.html (Patrick Rosal and Eileen Tabios discuss Eric's amazing book, AMIGO WARFARE, at http://galatearesurrection8.blogspot.com/2007/11/two-books-by-eric-gamalinda_30.html and http://galatearesurrection8.blogspot.com/2007/11/two-books-by-eric-gamalinda.html

PRAU by Jean Vengua; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/prau.htm

MUSEUM OF ABSENCES by Luis H. Francia; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/museum.htm

KALI’S BLADE by Michelle Bautista; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/kalis.htm

THE FIRST HAY(NA)KU ANTHOLOGY, co-edited by Jean Vengua and Mark Young; for more information about the book, go to http://www.meritagepress.com/haynaku.htm

PINOY POETICS; A Collection of Autobiographical and Critical Essays on Filipino and Filipino American Poetics, edited by Nick Carbo; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/pinoypoetics.htm

THE LIGHT SANG AS IT LEFT YOUR EYES by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://marshhawkpress.org/tabios3.htm

I TAKE THEE, ENGLISH, FOR MY BELOVED by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://marshhawkpress.org/tabios2.htm

MENAGE A TROIS WITH THE 21st CENTURY by Eileen Tabios; for more information about the book, go to http://www.ourownvoice.com/books/2004xpress.shtml

BRIDGEABLE SHORES by Luis Cabalquinto; for more information about the book, go to http://www.artbook.com/1885030347.html


AND SELECTED MERITAGE PRESS POETRY TITLES:
COMPLICATIONS by Garrett Caples; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/complications.htm

THE OBEDIENT DOOR by Sean Tumoana Finney; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/obedientdoor.htm

OPERA: Poems 1981-2002 by Barry Schwabsky; for more information about the book, go to http://www.meritagepress.com/opera.htm

100 MORE JOKES FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD by John Yau and Archie Rand; for more information about the book, go to http://meritagepress.com/100morejokes.htm


FINALISTS:
Other finalist-winners besides the winner, if any, will receive two of the above-listed books (the choice of books are up to Meritage Press).


PREVIOUS WINNERS:
2006: Joel M. Toledo (Judge: Michelle Bautista)
2005: Arkaye Velasquez Kierulf (Judge: Jean Vengua)
2004: Joel H. Vega (Judge: Sarah Gambito)
2003: Luisa A. Igloria (Judge: Patrick Rosal)
2002: Naya S. Valdellon & Michella Rivera-Gravage (Judge: Oliver de la Paz)
2001: Carlomar Arcangel Daoana (Judge: Nick Carbo)

For questions or more information, you can email MeritagePress@aol.com

ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS IS HOW I GET REVIEWED

Fresh outa the shower this morning, I was nekkid and drying moiself with a towel when I hear the hubby's voice. He is saying, while he is doing his business seated on the toilet and I am admiring moi gawgeous (just humor me) bod, "You know what's brilliant about that hay(na)ku?"

Now, I'm fresh outa the shower, which is to say, I hadn't yet had my first cuppa, so I wasn't sure I heard that right. So I brilliantly riposte, "Huh?"

"The hay(na)ku," he repeats. Guess I heard right. "It's brilliant because that 1, 2, 3 doesn't just force people to make sure each word counts. It's brilliant because it actually leans to grammar."

Now, being a poet, I don't know grammar. So I riposte again, albeit less brilliantly this time, "Huh?"

"Being 1, 2, 3," the hubby continues, "it leans towards subject, verb, object."

Really? That kinda reminds me of Jean recently writing, "mind desires a complete sentence" in her brilliant Corporeal Blog.

But of course the hubby said what he said without having seen some of the post avant variations of the hay(na)ku. Not that I could nota bene that to him since uttering a phrase like "post avant" would make him raise that eyebrow to indicate PRETENTIOUSNESS ALERT! (Everyone is suuuuuch a critic.)

In any event, before I could say anything else, the conversation ended as the toilet flushed. I know how this man's mind works. When it comes to poetry, any discussion that occured while he's on his throne ends as soon as he finishes his business and hikes up his pants. If I'd asked him to continue, you see, he'd just point down where the water is swirling away the just-finished business, including conversation.

Okay. That may have been more info than what youse wanted to hear. But, first, that the hubby ever bothers to mench anything poetry-related is a big deal around here. Second, it's as good a segue as any to Moi pointing you towards Jean for providing a different kind of relief. (I discovered RELIEF whilst checking her blogs since I'd thought to follow up on our butt crack vs cleavage discussion. Anyhoot...)

Relief, I proclaim, because FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY: SOMEONE GETS MY SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!

Really. So GO HERE to determine why, among moi gawgeous bod's advantages, I am MAN-SIZED!

But I'll post the beginning of Jean's post because it quotes a poet new to me, and very interesting: Majena Mafe--who says:

I’m making a few notes here about the role of comedy in women’s experimental (xxperimental) writing. I’ve been thinking how it acts as a transgressive model and a point of departure for language frames/meanings etc. Always interested in the limits of language. The tie between speech and conduct is bordered by comedy and moral indignation….comedy does not have the same ethical standards as everyday life…and thats an opening in the frame to me.

Then Jean explains how I am man-sized, as I said before, but also slippery.

Man-sized and Slippery! That's the blurb I want!

Trickster Poetics, anyone?

DECK THE HALLS, SCHMECK THE HALLS

I am tagged by Leny. I am supposed to write down the 6th sentence on page 161 of the book I am reading...okay, that would be, from a paperback entitled DECK THE HALLS by Arlene James:

"I want to go!" Bets pleaded as Larry moved swiftly past her.

It's a Christian romance. Why am I reading it? Because I'm putting together sacks of books to donate to the local library (for books they don't retain, they sell them to fundraise)...and am going through Mom's haphazard stacks.

Thing is, I feel guilty releasing books from Galatea's library. So I refuse to donate a book unless I've read it, just to make sure that I don't want to retain it on the mountain. You should see what I'm slogging through...

...that's the blasted result of meaning it when I blather: I'ma about a POETICS OF EVERYTHING.

I'll read anything coz books don't make people stupid, right?

GALATEA RESURRECTS NO. 8!!!

Yay! Galatea Resurrects Issue No. 8 is brand-spankin' new. You can access the issue HERE. But I also cutnpaste the Table of Contents below for your convenience because Moi am here to serve Toi! That be 64 new reviews, Yoi!


ISSUE NO. 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS

November 30, 2007

[N.B. You can scroll down for all articles or click on highlighted names or titles to go directly to referenced article. Since this is a large issue, if it takes too long to upload the entire issue, you can click on the individual links below to more quickly get to a review that interests you.]


EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
By Eileen Tabios


NEW REVIEWS
James Patrick Dunagan reviews WRITING POETRY: FROM THE INSIDE OUT by Sanford Lyne

Sam Lohmann reviews “BURNING INTERIORS”: DAVID SHAPIRO’S POETRY AND POETICS, Edited by Thomas Fink and Joseph Lease

James Patrick PaDunagan reviews RIPPLE EFFECT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS by Elaine Equi

Sam Lohmann engages RIPPLE EFFECT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS by Elaine Equi

Ernesto Priego reviews WORLD0 and NO SOUNDS OF MY OWN MAKING by John Bloomberg-Rissman; UNPROTECTED TEXTS and STEPS: A NOTEBOOK by Tom Beckett; and ESTE BIENESTAR, TIBIO/THIS WELL-BEING, WARM, POEMS IN TRANSLATION by Argel Corpus

Barry Schwabsky reviews GLOIRE DES FORMES PRECEDE DE LE DOUBLE CORPS DES IMAGES by Jean Fremon

Patrick Rosal reviews AMIGO WARFARE and ZERO GRAVITY, both by Eric Gamalinda

Eileen Tabios engages AMIGO WARFARE and LYRICS FROM A DEAD LANGUAGE, both by Eric Gamalinda

Thomas Fink reviews FRAGILE REPLACEMENTS by William Allegrezza

Pam Brown engages URBAN MYTHS: 210 POEMS by John Tranter

Rochelle Ratner engages HELEN IN EGYPT by H.D.; LOBA by Diane di Prima; SURVIVAL: A THEMATIC GUIDE TO CANADIAN LITERATURE by Margaret Atwood; and THE JOURNAL OF SUSANNA MOODIE by Margaret Atwood

Lars Palm reviews OPERA BUFA by Adam Fieled

Pam Brown engages BLUE GRASS by Peter Minter

Raymond John De Borja reviews ALL THE PAINTINGS OF THE GIORGIONE by Elizabeth Willis

Eileen Tabios engages WANTON TEXTILES by Reb Livingston and Ravi Shankar

Ryan Daley reviews THE ECSTASY OF CAPITULATION by Daniel Borzutzky

Joe LeClerc reviews CANA QUEMADA [BURNT SUGAR] - CONTEMPORARY CUBAN POETRY IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, Edited by Lori Marie Carlson & Oscar Hijuelos

John Bloomberg-Rissman reviews A SPY IN THE HOUSE OF YEARS, CAPITAL and ERRATUM TO A SPY IN THE HOUSE OF YEARS (LEVIATHAN PRESS, 2001), all by Giles Goodland

Nicholas Manning reviews BLACK STONE by Dale Smith

Burt Kimmelman reviews PASSING OVER, POWERS: TRACKVOLUME 3, COLUMNS: TRACKVOLUME 2, TRACK and RESTLESS MESSENGERS, all by Norman Finkelstein

James Patrick Dunagan reviews COMPLETE MINIMAL POEMS by Aram Saroyan

Lisa Bower reviews THE ARCHITECTURE OF LANGUAGE by Quincy Troupe

Jeff Harrison reviews DAYS POEM, VOLS. I and II by Allen Bramhall

Burt Kimmelman reviews FORTY-NINE GUARANTEED WAYS TO ESCAPE DEATH by Sandy McIntosh

Eileen Tabios engages HUMAN SCALE by Michael Kelleher

Pam Brown engages VOODOO REALITIES by Philip Hammial

Laurel Johnson reviews PASSING OVER by Norman Finkelstein

Pamela Hart reviews THREADS by Jill Magi

Lars Palm reviews DOCUMENT by Ana Bozicevic-Bowling

Nicholas Manning reviews OBSTRUCTS/CONSTITUTES by John Crouse

Eric Hoffman reviews N/O by Ron Silliman

William Allegrezza reviews GUESTS OF SPACE by Anselm Hollo

Larissa Shmailo reviews E-X-C-H-A-N-G-E V-A-L-U-E-S: THE FIRST XI INTERVIEWS, Curated by Tom Beckett

Eileen Tabios engages PUBLIC ACCESS #1, Edited by Nicholas Grider

Kristin Berkey-Abbott reviews PIONEERS IN THE STUDY OF MOTION by Susan Briante

Mark Young reviews EL TSUNAMI by Kevin Opstedal

Aileen Ibardaloza engages “LAKBAY-KAMAY”, a poem by Father Albert Alejo; "PSALM 120" in BOOK OF PSALMS, THE NELSON STUDY BIBLE; “OUT BEYOND IDEAS” by Jelludin Rumi in THE ESSENTIAL RUMI, Translated by Coleman Barks; and OUT BEYOND IDEAS, a CD by David Wilcox and Nance Pettit

Kristina Marie Darling reviews INBOX by Noah Eli Gordon

John Bloomberg-Rissman reviews NOVEL PICTORIAL NOISE by Noah Eli Gordon

Kristin Berkey-Abbott reviews THE HAPPINESS EXPERIMENT by Lisa Fishman

Paul Klinger reviews LETTERS TO EARLY STREET by Albert Flynn DeSilver

Eileen Tabios engages FREE by Amanda Laughtland

Ivy Alvarez reviews MOONSHINE by MML Bliss

Beatriz Tabios engages THE BOOK OF THE ROTTEN DAUGHTER by Alice Friman

Eileen Tabios engages BELOVED INTEGER by Michelle Naka Pierce


THE CRITIC WRITES POEMS
Two Poems by James Patrick Dunagan: "Dear Elaine," and "A Sloop in the Heart of Things"


FEATURE ARTICLE
“The Poetry of Put-On” (Addressing Bill Knott, Andrei Codrescu, Armand Schwerner, Jack Spicer, Among Others) by Rochelle Ratner


FROM OFFLINE TO ONLINE: REPRINTED REVIEWS
Murat Nemet-Nejat reviews SUDDEN ADDRESS, SELECTED LECTURES 1981-2006 by Bill Berkson

Scott Glassman reviews SIGHT PROGRESS by Zhang Er, Translated by Rachel Levitsky with the author

Judith Roitman reviews INVERSE and THE BOOK OF OCEAN, both by Maryrose Larkin


ADVERTISEMENT
Meritage Press Tiny Books Releases Fifth Title for Poetry to Keep Feeding the World!


BACK COVER
The Bad Bad Metaphor!

DEAR GALATEA RESURRECTS--HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

I've just updated the stats for Galatea Resurrects (GR), including the soon-forthcoming 8th issue (hoping to release it later this week). These numbers are so impressive that I must impress you with them. In its two years of existence, GR has provided 405 new reviews of various poetry projects, encompassing the book, the chapbook, the blog, the video, the CD and the performance troupe.

GR's reviews cover works put out by 207 publishers, in addition to one blog, one poetry CD and four poetry videos. Also presented are 48 reviews reprinted from print publications and given a previously-unavailable online presence.

The reviewed publishers are based all over the world. Publishers' headquarters reside in the United States, England, Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico, Philippines, Australia, Wales, South Africa, Germany, Japan and, of course, the internet. LIST OF REVIEWED PUBLISHERS HERE.

Given the predominance of one review per publisher, any publisher receiving 5 or more reviewers is doing great. Here are the publishers who've been covered at least five times:

Meritage Press --26
Dusie --20
Marsh Hawk Press --18
Ugly Duckling Presse --14
Coffee House Press --12
BlazeVOX Books --8
Hanging Loose Press --7
effing press --6
Moria Poetry --6
Salt Publishing --7
Otoliths --6
Auguste Press --6
No Tell Books --5
Presa :S: Press --5
Spuyten Duyvil --5

One can glean some conclusions, if one wishes, from these stats. For example, the majority of reviewed books are chosen by the reviewers themselves -- so these publishers, one can argue, are putting out works that are of interest to many.

Note, the preponderance of "indie publishers."

Of course, skewing these stats is that many of the books chosen for review come from GR's Available Review Copy List. Of the 405 new reviews, 257 were generated from review copies made available to GR. So if you are a publisher/author, you should seriously send us your review copies -- they are not likely to just sit in some ignored slush pile.

Anyway, I leave other conclusions to y'all. I just wanted to NUMBER atcha!

THE ROTTEN DAUGHTER

So I saw Mom off at the airport last night where she took off for the Philippines for a one, possibly two-month stay. In the flurry before her departure, it was kind of moving to watch her struggling over a poetry book review. She doesn't work on a computer, so she kept drafting and redrafting by handwriting her review on scratch paper -- okay, this part was painful to watch. She's nearly 78, nearly blind, and there she was scribbling and scribbling, nose to paper -- because she considered it important to do justice by a poet's work.

Anyway, she gave me a sheaf of papers before she left, and I was eager to read her review. Do you think it means anything that the book she reviewed is entitled

THE BOOK OF THE ROTTEN DAUGHTER

? Naaaaa....aaahhhhh, right?

Actually, I read the book. It's EXCELLENT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

MOI NOVEMBER SPECIALS

which is to say, these SPECIAL RELEASE SPECIALS for some very SPECIAL BOOKS have deadlines of Nov. 30, 2007. Check out

STAGE PRESENCE, Edited by scholar-musician Theo Gonsalvez

and

PRAU, poems by Jean Vengua

Whatchoo waitin' for?! These books will change your life!

LET MOI SENTENCE YA!!

Too busy to blather. Fortunately, Barry Schwabsky just sent me his "favorite sentence of the day" which I share for your hootness as well:

"(Our native oaks, in fact, have an erotic need for an occasional fire to assist their reproduction.)"
--Mike Davis, London Review of Books, November 15, p. 31.

Surely some Peep out there can poem-icize that!

DEMANDING BEAUTY DEMANDS

Beauty betrays; yet it's the most important thing to me for poetry. Because Beauty also sings! And I'm thinking of that again when I read one of the most moving blogs posts I've encountered HERE. Here's an excerpt from the never neutral, gentle man:

I have changed, and I am conscious of these changes. Suddenly I have reached a state of semi-paralysis. This is not a physical paralysis, but a spiritual, intellectual one. I realize I am stuck in a process of mourning. “The flesh is sad”, and I have not read all the books. I remember a time in which I had the drive to believe in what had to be done; I remember a time in which I had the ability to commit. As time passes I read more and experience the world more, and I think that a profound fascination with the possibility of beauty (”possibility” as in the ever-present virtuality of the never-ending becoming) is what keeps me waking up in the mornings. I have changed, though, because I am possessed by a most-serious disenchantment; it is not “depression”, but a mourning for a lack of engagement with what the bard phrased as “the dreary intercourse of daily life”.
--Ernesto Priego

And, for some reason, this also fortifies me this morning to try to squeeze one more review into the forthcoming issue of Galatea Resurrects; I'ma gonna tr7 to do that today. That review is of Michael Kelleher's HUMAN SCALE (BlazeVOX Books, 2007), one of the lovelier poetry collections I've engaged with. If you don't see my review in the next GR, please consider this post a recommendation nonetheless for this really brilliant and lucid book. And simply a BEAUTIFUL project.

You walk around in days of daze and, sometimes, Beauty stops you. Beauty demands.

UNTROUBLED NUMBERS

[Those in the know will know Moi couldn't resist the title's mischief....Anyhoot....]

While preparing to release the 8th issue of Galatea Resurrects (GR), I also created an INDEX where one can see which publishers have seen their works covered by GR. And I am amazed to discover that, through to the 7th issue (as I haven't tallied the not-yet-completed 8th issue), GR has provided review coverage to

               182 publishers!

Wow. I had no clue we'd covered so many! This is on top of 1 poetry blog, 1 poetry CD, and 4 Poetry videos. (These numbers are all for new reviews done through GR and doesn't include reprinted reviews.)

In terms of number of reviews garnered for their works, the top ten represented publishers are:

Meritage Press --21 reviews

Dusie --19 reviews

Marsh Hawk Press --15 reviews

Ugly Duckling Presse --13 reviews

Coffee House Press --8 reviews

Hanging Loose Press --7 reviews

Moria Poetry --6 reviews

Auguste Press -- 5 reviews

BlazeVOX Books --5 reviews

Presa :S: Press --5 reviews

My Meritage Press (MP)has the top review count, but I wouldn't make too much of that. It undoubtedly reflects how GR is still just two years old and in order to come up with review copies initially, I made my whole MP inventory available. Over time, as more publishers have come to participate and hopefully continue to participate by sending in review copies, others will increase their review representation.

Given the number of publishers featured, and the dominance of one review per publisher, any publisher who receives more than one review is doing pretty well. Several of the publishers who're currently at *4* publications reviewed will be going up to at least *5* with the soon-to-be-released Issue No. 8. Publishers at *4* are effing press, H_NGM_N Chapbook Series, No Tell Books, Otoliths, Ravenna Press, Red Morning Press, and Salt Publishing (to determine who'll make it to 5-review presentation, wait for the release of the 8th issue!)

This is all pretty amazing to me -- and yet one more reason why I'm really grateful to all you volunteer reviewers out there! THANK YOU!

P.S. Note that your Chatelaine is Blind. So I suspect the INDEX has a few errors -- specifically, I'm not sure about my BlazeVox numbers (I initially counted 6 reviews but then could only find 5); I can't find the Carcanet review; and I'm not sure about the Barnwood Press figure either (I initially counted 2 reviews but can only find one now to list). If you find any errors in the GR INDEX, do feel free to email Moi to let me know at GalateaTen@aol.com

I TELL ON NO TELL

Jill Alexander Essbaum's HARLOT reminds me of one of my favorite poets, Evelyn Lau. Not because of eros or the narrative contents in their work so much as tone: they both got that dark music of clinking ice and highball glasses going on....

Speaking of HARLOT's publisher, No Tell Books, they just released an anthology with one of my weirdo poems -- but that shouldn't preclude you from checking out, nay, buying this newly released anthology

The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel - Second Floor, Edited by Molly Arden and Reb Livingston

It's more than bedside reading, yo!

And here's latest list of Recently Relished W(h)ines:

PUBLICATIONS:
AMIGO WARFARE, poems by Eric Gamalinda

LYRICS FROM A DEAD LANGUAGE, poems by Eric Gamalinda

AMBIENCE IS A NOVEL WITH A LOGO, poetry by Tan Lin

RAPID DEPARTURES / PARTIDAS RAPIDAS, poems by Vincent Katz,translations into Portuguese by Regina Alfarano and art by Mario Cafiero

DOG GIRL, poems by Heidi Lynn Staples

DOING SEVENTY, poems by Hettie Jones

HARLOT, poems by Jill Alexander Essbaum

DREAD, poems by Ai

OVERNIGHT, poems by Paul Violi

FOURSQUARE, Vol. 2 No. 4, Sept. 2007, poetry broadside Edited by Jessica Smith with cover art by Anna Bell and poems by Michelle Morgan, Claire Hero, Suzanne Frischkorn and Gillian Devereaux

SNOWFALL, novel by Mitchell Smith

BACHELOR'S PUZZLE, novel byJudith Pella

BUSCANDO A NEMO, LA HISTORIA MAGICA DE LA PELUCAL DE DISNEY, children's book courtesy of Disney
 
CARS, LA HISTORIA MAGICA DE LA PELUCAL DE DISNEY, children's book courtesy of Disney
 
MI PRIMERA BIBLIOTECA DE POOH, children's books courtesy of Disney
 
WINNIE THE POOH, LA HISTORIA MAGICA DE LA PELUCAL DE DISNEY, children's book courtesy of Disney
 
LA SIRENITA, children's book adaptation by Oriol Izquierdo with illustrations by Max
 
MI CASA, children's book by Rebecca Emberley
 
ESTRELLITA DE ORO, children's book by Joe Hayes with illustrations by Gloria Osuna Perez & Lucia Angela Perez
 
EL PATITO FEO, children's book adaptation by Merce Escardo I Bas with illustrations by Max
 
EN REGALO DE FERNANDO, children's book by Douglas Keister
 
LA TORTUGA Y LA LIEBRE, children's book by Susan Lowell with illustrations by Jim Harris
 
LA FIESTA DE LAS TORTILLAS, children's book by Jorge Argueta
 
 
WINES:
1993 Lindemans Coonawarra Limestone Ridge shiraz
2002 Rockford "Basket Press" shiraz
2003 Chase Family Winery Hayne Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel
2003 Dutch Henry chardonnay
2002 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
2003 Jones Family cabernet
2003 Altagracin Napa Valley Red Wine
Heitz cabernet, Bottle, 2005
2004 Darioush cabernet
Schramsberg Blanc de Noir
2002 Tofanelli zinfandel Napa Valley

"LANGUAGE FOR A NEW CENTURY" CALLED "NOT THE TOWER OF BABEL" BY NADINE GORDIMER

Well, I'll be waving from the pages of a Norton Anthology viz Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond, Edited by Tina Chang, Nathalie Handal, and Ravi Shankar.

It'll be interesting to see who else will appear in this anthology that apparently features over 400 poets from 55 countries writing in 40 different languages. The editors have shared that Carolyn Forché writes a "deeply felt Foreword". And this blurbie:

"This extraordinary, library-in-one-volume: what a resource! Those to whom poetry is essential as the supreme use of language will find the work of many poets they have never before come to, and those readers who have limited themselves to prose have the opportunity to discover how the poet outreaches everything prose can illuminate in who and what we are, no matter where, on the map. Nine thematic groupings of the work bring us wonderfully, almost perilously close to ultimate experience in childhood, love, war, exile, the inextricable relations between politics and the personal, the tragic and the ironic, the wisdom in sorrow and humor, that only the most intense imagination can plumb. That of the poet. The realm of imagination is one. This anthology gives entry to its vast expression in the Middle East and Asia, including the changing sensibilities of poets in the ever-growing world of immigration. Assembled here not the Tower of Babel, but the astonishment and subtlety inherent in many languages and their experimental modes to expand the power of words. The introductions to each section offer perceptions engagingly, against which to place one's own readings. The editors have boldly envisaged and compiled a beautiful achievement for world literature."
-Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Laureate

The anthology is scheduled to be released in April 2008. Moi representation is one of the poems from ENGLISH.

READ/SEE LESLEY DILL!

I've long wondered whether Lesley Dill is on folks' minds in the po-world. Here's another link about her "poem-sculptures" (like that "Clench").

Early on in the creation of The Light...I had thought to suggest one of Dill's Angelic sculptures for a cover image, which is not to say I have any doubts about the final cover results but just to indicate my love for Lesley Dill's works. She's known enough in the art world, but have never seen her (or don't recall ever seeing her) mentioned in po-world writings....and yet she's much invested in poetry (got her B.A. in English).

More linkies to Lesley Dill--go see her, why dontcha!

Poetry and Stitching

Ten Year Survey Through 2003

AT LEAST THE DOG DIDN'T EAT YOUR HOMEWORK!

Stray lit biz type of stuff.

First, wrapping up the proofing of the forthcoming The Hay(na)ku Anthology, Vol. 2. Amongst other things, the book shows the hay(na)ku to be multi-lingual! Among the languages represented in this volume are English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Vizpo, Drawing, and Photograph.

Secondly, as I wrap up the next issue of Galatea Resurrects, I note that I had hoped to review eight publications for this issue, but only ended up reviewing five. That's about the same percentage of total Received Reviews versus the number of reviews that peeps had contacted me earlier to do. Fortunately, most of these folks say they're not totally bagging a review, but just asking to do it for the March 2008 issue (which is fine). And we still have a BEEG ISSUE coming up!

Having said that, I gotta say -- I'm laughing at one "excuse" one critic gave for the delay in her review. I mean, I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time (or even now?) but she said some driver lost control of her car on the hill above their house, managed to miss the two ditches near their house, caught air when she hit the edge of the property, and landed on their porch. A flying car! Which then necessitated dealing with clean-up, insurance, contractors, et al. A car flew onto her porch. Sounds like a good excuse to Moi!

And the Chatelaine raises a bottle of Sierra Nevada pale ale to toast the screen, doorway into -- if you avoid the B.S. artists -- a quite amusing e-world!

GALATEA RESURRECTS: A GARDEN POETICS

I'm also working on finalizing the next issue of Galatea Resurrects, due out later this month.

And I think I will open up the issue with ... a negative review!!!!

Yay!

But not to worry. The journal, nonetheless, will be replete with Love -- how can it not be when Moi is involved!?

Anyway -- update time. The deadline for the next issue after this month's, the 9th issue, has just been set at March 5, 2008. Which is to say, plenty of time for you to cogitate, if you're interested in doing a review. Please do check list HERE for available review copies -- a list that's updated almost every day viz what appears in my country road mailbox! Said list contains a whole bunch of shriveled-up poems just waiting to be watered by your attention so that they may flower into gawgeous gawgeous blooms!

Let's flower together!

HOW POETRY CAN MAKE ME MISS WALL STREET

My interactions in the poetry world these past few days have been particularly mired in the ever-shifting and consistently-irritating swamp of the ineffable (hint: I've been engaged in some identity poetics/politics). So I was primed to receive this group spam, which also illustrates why maneuvering Moi way in the "poetry world" often makes me miss Wall Street. There is something quite refreshing with dealing with bottom line-oriented Peeps that habituate the business or business-y world, particularly after the various fluctuations inherent in poetry and among its practitioners. To wit, I am happy to share this tale from moi older brother -- Puwetry, sometimes, I wish you'd cut to the chase as indicated by the respondent below:

THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG'S LIST:

What am I doing wrong?
Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy. I'm not from New York . I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City , so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 432279810


THE ANSWER:

Dear Pers-431649184:
I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said, here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a cr@ppy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful" as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump."

I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.

I really enjoyed this! Bottom-line Poetics rule!

MOI MOVES!

So, first, there is this lovely moving project: THE FIRST MARQUEE HAY(NA)KU ANTHOLOGY curated (?) by the radiant Karri Kokko!

Then there'd be, uh, bowel movements? Well, no. It's just that I'm currently Menage A Trois-ing with Garcia Lorca and Neruda in the lovely bathroom of a Canadian flamenco dancer. Check moi nuzzled up to the two gents in Lola's so-called "BATHROOM OF HAPPINESS."

Always good to chuckle at midnight...

A DESCENT POETICS: AS PUBLISHER, I AM PROUD

and feeling quite moved by these accounts of Tom Beckett's recent reading -- his first in 7 years! -- at the Demolicious Series in Boston. Tom says I would have been happy to see all the UNPROTECTED TEXTS being clutched by peeps in the audience. Read about this lovely event over at Geof Huth's and Allen Bramhall's. There really is something very moving about how they recount having met and listened to the Tall Guy.

Oh, and also proud that poems from Luis H. Francia's Museum of Absences are generating four-figure fees to appear in worldwide publications (books, CD-Rom et al) put out as school textbooks by Harcourt Brace.

I'll take it all for Poetry: from Love to Money.

*****

P.S. I always appreciate Geof Huth's enthusiasm for his poetry experiences. Reading through his blog now, which I haven't checked out (to my dismay) for a while. And I am fascinated now by Geof's series of "Letters to a Young, Imaginary Visual Poet." The most recent entry -- he's at 36 letters! -- seems to apply to others besides visual poets. I was taken by this excerpt describing what he would do if he was on a plane that suddenly started experiencing trouble:

(I’ll tell you what I’ve decided must be my response if I ever find myself in a plane, such as this 737, plummeting to the earth: Feel the fall. If death is unavoidable, enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Feel the rush of gravity. Feel the plane plunging through insubstantial air. Watch the earth hurtling up towards the plane. Live the experience. We are here on this planet for only a short time, and all we have to do is experience it, so I’ve decided that this is my choice: to experience the horror as spectacle and excitement.)

See, this hearkens for me a recurring dream themed around the question I used to ask myself as a young un': What would be the ideal way to die?

I often thought said ideal way would be to do a parachute drop -- and the parachute fails to open and you thus know you're going to die. But in the meantime, you would experience what it would be like to fly (even though, I suppose, you're actually dropping more than you are flying).

What is it about the fall, no, the plunge? Descent Poetics.

TINY BOOK -- NUMBER FIVE!

I have to say that, as a publisher, the "Tiny Books" series has been my favorite. And here's the latest!

Meritage Press Announcement

TINY BOOKS RELEASES FIFTH TITLE FOR POETRY TO KEEP FEEDING THE WORLD

Meritage Press (MP) is pleased to announce the fifth title in its series of Tiny Books that aligns poetry with fair trade and economic development issues affecting Third World countries.

MP's Tiny Books utilize small books (1 3/4" x 1 3/4") made in Nepal by artisans paid fair wages, as sourced by Baksheesh, a fair trade retailer. Photos of a sample "Tiny Book" are available HERE as well as at Crg Hill's Poetry Scorecard.

All profits from book sales will be donated to Heifer International, an organization devoted to reducing world hunger by promoting sustainable sources of food and income. This project reflects MP's belief that "Poetry feeds the world" in non-metaphorical ways. The Tiny Books create demand for fair trade workers' products while also sourcing donations for easing poverty in poorer areas of the world.

We are delighted to announce that MP's fifth Tiny Book is

               some hay
               by Lars Palm

Lars Palm lives in southern Sweden where he works in health care, writes (mostly smallish) silly poems, translates some Swedish poets, edits a blog zine called skicka (in english) & at times publishes the first broadside series in the country. He's the author of mindfulness (moria, 2006), on stealing lips (The Martian Press, 2006) & is beside the point (Big Game Books Tinyside 34, 2007). Another, death is, is forthcoming from by the skin of me teeth press sometime soon.

MP's other Tiny Books, which also are still available, are

               all alone again
               by Dan Waber

and

               Steps: A Notebook
               by Tom Beckett

and
               "…And Then The Wind Did Blow..."
               Jainakú Poems
               by Ernesto Priego

and
               Speak which
               Hay(na)ku poems
               by Jill Jones

Each Tiny Book will cost $10 plus $1.00 shipping/handling in the U.S. (email us first for non-U.S. orders). To purchase the Tiny Books and donate to Heifer International, send a check for $11.00 per book, made out to "Meritage Press" to

Eileen Tabios
Meritage Press
256 North Fork Crystal Springs Rd.
St. Helena, CA 94574

Please specify which of the five Tiny Books you are ordering.

With Tiny Books, MP also offers a new DIY, or Do-It-Yourself Model of publishing. You've heard of POD or print-on-demand? Well, these books' print runs will be based on HOD or Handwritten-on-Demand. MP's publisher, Eileen Tabios, will handwrite all texts into the Tiny Books' pages and books will be released to meet demand for as long as MP is able to source tiny books -- or until the publisher gets arthritis.


FUNDAISING UPDATE:
In addition to providing livestock, Heifer International also provides trees. As of Nov. 5, 2007, Meritage Press' Tiny Books program has sold enough Tiny Books to finance the donation equivalent of seven sets of tree-gifts. Here's what Heifer has to say about trees:

One of Heifer International’s most important commitments is to care for the earth. We believe development must be sustainable — that projects should be long-term investments in the future of people and the planet.That’s why in addition to livestock, Heifer often provides families with trees. On a steep Tanzanian hillside, Heifer International helped a family learn to plant trees and elephant grass to keep the soil in place. Today, they have flourishing rows of leucaena trees and corn.Through training, families learn how to keep their small plots of land healthy and renew the soil for future generations by planting trees, using natural fertilizer, and limiting grazing.By helping families raise their animals in harmony with nature, you can fight poverty and hunger while ensuring a healthy, productive future for us all.

Then of course there are the chickens, goats, water buffalos, pigs, ducks, honeybees, llamas....all of which can help ease hunger around the world. Meritage Press thanks you in advance for your support and hopes you enjoy Tiny Books -- small enough to become jewelry, but with poems big enough to resonate worldwide.


*****
ABOUT THE TINY BOOK AUTHORS:
Dan Waber is a visual poet, concrete poet, sound poet, performance poet, publisher, editor, playwright and multimedia artist whose work has appeared in all sorts of delicious places, from digital to print, from stage to classroom, from mailboxes to puppet theaters. He is currently working on "and everywhere in between". He makes his online home at logolalia.com. Meritage Press tapped Mr. Waber to inaugurate the series partly for his work in minimalist poetry.

Tom Beckett is the author of Unprotected Texts: Selected Poems 1978~2006 (Meritage Press, 2006), and the curator of E-X-C-H-A-N-G-E-V-A-L-U-E-S: The First XI Interviews (Otoliths, 2007). From 1980-1990, he was the editor/publisher of the now legendary critical journal, The Difficulties. Steps: A Notebook is Tom Beckett's first hay(na)ku poetry collection. The hay(na)ku is also a form that lends itself to minimalism.

Ernesto Priego was born in Mexico City. He lives in London. He blogs at Never Neutral and is the author of the first single-author hay(na)ku poetry collection, Not Even Dogs. The "jainakú" is Mexico's version of the hay(na)ku poetic form.

Jill Jones' latest book, Broken/Open (Salt, 2005), was short-listed for The Age Book of the Year 2005 and the 2006 Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize. In 1993 she won the Mary Gilmore Award for her first book of poetry, The Mask and the Jagged Star (Hazard Press, 1992). Her third book, The Book of Possibilities (Hale & Iremonger, 1997), was shortlisted for the 1997 National Book Council 'Banjo' Awards and the 1998 Adelaide Festival Awards. Screens, Jets, Heaven: New and Selected Poems (Salt, 2002) won the 2003 Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize (NSW Premier's Literary Awards). Her work has been translated into Chinese, Dutch, Polish, French, Italian and Spanish.

For more information: MeritagePress@aol.com

QUESTION MOI QUESTIONS?

Well, a tough morning around here. Spent the morning being grilled by the hubby and the Mommy over pancakes. A grilling revolving around the question:

"So, Eileen -- do you truly feel constrained by the apostrophe?"

Then much variations of the Bwahahahahahaha....

All this because the three of us spent part of last evening reading Thomas Fink's article "The Poetry of Questions" in JACKET #34 -- Geeeeeez: it printed out as 51 pages! -- which includes a meditation on one of my Enheduanna poems in my Menage A Trois. An interesting perspective -- for clarification on the Apostrophe Hazing and more, click on first paragraph below, which also conveniently summarizes the essay's topic:

Five contemporary American poets, three men and two women, have boldly utilized an unusual device: they have written poems entirely (or in two cases, almost entirely) composed of fragments and/or sentences readable as questions. The pioneering “question poet,” Ron Silliman, wrote his interrogative text in 1975-1976 and published it several years later, whereas the four other poets — Tom Beckett, Steve Benson, Brenda Iijima and Eileen Tabios — published theirs between 1997 and 2004. We will explore whether the opportunities and constraints of this format encourage particular kinds of thematic material and speculative activity and whether, in other respects, the poets have been able to develop significantly different effects with this odd resource.

Questions--an "odd resource" indeed.

MUS(E)ING

Well, it sucks to be a Muse, gleaned from a biography of Assia Wevill, LOVER OF UNREASON: ASSIA WEVILL, SYLVIA PLATH'S RIVAL AND TED HUGHES' DOOMED LOVE, written by Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev.

The problem with being a Muse and believing all that hype about the special-ness of Muses is that the Muses stand the risk of not knowing who his/her/hir self is, because said identity's been predicated on what others project onto them.

It was almost painful seeing a rare poem by Wevill in the book....since poetry is something she never developed for herself.

Frankly, the artist's Muse is quite accurately...the artist.

And here's latest list of Relished W(h)ines:

PUBLICATIONS:
WRITTEN ON ECSTASY FOR PHILIP LAMANTIA, limited edition Pickpocket Poem with two original paintings by Garrett Caples

ABOVE THE HUMAN NERVE DOMAIN, poems by Will Alexander

DERIVATIVE OF THE MOVING IMAGE, poems by Jennifer Bartlett

RIOT, poems by Lars Palm

TINY ARCTIC ICE, poem by kaia sand

HUMAN SCALE, poems by Michael Kelleher

PASSION, poems by Larry Kearney

INDIAN TRAINS, poems by Erika T. Wurth

A MAYAN ASTRONOMER IN HELL'S KITCHEN, poems by Martin Espada

CITY, poems by C.J. Martin

>2: AN ANTHOLOGY OF NEW COLLABORATIVE POETRY, Edited by Sheila E. Murphy & M.L. Weber

THE TRANSFORMATION, memoir by Juliana Spahr

THE MIDDLE ROOM, autobiography by Jennifer Moxley

LOVER OF UNREASON: ASSIA WEVILL, SYLVIA PLATH'S RIVAL AND TED HUGHES' DOOMED LOVE, biography by Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev

PLANT DREAMING DEEP, memoir by May Sarton

NEW KIDS IN TOWN: ORAL HISTORIES OF IMMIGRANT TEENS, interviews by Janet Bode

THINKING IN PICTURES AND OTHER REPORTS FROM MY LIFE WITH AUTISM, memoir by Temple Grandin

DOGS I HAVE MET AND THE PEOPLE THEY FOUND, memoir by Ken Foster

A MIDWIFE'S TALE: THE LIFE OF MARTHA BALLARD, BASED ON HER DIARY 1785-1812

MATERIAL WORLD: A GLOBAL FAMILY PORTRAIT, photographs by Peter Menzel & text by Charles C. Mann

ALFONSO OSSORIO: MASTERWORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE ROBERT U. OSSORIO FOUNDATION, art monograph

LAWMAN, novel by Diana Palmer

VIOLET CLAY, novel by Gail Godwin

JENNY'S MOUNTAIN, novel by Elaine Long


WINES:
1995 Vincent Arroyo petite syrah NV
Henriot Rose champagne
1982 Branaire Ducru
1964 Monfortino
1996 Latour
2005 Burnwood cabernet (Henry's Bar Mitzavah wine!)
1990 Clerico Ginestra Barolo
1993 Ravenswood Wood Road zinfandel Russian River Valley
1997 Newton merlot NV
2005 Aubert Ritchie Vineyard chardonnay
1989 Pichon Longueville Baron
1999 Haut Brion
2003 Schloss Schonborn Beerenauslese
2002 Rockford shiraz "Basket Press"
2004 J.J. Crustoffel (sp) Urzinger Weingarten *** Auslese
2003 Dutch Henry chardonnay

BARTER POETICS

Much to Moi's ultimate pleasure, one of the BIG BURLY MEN who are frequently about the mountain nowadays approached me this morning.

Big Burly Man: I hear you're a poet.

Moi (looking dubiously at the shovel in one big, burly hand): Ye...e...e...ah?

BBM: My wife reads poetry. How do I get one of your books?

Moi (Pause, then SCREAMS): WAIT!!!

And I dashed into the house and swiftly got a shopping bag and filled it with ENGLISH, PUNCTUATIONS and MENAGE A TROIS. I dashed back out to the courtyard and shoved it into his big burly hands.

Moi: Here! It's a gift! You have no clue how rare it is for a non-poet to ask me about my poery. Here!

BBM (after a startled look): Uh, thanks. She will appreciate it.

I was so pleased I even over-looked how he emphasized "she" will read the books, which is to say, it's unlikely Big, Burly Man will be reading Moi poems. Pleased. Because, see, I'm in the middle of construction, Peeps. And with construction comes change orders. What do you bet I just paid for a culver for that brand spankin' new gravel parking lot I'ma installing on the mountain!?

(Update: He didn't charge for a culver....heheheheheheheh.....! Poetry: it's valuable, yo!)

POEMS HERE AND THERE

Some poems in recently-released online sites. First, delighted as always to be part of Otoliths. My poem "Grids", written while reading Michelle Naka Pierce's new and lovely book GREEN INTEGER, is HERE. And here's Otoliths' announcement from editor Mark Young (thanks Mark!):

Issue seven of Otoliths has just gone live. It's as eclectic as ever, but that means there's something there for everybody. Lined up in this issue are Sheila E. Murphy, Nico Vassilakis, Anny Ballardini, Vernon Frazer, Matina L. Stamatakis, Geof Huth, Matt Hetherington, derek beaulieu, Andrew Taylor, Nigel Long, Marko Niemi, Michael Steven, Anne Heide, Mark Prejsnar, Márton Koppány, Jim Leftwich, Catherine Daly, Bill Drennan, Julian Jason Haladyn, Alexander Jorgensen, Jeff Harrison, Paul Siegell, Robert Gauldie, Martin Edmond, Raymond Farr, John M. Bennett, John M. Bennett & Friends, Andrew Topel & John M. Bennett, Andrew Topel, Mark Cunningham, Jeff Crouch, Randall Brock, Eileen R. Tabios, Jordan Stempleman, Daniel f. Bradley, Lars Palm, harry k stammer, Karri Kokko, Katrinka Moore, Tom Hibbard, dan raphael & David-Baptiste Chirot. It's what Hieronymous Bosch dreamt about, a Garden of Earthly Delights.

Secondly, four poems from my "Commodities: An Autobiography" project -- "Overseas Filipino Worker", "Ground Meat", "Blue Trunk" and "Milk" -- at the Asia and Pacific Writers Network's Autobiography Edition Guest Edited by Ivy Alvarez (thanks Ivy!). These poems are also part of The Light...which is to say, as shown by "Overseas Filipino Worker", the autobiography is fictional (heh). I don't have a "cousin Lory", nor do I also have a sister as posited elsewhere in The Light...

Well, as I once wrote elsewhere about Moi poems, "I may write fiction but I never lie..."