NOW THIS PUTS MOI IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT!

I'm all a-twitter trying to figure out which small press, which poet, which work to support through this First Annual Secret Santa Gift Exchange to support independent literature!!!! What a great idea!

That purchase of course would be another addition to my BOUGHT POETRY LIST...speaking of which, here are my latest poetry purchases aided by some local Holiday Fundraisers:

IN THE MIDDLE DISTANCE by Linda Gregg--33 cents at the local library book sale. I actually already have this copy but I enjoy Gregg's poems and, for 33 cents..... Although, yes, 33 cents is a shame for purchasing a poetry book. But Gregg had it better than Kathleen Fraser whose WHEN NEW TIME FOLDS UP I happily picked up from the freebie shelf, reclining there among such other cast-offs as Gothic and cowboy romances, et al.

HOW NOW, BROWN COW? poems by Alice Schertle, illustrations by Amanda Schaffer for 50 cents at the Boys & Girls Club Book Sale (which I purchased for sending to my Philippine home village nursery school)

MARIANNE MOORE, text by Dave Page, illustrations by Tomi Ungerer for 50 cents at Boys & Girls Club Book Sale

PATRIOTIC POEMS AMERICA LOVES, anthology compiled by Jean Anne Vincent, for 10 cents at Boys & Girls Club Book Sale (Mom was curious about it)

THE NEVER-ENDING: NEW POEMS by Andrew Hudgins ($4.50 or 50% off at Main Street Books in St. Helena which focuses on used books)

MY VOCABULARY DID THIS TO ME: THE COLLECTED POETRY OF JACK SPICER, Eds. Kevin Killian and Peter Gizzi ($23.10 for a new hardcover)

TAU by Philip Lamantia & JOURNEY TO THE END by John Hoffman ($11.01 for a new paperback...I've been meaning to buy this forever; don't know what took me so long...)

May you all buy poetry publications this Holiday Season! Poetry books are usually inexpensive, but often priceless!

Hm. I should do a Holiday Sale Special for Meritage Press books...so I will! Mention this blog post and you can purchase any of the books still on stock on the Meritage Press list at 40% off the retail price ("Tiny Books" excluded from this offer as said teensies are for a fundraiser on behalf of the worth Heifer International). Good through the end of 2008. If you want to follow up on this, just email me at GalateaTen@aol.com