THE PARADOX OF THIEVES WHO DON'T APPROPRIATE

Once upon a time, a poet submitted a manuscript to "The Filamore Tabios, Sr. Memorial Poetry Prize". He was chosen as a Finalist and, as said Finalist, received a gift box of poetry books.

Moi, who administers Dad’s Memorial Prize, sent the Finalist his books in a recycled Amazon.com box. That box came to be sitting one day in the Finalist’s car. A couple of thieves happened to stroll by the car, looked through the window, and saw the Amazon.com box.

Said thieves broke through the car to retrieve the box, perhaps thinking the contents to be some electronics, toys, bath products, or whatever else Amazon.com hawks nowadays.

Well, they opened the box and discovered the priceless cache of poetry books. Displaying unbelievably bad taste, the thieves dropped the box and ran away.

*****

The above is a true story. The long-suffering hubby dropped off three boxes of PINOY POETICS (being taught at Sonoma State University this semester—you teachers also should check out this VERY UNIQUE and HISTORIC anthology) at SPD today and the Finalist, who happened to be there, overheard him identify himself as “Eileen Tabios’ husband.” So the Finalist introduced himself to the hubby and relayed the above tale. Geez: I hope the Finalist didn’t incur major car repairs as a result. Poetry—it’s not for the weak.

Which is to say, this tale is the kind of stuff that happens when one is empire-building (oh work with Moi here). Which is further to say, do peruse this—and hope to see you there, on May 7 and hopefully at the other dates menched:

FROM SMALL PRESS TRAFFIC

For over 35 years SPT has been at the heart of where experimentation and community intersect. This season we continue to present a multi-pronged conversation that highlights some of the concerns of our readers’ work. These conversations include: bodies, communities and empires.

Our Spring lineup is as follows:

Jan 15: Poets Theater
Jan 22: Poets Theater
Jan 24: Poets Theater
As part of SPT's annual fundraiser, we will be staging several works from the anthology, along with new plays, performances, and surprises by Julie Patton, Dodie Bellamy, Tonya Foster, Brent Cunningham, Cassandra Smith, Stephen Boyer, and a celebration of the release of the epic Kenning Anthology of Poets Theater: 1945-1985, edited by Kevin Killian and David Brazil. . In addition, on Sunday the 24th we will present the first ever off-site Poets Theater event, with multiple simultaneous performances staged in and around the CCA campus. Please check out the SPT website and blog in January for details!

Jan 30: Brenda Coultas and Cedar Sigo on communities

Feb 12: Evelyn Reilly and Angela Carr on empires
at Nahl Hall

Feb 20: Spring Ulmer and Jen Hofer and Erica Hunt on empires

Feb 26: Lasana Sekou and Taylor Brady on empires

March 6: an evening with Harryette Mullen on bodies

March 12: on communities
Immortal Cupboard in Search of Lorine Neidecker
with filmmaker Cathy Cook
and a lecture on ecopoetics by Jonathan Skinner: Thoughts on Things:Poetics of the Third Landscape
co-sponsored by Kino 21, Artists Television Access and Poetry Center

March 13: an evening with Ronaldo Wilson on bodies
a reading and discussion of The Visible Black Body: An Interventionist's Reflection

March 20: Bruce Andrews and Leslie Scalapino on bodies

April 9: an eveing with Ammiel Alcalay on empires
with special guest Charming Hostess singing Sarajevo Blues

April 17: Aaron Vidaver and Dorothy Trujillo Lusk on empires

Apri 23: Pamela Lu and Mary Burger on bodies

April 25: Kindergarde: Avant Garde Poems, Plays, Stories and Song for Children on communities

April 30: Laynie Browne and Lee Ann Brown on bodies
at Nahl Hall

May 7: Eileen Tabios and Susan Gervitz on empires

May 13: Charles Bernstein and Norman Fischer on communities
Radical Poetics and Secular Jewish Culture
Co-sponsored by Taube Center for Jewish Life

May 22: SPECIAL EVENT: the Relequarium (a fundraiser and party for SPT)