HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: SONJA SEKULA ... BY KATHRIN SCHAEPPI

It's often interesting how poetry, presumably (or presumed by many to be) a minimalist art can be so bombastic. Which is to say, gentleness is something I rarely see in poetry collections. Well, that difficult-to-pull-off-quality-in-poetry exists in my latest discovery and recommendation:

Sonja Sekula: Grace in a cow's EYE : a memoir:, the debut full-length poetry collection by Kathrin Schaeppi

Such gentleness elevates this project, too, beyond the usual ekphrastic endeavor as ekphasis is often a balancing act between the nature of the art work and the subjectivity of the author. (I've written a more comprehensive view of this book for next issue of Galatea Resurrects.)

I'm not surprised, either, to see that its publisher is Black Radish Books -- relatively new but already clearly important space!

Anyway, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. In fact, I'm off now to re-read Kathrin Schaeppi's earlier work viz a chap from the beloved Dusie -- any work that makes you further explore the artist's other endeavors is something to recomment.

Meanwhile, here's my latest Recently Relished W(h)ine List (I really should "harvest" more lettuce):

WINTER HARVEST:
500 pounds of olives (but sadly went all to compost due to City Slicker's ignorance of pressing olives for oil within 24 hours of being picked)
35 pounds of honey (still awaiting its jars)
18 persimmons
101 Meyer lemons
11 oranges
1 head of red lettuce
3 heads of green lettuce


PUBLICATIONS
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT PAINTERS SHOULDN'T TALK: A GUSTON BOOK, poems by Patrick James Dunagan (fabulously weightless)

SONJA SEKULA GRACE IN A COW'S EYE: A MEMOIR: , poems by Kathrin Schaeppi (outstanding: see above intro)

HOW LONG, poems by Ron Padgett

HOW TO BE PERFECT, poems by Ron Padgett

THE FLESH IS LIKE A KIND OF MUPPET CAPER, poems by Alex Savage

VERTIGO SEEKS AFFINITIES, poems by Sharon Mesmer

SARD, poems by Philip Byron Oakes

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SUN: STORIES AND POEMS, 1961-1991 by N. Scott Momaday

WAITING FOR SWEET BETTY, poems by Clarence Major (I have to say I was a tad disappointed in this because I couldn't help comparing it to Kathrin Schaeppi's Sonja Sekula... which took ekphrasis so much further)

MEMOIR AND ESSAY by Michael Gottlieb (enthralling page-turner that also made me happy that I'm not reliant on coterie for my poetry)

BREAKFAST AT SALLY'S: ONE HOMELESS MAN'S INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY by Richard LeMieux

JESSE'S WORLD: A STORY OF ADOPTION AND THE GLOBAL FAMILY, memoir by Basia Bonkowski

OCEANS APART: A VOYAGE OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION, memoir by Mary Mustard Reed


WINES
2004 Trevor Jones Barossa Valley
2007 Aubert chardonnay Lauren Vineyards
2004 Blankiet cabernet Paradise Vineyard
1990 Crozes Hermitage Paul Jaboulet Aine