WHAT WAS RECENTLY RELISHED

I rarely take poetry books for travel reading. I don't exactly know why, but suspect it has to do with wanting to relax (to the extent I can) while traveling. I'm not relaxed while reading poetry -- it's interesting to consider if there are poems out there which would relax Moi. I don't think I've come across any yet. If you have suggestions as regards relaxing poems, feel free to email me at GalateTen@aol.com. As I blog this, I begin to be curious about what poems relax readers, if they do...

Meanwhile, here's my latest Recently Relished W(h)ines list which reflects my travels to Bogota and Cartagena:

BOOKS:
LEAVING MICROSOFT TO CHANGE THE WORLD: AN ENTREPRENEUR'S ODYSSEY TO EDUCATE THE WORLD'S CHILDREN, memoir by John Wood

MIDSTREAM: THE STORY OF A MOTHER'S DEATH AND A DAUGHTER'S RENEWAL, memoir by Le Anne Schreiber

ADOPTION NATION: HOW THE ADOPTION REVOLUTION IS TRANSFORMING AMERICA, journalism/study by Adam Pertman

THE PACT, novel by Jodi Picoult

BLOOD WORK, novel by Michael Connelly

WHITEOUT, novel by Ken Follett

THE WINNER, novel by David Baldacci

THE WHOLE TRUTH, novel by David Baldacci

HIDE, novel by Lisa Gardner

NEVER LOOK BACK, novel by Linda Lael Miller

EXACT REVENGE, novel by Tim Green

THE YEAR OF THE FOG, novel by Michelle Richmond

BLESSINGS, novel by Anna Quindlen

BLACK AND BLUE, novel by Anna Quindlen

THE TWO MINUTE RULE, novel by Robert Crais

WINTER PREY, novel by John Sanford

MORTAL PREY, novel by John Sanford


WINES
2008 Contenata Zapata malbec
2007 Trivento Golden Reserve malbec
2008 Los Vascos Cabernet Colchagua
2008 Montes Alpha Cabernet
Trivento (vino de casa de Quebado restaurant)
2008 Sol de chile reserve cab
Valdivieso malbec
2010 Lazo Cabernet

POETS ON ADOPTION IS, AGAIN, FRESH!

with Carrie Etter providing a powerful contribution from her vantage point as both adoptee and someone who gave up a child for adoption. Here's an excerpt:

At 17, I gave up my own son for adoption. At first I wrote about it confessionally; at readings in L.A., where I moved at 19, I often read a poem about childbirth in the knowledge I was giving him up and came to consider it my “signature poem.” Once, following a reading, a woman approached to express her sympathy for the pain I’d experienced in surrendering him—and said the poem made her glad she’d gone through with an abortion. I’m pro-choice, but I was aghast at such a response and think it was the last time I read the poem publicly.

Go HERE for her total contribution, including her poem "A Birthmother's Catechism" that concludes

How did you let him go?

Who hangs a birdhouse from a sapling?

POETS ON ADOPTION IS FRESH

with Martha King sharing her adoption experience as a grandmother to two U.S.-domestically adopted children. Here's an excerpt:

The cost of modern American semi-open domestic adoption is not all that high in money terms. There’s lots of false information circulating on this. Also stories, totally outdated most of them, about the insecurity of domestic adoptions. That a court may demand return of a child to the biological family, for example. As a life-long conspiracy theorist, unconscious conspiracy, that foulest of all, being paramount, I speculate reasons may have to do with deep distrust of many white Americans for people with African heritage—plus class issues, of course, plus fear of exposure, all of which are ameliorated when a baby comes from a culture far away. Not even the prospect of being present at the baby’s birth, of bringing that baby home within a very few days, is enough to overcome a widespread preference for adoptions from Asia or the Caucuses by those with the resources to effect them.

POETS ON ADOPTION -- as befits poetry, not shirking away from what is complicated, subjective, risky, hard...

MEGA MOI

Very grateful indeed to Stephen Hong Sohn for his "Megapost" on three of my books over at Asian American Literature Fans (June 19, 2011). Typos will be corrected once Stephen's had a chance to rest his eyes from reading my writings and writing about it (laugh: rest his eyes...).

Anyway, this keen critic reviews Nota Bene Eiswein (Ahadada Books, 2009), Silk Egg: Collected Novels (Shearsman Books, 2011), and Footnotes to Algebra: Uncollected Poems 1995-2009 (BlazeVox Books, 2009).

I'm grateful Stephen chose to engage with my work, especially since he observed that my

work with all of its formal inventiveness always is undergirded by an attention to social contexts, however elliptically they may be represented.

Thank you, Stephen. It takes extra incisiveness to get the social in elliptic or absract spaces. I'm blessed you got it!

FROM OVAL TO EGG!

Moi DEEP THANKS to Michael Leong for his review of SILK EGG! It's one of the most interesting takes yet! Especially if you like Wunderkammers, go HERE to see how Moi, according to Michael, evolves the oval to an egg using language!

It's also mystically mathematical, which is to say, it's a blessing when, in poetry, I read something I wrote and know there's no way I can ever replicate it or even something similar to it. I want zones to which it'd later be impossible to return...because the universe contains so many mysteries to explore!

POETS ON ADOPTION ... IS FRESH!

kim thompson is the latest contributor to Poets on Adoption. Above is a gorgeous image from kim's 2006 solo work at Intermedia Arts, Mpls, MN where she was a recipient of their "Naked Stages" grant. The title of the piece was: "timeline autobigraphia: everything that is..." (Photo by Usry Alleyne)

Click on poem-excerpt below for kim's contribution:

and our past is the world's largest ball of seemingly unworkable yarn
but the train keeps speeding forward
and the solitary street lamps
are shining down on this
slowly knitted path

VISUALIZING 147 MILLION ORPHANS (PART 2)

Some more shots for the 147 Million Orphans project. Part 1 is HERE.

So, this was another emotional day. We visited Michael's former orphanage. It was so emotional to see how the staff reacted to Michael's visit; as the hubby later told Michael, the orphanage staff lives for moments like what Michael gave them: to have a former orphan visit and show that he is now in a happy, stable, supportive family. Almost all exclaimed at how tall Michael had grown in the past two years ... yes, of course, I saw children looking as much as half their biological ages -- institutionalization, even when food is available, stunts development on so many levels. Here are some photos from our visit; the first is Michael with the orphanage director by where Michael slept for years...in a large room that contained perhaps a hundred boys:



Here's a shot of the babies' bedroom -- so many cribs, too many cribs!



Here's a shot of the orphanage director with a 13-year-old orphan. The director says she just turned 13, which means she's running out of time to be adopted. And "she's such a sweet, lovely girl who so longs for a family! Any family who adopts her will never regret their decision!" The director added, "I have so many in her position of wanting a family..."



The next shots are focused on orphaned toddlers. I am only showing four shots, but I actually took a lot with my Iphone as I was besieged with young uns clamoring to be seen. So I'd take their photograph, then show them their image on the Iphone -- for all, it seemed to make their day. Well, yes: most of us want to be ... seen, to have our selves acknowledged...









Michael hasn't discussed his feelings at having visited his former orphanage. No doubt, it's a lot to process ...

VISUALIZING 147 MILLION ORPHANS

Yay. Got internet access. In a few hours, adoption proceedings will commence. But, meanwhile, chatted with the hotelier who runs a small hotel catering to adoptive families. 'Twas interesting to discuss what she's seen in the over 20 years she's been running the place, including the effects on adoption of the Great Recession, the control transition from drug lord Pablo Escobar (which made people, including potential adopters, leary of visiting Colombia) to former Pres. Uribe's administrations, and the increase of adoption interest from Europe which is experiencing negative population growth unlike the U.S. These, and other matters, ran through moi mind as a, for now, abstract soup ... but I suspect will all relate to my ongoing 147 Million Orphans project. Here's some related visuals of adopted children over the last two decades from our hotel stay which I did not expect but which obviously ... resonate:











This manuscript could be my most powerful project yet, if I'm willing to say ... certain things which I might not be able to say (1) for childrens' privacy reasons, and/or (2) for fear of jeopardizing possible improvements to the (or an) adoption system and/or orphan care. As I've said before, Adoption is like Poetry: complicated.

PRE-AIRPORT PAPERBACK READINGS

Well, before I leave the mountain, here's one more update to my Recently Relished W(h)ine List below. Note that if you see an asterisk before the title, that means a review copy is available for Galatea Resurrects. And I'm looking looking looking for reviewers to get books offa moi floors and to hit 100 new reviews for the next issue! Yeah! More info on that HERE. Except that I won't be able to mail out requested review copies until after I return to the U.S. (estimated to be in early July). So, onward!

PUBLICATIONS
DARK ADAPT, poems by Brian Strang (just gorgeous: its darkness fails flawlessly to overwhelm its beauty)

UXUDO, poems by Anne Tardos

THE LAST 4 THINGS, poems by Kate Greenstreet (inexplicably brilliant)

MADE IN LIVERPOOL, poems by Jim Bennett (wonderfully resonant!)

FAULKNER'S ROSARY, poems by Sarah Vap

* THE GRIEF PERFORMANCE, poems by Emily Kendal Frey

FLOWER CART, poems by Lisa Fishman

ITERATION NETS, poems by Karla Kelsey

OPULENCE, poems by Stephen Ellis

OSTINATO VAMPS, poems by Wanda Coleman

THE TRIALS OF EDGAR POE AND OTHER POEMS by Ned Balbo

SMALL SKY: A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS, poems and prose by Janice Sapigao

THE LATE GREAT ALLEN GINSBERG: A PHOTO BIOGRAPHY by Christopher Felver with Euology by Lawrence Ferlinghetti & "In Memory of Allen" by David Shapiro

NOT ALL OF US ARE SAINTS: A DOCTOR'S JOURNEY WITH THE POOR, memoir by David Hilfiker

SADDLED: HOW A SPIRITED HORSE REINED ME IN AND SET ME FREE, memoir by Susan Richards

SHATTERED DREAMS, BROKEN PROMISES, THE COST OF COMING TO AMERICA, journalism by Michael Viner

HEADWIND, novel by John J. Nance

DON'T LOOK TWICE, novel by Andrew Cross


WINES
2009 Andrea Oberto Barbera D'Alba La Morea Piemonte
2004 Samuel's Gorge McLaren Vale Shiraz
2010 Dutch Henry sauvignon blanc
2009 Dutch Henry pinot noir
2005 Carver Sutro petite sirah
1989 Lynton Eisele Vineyards
2007 Birken Spur Zinfandel
2007 Black Pearl "Oro"
2000 Dutch Henry cabernet Chafen Family Reserve NV
2008 Abiouness Pinot noir
2008 Landmark chardonnay
2008 Lasseter Paysage
2008 Lasseter Amoureux
2008 Lasseter Malbec

REPRISE FOR MICHAEL, SHEEP BRAIN AND ALL!

The Parents Association really did a great job putting together the wonderful graduation festivities for Michael's class. As one parent and I agreed, it felt like there was a Bollywood wedding as well as a Greek funeral somewhere in the mix that lasted three days! Anyway, here's a recap of the last day of celebrations, which took place at one of the families' homes that rivals Michael Jackson's former abode. We start with this fabulous swimming pool designed in a way to incorporate Disney-like features and made Michael, who loves to swim, proclaim, "I AM NEVER GOING TO LEAVE!" He's on the right frowning as he doesn't seem to understand that to be a parent is to take photos!


Much activity, but the bulk of the photos now will focus on the host taking the visiting families for a train ride (yeah, he's got a train in his backyard--why not?):








Finally, here's one last photo of Michael's class when they went hiking one last time together, led by their science teacher (Michael's on far right hanging over a branch):


Oh, let's not forget about the yearbook! Each graduate did a drawing which incorporated their class photo. Michael's, of course, features ... Achilles!


Last but not least, and I know many of you have been waiting for a photo of this, here is a photo of the sheep brain that Michael dissected because it looks very much like a human brain ('twas lovely finally tossing that in the garbage this morning!):


What lovely BOY FUN!

FIRST PUBLICATION FROM 147 MILLION ORPHANS

Deep gratitude to Anselm Berrigan for asking me for poems for Brooklyn Rail, whose poetry section he edits. Anselm's solicitation had an exponentially huge impact in that, by soliciting, he encouraged me to finally start writing poems from 147 Million Orphans, a poetry manuscript which I'd conceptualized but not yet began manifesting through poems. The first poems then from 147 Million Orphans (title is after one of the estimates of the number of orphans worldwide) are published HERE in the June issue of Brooklyn Rail, one of my favorite online journals.

I notice I'm in good company with poems this issue by Jennifer Moxley and Brenda Coultas. THANK YOU, Anselm.

147 Million Orphans is in the form of a haybun, with each section's impetus a hay(na)ku formed from one of Michael's 8th grade projects: a vocabulary notebook from having to learn 25 new English words each week during the schoolyear. Here's a photo of the first page from Michael's now quite dog-eared 900-new-word vocabulary journal:



Yes, I'm a poet and thus know words are not mine...and that poems surround us and my job is simply to discern them into existence.

WE BUY BOOKS!

I'm finding it so moving to watch Michael "play" with his Kindle. I said before that his first purchase was Jon Krakauer's INTO THE WILD, a book that's a summer reading requirement by his future high school. He's uploaded some free educational games since, but he's also purchased now (for a mere $1.79!) THE COMPLETE MARK TWAIN COLLECTION (over 300 works). And I believe his next book purchase will be John Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH (another recommended summer reading by his high school). That's moi boy! Studies show that the two biggest factors to contribute to a student's high school experience are (1) parental involvement, and (2) reading! Check and check!

As for Mama Moi, here's my latest BOUGHT POETRY List!

ELEVATORS by Rena Rosenwasser

PERIL AS ARCHITECTURAL ENRICHMENT by Hazel White

AREAS OF FOG by Joseph Massey

FRAGILE REPLACEMENTS by William Allegrezza

SMALL SKY by Janice Sapigao

Poetry, Dear Peeps, is something to--in more ways than once!--buy!

MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS...!

Images from Michael's Graduation Celebrations!

Michael (third from left) was part of a class of 22 which was quite boy-heavy!



'Twas a good idea to have student self-portraits scattered about the reception area--here's the hubby and Michael with his mosaic-collage art work!



Blue Oak School Class of 2011!



Michael at restaurant following graduation ceremonies, with his gift--a Kindle book reader! (The first book he purchased later that evening, courtesy of a gift card from his very proud Abuelita, was a required summer reading by his forthcoming high school, Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild.)



It's important to give kids wonderful early memories; here's one with Michael and a framed photo of his class, all jumping for joy!


...And Moi fluffs the wings and waves the wand and gleefully cackles and poetically conjures (as all her conjurations become true since she never squanders it on revealing winning Lotto numbers): And he shall live happily ever after ...

ONE MORE LESSON FOR THE GRADUATE

And as I go cheerfully about the day preparing for my son's graduation this evening (GRIN!), I get an email from the hubby with this photo from when Michael was boasting to the indifferent Gabriela about his graduation suit:



"You know," the hubby aptly notes about the suit that El Hijo is clearly relishing, "we should educate Michael about how, before wearing new apparel, one takes off the manufacturer's tags (on his left arm)."

Well put! BIG GRIN! I don't think El Fashioniste would appreciate it if we allowed him to inadvertently become the Minnie Pearl of Men in Suits!

THE GRADUATE

This evening, Blue Oak School will hold its graduation ceremonies at the Napa Valley Opera House. I'm ... so moved to share Michael's graduation speech below (any grammatical or typo tics are his idiosyncracies of just knowing English for about 2 years). I truly did not influence his speech -- but it's obvious how HE IS SO MUCH MY SON! I mean, geez: how could he ever have thought to write his speech as mostly a poem!

Which actually leads me to mull about one of the advantages of adopting older children -- they are old enough to listen to you counsel them on their "new normal" as they join a new family as well as, in his case, a new country/culture. And so, coming out of an orphanage, he hadn't (yet) been exposed to how culture marginalizes poetry. When I discuss poetry with him, he receives the information without knowing that it's ... not typical by many folks' lifestyles to be discussing poetry. I think that's why he, on his own, thought about writing a poem to convey most of his graduation speech. Poetry -- it's not something he puts on a pedestal, or shirks from; it's not something he either disses or privileges. It's just part of life, everyday life.

He also didn't display self-consciousness as he voluntarily rehearsed last night the delivery of the poem, taking my earlier suggestion seriously about mentally counting 2 beats after each line-break and four beats after each stanza break (I wanted to slow down his reading to improve his pronounciation). I so appreciated his earnestness! Anyway, nuff said on that -- here is THE GRADUATE!


Michael Alexander Pollock Graduation Speech

Hello, my name is Michael Alexander Pollock. First I would like to thank everybody who has joined us today for this celebration where we 8th graders take the next step for going to high school. From my school experience I learned that you can’t just accomplish a goal by asking for it, but you can accomplish a goal by working hard for it. I reached the goal of graduating from 8th grade thanks to my parents who gave me the opportunity to learn and supported me along the way. I also want to thank the teachers who helped me this year. Now, I would like to share a poem called “song of my self.”

Song of Myself

I was born in Colombia
Speaking Spanish.
Knowing only one culture
With not much education.
I did not know how to help others.
I played soccer
But did not read books.

Today I live in the United States
Speaking English.
I’ve learned about different cultures
           like China, Italy, and Greece.
I am receiving a good education
           Especially from Blue Oak
I learned about community service.
I enjoy tennis, skiing, fencing, and swimming
And I read books every day.

In the future, I might live in Europe
I might be bilingual or more.
I will experience other cultures, especially Italy
           Where I want to visit as part of college.
I will work to help other people
           Like poor children.
I will expand my sports to include
           Baseball, water polo, and surfing
I hope to write about my life in a book.

Gracias a mis profesores que me ayudaron a lograr muchas cosas.
Thank you to my teachers who helped me accomplish many things.

Gracias a Mis padres por haberme dado la oportunidad y amor, tanto como todos los libros que me ayudaron a aprender a inglés.
Thank you to my parents for giving me the opportunity and love as well as all those books which helped me learned English.

***

By the way, the students were given a macro theme of "I Was, I Am, I Will Be..." for writing their speeches. Michael's poem contained three stanzas, each representing one of those three phases in the assigned theme. Isn't it a cool approach...?

But Michael did shoot down a suggestion I had for the poem title. I thought it could have been "Yo Era, Yo Am, I Will Be..." Get it? Begin in Spanish, transitioning from Spanish to English, and then being in all English! Yeah, okay: the concept was better than the manifestation...

...but it was a teachable moment as regards Whitman's Song of Myself! It's all ... good. It's all so good!