“A WAFFLE LIVES IN THE UNIVERSE”

A good poet tries to pay attention (the best often--not always, but often--pay attention to everything)—and I love poems that show attention, like the line that titles this post. To wit, here’s another update to my Recently Relished W(h)ine List below. In the Publications section, note that if you see an asterisk before the title, that means a review copy is available for Galatea Resurrects! More info on that HERE.

PUBLICATIONS
SOME MATH, poems by Bill Luoma (the funniest “sound poems” I’ve ever experienced. Like, from “The Concept of Math”: A waffle lives in the universe / like your ass in juicy velour. / What determines your ass you ask? / The construction of the bevatron in Berkeley. Or, from “Some Math”: The naughties of quaranta / of the tenera of rapit2a / of his vostra Zed il donkey / the one of localizzo of riflessione I gave convolusis / I gave them a cut of the dulie.)

HAVE, poems by Marc Gaba (the attention to the poetic line is so evident and well-wrought it became inspirational)

CALLED FOR YOU, poems by Kate Greenstreet

* VISION OF THE RETURN, poems by Amin Khan, Translated by Dawn-Michelle Baude

* MESSAGES: POEMS & INTERVIEW by Piotr Gwiazda

* LONG PAST THE PRESENCE OF COMMON, poems by j/j/ hastain

* QUEER PHYLACTERY, poems by j/j hastain

* NEW FORMS AND MEDITATIONS FOR THE PRESSURIZED LIBERTINE MONK, poems by j/j hastain

THE HUDSON LINE, poems by Margo Taft Stever

* BANANA MAGNET, poems by Christopher William Purdom

THE APPLE THAT ASTONISHED PARIS, poems by Billy Collins (this version contained a “new foreword,” which ended up being my favorite part of the book for talking about the period when he was a newbie poet and met people who encouraged him)

PERSPECTIVES ON A GRAFTED TREE: THOUGHTS FOR THOSE TOUCHED BY ADOPTION, poetry anthology edited by Patricia Irwin Johnston

CASTLES IN THE AIR: THE RESTORATION ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUNG OPTIMISTS AND A CRUMBLING OLD MANSION by Judy Corbett

HOMESTEADING: A MONTANA FAMILY ALBUM, memoir by Percy Wollaston

RISING IN THE WEST: THE TRUE STOFY OF AN "OKIE" FAMILY FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION THROUGH THE REAGAN YEARS by Dan Morgan

OUT OF MANY, ONE FAMILY: HOW TWO ADULTS CLAIMED TWELVE CHILDREN THROUGH ADOPTION, memoir by Claudia Fletcher

SECRET THOUGHTS OF AN ADOPTIVE MOTHER by Jana Wolff

IMPATIENT WITH DESIRE, novel by Gabrielle Burton (this is a novel about the Donner party, which interests me partly because the original gate to my house marks the original entrance for those going from California to save the remains of the Donner party. The book is a poetic fictionalized account of what happened while the Donner and other families waited for rescue. Didn’t like the treatment—it’s a testament to how poeticizing fails...)

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, novel by Garth Stein (simply fabulous!)

LIFE SENTENCE, novel by David Ellis

SECRET SANCTION, novel by Brian Haig (new to me in thriller genre, though he’s been around for a while. I am swiftly plowing through all of his books—love his character Sean Drummond, a killer-wiseass (no pun intended). Yes, he’s a West Point grad who also was son of Alexander Haig)

THE PRESIDENT’S ASSASIN, novel by Brian Haig

THE SPY’S WIFE, novel by Reginald Hill

THIRD DEGREE, novel by Greg Iles

CRITICAL MASS, novel by Steve Martini

THE TESTAMENT, novel by John Grisham

THE PROFESSIONAL, novel by Robert B. Parker

POWER PLAY, novel by Joseph Finder

WITH NO REMORSE, novel by Cindy Gerard

A CREED IN STONE CREEK, novel by Linda Lael Miller

CREED’S HONOR, novel by Linda Lael Miller

MEGAN’S HERO, novel by Sharon Gillenwater


WINES
2008 NoveRoma zinfandel
1999 Dutch Henry reserve cabernet Chafen Family Vineyards
2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial Rioja
2005 Trevor Jones Barossa shiraz
2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling