WON'T YOU BEND AN ELBOW FOR GALATEA...!

When it comes to poetry reviews, I don’t assign myself certain books. I just try to read as widely as I can and then whatever compels my engagement will end up being the books I will have reviewed. And in doing that, I’m pleased to announce the first title that compelled me to review it for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects: BENDING AT THE ELBOW by Matvei Yankelevich. I read it, put it away on the bookshelf, and ended up returning to it two days later – its effect lingered and so I ended up writing on it!

Which is to say, I’m looking for more reviewers for Galatea Resurrects. I actually am going into the next issue – whose review deadline is Nov. 11 so you have time – with not much in the pipeline for reviews. And new books continue to come in the mail! So please do check out the list of available review copies and consider doing a review!

Here then is another update of 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! More info on that HERE.  "Call me, maybe" at GalateaTen@aol.com  !


PUBLICATIONS
BENDING AT THE ELBOW, poems by Matvei Yankelevich (fabulous. so compelling it ended up being my first reviewed publication for next issue of Galatea Resurrects)

* I, THE WORST OF ALL, poems by Estela Lamat, Trans. by Michael Leong (magnificent!)

* RING OF BONE: LEW WELCH COLLECTED POEMS, Editor Donald Allen (it was most useful to me when I also considered the poems to have been poetics required to create what, for me, was a perfect poem in the book – the title poem “Ring of Bone”. Also was encouraged by this to begin what will be a new poetry manuscript, J. The whole thing about Welch’s “language is speech” was a push; as regards “J”, there is so much I’ve long wanted to say but … had not. So, as ever, Poetry begins as in Poetry verbs action.)

MOTHER WAS A TRAGIC GIRL, poems by Sandra Simonds (Sandra is such a fantastic poet, as evidenced too by this collection—the world should know about her stellar talent…!)

* PARTYKNIFE, poems by Dan Magers (rollickin’ energy!)

THE IMPORTANT THING IS … CARD GAME, poetry card game by Marjorie Tesser

* INFINITE VARIATIONS, poems by Marci Nelligan (the rubbing together of the Origin of the Species with the Old Testament is certainly a worthy concept)

* GEMOLOGY, poems by Megan Kaminski (gems indeed!)

* CLOUD COMPUTING, poems by Josh May

* EVERY POSSIBLE BLUE, poems by Matthew Thorburn

* LAGNIAPPE, poems by Jill Stengel (a feat and a feast!)

* A three-author poetry chap featuring A COINCIDENCE OF WANTS by Michelle Detorie, THRONE by Michael Cross and MAJAKOVSKIJ EN TRAGEDY by Johannes Goransson

* RE-, poems by Kristi Maxwell

* NEWCOMER CAN’T SWIM, poems by Renee Gladman

* BANDIT, poems by Jared Hayes

* FILAMENT SENSE, poems by William Allegrezza (wonderful)

* TRANSCENDENTAL TELEMARKETER, poems by Beth Copeland

* SILENT PICTURES RECOGNIZE THE WORLD, poems by Wanda Phipps

* THREE COLUMN TABLE, poems by Harold Abramowitz

* GLASS IS REALLY A LIQUID, poems by Bruce Covey

SILVER ROOF TANTRUM, poems by Naomi Buck Palagi

KATE & SONIA (IN THE MONTHS BEFORE OUR SECOND DAUGHTER’S BIRTH), poems by Dan Thomas-Glass (a moving and pleasurable read)

POEMS 1955-1959 AND AN ESSAY IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Boris Pasternak

* MATCHING SKIN, poems by Shirlette Ammons

THE WHITE CALF KICKS, poems by Deborah Slicer

* ALL STEEL, poems by Lori Anderson Moseman

REGARDING WAVE, poems by Gary Snyder

* EARTHQUAKE CAME TO HARLEM, poems by Jackie Sheeler

* VERSE. Vol. 27, Nos. 2 & 3 (2012), poetry journal co-edited by Brian Henry and Andrew Zawacki (includes John Olson and reading his poems in this issue just reminds me of how so many try to write as he does and only end up being poetasters relative to Olson’s mastery. I adore the opening paragraph to one poem, “Diamonds” for beginning with the sentence “I don’t think much of diamonds” only to end with “This is why I wear binoculars, and enjoy riding in elevators.” So much happens between those two sentences and they sing even as they grin.)

*  MADNESS, RACK, AND HONEY: COLLECTED LECTURES by Mary Ruefle (wonderfully surprising)

SEMPRE SUSAN: A MEMOIR OF SUSAN SONTAG by Sigrid Nunez (fabulous read)

AN INVISIBLE THREAD: THE TRUE STORY OF AN 11-YEAR-OLD PANHANDLER, A BUSY SALES EXECUTIVE, AND AN UNLIKELY MEETING WITH DESTINY, memoir by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski (so inspirational!)

SOMEWHERE TOWARDS THE END, memoir by Diana Athill (nicely done!)

* WORDS & FLESH, short stories by Carmen Firan

THE BRICKLAYER, novel by Noah Boyd

AGENT X, novel by Noah Boyd

CATCH ME, novel by Lisa Gardner

BY A SPIDER’S THREAD, novel by Laura Lippman

THE BURNING SOUL, novel by John Connolly

DOUBLE DEXTER, novel by Jeff Lindsay

DEXTER BY DESIGN, novel by Jeff Lindsay

DEXTER IN THE DARK, novel by Jeff Lindsay

DEXTER IS DELICIOUS, novel by Jeff Lindsay

DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER, novel by Jeff Lindsay


WINES
2003 Almaviva

2004 Trevor Jones Barossa Valley

2003 Ch. Rauzan Despagne

2007 Paradigm cabernet NV

Sean Thackery Pleiades XXI Sangiovese blend

2006 Pirathon shiraz Barossa Valley

Firewood SFAirport house pinot grigio (actually it was crap.  Why is the Firewood at SFAirport worse than other Firewoods?  It's on my relished list coz I drank it anyway and I monitor all wines I drink ... for better or worse)