WHAT TO DO ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION

I keep adding fabulous poetry titles over at the Available Review Copy List for Galatea Resurrects.  Have you checked it out lately?  How's about writing a poetry review this summer?!  Please go look at all these available poetry books!  Be a part of the fun! If interested, contact Moi at GalateaTen@aol.com

BONUS!  And if you review a poetry project, I'd be happy to post a photo of your pet if you have one! 

GALATEA'S LATEST RESURRECTION!

I, Missy Scarlet and Achilles are delighted to announce the release of Galatea Resurrects #20!  With 64 new reviews!

You can access the new issue RIGHT HERE, but I copynpaste the Table of Contents below for your convenience as Moi am here to convenience you!

GALATEA RESURRECTS #20 (A Poetry Engagement)

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
By Eileen Tabios


NEW REVIEWS
T.C. Marshall reviews CHINESE SUN by Arkadii Dragomoschenko; DISTANCE WITHOUT DISTANCE by Barbara Einzig; THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND EYES by Lyn Hejinian; ON THE TRACKS OF WILD GAME by Tomaž Šalamun; THE RELATIONAL ELATIONS OF ORPHANED ALGEBRA by Eileen Tabios and j/j hastain; and ON THE PLANET WITHOUT VISA: SELECTED POETRY AND OTHER WRITINGS, AD 1960-2012 by Sotère Torregian

Neil de la Flor reviews CEMETERY CHESS: SELECTED AND NEW POEMS by Sandy McIntosh

Eileen Tabios engages MERIDIAN by Kathleen Jesme

Laura Madeline Wisemen reviews SALEM IN SÉANCE by Susana H. Case

Djelloul Marbrook reviews Ahsahta Press and seven of its books: GALLOWGLASS by Susan Tichy; WORK FROM MEMORY by Dan Beachy-Quick; THE LAST 4 THINGS by Kate Greenstreet; ZONE: ZERO by Stephanie Strickland; PLEASURE by Brian Teare; SANCTA by Andrew Grace; and COUNTERPART by Elizabeth Robinson

Eileen Tabios engages CLARITY AND OTHER POEMS by Thomas Fink

j/j hastain engages AFTER SWANN with text by Marthe Reed, animation by Yeon Choi and music by joshua carro. Directed and produced by Keith Horwick

E.E. Nobbs reviews A MARZIPAN FACTORY—NEW AND SELECTED POEMS by Grzegorz Wroblewski, translated by Adam Zdrodowski

Eileen Tabios engages THE ROMANCES AND OTHER POEMS by Micah Cavaleri

Tom Beckett reviews RECALCULATING by Charles Bernstein

Rhoda Rosenfeld and Edric Mesmer engage SEVEN CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES AND OBITUARY 2004. THE JOY OF COOKING by Tan Lin

Eileen Tabios engages ROUNDING THE HUMAN by Linda Hogan

Patrick James Dunagan reviews WESTERN PRACTICE by Stephen Motika

Carrie Hunter engages MERRY HELL by Sara Larsen

Thomas Fink reviews “ONLY TO PRY”, a poem in TINY GOLD DRESS by John Godfrey

Eileen Tabios engages THE GRAPEVINE by Richard Lopez

Neil Leadbeater reviews THE WHITE MUSEUM by George Bilgere

Genevieve Kaplan reviews THE IMPORTANT THING IS … CARD GAME by Marjorie Tesser

Eileen Tabios engages WAXWINGS by Daniel Nathan Terry

Neil Leadbeater reviews THE LOST COUNTRY OF SIGHT by Neil Aitken

Judy Roitman reviews three books by Kim Hyesoon, all translated by Don Mee Choi: ALL THE GARBAGE OF THE WORLD UNITE, MOMMY MUST BE A FOUNTAIN OF FEATHERS, and PRINCESS ABANDONED

Eileen Tabios engages RENEGADE // HEART by Lisa M. Cole

Melissa Fry Beasley reviews ELVIS PRESLEY’S HIPS & MICK JAGGER’S LIPS by Susana H. Case

Eileen Tabios engages BRUSHSTROKES AND GLANCES by Djelloul Marbrook

John Bloomberg-Rissman reviews WARSAW BIKINI and MOTHER WAS A TRAGIC GIRL, both by Sandra Simonds

Eileen Tabios engages ALL THIS FALLING AWAY by Tim Armentrout

Neil Leadbeater reviews EDGE EFFECTS by Jan Conn

Eileen Tabios engages ARSENIC LOBSTER: POETRY JOURNAL 2013, Issues 26, 27 & 28, Editor Susan Yountz

Carrie Hunter engages THE PRECIPICE OF JUPITER by erica lewis and mark stephen finein

Carrie Hunter engages THE RECITATION OF FORGETTING by Franck André Jamme

Eileen Tabios engages MEMORY CARDS by Susan M. Schultz

rob mclennan reviews SCARED TEXT by Eric Baus

Eileen Tabios engages THE BODY DOUBLE: A LONG POEM by Jared Harel

G.E. Schwartz reviews LIFE SENTENCES: APHORISMS & REFLECTIONS by Michael Perkins

Eileen Tabios engages IN MIXED COMPANY by Caleb Puckett & Friends, edited by Walter Ruhlmann and co-edited by Caleb Puckett

Jeff Harrison engages THE MORPHINE POEMS by Bobbi Lurie

Sally Deskins reviews SPRUNG by Laura Madeline Wiseman

Eileen Tabios engages WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE by Jeanetta Calhoun Mish

Neil Leadbeater reviews LIFE’S A BEACH by Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan

Eileen Tabios engages AT THE TURNING OF THE LIGHT, VISIBLE BONES and ONE BIRD FALLING, all by CB Follett

jim mccrary reviews BLAME FAULT MOUNTAIN by Spencer Selby

Eileen Tabios engages MODULATIONS, ADDENDA and THE READER, all by Márton Koppány

Nicholas T. Spatafora engages LAST CALL AT THE TIN PALACE by Paul Pines and PRESENT TENSE by Anna Rabinowitz

Eileen Tabios engages PRIOR by James Berger

Eileen Tabios engages ITEMS by Tom Jenks


ESSAY
“Getting Past the ‘Lyric Block’ & the Individual as Ego: Poetic Method in John Clarke’s In the Analogy” by Bruce Holsapple


FEATURED POET … IN ILOCANO!
Luisa A. Igloria


FEATURED POET ... IN TAGALOG!
Joi Barrios


REVIEW OF A REVIEW
Richard Kostelanetz engages Thomas Fink’s review of Fict/ions and This Sentence


THE CRITICS WRITE POEMS
Djelloul Marbrook

Melissa Fry Beasley


FROM OFFLINE TO ONLINE
Kenneth Warren reviews BIBLIODEATH: MY ARCHIVES WITH LIFE IN FOOTNOTES by Andrei Codrescu

Lea Graham reviews VICTORY AND HER OPPOSITES by Amy England

Amaranth Borsuk reviews FRACTAL ECONOMIES by Derek Beaulieu

Lea Graham reviews HEAT LINES by Michael Anania

Amaranth Borsuk reviews DOG EAR by Erica Baum

Lea Graham reviews BELOVED IDEA by Ann Killough

Richard Lopez engages RIMBAUD by Graham Robb

Amaranth Borsuk reviews REVOLVER by Robyn Schiff


ADVERTISEMENT
You are Invited to SitWithMoi’s “Books on Chairs” Project!


BACK COVER
A Catty Review by Iris McCrary

GALATEA RESURRECTS CONTINUES RESURRECTING...

Busy. As for creative writing -- one of the major focuses of my life and yet just a part of daily life activities -- I'm working on three manuscripts-in-progress.  So the blogging has slipped of late.  Except that I'm also preparing to release the next issue of Galatea Resurrects.

I haven't closed the issue yet for ye last-minute straggler reviewers, but so far have 52 new reviews.  While that's a huge amount of new reviews by most standards, it's only (cough) 52 when I've seen Galatea's count go into three figures in the past.  So this occasions the stray thought of whether I should continue the publication.  But then, in reviewing the issue-in-progress, I realized that this upcoming issue will review fourteen (14!) poetry publishers new to Galatea (bringing the count of publishers reviewed to date to 474 publishers in 17 countries).

I guess that means it's still too early to pull the plug.  So many books, so few venues for exposure!

Entonces, even as I finish putting together the next issue, please do note the new Submissions Deadline for the subsequent 21st issue of Galatea Resurrects: Nov. 27, 2013.  Do go HERE for more information!

DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR GALATEA RESURRECTS!

Please do note that the deadline has been extended for next issue of Galatea Resurrects.  The new deadline is April 28, 2013.  Click HERE for more information ... and to check out all those lovely review copies available for your engagements!

GALATEA RESURRECTS

The deadline for submitting reviews for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects is April 10.  I'm likely to extend it for a week or two.  But this is to remind those with review copies that the deadline is impending.  And to note to us all that I keep getting wonderful review copies -- list is over HERE -- and would love to hear from more reviewers!

CREATE MEMORIES BY ENGAGING POETRY!

And off we go, or I go! I just released Galatea Resurrects #19 but I’ve just now writ my first review for the next issue! That’s how compelling I found Memory Cards by Susan M. Schultz. Has to be compelling because as I’ve said before, I don’t assign myself books to review. I just try to read widely and then whatever inspires me to review end up being the books I will have reviewed.

And here’s the latest update of my Recently Relished W(h)ine List below. Also, please note that in the Publications section, if you see an asterisk before the title, that means a review copy is available for Galatea Resurrects! More info on that HERE.  Do check out this review copy list -- I update it frequently as I receive many lovelies...


PUBLICATIONS
NEW & SELECTED POEMS by Ron Padgett (I’m late to the party—but with this book, I officially become a Ron Padgett fan. This is the 1995 book published by Godine)

MEMORY CARDS by Susan M. Schultz (fabulously wide-ranging in scope, despite diminutive size)

CUTTING TIME WITH A KNIFE, poems by Michael Leong (cheerfully imaginative!)

* HOOFS, poems by Holly Pester (love its energy!)

* SEVEN CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES AND OBITUARY 2004. THE JOY OF COOKING (AIRPORT NOVEL MUSICAL POEM PAINTING THEORY FILM PHOTO HALLUCINATION LANDSCAPE], poetry by Tan Lin (love how Tan Lin’s works make moi slow-think)

* A MARZIPAN FACTORY by Grzegorz Wroblewski, Trans. from the Polish by Adam Zdrodowski (glad to have this book out there)

* DRAFT 108: BALLAD AND GLOSS, poems by Rachel Blau DuPlessis

* NOTWITHSTANDING SHORING, FLUMMOX, poems by Emily Abendroth

* LAST EDITED [INSERT TIME HERE], poems byYa-Wen Ho

* APHORIA, poems by Jackie Clark

* ELSEPLACE, poems by Laurie Filipelli

* ENOUGH, poems by Chris Martin

* 20 LOVE POEMS FOR 10 MONTHS by Mary Austin Speaker

* HERE AND NOW, poems by Stephen Dunn

* EARLIER LIVES, poems by Sara Daile

* PLAGIARIST, poems by Pamela L. Laskin

* DIORAMA OF A PEOPLE BURNING, poems by Bradley Harrison

* EDOM, poems by Christopher William Purdom

LOST BODY, poems by Terry Ehret

* HOUSE ORGAN, No. 81, Winter 2013, literary journal edited by Kenneth Warren (brilliant!)

CHAIRMANIA: FANTASTIC MINIATURES by George M. Beylerian

THE HISTORY OF FURNITURE: TWENTY-FIVE CENTURIES OF STYLE AND DESIGN IN THE WESTERN TRADITION by John Morley

OBJECTS OF DESIRE: THE LIVES OF ANTIQUES AND THOSE WHO PURSUE THEM, journalism by Thatcher Freund

AMERICAN FURNITURE: UNDERSTANDING STYLES, CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY by John T. Kirk

INFLUENTIAL STYLES: FROM BAROQUE TO BAUHAUS AND BEYOND – INSPIRATION FOR TODAY’S INTERIORS by Judith Miller and photos by Simon Upton

INSIDE ARCHITECTURE: INTERIORS BY ARCHITECTS by Susan Zevon with photographs by Judith Watts

THE PERFECT $100,000 HOUSE: A TRIP ACROSS AMERICA AND BACK IN PURSUIT OF A PLACE TO CALL HOME, memoir/journalism by Karrie Jacobs with illustrations by Gary Panter

THE LAST VICTIM, novel by Karen Robards

SHIVER, novel by Karen Robards


WINES
2002 Hutton Vale Grenache Mataro Eden Valley
2007 Serra Barbaresco
2006 Dutch Henry merlot Yountville
2004 Samuel’s Gorge shiraz McLaren Vale
2007 Cayuse Vineyards “Camaspelo” Walla Walla
2005 Trevor Jones shiraz Barossa Valley

GALATEA RESURRECTS FOR THE 19TH TIME!

And, dear Peeps, a Holiday Gift for you!  Sixty-eight (68!) new reviews in the newly-released

Galatea Resurrects #19 (A Poetry Engagement)

Please click on above link to go direct to the issue, but here below (for my Blog-As-File porpoise) is its Table of Contents:

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
Eileen Tabios


NEW REVIEWS
John Herbert Cunningham reviews Four Books by Clarice Lispector: NEAR TO THE WILD HEART (Perto de selvage), translated by Alison Entrekin; THE PASSION ACCORDING TO G.H. (A Paixăo segundo G.H.), translated by Idra Novey; AQUA VIVA (Áqua Viva), translated by Stefan Tobler; A BREATH OF LIFE (Um sopro de vida; pulsações), translated by Johnny Lorenz

Ed Zahniser reviews WILLIAM BRONK: BURSTS OF LIGHT THE COLLECTED LATER POEMS, edited by David Clippinger

Eileen Tabios engages THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON 1965-2010, edited by Kevin Young and Michael S. Glaser

Sunnylynn Thibodeaux reviews FAULT TREE by kathryn l. pringle

Judith Goldman reviews FAULT TREE by kathryn l. pringle

Micah Cavaleri reviews STILL: OF THE EARTH AS THE ARK WHICH DOES NOT MOVE by Matthew Cooperman

Guillermo Parra reviews UNCERTAIN TIME by Richard Caddel, with an introduction by Aaron Tieger

Jeff Harrison engages LETTERS TO MADELEINE: TENDER AS MEMORY by Guillaume Apollinaire, edited by Lawrence Campa, translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith

Bill Scalia reviews MAYBE A PAINTER by Christina Fisher

Jean Vengua reviews RING OF BONE: LEW WELCH COLLECTED POEMS, edited by Donald Allen

Burt Kimmelman reviews DIVINE MADNESS by Paul Pines

Lucy Biederman reviews RE- by Kristi Maxwell

Eileen Tabios engages MAY APPLE DEEP by Michael Sikkema

jim mccrary reviews CAPTAIN POETRY’S SUCKER PUNCH: A GUIDE TO THE HOMERIC PUNKHOLE, 1980-2012 by Kenneth Warren

Lucy Biederman reviews NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL by Harmony Holiday

Garrett J. Brown reviews MAP OF THE HYDROGEN WORLD by Steve Halle

Jaime Townsend reviews HART ISLAND by Stacy Szymaszek

Tom Hibbard reviews FOUR PAINTINGS by Guy Beining

Bill Scalia reviews BODY OF WATER by Erin M. Bertram

Eileen Tabios engages ANGLES OF INCIDENTS by Jon Curley

Tom Beckett reviews DECK OF DEEDS by Rodrigo Toscano

Allen Strous reviews IT CAN BE SOLVED BY WALKING by Jennifer Wallace

Patrick James Dunagan reviews BEYOND THE CHAMELEON’S SKILL by Darius Cooper

Eileen Tabios engages BENDING AT THE ELBOW by Matyei Yankelevich

Jeannine Hall Gailey reviews EVERY DRESS A DECISION by Elizabeth Austen

Edric Mesmer reviews publications by, or edited by, BRIAN ANG, RAE ARMANTROUT, G.N. GABBARD, YVONNE REDDICK, BUCKY FLEUR, ROBERT DUNCAN, rob mclennan, VINCENT CERVONE, JOHN CUTTITO, PAIGE MELIN, ALBERT GLOVER, JOHN C. CLARKE, and j/j hastain

Bill Scalia reviews ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE by James Davies and Simon Taylor

Gayle Romasanta reviews FOR THE CITY THAT NEARLY BROKE ME by Barbara Jane Reyes

Bill Scalia reviews THE SILVER BOOK by Jen Bervin

Eileen Tabios engages COMMON TIME by Chris Pusateri

Tom Beckett reviews PORTRAIT AND DREAM: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS by Bill Berkson

Bill Scalia reviews RUST OR GO MISSING by Lily Brown

Eileen Tabios engages ARDOR: POEMS OF LIFE by Janine Canan

Henry W. Leung reviews PHYLA OF JOY by Karen An-hwei Lee

Neil Leadbeater reviews SLEEPING WITH YOU AND OTHER NIGHT-TIME ADVENTURES by Geoff Stevens

Neil Leadbeater reviews ISLANDS IN THE BLOOD by Geoff Stevens

Mirna Perrin-Louis reviews “Heart as Arena” from THE FEELING IS ACTUAL by Paolo Javier

Eileen Tabios engages CLOUDFANG :: CAKEDIRT by Daniela Olszewska

John Bloomberg-Rissman engages BAN by Bhanu Kapil

Jon Curley reviews USELYSSES by Noel Black

Nicholas T. Spatafora reviews THE SHEPHERD’S ELEGY by John C. Goodman

Patrick James Dunagan reviews ON THE PLANET WITHOUT VISA: SELECTED POEMS AND OTHER WRITINGS AD 1960-2012 by Sotére Torregian

rob mclennan reviews AS LONG AS TREES LAST by Hoa Nguyen

Neil Leadbeater reviews A PARTIAL VIEW TOWARD NAZARETH by Kathryn Rantala

rob mclennan reviews THUNDERBIRD by Dorothea Lasky

Neil Leadbeater reviews THE WHITE CALF KICKS by Deborah Slicer

Jeffery Beam reviews APPROXIMATING DIAPASON by j/j hastain and tod thilleman

Eileen Tabios engages CUTTING TIME WITH A KNIFE by Michael Leong

NEW REVIEWS VIZ “RANDOM DIPTYCH”
Patrick James Dunagan reviews, viz “Random Diptych,” MATCHING SKIN by Shirlette Ammons, A COINCIDENCE OF WANTS by Michelle Detorie, THRONE by Michael Cross and MAJAKOVSKIJ EN TRAGEDY by Johannes Göransson

Genevieve Kaplan reviews, viz “Random Diptych” EARTHQUAKE CAME TO HARLEM by Jackie Sheeler and GLASS IS REALLY A LIQUID by Bruce Covey

Lucy Biederman engages, viz “Random Diptych,” PARTYKNIFE by Dan Mager and AUTOPSY TURVY by Thomas Fink & Maya Diablo Mason


ESSAYS
“Remembering Paul Blackburn” by jim mccrary

“VISUAL WRITING:
LANGUAGE AND EXISTENCE
THE IMAGE OF MATTER” by Tom Hibbard

“Engaging My Trans” by j/j hastain


FEATURED POET
Micah Cavaleri

THE CRITIC WRITES POEMS
Genevieve Kaplan

FROM OFFLINE TO ONLINE
Edric Mesmer and Matthew Hall review DESIRING MAP by Megan Kaminski, FLASH BANG by James Cummins, GLOSS TO CARRIERS by Ian Heames, HGFED.JANVr; SOME STARSs by Jo Cook, THE KATECHON: LINES 101-200 by Michael Cross, PEACHES AND BATS, Issue 9, Spring 2012 edited by Sam Lohmann, THE RELATIONAL ELATIONS of ORPHANED ALGEBRA by Eileen R. Tabios & j/j hastain, SORRY YOU’RE OCCUPIED: SPONTANEOUS ORDER, edited by James Louden, WHEREIN? HE ASKS OF MEMORY by Jeremy Balius, WORDS ON EDGE by Michael Leong

John Olson reviews WHERE SHADOWS WILL: SELECTED POEMS 1988-2008 by Norma Cole


BACK COVER
A POETICS LESSON: THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT CLOSE-UP!

IMAGINE RADICALLY!

Yes, I'm sitting but also working on releasing the next issue of Galatea Resurrects!  Whilst on coffee-break, I thought I'd give you a preview of an item from my "Editor's Introduction," to wit:

Some Thoughts For Future Issues: While the core of Galatea Resurrects is likely to remain poetry book reviews, GR’s vision is not so much book reviews but offering new ways and opportunities to engage with poetry.  So please consider this a reminder that you need not write a book review to be published in GR.  For example, you can do a close reading of a single poem from a poetry book.  You might even discuss a poetry reading rather than a poetry publication.  Or review a visual art exhibition, videos, etc. that has some link(s) to poetry. You might even round up a pal or several pals to discuss a poem or book or other poetry project.  In this issue, we—rather, John Bloomberg-Rissman—even review a manuscript-in-progress, BAN by Bhanu Kapil, since the in-progress manuscript is publicly available (in this case, through the author’s blog).  And Tom Hibbard engages with four paintings by a poet—Guy Beining—because GR is open to "reviewing" any output in any genre by a poet.  So please feel free to think of different ways with which one might engage in poetry!

That's right: release your imagination!

A logistical note--there are tons of you out there holding on to GR's review copies.  If you are pressed for time in writing that "book review," note what I say above: you can earn that review copy by just doing a read of one poem!  Have at it!

The next review deadline is April 10, 2013.  Please do go peruse the list of available review copies--I update it weekly, almost daily, as I keep receiving many lovely books!

GALATEA WORKS!

Yes, yes I'm workin' hard to put out the next issue of Galatea Resurrects!  It'll be another faboo issue!  On a wine-break here, just want to note that I'm so pleased that the next issue will expand our new-review coverage to 1,200 books and other poetry projects!  Covering 460 publishers in 17 countries so far! 

To date, here's the Top Ten of publishers who've received GR review coverage (which is significant partly if one knows that the distinct majority of GR reviewers choose which books they wish to review):

Meritage Press (San Francisco & St. Helena) -- 55 reviews
Dusie (Switzerland) -- 49 reviews
Ugly Duckling Presse (Brooklyn) -- 45 reviews
Coffee House Press (Minneapolis) -- 37 reviews
BlazeVOX Books (New York) -- 35 reviews
Marsh Hawk Press (New York) -- 32 reviews
Otoliths (Australia) -- 30 reviews
Ahsahta Press (Boise, Idaho) -- 21 reviews
Belladonna (Brooklyn) -- 19 reviews
No Tell Books (Virginia) -- 18 reviews

And here's one of the reasons why the above list is possible: jim mccrary, one of Galatea Resurrects' more popular reviewers with his kitty kat Abby and Xmas tree.  For such information and images, you love to come to Moi Blog:

Hm. Moithinks that Abbicat is like my white cat, Artemis -- a little diet couldn't hurt...

GALATEA RESURRECTS IN 2013

I've set the new deadline for the first 2013 issue of Galatea Resurrects: April 10, 2013!

I'm working now on the next issue but can continue to take reviews through the end of this week as it takes me a while to do formatting and stuff ...

I keep wondering what to do next with GR.  It seems like I've made my point as regards this project--which is a larger point than just being a medium for poetry reviews.  But there seems such a need for a venue for, simply, more poetry reviews--especially a venue which doesn't believe in gate-keeping so much as matchmaking (matching a reader with a poetry book, that is).  It's all good, but I just don't like repeating myself for long.  If any of you have an idea for further enlivening GR, email at GalateaTen@aol.com

EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR GALATEA RESURRECTS!

Due to recent travels, the deadline for Galatea Resurrects is extended to Dec. 1, but I'm likely to be able to keep taking reviews for another week past that if you let me know (email GalateaTen@aol.com).

TURNING ANGLES INTO ANGELS

And as I've said before, I don't assign myself poetry books to review.  I just read as widely as I can and whatever moves me to write about them end up being the books I will have reviewed!  So I'm pleased to announce the latest poetry book that moved me in this manner and that I will be reviewing for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects: ANGLES OF INCIDENTS by Jon Curley (Dos Madres Press).  What a fabulous ear this poet has--turns angles into angels!  Congrats Jon!

Reminder: review deadline for next issue of Galatea Resurrects is Nov. 11, 2012 (though I'm likely to do at least one one-week extension for those who need more time).

THE PERILS OF ART CRITICISM

So, one of the famous local artists around here is Marvin Humphrey, who is currently having an October show at the local library, and I happened to be at the library while he was installing his exhibit. That's where I first saw -- and of course I had to get it for Galatea since what am Moi but a chatelaine?! -- a small painting called "Spanglish"! Here it is -- and I'm sure you need not be a poet to get and appreciate the pun:

Okay. So what's wrong with the above painting? [INSERT A FEW SECONDS AS 9 BILLION PEEPS LOOK AT THE IMAGE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH SAID PAINTING]

What's "wrong" is that Mr. Humphrey, a realist master painted the key perfectly vertical when, if it was hanging like that from a non-centered hole, the key would hang slanted.

Now, of course I saw the error right away because I've got an eye (blind though it is). But I initially thought it a brilliant choice, for several reasons:

1) Re. the painting's title of "Spanglish" which refers to a combo of Spanish and English: Spanglish is pure on its own but imperfect as Spanish or English. So I thought the imperfect purity of the vertical (versus the realistic slant) to be appropriate.

2) AQUI is the painted word, which means HERE. Of course it's also a sonar pun to A KEY. I thought the vertical positioning created emphasis: A KEY RIGHT HERE! Emphasis, I thought, would be diluted by the realistic slant, compared to the vertical which is a key standing at attention, if you will.

If I were writing a piece of art criticism, I'd no doubt mention the above two points. While interesting, though, they would have been erroneous. One of the advantages of seeing the artist hanging his display is the ability to go talk to him. So, I approached Mr. Humphrey who also cheerfully allowed his pic to be taken:

And so I asked the artist about the positioning of the key in "Spanglish." He, kinda sheepishly, looked at me and said he simply made a mistake. He didn't realize until he finished his painting that he "should have painted it slanted." So much for my brilliant art criticism! Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar ...!

But of course if I were writing an art essay, I'd still expound expansively on my two points, even if I were to mention the artist's position. Because there is an artist's position, and then there is the art work's position. And sometimes -- not all the time; just sometimes -- it's the viewer who must speak on behalf of the work. This is a lesson, that is needless to say for my sophisticated readers but I tend to belabor, that also applies to poetry.  Besides, as regards this particular painting, who knows the key better than a chatelaine...?!

Good morning!

A MAGNIFICENT POEM!

And as I've said before, I don't assign myself poetry publications to review.  I just try to read as widely as I can and whatever moves me to review them end up being the poetry books I will have reviewed!  This makes reviewing a gift, rather than a chore, since to be pushed to review a book usually means that it inspired me in some way (with the occasional exception).  This is all to say, the next book I will have reviewed for the forthcoming Galatea Resurrects is the marvelous ARDOR: poems of life by Janine Canan.  (If you wish to review for Galatea Resurrects, please go HERE for a list of available review copies; I just updated the list!).

Canan's ARDOR partly pays homage to the Mother goddess(es), and  I chose to review ARDOR in part for this magnificent poem (do feel free to chant your read!):

Radioactive (A Work in Progress)


Afghanistan
Algerian Sahara
Amchitka
Aube
Berkeley
Bikini
Bora Bora
Bosnia
Chernobyl
Christmas Island
Connecticut River
Eniwetok
Fangataufa
Farallon Islands
French Polynesia
Fukushima
Goiaina
Grozny
Hamburg
Hanford
Hiroshima
Hunter’s Point
Hwaderi
Iraq
Jornada del Muerto
Kandalaksha
Karoul
Kosovo
Lake Huron
La Manche
Livermore
Lja
London
Long Island
Los Alamos
Maralinga
Moab
Moorpark
Mururoa
Nagasaki
Nevada
Novato
Onogawa
Pakistan
Palomares
Pit Nine
Praire Island
Pripyat
Rajasthan
Rancho Secco
Rio Grande
Rocky Mountain
Sacramento River
San Francisco Bay
Savannah River
Sierra Mountains
Simi Valley
Sofia
Sosnovy Bor
Spokane Reservations
Tahiti
Three Mile Island
Tokaimura
Windscale
Yucca Mountain—

radioactive forever

The feminization of everything
is required.

GANGSTA PASTORAL!

Again, I don't assign myself poetry books to review.  I just try to read as widely as I can and whatever compels me to review them end up being the poetry books I will have reviewed!  This, of course, means I love it when I review a poetry book--it means that something in it sufficiently moved me to write about it.  In this way, I turn the poetry book review into a gift to moiself, rather than a chore!

Which is all to say, I'm delighted to share the next poetry publication I ended up reviewing for the forthcoming issue of Galatea Resurrects: a chap entitled MAY APPLE DEEP by Michael Sikkema.  I recommend it, and you still might get it at a bargain price through its publisher's two-for-one special--one of the great deals in poetry town.  Check out Horse Less Press (which truly is doing great work nowadays)!

And more review copies are available HERE!

CLIFTON THEN LEAPING INTO THE GRAY

Again: I don't assign myself poetry books to review.  I just try to read as widely as I can and then whichever poetry books compel Moi to review them end up being ... the poetry books I would have reviewed!  So here I was in the middle of my 4th review for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects -- a review of, wait for it, THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON: 1965-2010, Edited by Kevin Young and Michael S. Glazer!  Book is wonderful--I confess to never having paid much attention to Clifton's poems before ... but this beautifully- and respectfully-designed edition is compelling!  Kudos to BOA Editions for puting it out.

Anyway, there I was in the middle of writing the review and I'm interrupted by a house visitor.  She wanted to know if I'd heard of this book Fifteen Shades of Grey because she saw the author's husband on Good Morning America and got curious....  So I explained 50 SHADES OF GRAY and, somehow, the conversation made a turn into...:

Eileen: Actually, there are studies that show that married people's sex lives improve after they read that book ...

Visitor: Well, then I'm not going to read it. I'm not married!

Uh. Somehow, that's not the result that is to be expected from this whole shady project.  Anyhoo: I just told the visitor to stick with my forthcoming 5 SHADES OF GRAY.  She nodded, Okay ... , but moithinks is looking at me differently after I told her about my own shady take ...

Anyway, as I was saying about Clifton--I'm writing a review!  I highly recommend the book!  And did you know she has something to do with the Carolingian Dynasty?  Only in Galatea Resurrects would you discover such nuggets! 

And for those who want to produce their own gems of wisdom, review copies are available HERE!

RECOMMENDING CHRIS PUSATERI!

As I've said before, I don't assign myself poetry books to review.  I just try to read as widely as I can and then whatever engages me into writing about them end up being the poetry pubs I would have reviewed!  So, there I was this morning waiting for someone.  And whilst waiting I went to Galatea Resurrects' laden -- I mean, overflowing! -- bookshelves of review copies and just took out Chris Pusateri's newest book, COMMON TIME to pass some time...

Well, reader, it was so engaging (I suggest you click on above link and order it for yourself!) that it ended up being the third title I will have reviewed for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects!  There are such gems on those bookshelves -- why don't you poetry lovers and critics check them out HERE!

THAT ONE POEM

can still be a HUGE WORLD!

Did you know that Galatea Resurrects is not just open to reviews of poetry books but of a poem(s) from a poetry book?  That's right -- if you are compelled to deep-read a single poem instead of the entire poetry collection, we're still interested in featuring your review or engagement!  Review copies HERE (of course you get to keep the entire book even if you review just one poem from it).

John Bloomberg-Rissman offers an example in the current issue of Galatea Resurrects.  One author, Neil Aitken, even says that John's review of just one poem is still one of the most comprehensive prose written on his poems....

One poem, huge impact!  That's always been one of the best parts of poetry.

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)

RANDOM DIPTYCH in GALATEA RESURRECTS!

As I'm always thinking of ways to spice up Galatea Resurrects, I concocted an idea I'm calling "Random Diptych" and am hoping this will interest some of you Peeps.


I'd like to send two books chosen randomly from GR's review copy list to a reviewer. That person then can review or engage with the two books in any manner deemed fitting. The idea is, yes, to engage with a poetry publication but also somehow elicit an (as of now) unknown/unanticipated relationship (including maybe non-relationship, I'm easy) between two publications, or poems in the two publications.

Actually, I can choose two books at random or you can choose one (from http://grarchives.blogspot.com/ ) as long as I toss in the second one so that we have that randomness in play.

Now, you might request the two books and end up not being able to review the project in this way, but rather would prefer to do individual reviews of each book -- that would be a fine result, as well! We have so many review copies and if this is a way to get you thinking of engaging with a poetry project that'd be fine, too!

Do please email me at GalateaTen@aol.com if this idea interests you, or if you see a review copy you would like to review.

And please do help lighten out the heavy load of review copies on moi bookshelves, not to mention floor!  Here they are longing to be read: