Monday, November 30, 2009

Two More For 2009




The Cleveland State University Poetry Center is pleased to announce the publication of two new collections of poetry: Destruction Myth by Mathias Svalina and Sum of Every Lost Ship by Allison Titus.

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Destruction Myth
poems by Mathias Svalina
7 x 8.5 x .202", 83 pp.
$15.95 paper
ISBN 978-1-880834-87-9

"If I feel physically as if the top of my head is taken off and replaced with a soft serve ice cream machine, I am pretty sure it is poetry. Svalina's book does no less, and also so much more. Read but also believe this book of fantastic lies. It's like how you see a cat sitting there and you think 'that is just a cat' and then you realize that cat is God. Mathias Svalina has reinvented Yahweh as an Animorph. When this book is taught in college classrooms, students will curl up on the air conditioning vents and ask for salt."
- Anne Boyer

"In the beginning, we were children and we had beautiful imaginations, but we had no home for them. Then up sprouted Mathias Svalina's Destruction Myth and we did. It too was beautiful, bloody, silly, haunted. At first we thought it was godly, and then we discovered it was human. We feared it; we loved it; we slept with it under our pillows."
- Eleni Sikelianos

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Sum of Every Lost Ship
poems by Allison Titus
5.5 x 8.5 x .202", 78 pp.
$15.95 paper
ISBN 978-1-880834-88-6

"Sum of Every Lost Ship navigates what is haunting, strange, and unknowable-grief and disappearances, fragments and histories. Reading, we are deftly balanced on the shores of mystery, a mystery fathomed by a keen instinct for metaphor. Allison Titus is a writer exquisitely attuned to compassion, isolation, and the sometimes overlooked details of this sturdy and tenuous world-goats' hearts, schooners, cabinets, arctic realities. This is a startling and moving collection."
- Talvikki Ansel

"The pilgrim heart," as one of Allison Titus's exquisite phrasings has it, requires an unmooring, a letting go, into a world marked by passing journeys, passing architectures, almost-lost motels for intimates to get lost in-a hardscrabble world rich with leavings. An internality emerges, sets out, to congress with the obstinate, the creaturely. This poetry's experiment takes us to the fact that the everyday is also experimental, in that, familiar as it is, it can never, if it is seen intensely enough to be durably writ, be wholly predicted. So fine a lyric sensibility as the reader will find in these poems is all the more compelling for acknowledging the human limits of the lyric, for making hard choices, even refusals, and for never romanticizing omission-i.e., obliteration-but testing it at every step with earthly perceptions. Allison Titus's Sum of Every Lost Ship presents readers with a striking new poetry, and a beautiful and truly original voice."
- William Olsen

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Ordering Information

Destruction Myth and Sum of Every Lost Ship can be ordered through SPD, Small Press Distribution, at 800-869-7553, or spdbooks.org, and is also available through many corporate and independent bookstores, as well as Amazon.com, and BarnesAndNoble.com. Orders can also be placed directly at the phone numbers below.

Please submit requests for media review copies and printed catalogs to Rita Grabowski at poetrycenter@csuohio.edu or call 216-687-3986.

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For more information on individual books or for submission guidelines for our upcoming First Book (Judge: Rae Armantrout) and Open Book (Jury: Kazim Ali, Mary Biddinger, Michael Dumanis, and Sarah Gridley) contests (Postmark Deadline: February 15th), please visit our website: www.csuohio.edu/poetrycenter
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I just got Mathias' book in the mail today & can't wait to read it! Titus has poems up on Real Poetik

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Who Wants Pie?

I have to say, I definitely needed these last few days off. I caught up on grading & read A LOT of Dostoevsky's Demons, which I'm teaching over at CSI.

In addition to Dostoevsky, I read Farrah Field's Rising, which I'll blog on more later, but it is definitely a damn impressive book. I'm left smitten.

On Thursday, my friend Czar Hohl was sick so instead of heading to Harlem for Thanksgiving I went over to Hong-An's in Williamsburg. Her & her bf prepared the best vegetarian/vegan feast I've ever tasted.

Upon leaving it was still a nice evening so myself, Deep Disco, Sandy & her bf, Francis, decided to walk over the Williamsburg bridge. 'twas nice.

Friday, I met up with Veronica for a minute to sample her sweet potato pie & pick up a copy of her chapbook( All The Little Red Girls), which I blogged about a few days ago.

Pie & poetry are/were both stupendous.

Saturday Lila came back from upstate & we went over Czar's for a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. More food. More drink. More wit. More fun.

Sunday Lila & I were lucky enough to catch the wonderful poet, J.Mae Barizo, doing her day job, which is a violinist at Carnegie Hall. It was a 2'oclock show so we arrived early & ate bagels in Central Park then met up with J.Mae who gave us a backstage tour. The the performance began & she, along with the rest of the orchestra, were completely enchanting.

Now it's back to Demons.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Monday, November 23, 2009

The H in your name is a theater of stark field weather, 'o the folly

TOMORROW - BRAVE MEN PRESS in NYC - 6pm

Tomorrow at the ACA Galleryat 6pm

Boog City Hosts
Northampton, MA's Brave Men Press
featuring readings from Farrah Field, Sam Starkweather, Mark Leider, Luke Bloomfield, and Brian Foley.

Music will be channeled through the French Ancestors.

We will have copies of Chris Tonellis' NO THEATER,
Janaka Stucky's YOUR NAME IS THE ONLY FREEDOM,
as well as copies of our brand new chapbook
from Julia Cohen, THE H IN GHOST.

Free wine and prophylactics and dips are provided.

Hope to see you there.

Brian & Emily
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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Go Love Your Duck

Announcing the 2010 Full Presse Subscription.
Yes. It's finally upon us, the next year of UDP books is coming soon.
UDP WALL Forget the scarf, socks,
and the new McGadget...

UDP's Full Presse Subscription
keeps you warm and turning pages through the year!

Get it for yourself ...
Or for your honey ...


~ THE DETAILS ~

The basic cost of the subscription is $150 for more than 25 titles, delivered to you throughout the year. A great deal ... sold at unit-cost of production and postage! Consider that the Poor Poet's Price. So, if you can, please support our endeavor with an upper-level subscription -- get the special perks, deduct the donation from your taxes, and feel great.

In 2010 our expedition will be taking us where no duckling has gone before. Be sure not to miss the boat.

~ YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE THREE WAYS ~

at the BASIC SUBSCRIBER level ($150)
- More than 25 titles: new works of poetry, prose, and artist books, 6x6 magazine; selected ephemera and letterpress prints; plus a special gift or two exclusively for subscribers

at the SUPPORTING SUBSCRIBER level ($250)
- Full Presse Subscription package described above
- Plus an invitation to a cocktail reception with UDP writers, editors, designers, and board members
- Acknowledgment for your meaningful contribution on our list of supporters

at the COLLECTOR'S CIRCLE level ($1,000)
- All of the above benefits
- Plus a one-of-a-kind book, designed and written by the UDP collective, printed and assembled at the UDP workshop, and personalized for the recipient
- Donors at this level are also acknowledged in the UDP print catalogue

~ PAYING IN ~

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE:
http://www.uglyducklingpresse.org/subscriptions.html

OR SEND US A CHECK:
Ugly Duckling Presse
at the Old American Can Factory
232 Third St., #E002
Brooklyn, NY 11215

~ FOOTNOTES ~

Note: You can write this off on your taxes if you donate as a Supporting Subscriber ($100 tax-deductible) or a Collector's Circle Subscriber ($750 tax-deductoible).

Note: If you are giving a gift subscription, we can send the lucky recipient a gift card, just leave us at least 7 days to get the card in the mail.

Note: For Libraries and Institutions, there are separate institutional subscription options; the above subscriptions levels are for private individuals only.

Note: For all NY State subscriptions a tax of $13.12 will be added. For all International Subscriptions, a shipping surcharge of $50 will be added.

~ JUST WANNA HELP? ~

If you don't have any more room on your shelves but would like to help Ugly Duckling Presse keep making books, please consider donating to our endeavor. There's nothing like it. Donations of $100 or more will be acknowledged on our donor list.

You may donate by check to Ugly Ducking Presse, address above ... or click this word: donate.

We need your support to keep publishing from outside the commercial box!

All donations are tax-deductible, and any amount is appreciated. Ugly Duckling Presse is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Earshot!!

I'm reading at this tomorrow!

EARSHOT rides again on Friday, November 20th at 7:30pm, and as always, we'll be providing your pre-Thanksgiving lit fix at the fabulous Rose Live Music (345 Grand Street) in Williamsburg, Bklyn!

What lies in store for you, gentle Earshot lover? How about poet JOANNA FUHRMAN (author of the new collection *Pageant*) and STEVEN KARL (author of the forthcoming chapbook *(Ir)Rational Animals* and *States of Flux*)! They'll be joined by three MFA whiz kids: Brittney Inman (The New School), Kate Hall (City College) and Lynne Beckenstein (NYU).
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All this for $5 and a FREE drink! Something to be thankful for, yes? Join us there!


EARSHOT!

Friday, November 20th @ 7:30 PM
@ Rose Live Music
Hosted by Nicole Steinberg
$5 + one free drink

Featuring:

Joanna Fuhrman (*Pageant*, *Moraine*)
Steven Karl (*(Ir)Rational Animals*, *States of Flux*)
Brittney Inman (The New School)
Kate Hall (City College)
Lynne Beckenstein (New York University)

Rose Live Music is located at 345 Grand Street in Brooklyn, between Havemeyer and Marcy. Visit their website for directions: http://roselivemusic.com.

EARSHOT is a bi-monthly reading series, dedicated to featuring new and emerging literary talent in the NYC area. Visit http://www.earshotnyc.com for more information or e-mail Nicole Steinberg at earshotnyc@gmail.com.

Follow the EARSHOT twitter feed at http://twitter.com/earshotnyc

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

What's New Buttercup?

Nicolle Elizabeth has a review of last week's Triptych reading here.

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Ben Mirov interviews Mark Bibbins here.

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Tony Mancus has poems up all week over at No Tell Motel.

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HTML GIANT interviews Molly Gaudry here.

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I'm going to this on Thursday. You should too!

THE READING AT CHRYSTIE ST, Nov 19th, now no longer at Chrystie St.
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Four Faced Liar, 165 West 4th Street
THE READING AT CHRYSTIE IS BACK!!!!


The one rule that we haven't changed is having amazing and talented readers, and this month is no exception, as you will have the EXTREME pleasure of seeing and hearing Christie Ann Reynolds and Jeremy Schmall reading this month! The pleasure is all yours! We're so excited!

So come join us once again at a new place on a new day, and we'll all continue to call it the Reading at Chrystie St just to be eccentric and difficult. Deal?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

No Tell? Oh Do Tell!

I have an incomplete list of 09 Top Ten poetry books up on No Tells Blog.

It's incomplete because I completely forgot to mention two CSU books I loved:

Self Portrait with a Crayon
by Allison Benis White

Horse Dance Under Water
by Helena Mesa

I'm pretty sure Mathias Svalina's book on CSU will be out before the year is over too.

I also left off Justin Marks' chapbook, Vior Dire because my copy has not arrived yet, although I've heard him read from parts of it & loved it.

I've also heard Farrah Field read extensively from her book, Rising, but actually haven't read the entire book. I hope to buy a copy of it on Sunday though!

I'm sure still forgetting something but off the top of my head those were the glaring errors that should be added to the "list."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

So Far So Good So Now What?

I know, I've been barely blogging as of late. I picked up a 6th class so for the last couple of weeks I've been teaching Madame Bovary. Fun. But A LOT of work. Least you think I went completely slacker on y'all I have a write-up on the Bob Dylan reading from a couple weeks back up on Coldfront. Check it out here.

I also have two upcoming readings. One this Saturday in Bushwick- details here & one next Friday for Earshot. Details here. Both readings are in Brooklyn & I hope to see lots of familiar faces. Speaking of Earshot I went to see Johannes Goransson read last week. He edits the online journal Action Yes! which has a new issue for consumption here.

Johannes read with Janaka Stucky who has a new chapbook here. I bought the chapbook, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

Speaking of new issues, how about the new H_NGM_N? The issue also features a new e-chap by Ben Mirov.

Speaking of Ben Mirov, he's one of the editors for Pax Americana who just put out a new issue with such hotness as Sampson Starkweather and Molly Guadry. Check them & their lovely company out here.

This Looks Good

This reading should be fun. I was asked to participate in it, but I'm off to see a Knicks game with Czar Hohl. You should go & tell me all about it.

November 11 -- 7 p.m.
Reading at the Old Made in Williamsburg

Matthew Thorburn will be reading at this vintage store with poet Meghan Punschke and fiction writer Meakin Armstrong. This reading of art-related work takes place in connection with a show of paintings, "Duets: Compositions by Joseph Ellis and Essye Klempner," also on display in the store.

441 Metropolitan Avenue
G to Metropolitan Avenue; L to Lorimer or Bedford
www.oldmadestuff.com

It's Only Rock n Roll

Monday, November 9, 2009

Monday's Triptych Reading

Join us for an extraordinary reading with Charles Wright, Vijay Seshadri, and Ana Bozicevic. We are also celebrating Charles Wright's new book, Sestets, and Ana's just released first book, Stars of the Night Commute.


MONDAY, NOV 9, 2009 7:00 PM

Triptych Readings
(pairing established and emerging writers)

CHARLES WRIGHT
VIJAY SESHADRI
ANA BOZICEVIC

11th Street Bar

510 East 11th Street (between Avenues A & B)
Closest subway stop is the L at 1st Ave.
other close stops include L at 3rd Ave and Union Square (N, R, W, Q, 4, 5, 6).

Admission is FREE.

Visit our website for additional information and upcoming readings: www.triptychreading.com

Bio for the readers:

Charles Wright is the author of nineteen book of poems, most recently Sestets (2009). His numerous awards include: the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the National Book Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize, Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, American Academy of Arts and Letters Award of Merit Medal, Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. His volumes of criticism include: Halflife and Quarter Notes. His translation of Eugenio Montale's The Storm and Other Poems was awarded the PEN Translation Prize.

Vijay Seshadri is the author of Wild Kingdom and The Long Meadow. His essays and book reviews have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Threepenny Review, The American Scholar, and various literary quarterlies. His awards include James Laughlin Prize of the Academy of American Poets, MacDowell Colony’s Fellowship for Distinguished Poetic Achievement, The Paris Review’s Bernard F. Conners Long Poem Prize, New York Foundation for the Arts grant, National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial fellowship and area studies fellowships from Columbia University.

Ana Bozicevic was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1977. She emigrated to NYC in 1997. Stars of the Night Commute (November 2009) is her first book of poems. Her fifth chapbook, Depth Hoar, will be published by Cinematheque Press in 2010. With Amy King, Ana co-curates The Stain of Poetry reading series in Brooklyn, and is co-editing an anthology, The Urban Poetic, forthcoming from Factory School. She works at the Center for the Humanities of The Graduate Center, CUNY. For more, please visit nightcommute.org.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Friday Night Slugfest

EARSHOT!

Friday, November 6th @ 7:30 PM
@ Rose Live Music
Hosted by Nicole Steinberg
$5 + one free drink

Featuring:

Johannes Goransson (Dear Ra, Pilot)
Janaka Stucky (Your Name Is the Only Freedom)
Kimberly King Parsons (Columbia University)
Kit Kalnay (New York University)
Helen Rubinstein (Brooklyn College)

Rose Live Music is located at 345 Grand Street in Brooklyn, between Havemeyer and Marcy. Visit their website for directions: http://roselivemusic.com.


THE MULTIFARIOUS ARRAY!!!!

Julian Billups, Thomas Sayers Ellis & Wendy S. Walters rock the mic.

Only at Pete's Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

(718) 302-3770

"L" to Lorimer, "G" to Metropolitan

FREE!

Visit http://www.multifariousarray.blogspot.com/ for links to their
work.


Friday, November 6, 2009
5:00pm - 7:00pm

58 West 10th Street

Writers from the Agriculture Reader
Heather Christle, Joshua Cohen, Matthew Rohrer, and Diane Williams

The Friday Happy Hour series features readings and refreshments on select Fridays at 5pm.

On this evening, recent contributors to the literary magazine "Agriculture Reader" read from their poetry and fiction. Hosted by journal editors Justin Taylor and Jeremy Schmall.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Shine A Light

This should be a good time, if you're in NYC/BK:

Book Release Party

Announcing a book party and reading hosted by LATR Editions and Lightful Press at Melville House Books in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Nov. 4th, at 7pm. Poets Heather Green and Ernest Hilbert will read from their new poetry chapbooks from LATR Editions. Lightful Press will celebrating the publication of Play by poet Liz Waldner with a theatrical reading from the book. Books by all the authors will be available for sale. Free beer and wine will be served.

Melville House Books is located at 145 Plymouth Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, near the York Street stop on the F train.

www.lightfulpress.com
http://latr.tumblr.com/

Monday, November 2, 2009

& what to do with these found hours?

Grapefruit, ah Grapefruit I suppose the summer wasn't as it should be. Sigh. Too few were the times that my fingernail pierced & pulled back your pliable exterior. Too too few my tongue tickled & tasted that hue less than red & here we are.

You asleep in your stand surrounded by friends, dreaming of liaisons with lemons.

While I listen to some motherfucker on the street say fuck repeatedly along with other indecipherable words which ring of aggression. O Grapefruit, I expect to hear gunshots any moment. I expect Chinatown to become a blaze of bangs & a graveyard of blood. But as my fret is about to reach frenetic, motherfucker gets back in his car & off he goes.

Grapefruit there is silence & there is us.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Thising & Thating

You ever wake up & think you want to eat everything in sight? Or maybe feel like you never want to eat again? How many times do you stay in bed & just watch the minutes drip by? What finally gets you out of bed? Coffee or obligation?