Live in the Human Future

I've been in Jersey for the last 3 & half days. The bus ride back took forever, but it's nice to back & see so many people walking or biking-- as opposed to, the car culture of once-rural-now-suburban-South Jersey. I came home to the new ish of Crazyhorse (featuring a Michele Glazer poem!) and picked up Wong Kar-wai by Peter Brunette from the library, as well as, take-out from Lahore.

I left my radiator open while I was away and now the apartment is a sweat box. Ugh.

Here's some interesting info on BAP (Best American Poetry). What's really surprising is the ratio of women to men featured in the entire series. David Lehman seems to be rather "forward-thinking" so the number, or lack thereof, is plain unsettling.

2008 is almost gone. Will you miss it? I feel conflicted about the whole year. I've been lucky to have some editors publish (or accept) my poems, & belong to the Coldfront Crew, as well as, the No Tells collective, & as Ferlinghetti once wrote, "I've lain with beauty," plus I started teaching (which was the main goal of getting my MFA) & I moved to Chinatown which I love. I also witnessed the historical moment of Obama being elected as President. Yet, I remain skeptical of politics & life in general & in specific. More than anything, I'm exhausted & feel like I prolly regressed emotionally- which is disappointing. Been thinking a lot this year of individual responsibility to self & social responsibility to "others," especially the others we consider to be "close" and "dear" & well I have a lot of work to do in both regards; 'tis a heavy tiring load this thing of living. sigh &/or y-a-w-n

Anyway, yadda yadda ya... how was your year? Shits & giggles? Verse & boo-yas? Slinky songs & long arms? Smooth jumpers & fresh kicks? Do tell, do tell!

While I was away I mostly read jubilat, issue 15. There's an interview with the philospher Richard Rorty. Not everything completely jived with me, although I'll admit I know almost nothing of his work so don't have the proper background to orientate some of his comments & as a good friend is apt to remind-- my education is "spotty at best," but if you want to talk a little Whitman then I'm all ears. Below is the question/answer, which I think is a good note to end this post on... oh that & buy the issue 'cause it's pretty good.

I wanted to ask you about Whitman. You link Whitman and Lincoln a lot. What role do you think Whitman played in the American consciousness?

One thing Whitman did was simply to write poems about Lincoln. "O Captain! My Captain!" "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd"-- these poems were very widely known. When I was a kid in elementary school, we had to recite, "O Captain! My Captain!" and that was eighty years after Lincoln's death. Just helping to fix Lincoln in the popular imagination through poetry was one thing that Whitman did, but the other thing was to write things like "Democratic Vistas," which said that the spirit of Lincoln is the true spirit of the country, that the hopefulness that Lincoln showed is the hope that can change the world. That we are naturally the place where the world will come to learn what it is to live in the human future. Just this inspirational, entirely secular rhetoric was very important, because it was at a level of exultation that had been met only by religious rhetoric. Whitman put it into secular poetry.

Some of this Some of that

Friday night I did double duty by attending the Salon to see Tim Petersen read then went to Earshot and caught Justin Marks and Rauan Klassnik (I just finished his book, Holy Land the other day). Afterwards, Dan Magers piled Julia, Mathias, Rauan, Starkweather, and myself into a mini-taxi-van back to his apartment.

Long night/Late morning.

Saturday I went to a joint bday party for two of my friends. There's a ton of photos of it here.
I lucked out and only pop up twice- of course in one of them I look fairly ridiculous, but Deep Disco aka roommate is in the foreground and she looks damn good. The second one I'm partially obscured by my ex (the symbolism of this causes me to chuckle softly).

Sunday was a sweaty affair. I met up with Czar Hohl and his wife, Jazzamatat Cambell, at the BK fest. We were hot and went searching for lemonade. No lemonade. We stood in a long line and got tickets for the Moore/McKaye talk. I tried to get extra tickets for my friend Julia and her bf- no go.

The talk veered off topic almost immediately. Ian Mackaye was his usual anti question everything self and Thurston played smart alek absurdist- in other words, to watch these two interact and talk was pretty damn good and I walked away wanting a lot more.

I taught on Monday, then met up with Veronica to catch the Dali exhibit at MOMA. Did I mention it was the last day of the exhibit? There were a ton of people all leaning over each other to look at some tiny paintings. Still we had fun.

I should have graded papers Sunday night, but I didn't. So I had to skip the Kevin Young reading at KGB last night to grade like 30 papers. That made me very tired.

Today I did the usual Long Island City to Staten Island thing. Now I'm back in Manhattan hoping it doesn't rain since I have to go and pick up the CSA in a half an hour. It looks like rain. I may leave sooner than later and bring an umbrella.

One by One We Close Our Eyes

My herbs are dying. I think my room is too cold with the A/C constantly humming.

I went out to dinner with some friends last night & then we went to the dessert truck that is parked near the Starsucks at Astor place. All the desserts are $5 and I quite tasty!

There's also a gourmet (I believe organic) ice cream truck parked on Greene street near Houston that's worth giving your tongue a tingle on these hot days/nights of our fake/other/real/invented/lives

I'm reading Mina Loy , Rain Taxi, Oranges & Sardines, & a bunch of basketball blogs.

I've gotta get too drunk to dream because dreaming only makes me blue

I haven't really felt like blogging as in fa rils you know? But here's a brief run-down of life in 'lil Chinatown.

* Last week some dude tried to steal my bike- he got it out of the building, but made so much noise that my bat ears lit up & i flew down the stairs & out the door. I chased him (bare-footed, mind you) up Hester Street & I'm pretty fast even pre-coffee, he somehow snapped my bike chain, fell off the bike, got up/ ran away. I picked up my bike/went home/ scrubbed the hell outta my feet.

* Deep Disco (aka T.M.S.) & I went to see Deerhoof. 'twas good.

* I did not make it to the Siren festival or the Bruce Lee movie or the Santogold show or the Liars show.

* I went to a kick-ass poetry reading at 440- hung out with Dan Magers, Julia Cohen, Mathias, Starkweather, Justin Marks, et al before & after the reading. 'twas good.

* Went on a temp job interview. I hate taking those excel/word test. I'm so anti it sucks!

* Picked up CSA + some flat noodles & tofu in Chinatown. Made dinner. Stir-fry with said flat wide noodles, eggplant, onions, lots of garlic, purple basil, black sesame seeds, & a little soy sauce (i'm out of brags and chili oil)

* Today is my friend, Deepali's bday. Happy birthday, D. Tonight we will watch E.T. en mass then get drinks in minor?

* The song I'm listening to says, please stop dancing in my soul, i can't make it rock & roll... please stop dancing in my eyes I can't make them pretty lies

* Driver, drive on there's no one home

You Must Be This Tall Before Riding This Ride

Tonight is the first night I've had internet at the apartment in almost 2 wks.  So what have I've been doing with my nights, you ask?  Well making visual poetry of course!  On this funhouse ride Sandy has no idea I'm about to bite off her head

Blame it on Ben Lerner's Angle of Yaw but I'm feeling downright violent.  Quick someone spread the word- poetry is more corruptible than porn!

Damn straight yo! if you made it this far into the ride and haven't recited one single Ashbery line we will haunt you until you swear David Lynch's movies are nuthin' but Disney.

Did you punk out?  Me, Sandy, and Tara aka N.o.t.o.r.i.o.u.s. C.h.o.i., ECK (East Coast Kid) and Deep Disco are the new kids on da block- hanging tough.

Are You Feeling Lucky Punk

So I spent the day reading this book










Then I walked over to Crosby street to check out this brothel



















Picked up a coupla slices to go and came home and watched this

Boog City Boogie + Tuesday Traumas

Boog City’s Classic Albums Live presents The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa at 20(and Doolittle at 19)andreadings fromThe Portable Boog Reader 2:An Anthology of New York City Poetry

Tues. March 11, 7:00 p.m., $8
Cake Shop152 Ludlow St.NYC

The night will open with readings fromPortable Boog Reader 2 contributors Jim Behrle Mónica de la Torre Corrine Fitzpatrick Joanna Sondheim and Angela Veronica Wong!!!!

PBR2 features the work of 72 New York City poets.
The online pdf is available at:http://welcometoboogcity.com/boogpdfs/bc47.pdf

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The way my Tuesday is shaping up I proabably won't make this but you don't need me there to hold yer hand, do you?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I've been getting all Keroauc on the Brother P-touch machine making labels reading CHAPTER 11: N763MX-HD. Talk about reckless abandonment! Talk about excitement! I'm feeling so very O'hara right now!

Annoymous Number 9 you ain't got nothin' on this kind of good clean fun & I'm getting paid for it too!

Damn talk about biscuits & xtra gravy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My outlook has been "retrieving data" for like an hour now. Hope its something good.

Sunday Sunday

Morning. I'm pleased to wake up and not see/hear rain.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Didn't make it to the Lawless' birthday drink thing on Friday.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Did make it to A's birthday party last night.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Picked up the latest issues of Court Green and Barrow Street. Did not find the Denver Quarterly or Washington Square (W.S. published one of Jared's stories!)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I will shower/then get breakfast/ then do some rewrites/MS work.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tomorrow I will be meeting the wonderful poet/editors Dan Maegers and Julia Cohen to take in this (which I'm excited for as I was one of the ones that RAVED about Lerner's book)

Reading Between A & B

Monday, March 10, 2008 7:30 pm

Ben Lerner

Rick Barot

Sherwin Bitsui

510 11th St, btwn Ave A & B

Man, I got issues

I've tried to post two different videos & yet nothing. So now I'm left to type what ony the guitar, bass, & drums can say.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's 9:29 am.
Garlic bagel?
Check.
Coffee?
Check.
It must be
Friday.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I havne't eaten a piece of fruit all week. I'm sure I bought fruit from Trader Joes but can't seem to remember to look in the fridge for it.

Damn.

I forgot my lunch today.

Damn.

I guess I'll have to visit the sandwich station in the cafeteria.

Just so you know.

Their idea of fresh mozeralla is not the same as mine & no one would describe the eggplant as super-yummers.

I ate all of my trail mix. I only have a few chili spiced mangos left.

I guess you could call that fruit, but I don't count dried fruit-- do you?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have to go have a drink with work people tonight. The thought of staying in Purchase, Rye, Port Chester, or whereever this is is depressing. It's someone's birthday tonight & Brooklyn seems so far away.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I've been noticing fingers this week. Esp. fingers with nice to large-sized rocks on them.

I wonder what that is like/ I wonder what it is like to be able to afford to buy that.

This sort of wondering makes me feel old & alone.

Sometimes I feel too young & out of place. Then I come to work and out of place is replaced with displaced.

Sucks. Sigh. Sucks.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This morning is the type of morning I wish I could crawl back in bed, put my head on a lovers' shoulder and be enveloped in her arms.

Obviously not an option.

In other words.

Sucks. Sigh. Sucks.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My back hurts. Sleeping on a bed of thorns doesn not build character so much as it builds resentment.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Eleven Eleven (1111) has accepted a poem of mine. Cool!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm going to catch up on basketball by reading smack on Dimemag.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I shoot. You rebound. Brick city where we be? Yes. That. Too.

Alas, sigh.

Mr. Ratatatat

I am in various states of ache thxs to moving earlier today

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's 11:02

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm sitting around sipping Knob Creek and watching videos

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I know
I am
hardcore

Smack Dab In The Middle

Here we are 16 days into the new year. I emailed Veronica to see how her writing was going now that we're in a new year, and like me, she hasn't written too much... I did manage to write a poem yesterday but probably won't even give it a look-over until the weekend least I be fooled by elation of accomplishment!

Yesterday was my friend and neighbor, Ai's, birthday! A bunch of us met after work for drinks at EN. Mina picked out a saki which was billed as rich and bold. Bottom line- it was delicious! Then as hunger started making its music inside hollow stomachs a splintering occured which included Angelique, myself, Sandy, Shipra, and Monica (temporarily) in search of food which landed us Quantum Leap.

I can still taste the jalapenos from my veggie burger this morning despite many stints of teeth brushing and coffee consuming.

After that Shipra got her Pink Berry fix on only to discover that Red Mango does it better and myth goes that Pink Berry stole Red Mango's idea and launched it in the states, nonetheless, Red Mango uses real ceritified yougurt and Pink Berry is fake, fake, fake which might be better if you're the title of a Blonde Redhead albulm but not if you want to eat a frozen treat.

Friday Zadie Smith will be at McNally Robinson over on Prince Street and then there's that Poetry Brothel which I blogged about on Sunday(?) which I'm going to skip. I have a bday party on Saturday, then there's a decent reading at 440 Gallery on Sunday which I'll post later this week.

Surprisingly there are no pictures from Ai's bday (except promo pick for her and mina's design company) so I'll just leave you with these words.

That New Year's Eve Thang

so for the past two years i've spent nye at Ellitot's in Bushwick


here's canada aka elliot getting his duurty south on


an eyefull of beauty: sandy, audrey, monica, & mina


what's a party without sameer & audrey showing the dance floor some love?


two years straight mina and shipra have baked a cake- mina's cutting as masses are closing in out of frame


finito! some went to other parties while i pointed the way back home- bed, sleep, tomorrow, etcs

I Remember Christmas Like It Was Yesterday

Sandy & I met up on Christmas day for dim sum

Cousins? Hehehe. After dim sum we met up with our friend Deepali & her dog, Copper

I had to lift Sandy into this hand but I know what you're thinking- them some boots


Whut? Whut? Blazers for Xmas

Is It Too Soon To Comodify Nostalgia?

Sandy and I on Thanksgiving



Meghan Punschke is amused

Amyjoy suggested a hike for the day after Thanksgiving



Me, Amyjoy, and her roommate, Rowena

Sandy, Amyjoy, and Rowena


What's for dinner?

2007 Round-up Tie a Bow on it

2007 is about to leave us nothing but wet footprints upon the skull- here are some of my favorites:

1) Paul Violi- Overnight, Hanging Loose Press

Unquestionably my favorite book of '07 and here's one of the better reviews I've read about his book in Jacket 33-

2) Sawako Nakayasu- Insect Country B, Chapbook- Dusie Press

fellow Coldfronter dishes the goods

3) Matthew Rohrer- Rise Up, Wave Books
BigCityLit did a fearless and excellent write up on Rohrer

4) Prageeta Sharma- Infamous Landscapes, Fence Books

This eased in just as the year was beginning to ease out- I hope you found it under your Xmas tree! Read some poems from it in the latest ish of Fence

5) Laura Mullen- Murmur, Future Poem Books

Why weren't more people talking about this gem? Here's a wee interview with Mullen

6) Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Book of Days, Sorcery, Chapbook Dusie Press

Read four prose poems

7) CA Conrad, The Frank Poems, Chapbook, ypolita press

Read CA's killer poem in Sink Review

8) Structure & Surprise, edited by Michael Theune, Teachers & Writers Collaborative

9) Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, I Love Artists, University of California Press

Interview in Jacket 27

Okay, okay this was technically 2006, but I read in early 2007 so don't hate!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Journals that brought it

Conduit

Barrow Street

Denver Quarterly

Vanitas

Sink Review

Real Poetik

Coconut

H_ngm_n

LIT

Crazy Horse

Cold Front Magazine

Poets & Writers

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Journals that didn't bring it:

Open City- poetry almost a non-factor

New Yorker- whateva Mr. Muldoon- same boring insiders' club- so y-a-w-n

Poetry- Okay, I'm feeling the translation section but honestly Calque does it better and 90% of what I read in Poetry is just plain boring esp. the essays.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Blogs

The Pines

Ron Silliman- Love or hate him it's the most consistent and link-filled blog concerning poetry! & i actually love reading his movie reviews.

Jennifer Lew- 'cause it's mad funny and generally filled with lots o pictures, videos, and writing that pops

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Music

Panda Bear, Radiohead, Aesop Rock, The Roots, MIA, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Broken Social Scene, Common

Asobi Seksu & Blonde Redhead playing live

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hopefully 2008 brings new work from Eric Baus, Sarah Gambito, Michele Glazer, Claudia Rankine, Mark Bibbins, and Li-Young Lee.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Americus, Book Two?)

Suji Kwok Kim- where you at?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

'07 Shout-outs:

David Lehman, Chris Stackhouse, Meghan Punschke, Prageeta Sharma, Coldfront, LIT

Joseph Lappie- get some sleep 'cause '08 is going to be a big year for you both as an artist & publisher!

Jared Hohl & Adam Wiedewitsch (Czar, Prime Minister, doctor - patients= pints for PSGS!)

Sandy Choi & Amyjoy Clark where are we eating in 2008?

Mina Cheong, Tara Mei Smith, Bichthu Cao Minh, Elliot Montgomery, Audrey Hawkins, Jason Napoli Brooks, Jared Hohl, Cara Wolinsky- thanks for the parties, get-togethers,hospitality, & assorted etc

Sandy Choi, Julia Li, Mina Cheong, Monica Kapoor, Audrey Hawkins, Shipra Misra, Dan Maegers, Nicole Pajor, Felisa Salvado-Keyes, James Stobie, Peter Moore and Mike thanks for coming out to the T&W readings

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Blog Shout-outs (Keep blogging- don't leave me lonely)

Sandy Choi

Julia Cohen

Angela Veronica Wong

Dime Magazine

Julia, Cara, Audrey

Poets for Hire

so this is a picture of me and veronica from last saturday's bday party at b2's place. i wasn't going to post it because i think i look pretty goofy, but you know what? who cares?

No Bag or Nothing, you know?

Today I left for work sans bag, sans lunch, sans books, sans magazines (well not really, I checked me mailbox on the way out and found a the latest ish of Poets & Writers so I did bring that along) all because I'm gonna be up outta Eos early today. This will be the first time in ages that I've left work while daylight is still in full-effect!

I mean, damn, I've eaten my bagel and have consumed my cup of crappy coffee so can I go already?

What am I going to do with this new lease of Friday afternoon life you query? E-r-r/ands, but of course. Hustle that chapbook MS to the post-office, drop off laundry, buy a bottle of wine for Xmas dinner- shite like that! But the upswing that is the wind beneath these unflappable wings is that I have drinks scheduled in with none other than Czar Hohl (who's newest story debueted at WoM last Thursday and is pure poetry!)

I'll be watching his cat while he and his wife are Iowa for the Holidays.

Then later in the evening I'll hit up Earshot to watch Dan Maegers do is thing.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So Susan Choi is in the new ish of P&W (i've never read her, sorry Susan) and in one picture it looks like she's cradling a Powell's coffee mug (damn- Sandy/Joseph how long has it been since we were clocking hours up in that mug?) it seems like decades since I've lived and worked in Pdx.

Ah sweet merciless time you just done run up the game didn't you?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Speaking of Pdx I wish I was drinking Stumptown right now and going to The Farm for dinner, though I had Dumont's last night and that Skate just doesn't disappoint!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay I'm going to get another bagel 'cause I'm one of like 5 poeple in the office today and also because I can be greedy like that sometimes.

Mad Tired But Still Filled With Holiday Cheer

I'm wondering if anyone went to the Small Press night over at ACA Gallery last night. It looked pretty good. I actually had one of the most stressful and all-around-worse working days so I wasn't really up for much.

Surprisingly, I shook off the laming day and went over to my friend Mina's last-minute "holiday party." This party pretty much consisted of the same crew as the bday party on Saturday minus B2 but add Shipra.

Ship came in as I was leaving and it's the first time I've seen her since before she left for Buenos Aires- we've actually been trying to connect for 2 wks now but you know how it is.

A couple of highlights from the party had to be when Tara sat between Audrey and myself on the couch and went from hyper to sleepy in seconds. But I later found her in the kitchen eating Rice Krispies (courtesy of n.o.t.o.r.i.o.u.s. c.h.o.i.) and girl got her bounce back.

The second thing was Amyjoy not wanting to play Charades and being pressured into playing then pretty much kicking ass- on the serious t.i.p!

I left the party earlies and still managed only 4 hours of sleep- I am goddamn tired right now.

Right before I began to type this I finished eating a cinnamon raisin bagel with butter- that is so NOT like me- I may be losing my mind on top of being mad tired!

Saturday W(rap) & Looking Ahead to Monday

I went to the bday party for Cara and Bichthu as I mentioned in my blog yesterday. It was a quite a bit of fun with some serious I mean SERIOUS dancing going on. The joint was a jumpin' since I don't dance I wallflowered it from the side. I ran into Veronica at the party which is was funny 'cause I never expected her to be in Brooklyn. I think she told me she was working on a 4 page poem and if you've read her work in Barrow Street she's writes tiny sparse little poems so I can't wait to see what her new work looks like.

Speaking of poetry- there's 3 amazing readings tomorrow night:

KGB Bar

Poetry: Great American Prose Poems
Start: Dec 17 2007 - 7:00pm
End: Dec 17 2007 - 9:00pm


Great American Prose Poems evening hosted by David Lehman with Mark Bibbins, Charles Bernstein, Jenny Boully, Billy Collins, Jennifer L. Knox, Mark Strand, Paul Violi, Susan Wheeler, and others.

NYQ is bringing it strong too:

Cornelia Street Cafe- $7

Monday | December 17, 2007, 6 p.m.
Joanna Fuhrman, Eileen Hennessy, Chris Tonelli

& lastly this is the reading I'm going to go to:

Readings Between A & B

Mondays, 7:30 pm

11th Street Bar
510 E. 11th Street
(Between Avenues A & B)
Manhattan, NYC.

All Readings are Free.

DECEMBER 17

Anne Waldman
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge
Jonathan Thirkield

Been Listening to In Rainbows While Typing This

Although there is sun shining through the streaks of dirt on my bedroom window, my NY experience has become that of a hat. Me and my hat are really getting to know each other these days- perhaps I'll even pen an ode to it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Walked to the post office this afternoon to drop off writing related things- i.e. the stuff of dreams- ah... sigh.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Woke up this morning to find out the Portland Trail Blazers are on a 6 game winning streak and the Knicks.... well, we won't even go there! Also had an email rejection from Pebble Lake Review. Have you ever sent out a submission then have it rejected then look at what you submitted & can't quite rationalize why you sent them "those poems?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay been in the same damn sweater & jeans for two days now. I'm gonna unlazy me azz & take a shower. I'm going to a bday party tonight and it should be fun stuff.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When I get out of the shower I'm going to make espresso and rework my PSA chapbook submission. "Those poems" ah... sigh... the thing of dreaming