Feb 28, 2005

Does anyone know a good venue for poems based on experimental films?

I am trying to figure out somewhere to send my film poems, but haven't really come up with anything that seems appropriate...

Feb 27, 2005

Say hello to Chris Hutchinson from Vancouver, BC.

Feb 24, 2005



In re: the Foetry rumble.

To quote Jean Cocteau's Orphee, "There's a brawl at the Poet's Cafe!...."

Now would be a good time for the Bacchante to show up and tear us all apart.

Feb 23, 2005

As a result of my shameless conspicuous consumption and thralldom to Apple marketing, I find myself with 2 free iTunes songs. (If you don't know whereby I acquired these, I will save myself the embarassment of explaining...) I'm going at chosing records, but the whole 1-song thing leaves me a little nonplussed. Can anyone think of individual songs (which are likely to be found on iTunes) that merit attention?

Fanx.

Feb 22, 2005

I hear you, Jack. This is not a chapeau but we can use it to bale[sic] water.
LAOCOON GROUP

A crest of molten dust
falls forward into erasure:

I tell myself I will
not go
even as I arrive
there,
in a trough
corvettes of the new speech
befuddle the dock, solemn
ekphrasis a sunless gnomon:

11 or 12, a fortnight
of relentless
logic, each candle
gutters
in turn or the
difficulty

Pwoermd Diptych




GH( )ST


GH )( ST


Feb 18, 2005

Lots of interesting stuff in the new Big Bridge, why not click and check it out.

I'm happy that the elegy my grandfather is now cemented in cyberspace. Grandpa visits me in my dreams more than anyone else.

Feb 14, 2005

Mimetic Relativism is the new Difficulty
To not fear *OR* fetishize theory.
OK, I'm sick of looking at the Valentine.

Feb 13, 2005

The muse at long last returned to Boston in the form of two lovely events this weekend, the first being Tim Peterson's multimedia Analogous series, featuring a discussion by Reese Inman (whose work I adore) on her artistic process and the inspiration behind her paintings based on algorithm-generated bitmaps, followed by a reading by John Mercuri Dooley of his procedural text objects. The two complemented each other well and a good time was had by all. I recommend going to see Inman's show at the Gallery Naga in Boston if you are in the area.


The second event was an amazing reading in honor of Katalanche press's release of Chris Jackson's chapbook "Poppers," featuring the author (who read from the chapbook and an absolutely stunning long poem called "The Butcher Goes to..") and Laura Solomon who read from her book as well as some other pieces. If you're unfamiliar with Solomon's elegant and quirky work, I recommend checking out Bivouac from Slope editions. Also check out Jackson's Katalance press chapbook "Poppers/"


Following the reading, we adjourned to Dottie Lasky's house where (as us post-avant mutatns are wont to do) we FEASTED UPON THE BRAINS OF THE LIVING. And also some deviled eggs and chicken-salad sandwiches. [See images below.]



Feb 11, 2005

The Foetry folks seem to want some kind of Nobel Prize in journalism for determining that the world isn't perfect and that the arts sometimes operate in a byzantine fashion.

Having your book published is not the same thing as your Right to Attorney, folks. The poetry world is not conspiring to ruin your life. There are others institutions (e.g. your government) who are probably doing this very thing, so you may want to turn your attention that way.

Sure, I agree that it would be nice if every single person who judged a contest or published a magazine were 100 percent objective, or I guess even at least 100 percent true to their aesthetic agenda. But I've never met anyone who's 100 percent anything.

They seem to be so willing to cast that first stone. And what is it that they are advocating anyway? Some kind of poetic Night of the Long Knives?

Feb 10, 2005

Donuts Not Daoist



A donut is not defined by the hole it contains.

No matter how much they may appear to be donuts, mini bundt cakes are not donuts.
Bad news for all you Archivists (well, Bush's budget is bad news for everyone except his war-buddies).

Fascists hate history, as Walter Benjamin has pointed out.


"To All Archival Association Leaders:

On Monday, February 7, President Bush released his FY2006 budget
recommendations which slash or eliminate more than 150 federal
programs. In that budget, the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission has been targeted to receive NO funding. This
will mean no funds for the grants program and no funds for staffing
to support NHPRC programs. In addition, the National Archives and
Records Administration will be challenged to meet demands in other
areas of importance. The relevant section for NHPRC specifically
states: 60;National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Grants.52;This program provides funding for grants that the
Commission makes, nationwide, to preserve and publish records that
document American history.


The governing boards of the Council of State Historical Records
Coordinators (COSHRC), the National Association of Government
Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the Society of
American Archivists (SAA) met in Washington on February 5 to discuss
how we might collaborate on advocacy efforts, with a particular
focus on sustaining and increasing appropriations to NHPRC. The
three organizations had agreed last year to establish a joint task
force on advocacy. That task force is being formed now, and our
groups are prepared to move ahead quickly to lead the archival
response to this threat to NHPRC and NARA.

In the next 5-10 days, the new Joint Task Force will issue an action
plan with specific steps that archivists and other concerned
citizens can take to support the effort to save NHPRC. Meanwhile,
please be thinking about who you can mobilize in your state or
region, especially those who might have influence with your
Congressional delegation. One key message to present to Congress is
that the exceptional benefits afforded by NHPRC come at a very low
cost and have long-lasting effects. Specific stories of the impact
that NHPRC has had on local institutions and programs can be
especially effective."

Feb 8, 2005

Ugh. For the record, when I am king, Guillermo is the only poet allowed to talk about hip-hop...

Or at least the only one I will listen to.



Rachel and I went to see a production of 3 Beckett plays at the perfect location, an old piano factory, on Friday night.

The music for the 2nd play, Ohio, Impromptu was composed by David J. of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets fame. As it was opening night, David J. was in the audience, seated directly in front of me, in fact. Having been an enormous Bauhaus fan as an adolescent it was a little strange to be sitting there behind him. Though at age 33 I suppose I am more starstruck by Beckett...

Was moved by the moment in Krapp's Last Tape where Herr Krapp embraces his reel-to-reel player as avatar of the memory of his long ago lover. Prefiguring cybersex and chat rooms. Fucking the ghost in the machine...

Silliman is Spamming Me



"Subject: Are you gettin that urge?!? . trust me...this is the answer! . ,, DISQUIETUDE... "

Feb 7, 2005

Speaking of Memes, I finally had a chance to photograph my bookshelf for the "top shelf" meme that was going around months and months ago. Though I don't know if my "top shelf" is applicable since I alphebatize[sic] my books. So what you see here is merely A-C and not organized on any other basis.



fishblog is dead! Long live fishblog!

Feb 4, 2005

I am reminded by way of a blogosphere-related dream last night that gate of horn turns 1 today. Activity behind the gates has been a little sluggish, but we haven't woken up yet...

J'aime Faire de Rock N' Roll Tout La Nuit



Somebody got to this site by way of a search for "Le site de metal brutalisme." I like to think of the site as somehow analogous to French heavy metal, so I hope Msr. or Mme. was not disappointed.

Feb 3, 2005

As a new Congress gadehs, duuhhhh, all of us in the, uh, eleckid branches of gobehnmin share a great pribilege: Webuh'be been placid in office by de botes of de peoble webuh sehbe, GEEEHEEHEEE.And tonite dat is a pribilege webuh share wid newly-eleckid leadehs of Afghanistan, de Palestinian Tehritories, duuhhhh, Ukraine, uh uh uh, 'n a free 'n sobeheign Iraq. (Applause.)

Two weebuhks ago, I stood on the, ERRRR, steps of dis Capitol 'n renewebuhd the, errr, commitmin of our nashun t' de guidigg ideal of libehty f' all. GEE danks.Dis ebenigg I will set f'd policies t' adbass dat ideal at home 'n around the, uh, the world. Tonite, wid a healdy, growigg economy, wid more Amehicans goigg back t' work, wid our nashun an ackibe f'ce f' good in the, uh, the world -- the, ERRRR, state of our uon is confident 'n strong. Um uh.(Applause.)

Our genehashun has been gglessid -- by the, uh, expanshun of opportuty, by adbasss in medicine, uh uh uh, by the, ERRRR, security purchasid by our parents' sacrifice. Lee me lone!Now, uh uh uh uh uh uh, as webuh see alittle gray in de mirror -- or alot of gray -- (laughteh) -- 'n webuh watch our children mobigg into aduldood, uh uh uh uh, webuh ask de kesshun: What will be the, ERRRR, state of deir uon, duh...uh...? Membehs of Congress, duuhhhh, the, errr, choices webuh make togedeh will answebuhr dat kesshun. DOIHH!Obeh de next sebehal monds, duuhhhh, on issue affeh issue, uh uh uh, let us do what Amehicans habe allays done, uh uh uh, 'n build a betteh world f' our children 'n our grandchildren.
(Applause.)

Firss, webuh must be good steerds of dis economy, 'n renew de great institititions on which millions of our fellow citizens re. Amehica's economy is the, uh uh uh, fastest growigg of any madgor industrializid nashun. In de past four years, duuhhhh, webuh probidid tax relief t' ebehy pehson who pays income taxes, duuhhhh, obehcome a recesshun, openid up new markets abroad, uh uh uh uh, prosecootid corporate criminals, duuhhhh, raisid homeownehship t' its highest lebel in hifayree tale, 'n in de last year alone, uh uh uh, de Utid States has abbid 2.3 million new dgobs. (Applause.)

When ackion was needed, uh uh uh uh, de Congress delibehid -- 'n de nashun is grateful. Uhhh.... Now webuh must abb t' dese achiebemins. By makigg our economy more flexiggle, more innobatibe, uh uh uh, 'n more c'petitibe, uh uh uh, webuh will keep Amehica the, uh, economic leadeh of the, uh, the world. (Applause.) Amehica's prospehity rekires restrainigg the, ERRRR, spendigg appetite of the, uh uh uh, fedehal gobehnmin. I webuhlcome de bipartisan endudiasm f' spendigg discipline. I will send you a bujet dat holds de growd of discreshun spendigg below inflashun, makes tax relief pehmanent, uh, 'n stays on track t' cut the, uhhh, deficit in half by 2009. (Applause.)

My bujet substanshul reduces or eliminates more dan 150 gobehnmin programs dat are not gettigg results, duuhhhh, or duplicate current eff'ts, duuhhhh, or do not fulfill essenshul priorities. Gawlly!De princible hehe is clear: Taxpayeh dollars must be spent wise, or not at all. (Applause.)

T' make our economy strongeh 'n more dynamic, webuh must prepare a risigg genehashun t' fill de dgobs of de 21st century. Gawlly!Undeh de No Child Left Behind Ack, standards are higheh, test scores are on de rise, uh uh uh, 'n webuh're closigg de achiebemin gap f' minority students. Now webuh must demand betteh results from our high schools, duuhhhh, so ebehy high school diploma is a ticket t' success. Webuh will help an abbishunal 200,000 workehs t' get trainigg f' a betteh careeh, by ref'migg our dgob trainigg syssem 'n strengdenigg Amehica's commuty colleges. Gawlly!And webuh'll make it easieh f' Amehicans t' aff'd a college educashun, by increasigg the, ERRRR, size of Pell Grants. Um uh.(Applause.)

T' make our economy strongeh 'n more c'petitibe, uh uh uh, Amehica must reerd, not push, the, uh, eff'ts 'n dreams of entrepreneurs. Small bidness is de pad of adbassmin, especial f' women 'n minorities, duuhhhh, so webuh must free small bidnesses from neebbless regulashun 'n proteck honest dgob-crators from dgunk lawsuits. Uhhh....(Applause.) Dgustice is distorted, uh uh uh uh, 'n our economy is held back by irreponstiggle class-ackions 'n fribolous asbestos claims -- 'n I urge Congress t' pass legal ref'ms dis year. (Applause.)

Feb 1, 2005

My Blue Hell



Courtesy of Gina.

Donald Trump
Circle I Limbo

Libertarians
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

Donald Rumsfeld
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

Bill Gates
Circle IV Rolling Weights

The KKK
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

Creationists
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Homophobes
Circle VII Burning Sands

Republicans
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

George Bush
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell