May 23, 2008

Jack Kimball offers a compelling review of Poem Stripped of Artifice here. It has been very interesting to see how people react to this somewhat atypical work form me. Though I suppose it is less atypical now than it perhaps might have once been. I have been swinging lately back in the direction of transparency in my work, which is an interesting twist. Though it feels right. Picking up my own pieces, as it were.

I wish it were easier for you to get a copy of the PSA--I will try and get some more copies from the New School. The print run was 300, so there should be some more around. I really have no idea what they are doing with the chaps!

May 7, 2008

Wuv Pomes

Some friends of mine who are getting married asked me to write a poem for their wedding. As anathematic as said task is to me, I have agreed to do it. Rather than trying to do this entirely on my own, I am planning on doing an erasure or mash-up of "famous" love poems in order to construct something new. This makes sense to me in the context of the marriage-ritual, insofar as it is a facet of "tradition" that people tend to re-interpret, so likewise a re-interpretation of already extant celebrations of same seems in order. Not being an authority on love poems, myself (I know a few but...), I bequeath you, dear reader, to tell me what poems of this genre that you like and make my job that much easier. (You don't necessarily have to *like* said poem, either, especially since I am going to chop it up and reassemble it with a bunch of others. Think of me as the Buffalo Bill of love poems...)

May 4, 2008

I have a poem up as part of Elaine Equi's "Holiday Project" at Jacket Magazine here. The Holiday Project is a project curated by Elaine in which poets write "Greeting Card" poems for particular holidays, either real or invented. Mine is an occasional poem celebrating the Bride of Frankenstein's birthday (This makes reference to Shelley's actual novel in which the monster says he wants Frankenstein to make him a counterpart and he will go to South America, never to be seen again. The poem assumes that this actually happens. It doesn't actually have that much to do with the film Bride of Frankenstein.)