WORD OF THE DAY PLAY: ACT ONE: “PARDON MY WELTSCHMERZ”

Having waited
to open my
invitation,
I was not
present when
the first switch
was thrown
and the first
dawn light
bathed
the firmament. How
time snuck up.
A needle
embroidering
the various
extinctions. So
I can’t wrap
my head around
all your old school
allusions. When
you ask,
“Why not forget
your maker
every time a door
swings?” Is that
literal or rhetorical?
I get hung up.
All the makers.
The salvage
and collapse.
Stop calling
me names.
Suzuki.
Chest-o-whiskey.
The past
anonymously
doing something
for us. Even
at this awkward
moment. Expunged
of doorstep. It’s okay
I guess, minus
the surprises which are
so mundane and
usually sarcastic.
I mean, not like
the surprises
at the start
of the party, when
I hear folks actually
made stuff up.
Anything meant
anything. Even
all the clocks were
once imaginary clocks.
Though I shouldn’t
judge because I
usually hang near
the outer ring
of the action where
I’ve got a clear
trajectory to
the revolving door.



*WELTSCHMERZ : a mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state

This Very Sunday

DREW GORDON LOVEFEST BENEFIT ON 10/29/06
Celebrate the life of Minneapolis pianist and composer Drew Gordon
with a night of music, dance, poetry, food, drink and fun! Silent auction
too!

Scheduled performers include: Gondwana, Chan Poling and John
Munson, Michelle Kinney and Manjunan Gnanaratnam, Peter Schimke,
Hijack, The Dale Hush Hush, Deborah Gordon Cooper, Paula Cisewski, Sean Emery,
Adam Levy, Barbara Meyer, Alison Morse, Jen Peden and a special
surprise
guest.

Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006, 5-9 PM
Xelias Aerial Arts Studio,
1121 Van Buren Street N.E.
Minneapolis (near Central and Broadway)

Suggested donation: $30
For reservations call: 612-588-1263

Non attendee donations gratefully accepted:
The Drew Gordon Memorial Fund
PO Box 18582
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Imaginary Press Update

See?

Thanks to Sarah Fox and John Colburn

We will be enjoying the second installment of
The Imaginary Press Reading Series this very evening at Opposable Thumbs Books in Bee-ootiful Nordeast Minneapolis.
Hope to see you there!

(It begins at 7:30 pm. Exact address in at the above link, but OT Books is on Johnson near the intersection of 29th, between Pop! Restaurant and the old Hollywood Theater.)

Thanks to Deej's Digital Photography Skills Here's some Brooklyn

In keeping with my word combo issue, here is a restaurant that gives Chicago's Patio Beef a run for its money.
Except these aren't from Brooklyn. They are just south of Hell's Kitchen. Above is one of the pieces from the Exit Gallery's opening of the exhibit of Latin album covers and art inspired by said covers. In addition to this sculpture's aesthetic appeal, it is a Hot Wheels track.
Good neon outside the Exit Gallery.
A photo by one of my new favorite artist/photographers, but I'm not sure I've got the name right!! Vladka Horvak, I think. She is not currently Google-able. If anybody has information, please share.

Thanks to John Deming and Coldfront

Here's a review of Upon Arrival.

I don't know how to judge these things (what with the subjectivity factor and all), but I think this is mostly pretty fair and at times downright nice.

Thanks to Brooklyn

Fred had mentioned that reading at Pete's would be somewhat like reading in a U-boat, but it was actually like reading on a burlesque puppet theater stage in a U-boat, which is to say I LOVED it and it is now one of my favorite rooms on the planet.

Fred turned me on to: Nicanor Parra, Anna Moschovakis (I am internally composing my fan letter as I write this), Jamaican patties, the Staten Island Ferry, and Cafe Regular.

DJ turned me on to: CourtBooks, the groovy stylings of James Suffern and Kim. In turn, we discovered the meaning of Pacifico yardbird and various neon whatnots. (note to deej: please also send photo of "support our oops")

I made myself proud manoeuvering the train system solo, since the only train line in MN takes a straight shot from downtown MPLS to the Mall of America and then the airport and that's it.

Everybody who came to the reading or hosted the reading or put me up or disco danced with me or tourguided me or took my books in their store was so kind; I'm chok full of grateful for the whole experience!

What are you doing on October 13th?

Because I am going to be reading in Brooklyn at Pete's Candy Store at 7 PM with the remarkable poets Fred Schmalz and DJ Dolack! If you are in the vicinity, and you like poems and sandwiches and beer, I hope you will come!

Do you want to know a little big about Fred and DJ?

Okay:
Fred Schmalz is a poet and publisher of the literature and art journal swerve. His poems have appeared in TheBedazzler, jubilat, Conduit, Divide, Forklift Ohio, H_NGM_N and other magazines. Schmalz's chapbook, Ticket, was published by Fuori Editions in 2002. He lives in Brooklyn.

DJ Dolack's work has most recently appeared in TheColumbia Poetry Review, Forklift ,Ohio and Salt Hill.He is a poetry editor at Eye For An Iris Press and teaches writing at Farleigh Dickinson University. He holds an MFA from Vermont College and lives in Brooklyn.

I won't be spelling, though, which makes me a little sad. The spelling bee at Pete's is held on Mondays...I have ALWAYS wanted to compete in a spelling bee, which is silly in a way, as I'm not that talented of a speller. But, perhaps if you come, you could just ask me to spell stuff when I'm not reading, and it'll brighten me right up. Thanks.

We have two moons

We have TWO MOONS!