Not since Schoolhouse Rock...

Oh, I hope you like these super short grammar videos as much as I do!

Passive Pete:


A hyphen rap:


And my personal favorite: the combination of zombies and grammar:

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians & misc.

I changed the layout of this page awhile back, and now I am sloooowly trying to recall how to reconfigure my sidebar content. A lot of people seem to have natural talent for this sort of thing, but me, not so much.
That is just to say there will be links to more of my most favorite artists and writers as time progresses. If you and I are pals and you want to send me a linky, that'd be great, too.

In the meantime, here's a document of my current media consumption...

Mary Ruefle's The Most of It is the most pleasurable read I've had in a long time.

And here is the song I cannot get enough of:


And here is the movie (in its condensed version, which may be enough for you) that I cannot wait to watch when it's delivered to my mailbox this week:

Happy Birthday, Michael

slight change of pace this year:

Happy Halloween!

Austerity Video

Here are a couple videos by Jack made on our little Nikon Coolpix camera...





If you are in a completely sound-free room, you should be able to hear okay. Yikes! Thanks!

Won't you please consider attending this fine event

The Story of Stuff

Here's a very cool thing one of my students showed me. There's a good chance you've already seen it, but just in case:

Woops: A Time Capsule

Two straight weeks of my Friday posting regimen and then nuthin'. That's sort of the way when I make sweeping pronouncements that only matter to me...
Last Friday I would have told you these same two things:

1. I am trying to create new work. Some of it prose. I am in that state where I have forgotten how to create new work, but I am wildly interested in the work of others. It's fun torture. Please wish me luck.

2. If you are sad to know the Imaginary Press Reading Series has run its course, please know there is a Pocket Lab Reading Series around. It's going to be good.

I Share this E-Mail in Case You Want in on the Discussion

Dear Paula:

As someone who has previously contacted our office to share your thoughts on issues important to you, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in a live statewide healthcare tele-town hall meeting this Sunday, August 23 rd , at 7:00 PM. Along with people like you from across the state, I will be joined by Dr. Denis Cortese, CEO of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and Mary Wakefield, the highest ranking nurse in the federal government. The three of us will discuss the need for health care reform, including ways to make the American health care system more affordable and more stable, and I will answer as many questions as I can from citizens from around the state.

If you would like to participate in this important discussion, the only way to guarantee your involvement is to visit our website at http://klobuchar.senate.gov. Once you’re registered, you’ll get an automated reminder phone call on Friday evening and you’ll be called again on Sunday to be joined to the call. The phone number you provide will be kept private.

If you have any questions, you can call the office toll free at 1-888-224-9043.

I look forward to hearing from you on Sunday.

Sincerely,

Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator

Swoon

Two beauties, one you may have known about for a short while and one you may have known about for a longer while:

Farrah Field: Rising

Paul Auster: The Invention of Solitute

Three Months

...is a long time to go post-less. I will begin updating on Fridays. I've got to believe I have at least that much going on. I've got to.


Here's a placeholder in the meantime:

Form & Content Reading, June 12

Friday, June 12, 7 PM

Poems by
Paula Cisewski
Laressa Dickey
Sarah Fox
Rachel Moritz
Sun Yung Shin

Form and Content Gallery
210 N.2nd Street
Minneapolis

2 for 1 Black Ocean Fun!

Black Ocean is having a Spring Cleaning Sale!

We here at Black Ocean are firm believers in the old Bible saying that goes: “make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.” So in keeping with our inward ravening and wicked ways we’re having a Spring Cleaning Sale!

Beginning at 12:00 AM on Monday (5/11), through 11:59 PM on Sunday (5/17), any purchase of one of With Deer by Aase Berg (trans. by Johannes Göransson) will get a FREE COPY of Upon Arrival by Paula Cisewski. Paula’s second book, Ghost Fargo, was just chosen by Franz Wright for the 2008 Nightboat Poetry Prize and we thought this would be a good opportunity for those of you unfamiliar with her work to get better acquainted. Also, if you haven't checked out With Deer yet, then you're simply missing out on the best nightmare you never had. Think of this sale as a way for us to pair the grotesque with the unusual, and stick them both in your beach bag for summer reading. It's worth mentioning that, as always,all our orders automatically come with free shipping!

Beginning the week of 5/18 we’ll be pairing Joshua Harmon’s fantastic debut collection, Scape, with Carrie Olivia Adams’ A Useless Window. Stay atuned to the sublime blogosphere for those details next weekend.

Reading this very Saturday!

National Stripmall Month

I don't know... I have this series of existing things running through my mind that will never need to have a month dedicated to them.

National Animated Sitcom Month

It's not very smart or clever, it's just ongoing as I go about my business during National Poetry Month. Can't help it.

National American Idol Month

Do you think anybody who doesn't write poetry actually reads more poetry in April and likes it from then on?

National Professional Athlete Month
National Hair Highlights Month

Maybe somebody does. That would be cool. In any case, I am trying the NaPoWriMo excercise again this time. It didn't work for me the only other time I tried because I tried to use somebody else's writing prompts. I felt like a disappointment when they didn't work for me.

National Action Hero Month

And I won't subject anybody to the drafts as they come; that seems too much pressure, but hopefully I'll have something to report by month's end.

Pleeeease Can You Help Me Find A Book?

When I was a tot, a picture book I loved so dearly was The Witch Who Lived Next Door. I have looked high and low for a copy and cannot find this book anywhere. Have you seen it? Do you own it? If you run across a copy in a used bookstore, can you alert me immediately?

Two Museums

I'm excited about my new chapbook, Two Museums, which is freshly out from MaCaHu Press. The cover design by Ms. Mary Behm-Steinberg is exquisitely creepy and perfect for the project. When I have some links I will put them right here, yes I will. MaCaHu has published some other lovely chaps and I'm proud to be on board.

Imaginary Press event coming right up!

Please visit
the Imaginary Press Reading Series blog to see the exciting details about our March 8th event featuring poets Jen March and Jenny Browne! (Er, and me. I'm gonna read a few poems too this time.)

Come on out to support these poets' work!

Chloe the Sloth

Here is Chloe, my new favorite neighbor; she lives in the "Tropical Experience" room at the Como Conservatory, which is in itself a good place to hang out in MN February.

Skirmish

I haven't had much to say here lately. I found out you can play Scrabble on Facebook and now my online time is kind of shot...

BUT HERE IS ONE IMPORTANT THING:

If you are itching for a new book of poems, Skirmish by Dobby Gibson is what you're after.