Coldfront Video Review

DJ Dolack put together a really lovely, rainy video review on Coldfront of the reading Ronaldo V. Wilson and I did this past May at The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church. Thanks, DJ! Thanks, Coldfront!

Mini Tour, Part Three

Next, Rauan and I traveled to Cincinnati. Having completely romanticized this town for months, I was a little nervous on the ride down, but we kept ourselves busy by starting some collaborative poems.

Here Michael and Rauan dive right into the debate:

Here are Kristi and Amy setting up:

Michael, Amy, and Kristi were our gracious, generous hosts.

Here is some pre-reading kitchen chat:

Then the good gathering:

And our wonderful co-reader, Ruth Dickey:

I think I've posted enough photos of what Rauan and I look like reading. What I wish I could have captured were the lightning bugs which were by the hundreds lighting up all over the yard during the reading! It was only the second time I'd ever seen them!

We stayed up late!

To sum up, Cincinnati was even more glamorous than I had imagined. I cannot wait for another excuse to visit. Maybe even to stay more than 19 hours.

I guess the next post will be my last Mini Tour post. But my part of the readings are done and my mini-vacation started some time between the last two photographs above, so the remaining pictures will be miscellaneous puppy, skyscraper, and adorable toddler shots. Just sayin'.

Midwest Tour, Part Two

Some Possible Tour Names:*

The Eagle or Crow Tour**
Do Not Sit on the Monument Tour
The No Spitting Tour
The Baby Bird Tour
So Loud It'll Wake the Dead! Tour
The Hare and Noodle Tour
The Dalai Lama Hoppin' Mad Goose Tour
The Three Million Candle Tour
The Cheese and Wind Tour***
The Puritan Doves Tour
Is The Score 0-0? Tour
The Second Cousins Tour



June 23rd: K, A, M, and I had some pre-reading tapas at People in Wicker Park before heading to:

Afterwards at Rodan:

Blurry guys. For some reason I refuse to use the flash on my camera.

*Now that a few days have passed, it's clear that some of these tour names may have only been funny in context of random tour sitings and on-bus discussions. We are probably open to suggestions.

**This is a highly flawed game we tried to perfect which involves deciding if a person is an eagle or a crow. I like it because the birds are such false opposites, like you might find on a professional development quiz you might take at work (Are you always upbeat or have you once been angry?) or a bloggy quiz that tells you what spice you are (Do you like jabanero peppers or chalk?) Rauan and I, by the way, are both crows, but we feel differently about being so.

***Wisconsin has a lot of cheese, and Chicago is windy...

Midwest Mini-Tour, Part One

Rauan Klassnik and I joined forces for a few days to tour parts of the midwest in support of our Black Ocean books. It was great! I'll be posting about that week in pieces over the course of this week.
June 21st. Here is Rauan as we are about to reboard our first Megabus en route to Madison for our reading at Avol's Books.


Rauan peruses my new manny, Ghost Fargo.

June 22nd. Over coffee before our Avol's reading, I try to warm up to the idea of being in some of the trip photos too by including my shoe in this shot. Rauan looks collected, ready to knock 'em dead.

Rauan of Holy Land chats with Ron of Avol's.


Our first reading done!

Aside from the reading, checking out the neighborhood around the capitol building and the occassional bite to eat, Rauan spent most of his time in his room watching Animal Cops, and because we don't have cable at home, I glutted on light-ish movies, the best of which was Bend it Like Beckham. I watched this just in time to get excited about the Spain/Italy and Spain/Russia matches. Between the movie and some explanations from Rauan who is a big soccer fan, I am pretty much a soccer expert now (says the girl who can't figure out which team is which when they switch uniform colors...).

Tomorrow I'll post about the first parts of Chicago and some of our possible tour titles...

Talking Image Connection at the Soap Factory...

...was so fun!

June 14th Ekphrastic Bonanza

Writers Alison Morse, Tammy Wenberg and I and musicians Peter Schimke and Bill Mike have all been collaborating in response to a collaborative art installation at the Soap Factory Gallery, and we're going to present our work on Saturday at 8:00. I'm really excited about it. Please come.

Art Crawl

It's time for the spring St. Paul Art Crawl. I'll be tramping around Friday, and I'll also be participating Sunday at 3:00 in the Carleton Lofts Dance Room (University Avenue a little way down from Raymond Avenue). Hope you'll come.

Here's the Carleton's complete Sunday line-up:

Sunday April 27th


12:00 PM to 1:00 PM--Joe Schauer (Bass Solo) in the Center Stair Gallery


1:00 PM to 2:00 PM--Inner Alchemy Harpistry (Harp Solo) in the Center Stair Gallery


12:00 PM to 2:00 PM--DJ Array: Playlists and Music from Twin Cities Musicians and Bands in the Community Room
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM--Piper Reva Jones-Kelley in the Community Room


3:00 PM to 4:00 PM--DJ Array: Playlists and Music from Twin Cities Musicians and Bands in the Community Room


3:00 PM to 5:00 PM--Poetry Readings: Jared Lewis, Paula Cisewski, Tammy L. Darrah Wenberg, Alison Morse, & Michael Sciortino in the Dance Studio

4:00 PM to 5:00 PM--Western Fifth (Band) in the Community Room.

Brunettes Not Fighter Jets

It's this week's show and tell!

Here is a photo of Frank and Paul, my fellow readers at last Sunday's Riot Act Reading Series:


Paul Dickinson on the right there is also one of the hosts. I'll prove it:



On an unrelated note, I wanted to share that I recently had reason to learn that this is my only set of guest sheets:


Similarly unrelated, I went hiking in the woods in Wisconsin this afternoon! My fellow travellers and I hoofed it in to see the Willow River waterfall, and it was spectacular. But I forgot my camera, so here's a photo of my muddy boots:



Second to lastly, because I don't have the cable t.v., I am frequently wont to discover gems at a different pace than many others. For example, I didn't know about Flight of the Conchords until my latest issue of Bust arrived. Now I love them so much. Here is a little taste that you have probably already seen:


6. This week's score from the branch library: A VHS called The World's Weirdest Homes. Yessss!

Reading tonight!

Juliet Patterson and I will be joining William Stobb for a reading at Magers and Quinn Booksellers in celebration of Bill's brand new book, Nervous Systems!

Here's a little taste of what I think the evening might be like:



(See sidebar for all sorts of details)

What are you doing this evening?

I'm reading at the Turf Club tonight with the cool folks of the Riot Act Reading Series, and then we'll all listen to Dreamland Faces on accordian and saw.

I am pulling together a bunch of poems that haven't seen the outside of my office yet. It's scary. Good scary. But scary.

Hi.

As I strive to improve my photography skills, I must remember the main thing that makes me a rotten photographer is habitually forgetting my camera on the most important occassions.

But folks more responsible than I am have promised to send photos of my Seattle escapade, from which I am returned by redeye entirely sleep deprived (and have done playing a brief stint as "the loopy professor" this afternoon).

Steph and Jacob's wedding was beautiful. I did my best to fulfill my duties as one of the four best women.

The only job that was a little scary was faking a confident saunter in my strapless gown. I think I did.

My favorite job was giving the bride permission to roll up the car windows and cuss cuss cuss with me if things got stressful, though she really didn't take me up on it. Probably on account of the aforementioned beauty going on. And because she's a lady.

My most important sight-seeing trip was to Open Books. A person really can hardly believe it is possible to stand in an
all poetry bookstore, but one can! And it's magical. I treated myself to the new Mary Ruefle and a Celan collection.

Speaking of magical, being able to read at the Jewel Box Theater with Amy Schrader, Anna Maria Hong, and Kary Wayson made me feel like a ruby brooch. Or a hat pin. Or a candy necklace. Something that belongs in a jewel box amongst the real sparkles. Amber Curtis: many thanks!
Cranky is hot. Do you have your copy?

Ooh! I updated the Imaginary Press site tonight. It's Alex Lemon and Steve Burt this month!

My pillow is singing to me. Nighty nighty.

Thursday, Friday

Thursday, P and I drove to La Crosse for my reading at the Pump House.


David Krump and Bill Stobb (see above) were such amazing hosts! In fact, everybody we met was great, before and after. During the reading, the audience was so very generous and so very attentive. It's them I shall imagine if I ever have another nervous-making reading.


Then we came home Friday, and I bought batteries for my camera so I could take real photos of the goings on at the Imaginary Press Reading Series!


It was astounding! Here's a nice photo of Wilkinson, Svalina, and Doxsee in which the idea of Schomburg is implied. For more photos, visit the Imaginary Press Reading Series blog.

Four, Poetry

1. I was on the radio yesterday. I didn't mention it before, for I feared I might sound like a big knob. While it's true that I accidentally talked about theremins and cocktail waitressing more than I had intended, you can still stream the interview (the 4/12/2007 show) from here. I'm about a half hour in, after an interview with a really interesting Irani memoirist. My primary purpose was to promote this crew who will be gracing us with a reading next Friday!
My secondary purpose was to mention that the Thursday night before the Imaginary Press Reading, I'll be in LaCrosse, and if you happpen to be around the area it would be swell if you could make it.
Those Write On Radio folks are great. You can stream the show every Thursday from 11am-12pm (central time) if you want!

2. Here is a nice article about Twin Cities poetry at mnartists.org.

3. My pal Kate Harding and her friend Jillian Dunham have launched a literary blog called the Bibliophilistines. While I've been linked to them on my sidebar for some time, I am so tickled by what she posted today concerning my and my pal Paige Ackerson-Kiely's books that I want to thank her properly. Kate, thank you. Perhaps soon we can meet midway between our towns for fireworks, antiques, and cheese.

4. I just found THIS.

Down to Business!

Although it is my great pleasure to discuss theremin practice and giant chickens, I feel obliged to also use my humble web presence to collect my poetry goings-on. Here are two of those:

1. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the wonderful poet
Kate Greenstreet for including me in her first book interviews.

2. If you will be attending AWP, I hope you'll come to The Apache Cafe on Saturday, March 3 at 7:00 PM. I'll be reading as part of the Pilot, Black Ocean, Octopus, No Tell Motel reading. It promises to be a good time for all.

This Just In...

LUSH: A POETRY ANTHOLOGY AND COCKTAIL GUIDE

SPOUT PRESS ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE PARTY FOR LUSH: A POETRY ANTHOLOGY AND COCKTAIL GUIDE Show at the Nomad World Pub Features Readings By Local Literary Celebrities and showcases bands from local indie label Afternoon Records.

Minneapolis based Spout Press announces the release party for LUSH: A Poetry Anthology & Cocktail Guide at the Nomad World Pub on Thursday, February 15, 2007. The show will feature readings from the anthology by local literary celebrities with musical accompaniment, chances for audience members to write a poem for performance that very night and drink mixing – from the stage. Both a cocktail guide for poets and a poetry guide for bartenders, LUSH begins with poems. Within each poem is a cocktail. Along with each cocktail is a recipe. Contained within this mixture are comics from local artists. This anthology includes old friends of Spout Press such as Jeffrey Little and JoAnna Rawson who dropped in and decided to stay for a night cap. They are joined by Kim Addonizio, Stephen Burt, Paula Cisewski, Joanna Fuhrman, Sheila E. Murphy and many other nationally known poets. This collection represents some of the best in contemporary poetry, and is equally comfortable on a coffee table, beneath the bar, or shelved along with favorite poetry anthologies.

In addition to the readings, music will be provided by bands from the celebrated local label Afternoon Records (www.afternoonrecords.com), featuring A Night in the Box and Battle Royale. A spokesperson for Spout Press says “We feel very lucky to team up with Afternoon Records – they are major players in the future of music in Minneapolis.” Pulse of the Twin Cities has called Afternoon Records “the premier force” in music for the younger crowd in Minneapolis.

The Nomad World Pub is located on the West Bank at 501 Cedar Ave S. Minneapolis 612.338.6424

About Spout Press: Spout began as a quarterly literary journal in 1989 and has garnered a national following, publishing the finest in contemporary experimental writing. It is the longest running and most stable literary journal in the Twin Cities area. In 1997, Spout expanded into Spout Press and has published the titles A Definitive Guide to the Twin Cities in Poetry and Prose; i’m right here; The Hotel Sterno; Blink; Beware; The Book of Arcana; and LUSH: A Poetry Anthology and Cocktail Guide.

Riot Act Reading Series

If you are free, won't you come on down to the Turf Club Sunday at 7:00?

I have the pleasure of joining Laura Brandenburg, John Colburn, and Paul Dickinson for the Riot Act Reading Series festivities of that evening.

Some nights, it is quite acceptable to wear your square dancing getup here. I'm thinking Sunday is one of them.

poetry and voting

Boy was the reading swell last night! Do you all have Terri Ford's first book? Well, you better hurry on up because I learned her second will be out next spring!

And Eric did a really interesting brand spanking new experimental piece that included a voice loop. So very cool.

And a good number of my students came. For some, yesterday was their first poetry reading AND first time voting. I was so happy for them!

P was playing in the band at the Democratic shindig, so my pal J and I hoofed over after the reading to check it out. It was moving, actually, being in the room as MN's first woman senator and first African-American Muslim congressman made their victory speeches. But truly, J and I spent a goodly portion of the evening pondering how we could get on this man's dance card. Alas, it was not to be.

I Want To Break Free - Queen

Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

When I was a kid I was way too disillusioned (whatever that means at sixteen) and punk to listen to any stadium type rock, and so my fanship for Queen has been delayed until now. I cannot get enough.

If, after you break free to get out and vote this evening, you are looking to do something more before heading back home, I have the honor of reading with the supersensational Eric Lorberer and Terri Ford tonight! We'll be at the Black Dog Cafe, kitty corner from the St. Paul Farmers' Market, at 7:00 p.m.

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

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.