Distribution Automatique

Saturday, December 10

We No Longer Understand Each Other

After hearing Al Filreis read this essay at the convocation for Jerome Rothenberg's 80th birthday, I wrote to Al telling him I thought his essay was that rare piece of critical prose that rises to the level of (first rate) poetry. Here is the complete text:

Jacket 2: "Jerome Rothenberg The Real Revolution is Tragic" : Al Filreis, on the occasion of Jerome Rothenberg's 80th Anniversary"


"...what I take to be Jerry’s greatest contribution: that in unsuccessful societies, it becomes impossible for language to change commensurately, and a common language breaks down, and we no longer understand each other". (Al Filreis)
Why Kenya is not making any strides in the war against Al-Shabaab two months into the incursion

Saturday, November 19

Poet- Bashing Police- poets Robert Hass (former poet laureate of the US) and Geoffrey O'Brien beaten by police in Berkeley (New York Times)

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Somalia: famine still looms large
M/E/A/N/I/N/G Online 25th Anniversary Issue
"Our 25th anniversary comes at an unusual moment following upon a series of traumatic political events and a decade of war. It is a moment of global economic crisis, failure of capitalism and of progressive political movements, a moment of political impasse, and of generational shift. Methods of communication have changed since we began our project 25 years ago and concepts of privacy and individuality seem to be in a process of radical transformation.
We began planning this issue in the way we had planned other forums in the past: we discussed and tried to formulate our specific personal concerns and our sense of general contemporary concerns into questions and themes that we would invite a spectrum of artists to respond to. Our mutual and separate lines of thought and feeling merged into two themes:

Theme 1
How do public traumas like 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise in income inequality in the U.S., and the current recession affect, or frame, the production of your art works and art criticism? What is the role of individual style or idiosyncrasy in these times and circumstances? What is the role of the art market/fashion/art history versus such public or individual/idiosyncratic motivations and frames?

Theme 2
How do artistic intuition, creativity, community, production, and distribution function for you in the age of digital corporate conglomerates and the web 2.0? What is the nature of privacy for the artist or critic working in the age of social networking and global spectacle?"
[from the introduction by Susan Bee and Mira Schor, editors]

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Remember The Cream? Here is an interview with a poet who was their lyricist, Pete Brown
Somalia's famine sees some relief but thousands still face 'imminent starvation'"

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Record surge of people flee Somalia for Ethiopia and Yemen

Wednesday, November 16

Tuesday, November 15

Kenya envoy seeks US help on Somalia

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Somalia: Thousands cut off by impending conflict, rain
"According to the UN, 750,000 people in Somalia are at risk of dying if they do not receive urgent intervention".
The people's library is open!

* * *
Toni and I were at OWS for the grand re-opening. Free ponchos were being given out to those who planned to stay the night. I ran into Adam from Unnameable Books who plans to help restock the OWS library. Want to help? Go see Adam.

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The People's Library
Somalia: terrorists fall back

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UN monitoring group to recommend al-Shabab sanctions

Monday, November 14

Israel-Kenya deal to help fight Somalia's al-Shebab

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Somali refugees flee to Ethiopia (PBS video)



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Panelists propose solutions to conflict in Horn of Africa
"Kenneth Menkhaus, an expert on Somalia, began by discussing the famine, which he labeled as "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world."
"Somalia is facing the biggest famine in 20 years," Menkhaus said".

Friday, November 11

Toni Simon and NIck Piombino's Contradicta (Green Integer) on PennSound
Somalia

Madobe, a former Al-Shabab member reflects on why he left the group (Video)

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Foreign military actions seen worsening Somalia's humanitarian problems

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The downturn in 2008 led to a real problem in the US at food pantries. During that time I searched around for a charity that distributes food in the US, and I learned that the best one is Feeding America.

Ever since learning of the real possibility of mass famine in Somalia over the next few months (if things keep going wrong there more than a quarter of a million to 350, 000 people could very well starve to death there, or come very close to this). This is why I started linking to all the news I could find about the situation in Somalia. After a month, things have not improved very much.


Yet the relatively very comfortable life we live here goes on, and every now and again some small accident happens that leads to something interesting. In this case, my entire ipod collection got wiped out so I had to start from scratch. One of the albums of very long ago that I forgot how much I liked was Fleetwood Mac's 1977 triumph Rumours. I realized that of the many fine songs on that album, the one that most moves me is Dreams, by Stevie Nicks. After listening to it numerous times over the past week I looked it up on YouTube. There is the above very good video of Stevie Nicks herself, but then I began looking at covers. I found several I liked, and among them was this one, by Jessie Cole.

Dreams by Stevie Nicks (cover sung by Jessie Cole)
Cholera claims 87 more lives in Somalia
Al-Shabab steps up war propaganda (Afrique en ligne)
UNICEF mission in East Africa-NIghtline Report

Thursday, September 29

World must act fast on Somalia
"Lt. Colonel Paddy Ankunda: ON return to Somalia for my second tour of duty in April this year, I did notice one basic truth; much had changed. I had been to Somalia in 2007 as part of the first Ugandan Battle Group of 1,600 soldiers. At that time, we had a vague idea on how we would go about supporting the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) largely based in Nairobi and Jowhar"...
Somalia: Statement to the human rights council

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President Sharif calls for Somaliland to to be united with country

Sunday, September 11

Studying Hunger Journals by Bernadette Mayer- Station Hill Press, 2011

Jonathan Skinner- Mayer's Walden

Two or three strange convergences: one, that I obtained my copy of Bernadette Mayer's masterful Studying Hunger Journals on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and after I've been focussing for several weeks here on the frightening famine in Somalia, and also on the same day that I obtained Pierre Joris' astounding translation of Paul Celan's "The Meridian: Speech on the Occasion of receiving the George Buchner prize, October 22, 1960".

It is well worth reading Skinner's enthusiastic paper. For me, Bernadette Mayer's book Studying Hunger published in 1975 is a landmark in my appreciation and understanding of what is possible in the realm of the poetic study of consciousness, as was her previous book Moving, published by Angel Hair in 1971. Even though the books were 30 pages and 71 pages long respectively, I thought of them as epic in scope. However, I had no idea that the Studying Hunger Journals was literally an epic at 456 pages long. I am baffled, and in a sense, sorrowful that such an important book took so long to be published, but at least now it is available as is the author to be around to see it in the world, and to be asked about it and see it discussed. I am excitedly looking forward to reading it closely, and hopefully reporting back here as to my thoughts about this amazing, this crucial and most important literary contribution.

* * * *

"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."
— Edward R. Murrow

Blowback and US Government Policy in Somalia

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Somalia's worsening famine - NY Times editorial 9/12/11


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Turkish delegation visits Mogadishu, Somalia
George Lakoff:The use of 9/11 to consolidate conservative power: Intimidation via framing

Friday, August 26

Coontradicta




There is little you haven't experienced often, at least indirectly, less as you grow older. Still, it's better to be surprised than cynical.


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You are all a list generation






Saturday, August 20

Argotist Online Free Ebooks

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The new ebook from Argotist online is Apertures by Rob McLennan

Wednesday, August 17

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Pledges $350 million to Somalia at Turkey Summit

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Wikipedia: Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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Communities Try To Aid Africa Relief Efforts
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Somalia

"There are no railways in Somalia; internal transportation is limited to truck and bus. The national road system nominally comprises 22,100 kilometers (13,702 mi.) of roads that include about 2,600 kilometers (1,612 mi.) of all-weather roads, although most roads have received little maintenance for years and have seriously deteriorated.

Air transportation is provided by small air charter firms. A number of airlines operate from Hargeisa. Some private airlines, including Daallo Airlines, serve several domestic locations as well as Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates. The UN and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate air service for their missions.

The European Community and the World Bank jointly financed construction of a deepwater port at Mogadishu. The Soviet Union improved Somalia's deepwater port at Berbera in 1969. Facilities at Berbera were further improved by a U.S. military construction program completed in 1985, but they have since become dilapidated. During the 1990s the United States renovated a deepwater port at Kismayo that serves the fertile Juba River basin and is vital to Somalia's banana export industry. Smaller ports are located at Merca, Brava, and Bossaso. Absence of security and lack of maintenance and improvement are major issues at most Somali ports".

Tuesday, August 9

Three On Translation- Serge Gavronsky (includes new translations of Francis Ponge)

(via wood s lot)

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Wikipedia: Horn of Africa Famine

"The famine was declared in response to new data from the UN's food security and nutrition analysis unit.[43][14] This is the first time the UN has declared a famine since the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia, when over a million people died.[5] Under international law, there is no mandated response which must follow from an official declaration of famine. However, it is hoped that the use of the term will serve as a "wake-up call" to the rest of the world, who have so far failed to respond.[5]"

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Action against Hunger (in East Africa)

"(Action Against Hunger is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and receives top ratings from key charity rating agencies Charity Navigator (receiving a 4-star rating), Independent Charities of America, Guidestar, and receives an "A" rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy. Donations to Action Against Hunger are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.)"

Monday, August 8

Contradicta




Tea party poetics: "read my lips- no new parataxis."


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Poetry: it's a question of mind over mutter

Wednesday, July 27

TONI SIMON will be reading at 4 PM at the Boog City Festival (Unnameable Books) from her forthcoming illustrated book Earth after Earth from Lunar Chandelier Press

SATURDAY AUGUST 6,
11:30 A.M.-9:00 P.M.

Unnameable Books
600 Vanderbilt Ave.
Brooklyn

Free

8th Annual Small, Small Press Fair

Beginning with readings from authors of the exhibiting presses

12:00 p.m. Evie Shockley, Belladonna
12:10 p.m. Leigh Stein, Bone Bouquet
12:20 p.m. Cariah Lily Rosberg, Don’s Saddles and East Egg Press
12:30 p.m. Magus Magnus, Furniture Press
12:40 p.m. Helen Vitoria, Gigantic Sequins
12:50 p.m. Brenda Iijima, Least Weasel Chapbooks @ Propolis Press
1:00 p.m. Stephanie Gray, Litmus Press/Aufgabe
1:10 p.m. Joe Elliot, Lunar Chandelier
1:20 p.m. Ronna Lebo, Off the Park Press
1:30 p.m. Damian Weber (music)
1:50 p.m. Break

2:00 p.m. J. Hope Stein, Ping Pong
2:10 p.m. Tantra-zawadi, Poets Wear Prada
2:20 p.m. Lydia Cortes, Straw Gate Books
2:25 p.m. Dorothy Friedman August, White Rabbit zine
2:30 p.m. Emily Skillings, Stonecutter Journal
2:40 p.m. Lawrence Giffin, Tea Party Republicans Press
2:50 p.m. Ron Horning, Vanitas magazine and Libellum Books

3:00 p.m. Break

-----------------

3:10 p.m. Rebecca Satellite (music)
3:40 p.m. Paul Foster Johnson
3:50 p.m. Austin LaGrone
4:00 p.m. Toni Simon
4:10 p.m. Will Edmiston
4:20 p.m. Kimberly Lyons
4:30 p.m. Christine Hamm
4:40 p.m. Vyt Bakaitis
4:50 p.m. Martha King
5:00 p.m. Debrah Morkun
5:15 p.m. John Mulrooney
5:30 p.m. Justin Remer (music)

6:00 p.m. Break

6:10 p.m. Joanna Penn Cooper
6:20 p.m. Franklin Bruno
6:30 p.m. Tanya Larkin
6:45 p.m. Emily Einhorn (music)
7:15 p.m. Mary Austin Speaker
7:25 p.m. Jean-Paul Pecqueur
7:35 p.m. Jesse Seldess
7:45 p.m. Douglas Piccininni


Directions: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza,
C to Clinton-Washington avenues, Q to 7th Ave.
Venue is bet. Prospect Pl./St. Marks Ave.

* * * * * *

CHARLES BORKHUIS’ new one-act play “FLIPPER” will be presented

as part of the 2011 BOOG POETS’ THEATER FESTIVAL



Sunday, August 7 at 5:45 P.M.

at the ZINC BAR

82 W. 3rd St., NYC (btwn. Sullivan & Thompson Sts.)



FLIPPER

by Charles Borkhuis

directed by Chris Mirto

featuring Chandler Wild and Jason Martin

* * * * *

The new book from Argotist Online is

Fib Sequence by Larissa Shmailo

* * * * *

New and Selected Poems by Charles North

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The Enormous Chorus by Frank Kuenstler

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Lens by Frank Kuenstler (Complete Book Online)_
Lens-sample page

Tuesday, July 26

The new book from Argotist online is A House in Summer- poetry by Maxine Chernoff

* * * * *


TONI SIMON will be reading at 4 PM at the Boog City Festival (Unnameable Books) from her forthcoming illustrated book Earth after Earth from Lunar Chandelier Press

SATURDAY AUGUST 6,
11:30 A.M.-9:00 P.M.

Unnameable Books
600 Vanderbilt Ave.
Brooklyn

Free

8th Annual Small, Small Press Fair

Beginning with readings from authors of the exhibiting presses

12:00 p.m. Evie Shockley, Belladonna
12:10 p.m. Leigh Stein, Bone Bouquet
12:20 p.m. Cariah Lily Rosberg, Don’s Saddles and East Egg Press
12:30 p.m. Magus Magnus, Furniture Press
12:40 p.m. Helen Vitoria, Gigantic Sequins
12:50 p.m. Brenda Iijima, Least Weasel Chapbooks @ Propolis Press
1:00 p.m. Stephanie Gray, Litmus Press/Aufgabe
1:10 p.m. Joe Elliot, Lunar Chandelier
1:20 p.m. Ronna Lebo, Off the Park Press
1:30 p.m. Damian Weber (music)
1:50 p.m. Break

2:00 p.m. J. Hope Stein, Ping Pong
2:10 p.m. Tantra-zawadi, Poets Wear Prada
2:20 p.m. Lydia Cortes, Straw Gate Books
2:25 p.m. Dorothy Friedman August, White Rabbit zine
2:30 p.m. Emily Skillings, Stonecutter Journal
2:40 p.m. Lawrence Giffin, Tea Party Republicans Press
2:50 p.m. Ron Horning, Vanitas magazine and Libellum Books

3:00 p.m. Break

-----------------

3:10 p.m. Rebecca Satellite (music)
3:40 p.m. Paul Foster Johnson
3:50 p.m. Austin LaGrone
4:00 p.m. Toni Simon
4:10 p.m. Will Edmiston
4:20 p.m. Kimberly Lyons
4:30 p.m. Christine Hamm
4:40 p.m. Vyt Bakaitis
4:50 p.m. Martha King
5:00 p.m. Debrah Morkun
5:15 p.m. John Mulrooney
5:30 p.m. Justin Remer (music)

6:00 p.m. Break

6:10 p.m. Joanna Penn Cooper
6:20 p.m. Franklin Bruno
6:30 p.m. Tanya Larkin
6:45 p.m. Emily Einhorn (music)
7:15 p.m. Mary Austin Speaker
7:25 p.m. Jean-Paul Pecqueur
7:35 p.m. Jesse Seldess
7:45 p.m. Douglas Piccininni


Directions: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza,
C to Clinton-Washington avenues, Q to 7th Ave.
Venue is bet. Prospect Pl./St. Marks Ave.

* * * * * *

CHARLES BORKHUIS’ new one-act play “FLIPPER” will be presented

as part of the 2011 BOOG POETS’ THEATER FESTIVAL



Sunday, August 7 at 5:45 P.M.

at the ZINC BAR

82 W. 3rd St., NYC (btwn. Sullivan & Thompson Sts.)



FLIPPER

by Charles Borkhuis

directed by Chris Mirto

featuring Chandler Wild and Jason Martin

* * * * *

Friday, July 22

Remembering Peter Seaton

Charles Bernstein is hard at work assembling all the known ms of Peter Seaton and all of his published works. Today he posted a bio of Peter Seaton and, kindly, a brief biographical sketch that I provided when he asked me some details concerning Peter.

Jacket 2

* * * *

The new ebook from Argotist Online is Mother Earth by Adam Fieled

Wednesday, July 13

The new ebook from Argotist online is Country Without A Name by Ann Bogle

Of “Country Without a Name”, Morgan Harlow writes: ‘Ann Bogle’s latest collection of memoir fiction, is a sequence of thoughts, dreams and conversations. Here white petunias are cut with scissors to make a name, values are placed as if they were tarot cards, and approximations of the sublime are revealed in mathematical detail. “Country Without a Name” recalls the work of Dada poet Tristan Tzara (whose name means “country” in Romanian) and the semi-autobiographical pharmaceutical quests and cut-up text collages of William S. Burroughs. Bogle rebels, defines and ultimately defies hierarchies. Her writing, manifesto-like, hints at what might have been learned from Andre Breton’s Nadja if we had been given her diary to read, along with the idea that non-being dwells in language the same as being does, or in Bogle’s words: ‘Not to be she is embodied’.

Monday, July 4

The new ebook from Argotist online is Respondings

“Respondings” is the second collection of poet Martin Stannard's reviews and writings about writing, this time selected from pieces published between 2004 and 2007. Often controversial and brutally honest, and never courting popularity, Stannard continues to question poets, poetry and himself in an effort to find out whatever there may be to find out. Stannard's writing has often been called "witty and outspoken". Others have just said it's really clever and funny. It's always interesting.

* * * * *

Gently Read Literature: July issue

Monday, June 6

Contradicta

We've forgotten the endless, arid stretches of boredom in childhood that were replaced by an insatiable hunger for regard in later life.


* * *


When the strong feel deterred by kindness they become cruel; when the kind encounter cruelty they become compassionate. You know the rest.


* * * * *

An Interview with Christian Bok

* * * * *

Rae Armantrout interviewed by Amy King on the Argotist Online

* * * * *

Lyn Behrendt collages


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Century of the Self [thanks to Nico Vassilakis for the link]

Tuesday, May 31

The New Ebook from Argotist Online is

Periods by Joel Chace. [Download free from LuLu]

Sunday, May 22

Squandermania and other foibles: Gary Sullivan's Ten Years in a Quandary and How Fl...

Squandermania and other foibles: Gary Sullivan's Ten Years in a Quandary and How Fl...: "To this day, wherever I meet Poetry readers they want to talk to me about flarf and what I think about it. Amazing. Well, Gary Sullivan..."
Books Received

Easter Halloween (Steve McLauglin), Infinite Unexplored Domain of Poetic Values, Principal Hand Editions, Philadelphia, 2011

"My life is like a/ little language, the only/thing listening,/ I have thought my audience./
Come on my little life-giver,/give your life, If this/should hot suffice, I ask/ what is the criteria?"....

"As the sad cliche goes,/broke writers/sell books to get by/And me? So broken, and not even a writer-/When I sell my books/I hope it is an act of pure/unrewarding/mortification"

[Steve McLaughlin explained to me after his reading at The Bowery Poetry Club this past Saturday that the poems in this, his first book, are parodies based on a character in a recent play he appeared in, thus the nom de plume "Easter Holloween",]

* *

A/small/magazine/in the form/of an/unbound sheaf,/assembled in the/spring of 2010/and reprinted in May 2011/for the occasion of/Steve McLaughlin's/Segue reading in New York City/(with the addition of an excerpt from his forthcoming book)

Includes work by Kareem Estefan, Cecelia Corrigan, Alejandro Crawford, Artie Verkrant,Astrid Lorange, Steven Zultanski, Diana Sue Hamilton,Eddie Hopely,Matthew Abess, Easter Halloween, J Gordon Faylor,Jarrod Fowler,Lawrence Giffin, Phillip Dmochowski, Sara Wintz,Joseph Kaplan, Vladimir Zykov,Patrick Lovelace, Stephen McLoughlin

"The appropriation of pre-textual material in conceptual writing- most often Google searches, text messages and so-called "status updates" or "tweets"- has always included two contradictory dimensions: a dimension of exploitation and a dimension of participation. These two dimensions are perversely confused in conceptualisms like Flarf, which explains most audiences' indifference, at the end of a reading, to both pure appropriation- which denies the hope of individual and collective agency- and the managerial lyric- which shrugs off the exploitation of the market economy"
Kareem Estefan

"Then a plant which tells me to do things, people/What people? you aren't, though./The smelly exotic plant is a tongue with tongue firmly planted in cheek./Even if you think you're superior. Even if you think I'm superior./Sometimes, it (the plant)makes funny sounds./Even if you think I'm superior/Threatening but it's just part of all the other plants in the store./A small cast, band, and unit set, all the other plants./That's why I love you (feed me)/Like it will help my neurosis/Selfish, selfish Seymour. It can't actually touch me./They don't even know who I am seriously./....I'm not sure. Back to little feed me. It will help my neurosis./The singular neurosis is a symptom itself, but the only way it can/actually be threatening is by forcing you to feed people to it/And it's not even actually forcing you./...."
Cecelia Corrigan: from Shop o' (for Gregory Laynor)

Sunday, May 15

Two New Books Employing Hypnogogic Processes of Writing

* * * *

Bernadette Mayer explained at her reading at the Bowery Poetry Project yesterday that she has been employing hypnogogic processes of writing, using lines halfway between waking and sleeping. One of her new books was available at the reading. (The other one, also very exciting to hear about is the complete Studying Hunger journals


Bernadette Mayer: Ethics of Sleep

Trembling Pillow Press, New Orleans, LA 2011

"if you want to write/be polite as an angel/& move the table/gently toward the pen/then ask/an implied question/of the subject/the relation/the figure/for instance/you could say/'You expect so little'"
* * * *

Laynie Browne also read from two new books, (one of which was based on Bernadette Mayer's classic The Desire of Mothers to Please Others in Letters) titled The Desire of Letters (Counterpath 2010). The other books she read from was Roseate Points of Gold (Dusie, 2011)

"A basket of thought is internal/tempting the inner dawn/Neither this thought nor the movement entailed by mirror's/gravity contain solidity/Both dissolve by approach"

* * * *

Michael Ruby: Voices Heard Before Sleep (Argotist Online Free E-Book)

* * * *

Susan Bee Show Opening Soon at the Air Gallery

Susan Bee (and others) at the Air Gallery Susan Bee--Stephanie Bernheim--Senzen Marasela

Monday, May 9

Contradicta


Our suffering could teach us everything we might want or need to know but our minds withdraw from it as quickly as fingers from a flame.



* * *


We often believe that for knowledge to exist it must be asserted; yet there is a world of unarticulated experience that thrives nonetheless.

Sunday, April 17

The Grand Piano: A Collective Autobiography

"Among the thousand or more simultaneous voices of the chorus, only two are heard."

Cesar Vallejo
Against Professional Secrets


Saturday's reading at Poet's House included 8 of the ten poets who have been working on the ten volume experiment in "collective autobiography" since 2006 realizes perfectly the kind of literary experience this blog was dedicated to exploring when it was opened in 2003, which was, as I somewhat lightly called it, time travel (my idea of time travel intended to synchronistically reconnect the present and the past). The two poets who were unable to come were Rae Armantrout and Lyn Hejinian. Towards the end of the presentation Ron Silliiman talked about the fact that this group has kept in touch, and that these books represent one expression of the relationships that have continued among the West Coast language group poets over a period of 35 years. Tom Mandel mentioned the importance of digital technology in making this collaboration possible, and then Ron mentioned another Language Poetry collaboration of many years ago titled Legend that was composed entirely through the mail. Although I am not a literary historian I tend to think that this 35 year span as historically unprecedented. As I listened to the beautifully orchestrated reading (at one point Ted Pearson showed the musical chart he had constructed to lay out the parts) my mind kept criss-crossing over the years that I have known and have been reading the work of each of these poets. As Ron Silliman once put it, language poetry was a moment, not a movement. But when you consider the significance of Sarah Palin announcing today in Wisconsin as a victory the recent decision in Wisconsin to deny the right of union collective bargaining and what that decision means for the Tea Party, and the horrific reality this represents for our country, you realize just how important the solidarity of this group of poets (and their Eastern friends and cohorts, including Charles Bernstein, Bruce Andrews, MIchael Gottlieb, Erica Hunt, Andrew Levy, Lee Ann Brown, Pierre Joris, Susan Bee, Francie Shaw, Joel Lewis, Burt Kimmelman, Lynn Behrendt, Marc Nasdor, Nada Gordon, Star Black, Kimberly Lyons,Toni Simon and Larry Price, who were in the audience) is to our culture. It was in this spirit that I listened to the voices of Steve Benson, Carla Harryman, Tom Mandel, Ted Pearson, Bob Perelman, Kit Robinson, Ron Silliman and Barrett Watten sing out their experiences and ideas in the hall at Poets House. Also, as I listened, I realized how much I have taken for granted over the years having to do with the group of poets I chose to identify my work with since beginning to write for L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E in 1978, and even before that as I excitedly and eagerly read the issues of This that Barrett Watten edited in the 70's as they were published, and the Tuumba series of chapbooks edited by Lyn Hejinian, among them one of my favorite works of Charles Bernstein, Senses of Responsibility. During the panel discussion there was some conversation about the "differences" that emerged in the group about the structuring of the collective autobiography and it brought to my mind the whole issue of differences that take place between friends and poets in the course of the years. But these differences should challenge us to not lose sight of the more significant total picture. And that makes it all the more moving and admirable that this group, brought together by Barrett Watten, could compose a ten volume work together some 30 years after the first connections among them as illustrated by the original talks at the Grand Piano. After the presentation I talked briefly with Barrett who- perhaps jokingly- asked me if I had any thoughts about the "psychodynamics" of the presentation. But I answered him seriously to say that one of the things that most excited me was to be brought back to remember how important the idea of transcending the self was for me in the mid to late 70's, especially following my experience of the 60's, and how the poetics of the language group at that time was consciously set in firm opposition to what I would now identify as literary and artistic narcissism. I didn't get a chance to tell him that I have just completed an article that is partly on the topic of artistic narcissism to be published in a psychoanalytic journal. This five year experiment in literary collaboration illustrates exactly how writers as part of a literary movement can work together to try to avoid the worst pitfalls of artistic grandiosity. And, ok, I understand artists and writers have to have some of that in the tank to add some pizzazz, but lets face it, too much will doubtlessly clog the engine and blind the driver to the other cars on the road.

I for one am eagerly looking foward to delving much more deeply into these volumes (I have read many of the pieces in them, but in, as I see now, an unfocussed way), and as I read them all the more carefully, I know I am going to enjoy the process of using this time to renew my appreciation for the roots and branches of a movement that has enriched my personal and literary life so much. The link for the Grand Piano volumes above includes recordings of some of the earlier readings of the collective autobiography.

* * * *

Lawrence Schwartzwald Photos at Poets House 4/16/11

* * * *

Star Black Photos at Poets House 4/16/11

George Lakoff: Obama Returns to his Moral Vision

Sunday, April 10

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Blogger: Friends and Moments Like These

Ron Silliman's recent musing about his blog and the possiblity of perhaps retiring it (as reported by Harriet and Bookforum.com: when he listed these links he listed them under the comment "reports of my demise...a wee bit premature, don't you think?") brought some thoughts to this blogger not only about long term blogging, but long term friendship as well. Although It's been ages since I've cornered every person in sight and waxed euphoric about blogging (still feel that way, whatever might be said about Facebook and Twitter) like Ron, as much as I still value this context I don't find as much time to blog as I did, say, back when I started here in 2003. I wrote to Ron immediately, as many others did, to suggest that he continue by employing guest bloggers and volunteers to post the links, for example. The idea of Ron's ending his blog, although I would well understand it (look at how much work he has put into this project for 8 years), made me feel sad, though at this point in my life, seeing the end of various eras has become, also sadly, almost a routine experience. For myself, several years ago I decided I had to go back to reading books a whole lot more often, and for longer periods of time, so gradually I've been reading blogs less (not Ron's, which I've read nearly every day since its inception, as well as wood s lot). This decision had gradually led to my writing much less often in this space, but still, I don't think I would ever seriously consider ending this blog. For one thing, I would lose the opportunity of posting announcements and the occasional reviews I still write. And of course, I could not imagine not posting my Contradicta, although that possibility has been suggested.

Let's just look at some of the events I attended this weekend. Ok, I won't go into details about the movie Jane Eyre. I'll just say I liked it. And yes, I am not afraid of sentimentality, and this movie is rolling in it. Lovely cinematography, good acting, great story. What's not to like? Then we went over to the free night at the Whitney and said goodbye to the Hopper/Realism show (incredible) and checked out Glenn Ligon: brilliantly varied, moving, at times extremely saddening, a must see. That was Friday. When we got home we watched Hurt Locker. Chances are, you already know all about that: a frightening story about an heroic group of US Army bomb specialists working during the Iraq war, including a study of why one specialist compulsively keeps going back for more. Filmed by a woman director!

On Saturday Toni and I responded to an invitation by the artistic collaborative team Ligorano Reese. We had the immense pleasure of a private viewing in their studio of their newly completed piece The Fiber Optic Tapestry: 50 Different Minds. As I was idly crunching some almonds and sipping on a Brooklyn Lager, I was equally idly glancing at a group of nine large metallic cubes pinned to the wall, that consisted of squares of wiggly lines, weavings of constantly shifting symmetrical patterns and colors. Marshall was explaining that these were made out of fiber optic threads woven together and scratched open to expose the colors that were programmed to correspond to information pouring into them moment to moment from the internet. The two streams of information consist of flight patterns from various airports and certain colors as they are mentioned on Twitter. Since I do use Twitter to post my Contradicta (if you don't know about this check out the sidebar to your right) I found this particular stream of great interest. The other stream coming in are flight patterns which also interests me, somewhat negatively I must admit, since I reside under a jet path. But that's another story. As I watched these patterns for a couple of hours, chatting with various friends of Marshall and Nora's as they came by, I became more and more mesmerized and excited. The patterns are beautiful in themselves, but there is another factor I found particularly engaging. It is my belief that our brains process far more information that we are ever able to recognize, "digest" or even directly perceive. As a psychoanalyst and as a writer I have always been fascinated by manifestations of the unconscious. Yet the Ligorano Reese 50 minds fiber optic tapestry transcends this literal notion. Watching it, you have the feeling of a living, breathing, organic being, an artistic android, if you will. As I watched, I had the feeling of being spoken to in colors, forms and patterns, that somewhere, somehow my brain was processing countless bits of information while at the same time eliminating that pesky middleperson, language. Marshall told me that the first buyer of the piece spoke extensively about the musical aspect. I couldn't agree more. The other fascinating factor is how the piece, ten years in the making, encompasses aspects of two earlier careers conducted by the collaborators: Marshall was a poet (in my opinion, still is) and Nora was a textile designer (obviously can't stop). The piece sings of their collaboration as it listens and sings to the world listening and singing to itself.

Sunday found us at 4 o'clock attending yet another great free concert at the Brooklyn Public Library, central branch, which is fortunately steps away from us. Today we listened to soprano Risa Renae Harmon accompanied on the piano by Tyler Wottrich. She sang lieder by Handel, Mahler, Faure, Turina, Rossini, Walton and a medley of songs by George Gershwin. Tyler Wottrich sensitively and with great precision played some Preludes by Debussy (he is a summa cum laude graduate in piano performance and math!). Both performances were excellent and Toni and enjoyed them immensely. There were songs in German, Spanish, Italian, French and English sung in a dramatic, humorous and wonderfully theatrical way by Hartman. We have attended many concerts at the Library this year and this was one of the best. With only a few minutes in between events to stop for the amazing chicken dumpling soup at Excellent Dumplings on Lafayette we hurried to the stunningly beautiful Synagogue for the Arts on White Street to see the third in a series of four performances of the Sanctuary Project. This is the result of a year long collaborative project including two friends of ours Joanna Fuhrman,and David Shapiro. The Sanctuary Project. It was wonderful hearing poems read by two of our friends, and several others, sung by a superb soprano Katherine Dain, and played by an excellent small orchestra including Jonathan Engle (flute), Ben Ringer (clarinet), Arthur Moelier (violin), Jen Herman (viola), Andrea Lee (cello) and Evi Jundt (piano). The composers were: Andre Bregegere, Mohammed Fairouz,Raphael Fusco, Laura Koplewitz and Alex Shapiro. Besides Fuhrman and Shapiro, the other poets were Ron Buchert, Yerra Sugarman and Ryan Vyne. Originally performed at Carnegie Hall on Maech 21, the next and last performance will be on April 21st at the WMP concert hall. I will tell you I enjoyed every moment of this huge 2 hour performance of works by five composers and five poets, and if you love contemporary music and poetry this is a wonderful opportunity to hear it. Special hint: Katherine Dain's superb singing is strong, tuneful, pristine, flawless, inexhaustible.

And, with friends and moments like these, why would I ever stop blogging? And my bet is that Ron Silliman feels the very same way...

Monday, April 4

Ego Surfing

My friend the late poet genius Jackson Mac Low used to call googling yourself "ego surfing." Every now and then I still do this to see what bloggers might have linked to on this site. Technorati used to tell me this more easily, but now I have to page through the links to fait accompli on Google.

Thanks to all who have linked here recently! Here is a selection I came across tonight....
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And One For You Also

I WAS NEVER YOUNG (Summer Brown [Scout]


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Where Truth Falls Short

Solvitur Ambulando (Marina Bell)


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Link to Contradicta Quote from Rob Brezsny's Horoscope Blog on blogbabel

“Tutti i tuoi desideri sanno dove andare”, scrive il poeta Nick Piombino, “ma devi dirgli di aprire gli occhi.”

Pisces

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Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Quote from Contradicta (Scroll to bottom of page to Pisces)

All your feelings

Free Will Astrology Home Page

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open.

regarder of the cries of the world

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Man Carrying Thing (Wallace Stevens quotes from Subject to Change (in Boundary of Blur [Roof])

Giant Sloth

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News Relating to and from Pensioners (UK)

Free Fall

Friday, March 25

Contradicta



No matter how well you get things tied up, eventually parts of it, or all, will start to unravel. The trick is not to let yourself unravel.



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The solution to some problems is so obvious and simple one can only suppose it was the injury that caused them that made them so mesmerizing


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Five former artistic directors of the Poetry Project chat and recall their experiences: Bernadette Mayer, Ed Friedman, Anne Waldman, Eileen Myles, Ron Padgett: Directors Talk

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Argotist Online

E-Books

Thursday, March 24

Happy 92cd Birthday Lawrence Ferlinghetti

A Coney Island of the MInd--Googlebooks


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by Lynn Behrendt

Sunday, March 20

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"The task is not primarily to "think up" a story, but to penetrate the story, to discard the elements that are merely shell, or husk, and that give apparent form to the story but actually obscure its essence. In other words, the problem to is transcend the givens of a narrative."

Reality Hunger, a Manifesto
David Shields, Vintage Books
February 2011

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