Followers

Thursday, September 30, 2004

C.D. Wright Poem via Chris @ texfiles

Wright of course is the subject of my post yesterday on th MacArthur Fellows

By the way...

just a small milestone... we've past 7,000 hits yesterday.

Mixed verbiage

I peeked in on Love During Wartime, which I do from time to time... and wondered, what will James write about and title his blog when war is obsolete? Then I slapped myself in the face in the face and said... Yeah Right!

Pray for Alli's laptop! Poor girl had to use a MAC. I'm sure I must have a prayer here someplace for inanimate objects.

Debate Tonight.... I think they are in Florida. Is that a safe place to be these days?


A Federal Court had problems with a section of the US Patriot Act allowing authorities to demand financial records from companies in terrorism investigations is unconstitutional. The court concluded that the section bars any effective judicial challenge because the government does not need to show a compelling need for the information, and the act does not provide process for challenges to police action. Gee, Imagine that... the Patriot Act violating Constitutional protections.

Mount St. Helens is rumbling

and now, my news in brief....

They Debate tonight
And War will be a topic
Say a prayer
A prayer for peace
A prayer for the troops
That they soon come home
Speaking of home
Bush to Crawford
Soon
Real soon
Pray for Alli's puter
And Constitutional Rights
And speaking of Rights
Protect us
From the Religious Right
That are not Religious
Or Right
Through the intercession
Of St Helen
We Pray...





Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Poet Among The 2004 MacArthur Fellows

Poet C.D. Wright - Professor of English at Brown University was on of 23 MacArthur Fellows announced for 2004. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation provides each winner with $500,000 in "no strings attached" support over the next five years.

The MacArthur Fellows Program is designed to underscore the importance of the creative individual in society. Criteria for the Fellows focuses on their originality, creativity, and the potential to do more in the future. It is not possible to apply for the awards, you must be nominated. The selection involves a rigorous and confidential process. And since no candidates are interviewed directly the selection, the recipient first learns of being named a MacArthur Fellow by way of a phone call from the Foundation. "The call can be life-changing, coming as it does out of the blue and offering highly creative women and men the gift of time and the unfettered opportunity to explore, create, and contribute," said Jonathan F. Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Two Northlanders & A Carpetbagger

Three from the Northland writing group showed up to read at Writers Place last night. Scot, Missi and myself. I being the carpetbagger of the group. They tolerate me, but then they have shortcomings too. They are geographically challenged. They keep referring to me as from the south because I life south of the river... but it is actually way the hell east on the outskirts of hell.

The turnout was.... average. I suppose there were maybe 15 of us. I had some new material. Actually both Scot and Missi had stuff I had not hear before.


Saturday, September 25, 2004

Thursday, September 23, 2004

B&N @ Zona Rosa Last Night

Very nice Reading last night - twenty some in attendence. I think I was most impressed with Missi Rasmussen and Terry Weide last night.

Since it was a new venue for me I was able to do some stuff I’ve read before. Four repeaters and one new piece.


1. Channeling Sylvia
2. File Folder
3. Rewrapping the Flag (new)
4. Sweet Revenge
5. Retirement

The PR person at this B & N is great!

Terry did some short story stuff that was very different from what I have normally seen him do. Missi had a Sharon Olds quality about her last night.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

BANNED IN NY CITY

Eileen Tabios has gone and got herself banned in the Port Jefferson High School. How great is that? The textual mention of her latest poetry book MENAGE A TROIS WITH THE 21ST CENTURY in flyers promoting one of here Poetry Readings evidently was just too much for the Victorian school administration to handle. It must have been the 21st Century part that they had trouble with.

At any rate, I'm sure Eileen must be feeling quite full of herself, being a banned poet and all. [no jealousy here] I'm just hoping that her Filipino twist to "Yadda, yadda, yadda.." is not going to earn her a spot on the "No Fly List" too...

October Post Cards

I've taken Ivy up on her offer.... post card poem every Tuesday.

Monday, September 20, 2004

Reading - Wednesday - Sept 22

I am planning to join some Northland writers at the Barnes & Noble booksellers in the new Zona Rosa Shopping Center at 8625 N.W. Berry Road in North Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday 22nd for an Open Mic.

Sign up starts at 6:30 - Reading I believe begins at 7:00 PM

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Sunday Evening

I am sorry to say the weekend is on the down side. But I have accomplished a fair amount of reading this weekend and did some writing this morning which was with some positive end resolve.

Friday - I got word that one of my two entries in the Senior Poet Laureate contest made it out of the preliminary round. While not a winner, it was nice to know that it made the first cut. The title was Channeling Sylvia. I suppose I can't complain too much... and what good would it do anyway? :)

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Auden and Whitman Material To Library

Emory University library is new home for an extensive collection of works including those by Auden and Whitman. Raymond Danowski amassed and extensive personal library ranging from rare, signed editions by famous poets to handwritten notes by unknown authors. Until now they were housed in numerous locations. Danowski, a poet himself and retired London art dealer recently gifted the entire collection Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The gift, according to the University the largest collection of English-language poetry ever in private hands.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Gone Like That!

Thought escapes me
A premature departure of air
Before the balloon was knotted

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Thinking back...

I recall the days when all hurricanes were named for women. Well, not for specific women, but specifically names of the female gender. In grade school there was the old joke... why are all hurricanes given names of women? Answer, of course... Who ever heard of a himacane? I'm sure quite a few of you are familiar with that oldie.

I've often wondered what was the basis for the political correctness in this meteorological jargon? How was it an industry that likely was so male orientated came to make this change? I have no specific figures on the makeup of the profession, but in the mid to late 1960's I was in the national severe storms forecast center in Kansas City, Missouri on numerous occasions and I don't recall seeing many women. Sure that was a long time ago and things may have changed in the industry.

Not that any of this is earth shaking. The question is simply a little nagging twist of my brain. It is not near as important as when the troops get to come home or how people beat up by Charlie, Frances and now Ivan will manage to keep the faith and pull themselves back together. But I do wonder. And that is the great thing... we can still wonder about the trivial things that happen in our language.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

You Go Girl!

I love it when Katey gets something off her chest. [Poets Are Nerds!] Her post reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw on a car last night at a library... "Well mannered women rarely make history!"

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Eileen Tabios - Readings

Eileen is doing her "thing" in New York this month if anyone is in that venue. Details

Friday, September 03, 2004

Words ~ Words ~ Words

Word watch! Laurel caught Laura Bush with a this linguistic travesty.

PLEASE!!! Will someone help get Zell Miller back to his Med clinic?

"I wish we lived in the day where you could challenge a person to a duel," the
72-year-old Miller angrily told Matthews.

The GOP Convention is over.... it is safe to come out now.


Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Blog-gone-it!

It is so hard to believe that we are now in September. What has become of this year? I'm sort of at a loss for words today - which is, I suppose not a good thing to happen to a poet. On the other hand, it might have been a good thing for Jenna and Barbara last night.

Katey exclaims, "I can't write!" but of course, we all know she can. It just isn't happening when she wants it to. Who hasn't had that happen?

September? Oh geezee....