Salon.com Making Mehlman more comfortable: "Sunday's 'Meet the Press,' featuring RNC chair Ken Mehlman, was another classic example of why host Tim Russert is fast becoming journalism's answer to the E-ZPass, that electronic tag that allows drivers to go through toll booths without having to stop. On the show today, Mehlman was allowed to distort, twist, manipulate, obfuscate and 'disassemble' his way through every stop on the disinformation highway"
BUT that said, the Downing Street memo may finally be finding a home within the American dialogue about per-Iraq War intentions by the Bush Administration.
The story made USA Today - and Tuesday's Washington Post - though not for the first time.
The MEMO information can be seen here as it appeared in the Sunday Times online - May 1, 2005.
While the story is BIG new in London... and has been since it was disclosed, it may now be finding its way into the mainstream media here in the US and hunkering down till it is addressed by the Bush administration. No, I mean really addressed. Not dismissed.
The information really should be no surprise because there has been so much evidence to support the contention for some time. It however may actually represent the smoking gun so to speak that forces the Bush administration out of a pack of lies that it has circled around itself.
Meanwhile, Tony Blair has his hands full defending Cherie's profits from her lucrative speaking engagement while visiting the US.
Blair may have survived the most recent election in Britain, but his political baggage seems only to be getting heavier. Bush of course is a lame duck, but by many accounts his political "capital" as he likes to call it may be well overspent and his political health condition far worse than lame.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Newsday.com: China Rejects U.S. Appeal on Tiananmen
Newsday.com: China Rejects U.S. Appeal on Tiananmen: "China rejected a U.S. appeal to account for prisoners "
More on official Chinese response to requests to account for prisoners still detained after the violent 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
More on official Chinese response to requests to account for prisoners still detained after the violent 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
4465 PReSS Releases Fiery New African-American Poetry Primer
Springfield, MO (PRWEB) June 7, 2005 -- 4465 PReSS, a new, online publisher of multicultural fiction and non-fiction book titles, has just released Let a New Woman Rise; a poetry primer by the acclaimed poetess, Barbara Haskins.
Haskins, credited for bringing the Kwanzaa holiday celebration to Queens, New York over 25 years ago, has been heralded by legions of cult fans as the 'Nikki Giovanni' of the New Millennium.
The significance of Haskins' presence at the recent American Booksellers' convention in New York City was evidenced by the overwhelming demand for signed copies of her current book by distributors and competing authors, alike.
Let A New Woman Rise is featured in the concurrent edition of the New York Amsterdam News. Writer L. Nzinga Strickland has devoted upwards of an entire page of the prestigious African-American newspaper to discuss and revere this unique body of literary work; as well as expound upon the newsworthy achievements of Ms. Haskins.
In addition to being a poetess, Barbara Haskins (also known as Barbara Scott) is a public speaker and educator. Her commitment to preserve African-American self esteem is apparent through her countless array of cumulative, civic and political citations.
citation: the above is entirely from the prweb press release
Haskins, credited for bringing the Kwanzaa holiday celebration to Queens, New York over 25 years ago, has been heralded by legions of cult fans as the 'Nikki Giovanni' of the New Millennium.
The significance of Haskins' presence at the recent American Booksellers' convention in New York City was evidenced by the overwhelming demand for signed copies of her current book by distributors and competing authors, alike.
Let A New Woman Rise is featured in the concurrent edition of the New York Amsterdam News. Writer L. Nzinga Strickland has devoted upwards of an entire page of the prestigious African-American newspaper to discuss and revere this unique body of literary work; as well as expound upon the newsworthy achievements of Ms. Haskins.
In addition to being a poetess, Barbara Haskins (also known as Barbara Scott) is a public speaker and educator. Her commitment to preserve African-American self esteem is apparent through her countless array of cumulative, civic and political citations.
citation: the above is entirely from the prweb press release
Monday, June 06, 2005
Gendering Poetry
This weekend I read a review of Gendering Poetry: Contemporary Women and Men Poets, Vicki Bertram, Pandora Press - 2004 p. 256. The review, written by Renuka Rajaratnam, quotes the poet Elizabeth Bishop, "art is art and to separate it into two sexes is to emphasize values in them that are not art." The reviewer, in pointing to Bishop's quote seeks to establish this view as a traditional benchmark from which to start and suggests that Bertram with this book is challenging this assessment. Rajaratnam presents the potential for invention and interpretation as a point of Bertram's argument against such traditional view.
This seems fair enough to me as I fail to see how a person, writer or reader, can implicitly divorce themselves from life experiences, long held views and gender influences when it comes to poetry. You simply are going to bring these things with you to some degree and impact poetry with it both on the creation side and the consumer side, even if it is unintentional.
The review presents Vicki Bertram's work as a responsible look at gender studies and an attempt to put the issue on the map of mainstream criticisms. Of course, I would like to read this work first hand in order to adequately form my own assessment of her contribution to such.
In the grand scheme of things, I believe this is an element of poetics worthy of debate. What happens beyond that discourse becomes a whole different animal. I am always fearful that the outcome of such dialogue can lead to categorizations within poetry that can detract from the art itself. That may well have been what Elizabeth Bishop had in mind.
Still, there seems to be some benefit to the acknowledgment - (if only a personal one for each of us) that we bring a part of ourselves to each poem that no one else carries with them. This is true of both the poem's author and reader.
literary review
This seems fair enough to me as I fail to see how a person, writer or reader, can implicitly divorce themselves from life experiences, long held views and gender influences when it comes to poetry. You simply are going to bring these things with you to some degree and impact poetry with it both on the creation side and the consumer side, even if it is unintentional.
The review presents Vicki Bertram's work as a responsible look at gender studies and an attempt to put the issue on the map of mainstream criticisms. Of course, I would like to read this work first hand in order to adequately form my own assessment of her contribution to such.
In the grand scheme of things, I believe this is an element of poetics worthy of debate. What happens beyond that discourse becomes a whole different animal. I am always fearful that the outcome of such dialogue can lead to categorizations within poetry that can detract from the art itself. That may well have been what Elizabeth Bishop had in mind.
Still, there seems to be some benefit to the acknowledgment - (if only a personal one for each of us) that we bring a part of ourselves to each poem that no one else carries with them. This is true of both the poem's author and reader.
literary review
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Tiananmen Then & Now
Today marks the sixteen year anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre in which pro-democracy students who assembled peacefully, were met by troops and tanks that opened fire on them in the square at Tiananmen.
While the past 16 years have seen many cultural changes in China, one thing remains unchanged. The present Chinese government is still entrenched in a belief that what happened on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen was necessary and not only maintains an unapologetic stance, continues a paranoia about the flow if information that might open up any dissenting view.
The rest of the world has enough information about the actions in Tiananmen that history will not allow it to be defined in such narrow terms as the Chinese governments presently clings to. While the government remains hopelessly committed to a policy of information containment as a way to deal with this sad piece of Chinese history, the truth and an internet age make shielding from such information from society almost an impossible task. Still, the fear that dictated such actions 16 years ago continues to fuel government actions. The most recent evidence of this is the detention of a journalist named Ching Cheong.
On April 22 of this year, Ching Cheong, a Chinese nationalist, left his residence in Hong Kong to travel across the boarder to the mainland to meet with a man named Zong Fengmin only 45 minutes way. He hoped to return with an unpublished manuscript titled "Conversations with Zhao Ziyang Under House Arrest" The work was that of Zong Fengmin, a retired Chinese official.
While the contents of the this conversation with Zhao (who died this January) are unknown, a central point of a recently published memoir of Zhao by Zong stresses that the demands by the students for greater openness and democracy was also shared by a great many mid-level and higher ranking party members in Beijing as well.
Ching Cheong however, has not returned from his 45 minute journey, but is being held on the mainland and this week was charged with espionage. There has been no evidence offered by officials to substantiate these charges. He has not been allowed contact with family, visitors, legal council or the Straits Times of Singapore, for whom he writes. This has prompted nearly every newspaper and press freedom group in Asia to call for his release.
Sources:
Reporters without boarders
NY Times - Thousands at Hong Kong Vigil for Tiananmen Anniversary
Singapore journalists petition Chinese embassy on detained correspondent
While the past 16 years have seen many cultural changes in China, one thing remains unchanged. The present Chinese government is still entrenched in a belief that what happened on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen was necessary and not only maintains an unapologetic stance, continues a paranoia about the flow if information that might open up any dissenting view.
The rest of the world has enough information about the actions in Tiananmen that history will not allow it to be defined in such narrow terms as the Chinese governments presently clings to. While the government remains hopelessly committed to a policy of information containment as a way to deal with this sad piece of Chinese history, the truth and an internet age make shielding from such information from society almost an impossible task. Still, the fear that dictated such actions 16 years ago continues to fuel government actions. The most recent evidence of this is the detention of a journalist named Ching Cheong.
On April 22 of this year, Ching Cheong, a Chinese nationalist, left his residence in Hong Kong to travel across the boarder to the mainland to meet with a man named Zong Fengmin only 45 minutes way. He hoped to return with an unpublished manuscript titled "Conversations with Zhao Ziyang Under House Arrest" The work was that of Zong Fengmin, a retired Chinese official.
While the contents of the this conversation with Zhao (who died this January) are unknown, a central point of a recently published memoir of Zhao by Zong stresses that the demands by the students for greater openness and democracy was also shared by a great many mid-level and higher ranking party members in Beijing as well.
Ching Cheong however, has not returned from his 45 minute journey, but is being held on the mainland and this week was charged with espionage. There has been no evidence offered by officials to substantiate these charges. He has not been allowed contact with family, visitors, legal council or the Straits Times of Singapore, for whom he writes. This has prompted nearly every newspaper and press freedom group in Asia to call for his release.
Sources:
Reporters without boarders
NY Times - Thousands at Hong Kong Vigil for Tiananmen Anniversary
Singapore journalists petition Chinese embassy on detained correspondent
Much earlier this year I wrote a poem about the death of Zhao in the persona of Tiananmen Mother. An audio of the poem remains on the sidebar. I am posting the complete text here below on the anniversary of the massacre. I believe given the existing situation in China,the threat that exists at the hands of governments around the world to suppress the flow of information, literature, and ideas - including the United States, who currently is challenging some of our most basic civil liberties in the name of Homeland Security - by way of intrusive componnets of the Patriots Act... it is a good time to remember that the price people sometimes pay for those liberties is easily taken for granted.
~
Tiananmen Mother
for Zhao Ziyang
The Beijing breeze whispers
mournful strophes.
Tears like the mountain rains
follow slopes
to tributaries until they become one
with the rippling waters of the Yangtze.
I am a Tiananmen mother.
My eyes have swelled
with this sadness before.
The wetness follows a path
well rehearsed.
My nights are immense.
I am but a lone bare branch
in a cold, dark world.
They replicate
that June night
etched in my soul
over and over.
My son stood
in the Square
armed only
with a vision
and they came-
The People's Army.
My son stood
in Tiananmen Square,
amid a sea of other
sons an daughters
and they came-
armored tanks
clanking along the streets into Tiananmen
driven by fear, ordered by paranoia.
Our sons and daughters
toppled to the earth
at their hands.
Crimson crawling into every crevice
Of these ancient Chinese streets
A stain still upon us today.
I cannot count the nights
I've wept for my son since.
Today, I weep for another.
There is no official news
but the Beijing breeze whispers again.
This time for the death of the old man.
There are guards of fear
stationed outside my door.
The lump in my throat is big,
I cannot begin to swallow,
that is how I know the truth.
Guilt always gnawing at my heart.
I could not help my son that June night.
Again as I am helpless.
I want to pay my respects
to the old man who stood up
for my son and others
massacred in Tiananmen,
but the thugs watch
my every move.
I am a Tiananmen mother.
It is my duty to weep
for the lost ones.
for Zhao Ziyang
The Beijing breeze whispers
mournful strophes.
Tears like the mountain rains
follow slopes
to tributaries until they become one
with the rippling waters of the Yangtze.
I am a Tiananmen mother.
My eyes have swelled
with this sadness before.
The wetness follows a path
well rehearsed.
My nights are immense.
I am but a lone bare branch
in a cold, dark world.
They replicate
that June night
etched in my soul
over and over.
My son stood
in the Square
armed only
with a vision
and they came-
The People's Army.
My son stood
in Tiananmen Square,
amid a sea of other
sons an daughters
and they came-
armored tanks
clanking along the streets into Tiananmen
driven by fear, ordered by paranoia.
Our sons and daughters
toppled to the earth
at their hands.
Crimson crawling into every crevice
Of these ancient Chinese streets
A stain still upon us today.
I cannot count the nights
I've wept for my son since.
Today, I weep for another.
There is no official news
but the Beijing breeze whispers again.
This time for the death of the old man.
There are guards of fear
stationed outside my door.
The lump in my throat is big,
I cannot begin to swallow,
that is how I know the truth.
Guilt always gnawing at my heart.
I could not help my son that June night.
Again as I am helpless.
I want to pay my respects
to the old man who stood up
for my son and others
massacred in Tiananmen,
but the thugs watch
my every move.
I am a Tiananmen mother.
It is my duty to weep
for the lost ones.
© 2005 Michael A. Wells
Friday, June 03, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Brookcrossing.com Found by Harper's Index
Harper's Index has found Bookcrossing.com
The June 2005 Issue features such facts as this:
"Number of books registered at BookCrossing.com, so the books can be left in public places and found by others: 1,935,00"
WhichMajor Romantic Poet Would You Be?
You're John Keats! You were born poor, trained to
be a doctor, and then decided you wanted to be
a poet. You threw yourself into poetry with
great dedication. You're very nice and
extremely dedicated to your art. You write
great letters and sexy poetry. It's amazing
how much you got done in your short lifetime.
Which Major Romantic Poet Would You Be (if You Were a Major Romantic Poet)?
brought to you by Quizilla
Graceful Insanity | A History of McClean-
sadi ranson-polizzotti wrote a review of this book about the people treated there over the years... some pretty interesting names. Of course I was aware of both Plath and Sexton. In the back of my mind I was thinking that this too was where Lowell had been treated a time or two. This review confirms that fact.
The surprise to me was James Taylor. I recall the story of his song "Fire and Rain" being written about a young woman he fell in love with at a Psych facility.... I never knew if the story was true or folk lore, but it seemed plausible. Learning that McLean was indeed the site of a hospital stay for him certainly makes the story that much more interesting.
I suppose I will need to add Gracefully Insane by Alex Beam to my growing read list.
The surprise to me was James Taylor. I recall the story of his song "Fire and Rain" being written about a young woman he fell in love with at a Psych facility.... I never knew if the story was true or folk lore, but it seemed plausible. Learning that McLean was indeed the site of a hospital stay for him certainly makes the story that much more interesting.
I suppose I will need to add Gracefully Insane by Alex Beam to my growing read list.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Sit on your toadstool, say grace, eat your blueberry muffin, and just say "no" to poetry.
As the Minnesota State Legislature ended its regular session, it passed a bill to create a position of state poet laureate. The House voted in favor of the measure 126 to 6 and the Senate did likewise by a 52 to 8 to vote.
Minnesota has a state muffin - the blueberry muffin. It has a state photograph, titled "Grace" and, Oh my God!!! a state mushroom! Yep, it has an official toadstool!
Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, however, said no to the poet laureate idea. If signed into law, the bill would have allowed him to appoint a poet laureate after receiving recommendations from the nonprofit Minnesota Humanities Commission. Many thought the timing was perfect to start such a endeavor, as the state will be celebrating it's sesquicentennial in 2008 and a laureate would have been called on to provide verse for ceremonies and celebrations thoughout the state. Additionally, no state funds would have gone with the job.
Pawlenty suggested that the measure could lead to "requests for a state mime, interpretive dancer or potter." In this case a mime for a Governor wouldn't be such a bad idea.
According to the Library of Congress, some 34 states have such a position. Several are presently vacant however.
Unrelated - but worth thinking about:
The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce
Minnesota has a state muffin - the blueberry muffin. It has a state photograph, titled "Grace" and, Oh my God!!! a state mushroom! Yep, it has an official toadstool!
Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, however, said no to the poet laureate idea. If signed into law, the bill would have allowed him to appoint a poet laureate after receiving recommendations from the nonprofit Minnesota Humanities Commission. Many thought the timing was perfect to start such a endeavor, as the state will be celebrating it's sesquicentennial in 2008 and a laureate would have been called on to provide verse for ceremonies and celebrations thoughout the state. Additionally, no state funds would have gone with the job.
Pawlenty suggested that the measure could lead to "requests for a state mime, interpretive dancer or potter." In this case a mime for a Governor wouldn't be such a bad idea.
According to the Library of Congress, some 34 states have such a position. Several are presently vacant however.
Unrelated - but worth thinking about:
The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Steve Mason, Vietnam War Poet, Dies at 65
Steve Mason, a soldier and poet who became the unofficial bard of the Vietnam War, died Wednesday of lung cancer. He was considered by many to the the poet laureate of Vietnam Veterans. In 1984, his poem "The Wall Within" was read at the dedication of the Vietnam wall in Washington D.C.
In the 1970's - Mason began writing love poems. But would go on writing poetry on the wounds of war and published a trilogy of such poems.
From The Wall Within
"There is one other wall, of course. / One we never speak of. / One we never see, / One which separates memory from madness. / In a place no one offers flowers. / The wall within. / We permit no visitors. / Mine looks like any of a million / nameless, brick walls / it stands in the tear-down ghetto of my soul; / that part of me which reason avoids / for fear of dirtying its cloths."
He was survived by three daughters and one son.
Steve Mason, Vietnam War Poet, Dies at 65
In the 1970's - Mason began writing love poems. But would go on writing poetry on the wounds of war and published a trilogy of such poems.
From The Wall Within
"There is one other wall, of course. / One we never speak of. / One we never see, / One which separates memory from madness. / In a place no one offers flowers. / The wall within. / We permit no visitors. / Mine looks like any of a million / nameless, brick walls / it stands in the tear-down ghetto of my soul; / that part of me which reason avoids / for fear of dirtying its cloths."
He was survived by three daughters and one son.
Steve Mason, Vietnam War Poet, Dies at 65
Northland writers group
Sunday - Northland Writers with three of my poems before them debating do we focus on trashing one, or all of them?
Actually - they were very constructive and the process was relatively painless. Hence, I wonder if they are becoming softies, or if I am getting better... :)
Actually - they were very constructive and the process was relatively painless. Hence, I wonder if they are becoming softies, or if I am getting better... :)
Friday, May 27, 2005
Ready to let go of this week...
Alas, Friday has arrived. This has been a week from hell. Not only that, it has been a part of a string of such weeks. Besides being Friday, I am starting to feel somewhat human again. Not great mind you, but I can almost feel that hope of normalcy again. Normal is such a great place... Wherever and whatever it is.
I have to laugh at Ivy's post from several days ago where she quotes Henry Ward Beecher...
"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?" And just think, in the 1800s he never saw a Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.
I am supposed to present some of my writing Sunday afternoon at the northland writers group so I need to get my stuff together tomorrow. Then Sunday evening, following writers group, it's back into the city as, I plan to read at:
I have to laugh at Ivy's post from several days ago where she quotes Henry Ward Beecher...
"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?" And just think, in the 1800s he never saw a Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.
I am supposed to present some of my writing Sunday afternoon at the northland writers group so I need to get my stuff together tomorrow. Then Sunday evening, following writers group, it's back into the city as, I plan to read at:
Prospero's Pit
Sunday, May 29
6:30 PM
1800 W. 39th
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 531-WORD
Thought for the day....
Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Some of us drink because we're not poets. ~From the movie Arthur
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Q & A with Sam Hamill
Read MARGARET BIKMAN'S, TAKE FIVE
A short Q & A with Sam Hamill, founding editor of Copper Canyon in Port Townsend, poet, translator and founder of the nonprofit organization Poets Against the War, reads from his latest compilation of poems.
The Bellingham Herald
A short Q & A with Sam Hamill, founding editor of Copper Canyon in Port Townsend, poet, translator and founder of the nonprofit organization Poets Against the War, reads from his latest compilation of poems.
The Bellingham Herald
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Poetry In The News
This might be worth checking out.... Poetry inspired new Wallflowers album.
An interesting look at some changes in writer workshop models at 2005 Iyas Creative Writing Workshop in the Philippines. ... Putting the 'work' back into 'workshop'
The gap between J.K. Rowling's success and the attention afforded these 14 British women is mammoth... but their work is now in Early Modern Women’s Manuscript Poetry an anthology.
New Jersey student's life cut short by cancer in 1996 continues to have impact - Letting words fly -Student poetry café celebrates life
"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison
An interesting look at some changes in writer workshop models at 2005 Iyas Creative Writing Workshop in the Philippines. ... Putting the 'work' back into 'workshop'
The gap between J.K. Rowling's success and the attention afforded these 14 British women is mammoth... but their work is now in Early Modern Women’s Manuscript Poetry an anthology.
New Jersey student's life cut short by cancer in 1996 continues to have impact - Letting words fly -Student poetry café celebrates life
"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison
Amnesty International Takes Aim at U.S.
It is not especially surprising to me that Amnesty International's 2005 report accuses the United States as shirking its responsibility to set the bar for human rights protections and said the government has created a new lexicon for abuse and torture evidenced by the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.
Independent reports by the Geneva-based ICRC have previously raised concerns. The ICRC has had access to the prison and is known to have expressed concerns to the U.S. Government.
The AI report cites "Attempts to dilute the absolute ban on torture through new policies and quasi-management speak, such as 'environmental manipulation, stress positions and sensory manipulation,' was one of the most damaging assaults on global values," and further called for the camp to be closed down.
AI admits these human rights deficiencies came with a rash of terrorist actions, including the televised beheadings of captives in Iraq, but says governments forget many victims in fight against terrorism.
It is worth noting there are many other violators the group pointed to in report. Sudan as one of the worst human rights violations this past year. Zimbabwe, Haiti, Bangladesh were also cited. As was China for forced abortions, Nepal for rapes committed by soldiers.
AI did point to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to allow prisoners at Guantanamo challenge the basis of their detention as many of these individuals have been held for over three years with no formal charges.
visit the Amnesty International site at - link
Independent reports by the Geneva-based ICRC have previously raised concerns. The ICRC has had access to the prison and is known to have expressed concerns to the U.S. Government.
The AI report cites "Attempts to dilute the absolute ban on torture through new policies and quasi-management speak, such as 'environmental manipulation, stress positions and sensory manipulation,' was one of the most damaging assaults on global values," and further called for the camp to be closed down.
AI admits these human rights deficiencies came with a rash of terrorist actions, including the televised beheadings of captives in Iraq, but says governments forget many victims in fight against terrorism.
It is worth noting there are many other violators the group pointed to in report. Sudan as one of the worst human rights violations this past year. Zimbabwe, Haiti, Bangladesh were also cited. As was China for forced abortions, Nepal for rapes committed by soldiers.
AI did point to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to allow prisoners at Guantanamo challenge the basis of their detention as many of these individuals have been held for over three years with no formal charges.
visit the Amnesty International site at - link
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Tuesday Night Meeting of KC Metro Verse
Our local chapters of the Missouri Poetry Society met tonight. Actually I belong to two chapters - this one is KC Metro Verse. It is one of the newest chapters and it has been very active with events and projects in it's short history.
We have been working on a project to release poetry books into the community in conjunction with an online project called bookcrossing.com. Tonight we put the book plate stickers in the books so they could be registered and then released at various locations around town. The concept is kind of cool - a little like where's George? Where you register dollar bills online against their serial number and track their movement.
Then we read some poetry as usual. Some of our own and or works by other poets.
Just for grins, I'll share some photos of the tonight's meeting. Yes, I have taken a little poetic liberty with two of the photos.
Scot Isom - goes first.
Getting books ready for their journey.
Wait! I think Pat Berge has something to say.
We have been working on a project to release poetry books into the community in conjunction with an online project called bookcrossing.com. Tonight we put the book plate stickers in the books so they could be registered and then released at various locations around town. The concept is kind of cool - a little like where's George? Where you register dollar bills online against their serial number and track their movement.
Then we read some poetry as usual. Some of our own and or works by other poets.
Just for grins, I'll share some photos of the tonight's meeting. Yes, I have taken a little poetic liberty with two of the photos.
Scot Isom - goes first.
Getting books ready for their journey.
Wait! I think Pat Berge has something to say.
Poets Dot Org Re-Launches
Poets.org has Re-Launched. The site is the internet home of the Academy of American Poets. Besides a new overall look, the relaunched site has:
- More poems
- A new prose section with some 400 essays, interviews, etc.
- Better poet biographies
- Listening booth with many audio clips that is now both pc and mac friendly
- Downloadable help for starting your own poetry reading club
- National poetry almanac with 365 days worth of highlights
- Discussion Forum has returned after a years hiatus
- New section on writing with advise from legendary poets
This weeks highlights...
Spotlight Essay
Robert Creeley - Picking Up The Painting's Vibes
Spotlight Poet
Arthur Rimbaud - link
Spotlight Poem
Sylvia Plath's poem - Daddy
Monday, May 23, 2005
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