18,000 Take it off for art

More than 18,000 people stripped down and bared it all in a Mexico City square Sunday for U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick's biggest nude shoot ever.

"I think all eyes are looking south from the United Sates to Mexico City to see how a country can be free and treat the naked body as art. Not as pornography or as a crime, but with happiness and caring." Tunick said at a press conference afterwards.

It's no piece of cake being a role model

So my youngest daughter has her Senior Prom last night. This morning she relates various events of the evening assuring us she had a marvelous time. Then at one point she recounts a story about how they are at a lull in the post dance partying and a bunch of them are all in a circle and they are sharing little one line tid-bits about themselves.

So one starts by proclaiming his father is an alcoholic and another says that his dad never talks to him. Of course the rest sympathize with them about how sad that is. The next tops the the first two by saying that's nothing, both her parents hate her. So it's my daughter's turn. She says, well, that's nothing, my dad writes poetry. Really! And they all groan and sigh because no one can top that and anoint her the winner.

Yes, my mind is a little unstructured at the moment

This will probably sound very off the wall but what the heck. There's been plenty of discourse on when poets write best, where they write best, their favorite tool or instrument for writing.... alas, I am wondering what is the favorite liquid refreshment of poets while writing. I want to reiterate the "while writing" part. So, if you like to go home and have a Bailey's or two or three over rocks, but then fall asleep in the lounge with "Everybody Loves Raymond" on, that don't count.

So are you a milk & cookies poet? Do you write better sipping on Chardonnay? Maybe you like day old coffee (gag) reheated in the microwave... or Diet Coke or green tea or a grande, double shot, skinny, Caffè Latte from Starbucks.

Wondering what wets your whistle while you write?

The Atlantic Shrinks

In a somewhat historic venture - British and American poetry will come together and converge in three cities. Poets Laureate Donald Hall and Andrew Motion will conduct a series of three joint readings. There has never been a joint reading of American and British Poets Laureate before.

When & Where:

• Monday, May 7, at 6 p.m., Fullerton Hall, Art Institute of Chicago
• Thursday, May 10, at 7 p.m., Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
• Wednesday, June 6, at 6 p.m., St. Giles-in-the-Fields Church, London

All events are free and open to the public, but reservations are strongly encouraged; call (312) 787-7070.

Strange but true

Someone did NOT just come to my blog from a search for bush as superhero. OK, apparently they did.

That reminds me, this weekend my daughter and I were driving down the street and pulled up behind a car with a number of bumper stickers on the back, on gem read - FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME!

Sometimes poetry makes things happen

Robert Pinsky relates a resonant example of a poem that had consequences. [here]

Iraq Rebuild: Your Tax $ At Work (Not), American Investment in Iraq Reconstruction Projects At Risk, Inspector General Report Finds - CBS News

Iraq Rebuild: Your Tax $ At Work (Not), American Investment in Iraq Reconstruction Projects At Risk, Inspector General Report Finds - CBS News



An inspector general report on Iraqi reconstruction projects found that of 8 sampled projects declared successes and turned over to Iraqi control, 7 are no longer functioning properly, if at all.


Sites suffered from deterioration, poor or no maintenance, or were not even being used by the people for whom they were built, at a cost to U.S. taxpayers of approximately $150 million.