Wandered into the city last night

Last night I ventured into the city to read at the Writers Place. I used to live in the neighborhood where the Writers place was located, but having moved out to the edge of hell, it seemed more like a dear that had wandered into the city. Oh, it wasn't that I felt out of place at the WP, just thinking about the trip in and back home again. Perhaps it was more cerebral when considering the cost of gas.

Anyway, it was good to read there again. It's been a while. Relatively informal as readings go. Everything I read was new, and more recently I've stuck to things that are older and I've read many times. These were less polished pieces - but the open mic there is usually a good place to gauge work in progress.

Subs & Rejects

Submissions / Rejections Statistics

• Pending responses: 11
• Submissions sent last 12 months: 51
• Submissions sent this month: 3
• Acceptance ratio: 10.00 %

Picture shot inside local Bass Pro shop

Reminder - Voting on the Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere

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To Read or Not To Read

Jan Beatty writes sexually explicit poems. At least that's what I've been lead to believe. I haven't read any of them but I like her already. Poetic erotica is not my normal read, but I am impressed with anyone who is good at it, and by that I don't mean just writing poetry filled with the seven words that we are not supposed to say on the airwaves. To be good at writing erotic poetry I believe one must be able to deal with the intricate nuances of our sensory perceptions. It's like a painter capturing the shading and texture not just the shape. I don't try such poetry often myself because I don't do it well, though I wish I could. I think anyone that can do this well can likely do any subject justice on the page.

What I like about Jan Beatty is her spunk. Joseph-Beth Booksellers turned Beatty away from a reading because her latest book was too erotic for their family-friendly store atmosphere. On the surface I could accept that, but this is a store who has featured porno-film actors at events.
Beatty has appeared at the store to read from her work before but they believed there were poems from her new poetry collection, "Red Sugar" that were too hot to handle.

Alternatively, the store later agreed to allow Beatty a reading if the store chose the poems for her to read. Censorship? No way! The poet would have nothing to do with it. Then the store offered two other suggestions. A book signing without a reading or a reading with the sound system turned off. For Jan Beatty none of these suggestions is an option. She believes she is behave in a professional enough to be able to select what she reads without being told.

I have to give Jan Beatty kudos for her decision and sticking by it. I may have to even check out her work and see if writing is deserving of kudos too.

Checking in Friday Night

Overdue for a blog post. That and NaPoWriMo drafts. Watched Charlie Wilson's War tonight. I didn't catch it when it was at the theater but it was out on DVD and we settled in and watched it tonight. No writing but I did read a little of Dana Goodyear's poetry. Dug up one o her books that I've read before and refreshed my mind with it.

Reading other people's poetry is not only enjoyable, it's downright necessary to remind us when we write the power of words and stimulated our own work. I really think that it is the writer that never takes time to read an other's work that soon finds is or her own growing stale and limited.

A parting thought~ "I try to take care and be gentle to them. Words and eggs must be handled with care. Once broken they are impossible things to repair." -Anne Sexton, poet (1928-1974)

Off to bed...

Special Dispensation

Is it Friday yet? No, of course not. It's only hump day and the way my energy level is, I'm hoping to make it to Friday by shere gravity. It's been so busy at work lately that I am hard pressed to want to do anything requiring major commitment by the time I get home. Tonight I have a reading from an anthology that is just off the press. So I'll be heading out shortly to read rather than go home. I didn't do a NoPoWriMo daft last night and I likely won't do one tonight either given the poetry event. Perhaps the poetry gods will be kind to me and grant special dispensation.

I've actually been doing some charcoal sketches during this past week. My youngest daughter was like, damn, when did you learn to draw. I told her if and when it happens I'd let her know. My main reason for wanting to do some sketches is to sharpen my awareness to my surroundings. To better grasp the texture of things. I remember when I saw Donald Hall here in town a couple years back, he made the remark that he learned more to benefit his poetry from his friendship with the sculptor Henry Moore than any poet. I was struck by this. I figure it can't hurt if I am able to awaken my awareness to greater experiences.

I'm off to my reading.

Discussion with Brian Turner - Poet & Veteran

Transcript of Washington Post Discussion
Book World: 'Here, Bullet'
Iraq War Poetry

with Poet and Veteran

Brian Turner