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the reading

So, Simon pettet read at my house Friday night and tho I was the host and had to pay attention to 25-30 approx people (?), I think it was a success. Hard to tell, as I am hard on myself for starters, and if people weren’t pleased, I’m sure they will gossip amongst themselves…

For starters, Simon is just a wealth of information, he is of course more accurate than the us government, so listening to him, as one does, means that one has to hold even more information into their brain. My brain can only hold so much, and Simon is not attached to the computer like I am for example, so therefore it’s even more astounding the way and how this guy gets around…

Second, he and I at one point were talking about tom rayworth and miles champion, how the two of them read really vite vite! fast and Simon does not. Simon reads the poem twice which is his mark and his style. So in my case, I would hear lines the first time, and I’d hear different lines the second time he read the poem and it would be one big cumulation of “the poem.” It made me wonder how or what other british poets wrote or read, or rather, it made me ask about poets outside of the united states bc I’ll admit, I’m pretty fucking bored here. I am not bored with American poets per se, but I am bored with the east coast, mostly eastern seaboard style of living.

Which brings me to a second complaint: not a lot of female poets around here, and for that matter, zilch for lesbians. It seems that lesbians go for “spoken word” or “performance poetry” and that is not what I am interested in. which is why having kari edwards here will be a blessing (she’s reading in Cambridge ma on march 10) but perhaps all that is a side note…as women are a side note and we’re only put on this earth to clean up after men…which is what I’ve been doing for the past few days, cleaning up but hell, have a poetry reading slash party at one’s house and this is what you get…

All bitching aside…I like having readings in my house, bc I saw x amount of people sitting on my floor, engaged in Simon’s reading, mingling about, hopefully talking about poetry and politics…Simon talked briefly about New Orleans, (tho he filled me in on what was going on there more extensively)…or rather, what he saw was going on there…and a reading in one’s house immediately lends itself to an “intimate” space…which I do not think is abnormal by any means…natural actually….and whatever relationships can be made from that, or whatever connections can be had are not forced…

Or are they forced? Ruth Lepson had 5 of her students attend, and believe me, they were students, they were so young, and when they showed up at the door I wanted to tell them: You must be Ruth’s students bc I really don’t know anyone underage! You all look like you’re too young to vote!

But of course I didn’t say that, and they seemed to have a good time…and hopefully they “got it” whatever “got it” they were to get…

All I know is that I am tired beyond belief. And two, people are very welcome to read here but just don’t expect me to be coherent in the morning. I’m awake from 5pm to 2 am and any other time…its called the Forgotten Channel, it’s probably on cable or will be soon…just ask your local cable network….it’s also called the Facetious & Irony channel…wanton local advertising…poets welcome...

the golden days are over

Google refuses White House search request

Google is resisting a White House subpoena to hand over the records of the searches internet users are asking it to perform, it has emerged.

could it get any worse?

Rightwing group offers students $100 to spy on professors

It is the sort of invitation any poverty-stricken student would find hard to resist. "Do you have a professor who just can't stop talking about President Bush, about the war in Iraq, about the Republican party, or any other ideological issue that has nothing to do with the class subject matter? If you help ... expose the professor, we'll pay you for your work."

2 readings

Simon Pettet reads in Boston, Jan 27 at 7:30pm.

MORE WINNOWED FRAGMENTS

Ah, romance, the hint of mystery,
perfect, quirky interludes--
this is the lesson he comes to teach.
Charmed in every wryly conceived moment.
--Joanne Kyger

Simon Pettet's many books include his Selected Poems (Talisman). He edited The Selected Art Writings of James Schuyler and collaborated with Duncan Hannah on Abundant Treasures and with Rudy Burckhardt on Conversations About Everything and Talking Pictures. British by birth, he lives in New York City.

Simon will read from his new book, More Winnowed Fragments, now out on Talisman.

The (informal) reading takes place at Christina Strong's apt outside of Boston, MA. Come hear Simon read from his new book and hopefully talk about his recent trip to New Orleans. Christina might read a word or two (at the very least). Food, beverages, and an interested audience welcomed. RSVP to this email for details and directions.

Please spread the word!

--

Kari Edwards will be reading March 10th at the Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge MA - this event is co-curated by Demolicious and Openmouth Press.

I wonder

I wonder about Lilly giving her money away to poetry mag and then I wonder how many poets are on meds.

bush movie

a still from the movie I showed at the BPC which will be cleaned up and shown at the Demolicious reading series in June.

titles

I have a poem titled:

I figured out what was wrong with hugo chavez