Later, at the Bar

if you are looking for a great novel in stories to read these days, i highly recommend LATER, AT THE BAR by Rebecca Barry. the stories are smart, moving, funny, tragic, and altogether meaningful. i'm not much of a reviewer, but here's the rave she got from the NYTBR. she is on book tour right now, the next event in Columbus at Barley's Underground this Thursday night. more tour info here. i wish i could be there...

Absolutely You

a chapbook of poems by Betsy Wheeler & Dean Gorman... is available now for 5 bucks (free shipping!).

click on the title of this post to read some nice things Julia Cohen said about the book...

NYC report

Last weekend in NYC is measuring up to be one of my favorite visits to the city in the past couple of years. It felt very much like a reunion of sorts, but pleasantly filled too with the meeting of new folks (Valzhyna! Dottie! Gina!) and of course hearing so many talented poets read their work for two completely varied but engaged and excited audiences. Matthew put something really great and meaningful together with both of the group readings -- I wish I had recorded his intro after the break at the St Mark's reading so you could hear what he had to say about the growing interest and importance of chapbooks for poets -- as something we can make and do ourselves, an additional way of sharing and reaching out with our work. I'm conintuously inspired and impressed by what so many small presses are doing these days (see list gaining applause to the right). I couldn't be happier that Pilot is trying to contribute its own little something to that effort.

The pile of books I came home with is so high, it's toppling over on my coffee table, balancing on top of the other pile of books I still have not made it through since AWP. So much to look forward to. Thanks to everyone who bought, traded, looked at, read from, listened to, or picked up and played with Pilot chaps and all the other small press chaps. Julia and Mathias have been writing about many of these over at their houses.

And now for some photos...

Kate, Joanna, & me at Grassroots after St Mark's reading


Dottie & her friend in the orange dress -- mz: "that dress is from the future!" -- at the texan bbq place late Friday. note the size of the margaritas. that's "texas size"... made our legs not work any more.


Valzhyna in the chocolate bar after shopping St Mark's.


new haircut in chocolate bar.


aw, Cindy. nice realaxing evening at MZ's


dear MZ


for Joanna


until next time, all! ... keep reading. keep writing. keep sewing & stapling poems together on paper.

on Robinson's BRIEF WEATHER...

Sandra Simonds discusses her pleasureable personal reading experience with Robinson's BRIEF WEATHER & I GUESS A SORT OF VISION (click on heading for link). which, by the way, you can buy with Lori Shine's COMING DOWN IN WHITE for only $12 plus shipping at presspresspress. what a steal!

Poetry Readings in NYC this weekend

I'm heading out tomorrow for a long weekend in NYC. It will take a car, a ferry, a taxi, and a subway ride for me to get there, but I will get there. If any of you in the NYC area will be around this weekend lookin' for something to do, here are two readings you can come to. I'd love to see/meet/drink and/or eat with you! I'll be reading some new poems and from the collaborative chapbook Dean and I wrote together (and apart) called ABSOLUTELY YOU, which you will be able to purchase on this website soon. And as you can see from the list below, I will be reading in great company. And then there will be revelry.
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St. Mark's Poetry Project -- Friday, May 11th -- 6:00 pm

A Glorious Celebratory Festival Of Brief Readings From Some Recently Published & Highly Awesome Chapbooks To be Followed By Revelry

A group reading curated by Matthew Zapruder (author of American Linden (Tupelo Press, 2002) and The Pajamaist (Copper Canyon, 2006), celebrating poetry from recently released award-winning and self-published chapbooks, featuring:

Dottie Lasky, Valzhyna Mort, Dan Chelotti, Kate Hall, Cindy King, Betsy Wheeler, Travis Nichols, Monica Fambrough, Lori Shine, Kathy Ossip, Cole Heinowitz and Stephanie Ruth Anderson. Note the early start time of this Friday night event!

The St. Mark's Poetry Project is located at 131 E. 10th St., at 2nd Avenue.

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KGB Monday Night Poetry Series: May 14th -- 7:30 pm

Chapbooks Night: a group reading of poets with recently released chapbooks, featuring Kate Hall, Cindy King, Ish Klein, Tonya Foster, Gina Myers, Dan Hoy, Betsy Wheeler, Travis Nichols, Monica Fambrough, Karen Wieser, Rebecca Hoogs, Valzhyna Mort.

KGB is located just west of 2nd Avenue in the East Village, at 85 E. 4th Street. All readings are on Monday nights, and start at 7:30 pm

The Seattle weekend: some late edition photos from Queen Anne and Capital Hill

Introducing, the Vermont College crew. From left (at restaurant): Karen, Ali, Ron, Michelle, Nate, yours truly, and Jamal.

for Kismet

thank you.