I didn't touch it. I didn't arrange it. There it was, without its mate, in its final resting place of glass shards and gravel. Caked with dirt, gnawed by some mysterious mammal, the suede shoe cast a jagged, menacing shadow. In the stillness of the bright April afternoon, why was a chilling ripple of darkness spreading along my spine? What was the shoe's tale?
Still wearing winter furs, a fern quartet begins to unfurl. Group hug!
Text: Ur--The New Book of Masks, edited by Forrest Aguirre, winner of a World Fantasy Award, is a collection of experimental and speculative fiction and fantasy from Raw Dog Screaming Press. On the press' Web site, the anthology is described as "a beautifully surreal masquerade" and a "hallucinogenic spectacle." Just look at the wild cover art by Carrie Ann Baade -- that riveting image is what invites you inside, into the odd worlds of these twenty stories. I have a few short hybrid pieces included in the anthology, which are now part of Stirring the Mirror: "Parchment and Twigs," "No Mooing in the Moonlight," and "Documenting My Abduction."
Yes, he's mine. A bit ill-tempered, a bit freckled with rust, a bit asymmetrical, but he's a genuine Miracle Dog. Snappy is an antique tin lithographed toy made by Louis Marx & Co. Apparently there used to be a mechanism that would propel him at astonishing speed from the depths of his doghouse. Alas, it's missing.
All this week Poets House is holding its annual showcase of new poetry books in the Willa Cather Room of the Jefferson Market Library on Sixth Avenue at W. 10th Street, NYC. The organization's goal is to showcase every book of verse published in the U.S. in the past year. There are more than two thousand titles available for viewing through April 19th. My publisher, Bitter Oleander Press, has sent along A Cage of Transparent Words by Alberto Blanco, Gold Carp Jack Fruit Mirrors by George Kalamaras, and Stirring the Mirror, my new collection of prose poetry and flash fiction.
I'll be reading at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY this Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 4:00 PM. Join me in the Curtin Memorial Library in Aquinas Hall. It will be open to the public and free of charge. Refreshments will be served. For directions, click on MSMC.
Sometimes, when you pull over the car to take a picture of an irresistible sunset, your eyes get tugged to the side by an unexpected gleaming place, by an object that calls out with its own spectacular colors and life. Just like poetry. What you set out to capture, to put down in ink, was really just leading you somewhere else.
It was an honor to be part of the first Writer's Voice poetry event held in the new Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA. And an honor to read with the featured reader, Edward Hirsch, and John Amen and George Wallace. Our four very different types of poetry and presentation, along with John's music, made for an intriguing synergy. At least it felt that way to me. The audience seemed attentive and enthusiastic. Thank you. I had great time. Leaving the Y with family and friends, walking west, the crescent moon was perfectly framed by the Empire Hotel (with its red neon sign) and a neighboring building. Did anyone else notice that? It was so unseasonably warm that we sat outside at Fiorello's for a celebratory bite to eat.
You are invited to
The orchid show at The New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, New York is a mesmerizing splash of colors, patterns, and textures. During these bleak early spring days, it's a spectacular feast for the eyes. We traveled there in Friday's drizzle and were delighted to step into the contrasting lush kingdom of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Reviewing the photos this morning, the blooms still dazzle. I loved getting face to face with each variety, but the slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum) were my favorites. That's the one in the photo above. Unfortunately, today is the last day of the exhibit. If you live close enough, find a way to get there.
Artists seem to resist strict classification. The creative force wants to express itself regardless of what form it takes. Stu Jenks, a photographer based in Tucson, is also a musician and now a writer. It's fascinating to read what he writes on his blog about his creative process, to follow his evolving methods, to witness his discoveries about the landscape, the people, and himself. He places himself at the intersection of planned location and beautiful accident. He's open to what arrives and captures it on film. Here's a link to his blog post about his visit to The Devil's Needle, Arbroath, Scotland.
