Sunday Stoned & Not Quite Beautiful


"Counting fucks me all up."

Couldn't have said it better myself. I am terrible at counting. In college, I took a year of Calculus, and a year of other assorted maths, including Statistics. My favorite part was using my fancy calculator. My other favorite part was comparing Z-scores and writing sigmas and mus. My least favorite part was the arithmetic. And the basic algebra. I'd always forget to carry the one, or I'd think 2 plus 5 was 10, or something like that. I'd forget to multiply things that were standing side by side. I'd forget how to factor things out or down or whatever you do with them. I am not a mathematician, though I found it fascinating enough to spend two years doing it, albeit at a baby level.

*

Last night, while eating tacos at midnight and drinking a large bottle of beer, I compiled the following very partial list of music I used to own but somehow lost and now need to own again. If anyone has any of these tracks or albums and wants to give them to me, backchannel for info and a special nougatty prize.

Ultra Vivid Scene, "Special One." (feat. Kim Deal)
Television, Marquee Moon
Thelonius Monster, Stormy Weather
Urge Overkill, Saturation
Dwight Yoakam, "You're the One."

*

Tomorrow evening at The Shedd, a night with Nanci Griffith. I'm bringing my lighter.

*

I'm thinking I should sharpen the poetry portion of this blog. What I guess I mean is I'd like to talk about a poem. Anybody have suggestions? I don't really want to talk about my own poems, because that's too easy, not to mention boring. Suggestions? Candidates?

*

Tonight, the sweetie is making Italian dinner a bit early so she can kick me out in time for me to run home and watch Iron Chef America. I don't know the whole menu, but I've been assured that caponata will be featured.

*

3legged Cat was in town this weekend, and as usual, neglected me. I think that 3legged Cat dislikes me. Maybe he got sick of me during the 18 months we lived together. I'm sad. But I and I survive.

*

I'm shifting into Schomburg mode for a moment: currently the ms. is out to the Kathryn Morton Prize, The Whitman Prize, and a couple of other prizes I don't remember. Plan to send, by the end of the month, to Verse, Ahsahta (Sawtooth Prize), Fence. I am boycotting NPS this year because they failed to publish Nick Twemlow's book, "Topeka Verses." And they instead published a book that was not as good by an author who knew the judge. Oops. Sorry, this is not foetry. Excuse me.

*

Books that should be published right now: Nick Twemlow, "Topeka Verses," Andrew Mister, "Let Me Know," Laurel Snyder, "Myth of the Simple Machines." If I were a poetry publisher, I'd ask for these. Some of you blog folk might be scratching your chins and saying, "ah, but I sent Tony my manuscript. I guess he doesn't like it." This is not the case--I've been (slowly) reading many very strong manuscripts. I'm just saying that these are the ones I'd publish first. AV's is also very strong, but I should discuss that with her in private. If Kristin "I've jumped off the edge of the planet" Kelly has a manuscript ready, I'd probably sucker myself into publishing it, because a) I know it's got to be pretty great, and b) she gave me an entire book of poems, more than once.

*

I think Jonathan Mayhew should publish a popular, non-scholarly book of poetry essays. He writes great stuff on his blog most of the time. I'd like to see him branch out and apply his brain to longer "posts" on contemporary poetry. The book could be like a series of battles. And the artwork would be like anime, or manga, or whatever they call that stuff. And it would have chapters named after poets and/or pugilists. Ch. 1: Kirby Olson, Ch. 2: Franz Wright, Ch. 3: Jack Johnson, Ch. 4: Tony Robinson, Ch. 5: George Foreman.

Actually it should be in graphic novel form. The art will depict battles, blow by blow in a hard-nosed, realistic style. The word balloons will be full of Jonathan's criticism. The title? Poetry Blows.

*