The Face

The Baby Face
The Calm Hitler
The Nose Bleed Hitler

The Ex-Cop
The Mitch
The Butcher
The Almost Jewish
The Spitball
The Lemmy
The Dali Lemmy

The Civil War Vet
The General

The Bloof Tour, 2010

Day 1 in Muncie, Indiana, reading with Jennifer L. Knox and Shanna Compton and my former student, Cody Davis. It was good and books were sold. I was still home then, sleeping in my bed that evening and waking up the next morning to kiss and hug my kids, and then to play guitar and wait for Jen and Shanna to pick me up and then—off, to Nashville, TN.

Day 2 in Nashville, where we couldn’t access our floor, the eighth floor, of our hotel room because of something to do with the Tennessee Titans who, we were left to imagine, must have used the entire floor in some sort of visit. But, we learned, we could use our room key to make the elevator work properly and elevate us to the appropriate altitude. The reading at the bookstore wasn’t worth our time, but there it was, and there was our time, and so, it went like that. Afterward, we appreciated drinks and company at a Mexican restaurant. A filmmaker dude named Elvin explained his movie and we enjoyed that explanation immensely. Jen and Shanna took to calling me Pony Ann.

Day 3 found us in Atlanta, passing a statue of MLK that didn’t look like MLK. There we met Bruce Covey and Sandra Simonds and had an excellent reading at Emory University, where we sold books, met kind people, and bought alcohol from a hotel bartender who let us buy alcohol even though they were closed and she wasn’t suppose to.

Day 4 and Jen K. took an early flight out of town, heading to her cousin’s wedding who happens to be a member of a Burt Reynolds tribute band called Hooper. Bruce C. replaced Jen in the car and off we drove to Tallahassee. Good times and homemade food (courtesy Sandra S.), and a very nice hotel staff, who gave me a free Sprite. We read that night at The Warehouse.

Day 5 was a long day, with no reading. Bruce folded his somewhat immense body into the driver’s seat and drove Shanna and I back to Atlanta, where we left him, in the same parking lot we found him in. Then Shanna and I drove somewhat recklessly all day, arriving in Raleigh, NC around 11:00pm. By then we had eaten at Ruby Tuesday’s 3 or 4 times. Good salad and very average cold slaw.

Day 6 brought us to D.C. I was driving as we got close, but my eyes got so sleepy and tired I had to pull over and make Shanna drive. We found the spot we were suppose to find, and found my former student, Shaun G. who looked like he could have played in the The Hives. Buck Downs, Mel Nichols, Cole Swenson, and Reb Livingston were there, amid others. Reb’s son Gideon was there and he happens to be five so I read him "Poem Addressing Boys Age Five." He gave me a thumbs up sign, which I appreciated. Books were sold and drinks were drunk. After watching the Colts kick the shit out of Giants with Maureen Thorson’s husband, Jeff, I slept like a rock and woke the next morning and went running with Shanna around the Capitol building. Just before we left we discovered the car had been moved, by the city, a few blocks away. This initially caused us to freak out, but it also caused us to be relieved when we found it forty minutes later. Thank goodness for relief.

Day 7 meant reading to a practically empty bookstore in Baltimore. Baltimore was like how a person might imagine Baltimore, except a good, old friend was there and so he drove us around some and paid for our dinner. Thank goodness for good old friends, especially in Baltimore which felt exactly like Baltimore, or how a person might imagine Baltimore.

Day 8 brought us first to Shanna’s house, and then to Philadelphia, where we reconnected with the fabulous Ms. Knox, and where we read in a very old bar, selling books and meeting good people like CA Conrad, and then back to Shanna’s house where I drank much gin with Shanna’s husband and where we laughed, with the lights out, to Louie C.K. I had briefly napped in the upstairs room that afternoon and that night I slept up there again with the TV on, before waking to turn it off, and sleeping more and then sleeping a little more. Pony Ann was missing home, but happy to be in a home that wasn’t a hotel.

Day 9 took us not too far from Shanna’s house, to the college of New Jersey at Ewing, where the student creative writing organization, ink, hosted a really nice reading in a nice room in the student center. Those students were attentive and thoughtful and asked us actual questions about poetry and us being poets. We were like, “well, yes” and “sure, that” and “sometimes, this” and “really, thanks.” That night, at a vegan restaurant, I stuffed myself with food that didn’t come from an animal. What was good about it was the taste, all non-animally and tasty. The night was windy and leafy and, in a distant way, lightening shook the darkness, causing us to think of horror movies and to rethink the words of the old man at the liquor store who said, “Raining yet?” in a somewhat David Lynch-y way.

Day 10 and we were in NYC where I read at the Best American Poetry reading with lots of poetic hotshots. It was fun, but the most fun part was meeting up with my sweet wife, who had dropped the kids off at the grandparents and had flown in, meeting me in Brooklyn. We took the subway to Manhattan and almost didn’t find the New School, but then, wandering almost aimlessly, we saw David Lehman quickly rounding a corner and I said to my wife “There, David Lehman! Follow that guy!” So we did, making it to the reading in plenty of time. After the reading, we were lucky enough to speak with Amy Gerstler at the after party, which was in an apartment that was very swanky and millionaire-ish. Amy and my wife talked about the failures of American sexual education. Jerome Sala and I discussed the NFL and the greatness of the Indianapolis Colts.

On day 11 I woke in Brooklyn and took my wife to Manhattan for a conference she attended, went back to Brooklyn and slept some more. Then back to Manhattan, before returning again to Brooklyn. Then we attempted to locate Rose’s Live Music for a few hours in the hot sun. Listen, just because Rose’s Live Music is on Grand Street, that doesn’t mean you should actually exit the A line at the Grand Street station. That’s just stupid! But, later, when we did find it, we found kind people like Greg T. who hosted the reading, and other kind poets (youngish and older), sold books, etc., and we were tired by the time we reached the hotel, worn out.

Day 12 was the last day of me reading on the 2010 Bloof tour. That afternoon I read at the Boog City event at Unnamable books. But then, after my reading, my wife and I hustled uptown to attend a reading by Ada Limón, Jason Schneiderman, and Jennifer L. Knox. And Jason and Ada were amazing. An excellent reading. And so Jen Knox, who was the last reader that evening, really let out the last gasp of the September 2010, Bloof Books tour. And it was a very kind, hilarious gasp. I laughed and felt like laughing more. I ate more cheese and drank more beer. I hugged Jen and Shanna goodbye and left mostly buzzed. Stopped off a few blocks later and bought a pair of burgundy and light tan, suede Pumas.

Via Bloof Tour, Readings I'm Doing Soon!

Muncie, IN Bracken Library 104 @ 7:30 9/14

Nashville, TN Davis Kidd Bookstore @ 9/15

Atlanta, GA Emory University, Few Hall @ 8:00 9/16

Tallahassee, FL The Warehouse @ 8:00 9/17

Washington, DC In Your Ear at DC Arts Center @ 3:00 9/19

Baltimore, Maryland Cyclops Books @ 8:00 9/20

Philadelphia, PA Fergies's Pub @ 6:00 9/21

Ewing, NJ The College of New Jersey @ 4:00 9/22

New York, NY Best American Poetry 2010 Launch Reading @ 7:00 9/23

New York, NY Earshot Series @ 7:30 9/24

New York, NY Boog Festival, Unnameable Books @ 3:15 9/25

Seriously

That's Better

But It's Too Small!

A Person May Have A Mustache

Belts!

Max and I are yellow belts!

Haiku

Lighting struck my house.

Shit burned out. A sizzle flash.

What I love is you.

A Thing Up

I've got a thing up here, at Ships that Pass. Mine is called "You Drove Me Crazy."

Too Hard

Sometimes I don't even want to live. It's just too hard.

Blogging

It's hard to blog!

"the best part of my day"

This is a movie by my former student and good movie guy, Ben. Watch this movie, you'll like it. Then, follow the linky things and find your way to the page where you can donate money for his new project. Become a Movie Producer!

http://www.vimeo.com/11923130

Something I Read: Father's Day

Something I Get: Father's Day

Because, when returning from Denver, in the Denver airport, I realized I'd not bought the kids any sort of memento, I got Max a luggage lock at the airport. He's had lots of fun with it. The idea of the combination code is very appealing to him. So he got this one for me.

The Question

Not only has Mr. Davis dispensed with meter and rhyme, but his prose also does away with alliteration, assonance, consonance, dissonance, euphony or any form of syllabic cadence that one might identify with prose poetry. This drastic deparature from the conventional might remind us of a great poet who once did the same, Walt Whitman.

---Mark Kerstetter, from a review of Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! at Escape Into Life

What then, exactly, makes this poetry? I'm not saying the work isn't enjoyable or well-crafted, but I don't see how they qualify as poems. (And the comparison to Whitman is a real stretch.)

---Joseph A., in response to above review

Feeling Some Love

at We Who Are About to Die

Review of Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! at Escape Into Life

Mark Kerstetter writes me a poem

Review of Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! from Benjamin Dewhurst

New poems at The Nepotist

Bug Me

Two Dislocations

Dislocated Shoulder Worm
Dislocated Human Bird

Horses in the Chest!

Wait!

Noticed Stuff

My daughter is inventing her own language and she walks around

going "oakka dopea whoe ee coo con." And I know she gets it from

me. I mean, I don't hardly speak unless I'm saying nothing. Like,

now. It just blows.

#1

The ultimate artistic put-down isn't "that's bad" it's "that's not even art." As in my grandfather believing that rock and roll wasn't even music. It's a stupid way to think about the appreciation of the arts, but lots and lots of people do it. This is the problem then about people making definitive statements about art. As in stuff like "poetry is an inward exploration of such and such" or "a meditative experience of blah blah blah." None of us are in a position of authority. We are all in a glass house.

Feeling Some Love

New review of Hitler's Mustache

At HTMLGiant

At Sean Blog

AT The Timeworn What

Bad Ass

Two Days

David Copperfield was horrible as far as Max was concerned. Roughly, I agreed. We left a little more than half way through. Today we played Ninja Should and he ran across the tree-park with his arms back and screaming. He fell down and pantomimed injury. We caught one of the escaped bounty hunters. We have to catch four more. It won't be easy, especially since they all have apperating devices.

The semester is over with and I'm aware of that. Actually, I can imagine it even as I write this. So, there is a certain pleasure in certain awarenesses. You could probably understand more about how I feel if you weren't me, instead, you'll just have to make do.

Cake! Cake! Cake!

What to Do Sunday Afternoon

There's this (he's a magic man, an, ann ann ann. Oh yea, he's a magic man! mama, he's got magic hands!)

Watching the NBA Playoffs

A person has a life. What

can you do about that?

You're a person.

You have life.

It's like the whole semester

is a springtime. When

it comes

and is over with

you think, What classes?

What life do I live?

You don't have answers.

There's the TV and a bunch

of bullshit on it.

Me Reading Poems by Me

Courtesy the Writer's Community and the Writer's Center.

PPP!!! Reading

If you were at the reading last night in the BSU library, as I read from Poetry! Poetry! Poetry!, then I really appreciate it. That was nice of you to show up. If you bought a copy of the book, thanks again. If you weren't there, what I want to say is a few things about it and some of the following hours.

Tyler's parents were there and that was very sweet and also some kind students and colleagues and friends were there (some serious overlap in these categories.) My sweet wife Jengi had a cake made with the Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! cover reproduced in the icing. It was cool. I'd have a picture of it if I knew where her camera was and I knew how to operate it better and I wasn't so lazy. But, also also, Kelli made poster of the cover, largely composed of Starburst candies.

And, afterward, there were many drinks and toasts and whatnot. Meatballs and hoo-ha. The kids were gone and so we could be loudish and discuss the early days of British metal. That's called a good time. I was, like, Think Lizzy! Thin Lizzy! But people also talked about Bon Scott!

Crazy.

And really just kindness, which is good. And people say, Well, what about poetry? And you're like, I don't know, but something.

Friday!

Feeling Some Love

Megan Neef's blog

Nate Logan's blog

Joshua Corey's blog

John Gallaher's blog

Joseph Harrington's blog

BSU Eng Dept blog (thanks to Tyler Gobble)

Fuzz Against Junk's blog

Something for You!

Now Available (Mostly)!

Poetry! Poetry! Poetry!

by me

AWP!!

My brother notices that, at poetry readings, short poems are better than long poems. I notice how much I enjoy my brother. My brother has been to two poetry readings. He likes Iron Maiden a lot. I like them too, but nothing like him. He's better than lots of poets. He says stuff like "I'm gonna freestyle: I like your Form, and you're so Warm, I want to love you, with my poem." He says: "I'm so rad, I'm so bad, don't mess with me, i'll make you sad." I love the motherfucker. I say the word "motherfucker" because I feel hardcore about this.

AWP!

A person gets there. Sees people. Sees his friends. Does this. Does that.

Sees people he doesn't know. Says this. Says that. Drinks this and that.

Wishes to see people he doesn't see. Misses seeing. A person has more to say.

Doesn't wear a hat but could have worn a hat.

A person notices items, certain ideas, certain things not noticed.

A person has a brother, a comrade. A person has lunch and dinner and Brownies.

People are often grateful and people often notice how time changes attitudes.

A person narrow-reads the paper, barely sleeps, watches little TV.

A person flies on airplanes, thinks about mentors and mentees and the bookfair.

A person comes home. A person thinks they understand about something.

They feel like they come to grips with a thing. The thing. The thing. A person

also sees how stupid a person is, how much they only care about love but are right.

New Is Reads

This is new,

the new Is Reads.

This is cool, I think.

Is Reads

is cool.

Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! Arrives

This is what the spines of ten Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! books look like when bundled together by the book making people who do the bundling. The book will be available at AWP if you're of the literary, convention-type persuasion. If not, it will be officially available in June. Or, if you want a review copy or just really, really want one, let me know, or let Bloof know. Yea!

MASTER SCHEDULE—BLOOF POETS @ AWP

MASTER SCHEDULE—BLOOF POETS @ AWP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 7:00-11:00 PM

Danielle Pafunda & Shanna Compton reading with Bronwen Tate, Ann Bogle, Jennifer Karmin, Marthe Reed, Annie Finch, Amy King, Cara Benson, Mackenzie Carignan, Deborah Poe, Ana Bozicevic, Teresa Carmody, Kate Durbin, Megan Volpert, Elizabeth Hildreth, Anna Aguilar-Amat, Sarah Rosenthal, Krystal Languell, K. Lorraine Graham, Carmen Gimenez Smith, Robin Reagler, Cheryl Pallant, Lara Glenum, Deb Marquart, Elizabeth Searle, Mel Nichols, Jesse Glass,

& j/j hastain

Pussipo/Dusie Press/Stonecoast Femiganza

Packing House Center for the Arts http://www.controlgroupproductions.org/

835 E. 50th Ave

Denver, CO

FREE | AWP registration not required

RSVP @ Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=313130234155&ref=ts

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 7:00-10:00 PM

Small Press Party with Bloof Books • Cooper Dillon Book • Noemi Press

Danielle Pafunda, Jennifer L. Knox, Peter Davis, Sandra Simonds & Shanna Compton reading with Ada Limon, Jill Alexander Essbaum, Claire Hero, Gary L. McDowell, Nate Pritts, and Shya Scanlon

Green Spaces Colorado http://greenspacescolorado.com/find-us

2590 Walnut Street

Denver, CO

FREE | AWP registration not required

RSVP @ Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=291846161261&ref=ts

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 @ 12:00-1:15 PM

Danielle Pafunda reading with Lara Glenum, Cathy Wagner, Dorothea Lasky, Cathy Park Hong and Elizabeth Treadwell

Gurlesque Reading

Hyatt Regency Denver

650 15th Street

3rd floor: Mineral Hall

A reading in celebration of Gurlesque, a new anthology of contemporary women poets and visual artists now out from Saturnalia Books.

AWP registration badge required for entry.

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 @ 5:00-7:00 PM

Shanna Compton reading with Christopher Cheney, Miriam Cohen, Nick Courtright, John Gallaher, James Grinwis, Emily Kendal Frey, Brian Kubarycz, Sabrina Orah Mark, and Alexis Orgera

Black Warrior Review / Blue Hour Press Offsite Reading

Mario's Double Daughter's Salotto

1632 Market Street

Denver, CO

FREE | AWP registration not required

RSVP @ Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=337483809802

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 @ 7:00 PM-late

Peter Davis reading with Rachel Loden, Kate Greenstreet, Amy King, Aaron Belz, Arielle Greenberg, Daniel Borzutsky, Amy Guth, Ana Bozicevic, Susan Schultz, Chad Parmenter, Katie Degentesh, Geoffrey Gatza, Janet Holmes, Tony Trigilio, Julie Dill, Tony Robinson, Reb Livingston, Ben and Sandra Doller, Steven Schroeder, Aaron Kunin, Kathy Ossip, Charles Alexander, Luc Simonic, and Chris Davidson

Meadowlark Poetry Marathon

Meadowlark Bar http://www.meadowlarkbar.com

2701 Larimer Street

Denver, CO 80205

FREE | AWP registration not required

RSVP @ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=323850612327&ref=ss

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 @ 7:00 PM-late

Danielle Pafunda is reading with various WILLA members

WILLA (Women in Letters and Literary Arts)

Denver Press Club http://denverpressclub.org

1330 Glenarm Place

Denver, CO

FREE | AWP registration not required

RSVP @ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=389807680830&index=1

Noting Stuff

Hitler's Mustache gets the old shout out here.

Alex Chilton Is Dead

Alex Chilton Is Dead.

AWP, Denver-Style

AWP, Denver-Style

Poems in a Poetry Related Publication

6 new Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! at the very cool journal Action, Yes.

Additional Proof, and Additional Proof

Also, four poems from Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! will be in The Best American Poetry 2010, thanks to the guest editor Amy Gerstler. This is a very cool thing. Amy Gerstler is very cool. The book is coming. The book is going to be beautiful. Have I mentioned to what degree I should thank Shanna Compton? I don't believe I have. I could thank Shanna Compton all day long. Had we but world enough and time. Shanna Compton is a tiny, vibrant poetry saint. She is what we poet people should all hope to equal. I'm really grateful to her. I feel lucky, which feels lucky.

Okay

I have ideas. They happen,

then end.

It's an over and over situation.

You get the picture

but you hate it. Like me.

This Is Soon!

Reality

A proof copy of Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! is in the mail. I have been told that it looks terrific. I believe it and am excited to see it. See how excited I am? You can tell because I'm adding all of these exclamation points!!!!!!! This is way more exciting than the Colts losing the Super Bowl.

The Colts Lost

Proof

Proof copy of Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! should hopefully be here by end of the week!