Ron Silliman Review

Dearest Readers,

Ron Silliman gave Beauty is a Verb a wonderful review yesterday.

If You are in Philidelphia Today!

Readings from “Beauty Is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability”  
When: Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:00PM
Where:  Central Library

Contributors to “Beauty Is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability,” will gather for a public reading of selected works found in this ground-breaking anthology.  Containing works written in a range of styles, this high-quality, forthcoming collection provides a window to explore, through verse and prose, the experience and meaning of physical disability. Readers will include Daniel Simpson, Kathi Wolfe,  Brian Teare, Anne Kaier, Hal Sirowitz, and Mike Northern. 

Beauty is a Verb: Publisher's Weekly Review!

 Beauty Is A Verb: 
The New Poetry of Disability

Edited by Jennifer Bartlett, Sheila Black and Michael Northen. Cinco Puntos (Consortium, dist.), $19.95 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-935955-05-4

This powerful anthology attempts to—and succeeds at—intimately showing (meaning, at various times and among many other aims, sharing the experience of, defining the self in terms of, refusing to define the self in terms of, trying to define, exploring the indefiniteness of) disability through the lenses of poetry. According to the editors’ preface, “we include not only poets who created and embrace the disability/ crip poetics movement but also those who might resist such a classification and have never been considered in that exact context.” Indeed, some readers and writers may strongly resist the idea of disability as a context for gathering poems, though what emerges from the book as a whole is a stunningly diverse array of conceptions of self and other. There are no simple truths here. Jim Ferris insists readers “Look with care, look deep./ You know you are a cripple too. / I sing for cripples; I sing for you.” The poet and novelist Jillian Weise bucks at the “disability poetics” banner in an essay in which she says “I…find it discouraging that these first efforts are essentializing, seeking to brand a common disabled experience.” Coming from across the aesthetic spectrum, these poets and poems demonstrate the deep truth of what Vassar Millar writes in a poem anthologized here: “No man’s sickness has a synonym.” (Sept.)

Larry Eigner Vol. 3

Dear Friends,

I have an announcement. I have an opportunity to distribute a number of copies of Vol. 3 of the Collected Larry Eigner. To those who are interested, I can send you one for only the mail price, which is about $7. I am looking for Eigner/poetry lovers who either will cherish the book for themselves and/or have an opportunity to share Eigner's work with others. If interested, please leave a comment or email me to let me know your circumstances.

Boys

Jeff: What's your favorite place to go?
Best Friend: Florida
Jeff: I like the Mark Bar!

Thank You Ron!!!!

Today in an interview in Wave Composition Ron Silliman said this about Beauty is a Verb.


Which contemporary writing most interests or excites you?
RS: That’s a tough question. You could ask me that in the morning or evening and I’d give you completely different answers. What I have been reading and excited by lately has included an anthology that’s not yet out, from Jennifer Bartlett and some other folks, Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability, that begins with the work of Larry Eigner and includes a lot of work from the disabilities rights movement and is probably the most intelligent thematic anthology I’ve ever read. That’s coming out from a press down in Texas, Cinco Puntos. 

George Kuchar

        in one eye, out the other

Someone Should Tell the Folks in India

The End of Jerry Lewis

Fourth Grade

Today was my very favorite person's first day of fourth grade. When we walked out of the house, my art handler friend smiled and said, "The first day of school: it's better than Christmas!" After coffee with A, I lay (Andrea, did I lay -did I lie - I lie! - o did I!). Andrea, I LIE on my bed. I slept for three hours. & I had this dream: I dream that the back gate to my yard was open & it was full of beautiful women and children playing and I asked them how they got in? I kicked them out. BUT there was a huge grizzly bear and it followed me into the house biting my clothes. Then, it followed me to the frig where I got the chicken out to lure it to the front door - all the while thinking - O grizzled bear where did I put your chicken, you are going to eat me! Heres, the good part! When I got to the front door, Rambo (who is the old Zen master pug) got in a fight with the grizzly bear over the chicken. Finally, the grizzly bear got in the front and I called 911. When I woke, the house was silent. The boats were moving up and down the river; the art handlers were handling gosh knows what and I did not check my email. Two more hours until regular life.

Suffering from Several Policies

This recent article from India signifies everything I hate about the world: I guess I should look on the bright side - at least they are not throwing them in the river! India Infoline News Service / 19:19 , Sep 02, 2011 Children afflicted with cerebral palsy depict symptoms of late motor development skills and may also be hearing, speech and visually impaired accompanied by other associated diseases. In an yet inimitable medical miracle, older children suffering from the stinging, distressing disease of cerebral palsy have been blessed with a ray of new hope of being alleviated from the agony of having to depend on others for life. The path to this overwhelming discovery was initiated and practiced by Dr J K Jain, Consultant Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon at Trishla Orthopedics Clinic and Rehab Center & Secretary Samvedna Trust, Allahabad. Cerebral Palsy is a condition of "Damaged Brain" that inhibits the normal functioning of the motor skills and leads to disablement in maintaining body posture. Children afflicted with cerebral palsy depict symptoms of late motor development skills and may also be hearing, speech and visually impaired accompanied by other associated diseases. The very utterance of the two words "Cerebral Palsy" conjures up images of these poor little souls striving to get the fundamental things of life straight. Cannot we do anything to assuage the excruciating mental pain to some extent?

Beauty is a Verb: Readings

We have a number of readings coming up: these are just some of those.

Sept 19th
Central Branch of Philadelphia Free Library 
Philadephia PA
Organized By Michael Northen 
Guest readers: Hal Sirowitz, Brian Teare, Anne Kaier,
Kathi Wolfe, and Dan Simpson


September 24, 2 PM
Alamosa Books, Albuqurque,NM;
Guest Readers: Lisa Gill, Sheila Black


Sept. 27, 7:30 PM
Pegasus Books Downtown, Berkeley, CA
Guest Readers: Norma Cole, Laurie Lambeth, CS Giscomb, Sheila Black, Jennifer Bartlett, 
Susan Schweik, Rusty Morrison


Oct 9th
The Hunger Benefit
Organized by Connie
NMSU Las Cruces, NM
Guest Readers: Jennifer Bartlett, Jim Ferris, Sheila Black, Kara
We will be opening for Julianna Spahr


Nov. 3, 7PM
Blue Stockings Bookstore, NYC
Guest Readers:   Jennifer Bartlett, Sheila Black,
Lenore Parker, and TBD

Sunday

In the New York Times every week, they have an interview with people as to how they spend their Sunday. This is how I spend my Sunday, with my idol Bill Cunningham.

The Red Herione

Larry Eigner: Sacred Materials

Happy Birthday Jim

Last night was a magical night that can only happen for me in New York. We went to La Bonne Soupe for Jim's 41st birthday. Here is B's Zen board.

On the way to dinner, Jeff & I played 'rate your outfit.' There are a shocking amount of tens on 5th Ave. A 'ten outfit' must fit your body type well, be pretty, be original, and have perfect shoes & a decent handbag. My outfits, for example, are often not above an '8' because my clothes are messy. Here are some images of the perfect city from our after dinner walk.

The city glowing from within. 

Jeff, Royal, and birthday Jim outside the chocolate store
where Jeff has convinced the adorable gay boy clerk to give us free bonbons.

Here are two women who might earn a 7/8 and the beautiful smoke.