'nuff said.
1 week ago
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
A rescue
Alas, two other eggs were lost when this nest toppled from atop our log pile in the woodshed.
Meredith has seen the mother robin.
I'm sorry, mother robin. I'm really really sorry.
Meredith has seen the mother robin.
I'm sorry, mother robin. I'm really really sorry.
This guy
. . . has been keeping me really busy.
*****
I've got a reading this week. Here's the info:
Central Washington University
Tuesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m.
Oliver de la Paz
Author of two collections of poetry: Names Above the Houses and Furious Lullaby. He is a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and Names Above the Houses was a winner of the Crab Orchard Award Series.
Location: Mary Grupe Center
*****
I've got a reading this week. Here's the info:
Central Washington University
Tuesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m.
Oliver de la Paz
Author of two collections of poetry: Names Above the Houses and Furious Lullaby. He is a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and Names Above the Houses was a winner of the Crab Orchard Award Series.
Location: Mary Grupe Center
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
More on the Long Poem
I'm looking specifically at North American long poems and I'm leaning towards more contemporary works, though the Moderns are okay.
So far your contributions:
Nathaniel Mackey--"Song of the Andoumboulou"
James Merrill--"The Book of Ephraim"
Mark Strand--"Dark Harbor"
H.D.--"Helen in Egypt"
WCW--"Patterson"
Anthony Hecht--"The Transparent Man"
Ann Carson--"Glass Essay" or "Autobiography of Red"
T.S. Eliot--"The Four Quartets"
Harriet Mullen--"Muse & Drudge"
Alice Notley--"The Descent of Alette"
Rita Dove--"Thomas & Beulah"
Wallace Stevens--"Notes for a Supreme Fiction"
Gertrude Stein--"Tender Buttons"
G.C. Waldrep--"The Batteries"
Walt Whitman--"Song of Myself"
Allen Ginsberg--"Howl"
What about:
Claudia Rankine--"Don't Let Me Be Lonely"
Galway Kinnell--"The Book of Nightmares"
Ezra Pound--"The Cantos"
John Berryman--"The Dreamsongs"
Derek Walcott--"Omeros"
And then there's the whole issue of what's teachable in a span of 10 weeks (we're on the quarter system here at WWU). . .
Now, these would be great books for a lit seminar, but this course is going to be taught as a workshop. What then? How do you teach a sustained meditation on a subject, keeping in mind the complexities of graduate student life?
***
Workshopping a long poem . . . I remember there were folks in my grad school days that would bring in excerpts of their long poems for workshop. We wanted to smack those people upside the head.
***
Lovely, lovely Killarney Clary. We're reading her in my prose poem class. No, she's not easy to pin down . . . especially on the heels of Edson and Simic collections. But man I dig her work.
***
Bruce Beasley: "How's it going man?"
Me: "Good, 'cept I'm not writing."
Bruce Beasley: "That's okay. I mean, how're you going to write with all your new responsibilities?"
Me: "Yeah, you're right."
Bruce Beasley: "Very few poets can write when they have new babies in the house . . . except Sylvia Plath. Don't be like Sylvia Plath."
So far your contributions:
Nathaniel Mackey--"Song of the Andoumboulou"
James Merrill--"The Book of Ephraim"
Mark Strand--"Dark Harbor"
H.D.--"Helen in Egypt"
WCW--"Patterson"
Anthony Hecht--"The Transparent Man"
Ann Carson--"Glass Essay" or "Autobiography of Red"
T.S. Eliot--"The Four Quartets"
Harriet Mullen--"Muse & Drudge"
Alice Notley--"The Descent of Alette"
Rita Dove--"Thomas & Beulah"
Wallace Stevens--"Notes for a Supreme Fiction"
Gertrude Stein--"Tender Buttons"
G.C. Waldrep--"The Batteries"
Walt Whitman--"Song of Myself"
Allen Ginsberg--"Howl"
What about:
Claudia Rankine--"Don't Let Me Be Lonely"
Galway Kinnell--"The Book of Nightmares"
Ezra Pound--"The Cantos"
John Berryman--"The Dreamsongs"
Derek Walcott--"Omeros"
And then there's the whole issue of what's teachable in a span of 10 weeks (we're on the quarter system here at WWU). . .
Now, these would be great books for a lit seminar, but this course is going to be taught as a workshop. What then? How do you teach a sustained meditation on a subject, keeping in mind the complexities of graduate student life?
***
Workshopping a long poem . . . I remember there were folks in my grad school days that would bring in excerpts of their long poems for workshop. We wanted to smack those people upside the head.
***
Lovely, lovely Killarney Clary. We're reading her in my prose poem class. No, she's not easy to pin down . . . especially on the heels of Edson and Simic collections. But man I dig her work.
***
Bruce Beasley: "How's it going man?"
Me: "Good, 'cept I'm not writing."
Bruce Beasley: "That's okay. I mean, how're you going to write with all your new responsibilities?"
Me: "Yeah, you're right."
Bruce Beasley: "Very few poets can write when they have new babies in the house . . . except Sylvia Plath. Don't be like Sylvia Plath."
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Planning ahead
I've been asked to be a poet for a number of panel proposals for the upcoming Chicago AWP conference in 2009. Funny that I phrase it that way, since I haven't quite felt like a poet for awhile. I've been a father and a teacher for the better part of a month, and I'm feeling a little out of sorts.
My ruminations on my title have me "chewing" on other things as well--genre, for instance. I'm teaching a graduate level class on the prose poem . . . a form (form?) at which I'm supposedly expert. Whomever has said such things has probably got the wrong guy. What can I tell you about the prose poem? That it's shorter than a short story? That sometimes there's no story? Maybe that often there's no plot in them and that they're given to economy in their language? To me, a prose poem is like pornography--I know it when I see it. I suppose that makes it difficult for me to feel like I'm imparting knowledge on my grad students . . . that I'm creating more issues for them as up and coming writers.
And now, I've been asked to propose a course for next year's graduate students and I've decided to teach a seminar on the long poem. How's that for messing with some heads?
***
Speaking of long poems, do we still highly regard the work of James Merrill? If I were to teach a course on the long poem, should I include The Changing Light at Sandover?
Additionally, there are a number of contemporary poets who are in the midst of a long-poem project that's yet to be completed. Brenda Hillman, for example, is still working on a poetic sequence involving the "primary" elements--earth, wind, fire, water. So far, I think she's dealt with water and wind . . . not sure, though. And Marvin Bell's Dead Man poems. I don't think he's quite finished with that project yet, despite what he tells the public.
Who else?
***
My parents visited last weekend, spelling us some relief. It's still work to have company over, but having folks who can handle a baby at a restaurant really helps us relive our personhood.
***
I want to see Iron Man, but free time is at a premium these days.
***
What's up?
My ruminations on my title have me "chewing" on other things as well--genre, for instance. I'm teaching a graduate level class on the prose poem . . . a form (form?) at which I'm supposedly expert. Whomever has said such things has probably got the wrong guy. What can I tell you about the prose poem? That it's shorter than a short story? That sometimes there's no story? Maybe that often there's no plot in them and that they're given to economy in their language? To me, a prose poem is like pornography--I know it when I see it. I suppose that makes it difficult for me to feel like I'm imparting knowledge on my grad students . . . that I'm creating more issues for them as up and coming writers.
And now, I've been asked to propose a course for next year's graduate students and I've decided to teach a seminar on the long poem. How's that for messing with some heads?
***
Speaking of long poems, do we still highly regard the work of James Merrill? If I were to teach a course on the long poem, should I include The Changing Light at Sandover?
Additionally, there are a number of contemporary poets who are in the midst of a long-poem project that's yet to be completed. Brenda Hillman, for example, is still working on a poetic sequence involving the "primary" elements--earth, wind, fire, water. So far, I think she's dealt with water and wind . . . not sure, though. And Marvin Bell's Dead Man poems. I don't think he's quite finished with that project yet, despite what he tells the public.
Who else?
***
My parents visited last weekend, spelling us some relief. It's still work to have company over, but having folks who can handle a baby at a restaurant really helps us relive our personhood.
***
I want to see Iron Man, but free time is at a premium these days.
***
What's up?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Falling Behind and Catching Up
I feel like I'm falling way behind with things, which I've been told, is a normal feeling when one lives with a baby. I'm beginning to attribute this sense to a lack of sleep. I've always been a light sleeper, and now my weird sleeping habits are getting the best of me.
Even nights when it's not my job to be the diaper changer, I wake up suddenly at regimented times--1:30AM, 3:30AM, 5:30AM. And it's not even the baby's fault. I wake, check him, and he's sound asleep.
I figure it's my mind working overtime. I've got poems in my head, but I can't really catch a time to sit at my desk. All of this is okay, I figure. Summer'll be here and my scholastic obligations will taper off.
***
Last week's episode of BSG is on my DVR and has not been touched. I'll try to watch it tonight . . .
I've been engrossed in NBA playoff basketball. I so want the Suns to do well, but that's not been the case thus far.
***
Listening to the following artists lately:
Eef Barzeley
Shearwater
Lyrics Born
Okkervil River
Elbow
M.F. Doom
Even nights when it's not my job to be the diaper changer, I wake up suddenly at regimented times--1:30AM, 3:30AM, 5:30AM. And it's not even the baby's fault. I wake, check him, and he's sound asleep.
I figure it's my mind working overtime. I've got poems in my head, but I can't really catch a time to sit at my desk. All of this is okay, I figure. Summer'll be here and my scholastic obligations will taper off.
***
Last week's episode of BSG is on my DVR and has not been touched. I'll try to watch it tonight . . .
I've been engrossed in NBA playoff basketball. I so want the Suns to do well, but that's not been the case thus far.
***
Listening to the following artists lately:
Eef Barzeley
Shearwater
Lyrics Born
Okkervil River
Elbow
M.F. Doom
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Did you get your T-shirt?
Lookie here: Rigoberto swag.
I'm going to order one today.
***
Mere and I are experimenting with sleep schedules. Last night was my night to sleep and it was wonderful. Tonight . . . I'm on poop patrol.
***
I wish I were participating in NaPoWriMo this year. I have to say, it was good to me last year. Of the 30 poems I wrote, 'bout ten of 'em found homes in journals and in online pubs. That's a bunch for me, and the writing was fruitful.
I've been reading the stuff the current participants are writing . . . I'm so jealous.
***
Sun!
I'm going to order one today.
***
Mere and I are experimenting with sleep schedules. Last night was my night to sleep and it was wonderful. Tonight . . . I'm on poop patrol.
***
I wish I were participating in NaPoWriMo this year. I have to say, it was good to me last year. Of the 30 poems I wrote, 'bout ten of 'em found homes in journals and in online pubs. That's a bunch for me, and the writing was fruitful.
I've been reading the stuff the current participants are writing . . . I'm so jealous.
***
Sun!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sleepless near Seattle
Baby L kept us up last night. Day is night and night is day to him. So, I plopped him in a sling-carrier and walked from one end of the house to the other for two hours.
Hello, fatherhood.
***
The new quarter has begun and I'm, once again, reunited with my old friend, the prose poem. I'm teaching it slightly differently from when I had first taught the course in 2005. It'll be more workshoppy, if you will.
***
Been listening to these guys for a couple of weeks now. Hot.
Hello, fatherhood.
***
The new quarter has begun and I'm, once again, reunited with my old friend, the prose poem. I'm teaching it slightly differently from when I had first taught the course in 2005. It'll be more workshoppy, if you will.
***
Been listening to these guys for a couple of weeks now. Hot.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
My son
I'm going to take this down very shortly for safety reasons.
In the meantime, I'd like you to meet my son, Lucas. He's quite unhappy here, but wouldn't you be after 38 hours of labor?
It was quite an ordeal for Meredith, and I won't go into many details so publicly. At any rate, the outcome was a good one--healthy mother, healthy baby.
I slept for the first time in two nights last night, but from what everyone tells me, I won't be getting much more for the next year or so.
Anyway, thanks for all your notes of encouragement while Mere and I were waiting.
In the meantime, I'd like you to meet my son, Lucas. He's quite unhappy here, but wouldn't you be after 38 hours of labor?
It was quite an ordeal for Meredith, and I won't go into many details so publicly. At any rate, the outcome was a good one--healthy mother, healthy baby.
I slept for the first time in two nights last night, but from what everyone tells me, I won't be getting much more for the next year or so.
Anyway, thanks for all your notes of encouragement while Mere and I were waiting.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
In the Interest of Full Disclosure
. . . there's still no baby. So, I've been busying myself with preparing for the next quarter and planting trees, shrubs, and rhododendrons. I'll tell you when he's here, believe me. :D
We're also hosting my mother-in-law, so I've been a little preoccupied.
***
Last season of BSG on April 4th. What the frak is up with that picture?
***
I'll be reading with the poet Lorna Crozier on April 5th at 7:30 in the Lucia Douglas Gallery, 1415 13th St., Bellingham, WA, as part of the Whatcom Poetry Series, so if you're local and you're reading this, come on down.
***
This weather sucks. Two minutes ago, it was sunny. Now it's snowing. C'mon now.
We're also hosting my mother-in-law, so I've been a little preoccupied.
***
Last season of BSG on April 4th. What the frak is up with that picture?
***
I'll be reading with the poet Lorna Crozier on April 5th at 7:30 in the Lucia Douglas Gallery, 1415 13th St., Bellingham, WA, as part of the Whatcom Poetry Series, so if you're local and you're reading this, come on down.
***
This weather sucks. Two minutes ago, it was sunny. Now it's snowing. C'mon now.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Weird toys
Joseph Legaspi forwarded this bizarre link:
Most Baffling Toys from Around the World
My soon-to-be-born son will not have any of these things.
The toys I had when I was a kid--clicky
****
Chilling out in my office . . . *whistles*
****
Mother-in-law is coming tomorrow. I have to clean the house. I may skip heading into town tomorrow to scrub scrub scrub.
****
A couple of poems got accepted today. Yay!
Most Baffling Toys from Around the World
My soon-to-be-born son will not have any of these things.
The toys I had when I was a kid--clicky
****
Chilling out in my office . . . *whistles*
****
Mother-in-law is coming tomorrow. I have to clean the house. I may skip heading into town tomorrow to scrub scrub scrub.
****
A couple of poems got accepted today. Yay!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Hmmmm
The Sylvia Plath Effect
****
Students are turning in finals. Yay me! I'm glad this quarter's over, and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'll be teaching a grad course on the prose poem. Right in my wheel-house.
***
Watched Elizabeth: The Golden Age last night. Not as good as the first one, of course. At times I felt like I was getting hit over the head with the romantic intrigues. Still, Cate Blanchett looked fabulous in plate mail.
***
Scary Pictures
***
The sun! The sun!
****
Students are turning in finals. Yay me! I'm glad this quarter's over, and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'll be teaching a grad course on the prose poem. Right in my wheel-house.
***
Watched Elizabeth: The Golden Age last night. Not as good as the first one, of course. At times I felt like I was getting hit over the head with the romantic intrigues. Still, Cate Blanchett looked fabulous in plate mail.
***
Scary Pictures
***
The sun! The sun!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Nothing Yet
For those of you who are wondering whether Mere's given birth, I say to you, "Not yet."
***
We're bustling around trying to get our winter quarter wrapped up. I've been inputting grades from this past quarter, and I've also been preparing the house and the yard a little bit. The house definitely needs some "Spring Cleaning" before the newest member of the house settles in.
***
Saturday, planted three rhododendrons, two azaleas, and eighteen Douglas Fir saplings. There's been much rain up here lately, which is a good thing.
Anyway, my mother-in-law is arriving on Thursday, and I think I might make her garden a little while we wait for the wee-one.
***
I've moved to the guest bedroom because Meredith is sleeping with Chet (her gigantic man-sized pillow). There's no room for me and all that fluffiness.
***
We're bustling around trying to get our winter quarter wrapped up. I've been inputting grades from this past quarter, and I've also been preparing the house and the yard a little bit. The house definitely needs some "Spring Cleaning" before the newest member of the house settles in.
***
Saturday, planted three rhododendrons, two azaleas, and eighteen Douglas Fir saplings. There's been much rain up here lately, which is a good thing.
Anyway, my mother-in-law is arriving on Thursday, and I think I might make her garden a little while we wait for the wee-one.
***
I've moved to the guest bedroom because Meredith is sleeping with Chet (her gigantic man-sized pillow). There's no room for me and all that fluffiness.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Pug Vader Revisited
Joannie tagged me.
She explains that it's from an old Hemingway bet. Leave it to Papa.
From her blog:
Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4. Tag five more blogs with links
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
My six-word autobiography:
I was wicked, but got better.
Now I tag Sandra, Cornshake, Paul, Helene, and H.A..
She explains that it's from an old Hemingway bet. Leave it to Papa.
From her blog:
Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4. Tag five more blogs with links
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
My six-word autobiography:
I was wicked, but got better.
Now I tag Sandra, Cornshake, Paul, Helene, and H.A..
Thursday, March 06, 2008
House A-Kilter
Chaos in the homestead. Currently, our painter friend is removing the popcorn from our ceilings and repainting our dining and living room. That means all the furniture from said rooms is in our den.
I'm generally a grumpy guy when it comes to space and space issues. I like my stuff where my stuff is supposed to be. Now, I can barely squeeze past the sofa that's blocking the door to the carport.
This too shall pass, though. The painter's going to be finishing up today.
***
By the way, I've gotten really good at installing drywall. Poets, if you need me to surround you in sheet rock, I'm your guy.
***
Poetry? What's that? I've gotten so good at compartmentalizing my worlds, but I've left little room/time for it. Such a shame. Part of the issue is that I've been putting out small fires in my creative writing program. I suppose that's one of the occupational hazards. And with the baby coming . . . ruh roh.
A grad student passed by my office and gave me writing advice, which is funny, but informs me about my current state. He has an infant daughter and suggested waking up really early to get some writing done. Of course, that doesn't leave much room for sleep, but from what I've been told, I won't be getting much sleep anyway.
Poet parents, though, are a wonderful bunch. I've been getting all kinds of advice from both colleagues and friends from the poetry world.
I do know this much . . . something will have to get squeezed out and it can't be poetry for much longer. I've been taking inventory of my day and it's kind of frightening how much time I waste. I'm a highly functional human being in the morning. Much of my blog is composed then. I also frequent the gym either at mid morning or a little after noon on days that I'm not teaching. My teaching block's roughly five hours. But it's that time around 6PMish that I piss away. My brain's wiped from grading, teaching, etc.. My guess is that I'll need to retrain myself . . . break free of my current schedule.
Anyway, things are going to change. They have to.
***
Been listening to Post Rock stuff lately. I didn't really know that the music had a category, but . . . there you go.
I'm generally a grumpy guy when it comes to space and space issues. I like my stuff where my stuff is supposed to be. Now, I can barely squeeze past the sofa that's blocking the door to the carport.
This too shall pass, though. The painter's going to be finishing up today.
***
By the way, I've gotten really good at installing drywall. Poets, if you need me to surround you in sheet rock, I'm your guy.
***
Poetry? What's that? I've gotten so good at compartmentalizing my worlds, but I've left little room/time for it. Such a shame. Part of the issue is that I've been putting out small fires in my creative writing program. I suppose that's one of the occupational hazards. And with the baby coming . . . ruh roh.
A grad student passed by my office and gave me writing advice, which is funny, but informs me about my current state. He has an infant daughter and suggested waking up really early to get some writing done. Of course, that doesn't leave much room for sleep, but from what I've been told, I won't be getting much sleep anyway.
Poet parents, though, are a wonderful bunch. I've been getting all kinds of advice from both colleagues and friends from the poetry world.
I do know this much . . . something will have to get squeezed out and it can't be poetry for much longer. I've been taking inventory of my day and it's kind of frightening how much time I waste. I'm a highly functional human being in the morning. Much of my blog is composed then. I also frequent the gym either at mid morning or a little after noon on days that I'm not teaching. My teaching block's roughly five hours. But it's that time around 6PMish that I piss away. My brain's wiped from grading, teaching, etc.. My guess is that I'll need to retrain myself . . . break free of my current schedule.
Anyway, things are going to change. They have to.
***
Been listening to Post Rock stuff lately. I didn't really know that the music had a category, but . . . there you go.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
For my birthday, I will . . .
. . . relax. Though, I have to get through this day of teaching first.
***
Am currently radioactive.
***
Listening to the following:
Dengue Fever
Aesop Rock
Madvillain
Tift Merritt
Vampire Weekend
The Russian Futurists
TV On the Radio
***
The sunny days have ended. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled drudgery.
***
Am currently radioactive.
***
Listening to the following:
Dengue Fever
Aesop Rock
Madvillain
Tift Merritt
Vampire Weekend
The Russian Futurists
TV On the Radio
***
The sunny days have ended. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled drudgery.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
---
You Are a Dash |
 Your life is fast paced and varied. You are realistic, down to earth, and very honest. You're often busy doing something interesting, and what you do changes quickly. You have many facets to your personality, and you connect them together well. You have a ton of interests. While some of them are a bit offbeat, they all tie together well. You friends rely on you to bring novelty and excitement to their lives. (And while you're the most interesting person they know, they can't help feeling like they don't know you well.) You excel in: Anything to do with money You get along best with: the Exclamation Point |
Novelty? Excitement? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So not me. For me, excitement = finishing a load of laundry
***
Had our faculty baby shower this afternoon. Lots of TOO CUTE things in the pile of goodies. Photos soon.
***
Weird series of hospital visits this week. Two shots in the buttocks. I know, TMI, but you read blogs for TMI, right?
***
Still sunny and loving it!
***
To my students who googled me . . . I see you.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
