IT'S LIVE, BUT OTOLITHS IS ALWAYS ALIVE!

Thanks to editor-publisher Mark Young for taking two of my poems -- "In the Beginning, Before Words There was Poetry" and "END TO BEGIN: An Autobiography" -- in latest issue of Otoliths.  Here's message from Mark!

Otoliths issue thirty-four is now live. Insert your own superlatives. In addition to September Poems, a long sequence from Ken Bolton, there's the usual ….. variety of work in a ….. variety of styles from a ….. variety of people—Anne Gorrick, Paul Pfleuger, Jr., Jessie Janeshek, Christopher Mulrooney, Richard Kostelanetz, Philip Byron Oakes, Steve Timm, Pete Spence, Thomas Michael Gillaspy, Jim Meirose, Jack Galmitz, John M. Bennett, Jim Leftwich, Jim Leftwich & John M. Bennett, Thomas M. Cassidy & John M. Bennett, Tom Beckett, Joe Balaz, B. T. Joy, Raymond Farr, Louise Landes Levi, SS Prasad, Philip Hammial, Cecelia Chapman, Bobbi Lurie, Pam Brown, Nicola Griffin, John McKernan, Natsuko Hirata, Shataw Naseri, Eileen R. Tabios, John Lowther, sean burn, Mary Kasimor & Susan Lewis, Stephen Nelson, Sheila E. Murphy, Michelle Greenblatt & Sheila E. Murphy, bruno neiva, Aditya Bahl, Andrew Topel, Leigh Herrick, Satu Kaikkonen, Andrew K. Peterson, Andrew Brenza, Marco Giovenale, Marcello Diotallevi, Jeff Harrison, David-Baptiste Chirot, Marcus Liljedahl, Felino A. Soriano, Jeremy Freedman, Carol Stetser, Johannes S. H. Bjerg, J. D. Nelson, Bob Heman, Francesco Levato, Mark Staniforth, Lakey Comess, Ong Sher Li, Kit Kennedy, Cherie Hunter Day, Texas Fontanella, Maureen Alsop, Marty Hiatt, Katrinka Moore, Owen Bullock, Joseph Salvatore Aversano, Susan Gangel & Terry Turrentine, Jake Goetz, Michael Brandonisio, Alice Allan, Chris D'Errico, sven staelens, Bogdan Puslenghea, Scott-Patrick Mitchell, Nurul Wahidah, Eric Hoffman, Spencer Selby, John Pursch, & Marilyn Stablein.

In addition, the print editions of issues thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, &—be amazed—thirty-four are all now available from The Otoliths Storefront.

Mark Young

SPECIAL POETRY FROM LUIS H. FRANCIA!

[Please Forward]

Meritage Press Release

FALL SPECIAL: LUIS H. FRANCIA’S RECENT POETRY BOOKS!

Meritage Press is pleased to announce a FALL SPECIAL for Luis H. Francia’s poetry books: Tattered Boat (University of the Philippines, 2014) and Museum of Absences (University of the Philippines and Meritage Press, 2003). 

In addition to Tattered Boat, Luis H. Francia is the author of other poetry collections, including The Beauty of Ghosts, Museum of Absences, and The Arctic Archipelago and Other Poems. His poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Language for a New Century and Love Rise Up! His poems have been translated into Spanish, German, and Filipino. His memoir, Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago, won both the 2002 PEN Open Book and the Asian American Writers awards. He edited Brown River, White Ocean: An Anthology of Twentieth Century Philippine Literature in English, and co-edited the literary anthology Flippin’: Filipinos on America and Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream, 1899-1999. Included in the Library of America’s Becoming Americans: Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing, Francia is on the faculty of Asian American Studies at New York University and Hunter College, and teaches poetry and creative nonfiction at City University of Hong Kong s MFA Program.

Tattered Boat usually sells for $20 and Museum of Absences for $16.  If you purchase both books, your sale price would be $25.  If you wish to purchase just one book, your sale price would be $16 for Tattered Boat and $12 for Museum of Absences. 

This Fall Special expires Oct. 31, 2014.

For each order, please add $3 for a discounted rate on shipping/handling costs.  You can order by sending a check made out to “Meritage Press” to

E. Tabios

Publisher, Meritage Press

P.O. Box 361

St. Helena, CA 94574

Book information is available at

Tattered Boat: http://uppress.com.ph/node/295

Museum of Absences: http://meritagepress.blogspot.com/2012/09/museum-of-absences-by-luis-francia.html

Some reader responses:

Tattered Boat: “In the Philippines, a slang word for cool or bad meaning good or dope or fresh is wasak, which is literally ruin. In Luis Francia's book, Tattered Boat, he takes on ruin of the heart, spiritual wreckage, and the failing body. I love his sense of play—so much good music in these poems (his internal inverted consonance reminds me of his old mentor Jose Garcia Villa, so does his penchant for the metaphysical—and full disclosure that Luis is a friend and former teacher of mine). I do sense strong reverberations from La Generación de '27, a literary lineage that many living writers pay homage to, but few feel that lyric intensity in their bodies and shape that energy on the page. Francia does--especially with this book. There's a lot of craft happening in the current scene, but I'm happy for a ship that's been through some rough waters and still sails. There's wisdom in that.” – Patrick Rosal

Museum of Absences: Luis H. Francia calls his life (and himself) a "tale of two cities--Manila and New York,” and that is the essence of this book, an exploration of rootlessness, geographical as well as metaphysically. In one of the poems, a manong—older brother in Filipino, a term applied to the generation of immigrants from early to mid-twentieth century—a manong speaks: "Where in a white world can / This grain of unhusked rice spin?" Cinderella, at age fifty, "would like to / think it was all a bad dream, but for / the slipper ... glass encased in glass." The most powerful poem is "New York Mythologies" (on 9/11): "Our bones are marrow'd with hope / Our childhood gods and duendes in tow / Cradles and graves on our backs." Francia's signature hero is Jimi Hendrix: "Think of him as Odysseus on / guitar ... he navigates wild riffs / with a sense of sin, but not regret." Hope, art, and love abide. – Vince Gotera, North American Review

FOR MORE INFORMATION: MeritagePress@aol.com

'NUFF SAID!

AND you can dance to it!

http://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc

BALANCING THE SCALE

As I'm putting my Fall book SUN STIGMATA to (printing) bed, I'm also editing a new manuscript with a new-to-me publisher awaiting it.  That'd be my 28th poetry/multi-genre collection.  And so I announce its title:

AMNESIA: SOMEBODY'S MEMOIR

Someone just asked me about my prolificness and I replied it's not about the number of books.  Those books just manifest what my work demands I explore: SCALE.

Scale: there's a certain type of work made possible only by prolonged attention and while that approach generates a lot of books (I'll have done 3 in 2014), that's just a side-effect.  I'm just paying attention to what (my) work demands, and it voraciously demands a huge scale.  That's why, if one looks at my editing, one can see a page like this as much as edited text:

In AMNESIA's case, you see, I'm also working with balancing said scale ...

I know I'm blessed to keep finding book publishers.  And it's partly because if 27 manuscripts piled up in my drawers (pun intended) instead of finding their way out to the world, I'd be suffering the imbalance of constipation.  Nuff said.

SHALL WE GO FISHING TOGETHER?

Poet Paul Pines is also a psychotherapist and former Merchant Seaman, some context for this lovely email he recently sent regarding 44 RESURRECTIONS: 

"Reading your "44 Resurrections," I thought of one of the ideas I am playing with as a talk to follow my reading of "Fishing on the Pole Star," called "Trolling with the Fisher King." It seems to me that fishing, trying to hook important unconscious content and bring it to light, the split-off parts of one's self, etc., is to recognize that what you catch returns to darkness--since the fish disappears back into the depths, we are also reminded of the dictum that the unconscious both wants to become conscious but also does not wish it. (Jung) So it was with Isis gathering the parts of Osiris, and Eileen making the process central to the details of her life. Unforgettable!

Yes, the process matters mucho to me.  Thank you, Paul.  (And those who actually read moi resurrections will understand the significance of his compliment, Unforgettable!)

And may I also recommend this interesting conversation between Paul and Jon Curley at THE CONVERSANT!  It ends with the poem “ORACLE” that I excerpt here with much agreement for its sentiment:

… be kind
Art is letting
All your senses
Live
...
All books will
Be written

RECOMMENDED SPANISH WINES AND MORE

I like lists-as-autobiographies and below is my memoir of Spain viz a list of recommended Spanish wines!  But first, a rose:

Which is to say, of course it doesn't hurt to send me a rose when you're making a request. I recently received a review copy of Alessandra Bava's chap, THEY TALK ABOUT DEATH, from Blood Pudding Press which has a cover of a horse bedecked by roses. And when I opened the chap, a teensy grey rose slipped out, made from a thin ribbon. 'Twas enchanting! It's now ensconced on the Gaudi-designed mini chair I brought back from Spain for my "Mini Books on Mini Chairs" project over at SitWithMoi. Well, yes, I did do a review for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects -- am just being transparent about being enchanted: wonderful poems topped by a rose...

And here's the rest of my latest Relished W(h)ines update of recently imbibed books and wines.  As ever, please note that in the Publications section, if you see an asterisk before the title, that means a review copy is available for GalateaResurrects!  More info on that HERE.

PUBLICATIONS

V: WAVESON.NETS / LOSING L’UNA, poems by Stephanie Strickland (Stellar.  Linkedin Poetry Recommendation #122)

THE GALLOPING MAN AND FIVE OTHER POEMS by Gregory Vincent St. Thomas (fabulous!  LPR #123)

SLIGHT RETURN: REMIX AND EKPHRASIS, poems by Robert Archambeau (fabulous! LPR #124)

THEY TALK ABOUT DEATH, poems by Alessandra Bava (fabulous! LPR #125)

THE BLACK UNICORN, poems by Audre Lorde (stands the test of time)

AMBIT, Pilipino poems by E. San Juan

*  COWS, poems by Frederic Boyer, Trans. by Nicholas Bredie and Joanna Howard

*  SO I BEGAN, poems by Lisa Lubasch

*  TAX-DOLLAR SUPER SONNET FEATURING SARAH PALIN AS POET, poems by Nicole Mauro

*  THE SPEED OF OUR LIVES, poems by Grace C. Ocasio

*  COMFORTABLE KNIVES, poems by Stephen Emmerson

SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME, poems by Halvard Johnson

CALIBAN ONLINE ISSUE #16, Editor Lawrence R. Smith

KUWENTO: LOST THINGS : AN ANTHOLOGY OF NEW PHILIPPINE MYTHS, co-edited by Rachelle Cruz and Melissa Sipin (read in manuscript as I'm a contributor -- check out its fabulous website HERE!)

WHAT POETS ARE LIKE: UP AND DOWN WITH THE WRITING LIFE, memoir by Gary Soto

AND PICASSO PAINTED GUERNICA; THE STORY OF A MASTERPIECE, told by Alain Serres

HAPPY TIMES, memoir by Lee Radziwill

AN ARMY OF LOVERS, novel by Juliana Spahr and David Buuck

THE LAST REFUGE, novel by Ben Coes

PERSUADER, novel by Lee Child

THE NEAREST EXIT, novel by Olen Steinhauer

WYNNE’S WAR, novel by Aaron Gwynn

DESTROYER ANGEL, novel by Nevada Barr

WINES

A Spanish Travelogue

DAY 1

2006 Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5o

2009 Clos Martinet

2012 Jaspi Blanc

DAY 2

Gramona Rose

2011 Mauro

DAY 3

2010 Protos

Lopez de Heredia Tondonia

2007 Clos Mogador

DAY 4

2011 Clos Mogador

2010 Manyetes

Nelin

2005 Clos de L’Obac

2013 Gratallops

2013 Fina Dofi

2013 L’Ermita

2011 Finca Dofi

1978 Alvaro Palacios Special Anniversary Bottling

DAY 5

White wine at Azurmendi, could have been Arima De Gorka Izagirre

1994 Lopez de Heredia Tandonia Gran Reserva

2002 Vega Sicilia

Peter Siemens Ximenez-Spinola Pedro Ximenez

2012 Aispurua Getariako Txakolina

2012 Txomiri Etxaniz Txakoli

1986 Vega Sicilia

1991 Vega Sicilia Reserva Especial

1994 Vega Sicilia Reserva Especial

1995 Vega Sicilia Reserva Especial

2009 Lara O

DAY 6

2008 Chateau De Fieuzal Sauvignon Blanc

1994 Vega Sicilia

2007 Colntino Graciano

2005 Ygay Gran Reserva

2010 Flor de Pingus

DAY 7

1981 Via Real Gran Reserva

1981 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Gran Reserva

1970 Cune Imperial

2007 Contino Vina del Olivo

2009(?) Aalto PS

DAY 8

2006 Miguel Merino Reserva

2006 Ramirez de Ganuza Reserva

2013 Marques de Riscal Rueda

2009 Marques de Riscal Reserva

DAY 9

2012 Artadi Vinas de Gairi

2005 Artadi Pagos Viejos

2010 Artadi El Carretil

2012 Contino Blanco

2009 Contino Graciano

2007 Contino Reserva

2010 Contino Garnacha

2007 Contino Gran Reserva

2010 Contino Vina del Olivio

1991 Lopez de Heredia Tandonia Blanco

1999 Lopez de Heredia Tandonia Blanco

2003 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia

2002 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva

DAY 10

2006 Sierra Cantabaria San Vicente

2006 SV El Puntido

2006 SV La Nieta

2006 SV El Bosque

2008 SV Victorino

2012 SV Organza

1960 Vega Sicilia Unico (died in bottle)

1975 Vega Sicilia Unico

2006 Abadia Retuerta X

DAY 11

2010 Barrel Sample Aalto

2010 Barrel Sample Aalto PS

2013 Barrel Sample Aalto

2013 Barrel Sample Aalto PS

1996 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva

1991 Vega Sicilia Unico Valvera 20 Manzanas

2012 Pingus

2013 Pingus Barrel Sample

2013 Pingus Flor Barrel Sample

DAY 12

2007 Quincha Corral Vino De La Tierra El Terrerazo

1994 Rioja Alta Gran Reserva

Pedro Ximenez “Tradicion”  20 Anos

1995 Vega Sicilia Unico

DAY 13

2011 Vallegarcia Viognier Montes De Toledo

2010 Artadi Vinas de Gain

DAY 14

2005 Muga Prado Enca Gran Reserva

2012 Las Terrasses

After Spain

2011 Frank Family Vineyard NV

2011 Straight Line Tempranillo

2012 Couloir John Sebastiano Pinot Noir

REV VERSE and A CUBIST WAY TO EDIT

Speaking of the MDR Poetry Generator, I've been developing the first book-length collection to come out of it and discovered a new way to edit due to the project's cubist approach.  While I'd discussed "abstract language" in a prior post about the Generator, I'd not specified its cubist characteristic ... which is a long-held interest that shows up partly in how my early prose poems presented paragraphs that could be re-ordered from their publication order and still create effective poems.  

So, the working title for this manuscript is REV VERSE, because of its various reversals, that is also offering me a new way to edit poems.  That is, to make sure each line is strong, I reverse the order of the lines within a poem and the fresh perspective allows me to test each line anew from when I'd written them.

If the MDR Poetry Generator works, those "reversed" poems are also effective.  Still in the midst of it but I can share that the first reversed poem has been accepted for publication.  So, there must be something there.  Why not?  Perhaps to mature in poetry is to identify, too, when to ... reverse. 

As in, perhaps making the Weeping Woman smile ...

CHASING PICASSO'S "GUERNICA"

I've started delving into Picasso's painting "Guernica" as I suspect there's something in its about-ness that will invigorate my poetry.  And so happy to receive another Guernica title from a friend, Mari, who sent us four books as thanks for planning our recent trip to Spain.  I'll happily delve into all of these!

The above four books nearly encapsulate our recent Spanish experience ... a Spanish wine book would complete it.

MY ADVENTURES IN THE KITCHEN

Yes, the word "kitchen" is not usually associated with Moi.  Anyway, I've been trying, somewhat, to clear up my e-files and stumbled across these photos of a present once given me by stellar poet Sandy Mcintosh and his lovely wife Barbara.  It's a set of five kitchen towels -- presumably, if I draped them in line cross the oven bar where I hang kitchen towels, they would spell out my poem "Wind Falls" in the chained hay(na)ku form.  What a lovely birthday present that was from Sandy, also a poet-chef.

The poem is also from one of my Marsh Hawk Press books, either THIS or THIS.  I can't recall at the moment so feel free to look it up yourself (insert Smiley).  

So relatedly, last week, my son was hungry and asked, "Mom, can you buy me something please?"  A reference, no doubt, to our local supermarket which has a fine deli.  Now, most children might phrase that request as "Mom, can you cook me something?" or "Mom, can you make me something?"  My son, though, has figured out that I rarely cook and thus asked the question appropriately.  While I appreciated his insight, I was struck a bit by it (is that maternal guilt?  Off with ye!) ... and thought yesterday that I should actually COOK something.  So at the risk of giving him a heart attack, I cooked him lunch.  Here's what I made!

Yes, let's all pause for a bit to appreciate its loveliness.  Oh, you would like the recipe?!  Well of course I'll share!  What am I but not Ms. Generosity when it comes to sharing knowledge?!  Recipe: Open two cans of Light Progresso chicken-based soups -- "Light" because I am also a health-conscious chef.  I used Chicken Noodle and Chicken Rice.  Then, just about two minutes before they would finish heating up, I put in a package of frozen won ton.  Heat, Stir, and Serve with Much Love!

My son's reaction?  "Yum!"  SCO....O......O.....ORE!!!!

And if my recipe doesn't impress you, let me tell you what I told my son, "Feel free to complain when you notice I don't cook up three books a year anymore..."

P.S.  I just belatedly realized: I guess that Sandy was funning me when he chose to give me kitchen towels...

...though he is poet enough to also give me Red Roses ... Thank you, Sandy.

TAXES: A POET'S MASOCHISTIC PLEASURE

I just mailed this and while it cost me money, I don't begrudge it.  Because for me to cut a check to the State of California for owed sales taxes means that, yep, I managed to sell poetry books!  So feast on this image with Moi!

But in addition to selling poetry books, I also BUY poetry books!  Here's my latest  Recently Bought Poetry List of books by poets or about poets/poetry.  The first three titles are from Naissance Chapbooks which is running a special – for every chap you purchase from their wonderful list, you can get a free copy of my chap ROMAN HOLIDAY!  Details HERE! Recently, I bought

THE HOAX OF CONTAGION by Michael Leong

OF COLLOCATED RHYTHMS by Felino A. Soriano

WATCHING THE WINDOWS SLEEP by Tantra Bensko

V: WAVESON.NETS / LOSING L’UNA by Stephanie Strickland

THE BLACK UNICORN by Audrey Lorde

CONTRABAND OF HOOPOE by Ewa Chrusciel

THE BARONS by Joshua Corey

TO KEEP TIME by Joseph Massey

MISSING THE MOON by Bin Ramke

AN ARMY OF LOVERS, novel by David Buuck and Juliana Spahr

WHAT POETS ARE LIKE: UP AND DOWN WITH THE WRITING LIFE, memoir by Gary Soto

147 MILLION ORPHANS (MMXI-MML) by Eileen R. Tabios (if I buy my own books I include on this list)

VERSES TYPHOON YOLANDA: A STORM OF FILIPINO POETS, Editor Eileen R. Tabios