DEAR U.K. RESIDENTS

Knives, Forks and Spoons Press, publisher of my forthcoming THE OPPOSITE OF CLAUSTROPHOBIA: Prime's Anti-Autobiography, has instituted a "Subscription Scheme" for U.K. residents.  The "scheme" (I love that) is HERE, but I replicate below for convenience:

KFS SUBSCRIBER SERVICE
for books published between 2016 and 2017
EXCLUSIVE TO UK RESIDENTS

£50

Receive a welcome pack of books from our backlist worth at least £50, selected by the editor.

And receive forthcoming titles from the following poets as they are published:

Alison Gibb
Wendy Heath
Helen Ivory
Camilla Nelson
Eileen Tabios
Steve Willie

£100

Receive a welcome pack of books from our backlist worth at least £100, selected by the editor.

And receive forthcoming titles from the following poets as they are published:

Rob Burton
Nikki Dudley
Alison Gibb
Jesse Glass
Wendy Heath
Helen Ivory
Ira Lightman
Bruno Neiva
Camilla Nelson
Eileen Tabios
Steve Willey

For further details see here:
http://www.knivesforksandspoonspress.co.uk/subscriberscheme…

LOOKING LOVELY (I THINK) IN ROMANIAN!

I appreciate this unique "Book Day" defined as when one receives Author Copies. Here I am in Romanian(!) with my new book

I FORGOT ARS POETICA / AM UITAT ARTA POETICA

as translated by Roxana Doncu, Teodor Panait, Elena Ţăpean, Gabriela Apetrei, and Iulia Andreea Anghel from university of Bucharest. THANK YOU!

Let’s see: there are three Romanian speakers at my doctor’s office. Critic T.C. Marshall’s son speaks Romanian due to Peace Corps background. And that’s it for my Romanian marketing--unless you know someone! Fortunately, the English remains in the book and, with these 25 poems, serve as a de facto “Selected-as-chosen-when-my-back-is-up-against-the wall”. So if that interests the rest of you, it just became available on Amazon! The retail price there is $19.00 but if you let me know by email (Galateaten at aol dot com), you can have one of my Author Copies for $15, free domestic shipping and signed.

Those Romanian stamps are lovely ...

Do pass the word on to your Romanian-speaking or Romanian friends!!

BANNED BOOKS WEEK 2016

I'm pleased to be part of Lantern Review's celebration of BANNED BOOKS WEEK. Go to link to see what I and others suggest. For me, there was no clearer suggestion than PINOY POETICS, edited by Nick Carbó. Do check out others over at Lantern Review. Thanks to the editors for asking me -- my suggestion is part of quite an interesting list featured HERE.

MARSH HAWK REVIEW, FALL 2016

I'm delighted to announce the release of the Fall 2016 issue of Marsh Hawk Review which I had the pleasure of guest-editing. You can go to the issue (and archive) over HERE.  The Fall 2016 issue presents the following poets -- thanks for sharing their poems!

Jonel Abellanosa

Kimberly Alidio

William Allegrezza

Urvashi Bahuguna

Tom Beckett

James Berger

John Bloomberg-Rissman

Karen Jane Cannon

Geneva Chao

M.A. Fink

Thomas Fink and Maya D. Mason

Ralph Semino Galan

Aileen Ibardaloza

Luisa A. Igloria

Mary Kasimor

Burt Kimmelman

Iris Lee

Susan Lewis

Mary Mackey

Sandy McIntosh

Stephen Paul Miller

Daniel Morris

Valerie Morton

Robert Murphy

Rene Navarro

George Quasha

Marthe Reed

Jared Schickling

Barry Schwabsky

Eileen R. Tabios

Susan Terris

Madeline Tiger

Jean Vengua

Mark Young
Ali Znaidi

I REMEMBER THIS I FORGOT POEM

One of my poems from The Connoisseur of Alleys is featured in the new issue of OurOwnVoice entitled

     the relational elations of ORPHANED ALGEBRA

Yes, I have a book (with j/j/ hastain) with that same title --  the newer poem is a combined reading and remix of the book ...

... because I (and perhaps the boy in the above cover) didn't want to forget.

The poem begins:

[1]I forgot other boys like Samuel and Elwin whose bones became transparent…. I forgot imagination cannot alchemize air into protein…. I forgot an ascetic’s illusion of ecstasy will always be illusion due to its condition precedent: a suffering so unmitigated it hollowed non-survivors from children to earthworms…. I forgot no one else noticing the diminishing moon’s tiptoe across the night sky…. I forgot the lucidity of ancient mountains…. I forgot staring at a photograph of a baby with belly larger than head and later arguing with my math teacher, “Two negatives do not equal a positive!” I forgot broken glass surfacing my first conception of Beauty from the lovely wink of a glass sliver, belying edges and their sharpness…. I forgot the clutter of broken objects manifesting affordable treasures when one owns nothing, or owns only dilemmas over belonging….I forgot the seeking that began without knowing whether one was beginning to stink or sing…. I forgot the differences between desires for father and fodder…. I forgot anthologies of glass.

TEA & TATTERED PAGES!

I always appreciate start-up poetry presses—it’s so idealistic in a lovely way.  Congratulations, then, to Amanda Ngoho Reavey for her enchanting start-up, TEA & TATTERED PAGES! 

But literary start-ups are also difficult and deserve all the support we can muster. I ordered—and hope you will, too—her first publication, the chap nebulous beginnings & strings by Alicia Cahalane Lewis. She’s got a pre-publication offer going; more info HERE. 

Speaking of poetry-related purchases, here’s an update on moi Recently Bought Poetry List of books by poets or about poets/poetry. LET'S BUY POETRY!

NEBULOUS BEGINNINGS & STRINGS by Alicia Cahalane Lewis

THE FLY-TRUFFLER, novel by Gustaf Sobin

SELECTED POEMS by Geoffrey Hill

BARTER by Monica Youn

CERTAIN MAGICAL ACTS by Alice Notley

STUDY by Yuko Otomo

COMING TO JAKARTA: A POEM ABOUT TERROR by Peter Dale Scott

RUN TO THE MOUNTAIN: THE JOURNALS OF THOMAS MERTON, Vol. One 1939-1941, Edited by Patrick Hart

SHAKESPEARE: THE INVENTION OF THE HUMAN by Harold Bloom

ALPHABET NOIR by Nico Vassilakis

NIGHT SKY WITH EXIT WOUNDS by Ocean Vuong

AFTER PROJECTS THE RESOUND by Kimberly Alidio

THE GHOST MANADA by Marci Nelligan

TEACHING MY MOTHER HOW TO GIVE BIRTH by Warsan Shire

HOW TO BUILD THE ANIMAL GLOBE by Eleni Sikelianos

PHANTOM PAINS OF MADNESS by Noelle Kocot

LOCUST GIRL: A LOVESONG (novel) by Merlinda Bobis

LONG LIFE: ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS by Mary Oliver

AMNESIA: Somebody’s Memoir by Eileen R. Tabios

THE GILDED AGE OF KICKSTARTERS by Eileen R. Tabios

I FORGOT ARS POETICA / AM UITAT ARTA POETICĂ (English/Romanian) by Eileen R. Tabios

EXCAVATING THE FILIPINO IN ME by Eileen R. Tabios

Yes, as regards the last four titles, I also include books that I authored. If you want to acquire any of those titles, information on them are on the right-hand column of this blog over available over HERE.

CALIFORNIA BOOK LAUNCH FOR AMNESIA: SOMEBODY'S MEMOIR

It was an honor to launch AMNESIA: Somebody's Memoir at the LOBA Poetry Reading Series of Mendocino Public Library, curated by poet & librarian Melissa Eleftherion Carr.

I was delighted with the audience feedback. This audience asked for an "ENCORE!" -- a first for me to be asked to read more after the scheduled poetry selection! A Q&A wasn't scheduled but one took place as various audience members were very interested in the concepts underlying AMNESIA (which can be seen HERE).

I was also moved to learn from the poet Michael Riedell who was in the audience that he teaches creative writing to about 32 high school students (part of the California Poets in the Schools Program) and he'd been teaching my poems; the students especially loved, he said, my poem "The Forced Departure." I was so happy to hear that as I rarely hear about my work in academic settings! Last but not least, Michael gave me the anthology Shock Therapy: The Writing Asylum Anthology which features his student poets. One of my other projects, the Sit With Moi / Mini Books on Mini Chairs project, also encouraged the class to make mini-books! Michael would read from his mini-book during the Open Mic that followed my reading. Here are pictures below of the event (click on images to enlarge):

(Melissa sets up the book display)

(High school student and poet Abigail Au with my books)

(Some of the lovely audience)

(Poet-teacher Michael Riedell shows his Mini-Book)

(It was cheery to see Michael flip the pages in his tiny book as 

 he read its poem during the Open Mic)

(Melissa reading a poem during Open Mic)

(Anthology put out by Michael's students)

(The back cover features Michael's creative writing students)

Poetry lovers are often interesting people. In the audience as well was artist Heather Seggel who made a necklace pendant from origami-ed bank statements! Such creativity! She created a symphony in blue ... and I was happy to see it! I'm delighted when my poetry interests other creative folk!

HAY(NA)KU FOR SAN MATEO POET LAUREATE!

Aileen Ibardaloza is being considered for Poet Laureate for San Mateo County. I am so pleased to see the hay(na)ku play a role in her project application, which she described on Facebook as

Campaign: "VERSIFY San Mateo County"
Theme: #poetfriendly 

I presented a sample poster to the Board earlier [see above]; the idea is to feature these visual representations of poet and poetry in designated #poetfriendly spaces (libraries, schools, parks, buses, cafes etc). My goal is to encourage a community to search for poetry in unexpected places, making the county officially #poetfriendly in the process.  

Congratulations to Aileen. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will decide next month but, as Aileen says, even if she's not chosen she hopes her project will still get funding. It's certainly worthwhile!

That hay(na)ku -- it sure loves to travel!!

And Aileen, of course, is the author of a hay(na)ku poetry collection that's worth checking out: traje de boda!

"BOOK DAY" for AMNESIA!

2016 is generous with giving me "Book Days"--when the Author Copies arrive! Here's the box with AMNESIA: SOMEBODY'S MEMOIR arriving in time for its launch this Saturday! (http://eileenappearances.blogspot.com)

The dogs approve, though I have to tell them, "Read, not chew!"

(Athena and Ajax)

LET'S NOT FORGET: CALIFORNIA BOOK LAUNCH FOR AMNESIA!

You are invited to the California Book Launch for

AMNESIA: Somebody's Memoir

Sept. 17, 2016, 2 p.m.

Mendocino Public Library

105 N Main Street

Ukiah, CA 95482

The library's reading series is open to both adults and teens. An Open Mic will follow Eileen Tabios's reading.

FACEBOOK Invitation Page

Eileen Tabios will read poems presenting her newest poetry collection, AMNESIA: Somebody's Memoir (Black Radish Books, 2016). Here is the publisher's press release (click on images to enlarge):

KOMMAS: A VISUAL SPECULATIVE FICTION

My latest impetus to try something new resulted in my first visual speculative fiction series, "Kommas," which just found a home at h&, an "occasional journal of visual/concrete poetries and other oddities."  Thanks to curator Ian Whistle.  You can see the 5-image series HERE, and it begins with "Kommas Leaving the Mother Ship" per below:

I actually have text that goes with it but I'll just share the first image's "Kommas Fall from the Mother Ship" and last image's "Kommas Mandala." The rest of the narrative is/can be up to you.

9-1-1's BLACK LIGHTNING

9-1-1: My husband woke me up with a jolt. He had been watching "Good Morning America." He rushed me to the television. We had just left NYC and, from San Francisco, we watched the first tower fall. For over three years, I had worked at the 103rd floor of One World Trade Center. Then the second tower fell. And we watched Charlie Gibson unable to see what was happening. We watched Mr. Gibson unable to process, thus see, the fall of the second tower -- a lesson again in how (1) people fail to see what they do not want to see, and (2) we see only what we want to see. Later, I made a scheduled class visit. I held up a newspaper's front page featuring "The Falling Man". I said that this image revised the image I have of my book BLACK LIGHTNING. I raised the cover of my book, which reproduced a painting by Theresa Chong. I said I could no longer look at my book cover or Theresa's painting (which hangs in my house) without seeing the falling man superimposed against its lines. Theresa had made her painting by standing the canvas on edge, thus, allowing gravity to dictate the fall of the black and white paint stripes. Gravity dictates ... so much. September 11 -- my Birthday for so many years, and still my *legal* birthday. A few years ago, my mother revealed that, actually, I was born on Sept. 10 but the village recorder the next morning failed to adjust the day since I'd been born at night. The revelation shocked, then brought extreme joy. I no longer shared the same birthday as the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. And I was no longer a 9-1-1 baby.

"Black Lightning" by Theresa Chong

EXCAVATE MOI, WHY DONTCHA!

Nothing like the sight of Author Copies to a brand new publication!"

Get yours HERE. This. One. Explodes.

MORNING MOON by ALEX GILDZEN

Thirteen years after the hay(na)ku was officially released to the public, the form continues to go strong!  Its most recent publication (that I know of) is

MORNING MOON by Alex Gildzen

which is an enchanting 2 inch by 2 inch publication from Richard Hansen's marvelous Poems for All. I received this gem in a small letter-sized envelope:

As I was at the local post office, I was able to weigh this gem and it is exactly like the hay(na)ku's receptivity to its multiple interpretations: not heavy!

This was "Priority Mail," indeed and I'm so grateful that I received a copy!  (Oh, but if only Alex had provided a teensy signature!)

I am grateful to see the hay(na)ku travel. Thank you for welcoming it into your lives!

AT THE BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS!

I'm grateful to Alec Newman and Knives, Forks & Spoons Press for putting up excerpts from my forthcoming book-length poem THE OPPOSITE OF CLAUSTROPHOBIA: Prime's Anti-Autobiography_ to be part of Blackpool Illuminations in the U.K. It's going on now and for more info click here: http://www.blackpool-illuminations.net

Photos by Alec Newman.

FUNDRAISING FOR ARTS & EDUCATION

The Center for Art and Thought is currently holding its online fundraising program. Several of my books have been exchanged for donations (I thank those people for their interest in my writings). Now, more of my books are offered for various donation levels, as indicated below. Please consider supporting a wonderful arts and education organization, CA+T:

$40 INVENT(ST)ORY

Eileen Tabios. “INVENT(ST)ORY: Selected Catalog Poems & New (1996-2015)”. Dos Madres Press, 2015. 242 pages. Courtesy of + signed by author. “There are so many paths thru the enchanted forest that is Eileen Tabios’ oeuvre that no one can possibly take them all in one lifetime”—John Bloomberg-Rissman

$50 Sun Stigmata

Eileen Tabios. “Sun Stigmata (Sculpture Poems)”. Marsh Hawk Press, 2014. Hardbound. 134 pages. Courtesy of + signed by author. “Eileen Tabios’s poems twist like silk scarves caught in the wind, offering ardent calligraphies and sly subversions of the passions, so many ways of naming lucidity.”—Andrew Joron

$75 Eileen R. Tabios Poetry Bundle

“The Connoisseur of Alleys.” Marsh Hawk Press, 2016. 96 pages AND “Sun Stigmata (Sculpture Poems).” Marsh Hawk Press, 2014. Hardbound. 134 pages. Courtesy of + signed by author.

Go HERE for CA+T's online fundraising program. Several other book, art objects, a theater session and even a karaoke lesson are available!