HAY(NA)KU IN NORTH MACEDONIA!

The hay(na)ku continues to be a jetsetter! Poet-artist-performer Dijana Petkova recently brought something new to Macedonian audiences with her project "Dragon Tamer" that presents Dijana's hay(na)ku variation called "hai[bun]aku"! The book Dragon Tamer was launched with a performance involving theater techniques at Skopje's House of Culture. Info and pics below!

[click on images to enlarge]

THANK YOU, ANSELM BERRIGAN, FOR A CONCEPT TO REALITY

I like the idea for idea's sake.  Like many people, I have tons more ideas than what moves from idea stage to become reality.  And finishing up my experimental biography manuscript, AGAINST MISANTHROPY, reminded me that one of my ideas became reality only because of Anselm Berrigan.  To wit, here's an excerpt from the book:

An example relates to 147 MILLION ORPHANS, a “haybun” which is a form that combines hay(na)ku and other text....I’m excited about 147 MILLION ORPHANS partly because each word forming a hay(na)ku is taken chronologically from an 8^th grade project by my son who was charged to learn English partly by studying 25 new words a week.  I blogged for months about 147 MILLION ORPHANS because I just loved the idea of using my son’s words that he learned over the course of a schoolyear.  But I was mostly relishing its concept, and only wrote its first few poems after Anselm Berrigan solicited me for The Brooklyn Rail.  [From there I wrote more poems.] I respect both Anselm and The Rail and so wanted to respond to the solicitation.  Without Anselm Berrigan, the [physical reality of the book] 147 MILLION ORPHANS might not exist.

Until editing AGAINST MISANTHROPY, I'd forgotten about Anselm's role in 147 MILLION ORPHANS.  Without Anselm's interest, I may never have written the actual poems but might just have continued blathering about its underlying concept.  I don't know that I'd ever thanked him specifically for his role!  Que horror!  So belatedly, sheepishly, but sincerely, I say, MARAMING SALAMAT, Anselm!

OVER WHERE STALACTITES FORM A CHANDELIER

"The book amounts to a powerful (and polyvocal) meditation on orphanhood, adoption, parenthood, education, the poetics of language acquisition, and multiple authorship.  It’s both lyrically intense and structurally adventurous."

That's Michael Leong on 147 MILLION ORPHANS.  His full engagement is HERE.

The review also occasioned me to explore his site of stalactites.  and I stumbled across his "News that Stays Newz, or How I Spent Bad Poetry Day.”  His article meanders into his spending time with the hay(na)ku...and I was amused (and gratified) to see him call it "like the tip of an Oulipian 'snowball'"!  As Michael is familiar with and has created wonderful works from constraint-based writing, I was cheered to read such -- thank you, Michael Leong!  (And click on links, Peeps -- the articles are interesting!)

LATEST BOOK ON AMAZON

147 MILLION ORPHANS (MMXI-MML) is now available on

Amazon!

You can box with it!

147 MILLION ORPHANS (MMXI-MML)

I am blessed to release my 20th (I think) poetry collection through gradient books: an experimental poetry press helmed by the visionary Jukka-Pekka Kervinen:


147 MILLION ORPHANS (MMXI-MML) 

Here's some info about the book through its "PRE" (or Preface):

PRE 

While no one really knows the number of orphans worldwide, a common estimate is 147 million.  These children represent one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of our time even as their plight fails to receive as much attention as natural disasters or wars.  

147 MILLION ORPHANS: MMXI-MML is the first book-length haybun poetry collection.  A “haybun” is a combination of hay(na)ku and other text. The hay(na)ku (http://haynakupoetry.blogspot.com)  is a 21^st century diasporic poetic form; its core is a tercet-based stanza with the first line being one word, the second line being two words, and the third line being three words. 

For these haybun, the opening hay(na)ku tercet generally served as impetus to the subsequent prose. Each word forming the hay(na)ku tercets is taken from a school project by Eileen R. Tabios’ adopted son, Michael.  After arriving in the United States, Michael had been encouraged to learn English in 8^th grade partly by learning 25 new words a week.

I want to thank the dozen poets who helped define the author "Eileen R. Tabios" for this book's purpose -- thanks for participating to William Allegrezza, Tom Beckett, John Bloomberg-Rissman, Michael Caylo-Baradi, Patrick James Dunagan, Thomas Fink, j/j hastain, Aileen Ibardaloza, Ava Koohbor, Michael Leong, Sheila Murphy and Jean Vengua.

Also, ahem, this is the first time (and perhaps last) that I'll ever punch out a discourse on boxing, in that writing category of "Write about what you don't know."  I do a dove's coo at Mike Tyson with the thousand-yard stare that can fell an opponent even before the first jab.  Here's a photo of the boxing gloves I used to do "research" (what I do for this ridiculous Muse!):

I hope the book knocks you out (okay, couldn't resist that jab...).  

Lastly, the book soon will be available for $15 on Amazon.  Note that the above book title is linked to the book's Lulu account where it's not just priced for $10 but carries a 25% price discount.  $7.50 is about as inexpensive as any of my books go, nowadays!

A BREAKFAST CONVERSATION

147 MILLION ORPHANS will be the first book-length haybun poetry collection.  A "haybun" consists of a hay(na)ku tercet followed by prose.  

Though I invented the hay(na)ku, I've never been one of its most adept or prolific practitioners.  Indeed, the first book-length hay(na)ku poetry collection to be released was NOT EVEN DOGS by Mexican poet Ernesto Priego.  I've always thought my maximalist tendencies hindered me from the hay(na)ku … 

But the haybun incorporates aspects of my beloved prose poem form and so perhaps it makes more sense that I would inaugurate its first book manifestation.

Anyway, I was telling my son about 147 MILLION ORPHANS as he ate breakfast this morning because it wouldn't have been possible without him.  That is, every single hay(na)ku in the book was (randomly) generated from one of his school projects.  In 8th grade, he had been  encouraged to learn English by learning 25 new words a week for the entire school year.  From that list of words, I created tercet prompts for haybun by simply lifting six words chronologically from his list.

To which he responded positively but in a non-heightened way (for lack of a better way to put it).  By "non-heightened," I mean that he wasn't responding THAT'S COOL! or NOT COOL! in some manner that would recognize the topic to be special.  The topic wasn't "special" per se; the topic was just a normal topic, much like weather or football.  And this is what I appreciated the most -- that poetry was ASSUMED to be part of one's life, not something in some special-but-Other category separate from our "normal" lives.

That was making my day.  But that's not all.  During the conversation, I had David Oistrakh playing in the background.  And Michael said, "Mom, that's pretty good" (though with a slightly surprised tone because he usually thinks my music choices suck). 

A bit taken aback, I said, "Ah. You should listen to more classical music."

My Eminem-obsessed son replied, "Sure."  Sure, l echoed in my mind, with a full heart, as I saw him with my mind's eye wearing his brand new Red Hot Chili Peppers t-shirt.

I tell you -- there is something special about watching a child (continue to) blossom.  Five years earlier when he came into our life, he had been so small-ified by what he'd experienced thus far in his life.  Now, he's blossoming (and in ways many "experts" with orphans would not have thought possible for him).  When a child is raised not orphaned by Love, it shows -- on the right, he's on Varsity Soccer with two teammates I know also to be loved by their families. 

What I didn't tell Michael is that 147 MILLION ORPHANS ends with this in the Acknowledgements section:

Last but not least, much love to Michael who is so good in English he even writes poems.  Thank you for sharing your words. If it needs to be said, this book is about 147 million orphans, not you who is a beloved son.

Well, I began posting about a book and end up discussing … my son.  But, the artist is always informed by hir life.  Reminds me of that violinist-character in "A Late Quartet," another Netflix movie I binged on recently.  He told this younger violinist, "If you insist on playing the [Beethoven's] '131' prematurely, read his biography first" before going to his bookshelf and taking out a three-volume biography.  This, I think, says something -- not just about violinists wanting to hearken the speed of the virtuoso Heifetz but the poets who focus on technique to the detriment of (not content but) soul.

This post seems to be going all over the place.  But that's probably why they say breakfast is the most important meal -- to set one up for the rest of the day…

So I might as well digress further by sharing yet another drawing by Michael.  He calls it "Star."  I call it "St-ars Poetica."  Because isn't a star also subjective, all in the beholder's subjectivity, recognized or not by a soul? The first time I saw this drawing, I wanted to write a new book just so I could place the image on its front cover!

I always feel blessed when Michael spreads his Son-Shine.

PANIC AS A MUSE

Yesterday morning, I couldn't find the print-out of a manuscript-in-progress.  I could feel my heartbeat elevate as I scoured the house top and bottom looking for the print-out.  I had an electronic file version in my computer but I also knew that I had written various notes on the print-out that the e-version doesn't capture.

Well, I couldn't find it.  So, in a panic, I went to the computer and printed out the e-version just to have something in hand and to look at it closely and perhaps redo some notes on it to the extent I could remember such notes.

My husband tried to calm me down but observing, "You're having a First World Problem."  That didn't help.  (Well, okay, it was amusing but I didn't laugh until the end of the day for reasons I'll  note below.)

So, I then had this print-out and started looking at it.  And looking at it.  And looking at it I realize that, actually, I might have enough in it already to create a new book!

So I formatted and edited and, actually, wrote 3 more poems to flesh out what I had and, Yep: I had a new book!

Then I checked my emails, learned about gradient press, a new press focused on experimentation and headed by the brilliant Jukka-Pekka Kervinen.  I emailed out a query to him in Finland (I adore these RADIANT FINNS and, truly, Jukka's radiance is linked to his brilliance!).  And, yep, this morning, my manuscript was accepted.

All in 24 hours and started by a panic attack.  This, my friends, is how I get my books published.  And, as it turns out, this book will probably be published sooner than my Fall 2014 scheduled release, SUN STIGMATAS.  Jukka doesn't mess around.

INSERT DRUM ROLL and entonces dear friends, I am pleased to announce the forthcoming release of my new 20th poetry collection--and the first book-length haybun collection:

147 MILLION ORPHANS (MMXI-MML)

I hope you'll find interesting this book that, in addition to addressing the plight of orphans worldwide, also addresses the poetic authorial persona and boxing.  More on such later as, for now, I just want to wallow in the feeling of birthing a new book.  It's a moment -- thank you, Poetry: you always like to mess with Moi but are also so generous with your rewards...under the category, "Poetry as a Way of Life."