HERE COMES THE SUN!

It was such a joy last night to go to a wonderful bookstore, Napa Bookmine, and help celebrate the release of Leza Lowitz's latest book, a wonderful memoir HERE COMES THE SUN: A JOURNEY TO ADOPTION IN 8 CHAKRAS.  I read the book in manuscript and it is as wonderful and innovative as Leza's popular poetry book which I also highly recommend, YOGA POEMS: LINES TO UNFOLD BY. Here are some shots from the reading as she's introduced by Napa Bookmine owner Naomi Chamblin, as she read, and as she signed books.

(Click on images to enlarge)

In the audience was vintner and major poetry supporter Bunnie Finkelstein of Judd's Hill Winery.  We posed together below because there is a less-than-six-degrees connection among us, though I haven't seen both ladies in over a decade. Bunnie and Judd's Hill sponsors a poetry contest. Though I don't usually enter such contests, I did years ago because I had just moved from New York to Napa Valley. I forget the year but, that year, I lost to this lady named "Leza Lowitz." Miffed (well, not really but, still aiming for that grand prize of a 3-litter bottle of cabernet etched in gold and hand-painted), I entered again the following year. To my non-miffedness, I won* and got that bottle. So here we are all pleased with each other:

Seeing two of her winners tonight, Bunnie had a grand idea of doing a poetry reading inviting all the winners of Judd's Hill's annual poetry contest.  Dear Bunnie: I am soooo...o....o there!

As for Leza, I actually met her not through the contest but at another reading. She came to be a supporter of my work and I of hers -- it's a wonderful relationship and friendship!

Click on the above links to the book titles to see more information about Leza's books!


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* The winning poem "Justice" is available in FOOTNOTES TO ALGEBRA.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOVEGLION

I'll bite: Happy Birthday, Jose Garcia Villa!

Dude was a tad curmudgeonly by the time we met (courtesy of poet Luis Cabalquinto), but didn't matter as I love his poems (I think Eric Gamalinda took this photo):

THE MOMENTS THE POETRY READER LOOKS FOR ...

...my bones hurt

because they want to fly

Well, that's a moment. I just read SECRET WEAPON: SELECTED LATE POEMS by the Romanian poet Eugen Jebeleanu, Trans. by Matthew Zapruder and Radu Ioanid with a very useful Introduction by Andrei Codrescu (Coffee House Press, 2008).  I had to let it go to a reviewer in Bucharest!  But I wanted to keep it after reading the poems so, I bought my own!  Not many poetry collections inspire the purse-opening...so kudos to Coffee House Press and the editors for this project!






Here's a sample poem:

I'VE BECOME A BLACK RADISH!

I'm pleased to share that my manuscript AMNESIA: Somebody's Memoir has been accepted for publication by the wonderfully innovative press, Black Radish Books!  AMNESIA is part of my "Murder, Death and Resurrection" project that I've been blogging about here.

Shortly after that decision, I agreed to join their Advisory Board, joining such stellar poets as (from their website):

• F. Douglas Brown
• Norma Cole
• Sueyeun Juliette Lee
• Hoa Nguyen
• Metta Samá
• Susan Schultz
• Carmen Gimenez Smith
• Eileen Tabios
• Orlando White

I am very much looking forward to working with the BRB collective, which also features some of the contemporary poets I very much admire.  Always great to interact with great minds -- makes me smarter! Onward!

Here is a black radish! Eeeeeerie, isn't it...!

A PARTICIPATION CALL FROM THE HALO-HALO REVIEW

Filipino literature--in the Philippines and the diaspora--is a vibrant area of English-language writing. The Halo-Halo Review will be an accessible online summary of critical and other responses to Filipino literature's multiple and diverse forms. Through its Mangazine, it also will feature new reviews and articles as well as serve as the online publisher for reviews and book introductions not yet online. Works in all genres will be covered, including but not limited to fiction, poetry, non-fiction, mixed-genre books, anthologies, children’s literature, and scholarly work.

By "Filipino," The Halo-Halo Review means all who self-identify as Filipino whether they're in the Philippines or the diaspora, as well as mixed-race and hyphenated Filipinos. Alternative monikers include Pinoy, Pinay, Pin@y, Pilipino, Pilipina -- we welcome you all as long as you enjoy halo-halo and manga!

I hope to release the inaugural issue in September. Thus, I am asking for (1) information for online links to reviews of works by Filipino authors; (2) information on introductions, prefaces and afterwords to books that may be available for online reprint; (3) volunteer reviewers who would like to review Filipino titles (reviewers need not be Filipino); and (4) review copies (books that you -- author, publisher or publicist -- wish to send for future review consideration).

To be part of the inaugural issue, send reviews and link information by no later than August 31, 2015.  For future issues, information and contact are welcome throughout the year. Thanks in advance for your time.

Eileen Tabios

Editor, The Halo-Halo Review and The Mangazine

p.s.  Yes, I was sort of hungry when I was thinking of titles for this project...

(Hello from the Halo-Halo!)

NEW BOOK, OLD HAIR

With much joy, I share that my manuscript AMNESIA: Somebody's Memoir has been accepted for publication by Black Radish Books for a 2016 release! I am delighted at joining the company of such fine innovative poets whose work I respect, love and enjoy!

For a sample poem along with responses to that poem by Marthe Reed, John Bloomberg-Rissman, Leny Strobel, Anne Gorrick, lars palm and Sheila Murphy, you can go to the lovely Otoliths journal edited by Mark Young for the following folio: "[6 x 1] + [1 x 6]."

***

I also thank Mark Young for accepting three of my "Mortality Asemics" to be part of the latest issue of Otoliths.  Go HERE to see fabulous work by Cecelia Chapman, Felino A. Soriano, Texas Fontanella, Heath Brougher, George McKim, Kyle Hemmings, Philip Byron Oakes, Jim Leftwich, Paul Summers, Annette Plasencia, Steve Dalachinsky, Karl Kempton, Vernon Frazer, Pete Spence, Eileen R. Tabios, Anna Ryan-Punch, Toby Fitch, Olivier Schopfer, Carlyle Baker, Lakey Comess, A. A. Kostas, John M. Bennett, Cheryl Penn, Joel Chace, Demosthenes Agrafiotis, Jack Galmitz, Ric Carfagna, Owen Vince, Keith Kumasen Abbott, Russell Bennetts & Rauan Klassnik, Marco Giovenale, David Greenslade, Chris Moran, Alyson Miller, Raymond Farr, John Pursch, Richard Kostelanetz, Michael Jacobson, hiromi suzuki, Tyler Pruett, Rosaire Appel, Lee Ballentine, Jessie Janeshek, Márton Koppány, Sal Randolph, Jim McCrary, John Lowther, Sabine Miller, Volodymyr Bilyk, Howie Good, John Martone, Tim Wright, Eric Hoffman, Bill Wolak, Jeff Harrison, David Adès, Kathup Tsering, Natsuko Hirata, Tim Gaze, Daniel Pilkington, sean burn, Patrick Williams, Rob Stuart, Amelia Dale, Spencer Selby, Tony Beyer, Cecelia Chapman & Jeff Crouch, Joseph Salvatore Aversano, Carol Stetser, Joe Balaz, Bobbi Lurie, Holly Friedlander Liddicoat, Ed Baker, Emma Corcoran, Sean Bolton, bruno neiva, Barnaby Smith, dan raphael, PT Davidson, Sheila E. Murphy, Cherie Hunter Day, A. Scott Britton, Marco Diotallevi, Willie Smith, Susan Connolly, SS Prasad, Michael Brandonisio, Johannes S. H. Bjerg, Mark Russell, Bob Heman, Ian Gibbins, J. D. Nelson, Lotto Thießen, Sam Langer, harry k stammer, & Katrinka Moore. 

***

For some reason, this was a particularly active week. Earlier in the week I finished and submitted a poetics essay. I edited a short-story collection and, this afternoon, submitted it to a publisher. I also worked hard on a new venture: a new journal that will present reviews and other engagements with works in all genres by Filipino authors. So, as they first said through disco, THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!

From Otoliths, here's some of my white hair, a cost of it all ... :

ALOHA FROM GALATEA RESURRECTS!

So many review copies keep arriving for Galatea Resurrects. Here's a photo of just some of them -- and there's more at http://grarchives.blogspot.com . Please consider reviewing! Next deadline is Nov. 15. (And those of you with some review copies--please do try to make this next issue.)  Thanks!