memorial for a brilliant woman

Monday, November 24, 2008

help me! Vote!

Throwdown 1

Select the best caption. The one with the lowest score is OUT.

Which caption is the best?
Adam Deutsch
Stacey Lyn n Brown
R.J. Gibson
Christopher Hennessy
Shann Palmer
Leslie Harrison
Nate McClain

View Results

Create your own myspace poll


The contest is o9ver at Avoid the Muse

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Poetry and Poetry Contests

Above all, keep in mind that poetry collections must be novelistically structured. Before Emily Dickinson’s heap of 1,775 untitled poems could be competitive she would have to discard 1,700 of them, give each of the remaining 75 a title, sort them into three thematic batches, each with a section title and epigraph, and come up with a catchy “umbrella” title (Wild Nights might be a hit with student-screeners). This procedure is so de rigueur these days it’s as if there were a bumper sticker slapped on every collection, boasting: “My other book is a novella.”

Some interesting advice from contest winner and publisher David Alpaugh.

To read the entire article click HERE

Trinity Rep Radio Theater: feature a program of stories and poems that explore the relationship between mothers and daughters. [MP3] —

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Give Richmond a present! Buy LOCAL!

Instead of going to a big chain to buy gifts, go to FOUNTAIN BOOKSTORE in Shockoe Slip and buy those gift books!

You can probably even order a gift certificate online and have it sent to someone you care about- and before you say, but it's small! They don't have what I want- Kelly and her people KNOW books, they actually read them, all the time- and they can order almost anything you want. If you don't know what you want, ask- they WILL have a suggestion.

You can even join this cool thing called IndieBound and make up your own wish list so folks know what to get and order it directly from Fountain Bookstore! I set mine up (hint, hint)!

I was by there tonight for a poetry reading and they also have cards and doodads and a really nice children's section.

seriously- support your local indie bookstore, or watch them disappear!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tony Hoagland, marry me!

This is another reason why he is one of my favorite poets-

Requests for Toy Piano

I would leave my husband and children for you, Tony!!

will art survive the economy?

For the first time, I am having serious doubts about the survival of art in Richmond, non-profit art, and in particular, art6, my home base.

In the face of economic downturn, and it's not over yet, the money people have to spend is shrinking, the time, the energy that we can devote to such small endeavors is beginning to chafe at all of us. We struggle to pay our personal bills, forget the rent and utilities at public spaces.

Where do we go to spend our entertainment dollars? First Fridays are not as popular as they were when we were having 4,000-5,000 visitors- we now have more like 2500 on a given night, most of those beer swilling students, not folks who will purchase a piece of art. The meetings for the governing groups occur on weekday mornings most of the time, fine for restaurant owners and for-profit galleries with paid staff. Where does that leave the all-volunteer, artist-run gallery?

Out in the cold, that's where. Everything we do is done by folks who have other job to support their art habits. We have families, we have obligations, we're tired at the end of the day, we're broke.

(There are those predators who will eke out a living, unwilling to think of anything but promoting themselves, they seem to crawl around the edges sucking money out of the system- they work for awhile, then move on, done with the big picture. It happens in poetry, too.)

In the meantime, the 'important' artist exhibits ridiculous work that is academic and (often) ugly and the rest of us walk by and shake our heads trying to figure out why in the world it matters- where is the heart of the work, or as we sometimes hear in a sermon- where am *I* in this?? Like some current poetry, it doesn't speak to anyone, it only rambles a self-centered inner monologue. Go to the galleries on First Friday- you'll know what I mean. The expensive art far outweighs the affordable- the ridiculous is heads up over what might fit in your house.

I can hear you saying- Go get Grants!! As if that's easy- it's very complicated, even torturous to assemble all the paperwork needed and it all has to be done just right- by volunteers- who are stretched this and aching with the effort of living and being artists themselves.

I'm tired of trying, of pushing, of begging people to come see, come buy, bring your children. It's easier to stay home and burrow, I guess.

I can't do that- I won't. I'm the fool who continues to drop the brick on my foot, hit my head with the hammer- I don't expect other people to clear the way- I'm a fucking saint-

no I'm not. But I won't let this go that easily- that's all I'm saying.

Join art6- help out, come join the fight with us. You get to work with crazy people like me.

To the 15 people who usually read my blog- thanks

Monday, November 10, 2008

poem for kristallnacht

Change (for Kristallnacht)

When glass is shattered
its jagged music spreads
concentric from the site.

No sound is more compelling
or absolute, and we become
compromised, made vulnerable:
eyes, bare feet, our belongings
open to injury, violation.

Once begun the act is done,
to be never forgotten. New panes
may look the same but are not.

In dreams she hears the sound
of breaking glass and stirs awake-
How easily things get broken.

(The line “How easily things get broken.” is from the Mass by Leonard
Bernstein)

This is part of my poem-a-day group for November

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Seriously funny tonight! GO SEE THIS!

ComedySportz- Saturday and Sunday! That's it, then you'ver missed it!

Tonight- people from Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC!!!!

Go HERE to check out details and make reservations or call 266-YESS

Seriously funny!!

Friday, November 07, 2008

The RICHMOND IMPROV FESTIVAL

ComedySportz- Tonight, Saturday and Sunday!

Go HERE to check out details and make reservations or call 266-YESS

Seriously funny!!

Thursday, November 06, 2008

The Richmond Improv Festival Tonight!

The
Richmond Improv Festival
starts TONIGHT!

Twenty groups from all over the country performing the best improv you can see this side of the BIG cities!!

Thursday, Friday, Saturday AND Sunday!!

Why aren't you calling right now to make your reservation?

(I'll be playing piano tonight and Saturday night, but don't just come for me!)

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

I found myself!!

On page 2571 of Issue 1- I have a poem!!

I'm semi-famous on a limited basis!!

I did find my name and fake poem in Issue 1

Yay!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Claudia Emerson at VMFA Wednesday

back to poetry...

I've voted, made supper for tonight, posted my poem-a-day at Poetic Asides, an working on my NaNoWriMo entry.

Tomorrow IS another day!!

and Claudia Emerson will be at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday at 6pm

Tickets available at the door