One of those Arcadia Publishing books. Full of amazing archival photos of the city where I grew up, Concord, CA. Used to be called Todos Santos (better) which used to be called Drunken Indian (even better). Concord’s history is all about Native Americans, Spanish Settlers, Mexican Californios and Anglo-Gold Rush settlers. I love where I grew up.
2. Crayon #3
This is the Fernando Pessoa issue, I bought it after Steve Dickison talked about the heteronyms in one of his The Poetry Center classes back in 2002. I just got around to reading it this year. It’s a thick issue, and as with all issues of Crayon, a bit daunting. Reads more like an anthology than a magazine, which I usually don’t like. Crayon #3 works though. Well done Crayon.
3. Tooth Fairy- Brandon Brown
I read this little book in the bathroom. I think Brandon put this out, along with 2 or 3 others, on his own OMG Press. I’m having a hard time remembering this book specifically. I know I loved it. I remember saying to Brandon “dude, I loved Tooth Fairy” late one night at his house drinking beers probably on the back staircase or maybe maxing in “the Boat House” listening to some horrible tween music that Brandon was invariably singing along to.
4. The Grand Piano part 8
I’ve loved every part. Nothing better than 70’s SF nostalgia. The neighborhoods, the bars, the drama. I probably enjoy Silliman, Benson and Robbinson a lot lot lot more than Harryman, Watten and Pearson.
5. Room Are Never Finished- Agha Shahid Ali
Bought this book for a Peter Weltner class at SFSU (or was it for a Susan Browne class at DVC?) . Brandon Brown was in that class too, in fact took the class on the basis of Brandon's high recommendation of Weltner (a very good hard-asssed teacher with a New Critical style). I read this during a particularly bad cold last Jan. I don’t remember anything about this book.
6. The Grand Piano part 9
See above The Grand Piano Part 8
7. Blast 1- Wyndham Lewis
Finished Wyndham Lewis's BLAST yesterday. Still have no idea what Vorticism is. Some of the things I do know about Vorticism don't really point me towards anything useful. I know that Vorticism eschews the romanticism of the past (Impressionism) as much as what Lewis saw as the romanticism of the future (Futurism) ("[Futurism] an accelerated form of Impressionism"-p. 158). You'd think this would point to "the present" as being primary to the Vorticists; e.g., "the new vortex plunges to the heart of the Present" and "with our Vortex the Present is the only active thing." Ah yes now I'm starting to get it...but then almost immediately from the same page (p. 147) "there is no Present—there is Past and Future, and there is Art" and "this impure Present our Vortex despises and ignores"...okay...so what the EF? The Future is romantic and fetishized, the Past is romantic and fallacious and the Present is impure and negated. But the present is also "Art" and thus viola, Vorticism! and what the hell am i supposed to make of that? I guess I'm just not at all clear on how Lewis is defining the Present/Art. And BLAST is 160 pages. I feel like I should be a little closer to understanding what the hell Vorticism is all about after 160 pages. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
8. Stranger In Town- Cedar Sigo
I love this book. I went to the book release party at City Lights with Lindsey Boldt and Steve Orth. Cedar read with Andrew Joron. Cedar blew everyone away, a totally packed house with a full staircase as well. Afterwards everyone went to Specs across the street for drinks. Sitting at the round table next to us, and totally unrelated to our after party were Jack Hirschman and Sarah Menefee and I think Neeli Cherkovoski. North Beach really felt like “North Beach” that night. Took a cab home with Micah Ballard and Sunnylyn Thibodeaux.
9. Mascara- Will Skinker
For the longest time I thought Will’s last name with “Skinner.” I told him that when I met him at a Books & Bookshelves reading last year. Pretty sure this is an Auguste Press book? I love all AP books. One of the better presses in the Bay Area, and that’s saying a lot. They’re discreet, hand typed, stapled and impeccably edited by a couple of the loveliest poet’s in SF, Micah and Sunnylyn.
10. Morning Train- ed. Micah Ballard/ Sunnylyn Thibodeaux
Another Auguste Press project. This is a Magazine/Anthology. I remember really liking it drinking beers on a foggy Sunday afternoon listening to a lot of recently scavenged Gustav Holst records.
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