Books Read 2011

66. Considering How Exaggerated Music Is- Leslie Scalapino

I read this at Molotov's before what turned out to be a bad date. I remember a line about cars then noticing the man next to me talking about cars. I remember reading a line about dogs and then noticing the women sitting to my left talking about dogs. I continued reading about dogs as one of Molotov's's resident filthy punk rock mutts hopped into my booth and laid its disgusting head on my lap. 

67. American Rambler- Dale Smith

I remember when Brandon Brown had a poem accepted by Skanky Possum. I was insanely jealous. And then that poem never appeared. I was miffed. I think it was a Bigfoot poem.

68. One Hundred- Kelsa Trom, Sarah Rothberg, Jilian Roberts, Steve Lance

I recently spent a lovely Saturday afternoon over at the 'Lectric house talking about collaboration wtih Kelsa, Sarah and Jilian and Tom Comitta. We drank white wine and watched Robert Smithson videos. We had pizza and talked about Christian Marclay's amazing Manga Scroll and Schwitters Ursonate, we finished the wine talking about ghosts, and Greeks, the disappearance of Ben Mirov, and how "we should grab a beer soon" really just means "Sincerely Yours,".  

 69. Robert Duncan In San Francisco- Michael Rumaker

This was a tawdry little book. Mostly though, this is not a book about Robert Duncan In San Francisco, but rather a book about Michael Rumaker walking around North Beach and the TL getting laid sometimes and sometimes not.

70. Whistle While You Dixie- Dodie Bellamy

This is a book put out by my friends Steve Orth and Lindsey Boldt on their Summer BF Press. There is a part in this book where Dodie talks about Georgia peaches. While reading about Georgia peaches I had the urge to make out with a girl in Santa Cruz. Not a specific girl, just the idea of a girl that was conjured by the idea of a Georgia peach. I'd like her lips to taste like Pacific Ocean salt, she'd be wearing short denim shorts and white Chuck Taylor's, her dark hair would be in a ponytail, it would be warm but foggy, sweatshirt and shorts weather. I'd like to have just finished eating a turkey on Dutch Crunch with extra mayo sandwich with original flavor SunChips on the side. I want to kiss this girl, bury my head in her sweatshirt and fall asleep on the beach.   

71. Slough- Nicholas James Wittington

Nick just moved to Oakland. I think he lives on Grand Ave. With his dad, Nick runs Bird & Beckett Books in Glen Park, SF. Not even SF business owners can afford to live in SF anymore. 

72. Falling Up- Shel Silverstein

I wouldn't recommend reading Shel Silverstein as an adult. I'm looking forward to reading these sometimes dark, sometimes charming, idiosyncratically musical poems to my children. Until then, I'll be keeping these safe and sound on the shelf. There is this new book called Hymns And Essays by Stuart Krimko, Ariana Reines says that it was inspired by the prosody of Shel Silverstein, Ariana didn't tell me that, but I think I read it somewhere. I've never met Ariana, I have three of her books but I haven't read them yet.

73. Antennae- The Summer Writing Program Magazine 2003

I love you Naropa but you're killing me with these anthologies. 

74. Mimeo Mimeo #5

made my THE DISINHIBITOR Best Of 2011 list 

"exactly, and I was telling Kyle S. that what I really enjoy about MM is how readable it is, that page turner/ one sitting quality, it's like our very own "glossy," wouldn't be out of place in the dentist's office next to People or Newsweek (yes it would, but you get the point)...I'm on the bandwagon."

 75. African American Voices The Life Cycle Of Slavery- ed. Steven Mintz

I bought this for $1 from a DVC Library sale back in 1999. An anthology of Slave Narratives, from black-African slave traders to the Nat Turner uprising/ massacre to Frederick Douglass and emancipation. I would read this in the morning before work.  

76. Try # Jan 8, 2011

I heard recently that Try is no more. What a great run. I wonder if anybody has the entire set. I probably only have between 15 and 25 issues, if that, out of what, at least 80? Putting the VE! in fugitiVE!, if VE stood for Very Exciting!.