Oct 30, 2013

25. Crater 1- Michael Kindellan
Crater Press



the Massacre at Sand Creek
I don't park there anymore
because I need to sleep
watch rations/ give us thy meat
in economic terms
whores aren't semantic/ and words
are war and words are war
meant sweetly/ The Chapel
Of Chimes greets me at the door
I scalp hurriedly and feign furious

Oct 29, 2013

24. A Feast For Crows- George R.R. Martin
Bantam Books


Hardbacksides Custer
under Obamacare
oh Grandfathered in
oh great one, members
of the Ensemble encore
the deductible is less
yes, but it's unaffordable
this stuff isn't fixable
SF is uber yay or nay
no room for the middle
pursuing Col. who on horseback

Oct 24, 2013

23. Rhyme Against The Internet- Justin Katko
Crater Press
 


I remember when Justin Katko used to spell his last name something like kATkO?

My friend Liz Guthrie introduced me to Richard Parker, ed. of Crater Press.

Richard and his girlfriend are British, they were visiting the Bay Area.

There was a mass shooting that day in Oakland, something like 6 guys got shot in a liquor store parking lot while filming a music video.

Richard, his girlfriend, me and Liz met up for beers at 355, I think it was a Wednesday.

They mentioned the shooting.

Before we parted ways Richard handed me a box full of Crater Press stuff.

I sent some chapbooks and broadsides off to Michael Cross and Kyle Schlesinger.

Liz Guthrie recently moved back to the States.

Richard Parker and Crater Press were recently featured in Damn The Caesars.

Oct 22, 2013

22. How To Paint Sunlight Lyric Poems And Others (1997-2000)- Lawrence Ferlinghetti
New Directions




October 15th, 2001. My first semester at SFSU. One of my first The Poetry Center events. I had been collecting Ferlinghetti books for a few years at this point, for reasons I'm still not sure of I had decided that Ferlinghetti was going to be my Beat, not Ginsberg, not Corso, but FERLINGHETTI.

This was billed as a rare appearance. It was a rare appearance. The reading was held at Club Fugazi (the Beach Blanket Babylon Theater) on Green St. in North Beach. I attended by myself. Seeing Ferlinghetti was a little like being in the presence of a myth, a San Francisco postcard character. I remember thinking it was weird that he actually existed, living and breathing in the same city as me. I was very new to poetry so my mind was very much blown with the sudden realization that I was actually participating (if only by attending) in the SF poetry scene, I wasn't reading about it, I wasn't talking about it over beers with friends in the suburbs, I was now living it, pushing up against it, part of the history;  "it's all finally happening!"

The reading was great, Ferlinghetti didn't disappoint, reading from both the new book as well as the old hits. After the reading I walked out of Club Fugazi high on adrenaline, buzzing on poetry.

I walked around North Beach a bit, not wanting to head back to the SFSU dorms just yet. I spotted a restaurant/ bar called Capp's Corner over on Powell. I went in, ordered a beer (probably a Sierra Nevada) at the bar and flipped through the copy of How To Paint Sunlight I had bought at the reading. I was sitting there for 25 minutes or so when in walks Lawrence Ferlinghetti. He ordered some kind of drink at the bar, then headed over to a table where some friends of his were sitting. I was nervous, but I knew I would be kicking myself for a long time if I didn't approach and say hello. So that's what I did. I walked over to his table, introduced myself, told him how much I enjoyed the reading, then asked if he might sign my just purchased copy of How To Paint Sunlight. He smiled, thanked me for attending, and signed his name in big Sharpie cursive.

Then I got the hell out of there. It was perfect, a perfect night, didn't want to possibly spoil it by lingering around too long. I got in my car and headed back to the dorms. 

Oct 21, 2013

Oct 15, 2013

21. Memoir American- Benjamin Hollander
Punctum Books




Battlestar/ Brittle Star

I've already started wearing fingerless gloves, thank you.

I'm sick of Indian Summer/ I'm scared of Daylight Savings

I'm currently reading Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee,
my Pappou's notes on the inside cover, TV schedule
"Days Of Our Lives 11 AM"


Oct 14, 2013




Dude Brunch Sunday at Fairyland. 

Oct 7, 2013




how I spent my Saturday afternoon. "assisting" The Bristle Brothers with their mural, read: drinking free delicious German beers.

Oct 3, 2013

was a guest speaker in Donna De La Perriere's Business Of Creative Writing class last night. always great to revisit SFSU's Humanities building, my old stomping ground. was walking around the hallways waiting for the class to start, noticed a Poetry Center calendar stapled to a bulletin board, noticed my name on that calendar for a late October event. thought "do I have something coming up at The Poetry Center?" no, I definitely do not, this calendar is from 2011, nobody has bothered to take the thing down in almost 3 years. Donna's class was great, lots of questions for me and Nick Whittington (Bird And Beckett), Donna was a great moderator. after the class ended Nick and I were both worried we were too negative on certain points, e.g. "online journals suck" "e-books suck" "inspiration sucks" "the muse sucks" "9-5 jobs suck"...okay not that bad, but maybe a little.


Oct 2, 2013

20. Acts #6 A Book Of Correspondences For Jack Spicer- ed. Benjamin Hollander/ David Levi Strauss


Earlier this Summer I went to the Susan Gevirtz, Frances Richard book party reading at The Green Arcade. Benjamin Hollander was in attendance. After the reading Hollander and I got to talking about Acts. I mentioned that Acts #6 "the Spicer issue" was still the only copy I hadn't been able to track down, at least for a reasonable price. About two weeks later a parcel from Ben shows up in my mailbox. I opened it up only to find a pristine copy of Acts #6 with a note from Ben reading "Dear John #1 Acts Fan- Now I wonder if I will see this copy of Acts for sale for 800 dollars with this personal note. B.-" This note refers to an inside joke that Ben wouldn't want me to divulge on this blog.

Kevin Killian will have some of his Raymond Pettibon nearly nude photos on display in the Still Here: Photos Of San Francisco show at Alley Cat Books Gallery, opening reception this Sunday. Oh and, I'm one of the nearly nudes, so if you've ever wondered what I look like naked (ha), there's never been a better chance to find out!

Hi Mom.

Oct 1, 2013

19. Serenade- Bill Berkson
Zoland Books



I've been listening to a lot of Prince lately and not really enjoying it.

I fell in love with Crockett last Sunday.

I'm happy about the Hunter Pence deal.

Jamie Townsend was very good at Hearts Desire last Friday night.

I dreamt I was playing hacky sack.

I'm starting to feel that everyone is 1/64 Cherokee.

I'm currently listening to The Raincoats.

I love this quote from Berkson's Serenade,
"Only now in my early thirties do I realize the incomprehensible/ pain of living, the inevitability of death, and the endless need/ for total illumination, be that as it may."