Poetry Channel #38

2/5/98

IN THIS EPISODE: Clinton's Helicopter Armada, Tom Clancy, D. Knowledge, Poetry Demolition Derby, Santa Fe, Upcoming Festivals, Websites, Gary Glazner

Hey y'all. I'm still out of the loop, figured I didn't have anything to say for a while. My thoughts have been occupied primarily with the Sturgis of Poets -- the Albuquerque Poetry Festival.

President Clinton flew over Kenn's house just now on the way back to Kirtland AFB in an armada of helicopters. It sounded like I was in Los Angeles. Later he'll appear at the Civic Plaza. I wanted to make signs, but the spin demands a pretty picture of compliant citizenry. Just like Castro. I didn't have very good slogans anyway: "Be Like Bill. Practice Safe Sex"; "Nice People Suck"; "Deviants for Clinton"; "Albuquerque Poetry Festival, Feb. 16-22." Well, you see my dilemma.

I heard Tom Clancy bought the Minnesota Vikings. Them's good royalties. I heard that D. Knowledge edited an anthology of Afican-American poets and writers, but the rumor washed away in the torrents surrounding San Francisco. Last night we were talking about having a Jeep Cherokee Poetry Demolition Derby to honor his poem, "Why I Will Never Buy a Jeep Cherokee."

Poetry Demolition Derby? Well, we're still investigating the prospects, but Albuquerque is equipped with the appropiate track and a taste for smash-em-ups. Wammo, of all people, played the voice of reason, trying to stamp out the embers of this crazy idea but I'm researching the safety factor. I'd like to name the cars after poets, so that we could actually witness Emily Dickinson pummel Bukowski and Robert Frost. The car named Plath would have poor prospects; I imagine it would just crash itself into the wall. The car named Taylor Mali would likely have five cars on it, battering it into scrap. Who knows? I say, we could have a lot of fun with it, and after all, this is the Sturgis of Poets.

Bucky Sinister came up with that title; I'm not that clever. If I had thought about it, I would have put it on the poster. (I was just using Mr. Mali as an example, because he can take a lot of heat with grace. A lot of people can't. Believe me, I know.) Even though I've been quiet on the internet, my mouth continues to get me in trouble back in my stomping grounds.

Tonight Matthew John Conley and I will read at Joe Ray Sandoval's Poetry Allowed series in Santa Fe. Not only is Joe Ray reading at the APF, but he's organizing two readings in SF during the festival: Sister Spit on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Drama Club, and a show on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Plan B. If you want to get on the Thursday night bill, call Joe Ray at 505-984-5057.

The Return of Two Beans and a Cracker happens Friday night at RB Winning Coffee Company at 6 p.m. That's me, Matthew and Kenn Rodriguez. Guess who's the cracker. It's a fundraiser for the festival. I'm dipping into my rent money here for the daily Kinko's fix.

Already we're working on next year. On the bill for 1999? John Sinclair. Of course I'm thrilled, thanks for asking.

Right now, at the same moment Karla Faye Tucker is being executed as President Clinton approaches the podium at the civic plaza here in Albuquerque. Instead of "Hail to the Chief," the UNM marching band is playing an old Gloria Estefan cover. He says, "Thank you."

So, after a long hiatus, the Poetry Channel is back in business. Please send schedules, tour dates, reading series and literary gossip. I've been sick for a while, but I'm once again ready to devote my attention to the outerspace. I was occupied with being back home. My 99-year-old great-grandmother broke her pelvis last week. She refused to leave the house for 20 hours, cussing out her children, most of whom are in their 70s. I wish I were that tough.

All sorts of great events lining up. March 2-5 in Las Vegas is Bowerbird's North American Poetry Jam. I don't know what the real name of the event is, but I'm certain you'll be hearing about it very very soon. Also in March is SXSW Music Festival. April is National Poetry Month and includes the Austin International Poetry Festival, the Seattle Poetry Festival and Mouth Almighty Tour (hmm, let's see, Last Poets, Sekou Sundiata, Maggie Estep and Bob Holman, hitting ten cities across the country). June is the Taos Poetry Circus (lineup includes Jimmy Santiago Baca, Patricia Smith, Sou MacMillan, Victor Hernandez Cruz, Jim Carroll, local invitational features Mary McGinnis, Robert Masterson and Danny Solis). Also in June is the 7th Poetry Video Festival in Chicago. Their deadline is, like, now, but if you have something already made. . . Sponsored in part by the Guild Complex. Query at http://www.slip.net/~gamuse.

It's time to get ready for the reading, but I'll leave you with a bunch of websites you can link to:

http://www.poetryforum.org
http://www.spokenwar.com
http://www.wavenet.com/~rickpoet
http://www.mouthalmighty.com
(and of course, http://poetry.about.com, Poetry Channel's Web home, where you're reading this. . .)

Okay, as I return to the land of the living. . . Nearly forgot to mention, Gary Glazner and his wife Margaret make their big trek to Bali and around the world this spring. Heck, they could already been gone, but I wouldn't know, because I was in my catatonia. . . The San Francisco slam at the Cafe du Nord went weekly. . . Albuquerque city attorney Bob White is one of the poets featured at the Albuquerque Poetry Festival. . . Lisa Gill is editing the anthology for the festival. Query at Flaming Tongues, 505-839-9171.

That concludes another episode of the Poetry Channel. I hope you missed me as much as I missed you. Send all hype and stories to Poetry Channel c/o brokenn@dump.com.

xox
juliette torrez