Poetry Channel #43
5/5/98
IN THIS EPISODE: Poetry Channel Disclaimer, Octavio Paz, Seattle Poetry Festival, Dawn Gabriel, Albuquerque Poets, Alison Durazzi, Poet Sightings, Edwin Torres, Next Magazine, Sic Magazine & Damaged Goods, Che Guevara & the PepsiCo Chihuahua, Eldridge Cleaver.
(Hey y’all. It's a foggy Friday afternoon & I figured this would be a good time to catch up on recent happenings. I've picked up a handful of new subscribers, so here's a disclaimer so that everyone knows what I'm about.
Welcome to the Poetry Channel & Information Network. You know that saying, "if you can't say something nice, come sit by me"? Well, let's pretend I'm sitting by you. If you want traditional, let me refer you to the Academy of American Poets website. If I had known this little experiment was going to last so long, I woulda called it something else and probably done it under a false name.
Please include me on your mailing lists (sofasurf@usa.net).
How sad it was that no one told me that Octavio Paz died. (More in PCIN #45.)
The Seattle Poetry Festival last weekend was a smashing success. It was stunning, actually, the level of production and the quality of the programming. I was in the same set with Dawn Gabriel, Kenn Rodriguez, Traci Paris, Andrea Thompson and Paul Reuckhaus. And, yes, everyone was great. Dawn, Kenn, Paul and I ended up staying at the home of Noel Franklin and Bob Redmond, who not only organized this killer festival but were also able to extract their joy from the experience. Wow. The poetry gatherings in Seattle and Albuquerque are sister festivals, I like to think, just like the alternative news weeklies. Except, ahem, Seattle is more pro. Albuquerque, more punk. But, you know, it's all love.
Recuitment efforts have already begun on that pink-haired Juno from Boston, Dawn Gabriel. What a pleasure it was to meet her. I didn't realize she was so tall. She was, like, Instant Homie. Too bad New England is so far away. I think she would like Seattle a lot.
Traci, Kenn and Paul were entertaining similar thoughts about relocating. The Seattle weather was so deceptively sunny I even thought about asking for my old job at The Stranger.
Kenn and I visited Jeff Neumann, a shining star illustrator now working at the Seattle Times. There were lots of transplanted New Mexicans in the audience, now that I come to think about it, including an old flame of Genevieve Van Cleve's, going now by the name of Cal Godot. Seattle Poetry Festival publications coordinator Greg Zura spent time in Albuquerque; he's very happy in Seattle now, thank you.
I saw Tim Keck, publisher of The Stranger for a brief moment. Sigh. I missed David "Delicious" Fischer, even though he only lives down the street from Bob and Noel's place. Judith Roche, master organizer of the Bumbershoot literary stage, came to the festival. I also ran into Charles Potts, Jill Battson, Stephen Thomas, Robin Dicker and Paul Nelson.
Alison Durazzi shed her purple locks for something more traditional. She's still beautiful. I just like unnatural hair colors. She's working for Judith this year at Bumbershoot. I tried to dye my hair blue in anticipation of seeing Alison, but all I ended up with was a bright blue scalp. My feet were even tinted from standing in the shower. But the hair, nothing.
Danika Dinsmore said she's going to Taos Poetry Circus (see the schedule in Poetry Channel #41), and so did Lauren Holloway. Andrea Thompson was thinking about it because she hates to miss a good party. Paula Friedrich said she might be there. She's coaching the Seattle Team this year. (Marta Sanchez called to say last night that she made the team! Congratulations, Marta!) Michael Hood is a new grandfather; Anabella is the name of the young lady who's soon to have Michael wrapped around her little finger. Jeff Meyers is working on a screenplay, and his play is going to be produced locally this summer. (I forgot the name of the play.) He's also doing something with Dayvid Figler, that charmer from Las Vegas. Greg Hischak designed the logo for this year's festival. He was accepted to the Jack Straw Writer's Program (Riz Rollins and Noel Franklin were a couple of the recipients last year), and he edits the magazine Farm Pulp which won Best Zine at the Bumbershoot Book Fair. (In Chicago, you can get Farm Pulp at Quimby's. In New York, check See Hear. Desert Moon distributes it.) August Wilson was amazing; it was a rare opportunity to hear his poetry. He wins most acclaim with his plays -- Pulitzers, Guggenheims, Tonys and the like.
Speaking of New York, the big hit of the festival was Edwin Torres. Video performance artist Miranda July joined him. It was a stunning set. Their work transcends poetry and it makes you all happy that you got to experience it. If you missed the show, you can always hear it on the Kill Rock Stars label. So Cal writer Nicole Panter is going to be the next release on their Wordcore series. (She's been in some strange beef in the letters section of Next Magazine lately. I don't know what it's all about; I think someone wrote a bad review of her. Ardinger responded in this month's issue.)
Ellyn Maybe is featured in this month's issue of Next, along with Matthew Niblock. They're giving her a great send off -- their adoration is apparent. This certainly looks like her year, doesn't it? I'm glad -- she deserves it. Look for Ellyn in New York City in early June.
Ellyn called to say her party at Beyond Baroque was fantastic. Her book, The Cowardice of Amnesia,* just came out on 2.13.61. We don't have it on the shelves at Last Gasp yet. I'm going to do a happy dance when I see it. Henry Rollins was at the party, and Exene, the Carma Bums, just nearly everyone made the scene and many books were sold.
Rafael Alvarado says that he and Carma Bum S.A. Griffin are going to make Sic a verse-n-vice magazine. Many of the writers from Damaged Goods are going to help, as publisher Tracey Williams takes a break for a while. S.A. has a website around here somewhere. Search under "White Trash Apocalypse."
In the past few months, three new book titles have come out about Che Guevara. Maybe he is the Incan Prince who's come to unify the tribes under one banner. That would be nice. I wonder who purchased the film options to the Motorcycle Diaries. It's only a matter of time, you know, before the movie comes out starring Antonio Banderas. Maybe John Leguizamo -- he would be wonderful.
I profoundly appreciate how PepsiCo-owned Taco Bell co-opted Che Guevara's image. I thought their chihuahua campaign was kinda cute until that commercial came out. Now I'm thinking, "what the fuh?" I mean, people should have been raising Cain when Taco Bell's "Run for the Border" commercial series came out -- that shit was hard to stomach. But now, I feel like PepsiCo is denigrating Che Guevara, and since he can only turn in his grave I figured I'd say something about it. And what's the deal with selling "Gorditas"? I know it's a style of tortilla, but it also umplies I'm going to get fat eating them. I don't think PepsiCo is one of those 'truth in advertising' operations. It's like when Chevy tried to sell the Nova in Latin America -- sales were low. Who wants to buy a car that's called "Doesn't Go?" Argh, my button got pushed. Where is Pocho Magazine when I need it?
Before I forget, look for this month's Axcess Magazine. It features performance artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena. Last Gasp bookseller Patrick Hughes left us last week to pursue his new career as publisher of Axcess Magazine. Good luck to Patrick, and thanks for the desk.
This weird revival of what happened thirty years ago, commemorating the Vietnam War, the assassinations of bright hopes. . . I guess it's appropriate to mention here that Eldridge Cleaver, the 'literary voice of the Black Panthers,' died this week. He wrote Soul on Ice* and served as the Black Panthers' Minister of Information.
I should wrap it up here, though I'm not even half done. Please start sending me your slam news -- the season is upon us, and curiosity besets me. (My email address is sofasurf@usa.net. Brenda M. pls resend yr post, I can't find my printout.)
As usual, subscribe or cancel your subscription at the Mining Company or by emailing Margery Snyder there. You can send your posts directly to me at the usa.net address.
xox
juliette torrez
- Bring your poems to WORDSHOP, hosted in our chat room by Bob Holman, WEDNESDAY (that's tomorrow, folks!) MAY 6, 10 - 11 p.m. Eastern time (7 - 8 p.m. Pacific).
- Our "In the Spotlight" feature this week is the conclusion of Bob's on-scene account of David Thomas' DISASTODROME extravaganza in London (first link on the front page).
- If you missed Part I last week, you can find it in the archives (click on "features" in the navigation list on the left of any page).
*As a result of a commercial relationship between About.com, its Guides and Amazon.com online booksellers, these titles can be purchased directly from Amazon.com by following the links above. (Note: Amazon.com is solely responsible for fulfillment of book orders placed through these links.)
FROM JULIE DERCLE aka exbrook, here's the latest on a must-see event:
Mouth Almighty Records and Exbrook Entertainment present "Shut the F**k Up!" an evening of spoken word and music on Memorial Day, Monday May 25th at 8pm at The Knitting Factory. The line-up features Bob Holman, the hardest working guy in Po' Biz, with his newest release In With the Out Crowd; direct from LA, spoken word sensation Rich Ferguson who performs as fuzzy doodah; Yogurt Boys, with Todd Colby, Marianne Vitale, and Michael Portnoy aka "Soy Bomb"; the hypnotic, seven-woman band, Homer Erotic; Martha Cinader of Po'azz Yo'azz, host of WBAI's "The Power of the Word"; and transcendental poet Janet Hamill and her band, Moving Star, with Bob Torsello, Jay LoRubbio, and Sean Healy. The evening will include special, surprise SUPER GUESTS who are rock/spoken word legends.
Ticket price for "Shut the F**k Up!" is $10.
The Knitting Factory is located at 74 Leonard Street between Broadway and Church Street (219-3006). Subway: A, C, E, N, R to Canal Street; 1, 9 to Franklin Street. Visit the website at http://www.knittingfactory.com.
