Poetry Channel #49
8/11/98
Hey everyone,
I’m a trifle obsessed these days, but there are a few happenings to tell you about. I meant to get this out sooner, so that I could encourage you to attend the World Pornography Conference that happened this weekend in Southern California. I didn’t get to go either. My friends complained it sounded too academic; I dunno about that. I think sexologists and pornographers are the best folks to party with as long as you don’t get too drunk.
The ComicCon happens this weekend, August 13-16, in San Diego at the Convention Center. It’s huge, the world’s largest male-oriented shopping mall; where else can they buy their Spawn and G.I. Joe ‘action figures’ except at these gatherings, maybe get their picture taken with Xena the Warrior Princess and follow the Sailor Moon wannabees? It’s sure to be a trip, my first time, though I’ve worked the WonderCon a couple of years now.
Last Gasp is going to have four booths of space -- this is a massive show, come by and visit, meet my boss and benefactor Baba Ron Turner. He likes poets, knows quite a few of them actually, but what he really loves is underground comics; he just published S. Clay Wilson’s Collected Checkered Demon* and The Crumb Family Comics* featuring Robert Crumb, his siblings, his wife and his brood. Last Gasp also just reprinted the 1961 classic Dinners and Nightmares* by San Francisco beat poet Diane di Prima. (She’s getting a book tour together; please let me know if you’re interested in having her in your city.)
Expect to see the stars of the comic book world -- Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library*), Peter Bagge (Hate*), Daniel Clowes (Eightball*), Will Eisner (Spirit*), Los Brothers Hernandez (Love and Rockets*), Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffeeman*) and many more. I don’t know the DC/Marvel players, but I’m sure they’ll be around too. I hope Karen Berger is there; she’s the editor of the DC Vertigo line, which includes Sandman and Hellblazer.
Shannon Wheeler was spreading rumors before his twins were born that he was going to name them Espresso and Cappuccino, but their names are actually Austin and Berkeley after the cities, as Shannon put it, “where they were conceived and born.” His new book, Too Much Coffeeman’s Guide For the Perplexed,* just recently came out. Robert Williams will also be there, hanging out mostly at the Fantagraphics table with his newest book Malicious Resplendence.*
The Sofasurfing Handbook* will be out by then. The handbook for modern nomads features guest chapters from Wammo, Phil West, Jon Longhi, Justin Chin, Bucky Sinister, Bruce Jackson, Jen Joseph and others. Artwork from Peter Bagge, Jaime Hernandez, Lloyd Dangle and Keith Knight. Manic D Publisher Jen Joseph made sense of it all. Thanks to Jen for all her support and to everyone who contributed. I can’t quit smiling; it’s a beautiful book. Jeff McDaniel’s new book of poetry, The Forgiveness Parade,* just came out on Manic D Press as well. He leaves on Monday with Venice teammates Ellyn Maybe, June Melby and Matthew Niblock on a southwestern tour en route to Austin. Have a good trip!
Black Star Series just came out with Swarm,* a beautiful collection of stories by San Francisco writer and performance artist Camille Roy. I can hear her voice when I read it, and she reminds me a little bit of Michelle Tea, that honest and conversational tone they both seem to capture.
I’m heading to Austin for the National Poetry Slam immediately after the ComiCon, so these next few days will be the only time anyone can get hold of me at the San Francisco office until the end of the month. I still need to do laundry. And get a haircut. What else is new?
Oh, more folks to thanks for their contributions to the Slam registrant bags: High Times Magazine, Sic Magazine, Amazon.com, Fringeware, BookPeople, Consortium Books, Hanuman Books, Cleis Press, Giorno Poetry Systems, Koen Books and Gathering of the Tribes. (The goal here was to spread as much information about the small press/poetry world as possible, even if it takes the form of bookmarks, postcards and matchbooks.)
Since we’re talking about Nationals. . .
Tarin Towers said to tell you she’s looking for players for her talk show Poetically Incorrect. We’re having two shows during Nationals (see the daytime schedule on the 1998 National Poetry Slam website -- and plan on taping them as an ongoing radio series. If you’re interested, please let her know at sfpoet@tarin.com.
There are still several positions to fill on the volunteer list. We need stage managers for Mojo’s and Bookpeople (the schedule is so tight, it needs a facilitator to keep the shows to time). If one person could dedicate themeselves to being the stage manager all four days, that would be ideal: then all the poets would know who to check in with. Some of my best merch volunteers have been stolen for house managing positions; that’s okay, but it opens up some slots at the merch table.
Regarding the merch table, I’ll start taking your books and tapes at the poets registration. I got my hands on books by Jim Carroll, Bukowski, the Beats, Oscar Wilde, Hakim Bey, Amiri Baraka, Eileen Myles, Wanda Coleman, Hank Williams, Henry Rollins, Patricia Smith, Bill Shields, Ellyn Maybe -- let’s just say it’s going to be a beautiful table. Plus videos from Taos Poetry Circus and Mystic Fire, some spoken word CDs, and a few magazines that had features on Nationals will no doubt vie for table space. I’m trying to set up a ‘free area’ so that the freebie magazines can perch somewhere as well.
We’re also short on hosts for the daytime events. Must be responsible and outgoing, have some experience hosting and keeping a show to time. It’s a super fun gig but not if you’re a flake. Thanks to the folks who have volunteered already. I’m excited at the prospect of working with you; it’ll be like a dream team.
I would like to think that the theme music most befitting Nationals would be Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star.” Instead I fear that Queen will blare in my ears, like “We Are the Champions.” Time will tell. . . will the cameras and the heat make poets behave better or worse? Are you desperate for negative attention? Will your ambition for a national audience be the overriding factor in this humble event? Will handheld video taping dominate our private conversations and lover spats? Will this be like Mardi Gras, where a girl can’t even take off her top without twenty cameras in her immediate space? Is there a party line we’re supposed to follow? Asking party line from any group of poets is impossible -- this is going to be a roller coaster ride. You know that this event is big hearted; will the new champions respond in kind?
I predict that poets in short skirts will do best this year. At least, they’ll be the most comfortable.
I just finished getting the bookparties together. Many thanks to the folks at Fringeware and Bookpeople for their support and enthusiasm. There are going to be beautiful displays of poetry books and small presses being represented at Nationals.
People called and wrote. This is what they said:
San Francisco poets M.I. Blue and Deke Weaver are touring through the Southwest this year. San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Flasgtaff, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Las Vegas are the destinations. Hosts in those cities, please expect a call from me; these guys are super fun, high performance and dear people to boot. Hank Hyena loves them.
A handful of folks, including Merilene Murphy, sent information about 360°, A Revolution of Black Poets. This happens September 11 at the Baltimore Museum of Art and September 12 at the University of Maryland. The lineup of poets is quite stunning, including Amiri Baraka, June Jordan, Ruth Foreman, Tracie Morris, Wanda Coleman, Roger Bonair-Agard, Glenis Redmond Sherer, Saul Williams, Quincy Troupe, Jessica Care Moore, D Knowledge, DJ Renegade and Abiodun Oyewole among others. This is going to be a great gathering of writers; you should go too. Kwame Alexander put it all together, and he’s looking for volunteers and vendors. Give him a call at BlackWords, 703-912-1786 or email blackwords@juno.com.
SoCal poet and dear Daniel McGinn has a new chapbook out titled Wall. The party is at Upchurch Brown Books in Laguna Beach on Friday, August 16 at 8 p.m.
New York poet Regie Cabico is planning on making it to Nationals this year (look for him in the gay and lesbian showcase and Masterpiece Theater). He’ll be in San Francisco in November on tour with “Poetry Nation.”
Portland poet Ritah Parrish has a new book out as well. It’s a chapbook collection of stories called Pink Menace,* published by Future Tense hubby Kevin Sampsell. Marty Kruse (the small press buyer at Powell’s and all-around good guy) and Gregory Tozian (Doll Head Eater*) opened the show at Ritah’s party where she wore pink leotards and a tiara. I was getting a ton of email about how great the Salmon Slam was and how great everyone thought they were but I think I liked best Kevin’s description: “San Fran (you probably know by now) won the Salmon Slam again (and rightfully so). . . the Las Vegas team kicked ass and came close, Seattle was Seattle and Portland was heckled and booed deservedly.”
Feral House publisher Adam Parfrey sent ‘beast wishes’ to his pals up North, and said that Satan Speaks,* the last book from the late great Church of Satan meister, Anton LeVey, will be out soon. Feral House title Lords of Chaos,* by Michael Moynihan, a compelling summer read which dealt with the trials and tribulations of the players in the satanic metal underground music scene, has already sold its entire press run. Kenn Rodriguez said he couldn’t put it down.
Where is Steven Spyrit, and how did the PoHop (Portland Hip Hop Festival) go? If you see him, please tell him that I miss him and think about him all the time. His short stay in town got me spoiled to seeing his face around.
Brendan Lorber, NYC poet and editor of Lungfull Magazine, reads at Adobe Books in the Mission (that’s San Fran, folks) this Thursday, August 13 with Kit Robinson and another NYC poet, Gregory Fuchs. The reading is free and starts at 8 p.m.
Santa Monica poet Bowerbird is inviting all performance poets within hollering range to come and perform at the NAP Jam in Las Vegas, September 21-24. I haven’t been able to go yet but I hear it’s a lot of fun.
Resistencia Bookstore in Austin is hosting a reading for American Book award winner and Nuyorican Poets Cafe founder Miguel Algarin on August 20 at 8:30 p.m.
That’s it for me. Please forward Poetry Channel to interested parties but avoid using it as fight fodder. (Or, if you want to fight, go ahead and fight, just let me sell tickets first.) Keep me on your mailing lists, and I’ll keep my bitching down to a minimum (I can’t help it sometimes!). Stop by the merch table and say hello during Nationals. (All Poetry Channel subscribers get a free sticker, the one that reads “How’s My Poetry? Call 1-800-EAT-SHIT.” I dunno, some people like it.) Thanks for all your love and support -- I really really mean it.
xox
juliette torrez
- This week's feature is a new poem from Bob Holman:
“Preface to A Rebirth Announcement Haiku, for Amiri Baraka, on birthday numero sesenta.” - If you haven't visited the site recently to keep up with our weekly features, check the index. Or use our speedy search (at the left of every screen) to find the name you're interested in anywhere on the site.
- Our ever-growing libraries of links to Poets & Performers and Online Lit Zines & Anthologies are freshly updated & full of surprises these days -- check 'em out!
- And of course, every week our front page features several new links to the best of poets & poetry on the Net.
*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 link above. (Note: Amazon.com is solely responsible for fulfillment of book orders placed through these links.)
