Poetry Hut Blog

Chinese poet-in-exile and master calligrapher Huang Xiang turns the Fine Art Gallery at the downtown library into a “book” of poetry, inscribing his work on banners and the gallery walls for “A Moment of Eternity: The Art and Expression of Chinese Poetry Calligraphy,” June 23-October 14, at Main Library, 615 Church St. [more: He writes poetry on the walls]

A Moment of Eternity–Opening Reception
Date: Saturday, June 23
Time: 11:30 AM
Main Library
615 Church St
Downtown Nashville TN

(Church St has probably the most photographed sign in Nashville besides Wendell Smith’s.)

Poetry News:

1. — When Donald Hall’s father died, he said he wrote immediately about his father‘ passing, but that the poem took 17 years to complete —
2. — delicate and imaginative tableaus —
3. — who said it better, the minor poet or the major politician? —
4. — Streets of poets facing the final stanza —
5. — Q&A Joyce Brinkman Indiana Poet Laureate —
6. — Syd Barrett’s love poem to Viv, his ‘little twig’, up for auction —
7. — The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture —
8. — a poem reports about something different from news, even when the material is similar —

I’ve been having physical therapy for my mysterious back/shoulder problem. Part of it is a rotator cuff injury. Weird. I learned a new word though - supraspinatus. I can’t stop saying it. Supraspinatus!

Still can’t figure out how it happened. Darryl hasn’t given me an accordion lesson since before the surgery. (”Given me an accordion lesson” is not an euphemism for anything. He is teaching me how to play the accordion.) Darryl is 1/2 Polish and 1/2 Mexican. That’s some heavy accordion juju LOL. When he was about 10, his dad took him and his accordion over to the Motown studio for an audition haha.

Contest: Guess how much my uterus weighed in grams (per the pathology report) and whomever comes closest, I’ll mail you something. You can post in the comments but you’ll need to use a valid email address. Guess before Wednesday at 11:49 pm CST.

Poetry News:

1. — A book with no words wins major literary award in Australia —
2. — Ancient coffin with scenes from Homer’s poems unearthed —
3. — it can pass for basic Olden-speak, the lingua franca of so many fantasy novels these days —
4. — Fran Brearton finds emotional power in Dear Ghosts, a timely collection of poems by Tess Gallagher —
5. — Defending free speech case leads to documentary [and more here] —
6. — Uni sacks literary board —
7. — Found this via my day job —

Sgt Pepper must die!

Poetry News:

1. — Mr. Rogers @ 1969 US Senate hearing [video at Google video] —
2. — How Barbie Stood Up to Allen Ginsberg —
3. — Partners in rhyme —
4. — The amateur ideal is the golden nugget at the center of all art forms, and for a very simple reason: Everybody has to start somewhere —
5. — Rival literary journals in Greensboro —
6. — Adventurer forges bond with nature, poet Basho —

ha ha

Poetry News:

1. — Didi Menendez is reviewing online lit mags —
2. — Poets Walk Across Bridge; Read Whitman, Hart Crane —
3. — Biggest literary prize goes to little-known Norwegian —
4. — Poet William Meredith will be announced as a finalist for the National Book Awards —
5. — Court says Strauss heirs must pay “Rosenkavalier” royalties to heirs of librettist —
6. — Nidhi Shukla the sister of slain poetess Madhumita Shukla today expressed her apprehension that she might be attacked or even murdered —
7. — Acclaimed Nashville performance poet Minton Sparks’ first book is not quite what it seems —
8. — Stars pay homage to Yeats —

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The Creation Museum looks like another wonderful roadside attraction. Yay weirdo America! [and they have a blog]
***
“In a survey of 1,700 women with ovarian cancer, Dr. Goff and other researchers found that 36 percent had initially been given a wrong diagnosis, with conditions like depression or irritable bowel syndrome.”

“‘Twelve percent were told there was nothing wrong with them, and it was all in their heads,’” Dr. Goff said.”

Gawd.

Poetry News:

1. — What are the questions that you live with, as a poet? —
2. — The Iranian literary monthly Bokhara paid tribute to the renowned Russian poet Anna Akhmatova —
3. — Interview with Iranian Poet Farideh Hassanzadeh —
4. — How many books can you read without wanting to write one? —
5. — Antioch College to close in 2008 —
6. — Poet and critic whose masterful translations helped to bring the works of Hölderlin and Celan to a wider audience —
7. — Tree said to inspire Frost has to be cut down —
8. — Have Poetry Hut Blog delivered by email every day —

Poetry News:

1. — Civil War era poem could go to National Archives —
2. — Over an Open Mike, Young Voices Speak in Verse —
3. — Poems of atrocity, and of joyfully Americanizing —
4. — “Poetry has little or no effect on me” —
5. — TO. THE. ONLIE. BEGETTER. OF. THESE. INSUING. SONNETS, MR. W.H. —
6. — In fact, despite what the bloggers themselves believe, the future of literary culture does not lie with blogs ” or at least, it shouldn’t —

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So you guys know that just because I aggregate a link to something it doesn’t mean I agree with it or approve of it, right? (Asking that in light of a recent local blogstorm.) Because I think to stuff all the time that I think is idiotic or hilarious. Or hilariously-idiotic. Hil-ar-i-od-ic. Heck, maybe there’s some hil-ar-i-od-i-ci-ty today.

Poetry News:

1. — Winners of the Iraq Poetry Contest —
2. — Richard Rorty, 75; Leading U.S. Pragmatist Philosopher —
3. — Michael Rosen has been selected as the Children’s Laureate —
4. — A poet’s proper place —
5. — Poetry Roundup —
6. — Diane Lockward plunges headfirst into her obsession with both words and food —

What they said.

The NY Times Book Review has a new book blog with an icky name.

Poetry News:

1. — Poets Speak Out —
2. — We want to believe the omission was related to space and not because city leaders thought it was too gay —
3. — In 1923, Alfred A. Knopf published the first book of poems by Wallace Stevens —
4. — Take 20-minute trip to poet’s birthplace —
5. — The great Russian poet Anna Akhmatova once said her country silences poets by sending them to a gulag, while America silences poets by ignoring them —

Pals with work up now at storysouth:

J Lynn Laughlin’s story at StorySouth

3 poems by Susan Meyers at storysouth

Also do you guys know about the dead mule? (It was [really] dead for a while but has been back for a long time I guess and I didn’t know that.)

 Cliff nominated me as a thinking blogger. That is kind, thanks. Passing it on:

Radish King

Emperor of Ice-Cream Cakes: Poems Are Jokes

Erik’s Choice

Poetry News:

1. — Sometimes life goes on happening at such a rate that we lose track of ourselves, then, when faced with what we have become, we find ourselves unrecognisable —
2. — join[ing] the rare company of living authors whose life’s work is enshrined in the Library of America —
3. — she wants to show how the west doesn’t get Africa —
4. — Skillfully used, jazz and poetry can complement one another —
5. — Haiku as a road rage management technique? —
6. — not amused —
7. — The first known evidence of the term is found in an English and Latin poem [not safe for work -- the "term" is the same one Ralphie said when he helped his dad change a tire] —

Freudian psychology makes me laaaaugh. [Edit: besides, it was the 12th house Saturn in Cap opposing her Cancer Pluto.] Duh.

I apologize to any of you who (like me a little bit) are on the color-blind side. I couldn’t resist posting this, my favorite poem. Makes me cry every time. I think it is the sheer sound of it.
r
k
n
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nt

Black Rook in Rainy Weather

On the stiff twig up there
Hunches a wet black rook
Arranging and rearranging its feathers in the rain –
I do not expect a miracle
Or an accident

To set the sight on fire
In my eye, nor seek
Any more in the desultory weather some design –,
But let spotted leaves fall as they fall
Without ceremony, or portent.

Although, I admit, I desire,
Occasionally, some backtalk
From the mute sky, I can’t honestly complain:
A certain minor light may still
Lean incandescent

Out of kitchen table or chair
As if a celestial burning took
Possession of the most obtuse objects now and then –
Thus hallowing an intervaestly complain:
A certain minor light may still
Otherwise inconsequent

By bestowing largesse, honor
One might say love. At any rate, I now walk
Wary (for it could happen
Even in this dull, ruinous landscape); sceptical
Yet politic, ignorant

Of whatever angel any choose to flare
Suddenly at my elbow. I only know that a rook
Ordering its black feathers can so shine
As to seize my senses, haul
My eyelids up, and grant

A brief respite from fear
Of total neutrality. With luck,
Trekking stubborn through this season
Of fatigue, I shall
Patch together a content

Of sorts. Miracles occur.
If you care to call those spasmodic
Tricks of radiance
Miracles. The wait’s begun again,
The long wait for the angel,

For that rare, random descent
.

Poetry News:

1. — Kay Ryan? Dana Gioia? Rock stars. At least here. —
2. — Artemis sets auction records —
3. — The Defrocking of a Poet Laureate [MP3] —
4. — Poetry and a birthday worth celebrating —
5. — The Lost Jewish Culture —
6. — Flashbacks of a Human Be-In —