Victor D. Infante's Blog, page 174

"Crush"-worthy!

Just a little heads-up before I return to cleaning and getting ready for next week's trip:

My poem for Anne Sexton, "The Curious Call," is in the fun "10 Dead Poets I Would Fuck" feature over at "Poetry Crush," along with writing by Lea Deschenes, J. Hope Stein, Lisa Sisler, Lauren Gordon, Jillian Mukavetz, Erika Lutzner and Maria Garcia Teutsch. Much, much fun.

Love Poems ... plus, Victor & Lea read in Cape Cod and SoCal!

First off, finally got my copy of "Friday Love Poems," anthologizing the love poems the wonderful Jane Cassady posts on her blog, The Serotonin Factory, every Friday. It's a fun little chapbook, with many of my favorite poets in it, including Tara Betts, Shannon Maney-Magnuson, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Marty McConnell, Shappy Seasholtz, Tony Brown and more. It's a great read, if you're in the mood for love. And really? Who isn't?

Other than that, running around frantically and getting work down before our trip to Southern California next week. Next week?!??! When the hell did that happen!?!?

The Cultural Center of Cape Cod
Reading for The Poets Corner
307 Old Main Street
South Yarmouth, MA
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
Free. Hosted by Jose' Gouveia

The Ugly Mug Caffe
with Lea Deschenes, for Two Idiots Peddling Poetry
261 North Glassell Ave.
Orange, CA
8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2
$3. Hosted by Ben Trigg and Steve Ramirez

Barnes & Noble, Marina Pacifica Mall
with Lea Deschenes
6326 E. Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach, CA
7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8
Free. Hosted by G. Murray Thomas

The Encyclopedia Show Los Angeles
with Lea Deschenes, Schatar "Hottie" Sapphira, M. W. Roberts, Doug Patterson, Mary Hamilton, Khatt Taylor, Lauren Sweeney and Greg Karber
King King
6555 Hollywood BlvdLos Angeles, California
8 p.m. Wed. Nov. 9
$10 at the door, or $8 online until Nov 7.
I'm particularly excited by the last one. Lea and I have both done The Encyclopedia Show in Providence, so we're familiar with the variety show format and silliness, and are prepared to go in and have a lot of fun. On the other hand, it's exciting to be coming to Southern California for the first time in a couple years, and be sharing the stage with a whole crop of writers who are largely new to us. That's extremely cool. In our dealings leading up to this, the folks at TESLA (heh -- how can I not love them already?) have had a great energy and enthusiasm, and I've heard great things about their first show. So we're really looking forward to this.

Oddly, this isn't really a "tour" visit. It's more vacation, with a few gigs thrown in. Mostly, this trip is about reconnecting with friends and family, and decelerating a bit. We're even being grownups and staying in a hotel, instead of sofa surfing and mooching off our musician friends. We cannot guarantee this adult behavior will continue. We'll also be popping in to see Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman's show on Halloween, and Mindy and Amber's Drums in Your Chest Show, which'll feature two of my favorite people, Jack McCarthy and Corrina Bain.

We'll be around for about two weeks, though, and are anxious to see old friends and make a few new ones. Hope to see you there.

"Aim For the Head"

Got my contributor copy of "Aim For the Head: An Anthology of Zombie Poetry," edited by Rob Sturma. The book is beautiful:



I'd actually seen copies of it the other week, at the That's Entertainment reading (and I think they still have copies, if you're looking for things to read in Worcester when you're dead) but that's always a little different than having your own copy in your hands. There are SO many fantastic writers in this book, including -- Daphne Gottlieb, Shappy Seasholtz, Nicole Homer, Stevie Edwards, Megan Thoma, Jennifer Gigantino, Paul Suntup, Bucky Sinister, Tim Stafford, Scott Woods, Dain Michael Down, Laura Yes Yes, Daniel McGinn, Rick Lupert, Steve Ramirez, Derrick Brown, Karen Garrabrandt, Dave Macpherson, Ryk McIntyre, Mindy Nettifee, Angus Adair, Jason Bayani and many, many more. This is a seriously fun book, and the work ranges from purely wacky to utterly devastating. The book's available from Write Bloody Publishing, and totally worth your time.

Brains.

ZOMBIES today at That's Entertainment!!!!!

"Aim For the Head" Zombie Anthology Reading!
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8
That's Entertainment
244 Park Ave.
Worcester, MA

Victor D. Infante, Megan Thoma, Dave Macpherson and Ryk McIntyre read from "Aim For the Head: A Zombie Hunter's Guide to Poetry," from Write Bloody Publishing, as well as other poems. It'll be weird, wacky, macabre and awesome. Just be there. Free, but copies of the book will be on sale, and you REALLY want this book. Trust me on this!

Out and About

Geez, Louise. Will you look at the time? When did that happen?

Things are crazy, and not lightening up anytime soon. Saturday is Worcester Pride, and Lea and I will be downtown to hang out for some of it, see friends, and hopefully catch some of Pandora Boxx. Sunday is stART on the Street, which will be similar, except there will be likely fewer drag queens, and I'm reading poetry at 11:40 in the morning. Good news? There's an actual Spoken Word Tent this year, so the poets won't just be crazy people shouting on the street corner. We'll be crazy people in a tent!

Monday, I'm reading poetry to James Dempsey's class at WPI, which should be fun. Very much looking forward, as I've not been in a strictly classroom situation for awhile, and I've always enjoyed the chance to actually talk about writing with students. Wednesday Lea and I are reading at Cracksull's Books in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Busy, busy, busy ...

Also, we're seeing Laurie Anderson in the very near future. Oh, and Amanda Palmer & Neil Gaiman. In Los Angeles. On Halloween! How's that for a Holiday Celebration?

***

I've not been posting every thing that goes up on either Radius or my Pop Culture Notebook or What You're Listening To column here, which at the very least has made my blog a bit less cluttered. Still, here's a few of the most interesting bits:

Radius
*Where We Stand: Poetry, Legacy, Sorrow," where I talk a bit about the passing of poets Hugh Fox and Scott Wannberg. We also had a number of great tributes to Scott, from Carlye Archibeque, Robert Wynne, A. RAZOR and Rafael Alvarado.

*"The Impossible Conversation: In Praise of Heartbreak," wherein I probably reveal a tad too much about what goes on inside my head.

What You're Listening To
*Revisiting PJ Harvey's "Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea"
*My terribly ill-advised "Playlist for Worcester," which came out better than it had any right to come out

Pop Culture Notebook
*Dancing with people who are vaguely familiar
*A few thoughts on Mindy and Amber's "Dark Blushing" show from the other side of the country
*A recap of the Roast of Cowboy Matt (who is much cooler than Charlie Sheen)

There's more, I'm sure. Much more. But that's enough for now. I gotta go help with dinner. Someday, I will have time to blog again for real, but on the other hand, that'll probably mean I'm less occupied, and I don't know if that's a good tradeoff.

Not Dead Yet ...

Wow. I've really not been posting much here lately, have I? I think this blog has become the biggest casualty of my commitments to Radius and the Telegram's Pop Culture Notebook. This blog still means a lot to me though, and remains my best outlet for personal and promotional stuff, along with writing that doesn't fit neatly into either of my other big projects. Sigh. I suppose I'll get it all in balance eventually.

I'm all over the place in the near future. Here's what's coming up:

stART on the Street
Reading for Ballard Street Poetry Journal, with Heather Macpherson, Carle Johnson and the journal's editors
Wherever the Poetry Stage is
Park Avenue, Worcester
11:40 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18
Free. Get there early and enjoy the festival! Poetry events hosted by Alex Charalambides scheduled throughout the day.

Crackskull's Coffee and Books
with Lea Deschenes
86 Main Street
Newmarket, NH
7 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 22
Free. Hosted by Jenn Monroe

The Cultural Center of Cape Cod
Reading for The Poets Corner
307 Old Main Street
South Yarmouth, MA
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
Free. Hosted by Jose' Gouveia

The Ugly Mug Caffe
with Lea Deschenes, for Two Idiots Peddling Poetry
261 North Glassell Ave.
Orange, CA
8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2
$3. Hosted by Ben Trigg and Steve Ramirez

Barnes & Noble, Marina Pacifica Mall
      with Lea Deschenes      
6326 E. Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach, CA
7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8
Free. Hosted by G. Murray Thomas

Oof. More soon. Things are looking crazy on the horizon, though ...

Rest in Peace Scott Wannberg

A Road in Arizona, Early Sunday
By Scott Wannberg, from Twisted Cadillac: A Spoken Word Odyssey, by the Carma Bums


Malibu cowboy in a Cadillac convertible
the jazz slowly stretches out of the
radio and burns across the facial tissue of Sunday early
side of the road in Arizona sleep
down. I lay in the bed of Uncle Don's truck
with my air mattress under me and my bag on top
Uncle Don lived in his pup tent
Eb and S.A. managed discomfort for four
hours in the cowboy convertible
the jazz slowly stretches the imagination
Bobbo Mike and Doug shared the mezzanine
of S.A.'s 59 Cadillac, protection bear Lane and
Kerouac who will soon be meeting Ellyn in
Albuquerque and Uncle Don
as i tried to find the sleep in my body
said not once
but twice
Scott could you help me a minute here
on the side of the Arizona
somewhere between something and everyone
and i got up and did it and then i got back in the truck
and thought
what if it rained on me
i'm the only asshole sleeping out in the open and
you just gotta figure
we were on the right side of the tune
it never rained once during the whole damn boogaloo

Poking My Head Out

Hi. You may have noticed I've been a little quiet lately on this blog. Mostly, that's just because I'm busy. On the other hand, this week I'm alternating between work and the National Poetry Slam Finals, which means I have even less time than usual.

While I'm gone, please, by all means, catch up on the fine offerings my various cohorts and I have up on Radius and Pop Culture Notebook , and I'll try to get back to something that resembles a regular schedule next week or so. You know. Give or take ...


 

Is This Thing On?

Once again, Livejournal seems to be down more than it's up. Which is a shame, as I've had stuff I've wanted to blog about. Been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Some of it's been fueled by concern for a friend undergoing treatment for cancer in California. I've not wanted to talk to much about it publicly, as things are still in motion out there, but it's moments like these when I'm reminded how distant I am from a great many of the people I love most. Sometimes, they weigh on my mind, especially when I consider that I'm the one that's absent, not them. That bothers me a lot. I don't know how to be more present.

The rest of the week has been no picnic, either. I wrote about my feelings for Amy Winehouse's music here, and about my friend, poet and singer-songwriter David Blair's, passing here. Obviously, I put a lot of my own emotions into each story. Suffice it to say, Monday -- when I finished both -- was a bit of a rough day, made worse by the news about Roger Leo. I knew Roger, but I can't claim we were particularly close. Still, it's hard to imagine what would drive a man to such horrific extremes. Writes Tom Caywood, in his article, "To fellow conservationists, ski enthusiasts, colleagues and acquaintances around town, Roger A. Leo lately gave the impression of a man bubbling with zest for life, not one veering toward a spasm of violence that would end with him jumping to his death from a highway bridge with a state trooper on his heels"

Yeah. I was writing the memorial for Blair when I got this news. I promptly left the building and took a walk before returning. I was just overwhelmed. I still don't have room for it all in my head. One imagines there will be more writing.

***

It's not been all bad. I won a New England Press Club award for "Best Headline." Third place, actually. The headline, however, was something along the lines of "Gnomeo, oh Gnomeo, why were you even made?" So I am simultaneously honored and horrified, and not at all certain this sort of behavior should be rewarded.

There were also some excellent and thought-provoking reading to be had this week, including Roxane Gay's gorgeous, "Tragedy. Call. Compassion. Response," which is a fabulous examination of how people respond to tragedy, and Intern John's fascinating examination of Worcester women in rock, "Strings Attached."

Lots has been going on at Radius, too, including Lenore Weiss on Jay-Z, Jade Sylvan on Bob Dylan, signature features with Daniel McGinn, Jaimes Palacio & Loretta Obstfeld; and Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, Megan Thoma, Laura Lamb Brown-Lavoie, and much, much more. Lots of great new voices in the journal lately, many previously unknown to me. I love that there are enough random factors built in to how the journal's done that sometimes I'm a bit surprised by what emerges.

***

Odd readings coming up:

I'll be doing a tribute to Jim Carroll at 9 p.m. Monday for the Dirty Gerund Poetry Series at Ralph's Rock Diner, with music by the Catholic Boys, who played with Carroll, along with poetry (Carroll's and our own) by myself, Lea Deschenes, Tony Brown, Ryk McIntyre, Nick Davis and Alex Charalambides. It should be an amazing night, and I hope people come out for it.

And of course, the National Poetry Slam Finals are going to be in Boston. You should see as much of it as you can, but for my part, I'm involved in two events: 1.) I'm a judge in the Harry Potter vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer slam, at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at MIT’s Stata Center, Room 32-123, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge; and I'm one of the features for the Write Bloody reading, along with Karen Finneyfrock, Jon Sands, Taylor Mali, Lea Deschenes, Laura Yes Yes, Jeanann Verlee, Brian Ellis, Tara Hardy, Megan Falley, Sierra DeMulder, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz and Robbie Q. Telfer, at 1 p.m. Friday at the Cantab,738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge.

Hope to see you as I'm out and about!

I can take the heat ....

... but taking the heat on painkillers? That's fun? Seriously, I've been Mr. Spacy (not Kevin), all day. Went to work, but did nothing more demanding that laying out a few pages. No writing. Indeed, this is the most I've written in two days, and that's seriously unimpressive. I'd hoped, having taken off the whole day after my 8:30 a.m. gum surgery (less dramatic than it sounds), that I'd have plenty of time to write, return emails, get things done for "Radius" and basically catch up with myself. This did not happen. Mostly, I slept, and I'm OK with that.

Not in pain, but I still can't eat anything too tough, and the medicine makes me tired. Will be happy when this is all done. (The bad news? I have to go in two more times over the next few months to get this all finished. Ick.)

As a couple close friends are in worse shape right now, I feel guilty complaining. Mostly, just putting my head in order, which is more effort than one would think. I feel like my brain needs to a serious defragging.