Victor D. Infante's Blog, page 190
October 1, 2010
Dispatches from the chronically tired ...
Went out last night with Lea, Kae and Bex to Amanda Fucking Palmer's Late Night Cabaret, featuring Palmer, chanteuse Meow Meow, keyboardist Lance Horn and the all-around amazing Jason Webley. With bonus Neil Gaiman sightings! (BTW, Gaiman and Palmer? Just as bloody cute in person as you'd imagine.) All this, and a surprise lesbian wedding. Absolutely wonderful, mad evening, and I wasn't even driving, so I got to drink Manhattans!
I'd heard good things about Webley before, but really, all I have from him is the Evelyn Evelyn album, and while good, I don't think it's indicative. Him alone with an accordion playing "Music That Tears Itself Apart" was one of the best musical moments I've encountered in the past couple years. And Meow Meow was a revelation. Funny, yes, but her voice is incredible, and her phrasing is amongst the best I've ever heard, hands down. And lastly, Amanda. Oh, Amanda. I didn't think I could love you more, and yet, here I am. Amazing show. So glad I saw it.
***
Having not got home until 3 a.m., and having had a ton of work to do, tonight belonged to the television set, and particularly, "Project Runway." Remember what I said a few weeks ago about the judges just not getting Mondo? Three wins in, I suppose I can now eat those words. And he's been earning it. That's been some truly stellar work.
And his discussing being HIV positive bloody broke me. Not just the tragedy, and the silence he's obviously had to live with, but how it informs his art ... how he transforms all of that pain into beauty. Not fucking fair, "Project Runway." Not fair at all!
***
OK. I tend to gush a bit about the poets from my old Orange County stomping grounds, and I gush about few of them as much as I do Mindy Nettifee. But you've got to understand something: I've known her since she was 13 years old, and have watched her poetry grow and grow from something amazing to something off the charts. Frankly, I not only love her and her work, I think she's a vitally important writer, who works tirelessly at her craft and who keeps coming back with writing more gorgeous than what came before.
Mindy's going to be in town Sunday night, for a Kitchen Sessions, and again Monday night, for the Dirty gerund Poetry Series at Ralph's. If you are anywhere in reasonable driving distance from Worcester, you really, really need to show up. I mean, seriously.
On a side note, I should really state for the record how happy I am that my joy at seeing OC writers shine extends to the ones who came after my time there. Eric Morago, whom I've only met briefly and only seen feature once, has a new book coming out on Moon Tide, and I'm extremely excited. Eric joins Kate Buckley and Michael Roberts in this new generation of OC (yes, Long Beach counts as OC for poetry scene purposes) writers I've not had the privilege of seeing develop, but whose work, what little I've seen of it, strikes me as both fresh and new, but also organically connected to old hands like Mindy, Derrick Brown, Rachel McKibbens and the like. That same strong sense of metaphor and evocative language, with a voice that's wholly unique. I love watching these poets emerge, and come into their own. Orange County turns out good writers, and new and old, they continue to blow me away.
I'd heard good things about Webley before, but really, all I have from him is the Evelyn Evelyn album, and while good, I don't think it's indicative. Him alone with an accordion playing "Music That Tears Itself Apart" was one of the best musical moments I've encountered in the past couple years. And Meow Meow was a revelation. Funny, yes, but her voice is incredible, and her phrasing is amongst the best I've ever heard, hands down. And lastly, Amanda. Oh, Amanda. I didn't think I could love you more, and yet, here I am. Amazing show. So glad I saw it.
***
Having not got home until 3 a.m., and having had a ton of work to do, tonight belonged to the television set, and particularly, "Project Runway." Remember what I said a few weeks ago about the judges just not getting Mondo? Three wins in, I suppose I can now eat those words. And he's been earning it. That's been some truly stellar work.
And his discussing being HIV positive bloody broke me. Not just the tragedy, and the silence he's obviously had to live with, but how it informs his art ... how he transforms all of that pain into beauty. Not fucking fair, "Project Runway." Not fair at all!
***
OK. I tend to gush a bit about the poets from my old Orange County stomping grounds, and I gush about few of them as much as I do Mindy Nettifee. But you've got to understand something: I've known her since she was 13 years old, and have watched her poetry grow and grow from something amazing to something off the charts. Frankly, I not only love her and her work, I think she's a vitally important writer, who works tirelessly at her craft and who keeps coming back with writing more gorgeous than what came before.
Mindy's going to be in town Sunday night, for a Kitchen Sessions, and again Monday night, for the Dirty gerund Poetry Series at Ralph's. If you are anywhere in reasonable driving distance from Worcester, you really, really need to show up. I mean, seriously.
On a side note, I should really state for the record how happy I am that my joy at seeing OC writers shine extends to the ones who came after my time there. Eric Morago, whom I've only met briefly and only seen feature once, has a new book coming out on Moon Tide, and I'm extremely excited. Eric joins Kate Buckley and Michael Roberts in this new generation of OC (yes, Long Beach counts as OC for poetry scene purposes) writers I've not had the privilege of seeing develop, but whose work, what little I've seen of it, strikes me as both fresh and new, but also organically connected to old hands like Mindy, Derrick Brown, Rachel McKibbens and the like. That same strong sense of metaphor and evocative language, with a voice that's wholly unique. I love watching these poets emerge, and come into their own. Orange County turns out good writers, and new and old, they continue to blow me away.
September 27, 2010
Housekeeping Note
My cell phone appears to be having issues. If you need me for the foreseeable future, reach me on my land line, my e-mail or Facebook.
September 24, 2010
WeirdPolitick -- Stewart/Colbert/Gunn
While I'm probably too old and straight these days to make much claim to Discordianism or to revisit my days hanging out with the Church of the SubGenius, I have to say, I still appreciate a little good-intentioned chaos being injected into the system, now and again. And no one's doing that better these days than Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" and Colbert's concurrent "March to Keep Fear Alive" may be the greatest bit of political chaos I've ever seen. If...
September 23, 2010
Northampton, "Cabaret," Cheesy Pop Songs
Read to an intimate group in Northampton last night, which is a polite way of saying not many people turned up. No matter, I've had a few home runs lately, so I was owed a small turnout, especially in a part of the state I've never spent any time. (and really, rather a small crowd an hour away than, say, 10 hours away.) And I can't say I didn't have a good time. The food at the Green Street Cafe is amazing, and the few that were there seemed to really enjoy the set. (And thanks to Kae, Bex, L...
September 21, 2010
Rapid-fire update
Busy, busy, busy ...
Still on vacation, and doing lots of running around. Sunday, we headed out to stART on the Street, which was enjoyable as ever. Saw lots of cool arty stuff, and ran into lots of great people. Much, much, fun. Was a little disappointed in the music, though. Thought the booking service they used kind of lent it a generic "fair music" sort of feel, as opposed to the local weirdness you get when Industrial Sonic Echo or the Pandas are playing. Performing arts have always been...
Still on vacation, and doing lots of running around. Sunday, we headed out to stART on the Street, which was enjoyable as ever. Saw lots of cool arty stuff, and ran into lots of great people. Much, much, fun. Was a little disappointed in the music, though. Thought the booking service they used kind of lent it a generic "fair music" sort of feel, as opposed to the local weirdness you get when Industrial Sonic Echo or the Pandas are playing. Performing arts have always been...
September 18, 2010
Ontario
Home again, after a whirlwind trip to Ontario. We actually had two components to the trip -- a brief visit with our friend Jenna in Toronto, followed by a reading for the Cobourg Poetry Workshop, and while both experiences were warm, welcoming and pleasant, I cannot imagine a bigger dichotomy. The two places, barely two hours apart (accepting Toronto traffic) -- are virtually in different worlds.
Toronto has one of the most amazing energies of any places I've ever been. It virtually buzzes wi...
Toronto has one of the most amazing energies of any places I've ever been. It virtually buzzes wi...
September 14, 2010
[Insert Rush Joke Here]
Almost out the door, on our way to Toronto.
Will be largely out of reach until the weekend.
Have a nice week!
Will be largely out of reach until the weekend.
Have a nice week!
September 13, 2010
Morning thoughts ...
First day of vacation, and I had to get up early to take the car to the mechanic in advance of tomorrow's trip to Toronto. Bah. Still, cannot wait to hit the road. Been cooped up too long, and we get to see Jenna, which is always awesome. Toronto seems like a great city, and I'm looking forward to reading in Cobourg.
***
Was gonna rant about a certain local blogger today, but fuck it, I'm on vacation. Instead, I'll draw your attention to Tom Caywood's excellent and important story on...
***
Was gonna rant about a certain local blogger today, but fuck it, I'm on vacation. Instead, I'll draw your attention to Tom Caywood's excellent and important story on...
No time to blog ...
... but I just wanted to share this. I'm evidently big in a very finite part of Canada! (And really, I'm in already love with the town of Cobourg, and I won't even be there until Thursday!)
September 11, 2010
The Blog Where Victor's Brain Should Be ...
I have -- and I don't think this will surprise anyone -- certain workaholic tendencies, culminating in the fact that I have, indeed, not taken any vacation time yet this year. This is not a healthy sentence to by typing in September. Thankfully, I'll be rectifying that, and be off for the next two weeks. Not that I won't find ways to keep myself busy.
***
Lea and I have a few readings -- all co-features together -- coming up this month and next. You should come to them!
Coburg Poetry Workshop
66 ...
***
Lea and I have a few readings -- all co-features together -- coming up this month and next. You should come to them!
Coburg Poetry Workshop
66 ...
