David S. Atkinson's Blog, page 127

The Colorado Poetry Rodeo (29th Annual) Is Tomorrow Night!

The 29th Annual Colorado Poetry Rodeo is tomorrow night! You should come on out. Hosted by Roseanna Frechette and SETH, Friday April 21st at the Mercury Cafe in Denver. I’ll be reading flash fiction with a crew from the Fbomb Flash Fiction Reading Series (Nancy Stohlman, Hillary Leftwich, Stina French, and myself).

Here are the details from the Facebook event page:

The Colorado Poetry Rodeo (Podeo) celebrates its 29th annual event with an evening of multi-dynamic performances including some of the region’s most engaging poets and performers of poetry and spoken word. Event goes from 6pm to 2am presenting a wide range of featured work and open mic readers at Denver’s legendary Mercury Cafe (2199 California Street). Admission is $10.

Event opens at 6pm with ensemble Art Compost & the Word Mechanics in a musical-poetry jam paying Tribute to Poets Past of Denver.

From 8-10-30 a range of works include: performance poetry features, some of which integrate elements of music and dance, with sets by Roseanna Frechette, Wayne Gilbert, Jonathan Montgomery, Mila Popovich, M.D. Friedman, SETH, Marilyn Megenity; flash fiction readings by Nancy Stohlman, Hillary Leftwich, David Atkinson, Stina French; words of Stories Stories host Ed Ward; as well as sets by noted poets Les Reed, Carolyn Reed, Sean McAllister, Jimi Bernath, Ted Vaca, Emily Wiechec. As Denver’s slam community prepares to host this summer’s National Poetry Slam 2017, Mercury Cafe Slam Poets and Slam Nuba will share the stage with members of Denver’s youth slam team Minor Disturbance. Hosts for these feature hours are veteran performance poets SETH and Roseanna Frechette.

At 10:30pm the (free) Friday Night Open Mic takes place.

Colorado Poetry Rodeo was first presented by KUVO Radio in 1989 with a statewide call for submissions. Selected poets were then recorded and aired on the station throughout April (National Poetry Month) with the month-long celebration culminating in a marathon poetry reading open to the community. Since that first KUVO-sponsored year, this annual community event has been kept alive by various organizers and hosts including the late poet Woody Hildebrant, Mercury Cafe owner Marilyn Megenity, Jam Before the Slam hosts SETH, Roseanna Frechette, and others.

Poster design courtesy of Michael Annis (Howling Dog Press) and David Reed.

This Is Looking Like A Big Reading Year

This is starting to look like a big reading year. Not sure what to think about that. It probably means I’m not spending enough time writing, but I’m feeling more like reading right now.

Like usual, I set a Goodreads goal of 150 books. I usually read 200-300 a year, but 150 feels like a comfortable minimum to me. The number is actually completely unimportant because it isn’t a race, but 150 as a minimum based on my reading speed and the amount of time I want to spend reading feels right. Usually I hit that 150 goal sometime in July, usually at the end.

I’m at 112 as of April 19th. Pretty sure I’m going a bit faster than normal.

Sure, some of these books are smaller and I’ve even read a couple graphic novels on there which don’t take anywhere near as much time, but I’m still at around 27,960 pages for the year for an average of about 250 per book.

Regardless, pretty sure this is going to be a big reading year if something doesn’t get in the way. Might even beat my 2011 high point of 318 (89,784 pages). It doesn’t matter in the slightest, but I was just thinking about it.

A Simulation Of How I’ve Been Waking Up Recently

Here is a simulation of how I’ve been waking up recently. There are several of these spring door stops in our bedroom, and the kitten has taken to playing with them when she is agitated that we have not yet woken up to feed her and the other cats, usually at around 4-5 am. We don’t want to take them off the walls and risk damaging the doors or such.

When the video ends, please hit “play again” at least four more times.

Is Bosko Related To The Animaniacs?

Is Bosko related to the Animaniacs?

I’m sure someone has probably addressed this already. Frankly, I’m too lazy to look. Seems to be a family resemblance.

In Honor Of The Fact We Don’t Do That Joke Anymore

In honor of the fact we don’t do that joke anymore:

You know what I mean. If not, count yourself lucky.

I Think Motion Kind Of Diminishes The Scary

Remember that thing about how the Teletubbies are supposed to be freaky in black and white?

I would agree. However, I thought an animated gif of the same would be scarier, but it seems to diminish the scary a bit to me.

Personally, it edges them back to looking kind of stupid again. Obviously, I’m not a fan.

Remember: Next Week Is The Colorado Poetry Rodeo (29th Annual) On April 21st!

Remember! Next week is the 29th Annual Colorado Poetry Rodeo (hosted by Roseanna Frechette and SETH). Friday April 21st at the Mercury Cafe in Denver. I’ll be reading flash fiction with a crew from the Fbomb Flash Fiction Reading Series (Nancy Stohlman, Hillary Leftwich, Stina French, and myself).

You should come out!

Here are the details from the Facebook event page:

The Colorado Poetry Rodeo (Podeo) celebrates its 29th annual event with an evening of multi-dynamic performances including some of the region’s most engaging poets and performers of poetry and spoken word. Event goes from 6pm to 2am presenting a wide range of featured work and open mic readers at Denver’s legendary Mercury Cafe (2199 California Street). Admission is $10.

Event opens at 6pm with ensemble Art Compost & the Word Mechanics in a musical-poetry jam paying Tribute to Poets Past of Denver.

From 8-10-30 a range of works include: performance poetry features, some of which integrate elements of music and dance, with sets by Roseanna Frechette, Wayne Gilbert, Jonathan Montgomery, Mila Popovich, M.D. Friedman, SETH, Marilyn Megenity; flash fiction readings by Nancy Stohlman, Hillary Leftwich, David Atkinson, Stina French; words of Stories Stories host Ed Ward; as well as sets by noted poets Les Reed, Carolyn Reed, Sean McAllister, Jimi Bernath, Ted Vaca, Emily Wiechec. As Denver’s slam community prepares to host this summer’s National Poetry Slam 2017, Mercury Cafe Slam Poets and Slam Nuba will share the stage with members of Denver’s youth slam team Minor Disturbance. Hosts for these feature hours are veteran performance poets SETH and Roseanna Frechette.

At 10:30pm the (free) Friday Night Open Mic takes place.

Colorado Poetry Rodeo was first presented by KUVO Radio in 1989 with a statewide call for submissions. Selected poets were then recorded and aired on the station throughout April (National Poetry Month) with the month-long celebration culminating in a marathon poetry reading open to the community. Since that first KUVO-sponsored year, this annual community event has been kept alive by various organizers and hosts including the late poet Woody Hildebrant, Mercury Cafe owner Marilyn Megenity, Jam Before the Slam hosts SETH, Roseanna Frechette, and others.

Poster design courtesy of Michael Annis (Howling Dog Press) and David Reed.

There’s Apparently A Machine Just For The Eyes

There’s apparently a machine just for the eyes.

Is this really necessary? Couldn’t we do without eyes anyway? I can eat, at most, about one a year before I get completely nauseated. An eye machine for this seems like way, way overkill

I Didn’t Know There Were Gargoyles In Downtown Denver

I did not know there were gargoyles in downtown Denver. Old style ones, configured as gutter spouts like at Notre-Dame de Paris. Then I happened to be in a decently tall office building looking down and saw:

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That’s at least why I hadn’t seen them before. The turn of the century or so building I was looking down on had a floor on top of the main top floor for whatever HVAC system was original, but didn’t extend the full length and width of the main top floor. It wasn’tvisible from the street, not going to the edges like that, but it did have actual gargoyles.

It just struck me as cool, something hidden like that. Maybe there are other real old style gargoyles like that in Denver, but I couldn’t think of any. Decided to share.

Facebook Friends Are No Help

My wife made me get up very early this weekend and go with her to Target, something about some new Victoria Beckham line (there was actually security in the story for this, but not a huge rush at that particular location). There was also a cat swimsuit that my wife found. She made me try it on. She wanted me to get it, and I posted about this on Facebook.

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No one provided any assistance. Mainly, there was laughter.  Then my wife made me buy the swimsuit.

None of my Facebook friends were any help.

Lucky the swimsuit didn’t really bug me. What do I care?