I am very proud to be chosen by Jeffrey McDaniel as this year's runner-up
for the Tucson Poetry Festival's Will Inman Award.
Last year I was third place. This year I was second place.
Obviously, anyone with the most basic grasp of mathematical trends
can see where this is headed.
Yes, exactly... in two years I will be zero place.
For proper accounting purposes, my manuscript consisted of these four poems:
Notes From A Kurosawa Film Festival
Do Androids Dream Of Electronically-Deposited Unemployment Checks?
The Existential Chef
Papercuts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Cliff's Notes and video for the poem in the latest issue of Juked
I'm very happy to be included in the new issue of Juked.
It's a good issue with poems from Chris Haven and Elizabeth O'Brien immediately catching my attention, along with a nice interview of Campbell McGrath.
My poem in this issue is called "Poem Yet To Be Written By Bill Campana"
Bill's response was "Great. Now people all over the world can say Who the hell is Bill Campana?"
It was one of the poems I wrote for a Halloween reading, where I basically went trick-or-treating as some of my favorite Phoenix poets. I tried to write poems about subjects, themes and images that they might use and then I tried to deliver them with their voice and mannerisms.
In this video of that series of costume poems, the Bill Campana one that Juked published can be heard around the four minute mark.
When I started reading at local venues, Bill was one of the first people to dig what I was doing and his support opened a lot of doors for me, since he was one of the icons of Arizona poetry readings. Even though my writing and style were different, people who would've normally ignored me were suddenly curious and taking an interest in what I was doing. It certainly added to my credibility.
Over the years, I have witnessed some amazing performances from him. He has been an inspiration and a friend. I was excited to get this poem published in such a cool journal and I hope he feels honored in some way. But knowing him, I am sure that he is equally irritated by the whole thing.
And that's part of why we get along.
It's a good issue with poems from Chris Haven and Elizabeth O'Brien immediately catching my attention, along with a nice interview of Campbell McGrath.
My poem in this issue is called "Poem Yet To Be Written By Bill Campana"
Bill's response was "Great. Now people all over the world can say Who the hell is Bill Campana?"
It was one of the poems I wrote for a Halloween reading, where I basically went trick-or-treating as some of my favorite Phoenix poets. I tried to write poems about subjects, themes and images that they might use and then I tried to deliver them with their voice and mannerisms.
In this video of that series of costume poems, the Bill Campana one that Juked published can be heard around the four minute mark.
When I started reading at local venues, Bill was one of the first people to dig what I was doing and his support opened a lot of doors for me, since he was one of the icons of Arizona poetry readings. Even though my writing and style were different, people who would've normally ignored me were suddenly curious and taking an interest in what I was doing. It certainly added to my credibility.
Over the years, I have witnessed some amazing performances from him. He has been an inspiration and a friend. I was excited to get this poem published in such a cool journal and I hope he feels honored in some way. But knowing him, I am sure that he is equally irritated by the whole thing.
And that's part of why we get along.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
On The Brevity Of Titles and a poem in the new issue of Sakura Review
One of my earlier poems that would usually get a very positive response, after readings
but could never make its way into publication, had a heavy-handed title like "On The Absence
Of Racism In Ancient Greece." In fact, it had a title exactly like "On The Absence Of Racism In Ancient Greece."
Recently, I reined the title in a little bit to "Beyond Translation" and coincidentally
it was just published in the latest issue of Sakura Review.
I received my contributor's copies the other day and was happy to see that I am in the same issue with great poems from J. P. Dancing Bear (because I loved his 2002 chapbook from Slipstream Press, "What Language") and Jeffrey C. Alfier (who included one of my poems in the debut issue of a journal he edits called San Pedro River Review).
Some of the poems from new-to-me poets that caught my attention on the first pass through, include a couple of short ones from E. Ethelbert Miller, an interesting cut-up from Jenn Monroe, and one by Eleanor Paynter.
In December, I was scheduled to read with Bakeem Lloyd at the monthly Phoenix Poetry Series. We decided to "cover" one of each others' poems somewhere during our own set and he chose Beyond Translation. I have a really shaky bootleg video of him reading it. Yes, it looks like it may have been poorly dubbed from another language, like in old karate movies...but here it is:
I read two short ones from him. I don't have any video of it, but this is one of the ones I chose to read. He wasn't sure it would sound right, coming from me. But I thought that's what would make it even more interesting... although I am no Tony Hoagland.
but could never make its way into publication, had a heavy-handed title like "On The Absence
Of Racism In Ancient Greece." In fact, it had a title exactly like "On The Absence Of Racism In Ancient Greece."
Recently, I reined the title in a little bit to "Beyond Translation" and coincidentally
it was just published in the latest issue of Sakura Review.
I received my contributor's copies the other day and was happy to see that I am in the same issue with great poems from J. P. Dancing Bear (because I loved his 2002 chapbook from Slipstream Press, "What Language") and Jeffrey C. Alfier (who included one of my poems in the debut issue of a journal he edits called San Pedro River Review).
Some of the poems from new-to-me poets that caught my attention on the first pass through, include a couple of short ones from E. Ethelbert Miller, an interesting cut-up from Jenn Monroe, and one by Eleanor Paynter.
In December, I was scheduled to read with Bakeem Lloyd at the monthly Phoenix Poetry Series. We decided to "cover" one of each others' poems somewhere during our own set and he chose Beyond Translation. I have a really shaky bootleg video of him reading it. Yes, it looks like it may have been poorly dubbed from another language, like in old karate movies...but here it is:
I read two short ones from him. I don't have any video of it, but this is one of the ones I chose to read. He wasn't sure it would sound right, coming from me. But I thought that's what would make it even more interesting... although I am no Tony Hoagland.
movie extra in a bad relationship
our relationship
has always had the earmarks
of a bad horror movie
and I for one am so tired
of playing
the white girl
running through the forest
in high heel shoes
---Bakeem Lloyd
---Bakeem Lloyd
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