CHARLES BERNSTEIN INTERVIEWS GEORGE KUCHAR



Speaking of heroes, here's one of my favorite poet heroes interviewing one of my favorite film heroes. It's like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, but funnier.

More sound files from Kuchar on PennSound, here.

NADA REPORTS ON BELLADONNA'S ADFEMPO CONFERENCE



Part one here.

Part two here.

I wish I could have seen Steve Zultanski's Jewel talk. What's up with Eileen Myles hating on people in public? I thought she was above that. Sad to see good poets fall into the "language poetry bad, group formation bad" rap. It's so ... middle America. Oh, well. She's not the first poet hero of mine to disappoint.

Right now? I am typing this, of course, and listening to the Asha Bhosle that Nada has on her computer (at the moment it's "Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge." OMG!).

But the moment I post this, it's back to the living room, where I'm simultaneously working on Elsewhere 4 (after abandoning it all summer, the poor dear) and watching Li Li-hua in "Rape of the Sword." (See poster above.)

Asha! Li-hua! You are my real feminist heroes today. Thank you for rocking so hard.

I HAVE TO WORK SO WILL MISS THIS

This morning, Nada will be participating in a panel on conceptual writings and feminist poetics with Vanessa Place, Sina Queyras, Kim Rosenfield, and Christine Wertheim.

It's part of Belladonna's "Advancing Feminist Poetics & Activism" program, which runs all day today at CUNY, and which I think is free of charge.

More info for those without day jobs, here.

MY TOP FIVE POETRY PET PEEVES



As poetry season blortches forth once again into all our lives like a stopped up toilet after flushing, a few things to consider.

1. Poems beginning "Dear," that are not actually letters or emails sent to another person. I know poetry is "artifice," but come on. This never fails to make the hair on my neck crawl, largely because the person's voice who reads this sort of poem always, like, "lilts" in that "special" way when they say "Dear,". Bleah.

2. Poems dedicated to dead poets. ("For Spicer"—it’s almost always for Spicer for some reason. Is he more receptive to bad poetry or something?) Pretty much, I write off poets who do this, forever. It's not fair. But, then, my life is half over, and I don't plan on spending this half of it sitting through this sort of thing. So, actually, it is fair.

3. Ekphrasis. Do I need to elaborate? Send me a URL to an image of the damned painting and let’s talk about something interesting, instead.

4. “I’m not writing about X, I’m writing ‘through’ X.” Thank you for sharing. I'm not laughing derisively at you, I'm laughing derisively through you.

5. Use of the word “mere” to describe all other kinds of poetry/poets but oneself. It’s “merely” a signal for me to take your books off the shelf, toss them down the garbage chute, and fill the now conveniently empty space with the dozen or so Albanian pop music cassettes that have been piling up in a corner near the bookshelf.

Let me know yours as well.

"I'M REALLY SAD YOU ALL ASSUME
YOU'RE GOING TO HATE MY POEM"



Brilliant new video work from Brandon Downing, here.

I AM SO THERE. JOIN ME?



Jonathan Horowitz
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 7:30pm
Light Industry
220 36th Street, 5th Floor - Brooklyn, New York

In an evening exploring the subject of documentary genres, from cinéma vérité to reality TV, Jonathan Horowitz screens his new video, Apocalypto Now (2009), along with an early, rarely seen video, Making Pharaoh’s Red Flag Video (1988). The videos will be presented within the context of a prerecorded “live” introduction/monologue. The artist will be present to answer questions afterward.

“The work of the American artist Jonathan Horowitz (*1966) employs the technique of montage much like a music DJ samples bits and pieces of songs. Scenes from classic movies are combined with obscure bits of media detritus to make critical connections between disparate narratives. At the same time, Horowitz presents singular and incisive new narratives, which powerfully reflect on important issues of the day.

Apocalypto Now is made entirely from found documentary and narrative movie and TV footage. Its primary structure is taken from a documentary on the history of the Hollywood disaster movie. Footage from documentaries on climate change and scenes from movies reenacting the 9/11 World Trade Center attack are intercut. Connections are drawn between disaster as entertainment, real life catastrophe, and the apocalyptic beliefs of religious fundamentalists.

The central figure connecting these strands is the actor/director Mel Gibson. In interview footage, Gibson talks about his personal struggles with addiction, which led him to a renewal of his Catholic faith and to making the movie The Passion of the Christ. As with other players in Apocalypto Now, (self)destructive impulses are channeled through religion and art, to a variety of often disturbing ends. Gibson, however, is not always successful in containing these impulses, as his public relations catastrophes attest.”
- Exhibition brochure, Museum Ludwig

Jonathan Horowitz is an artist living in New York. A retrospective of his work is currently on view at P.S.1.

Tickets - $7, available at door.

I REMEMBER?



Do you think I should take my medicine not if I remember I already took it?

I remember when I was a little girl... ...and Pluto was a planet. *tear*

I remember a comedy record about a Fart contest in the Chicago Stock yards? Anyone remember this?

I remember when I tongue kissed my friend and it felt like I kissed him before what was that?

I remember a show with a man and his orange puppet friend?

As a girl I remember I was always fascinated about testicles, am I weird?

I remember that in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s etc it was legal for neighbors to smack unruly kids?

what big black bird can speak? i remember a crow or something?

I'm looking for the name of this movie but all I remember is two little boys hiding in dirty water?

i remember a kind of 'homo' dream about my friend, and we're both girls?

I remember this book where the girl is in the hospital crying in a corner and a guy hugs her?

I remember having NIGHTMARES about rape when I was 4, but I didn't even know about sex at the time?

My wife watched me piss in our computer room with my eyes open, why don't I remember it?!?

Are most married women whores, I remember when I was 18-20, I would always get sex proposals from older married women?

when i was about 5 i think i had a vcug i was so scared but all i remember is having my vagina cleaned why?

Why has my penis become the size of my pinky finger, when, I remember, it used to be a small one?

I have to remember to swallow my saliva?

My panties always end up on backwards after I go out drinking, what's up with that & why can't I remember?

How do I remember to wear my rubber bands?

I remember reading somewhere that there is a debate between feminists regarding long hair on men?

When I was younger I remember seeing a hamster eat it's children. Is this murder?

I am 33 and for as long as i remember i chew and bite the inside of my mouth and continually take chunks HELP?

I got up sometime last night and puked all over the bathroom I remember puking but not all over the place?

How can i remember to pick up my underwear off of the bathroom floor?

is it me or am i imagining it??? but, when i was younger i remember cinnamon toast crunch had 3 chefs not one?

What’s “I remember hitting my chin with my chest” mean?

How can i remember to take my birth control pills?

i remember watching a video of someone feeding elk in washington.................?

I remember when I was a child I saw another child grab poo out of the toilet. How do I get rid of this memory?

I remember a show where a guy was obsessed with womens neck waddles...?

there's this scary movie and all i remember was a ghost saying come to me come to me was it in the 90's?

What was the Discovery Channel show that talked about the Earth millions of years from now, I remember it theorized and talked about squids on land at the end?

sorry but this is all i remember.. it goes i believe in the freak of love, he is very high pitch its a band?

When i was going to school i remember the teacher haveing this big orange box and this Puppet with a hat on?

Does anyone recognise this poem: "I remember when the dawn would warm you skin..."?

Can anybody name this movie? Only scene I remember is a man being stabbed in the chest by a unicorn?

I remember this film … nose penis, kids kept in the cellar...?

I remember reading a question on here before about Manny Ramirez writing you suck on a baseball for a kid?

I need help finding a horror movie from the 80's? all I remember is blue fingernails. Kids killing. Can u help?

I remember reading a forum that mentioned a pill that, once ingested makes it impossible to eat sans vomiting?

How Do I Remember All The Material I Learned In Cheer Camp?

I remember a book from my youth. It was two adolescent "clubs" and one tried to sneak into the others hideout?

I remember a pirate comes out of a refrigerator at the end?

DREW GARDNER | GARY SULLIVAN | DANA WARD



Tonight at the Zinc Bar
6:30 p.m.
82 West 3rd Street
between Thompson & Sullivan