James DenBoer
SEPT. 26
The river is flat gray
with only the slightest
waver of sky-bitten
current cutting across
its languid tremor we can’t
even call a wave. ¿Que
onda? old Mexican
hippie talk. No
ondas, no wind. Sodden
cotton of cottonwoods
annoyingly on
pages of my book of
kharjas, pages where the
past, fog-shimmed, struggles up
clumsy pond turtles in
Sacramento River
wash to rest on fallen
sycamore limbs downed
by last week’s hard storm.
Day moon: Fall and cease:
/ Albany, Lear
—James DenBoer
___________________
Thanks, Jim! Rattlesnake Press is proud to announce the release of a new chapbook from James DenBoer, Day Moon, next Wednesday, June 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, at 7:30 PM. For more information about Jim, including his extensive list of credits plus poems from his previous rattlechap, Black Dog, click on rattlesnakepress.com at the right of this column.
OCT. —
I am not speaking to Him again until
He apologizes – no, until he repents (Cavell)
for inventing, paving
– “I have prepared a way before you” –
only two roads: salvation or damnation
both hard stony dry & wicked to walk
false signage leading to the same spot again
imagine No gate No Saint Peter
your name in No big book
instead a swarm of arguing happy inviting
wrens dragonflies monkeys other
ways to understand
than this compulsive dialectic
eighteen more ways (thirteen/Stevens)than this compulsive dialectic
out of here
(sing yourself
out, entreats Dr. Miracle; one option among few)
—James DenBoer
__________________
This week's HandyStuff Quickie:
If you don't know about The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux (W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1997), you should, and if you do know about it, let me remind you that this is a book that bears revisiting from time to time. Divided into four sections, it covers not only craft but the more nebulous (and troublesome) aspects of writing: Subjects for Writing (including sections such as Writing the Erotic, The Shadow, Death and Grief and Witnessing) and The Writing Life (Self-Doubt, Writing in the Electronic Age, Writer's Block and Getting Published). Unfortunately the Internet section is eleven years old, but much of the rest includes timeless truths (as well as way-cool writing exercises), and I was surprised to see that all the resources listed in the Appendix on Finding Markets (such as Poet's Market and Writer's Digest) are still active! Check it out, a classic from two NorCal poets/teachers.
Another addition to this week's NorCal poetry calendar:
•••Friday (6/6), 5:30 PM: Enjoy a night under the stars of Murphys with poetry from the West! Complete with a chuck wagon barbecue buffet, the night will be reminiscent of an evening on the old cattle drive trail. Presented by the Cowpoke, the night will feature the cowboy poetry of Pat Richardson, John Kitz and Jeralynn Strong. The Supper bell will ring around 5:30 PM for all to gather around the chuck wagon. For a full evening of entertainment, the event is a reasonable $40 per person. The event will be held in the great Ironstone Amphitheatre, 1894 Six Mile Rd., Murphys. Please call to make your reservations: 209-728-1251, Ext. 46, Paul E. Mundy Jr., Manager of Special Events, Ironstone Vineyards, Ironstonevineyards.com/.
__________________
DEAR E.
—Taylor Graham, Somerset
It’s 2008 AD. How can I write you
150 years ago? I don’t even know the letter-
rate back then. No matter, our topic
is timeless: Peace, the Imaginable Unknown.
You always believed it could happen.
But think of the old Greek and Roman gods,
forever embroiling poor mortals
in their immortal jockeying
for position. A goddess scorned,
and Troy goes up in flames.
And then, the Bible: remember,
as a child, you loved to read of holy battles.
David, psalmist of peace, smiting
the Philistines and Amalekites; civil war,
Israel against Judah.
Now, in these days of 42-cent postage,
we’ve got Chechnya, Palestine,
Darfur, Iraq. In your ageless other-
world, has anyone invented a telescope
to discover a godlier universe,
one that lies beyond the vision
of history and mythology? In what solar
system is there a Sun called Peace
with its planets
Brotherhood and Love?
___________________
Thanks, TG! Taylor Graham took yesterday's Seed of the Week ("letters you'll never send") and wrote to her peace-activist relative, Elihu. Keep 'em comin'— there's never a deadline for Seeds of the Week.
___________________
Today's LittleNip:
SUBSTANTIAL PLANES
—A.R. Ammons
It doesn't
matter
to me
if
poems mean
nothing:
there's no
floor
to the
universe
and yet
one
walks the
floor.
_________________
—Medusa
MEDUSA'S WEEKLY MENU:
(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)
Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar
Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOW; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.
Wednesday: HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.
Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar
Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.
And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!
_________________
SNAKEWATCH: NEWS FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS
Coming next Wednesday, June 11: Two Moons in June: Join us at The Book Collector for the premiere of Day Moon, a new chapbook by James DenBoer, and Mindfully Moon, a littlesnake broadside by Carol Louise Moon, as well as Volume Three of Conversations, our third book of interviews by B.L. Kennedy, featuring Art Beck, Olivia Costellano, Quinton Duval, William S. Gainer, Mario Ellis Hill, Kathryn Hohlwein, James Jee Jobe, Andy Jones, Rebecca Morrison, Viola Weinberg and Phillip T. Nails. All this PLUS a brand-new edition (#18) of Rattlesnake Review! That's at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM, June 11. See you there!
Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.
