Photo by Frank Dixon Graham, Sacramento
SWEET THING
—Todd Cirillo, Nevada City
There she is
in the middle of that
Van Morrison song,
riding that summer breeze,
driving my favorite back roads,
lying in the hammock
or opening that first cold beer.
With her being everywhere,
it’s no wonder
I never have her to myself.
___________________
Rattlechapper/littlesnake broadsider/prodigal pirate poet of Six Ft. Swells Press Todd Cirillo will be reading at Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe tonight, Jan. 22 with RD Armstrong and Josh Fernandez. Open mic before and after. Hosted by B.L. Kennedy. Todd says it'll be an evening of booze and beauty, debauchery and rock-n-roll devil horns! That's 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM.
Read more about Todd Cirillo on his rattlechaps page on rattlesnakepress.com/. Watch for a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez, In the End, It's a Worthless Machine, coming February 11. And RD Armstrong was featured on Medusa's Kitchen on August 15, 2008. Go to the archives at the right and click on August 2008; scroll down to the 15th. Josh was featured on May 10, 2007.
Speaking of B.L. Kennedy:
B.L.'s Drive-bys:
CANDLES BURNING
A Novel by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell
Berkeley Books
424 pp, paperback
ISBN 978-0-425-21570-8
This was a surprise. I have long been a fan of Tabitha King and had read very little of the late Michael McDowell, but Candles Burning is one beautiful read. It’s one of those old-fashioned Southern Gothic ghost stories that just creeps up your spine and does not let go until the last page has been turned. I cannot recall the last time that I jumped so much during a novel, but Candles Burning is one of those rare and brilliant narratives that drive the nail hard into the base of the skull. Find this book, read this book, enjoy the journey that both King and McDowell prepare for you. Trust me; you will not soon forget it.
—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence
__________________
LEATHER JACKET
—Ann Wehrman, Sacramento
I sit here,
your old, black leather jacket on the chair at my left.
I want to ignore my boss, our customers,
your possible rejection,
run my hands over its worn, broken-in surface,
squeeze its soft, thick, pliant roughness,
try it on and see if it smells like you,
let it keep me warm.
__________________
HOW
—Hugo Williams
How you fell asleep in your chair
and woke up some time later
and said, 'It's hot in here'
and asked for a glass of water.
How you stretched out your hand for the glass
and a look came into your eye
which might have been laziness
or might have been lechery.
___________________
SIREN SONG
—Hugo Williams
I phone from time to time, to see if she's
changed the music on her answerphone.
'Tell me in two words,' goes the recording,
'what you were going to tell in a thousand.'
I peer into that thought, like peering out
to sea at night, hearing the sound of waves
breaking on rocks, knowing she is there,
listening, waiting for me to speak.
Once in a while she'll pick up the phone
and her voice sings to me out of the past.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up
as I catch her smell for a second.
___________________
USELESS
—Hugo Williams
I narrowed it down to this—
her voice on the phone,
its cheerful 'Hello, how are you?
Can you come out to play?'
I wrapped her choking laugh
in layers of indifference.
I couldn't get rid of her mouth.
I narrowed it down once more—
a look on her face,
one arm across my neck.
As a final test
I allowed her to speak my name.
That was no good at all.
That was worse than useless.
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
I like finding out what makes people uncomfortable. I like to draw a line, cross over it, try to bring them with me, and try to make them glad they came.
—George Carlin
__________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!
Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.
Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.
And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)
Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!
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 SOWs; 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 (sometimes, or any other day!): 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 and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!
_________________
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.
