Nora Buchanan, Page Turner
ORAL PHASE
—Brad Buchanan, Sacramento
Biting my lips
just so I don’t wear
my teeth down from grinning
fierce love of her,
ready to grimace and imitate
her delicate movements
of appetite
before she screams.
She drinks like a fish
breathes, welcoming
the intimate shushing
of milk, I hold my tongue
at the ready
to soothe or suckle,
to chide if she’s naughty
though naughtiness
is just a show that she’s empty
and ready for seconds.
I huff till she’s happy
and put her down, pacified.
Speaking of her,
I try not to show
my delight or to wear
that silly expression
of satisfied hunger
lest she grow jealous
and wake, mouthing anger.
(previously appeared in Nexus)
________________________
Rattlesnake Press is proud to announce the release of littlesnake broadside #32, Ultrasound, by Brad Buchanan on Wednesday, March 14 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Brad has written a series of poems about his daughter, Nora (see photo); there were too many for the broadside, so today I've posted the three we couldn't fit into it.
Brad Buchanan is Assistant Professor of English at Sacramento State University, where he teaches Creative Writing and British Literature. He has published poetry in more than 100 journals worldwide, and his poem, “Teaching Preemption” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2006. His first book of poems, The Miracle Shirker, was published by Poet’s Corner Press in 2005. Come on down Wednesday and help him celebrate this latest publication from the Snake.
________________________
This weekend:
•••NOTE: Originally I posted that Monika Rose and Brigit Truex would be featured readers at Our House Framing Gallery in El Dorado Hills on Saturday, March 10. That was an error: they'll be reading at Our House on FRIDAY, MARCH 16 at 7 PM.
•••Sunday (3/11), 2:30-4:30 PM: Poets on the Ridge will hold an open mic at Juice and Java, 7067 Skyway, Paradise. Info: 530-872-9633.
•••Also Sunday (3/11), 4-6 PM: Attend the Valona Deli Second Sunday Poetry Reading at 1327 Pomona St., Crockett. Featured poet will be Les Murray, Australia’s leading poet and “one of the greatest contemporary poets writing in English”. His work has been published in ten languages. Les Murray has won many literary awards, including the Grace Leven Prize (1980 and 1990), the Petrarch Prize (1995), and the prestigious T. S. Eliot Award (1996). His 1998 verse novel, Fredy Neptune, was hailed in Britain and America as a masterpiece of twentieth century literature and awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry on the recommendation of Ted Hughes. The Biplane Houses, Les Murray’s most recent collection, will be published in April 2007 (Australia, Black Inc.) and in September (UK, Carcanet). His reading will be followed by an open mic, then the Terry Henry Jazz Trio at 6 PM.
•••Monday (3/12), 7:30 PM, Sacramento Poetry Center, HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac.: Indigo Moor invites you to the book release party and reading of Tap-Root, his first volume of poetry which is part of the Main Street Rag Editor's Select Poetry Series. Special guest Jennifer K. Sweeney will also read from her book, Salt Memory, which was winner of the 2006 Main Street Rag First Book Contest. Limited edition broadsides of each poet’s work will be available on a first-come basis. The reading is free to the public. Refreshments will be served. For complete details, sample poems, & bios, go to: http://www.indigomoor.com/Book%20Release.htm
Barks coming to Chico in April!
On Saturday, April 7 at 8 PM, the internationally-renowned poet and translator, Coleman Barks, will give a performance of Rumi's poetry at the Lakeside Pavillion (The Spiritual Enrichment Center) in Chico. His performance will be accompanied by the music of Barry Philips on cello and Shelley Phillips on harp and woodwinds. There is limited seating. Tickets are $30. Also, guests can sponsor the program for $100. Sponsorships include a ticket & reserved seating & a pre-show reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres. To purchase tickets and sponsorships, stop by The Spiritual Enrichment Center in Chico, 10-4 PM, Monday-Thursday or Sunday morning, or call 530-895-8395.
Coming up next week, among other things:
•••Tuesday (3/13), 7 PM, 126 Voorhies Hall on the UC Davis campus: James Lee Jobe writes: María Meléndez has canvassed for political organizations and worked as a wildlife biology field assistant. In 2000 she was awarded an Artists-in-Communities grant from the California Arts Council to support her work as writer-in-residence at the UC Davis Arboretum, where she taught environmental poetry workshops for the public. I took one of her workshops; every damn thing I wrote there was published! She is a wonderful teacher. She has authored one chapbook of poetry, Base Pairs, and edited two anthologies, Nest of Freedom and Moon Won’t Leave Me Alone, and was assistant professor of English at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. Currently she teaches creative writing and lit at USU in Utah, and has a new book out, How Long She'll Last in This World, University of Arizona press. What all that doesn't tell you is this: Maria Melendez is one of the nicest people ever to walk the planet. Being a brilliant poet is one thing; a lot of brilliant poets are also a complete horse's ass. Not Maria. Tuesday, March 13, at 7pm, you can hear her read. Please attend, and check my blog Saturday, 3/10 (jamesleejobe.livejournal.com, or click the link to the right of this column) for a large group of her poems.
•••Then Wednesday (3/14), 7:30 PM: March's rattlechap release from Rattlesnake Press will be Skin Stretched Around the Hollow by ex-Sacramentan-turned-Portlander Steve Williams at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Rumor has it that there will be some other Oregonians present. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s. Also released that night will be Ultrasound, a littlesnake broadside by Brad Buchanan [see poems today], and the latest issue of Rattlesnake Review (Lucky 13!). Maybe. If I get it done...
•••Thursday (3/15), 7:30 PM: The Nevada County Poetry Series will present the poets Mikhail Branski, Gene Bloom and Barbara Noble. Co-host Bill Gainer says, For those concerned with political correctness, the content of language and the politeness of thought—be warned, these three writers test the limits, they are known for challenging the accepted, the use of adult content and the informality of personal expression. For those sensitive of heart and weak of spirit, these three may prove a fairly dangerous bunch! Mikhail Branski has written poetry, comedic skits and essays, and other prose sporadically during the last forty years. Much of his poetry he describes as political, social and philosophic commentary or simply “rants.” A self-described critic, he lambastes, especially, American society and political culture. Words such as “caustic and vitriolic” are often used in reference to many of his poems. His writing is also infused with humor and odd twists and tries to keep listeners on their toes. Mikhail is currently putting together a collection of poetry tentatively titled, Dark Matter. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Mikhail has taught in the ghettos of Los Angeles, and was a political activist and organizer during the 1980s and early ‘90s. Mikhail continues to offer his socio-political critiques while eking out a living in the foothills as a publisher. He enjoys hiking, conversation, NPR, and time with his daughter, Melanie. Gene Bloom has traveled a bent trail from N.Y.C. to S.F. to Sacramento. In N.Y.C., Gene edited and published Entrails, an underground mimeo magazine, better known as "the magazine of happy obscenities." It was featured in the New York Times Book Review. He has also produced an array of poetry happenings in such places as slaughterhouses, Gansevoort Street Pier, the Court of Criminal Justice, Fisherman's Wharf, bars and street corners. Gene strengthened his resolve to continue his in-your-face style of writing while incarcerated in Sing Sing and Greenhaven State Prison (poet in residence?). Not an academic, Gene says, For me, poetry is always a confrontation of the self—I don't write the poems, poems write me. Gene is a master of the erotic, a razor-wielding political protagonist and a detailed recorder of the magic of the ordinary. Barbara Noble recently retired from a six-year run as one of Luna's Café's notorious long-time hosts of its Thursday night poetry readings. She is a noted purveyor of the surreal, erotic and often scandalous poem. The slant of her work is confirmed by the names of her publishing credits: Bliss, Blue Fur, Sex in Public, The Kiss of Death Press and more. Beyond being an excellent writer and a sought-after reader, Barbara is a noted painter, sculptor and illustrator with showings at various Sacramento galleries. Her work moistens the secret with the kiss of the taboo—she tells us what we want to hear, but are afraid to say. Barbara's poems say, "I love you" and mean it... Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 general, seniors and students, and $1 for those under 18. Refreshments and open-mic included. The show will be in Off Center Stage (the Black Box theater, enter from Richardson Street) at the Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley. Info: (530) 432-8196 or (530) 274-8384.
•••Also Thursday (3/15), 8 PM: Join the folks at Poetry Unplugged (Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sac.) for a pre-St. Patrick's Day night, and feel free to bring Celtic Poetry and stories to share (anything from Northern Europe qualifies). Featured readers will be Celtic women Jeanine Stevens, Brigit Truex, Charlene Ungtad and Rebecca Morrison. Info: 209-727-5179 or www.lunascafe.com (916-441-3931). Rattlechappers Jeanine Stevens and Brigit Truex need no further introduction, but see yesterday’s post for a fine sampling of Jeanine’s work. And you can see Brigit’s photo on Monday’s post! Charlene Ungstad has been a frequent contributor to the reading and publishing scenes in Sacramento, including her fine reviews for Rattlesnake Review. She was an instrumental coordinator for the long-running annual Keroauc celebration—October in the Railroad Earth—and the Java City Poetry Marathon. She was recently featured in the Sacramento poetry documentary, I Began to Speak. Rebecca Morrison is part Roman, part Gypsy, part Viking. She has published three chapbooks, including her most recent, Border Crossing, from Flyway Press. She is a UC Davis graduate with a major in Modern European Literature and a minor in Primate Evolution. She has published in many California zines and is in I Began to Speak. She is also the editor of Sacramento Poetry, Art and Music (SPAM) located online at http://www.eskimopie.net (click on the link to the right of this). The Snake is proud to say that one of Rebecca's poems was in the centerfold (back when we had a centerfold) of Issue One of Rattlesnake Review.
•••In fact, you can catch Brigit Truex's poetry three nights in a row this coming week! She will be reading at Luna's on Thursday; then on Friday (3/16), she will read with Manzanita Editor Monika Rose in El Dorado Hills at Our House Gallery, 7 PM; and then again the next night, Saturday, March 17, at 7 PM, she will read with the rest of the Red Fox Underground poets in "A Courage of Words" at the Cozmic Cafe in Placerville (594 Main St.), an event featuring photography by Irene Lipshin.
_______________________
THE DRUNKEN INFANT
—Brad Buchanan
Drunk with milk,
she cannot sit upright
for long—she nods
and sways in a bibulous
haze, winces,
and waits for the burp
that still surprises her
when it comes out.
Agog, then aghast,
she cranes her neck
then slumps and spits.
She cannot help
this inebriation,
and won't give back
the precious liquid
that started it. Tight
in her swaddle
of sucking, sipping sleep,
she tipples herself
till she's full to bursting,
then she can't tell
milk stout from pap
or the hard crib floor
from her mother's breast.
______________________
BABIES RUN ON BATTERIES
—Brad Buchanan
Babies run on batteries—
rechargeable and alkaline.
The swing,
the singing aquarium,
the rattle-headed monkey,
all contain
a secret energy
that drives them till they cry,
wind down,
and lie disused,
deaf to the world.
We switch the old dead cells
and snap
new ones in place—
so the eyes light up
and the gentle limbs
begin to move
once more in the power
of our copper-topped love.
_______________________
—Medusa
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.)
ORAL PHASE
—Brad Buchanan, Sacramento
Biting my lips
just so I don’t wear
my teeth down from grinning
fierce love of her,
ready to grimace and imitate
her delicate movements
of appetite
before she screams.
She drinks like a fish
breathes, welcoming
the intimate shushing
of milk, I hold my tongue
at the ready
to soothe or suckle,
to chide if she’s naughty
though naughtiness
is just a show that she’s empty
and ready for seconds.
I huff till she’s happy
and put her down, pacified.
Speaking of her,
I try not to show
my delight or to wear
that silly expression
of satisfied hunger
lest she grow jealous
and wake, mouthing anger.
(previously appeared in Nexus)
________________________
Rattlesnake Press is proud to announce the release of littlesnake broadside #32, Ultrasound, by Brad Buchanan on Wednesday, March 14 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Brad has written a series of poems about his daughter, Nora (see photo); there were too many for the broadside, so today I've posted the three we couldn't fit into it.
Brad Buchanan is Assistant Professor of English at Sacramento State University, where he teaches Creative Writing and British Literature. He has published poetry in more than 100 journals worldwide, and his poem, “Teaching Preemption” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2006. His first book of poems, The Miracle Shirker, was published by Poet’s Corner Press in 2005. Come on down Wednesday and help him celebrate this latest publication from the Snake.
________________________
This weekend:
•••NOTE: Originally I posted that Monika Rose and Brigit Truex would be featured readers at Our House Framing Gallery in El Dorado Hills on Saturday, March 10. That was an error: they'll be reading at Our House on FRIDAY, MARCH 16 at 7 PM.
•••Sunday (3/11), 2:30-4:30 PM: Poets on the Ridge will hold an open mic at Juice and Java, 7067 Skyway, Paradise. Info: 530-872-9633.
•••Also Sunday (3/11), 4-6 PM: Attend the Valona Deli Second Sunday Poetry Reading at 1327 Pomona St., Crockett. Featured poet will be Les Murray, Australia’s leading poet and “one of the greatest contemporary poets writing in English”. His work has been published in ten languages. Les Murray has won many literary awards, including the Grace Leven Prize (1980 and 1990), the Petrarch Prize (1995), and the prestigious T. S. Eliot Award (1996). His 1998 verse novel, Fredy Neptune, was hailed in Britain and America as a masterpiece of twentieth century literature and awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry on the recommendation of Ted Hughes. The Biplane Houses, Les Murray’s most recent collection, will be published in April 2007 (Australia, Black Inc.) and in September (UK, Carcanet). His reading will be followed by an open mic, then the Terry Henry Jazz Trio at 6 PM.
•••Monday (3/12), 7:30 PM, Sacramento Poetry Center, HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac.: Indigo Moor invites you to the book release party and reading of Tap-Root, his first volume of poetry which is part of the Main Street Rag Editor's Select Poetry Series. Special guest Jennifer K. Sweeney will also read from her book, Salt Memory, which was winner of the 2006 Main Street Rag First Book Contest. Limited edition broadsides of each poet’s work will be available on a first-come basis. The reading is free to the public. Refreshments will be served. For complete details, sample poems, & bios, go to: http://www.indigomoor.com/Book%20Release.htm
Barks coming to Chico in April!
On Saturday, April 7 at 8 PM, the internationally-renowned poet and translator, Coleman Barks, will give a performance of Rumi's poetry at the Lakeside Pavillion (The Spiritual Enrichment Center) in Chico. His performance will be accompanied by the music of Barry Philips on cello and Shelley Phillips on harp and woodwinds. There is limited seating. Tickets are $30. Also, guests can sponsor the program for $100. Sponsorships include a ticket & reserved seating & a pre-show reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres. To purchase tickets and sponsorships, stop by The Spiritual Enrichment Center in Chico, 10-4 PM, Monday-Thursday or Sunday morning, or call 530-895-8395.
Coming up next week, among other things:
•••Tuesday (3/13), 7 PM, 126 Voorhies Hall on the UC Davis campus: James Lee Jobe writes: María Meléndez has canvassed for political organizations and worked as a wildlife biology field assistant. In 2000 she was awarded an Artists-in-Communities grant from the California Arts Council to support her work as writer-in-residence at the UC Davis Arboretum, where she taught environmental poetry workshops for the public. I took one of her workshops; every damn thing I wrote there was published! She is a wonderful teacher. She has authored one chapbook of poetry, Base Pairs, and edited two anthologies, Nest of Freedom and Moon Won’t Leave Me Alone, and was assistant professor of English at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. Currently she teaches creative writing and lit at USU in Utah, and has a new book out, How Long She'll Last in This World, University of Arizona press. What all that doesn't tell you is this: Maria Melendez is one of the nicest people ever to walk the planet. Being a brilliant poet is one thing; a lot of brilliant poets are also a complete horse's ass. Not Maria. Tuesday, March 13, at 7pm, you can hear her read. Please attend, and check my blog Saturday, 3/10 (jamesleejobe.livejournal.com, or click the link to the right of this column) for a large group of her poems.
•••Then Wednesday (3/14), 7:30 PM: March's rattlechap release from Rattlesnake Press will be Skin Stretched Around the Hollow by ex-Sacramentan-turned-Portlander Steve Williams at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Rumor has it that there will be some other Oregonians present. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s. Also released that night will be Ultrasound, a littlesnake broadside by Brad Buchanan [see poems today], and the latest issue of Rattlesnake Review (Lucky 13!). Maybe. If I get it done...
•••Thursday (3/15), 7:30 PM: The Nevada County Poetry Series will present the poets Mikhail Branski, Gene Bloom and Barbara Noble. Co-host Bill Gainer says, For those concerned with political correctness, the content of language and the politeness of thought—be warned, these three writers test the limits, they are known for challenging the accepted, the use of adult content and the informality of personal expression. For those sensitive of heart and weak of spirit, these three may prove a fairly dangerous bunch! Mikhail Branski has written poetry, comedic skits and essays, and other prose sporadically during the last forty years. Much of his poetry he describes as political, social and philosophic commentary or simply “rants.” A self-described critic, he lambastes, especially, American society and political culture. Words such as “caustic and vitriolic” are often used in reference to many of his poems. His writing is also infused with humor and odd twists and tries to keep listeners on their toes. Mikhail is currently putting together a collection of poetry tentatively titled, Dark Matter. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Mikhail has taught in the ghettos of Los Angeles, and was a political activist and organizer during the 1980s and early ‘90s. Mikhail continues to offer his socio-political critiques while eking out a living in the foothills as a publisher. He enjoys hiking, conversation, NPR, and time with his daughter, Melanie. Gene Bloom has traveled a bent trail from N.Y.C. to S.F. to Sacramento. In N.Y.C., Gene edited and published Entrails, an underground mimeo magazine, better known as "the magazine of happy obscenities." It was featured in the New York Times Book Review. He has also produced an array of poetry happenings in such places as slaughterhouses, Gansevoort Street Pier, the Court of Criminal Justice, Fisherman's Wharf, bars and street corners. Gene strengthened his resolve to continue his in-your-face style of writing while incarcerated in Sing Sing and Greenhaven State Prison (poet in residence?). Not an academic, Gene says, For me, poetry is always a confrontation of the self—I don't write the poems, poems write me. Gene is a master of the erotic, a razor-wielding political protagonist and a detailed recorder of the magic of the ordinary. Barbara Noble recently retired from a six-year run as one of Luna's Café's notorious long-time hosts of its Thursday night poetry readings. She is a noted purveyor of the surreal, erotic and often scandalous poem. The slant of her work is confirmed by the names of her publishing credits: Bliss, Blue Fur, Sex in Public, The Kiss of Death Press and more. Beyond being an excellent writer and a sought-after reader, Barbara is a noted painter, sculptor and illustrator with showings at various Sacramento galleries. Her work moistens the secret with the kiss of the taboo—she tells us what we want to hear, but are afraid to say. Barbara's poems say, "I love you" and mean it... Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 general, seniors and students, and $1 for those under 18. Refreshments and open-mic included. The show will be in Off Center Stage (the Black Box theater, enter from Richardson Street) at the Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley. Info: (530) 432-8196 or (530) 274-8384.
•••Also Thursday (3/15), 8 PM: Join the folks at Poetry Unplugged (Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sac.) for a pre-St. Patrick's Day night, and feel free to bring Celtic Poetry and stories to share (anything from Northern Europe qualifies). Featured readers will be Celtic women Jeanine Stevens, Brigit Truex, Charlene Ungtad and Rebecca Morrison. Info: 209-727-5179 or www.lunascafe.com (916-441-3931). Rattlechappers Jeanine Stevens and Brigit Truex need no further introduction, but see yesterday’s post for a fine sampling of Jeanine’s work. And you can see Brigit’s photo on Monday’s post! Charlene Ungstad has been a frequent contributor to the reading and publishing scenes in Sacramento, including her fine reviews for Rattlesnake Review. She was an instrumental coordinator for the long-running annual Keroauc celebration—October in the Railroad Earth—and the Java City Poetry Marathon. She was recently featured in the Sacramento poetry documentary, I Began to Speak. Rebecca Morrison is part Roman, part Gypsy, part Viking. She has published three chapbooks, including her most recent, Border Crossing, from Flyway Press. She is a UC Davis graduate with a major in Modern European Literature and a minor in Primate Evolution. She has published in many California zines and is in I Began to Speak. She is also the editor of Sacramento Poetry, Art and Music (SPAM) located online at http://www.eskimopie.net (click on the link to the right of this). The Snake is proud to say that one of Rebecca's poems was in the centerfold (back when we had a centerfold) of Issue One of Rattlesnake Review.
•••In fact, you can catch Brigit Truex's poetry three nights in a row this coming week! She will be reading at Luna's on Thursday; then on Friday (3/16), she will read with Manzanita Editor Monika Rose in El Dorado Hills at Our House Gallery, 7 PM; and then again the next night, Saturday, March 17, at 7 PM, she will read with the rest of the Red Fox Underground poets in "A Courage of Words" at the Cozmic Cafe in Placerville (594 Main St.), an event featuring photography by Irene Lipshin.
_______________________
THE DRUNKEN INFANT
—Brad Buchanan
Drunk with milk,
she cannot sit upright
for long—she nods
and sways in a bibulous
haze, winces,
and waits for the burp
that still surprises her
when it comes out.
Agog, then aghast,
she cranes her neck
then slumps and spits.
She cannot help
this inebriation,
and won't give back
the precious liquid
that started it. Tight
in her swaddle
of sucking, sipping sleep,
she tipples herself
till she's full to bursting,
then she can't tell
milk stout from pap
or the hard crib floor
from her mother's breast.
______________________
BABIES RUN ON BATTERIES
—Brad Buchanan
Babies run on batteries—
rechargeable and alkaline.
The swing,
the singing aquarium,
the rattle-headed monkey,
all contain
a secret energy
that drives them till they cry,
wind down,
and lie disused,
deaf to the world.
We switch the old dead cells
and snap
new ones in place—
so the eyes light up
and the gentle limbs
begin to move
once more in the power
of our copper-topped love.
_______________________
—Medusa
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.)