Prague
Photo by Anyssa Neumann, Germany
SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY
—Anyssa Neumann
If only you knew
how I sit up at night
weaving words into phrases
spinning thoughts into dreams
you might realize
that these lines
and others like them
aren't poems at all
but rather
the only way I know how
to love you
—Anyssa Neumann
If only you knew
how I sit up at night
weaving words into phrases
spinning thoughts into dreams
you might realize
that these lines
and others like them
aren't poems at all
but rather
the only way I know how
to love you
Thanks, Anyssa. Ex-Sacramentan Anyssa Neumann sends us poetry and photo gifts from her new home in Germany.
This week in NorCal poetry:
•••Monday (6/4), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Robbie Grossklaus, Jackie Schaeffer and Bill Carr, with musical accompaniment by Miles Miniaci and his band, Litany. HQ for the Arts, 25th and R Sts., Sacramento. Open mic to follow, plus more music by Litany at 9 PM. Next week's readers (6/11) will be Jan Haag and Sue Staats at the Carmichael Library. (More about that later.)
•••Thursday (6/7), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged presents Sacramento Poet Laureate Julia Connor at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Open mic before and after.
•••Saturday (6/9), 7:30 PM: Poems-For-All Second Saturday Series presents Jonathan Kiefer, Bill Pieper, Josh Fernandez, and musical guest Dean Haakenson (Be Brave Bold Robot) at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St. (between J & K Sts.), (916) 442-9295 or www.poems-for-all.com. About the bookstore:
http://www.sacfreepress.com/poems/blog/2006/05/book-collector.html
•••Sunday (6/10), 2:30-4:30 PM: Poets on the Ridge Open mic poetry reading at Juice & Java in Paradise, CA (7067 Skyway). Info: 530-872-9633.
•••Sunday (6/10), 4 PM: Lyon Books in Chico (5th St., between Main and Broadway), celebrates Susan Wooldridge’s new book, Foolsgold: Making Something from Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process. Music, foolishness, snacks and celebration (and a brief reading). Susan is a poet from the Chico area who leads workshops for children and adults and has several previous books.
June 10 deadline:
•••This Sunday (6/10) is the deadline for pre-registration for "Coyote Caffeine", which will be held Thursday (6/14), 4-9 PM in Modesto, when Lost Cow Press (publishers of Hardpan) presents Brandon Cesmat from San Diego reading from his collections, Driven from the Shade and Inspiring You. Arrive on the cusp of the wilderness (Modesto) around 4 and be thirsty, hungry, empty, and plan to fill up. Brandon is a very special poet, and $40 gets you a seat at the Italian Grill, opening just for us, plus you will be writing, eating, drinking, sighing, listening, crying—maybe even sobbing and reading. (It is a school night, yeah.) Pre-registration closes June 10. Don't miss this inaugural session. Wise coyote will be lurking and waiting to greet your shadow. Send $40 registration to: lost cow press, c/o debee loyd, p.o. box 1065, modesto, ca 95353.
_____________________
Tom Goff of Carmichael has been fooling around with Dickinsonian verse, and sends us these offerings:
THREE EMILYANTICS
—Tom Goff, Carmichael
1.
Skin cons by inferential Gauge
June Heat — Rooms be Air-Conditioned.
Man’s “Fahrenheit” known internal
— Thermostat self-adjusted.
As useless try to reset
Green Spring, her annular Orbit.
Wheat, whisper Self fruitional
— Juice, urge Plum thrust — to Obit —
2.
The wind’s attachment to my Roof
— Sharp crampon, Alpine gear.
No hempen Rope, yet Hobnail Thump
Assures bold Mountaineer —
His Summit — mine by measured Stage,
the Zenith lightly gain.
— My purchase — why such dear Ascent,
My snowy Apex — Pain? —
3.
Wild luxuries are those Sapphires
Set in your Head for Beads,
— Not mined, as Diamonds be — by Sweat,
Lupine, grown spiced green Spire —
Mud under the pool
I offer — brown Tiger’s Eye —
Would you a richer Iris
Instruct me — Smaragdine School!
____________________
Whip out your dashes and give it a shot!
Let's close with Emily herself:
185
"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentleman can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.
—Emily Dickinson
____________________
—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.)
SnakeWatch: Up-to-the-minute Snake news:
Journals (free publications): Rattlesnake Review #13 is available at The Book Collector; RR #14 will be out in mid-June. (Next deadline, for RR #15, is August 15.) VYPER #6 (for youth 13-19) is in The Book Collector; next deadline is Nov. 1. Snakelets #10 (for kids 0-12) is now available at The Book Collector. Next deadline is 10/1.
Books/broadsides: May's releases are Grass Valley Poet Ron Tranquilla’s Playing Favorites: Selected Poems, 1971-2006, plus a littlesnake broadside by Julie Valin (Still Life With Sun) and a Rattlesnake Interview Broadside (#2) featuring Khiry Malik Moore and B.L. Kennedy. All are now available at The Book Collector. Rattlechaps are $5; broadsides are free. Or contact kathykieth@hotmail.com or rattlesnakepress.com for ordering information.
Next rattle-read: Rattlesnake Press will present Sacramento Poet Tom Miner at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, on Wednesday, June 20 from 7:30-9 PM to celebrate the release of his new chapbook, North of Everything. Also featured that night will be a new littlesnake broadside (Cominciare Adagio) from Stockton Poet/Publisher David Humphreys, plus #3 in the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy, this one featuring Sacramento Poet Jane Blue. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. More info: kathykieth@hotmail.com/ NOTE: For June, and for June only, our monthly Rattlesnake reading will be on the THIRD Weds. instead of the second one. And there will be no Snake readings/releases in July or August.