Ok, I got a lil' sumthin.

I was at a poetry reading a couple weeks ago, sitting next to Robert Hass. My friend had pointed him out, but I pretended to not know who he was, especially as he just introduced himself as "Bob". I feel like he must get people gushing to him all the time, so as he didn't invite it, I decided to just let it slide.

After the reading, there was an open mic, in which I read my poem "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (currently on the met boards here—shameless plug). When I sat back down, Hass turned to me and went, "nice."

So, a vote of confidence ;).

That said, he probably would have said that to anyone.

After tripping once too often over the piles of books and magazines rising like stalagmites by the side of the bed, I vowed to go through them and get them organized. When I did, I discovered that I had two copies of Mark Jarman's Unholy Sonnets, both bought by me, for myself, thereby proving that my memory is already shot. So I offered one copy to the first requester on Facebook and found a taker quickly, and the book now lives with someone else who will love it.

Of the rest of the pile, the poetry books are at least in alpha order, on a shelf in the kitchen until I can make more room in the po collection proper. The magazines were a challenge. But I've found someone who will take them in installments, and in the meantime I'm posting on FB one poem from each of them, a few at a time each day. At this rate it will take me several weeks. But I'll be able to get out of bed in the dark without mishap.

I'm not sure I would have been able to resist the urge to smile at him with my finger up my nose. I bet he gets that all the time. Which, upon further reflection, may be the real reason why he introduces himself to poetry geeks simply as "Bob."

Julie, that's like the time years ago that I found myself standing side by side with Dustin Hoffman as we inspected a painting at the Museum of Modern Art. I would have said something, but I couldn't decide which was less original, "Plastics!" or "Is it safe?"

I'm happy that yesterday the independent thinkers at PRELUDE saw fit to accept one of my sonnets for their print journal.

Also, the publishing company I cofounded continues to bring good news all the time. This year, one of our books is a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Cofounder Risa attends AWP every year, and this year organized a reading and after-reading dinner party. Here's a (fairly giant apparently) photo of that:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJZiOilo6...7%2Bdinner.jpg

Hah, I wasn't familiar with that poem but, now that I am, I guess I'll know what to do/say next time.

Warm greetings -- indeed, hot greetings -- from Thailand, my first visit.

The mangos are sweet as syrup. Bangkok is organized chaos, and sometimes simply chaos. I've smelled incense in the streets and hallways, jasmine in the gardens. I've seen lithe brown bodies bathing in the rivers. I've seen weeds flowering from the crevices of colorfully tiled chedi, and bodhi tree roots growing over ancient brick walls and framing the face of the Buddha. It's all quite entrancing, and I feel already the seed of one or two poems germinating inside.

Off to Cambodia tomorrow...

M

This is ridiculously cool for me, though it might not sound like anything to others:

Glenn Cornick was the first bass player for Jethro Tull, and probably the band's best all-around bassist (except perhaps for John Glascock, who is also deceased).

Glenn Cornick's son, Drew Cornick, who's a "friend" of mine on Facebook, commented on a photo of myself that I uploaded yesterday. Of course, I don't know Drew - I imagine he accepts friend requests from people who are huge Tull fans, and fans of his father, which I am (I'm also a bassist) - so I thought it was really, really cool that my post not only wound up in his radar, but that he actually took the time to comment.

Drew's comment on my photo was: "Looks like Hunter S. Thompson with slightly a bit (sic) more hair."

Ah, well. I would have preferred: "Looks like Hunter S. Thompson a young Yul Brynner with slightly a bit more hair." - but what can you do? :D

http://drewcornick.com/#
https://hstbooks.files.wordpress.com...9e8c047a_o.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

My good news for the week (month? year? decade?) is that I've accepted a Ph.D. offer at the Ohio State University, where I'll be focusing on early modern book history -- probably with a specialization on editions of Shakespeare's Sonnets, and editions of early modern poetry in general.

I'm a little longer in the tooth than most doctoral students, but I'm both grateful and happy to be continuing down the academic path, despite the many legitimate caveats I routinely read and hear about the job market.