Tales from the triumph

So I have been reading this book:

And it is mighty good. Tom Barbash referred me to it right before I left CCA and I bought it a while ago (oh back in the days when I had money to spend on 80 dollar books) but have been too swamped to read it until now. Not to say I am not swamped now but my writing is not going anywhere so I thought this will help me get out of this awful fiction block I am in. I like this book because it focuses on craft as well as classic stuff and whatnot. I really need to improve my writing craft and try to become a more literate writer as opposed to being an amature knock-off.

I also have been listening to this album a lot:

Which is Low's The Great Destroyer. Every track in this album is pretty solid, can't think of one that isn't worth listening to. Highlights are California, Death Of A Salesman and Cue the Strings. I started listening to low on Secret Name (which is a great album, for your information) and I would listen to that and Things We Lost In The Fire pretty exclusively until I found The Great Destroyer and Guns and Drums. What I am really getting at here is that Low is great band and you should check them out.

All that said, I'll leave with some Doormat Poems.

Doormat Poem (#46)

The rain expands the door.

My shoe has a hole.

I need milk.

Doormat Poem (#360)

Girl, your butt

makes you

and turns me.

Doormat Poem (#100)

While at the supermarket,

Waiting for passing thunderstorms

A pair of tripping wellingtons

Realized their problems.

I want this book.

I could tell you but then you would have to be destroyed by me by Trevor Paglen

By submitting hundreds of Freedom of Information requests, the author has assembled an extensive guide featuring 75 patches — icons that represent CIA projects known by peculiar names and illustrated with occult symbols and cartoons — to reveal a secret world of military imagery and jargon.

In other news: I am still awaiting the great return of the Little Gray Books series. Since Hodgman has become popular there has been a serious lack in updating of the Little Gray Book series. There are still some in the backlogs of the webpage. I do still enjoy those.

Tonight I was meant to be going to The Richard Hugo House to read some poetry at the open mic by since I am a pansy and can't go alone and all my friends bailed on me I didn't go. I'm sorta really regretting that now, but hey. What can you do? I'll make it next month. There are still a bunch of awesome things coming up, like the Poetry Performance Contest and the Cheap Wine and Poetry night. It is national poetry month, after all, so this month should be all about the poetry.

I just stumbled across a website called Washington Poets Association that has all sorts of fun goodies.

I've been working on some Doormat Poems. I'll leave you with one.

Doormat Poem (#71)

I went shopping
to find hearts.
artichoke hearts.

Doormat Poem (#9)

The ashtray tells me
that he is planning
on leaving me
as soon as he grows legs.

Doormat Poem (#8)

Watching from
sea.
It's the cargo
that needs
its hand held.