PUMPKIN SEEDS: Short Weeks Feel Longer Edition

1. Sixth anniversary weekend was a big hit as we caught a couple of movies, had a great dinner with friends, hit a street fair, bought stuff and slept until 12:30pm on Sunday. I even got some Xbox and GameBoy time in. (Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay rawks! Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is one of the hardest games I’ve ever played.) Cool gifts were exchanged, including a belated autographed copy of Matt Ruff’s Fool on the Hill. My own, thrice-read, beat-up paperback that Salomé mailed to Ruff to sign, which he did, and threw in a fresh, autographed copy of Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls! Subtitle this entry: Awesome Wife Edition!

2. Graig Nettles autographed bat via Ebay arrived safely and now rests in its shipping tube until I can buy a display case for it. This kind of thing makes you think about owning a house. With a den. For your autographed bats and books and comic book boxes and Xbox games! Need to play Lotto.

3. This inexplicable collectibles spree I’ve been on continues as I’m putting an order in the mail today for some Michael Lark artwork. He’s the artist who nails it every month in Gotham Central. I need cheaper hobbies!

4. Last night’s Regional Slam at Urbana was a lot of fun. Mandated (though not enforced) new work piqued my interest, and I ended up being talked into sacrificial goat – considered neutral since everybody hates me! – and had about 20 minutes to write something. I remember when that used to be par for the course, as opposed to paralyzing! Cobbled together something that tried to say something and it met with deservedly mixed reviews. Scores ranged from a 4-point-something to a 9-point-something!

5. Sacrifical poem:

Poems are fickle things. 

Like Democrats and slam judges
they rarely go where you'd like them to
choosing convenience over conviction. 

It took me six years
to write a poem for my son
while I've dissed poets, the slam,
the judges, America, Americans,
white people, black people and Taylor Mali
more times than I'd like to remember. 

But my son is the eighth Wonder of the World,
my daughter the ninth. 

It's debatable whose eyes they have
but their attitudes are likely my fault. 

Independent, stubborn,
and always right,
genetics are an amazing thing. 

But poems are not. 

Fickle and subjective
they are creatures of spontaneity
judged in the moment. 

Tonight's ten
is tomorrow's seven
is next year's "What the fuck?
Are you still reading that?" 

And the only thing more fickle than poems...
are poets. 

We willingly dig into our hearts
until our wallets come into play 

until our egos come into play. 

Then some are willing to play
no matter the price they have to pay. 

Like Democrats and slam judges
convenience beats conviction
every day. 

Judges, listen closely tonight
and choose wisely.

6. Urbana has a group piece I like! Like, really like! R.A.C. thinks it’s not harsh enough, others think it’s too vague, I think it nails it. Though I agree with R.A.C. on extending the ending. Fuck nice packaging, make people squirm!

7. Dennis Kucinich has officially endorsed the Kerry/Edwards ticket. Color me disappointed but understanding. There’s still a part of me that wants Kerry to lose so the Democrats can implode and something better rise in its place. But we all know Hilary’s waiting in the wings, partially hoping for a Kerry loss so she can step up in 2008 and claim the throne. Which would pretty much kill any hopes for reforming the Party. Being in NY where it won’t make a difference anyway, I’m pretty sure my vote in November is either going to Nader/Camejo or Brown/Herbert (SOCIALIST PARTY USA).

8. And I’ll be keeping an eye on property in Isla Muejeres just in case it all goes terribly wrong!

9. Interesting week at work has seen a bit more light shed on “the plan” and I’m now thinking I’m in a much better position than I’d originally thought. The new boss is quite smart and seems to know what she’s doing, a refreshing change in and of itself! And now that the intra-group tension has lightened up ever since the last member of my old group left two weeks ago, communication has really opened up. Meetings this week have gone well and gotten me excited about work again. I’m not fully at ease, and it’s going to be hectic through the end of the summer, but I’m feeling much more positive about things. Still going to play Lotto, though.

Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.

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