Craft vs. Passion (More NPS Thoughts)
Lynne and I used to argue all the time about craft vs. passion when it came to acknowledging the potential of a new writer, she preferring the former while I preferred the latter. The ideal, obviously, is to have both, but with newer writers especially, you usually get more of one or the other. Ironically, Lynne and I
The National Poetry Slam Experience
There’s so much to say about this past weekend in Austin, but I’m totally unable to process it into words that would be fully accessible to anyone who wasn’t there…though that won’t stop me from trying. The National Poetry Slam Experience is so multi-layered, a dizzying mix of emotional, psychological and physical stimuli, that you truly have to
Things to do in Austin
Nerd Slam Events Bad enough it’s the day before I head out for Austin and work is the least interesting thing I can think of doing right now, but it took me over 3 hours — 2 trains, some walking and McDonald’s for breakfast — to get here thanks to the flooding in lower Manhattan, so my whole
Writing Exercises and Liver Damage
Charles Bukowski It’s somewhat ironic that on the same night I read a new poem entitled “On the 89th Day, I Quit“, I end up drinking way more than usual. The show ended rather early last night but a few of us ended up sticking around instead of going to Reservoir and Maureen’s hand got a little bit heavier
On the 89th Day, I Quit
ON THE 89th DAY, I QUIT I do not believe in fate or destiny or God’s will or man’s good intentions. Give me the capricious gods instead, Dow Jones, Starbucks, Dick Cheney so I at least know that where I stand on this stacked deck is arbitrary. I believe I am destined for greatness, if
Me, Published (November 3rd Club)
November3rdClub I’m terrible at submitting work for publication, so the fact that I’ve ever had anything published has always amazed me. It’s been a long time since I’ve submitted anything anywhere but in this recent wave of writing I’ve been doing, I’ve kept it in the back of my mind as a goal. The November
Make a Memory
Bon Jovi – (You Want To) Make a Memory (Official Video) I like music of all kinds but I’m a special kind of sucker for love songs, especially the sappy, “love conquers all” stuff. They totally contradict my generally practical cynical outlook on life and have on more than one occasion enabled me to have a more
Looking backwards for an answer
Leos Rule A few months back, on April 25th, I wrote a post called A Bar, a Beer, a Notebook and a Pen in which I recounted the random series of events that led to me sitting in a bar writing for the first time in years. This morning, I randomly came across Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology which
I Hate Long Island!
“A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy.” Wasn’t that the description of Long Island in some movie a while back? Ugh! It’s definitely a cultural wasteland of strip malls, big box retailers and bland chain restaurants. Not to mention ugly cookie cutter houses, bad drainage and poor land use planning. Guess where we went yesterday? What should
Party Like A Rock Star
Party Like A Rock Star He heard the music most of us tune out without realizing, marched to a beat mere mortals couldn’t comprehend. A rock star, literally, Peter of the Earth conducted life-giving electricity through those he loved and strangers alike, in random bars and nightclubs and open mics and windswept beaches in the