First drafts of poetry, as well as commentary on poems, poets and poetry-related randomonia.
I. Poetry Slam, Inc. Two poetry slam-related things I never expected to see: 1. Taylor Mali is the new President of Poetry Slam. Inc. 2. This. The Taylor thing is actually an interesting wrinkle that could mean PSI becoming relevant again. People may not agree with Taylor's positions on a lot of things but there's no question that he'll bring a different approach to the organization and a fresh new energy. Of course, it could also be the final nail in the coffin as he unapologetically turns it into a competition that eschews any sense of community for purely cutthroat…
Hit Urbana last night after the pleasantly unexpected distraction of 50%-off sushi. FRESH sushi! Yum. Got there in time for the slam which, to my surprise, I kind of enjoyed. Over the years, Cristin has become my favorite host on the scene, hands down. She knows her audience, has impeccable comedic skills and timing, and is cute as hell. Makes a night where someone like RAC loses to some Steve Colman-lite guy bearable. Speaking of RAC, I think she's officially become one of my favorite poets on the scene. Watching her last night was a breath of fresh air. Her…
People I'm feeling right now: M.C. Siegel: mcpoet.blogspot.com The honest truth is that when I feel like I'm resisting this tendency I, for the life of me, cannot write. Emotional anguish and solitude are the perfect catalysts for my writing. Sadly enough, when I'm happy it's like being on soma, I have no ambition to commit my thoughts to paper. All I want to do is stay happy, kill time, and ignore the issues that make for the majority of my writing. It's just like drug-addiction...and it's the most normal thing in the world to do. The question I'm always…
It's 4:30pm as I start to write this, 27.5 hours before louder than words premieres. I still can't believe that it all came together so quickly and am more than a little nervous about both the turnout and the response. The concept has received a lot of positive feedback but, like many of my favorite sports teams over the years, it's not about how things look on paper. It's about execution. So many variables in the mix, so much of it completely out of my hands... Ironic that one of the things that triggered the desire to do the show…
The t-shirts just arrived and they look mah-velous! They will be available this Saturday for $15. Cheap! Don't sleep. Met with Eric and Helen over lunch earlier today to hash out the format and came out with some great ideas as well as identifying some potential pitfalls to avoid. I've gone from nervous and excited to nervous and ecstatic. It's either going to be a home run or a foul tip off the big toe! Last night's Acentos 1st anniversary show was a new high as the Blue Ox was packed old-school Nuyorican-style, with people on the floor and packed…
louder than words update: Got the go-ahead from Bob to proceed with Plan A. Also found out that I'll be on the cover of their next calendar! Decided to hit Urbana for the Billy Collins/Limerick Slam show on Thursday to do some promo, even though the $20 cover really stings! louder than words is a brand new show that's going to reject the status quo of poets spewing bullshit from the mic 'cause they think that's what the audience likes instead, demanding both growHave to make a new batch of flyers once everyone is officially confirmed and Eric and I…
Met with Bob (and Ed Greer) on Friday to nail down the details for louder than words. They love the concept and had some great input on the overall format, plus there's the possibility of Bob calling in some favors to book me some "big" names. Really, he's just hedging his bets there as they've been burned by lackluster shows in prime slots in the past and is concerned I'm targeting the usual audience which may garner a similar result. With less than a week to pull together the lineups in order to have enough time to do some promo…
