1.13.09
For Immediate Release
Contact: Paul E. Nelson
Global Voices Radio/SPLAB!
Ilalqo, WA98002
http://splabman.blogspot.com/

Global Voices Radio / SPLAB! E-Fishwrapper

In this E-Fishwrapper, Organic Poetry book priced to SELL! - Red Sky Reunion features José Kozer on Feb 1, and he's also coming to Doe Bay among other places, Poets Against War's tribute to Mahmoud Darwish, Joan Laage's return, Nico's movie, Ballard's photos, Band of Poets, Obama’s FCC guy, Cody Walker and other things.

1) My first book, essays on poetics, is out and priced to sell. Organic Poetry: North American Field Theory is the product of about 13 years of study and available here. An expanded and updated version of the book is being readied for later this year at a 79% discount from that book, so if money's tight, read the essays on-line here.

2) José Kozer is next for a workshop/Red Sky feature Sunday, Feb 1, 2009. Some workshop slots are available and a couple of scholarships as well. Email pen@splab.org for details, or registration, or do it on-line. Details here: http://www.globalvoicesradio.org/Jose_Kozer_Workshop.htm. He gives the best poetry critiques I have ever seen. Kind, compassionate, but real. You should be a part of this, so call or email me. Really. His visit is made possible in part by the Hugo House, Poets & Writers, the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Casa de Escritores, the WPA and workshop participants like YOU. He will also do a workshop at Doe Bay on Orcas Island, one of the most remarkable retreat centers you'll ever see, with a wide range of accomodations. Reservations HERE. That workshop is Saturday, February 7, from 1-5P, with a reading at 7P that night.

3) Poets Against War

Let’s give the earth enough time to tell
the whole truth about you and us.
O you who are guests in this place
leave a few chairs empty
for your hosts to read out
the conditions for peace
in a treaty with the dead.


A remarkable tribute to Mahmoud Darwish, a look at the current war in Gaza, how to make poetry political AND beautiful and Sam's latest commentary here.

4) Call for Postcard Poets! (from Lana Ayers)

Dear Poet,

Call for participants to the 2009 Poetry Postcard Project inspired by Organic poetry Guy Paul Nelson http://organicpoetry.com/

Just imagine going to your mailbox and finding a postcard in it with a few lines of verse among all your bills and advertisements. What’s involved: Write a poem on a postcard once a week, every week and mail it to someone on the list.

Don’t agonize over what to write, just jot a few lines and send. It should be fun and easy. Write about where you are, write about the postcard image, get inspiration from postcards you’ve received. Remember you have an eager and enthusiastic audience waiting for your words.

How to get started? Go to http://ConcreteWolf.com/perennial and Register.. Once you register you can add your address info and join the list. Please make sure your address info shows up correctly on the list. Be sure to check postage rates at http://USPS.com before mailing oversized cards or mailing to other countries. Any questions? email Lana at Lana.ayers@yahoo.com

Happy 2009,

Lana

5) All White River Valley Museum friends and family are cordially invited to tonight's opening of the latest museum exhibit “Ilalko, Then Slaughter, Now Auburn: Historic Photographs of Place by Pioneer Arthur Ballard” tonight between 5 - 7 p.m. Details here.

The exhibit will run from Jan. 14 - April 12. The exhibit is courtesy of guest curator Kenneth (Greg) Watson and includes renderings of future plans for the City of Auburn.

6) from Joan Laage: This email is an announcement about my first performance back in Seattle after four years abroad. Some of you will remember "intimate stage" which has just transformed into "very intimate stage" (David and I live upstairs now in our Greenlake house). My journey into Butoh began almost 30 years ago looking over a promotional package for Akaji Maro (leader of the spectacular group Dairakuda Kan) while living in Hong Kong and a performance of this group in Tokyo in 1982. Please join me on January 17th in a celebration of Butoh's 50th anniversary and my return to Seattle. I look forward to sharing my performance, videos, and conversation with you. I've attached a flyer and also put the pertinent information below. Joan ("kogut")

Chopin Dances: an evening of performance, videos, discussion, food & drink with Joan Laage
January 17, 2009
7:30-10pm (enter anytime)
2353 N 64th St (Greenlake)
Space Limited-Reservations Suggested: Call 729-2054 or Email davidthornbrugh@hotmail.com
Donation: $5-$10
________________________________________
7) Band of Poets performs at Richard Hugo House (1634 11th Ave., Capitol Hill) on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 PM in the Cabaret. FREE.

Band of Poets is a music and poetry collaboration featuring John Burgess (punk poems, noise), Jed Myers (guitar, harmonica, poetry), David Rizzi (drums, percussion, poetry) and Debra McElroy (poetry, percussion). They take turns reading poems over improvised jazz, blues, country and percussion. Expect ballads and hymns, political outrage, ghosts of the Beats, edginess and tender moments. No promises though -- no two shows are alike.

This is the band's first appearance since the Dawning of the Age of Obama. Directions and more about Richard Hugo House at http://www.hugohouse.org/

8) from Nico V:
My teacher Wolpe was a Marxist and he felt my music was too esoteric at the time. And he had his studio on a proletarian street, on 14th Street and Sixth Avenue. And at that time I just became involved, I was twenty years old, I became involved with artists in Greenwich Village, all these people. And he was on the second floor and we were looking out the window, and he said, "What about the man on the street?" At that moment he said what about the man on the street, Jackson Pollack was crossing the street. The crazy artist of my generation was crossing the street at that moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qa_vXAdI0w

from MORT, A solo play
by Kip Fagan & Nico Vassilakis, 2006

9) From Cody Walker

I'll be reading at Seattle's Richard Hugo House on Tuesday, January 27th, at 7:30 p.m. What's more, I need your help. The 27th is Lewis Carroll's birthday -- and while Carroll (or one of his stand-ins) preferred unbirthdays to birthdays, I think we should mark the day with a reading of his "Mad Gardener's Song." Along with reading Carroll's own stanzas, let's brighten the evening by adding some of our own. If you're game, you have two options: (1) Come to the Hugo House on the 27th with a newly-minted Mad Gardener's stanza in hand; or (2) Email me your stanza(s), which I'll include in the frolic. (The several dozen of you who are hundreds or thousands of miles from Seattle may want to choose the second option.)

Here's a link to the original poem (with a few predictable typos):

http://www.lewiscarroll.org/poetry.html

Thanks so much. Other things Carrollian -- hijinks by or inspired by him -- would also be welcome. Looking forward to seeing what galumphs into my Inbox! I'll paste a few of my own riffs below, with faith that you'll do better.

10) From Dan Raphael:

Thursday, January 15, 7:30 pm
Powell's Books on Hawthorne, Free admission

Dan celebrates the re-release of his poetry collection Bop Grit Storm Cafe, and reads new work; Rodney reads from his new chapbook, Rules for Drinking Forties, due out from Cy Press this spring.

11) WASHINGTON -- According to news reports, President-elect Barack Obama will appoint Julius Genachowski as chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:
"Under Julius Genachowski's leadership, the FCC's compass would point toward the public interest. President-elect Obama has provided a clear roadmap of his media and technology priorities. We share Obama's goals of creating a more diverse, democratic media system and providing fast, affordable, open Internet access for everyone. We greatly look forward to working with Mr. Genachowski to put the president-elect's plan into action. More here.

More of my Fishwrapping energy is going into Facebook these days, so please consider joining me there. José Kozer’s visit is going to be remarkable. I know you likely don’t know who the fuck he is, but trust me on this, you should see him at least once during his visit. If I were you I’d call Doe Bay today at 360-376-2291, tell ‘em you want a decent place to stay for Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th, (or Friday and Saturday) and take in his workshop, enjoy his reading and have some cuisine Cubano at the Doe Bay Café. You’ll remember this event for a long time.

Want off this email list? Just ask.

xoxo President Postcard.

Paul E. Nelson
Global Voices Radio
SPLAB!
American Sentences
Organic Poetry
Poetry Postcard Blog

Ilalqo, WA 253.735.6328