Oh yeah, poetry

Seems as if the world of poetry has gone less noticed here lately.

I went to a good reading on Friday night at Beyond Baroque. The readers were Sarah Maclay (who read from her new book The White Bride), Stephen Kessler and Ralph Angel. Ralph Angel has a very strong following down here, though I admit that I didn't know all that much about him. He was wonderful. His poems are sparse, smart and heart breaking. He also translates Lorca, and read a few of those pieces (he's also promised a few for the issue!). I had a nice talk with him after the reading. He suggested that we meet for coffee in Pasadena.

Today is the final day to submit for the L.A. issue. We still have a ton of work to go through. Last week we took poems from Suzanne Lummis, Mary Armstrong, Larry Colker, the above mentioned Sarah Maclay and Deborah Meadows. A few more acceptance notes will go out this week.

Somthing About This Place

So they finished up shooting over at the park yesterday (I walked past Will Ferrell!). There's this older musician that sets up everyday of the week by the entrance to the La Brea tar pits with his guitar and banjo. He plays old folk songs targeted at the kids (and thus their parents) who frequent the museum. As I was leaving yesterday, I walked by him as usual, except this time he had hit the big time. Apparently the director had become smitten with him over the course of the week and decided that they needed him in the movie. There was a girl micing him up and getting him pretty, as others lit him.

L.A. effects you in that weird way. I've walked past dozens of movie/t.v. shoots since I've been here, lots of photographers. There's almost always that little wiggle in the back of the brain that says "well maybe they'll notice me". They haven't (except for my tremendous extra work earlier on this year). Not even the dog (who's cuter then me). But the thought (is it vanity?) is kind of exciting.

I went to see Bob Mould (of Husker Du fame) across the street at the El Rey a couple nights ago. I pray that I rock as hard when I'm his age.

A Different World

They're filming some the Land of the Lost movie down the road from our apartment, at the Park that connects the La Brea tarpits (fitting) and LACMA. Also the park where the dog and I go twice a day. I was a fan of the Sid and Marty Kroft t.v. show, especially the Sleestacks and Chaka. Will Ferrell is staring in the movie. I was just a few sips into my coffee this morning when I passed Bob Balaban (he's been in most of Christopher Guest's movies, the old drama teacher in Waiting for Guffman and the guy in charge of getting the space ready for the Mayflower Dog Show in Best in Show) on his way to film a scene.

Congratulations Pedro Ponce

Aimee Bender has named Mr. Ponce and his fiction collection, Superstitions of Apartment Life, as the winner of the 2nd Annual Burnside Review Fiction Chapbook Contest. Pedro won $200- and we will be publishing his chapbook this summer.

Our 4th Annual Poetry Chapbook Contest started last week. Paul Guest is this year's judge. The contest runs through June 30th. All the details are on our website.

Bad Words and Juicy Beef

We went to a reading late yesterday afternoon at cool bar down on La Cienega, The Mandrake. Unfortunately, the reading hosted by Black Clock was a bit of a snoozer. The theme of the new issue is travel. But the pieces hardly seemed to fit within the theme, certainly not on a literal level and barely on a figurative one.

The good news is that we had some fabulously delicious cheeseburgers afterwards at the Apple Pan on Pico. Old school place, tiny menu, top notch food, just how we like it.

Salon

Not the beauty kind, although I could use a visit there, haven't had a hair cut in a while. One of these kinds: salon. Chris Davidson hosted it at his house down in Seal Beach. There was beer and wine, a house full of creative types and four presenters. There was a really great painter (whose name I can't even come close to remembering, maybe somebody will remind me), a musician (kind of had a Sondre Lerche thing going on) and two poets. Jeff Lytle just moved to Portland. This is his website, The Peter Principle, kind of an interactive poetry project. He presented the site through a projector and let the crowd navigate through the poems. Cody Gates, down from San Fransisco, read from his really beautifully designed new chapbook, At Bernanke's (I think that's right, if not please correct me).

Thanks to Chris for inviting me, it was a good time.

Options

Three good events going on tomorrow night: Matthew Zapruder is ready out in Palm Desert, Chris Davidson is hosting a salon down in Long Beach, and the MFA students from Cal Arts are reading at Skylight books. Gas being $3.63 a gallon down here is a major deterrent when deciding to get out of the city. But it's nice to have options.

Glorious, Glorious Sun

Today is one of those days that makes me think, "screw Portland."

My new state of unemployment might also have something to do with my good mood. A lot of people say that they can't not work, that they'd go crazy from the idle time. I am not one of those people. I think royalty would have been a good gig for me. Not to be king or anything with major decision making involved. Maybe a prince, like 10th in line to the crown. Live in a smallish castle on a little tucked away parcel of land with a couple servants.

Anyway...today is beautiful, about 75 and clear. Claire, the dog and I spent yesterday in Malibu. We went to the beach and then ate copious amount of fried seafood at Neptune's Net.