New Poem

(poem was here and has now disappeared)

Home & Inward

"Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom."

James Wright, A Blessing

POEMS!

Oh thank you poems, thank you InDigest. This one is for Jessica Yen.

The reading on Sunday was wonderful fun. More to come on that. But all the loveliest people in the world came out.

Thank you & besos.

Reading Tomorrow..

Come out and join us tomorrow!

Picture this: It's warm inside on a snowy Sunday afternoon.
You're enjoying a little cocktail, or hot chocolate, or green tea.
You're enjoying the fact that we've all won the fellowship
that supports you for the rest of your life and we're all looking
real good wearing our genuis grants as clothing,
petting our unicorns, and saving the world.

Then some poetry happens.

Sounds lovely no?

Venue: Bowery Poetry Club
Price; $7
Times: Next Sunday, Dec 16 1:30pm
Address: 308 Bowery between Bleecker and Houston Sts East Village
Phone:212-614-0505
Travel: Subway: B, D, F, V to Broadway–Lafayette St; 6 to Bleecker St
Website: bowerypoetry.com

Three poets share the bill at today’s gathering—Aracelis Girmay (Teeth), Ada Limon (Lucky Wreck, This Big Fake World) and Susan Brennan. (Abraham Smith had a family emergency and our poor dear won't be joining us.)

I've updated the website. I'd like to tell you I've accomplished lots of other things too, but alas, it is quiet in my head and I'm enjoying that. Happy New Moon. Start new. Be a baby.

AdaLimon[dot]com

Snow & Poems & Strep Throat

First we walked in the snow:




Then I got strep throat, which I still have. And I am still in the same spot as I was on Sunday night.

Then these came out. Yay poems.

La Fovea

Thanks for all your good wishes. My purr will be back to normal soon.

BIG GAME BOOKS/ Reading! Thanks for coming out.

Big Hugs. Big Kisses. Big Game Books.

Reading Report

Wow. Wow. Wow. What a great group of people. A girlfriend I haven't seen since I was 15 showed up. Apparently she was in New York, staying in a hotel 5 blocks away and googled me since she new I was living here. Then she just came! It made me dizzy. So lovely. So many wonderful faces. The band came! Sandra Beasley was amazing and her new book will no doubt be beautiful. Logan Ryan Smith flew all the way from San Francisco to delight us. Alex Battles played wonderfully funny (and true!) country songs. And Shafer wowed the crowed as only Shafer Hall can.

I've got pics, but I'm too sleepy. And now I must work, but thank you for coming out. I had a ball.

Tomorrow let's celebrate Phil Levine's (my favorite teacher) 80th Birthday at The Great Hall, Cooper Union at 7PM.

Then let's go to Pete's Candy Store on Friday to see Lynn Xu, Joshua Edwards, and Brian Waniewksi at 7PM.

Then let's go to the Mercury Lounge to rock with the High Strung at 10:30PM.

Then let's take a long nap.

My favorite Thanksgiving poem. Happy to all. Love.

Listen by W.S. Merwin

with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridge to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water looking out
in different directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the back door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks that use us we are saying thank you
with the crooks in office with the rich and fashionable
unchanged we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us like the earth
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

Oh No! Not More Poetry Readings!?

Bad poetry? Oh noetry.


First one:

Tuesday, November 27th
6PM Sharp.ACA Galleries
529 W.20th St., 5th Flr.
d.a levy lives: Big Game Books reading with Shafer Hall, Sandra Beasley, Ada Limón, & Logan Ryan Smith with music from Alex Battles

Then Next:

12/16 I'm reading at the Bowery Poetry Club with Amazing Abraham Smith
1/28 I'm reading for St. Marks Poetry Project with Jee Leong Koh
1/31 I'm reading for Barrelhouse at KGB Bar
2/29 I'm reading on Leap Year at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg Brooklyn with Amazing Abraham Smith and his NEW BOOK



If you come to all of them you get a free sleeping mask and ear plugs. And a lucky rock.

Veteran's Day

Things that Cannot Be Undone

-For Brady T. Brady, For Jack Barker, For Frank Limón, For Doc Kohler and others

How long do you think it’s going to take
to murder the memory of the unmentionable?
There is no timetable, no come home clean.

The day’s routine is lost on you, what is gone
is your everydayness, your ability to pass the
time without one violent shiver down the spine.

What needs to be erased? Sometimes you say,
Everything. Dark glow of the relentless river and
nature wants to make amends, a deep bow.

O tireless forgiveness how you misplace us,
our hands held up to you, still wet, how we
wish the world’s reversal, the backwards, Go.

Stories

Music:

It's fun to be in a band. Even if it was only for last night's book party. Bravo Jenny! We may even keep playing together before I run off to the woods to go live by a river. I've learned a lot. First off, when you are in a band with three boys, two of them from the south, they have a lot of rituals. Most of those rituals include whiskey. Secondly, "After the Fire is Gone" really does sound better after you drink said whiskey.

Bloof Books:

Jennifer gave an award to Shanna Compton for best publisher. Shanna is the powerhouse behind Bloof Books and anytime we can give her kudos, well we should.

It was a parade of fun:

Everyone came out. So much fun. Yo-yo tricks. The Itar. Moving very slowly. Vvvvvvveeeerrrryyyyyy sllllloooooooooooooowwwlly.

Dear fun,

I enjoyed you. Perhaps I will have more of you later.

But let's be quiet for now.

Lady

Back from Paradise

{poem was here}

DRUNK BY NOON BOOK PARTY

I'm skipping town for a bit, but when I come back, I hope to see you all here. It promises to delight your every sense. We put a band together. Yup. It's true. Let's all celebrate the talented, beautiful, funny as all get out..Jennifer L. Knox. It's an order.





Jenny says:

Hello En Why Yoopers,
won't you join me NEXT Saturday
as we celebrate the publication
of DRUNK BY NOON,
my brand-spankin’ new book of poems
published by Bloof Books?

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2007
7-9 p.m.
at STAIN BAR
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
766 Grand Street
(L train to Grand, 1 block west)

With your host ADA LIMÓN
Featuring music by MIXT TAPE,
The FEATHER UNDERGROUND, and more.
Plus yo-yo tricks, intrepretive dance,
impressions, puppets, Todd Colby, a brief
recitative, and other rare entertainments.
Chicken wings. Karaoke may follow.

Forward this to anyone and everyone.

www.jenniferlknox.com
www.bloofbooks.com
www.stainbar.com

Hope to see you there!

Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday, it requires nothing of us—except imagination. And the ability to enjoy candy and apples. Also pumpkins. Also, the scary things aren’t really scary. Everything is a false fear. Thrill up the spine. Surprise of ghosts on the street, vampire teeth. Wax lips and fake blood. I like it when we parade all our fears and all our ugly out into public. It’s kind of like being a poet.

Reading Recap:

Shanna & Jen were wonderful. They arrived after an eight hour drive from Niagra Falls. Here's Shanna. I was laughing too hard when Jen was reading to take a pic!

Reading Tonight! Jennifer "El" Knox & Shanna Compton

You should come out and buy everyone a drink, just to be nice.


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 at 8 p.m.

JENNIFER L. KNOX with SHANNA COMPTON
for Earshot @ The Lucky Cat
245 Grand Street (btw. Driggs & Roebling)
Brooklyn, NY
$5 includes a drink

And happy full moon. Be careful, you can tell it's up to no good or
really good, but it's up to something.

It's good to go..

to the sea with a bunch of writers you adore. And dress up. And watch two wonderful people get married. And then dance so much that you can barely walk today. It's good to do that. I want to run away. More often.


So, I only took bascially two photos. This one turned out a bit "gossip girl," but I snapped it running out the door. And I think I look like my grandma for some reason. So here's for grandma:




This morning I was caught writing. And the girls all teased me that I write too much. Anyway, here's what I'm working on. It's something about patience. Getting there, maybe.

{poem was here}

Stories

Finishing:
On NPR this morning they were talking about War and Peace, the new translation, and the woman reporting said, in her closing thoughts, "I'm going to finish this book." While that book in particular may be long, I thought, why are we so hell-bent on "finishing" everything. What is it that makes us so geared to win the race? I just think if she said to herself, "I'm really going to enjoy this book," she might look forward to picking it up a little more, yes?

Quiet:
On the walk to the train this morning, a young mother with two children were going to my neighborhood school. The two kids were shouting and she was speaking to them in nice low tones about how not to shout and how some people, like doctors, were still sleeping. They got real quiet and looked around at the windows. The mother said, "some people have worked all night and there is no need to shout and wake them up." And the smallest girl in the world, with the tiniest glasses cocked her head to me walking next to her and in a whisper said, "Are you sleeping?"

Still Life with Poetry & Bird: Drunk By Noon is HERE!

Jennifer L. Knox's second book is here. It's wonderful. On Monday we had a tiny little welcome home dinner for it. It was Jen (her finger pictured here), Me (behind the camera), Ichi the Killer (posing), one unpaid utility bill and...two books! Magic.

Do you think that

By Stacia Brady (my mama)

THESE are the "olive trees" he means when, in the middle of this Wolf Parade song,.. he mentions the olive trees that he says he'll give (to me)? I think so.

*
I'll Believe in Anything

Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
and your ghost

We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Fight the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves

but I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything
said I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything

If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd take you where nobody knows you
I'll Believe In Anything Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com
And nobody gives a damn
said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn

and I could take another hit for you
and I could take away your trips from you
and I could take away the salt from your eyes
and take away the spitting salt in you
and I could give you my apologies
by handing over my neologies
and I could take away the shaking knees
and I could give you all the olive trees
oh look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here

Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
and your ghost

We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Fight the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves

but I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything

If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn either way
About your blood
your bones
your voice
and ghost
because nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn either way

and now I'll believe in anything

More Readings!

November 27th: For d.a. levy lives series at ACA Gallery, on W. 20th Street for Big Game Books
January 28th: St. Marks for Poetry Project
January 31st: KGB Bar for Barrelhouse
February 29th: LEAP YEAR at Pete's Candy Store for Pete's Big Poetry

New Poem

In response to the writing on the wall:



(poem was here)

Greg Pardlo's Book Party! Tonight!

Hey, you should come to this. Because Greg is a wonderful poet and person. And because poetry is the coolest.

**
You are invited to the Book Release Party for Totem, by NYU Creative Writing Program alumnus Gregory Pardlo. The event is on Friday, October 12 at 7 pm at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, 58 West 10th Street, close to 6th Avenue, Manhattan.

Totem is the debut poetry collection by Gregory Pardlo and the winner of the 2007 American Poetry Review / Honickman First Book Prize chosen by Brenda Hillman.

**

Reading Report-University of Rhode Island

Well, we had a blast. Everyone came out. Michael was just a wonderful person to read with. We are all very excited for his new book. Peter Covino, you are a generous and brilliant host. Two of Peter's students introduced us with introductions that were far too kind and incredibly well written. We talked so much about poetry. I'm dizzy with poetry. Wonderfully dizzy with words.

Thank you, beso, beso.

Here's a blurry photo. Lord I love the blur.



And then a bright bold student wrote an article about us and here it is!

*
Visiting poets share stories of friendships, romance, hip-hop

Lisa McGunigal

10/11/07 - Poets Ada Limon and Michael Cirelli read selections of their poetry last night at the second installment of the URI English department's Read/Write program in Independence Hall. Limon explored memories of her brother and friends through her poems while Cirelli's poetry focused on hip-hop culture and romance.

Limon's first poetry book, "Lucky Wreck," won the 2005 Autumn House Poetry Prize. Her second poetry book, "This Big Fake World," won the 2005 Pearl Poetry Prize.

In Limon's poem, "A little distantly, as one should," she recalls her childhood visits to Lake Tahoe, where her friend, Jake, died in a car accident.

"You really can't stop going places because you're frightened," Limon read.

"This Big Fake World" centers around four main characters: the hero, the hero's wife, the woman who works at the hardware store, and Lewis. Limon read the prologue poem to the book during the program.

"Let the man in the gray suit be our hero for once," she read.

In the book, Lewis writes poetry to Ronald Reagan, commiserating how pretty girls will be the death of him and probably Reagan as well.

Limon said she writes everyday.

"It's an obsession. But it's a healthy obsession," she said.

Another of Limon's poems she wrote while thinking of her deceased friend, Jessica.

"It's hard to admit we're alive sometimes," she read.

Another poem Limon read was inspired by a friend's challenge to write something sexy. Titled, "The City of Skin," Limon read, "This brilliant mess. Yes. Let's."

Cirelli said he prefers keeping his poetry short, once limiting himself to write poems that had just 14 lines or less. Much of his work attempts to connect the world of hip-hop to the world of academia. He also has background experience in slam poetry and was an individual finalist at the National Poetry Slam.

One poem of Cirelli's developed from his experiences in attempting to get published.

"The money that sea-sawed like tides," he writes in "Beat to Print."

Several of Cirelli's new poems focus on rap stars engaging in simple pleasures, such as eating out at a seafood restaurant, or other activities that are part of rap stars' private personas. The collection, titled "Lobster with Old Dirty Bastard," includes poetry about legendary rap artist Notorious B.I.G.

n "Buy You a Train," he highlights a son and his mother riding in her new, shiny white car and listening to a hip-hop song. The mother thinks the song lyric reads:

"Buy you a train," and while the son knows this is wrong, he stays quiet and decides he will one day buy a train for his mom as Cirelli read "a choo-choo for you."

Cirelli then read some romantic poems, including "Cigarette Love" and "Kissing Turtles." "Cigarette Love" examines the different types of love from "candy love" that is so sweet it leaves your tooth sharp with a cavity to "cigarette love in its slow drag."

Cirelli explained how in writing poetry, "a lot of simple similes change the tone of the poem."

Limon appreciates how poetry has the power to control time and place.

"You can travel so far in a poem," she said.

Both Cirelli and Limon offered advice for young poets who want to publish their writings. Cirelli encouraged the writing of chapbooks and said it helps if other poets and professors support you. Limon recommended reading literary journals.

"Make sure your work is a match for that journal," Limon added. "Sending out many of your poems allows a better chance for success."

In the meantime, Limon said, "Write everyday."
*

But then I had to get up really really early and catch the train. And the whole day felt like this:

Poetry Salon 1

So, last night was the first poetry salon at my house. If you weren't invited, don't worry, odds are you will be soon. I had to start small. The last time I decided to do this 50 people came over. And we didn't talk about poetry one bit.

So here's the few steps to making your own poetry salon.

First: Invite no more than 5 people

Second: Go to the farmer's market



Third: Make enchilades with tomatillo sauce



Fourth: Have a quick drink with a friend



Fifth: Talk poetry with your beauties






Topics covered:
Slam Poetry
Teaching
Paul Muldoon as the new poetry editor of the New Yorker
Poems in form
John Hollander
Some gossip/NO NAMES HERE
Crushes
Willie Nelson
Joni Mitchell
Other forms
Endings of Poems
The WORK of poems
THE IMPORTANT WORK OF POEMS
New books
Jason's gorgeous manuscript
Jen Knox's new book
Small Publishers
Different publishers for different books
Possible titles for my new manuscript
Marion's great new work
NYU
Columbia
Birds
Balancing work and work
Oh and much much more
And music
Manguso I owe you a CD!!

Anyone want to go to Rhode Island?? Anyone IN Rhode Island want to come out and play?

All events are free, open to the public, and followed by a reception!
Independence Hall, Hoffmann Room 154, Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881; Phone: (401) 874-5931

University of Rhode Island English Department
READ/WRITE
ANNUAL READING SERIES
Fall 2007

Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 4-6pm
Poets, Michael Cirelli & Ada Limón

Michael Cirelli is a poet and educator originally from Providence, Rhode Island. He has been an Individual Finalist at The National Poetry Slam and was the only person to make all three Bay Area slam teams in the same year, winning the finals in both San Francisco and Berkeley. He has performed his work all over the United States and Canada and has taught writing workshops up and down the West Coast and in NYC. While in Los Angeles, he was the director of PEN Center West's Poet In The Classroom program. He is currently the Associate Programs Coordinator for Urban Word NYC through the Teachers and Writers Collaborative and has an MFA from The New School University. He has been published in numerous journals and anthologies and has self-published seven chapbooks; a full-length collection appearing from Hanging Loose Press in 2008. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Ada Limón is originally from Sonoma, California. A graduate of the Creative Writing Program at New York University, she won the Chicago Literary Award for Poetry and has received fellowships from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She works as the Copy Director for GQ Magazine and is teaching a Master Class for Columbia University’s MFA program in Spring 2008. Her first book, lucky wreck, was the winner of the 2005 Autumn House Poetry Prize. Her second book, This Big Fake World, was the winner of the 2005 Pearl Poetry Prize.

New Poem

{poem was here}

Girls rock.

Oh happy love Nicole.

We celebrated Nicole's upcoming wedding at Sanj's house and then at a local bar. Many of us were writers and were instructed to create or find something appropriate for her. Holy girl poems! Holy girl essays! Holy girl menu!

Girls are so awesome. I mean, really, aren't they? I feel charged up.

O Okkervil!

First we watched some baseball because we like that.



Then, one of our favorite bands played.

Last night was a beautiful show. Damien Jurado opening for Okkervil. Joy.

Except, no one was dancing. Maybe I just dance to anything, but c'mon kids, move!



Here's a pic from the back by the bar. We got closer, but then I was only using my ears.

Encores were as I called them: Westfall & Okkervil River Song

Bravo boys. Fans forever.

O and thanks Heather for calling to say you had picked up two kitten at the shelter. Because who doesn't want to end their night like this?

Reading Report

So much fun. We read in a lovely little room at the school.

Such wonderful readers--Jean, Mary, Michael, Jerry, and Richard introduced beautifully by D. Nurkse.

I could have stayed forever. Thanks everyone for coming and thanks everyone for loving language.

I sold out of all my books (must order more)! And Rigoberto came, mi hermano, mi amor!

Oh and yes, you should go out and buy Richard Hoffman's book from Barrow Street, Gold Star Road. It's powerful and fierce.

Thank you Peter Covino for bringing us all together and thank you Scott Hightower for MCing the night.

Besos, besos.

P.S. Oh and I did not take pictures because I was using my ears and not my eyes last night. Still working on using more than one of the five senses.

If you aren't going to the Barak rally in Washington Square, come and better your life in another way.

Barrow Street Press Event

September 27, 2007

When: Thursday, September 27th, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Regina Peruggi Room, Marymount Manhattan College

Barrow Street Press and the Marymount Manhattan College Department of English cordially invite you to celebrate the press's latest book prize winner and enjoy poetry from past and present contributors to Barrow Street, featuring Jean Gallagher, Mary Giaimo, Ada Limon, Michael Tyrell, Jerry Williams, and Gold Star Road author, Richard Hoffman, who will be introduced by D. Nurkse.

A reception and book-signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jerry Williams at (212)517-0604.

Longest day in the world--but some poetry news!

But some good news:

Finished Jen Knox's new book before going to print (WOW!)
Finished Jason Schneiderman's new manuscript (HOLY GOODNESS!)
Finished Adam Deutsch's thesis (BRAVO!)
Now on to Shanna Compton's new book..can't wait.

Dates to keep in mind:

9/27 I'm reading at Marymount College
10/10 I'm reading at the Univeristy of Rhode Island
10/12 Greg Pardlo's book party!
11/10 Jen Knox's book party!
1/28 I'm reading for St. Marks Poetry Project
1/31 I'm reading for Barrelhouse at KGB (if you're in town for AWP, come)

Happy Birthday Jude!

{pics were here, but I was scolded by my beauties, even though they are beautiful}

Is it just me or has the graffiti around here taken a positive spin?

New Poem

{poem was here}

There's still time to go see this!

Things that make me happy:

{poem was here}

Reading on the 27th! Should be fun, you should probably come and hang out.

Barrow Street Press Event

September 27, 2007

When: Thursday, September 27th, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Regina Peruggi Room, Marymount Manhattan College

Barrow Street Press and the Marymount Manhattan College Department of English cordially invite you to celebrate the press's latest book prize winner and enjoy poetry from past and present contributors to Barrow Street, featuring Jean Gallagher, Mary Giaimo, Ada Limon, Michael Tyrell, Jerry Williams, and Gold Star Road author, Richard Hoffman, who will be introduced by D. Nurkse.

A reception and book-signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jerry Williams at (212)517-0604.

New Poem

[poem was here]

New Poem

(poem was here)

Enjoy this big bad full moon. It's big..and bad....

New Poem

(poem was here)

Reading Recommendations

I've been away. Well, not really. I've been at the office. I live here.

I need to get my head back in books. If anyone has any good poetry books or novels that I should read, well, I'll read em!

Thanks,

Ada

New Poem

{poem was here}

Hola y Aloha

Notes from Paradise Lost & Found

Alright, I've had enough.

I'm going to Hawaii.

New Poem

{Poem was here}
{Picture was here}
{Off to edit}

New Poem

{poem about Sonoma Mountain & Moon Mountain was here}
{off to edit}

Home-Part Dos

Meanwhile, back on the ranch..




All the animals were very happy to see my brother and I. The donkeys nuzzled..(Garbo & Jangles)


Lizah got scratched between the ears..


Okay, maybe this blue bellied lizard wasn't that happy to be nuzzled.


The wedding was amazing, pictures to come. We danced until 4AM. And then got up and had breakfast at 8AM and sat with the Emerys telling stories of growing up in this small town. I think I might be finally recovered. I also may have a title for the third manuscript. Maybe..

I might have found my perfect house too. 360 degree views on top of Moon Mountain. Okay, it might be a little out of my price range.