Gyre, Gyre

With December just around the corner, the Year End Caption Contest Throwdown will soon be upon us. Like last year, there will be rounds of voting and eliminations until we get down to the final round where the finalists will have to generate captions within a limited time period. Unlike the contest throughout the year, you the readers of The Muse do most of the voting. And the winner gets a $100 gift card. Not too shabby.


****************************


Still on-call, and will be until the middle of next week.


****************************


I am re-reading Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and sketches. What fantastic stuff! Not only is it challenging, but it is just beautiful.


****************************


There is a "womb" in the word "estuary." Why am I always fascinated by such things?


****************************


Michael Collier has a poem up at PD today.


****************************


Ashbery vs. Lowell! I know who would win in my book...


****************************


Clue: "Opium on the terrace, Vicodin in the kitchen!"


****************************

Crazy Day

What a day! On call and had to come in early. Busy day. Barely ate anything for lunch. Just starting to slow down. When these types of days come, I just let the day carry me. I don't even try to to fret things the way I normally do. I just concentrate and work hard.


****************************


Juan Gelman is this year's winner of the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish Nobel.


****************************


Well we already knew Spain loved Lorca...


****************************


Another example of the "religious right" losing their minds!


****************************


Yes, I am going to AWP. No, I am not staying at the Conference Hotel. Yes, Jacob is coming with me. No, you cannot sleep on our couch unless you are Patrick Phillips. Yes, I will be doing a reading. No, I won't be go-go dancing (at least not that I know of...). Yes, we are flying Virgin America (our new favorite airline). No, I will not use the subway at anytime in NYC. Any other questions?


****************************


Clue: STOMP!


****************************

Beautiful

Lex Braes, a painter friend of mine, has work in an exhibition starting tomorrow. So, if you are in NYC and are up for seeing some great stuff, check this out.


****************************


Not sure if I ever mentioned it, but I updated my revolving list of recommended books. To check out the list just scroll down to the bottom of the page and look to the right.


****************************


Can we say list?


****************************


Clue: WeHo


****************************

Should You Choose to Accept It

With the Iowa caucuses around the bend, I knew something like this would be showing up any day now. Yup, time for some good old fashioned hate mail a la Mitt Romney. I hope it works! I hope he wins in Iowa so that the Dems can trounce him. I know I won't be donating to his campaign.


****************************


Aaron is reporting on Poetry Burnout.


****************************


"It was a very Mission Impossible phone call. The voice said, 'Are you Saul Griffith.' I said, 'Yes.' Then they said, basically, 'This will be our only contact. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spend half a million dollars doing good things.'"


****************************


So funny because the above reminds me of this exchange I recently had on the phone:

Phone rings:

Unknown Caller: Hello? Is this C. Dale Young?
CDY: Yes.
UC: This will be our only contact.
CDY: Um, wha?
UC: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to donate $500 to the Red Cross.
CDY: The Red Cross has never called me before. They usually write or email me.
UC: Click...


****************************


Okay folks, because I am curious: Is there a contemporary poetry book you read recently that knocked your socks off? A book published this year?


****************************


Recently, the National Book Critics Circle did a similar thing. And they drew up the first of their NBCC Recommendation lists.


****************************


Clue: "I'll kill you in your sleep!"


****************************

Velvet To Go

Want to give someone a poetry book for Christmas? Maybe even a book from Four Way Books? Well, remember FWB now discounts books sold at their site. Yup, a whopping 32% discount. That is even better than Amazon for some books.


*****************************


I have ATT for my local calls, my long distance, my wireless Internet, and my cell phone. Despite offering bundles to every Tom Dick and Harry, they apparently will not offer it to you unless you ask. Apparently, they don't want to violate a "strong-arm" regulation enacted by the FCC. Whatever. I have been paying $28/month more than I needed to for almost a year! So, if you have ATT and can bundle services, call them. You may be able to save quite a bit.


*****************************


I still haven't gotten off my ass to buy an iPhone. I now have cell phone envy every time I see one. I think I will have to go by the Apple Store at some point.


*****************************


Clue: Dollar, Dollar, Dollar


*****************************

Alcohol Abuse

I had no idea VCU had a campus in Qatar.


****************************


The flights back yesterday went fine. Our flight from Houston to SF was delayed 20 minutes because a guy in first class spilled his gin and tonic on his seat and then they had to replace it (the seat cushion!). Unbelievable. I mean, if you can't handle a drink when we are at the gate, then don't even bother coming on to the plane!


****************************


Real life bionics! Very cool.


****************************


And because I miss him already, here is one more shot of the newest nephew, Elias:



I swear to God he was born with a Mohawk!


****************************


Clue: "I give in, to Sin, / because I have to make this life livable."


****************************

Heading Back

It is hard to believe it was a week ago that we were leaving to come here. A week gone, just like that. Back to SF today, and back to work tomorrow for both of us.


****************************


Just checked our flights and they say they are on-time, but it always says that, right up until you get to the airport!


****************************


More in the news about Natasha Trethewey.


****************************


Clue: Ernie


****************************

On MiPO

MiPOesias on-line has three of my poems up. Thanks, MiPO!

Scorpion

We went sailing yesterday with my parents and friends. But being out in the sun tired me out. I was in bed last night at 10 PM. Well, the scorpion bowls we drank at the Teppanyaki restaurant last night probably contributed some to this fatigue as well.


****************************


It has been a weekend of acceptances. I got acceptances last night and the night before. The new poems are finding homes. So, despite feeling as if I had lost my mind at Yaddo, I guess I hadn't.


****************************


Robert Pinsky presents Pablo Neruda.


****************************


More Disney today because the nephews want to go. And well, Jacob wants to go, too.


****************************


Clue: "Dressed up like a million dollar Trooper / Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper..."


****************************

Black Friday

I find this not particularly shocking at all! In fact, I could have predicted it. (from RJ Gibson)


****************************


No Turkey. No Stuffing. No Cranberry Sauce. Instead, grilled sirloin, lobster, and a lot of champagne. We had a very Florida Thanksgiving, and it was a whole lot of fun.


****************************


Still amazed at how crazed people are with shopping today. On the radio yesterday they were listing stores that would open just after midnight. And then they reported how people had already begun lining up.


****************************


I am supposed to be re-reading Mallarme. Instead, I have been goofing off.


****************************


Clue: Thundercats!


****************************

The Water Canon

When someone tells you, "You don't really get that wet..." Do not believe them. Do not believe them. Especially if that person is a giant child named Jacob! Why, because he wants to ride Splash Mountain more than anything. He dreams about that effing ride. And so, when he tells you things like this, you pretend to believe him. Notice that water canon in the picture, caught by the lens as the water has just started erupting from it? Guess what. Yup, you guessed it. That water canon fired right as I was in front it, drenching me entirely! And what did Dr. Bertrand say? "Things like this only happen when you come with me!" I swear to God I must love this man because anyone else would be dead right there. The look alone I would have given would chilled most to the bone, but all I could do was laugh. And I hated laughing then. Another lesson in love, I suppose. But that said, it will be a long time before I get back on Goddamm Splash Mountain. And the next time I go, I will be decked out like the grannies who ride it, with a Target plastic bag over my head! Oh yeah, I go straight for haute couture.


****************************


I am thankful for lots of people, including Oscar!


****************************


Happy Thanksgiving!


****************************


Clue: Dominoes and Rum


****************************

Time Machine

Because it is the holiday season, and what is this season for except to torment friends and like with memories:




Me, at 19!




Me at 4! With my younger sister, age 3.

Mohawks, Merwin, and The Muse

Chinese genes are incredibly strong! Meet my latest nephew, Elias. He is a mere 1/16th Chinese, and I swear to God he looks like he is a lot more than than that. Considering the only Chinese genes he has is via my younger sister, we are all amazed. Anyhoo, despite being exhausted yesterday, we had to get some prime baby time in. This baby is pure Young. He is almost an exact copy of my younger sister when she was a baby. Spooky. Isn't he the cutest baby you have seen in a while? He has this truly wacky "Mohawk" thing going on, though it isn't easy to see in these pictures. My sister said she tried to gel it but that then everyone thought he looked weird. Go figure, he looks more normal with spiky uncontrollable hair!









****************************


Today is one of the busiest travel days of the year. For all of you traveling, I have my fingers crossed all goes well.


****************************


"I guess I was always pigheaded about being independent." W.S. Merwin on literary prizes!


****************************


Do you remember Odelay? Beck's amazing collection? I have "Devilish Haircut" in my mind today. I have no idea why.


****************************


I got a funny email a few days ago where the person commented that she didn't understand why I thought this was a literary blog. Well, I am not sure I ever called this a literary blog! Do we talk about literature here? Yup. Is that the singular focus of The Muse? Um, no... The focus here is ever changing. Sure there are certain themes that run through this space, but the whole point of this space is distraction. That has always been the point. There are poets and poetry lovers who visit us, but there are also doctors, pop culture gurus, house husbands, bankers, an even a lawyer or two! that stop by here. Yes, I am a poet, but I do other things too. It just isn't possible for Avoiding the Muse to be a poetry-only space because I am not a poetry-only person. Hell, I am not even a poetry first person.


****************************


The vitamin business in this country is a racket larger than most of us could ever imagine... So, where the hell is my vitamin B-complex pills?


****************************


Clue: I saw mouse ears 5 miles ago...


****************************

Poets, Painters, and Poet-Painters

The past 24 hours have been a whirl of craziness. One good thing was the reading I did at San Jose State University. It was great reading. Good audience. Lots of book signing, etc.


*****************************


The flights here were both on time. I got maybe 3 hours sleep total over both flights. I just cannot sleep soundly on a plane. I am amazed at people who just fall asleep cold on a plane.


*****************************


What is it it with painters and poets?


*****************************


I had no idea Miguel Murphy was such a looker! The new MiPo goes all slick on us...


*****************************


Clue: Bentley!


*****************************

The Real Turkey

Nothing like a total shock first thing in the morning. I woke up and shaved, got my coffee, went to respond to emails. The first thing I saw was an email from Continental airlines telling me I could check in for my flight. I thought, wow, they really want people to check in early. 36 hours in advance seems like a lot. Anyway, I decided to just look at the reservation when it hit me. Tuesday November 20th at 12:30 AM is not tomorrow night but tonight! Crap. I am leaving for Florida tonight! So, work today, then reading at San Jose State University this afternoon/early evening, and then I have to high tail it back here to pack and head to the airport. This is so not the day I thought it was going to be.


*****************************


Can we say I must be tired in general to have made this mistake?


*****************************


Can we say Holidays are stressful enough without something like this?


*****************************


Clue: Crap!


*****************************

Holy Bovine, etc.

3.3 million for Poetry?! Holy Bovine.


****************************


I spent pretty much all of yesterday grading. But now all I have to do is fill out my last evaluation form and my semester is over. That said, my semester started in July, so this isn't so early. A great semester. I was lucky to have great students. I feel quite certain both of these students will go on to write and publish good work. I have been very lucky as a teacher to get diligent, inquisitive, energetic students. If you were ever asked to teach in the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers, you would be a fool to pass it up.


****************************


Robert Pinsky features Mark Strand in the Post.


****************************


Have you ever noticed how weird folks get in shopping centers and grocery stores when holidays are approaching?


****************************


So, Jacob and I are doing Christmas at our own home this year. And so the issue of the Christmas Tree came up. I kind of wanted a real tree, but Jacob rightly pointed out that an artificial tree contributes to the dump once, maybe 25-30 years after you buy it, but buying real trees means people are chopping down trees every single year you buy one. So, as a real Californian, we are buying an artificial tree. I don't like the idea of chopping down all those pine trees just to have decoration in my house. We in California are like that. We not only care about the environment, but we care deeply that the rest of the country knows we care about it and that we look down on you for not caring as well. We roll like that.


****************************


And what would Christmas be without a wicked punch! We already bought our bottle of white overproof rum in order to make punch for Christmas. And Thanksgiving isn't even here yet!


****************************


Kenneth Goldsmith. Are you waiting with anticipation to see what I will say about Goldsmith? Well, you'll have to wait a little longer because I am too busy listening to his play list from the Times.


****************************


I got one of the nicest emails about a poem of mine a few days ago. The person saw the poem in a lit mag and decided to write to me. I was beyond flattered that someone would take the time to do this.


****************************


Clue: You are still Dead to Me!


****************************

Flying Spears and Airborne Bodies

"Yeah, so I mean I can't possibly do anything for you because I am so effing busy. I mean, I really just can't even talk on the phone because my, well, my teaching load this year is 2-1, and having that extra class is painful. And you know how bad students are and how much time is required. During my 2 semester, I actually have two separate workshops! Awful, I tell you. It just kills me. You just have no idea..."

My response: No, I really have no idea what it is like to only go in to work one day a week to teach a workshop with 12 students in it. Nope, no clue at all. So sorry you are soooooooo busy. I really just cannot imagine...


*****************************


You don’t need to wait for Angelina Jolie to rise from the vaporous depths naked and dripping liquid gold to know that this “Beowulf” isn’t your high school teacher’s Old English epic poem. You don’t even have to wait for the flying spears and airborne bodies that — if you watch the movie in one of the hundreds of theaters equipped with 3-D projection — will look as if they’re hurtling directly at your head. You could poke your eye out with one of those things! Which is precisely what I thought when I first saw Ms. Jolie’s jutting breasts too.


*****************************


Still needing a few more responses to this poll, so if you haven't voted yet, toss in your feelings on the subject:

Book?

What type of publisher would you prefer for your own books?

New York Trade Giant
Small Independent Literary Press
Academic/University Press
Mid-Size Independent Press
I don't need no stinkin' press
Type doesn't matter as long as someone publishes me

View Results

Create your own myspace poll



*****************************


Saw the first episode of Project Runway last night on TiVo. Let me just say, this show remains pure unadulterated genius. It was great. After so many months of lackluster television, it was amazing to watch this last night. And the new crew already seems filled and fraught with drama and danger. Excellent!


*****************************


Am re-reading Thom Gunn right now. Still amazed at his later work. Beautiful and heartbreaking stuff. Makes me wonder how much of the heartbreak I feel in the work is related to knowing him and how much is just there in the work. Hard to know that. I cannot erase him, the person, from the words.


*****************************


Clue: Dead to Me!


*****************************

Sicko

I will be reading at San Jose State University (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 150 E. San Fernando Street, 2nd floor) on Monday at 4:00pm. If any of you are in San Jo, swing by.


****************************


Jacob is mega sick now, the way I was last week. It is so weird that he got sick so long after I did. But maybe this thing is racing around. My medical practice partner is out sick, too. And a bunch of people I know in the Bay Area are sick (no, I didn't see them before they got sick). I just hope Jacob gets better before we fly out of here late Tuesday night.


****************************


Just selected the Pushcart nominees for NER. Some good stuff.


****************************


Does anyone know who the new Editor at The Southern Review is? The person who is replacing Brett Lott?


****************************


Clue: Yaddo, sponsored by Hellmann's


****************************

2007 National Book Award in Poetry

And the winner of the 2007 National Book Award in Poetry is Robert Hass. (from my own sources deposited at the ceremony)

UPDATED: And in case you doubted my sources, here is the official word from the Associated Press.

Fidget and License

Made it back in one piece. Have spent most of the day so far grading and reading submissions.


****************************


The NBA makes its announcement tonight regarding who won its Awards. In Poetry, I have my ideas. Let us just say if I had to wager money in Vegas I would wager on Robert Hass and Ellen Bryant Voigt. I give both a big shot of winning the Poetry Award tonight. Not that I am a gambling man...


****************************


More on The Poetry Foundation (registration may be required)


*****************************


All I can say is OMG! This might win rant of the month.


*****************************


Looking for a Christmas Present for someone you know who likes to read? Well think about a subscription to NER. If you use the discount code "SPCNER" you can get a year of NER for a measly $20. Every issue has tons of essays on all kinds of topics, poems, and fiction, too. I have nothing to do with the editing of non-fiction at the magazine, and I can tell you the magazine has among the best and more varied non-fiction of the quarterlies out there.


*****************************


Clue: Deception


*****************************

Snapshot

Rainy overcast day in NYC. The reading yesterday went well. Glad to be flying home today. Tired of planes and hotels. At least the next time I fly will be to visit my parents in Florida. No hotel, at least.


*****************************


Better post to come once back in SF.


*****************************


Clue: LUZ


*****************************

Victor #23

Jacob has spoken, and the Winner of Caption Contest #23 is Shanna Compton for:




"Mirror Mirror on the wall...who's the buffest of them all?"


****************************


Congratulations, Shanna! You win bragging rights and entry into the Year End Caption Contest Throwdown...


****************************


Runner-up: Joseph Massey for:


"Ah, Prince Albert, you'll make a wonderful addition to the family."



****************************


Until next time, we at The Muse thank all of you for stopping by and playing!


****************************

Undid and Undone

I am just starting to feel better from this cold. And what do I have to do tomorrow? Yup. Fly to freakin' NYC. Leave here at 9:00AM and get to JFK around 5:30PM. May the gods of decongestant work, because if they don't it will be a painful time getting up to 36,000 ft.


*****************************


Jacob is overwhelmed by the number of entries this time for the Caption Contest. Little did we know Prince William was so popular! Anyway, we have stopped accepting entries, and I hope our judge will name a winner shortly.


*****************************


Here is a book worth checking out:




****************************


I will be reading at Ramapo College in New Jersey on Monday. I know, weird seeing the Veterans Day Holiday and all. I'll be reading with Patrick Phillips at 1:00 pm. If anyone is nearby and wants to swing by for some poetry, please do.


*****************************


Okay, time to go pack my suitcase.


*****************************


Clue: Gamma Rays


*****************************

Talk the Talk

Spent most of yesterday in bed. I was just knocked down by this thing I had. I am heading back to work today feeling slightly better. Cannot believe I have to get back on a plane on Sunday and fly to NYC to give a reading. Cannot believe I have to walk and talk today.


*****************************


I am hoping Jacob will have his decision about the caption contest later today. So, if you want to make a last minute entry, scroll down and enter away.


*****************************


I feel like this is the year of many poet deaths. Jane Cooper passed away. (registration may be required)


*****************************


Anne Stevenson is now a whole lot richer.


*****************************


Jacob and I are supposed to go to a gala fundraising formal thing tonight. I sincerely doubt I will be going. I am just focusing right now on making it through the day in clinic.


*****************************


Clue: Blend


*****************************

Bug

Still not feeling well. Slept for 11 hours last night, which is a record for me. I have so much to do for myself today and it irks me to no end to be sick. I'm achey and feel as if I am moving in slow motion. I feel like I am typing in slow motion.


****************************


The Caption Contest is in full swing below. If you haven't entered, you may want to do so before Jacob selects a winner.


****************************


The publisher poll needs a few more respondents, so scroll down if you have a chance and answer it for us.


****************************


Cannot think well today. Think I may go back to bed.


****************************


Clue: Everywhere


****************************

Caption Contest #23

You knew it was coming. Well, it is that time again. And this time, it is the last caption contest of the year (December being reserved for the End of Year Caption Contest Throw down). As always, the rules are the same. Post captions in the comments box below. Jacob shall select the winning caption. He is the Judge extraordinaire. The winner gets bragging rights and may or may not receive a monetary prize (usually a $25 gift certificate). The award of money is decided before the contest opens. You know, another level of surprise.


****************************


Winners of the Caption Contest this year so far are:

#12 : Justin Evans

#13 : Anne Haines

#14 : ADT

#15: Joseph Massey

#16 : Eddie Dixon

#17 : John Gallaher

#18 : R.J. Gibson

#19 : Simmons Buntin

#20 : Collin Kelley

#21 : Daniel Kaczmarek

#22 : Reginald Shepherd


So far this year, no one has taken a win twice! No one! And ladies, you need to enter. Where is Shanna Compton? Anne Haines is our only female winner this year. We need the ladies in the house. With no repeat winners, we are in for a VERY large and ferocious "End of the Year Caption Contest Showdown," when the various winners of the year battle it out for the grand prize of $100. It can be ugly. Will YOUR name be added to this list? Will you show us how it's done? Give us your captions, and tune in to see the results. Even if you don't enter, the captions usually are entertaining. Photo follows.


****************************






****************************


Let the Games begin...


****************************

Quick!

More on Derek Walcott.


****************************


Hard to believe I get back on a plane on Sunday and fly back to NYC. Ugghhhh!


****************************


Have you answered the poll below yet? If not, please do.


****************************


Clue: He tried to eat my face!


****************************

Then...

Slept 8 hours last night, which is definitely not normal for me. But I was tired. And it was nice to get that extra hour. Off to the airport shortly. I know Delta has built in time for delays for this flight seeing it does not take 7+ hours to fly from NYC to SF. And the marathon is going on in NYC today, so the drive out to JFK should be interesting, to say the least.


****************************


I'll be back in NYC on the 11th to do a reading at Ramapo College in New Jersey on the 12th. And then Florida for Thanksgiving. Then Vegas. Then Asheville. Then NYC again for AWP. Then Florida again. Then Oregon. Then... No wonder I have so many freakin frequent flier miles!


****************************

Book?

What type of publisher would you prefer for your own books?

New York Trade Giant
Small Independent Literary Press
Academic/University Press
Mid-Size Independent Press
I don't need no stinkin' press
Type doesn't matter as long as someone publishes me

View Results

Create your own myspace poll




*****************************


Clue: Paramount


*****************************

The Virgin Wins

The flight to NYC yesterday was fairly uneventful. Delta seems to be overhauling its product. They now, a la Jet Blue, have seatback satelite television, on-demand movies (I watched the last Harry Potter movie), and they have upgraded their food as well. They still cram in an extra row in first class and two more rows in coach compared to other 757 configurations used on other airlines. The SF to JFK route is now, in my opinion, best served by Virgin America. It trumps all of the other airlines in terms of the product provided!


****************************


In my usual spot in Battery Park. The Hudson is choppy this morning. It looks windy as hell outside. Dark and overcast. Lady Liberty looks cold out there.


****************************


Don't forget the time change tonight! Set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed. Is it me, or have they totally effed with when we jumped forward and back this past Spring and now Fall?


****************************


A poet I have a strange attraction to is in the news. No one ever believes me when I say I like this poet, and I cannot even offer you a proper explanation as to why I like his work.


****************************


An interesting article by Travis Nichols in the current Poets & Writers on John Ashbery. Nichols posits every "school" wants to claim Ashbery. I normally don't get that jazzed about articles in P&W, but I actually enjoyed reading this. Some of it is a little too reading journal for my taste, but overall the article is fairly interesting.


****************************


Clue: Croissant


****************************

Focus

Off to NYC in a couple of hours. Tired but trying to stay focused so as not to get cranky. Coffee helping. Call this a year of travel, except that would be a misnomer seeing I have traveled a lot almost every year since 1999.


****************************


This rarely happens in the US. Interesting.


****************************


Jacob is telling me I need to get ready and to stop interneting. So...


****************************


Clue: Shutter


****************************

All Kinds of Daydreams

Lorca and Dali... Now that must have been hott!


****************************


Work is a little crazy today, but I am managing. Daydreaming about Hawaii. A friend of ours who lives there put it in our heads, and now I keep thinking about Hawaii.


****************************


I have the word "Pestilence" in my head. I don't think I have ever used it in a poem, and I am pretty sure I have no reason to do so any time soon. But I like the sound of it. Something kind of crinoline and pretty about the sound of that word, even if it means something quite the opposite.


****************************


Clue: Mandelstam


****************************

Sword and Stone

Yves Bonnefoy wins the Franz Kafka Prize.


****************************


"Because big-name publishers generally publish poetry only from big-name poets—Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winners, Poets Laureate—the job of publishing less and not-at-all big-name poets falls to smaller, nonprofit presses..."


****************************


"Kanye West, the rapper who has become infamous for his emotional tirades after losing entertainment industry awards, today lashed out at The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for failing to name him as one of its 2007 Fellows, the $500,000 prizes that have come to be known as "genius grants"." (Hilarious!)


****************************


Virgin America is still one of the best things going in the air domestically.


****************************




Notice anything about the young King Arthur in this new ad for Disney? Yup, it is none other than Roger Federer. How hot is that?! It is almost as good as the ad they did with Beckham as Prince Charming.


****************************


Clue: Maserati


****************************