Anatomy of a Story June 24, 2007: Friday night there was a big party for my mother to celebrate her 40 years of service to the city. People told stories and offered reflections about my mom and then we all watched a movie about my mom’s career. There’s one story in the film that I can’t shake and that has shaken me up. It was a really well done film and talked about my [...] by Rachel Zucker

Oh, HELL yeah… June 22, 2007: In a review of my book "Teahouse of the Almighty" in the Summer/Fall 2007 issue of Gulf Coast, in the best review I've ever received of anything I've ever written, in a strikingly glowing review, in one of those reviews that makes me wanna kiss the reviewer's toes, in one of those reviews that makes me wanna--as the Godfather of Soul James Brown [...] by Patricia Smith

berlin in the haus June 22, 2007: On the train ride from Munich to Berlin, (6 hour ride). Matthea Harvey, Ron Winkler and I (along with some help from Kevin Young and Uljana Wolf intermittenly) discuss a rough draft translation of a poem of Ron`s into English. We go through it line by line, phrase by phrase, discussing many little details, like the different implications of "fact" [...] by Jeffrey McDaniel

München June 20, 2007: On the third day of a week-long tour through Germany with poets Kevin Young, Christian Hawkey, and Matthea Harvey. Matthea's husband (and editor of Jubilat) Rob Caspar is also with us, as well as 4 young German poets (between 27 and 36) who have translated our poems. Our typical day has been: wake up, have a huge German breakfast (deli meats, [...] by Jeffrey McDaniel

Write Where You Are? June 20, 2007: Except I can’t. The problem is technical: hands. The baby must be held. In the sling he falls asleep and I eat and try to sleep make food for my older boys and aim for 15 minutes of attention to each one a day (can’t say that I make my goal very often). So the problem is also logistical: time. Somehow there is more of it now that day and [...] by Rachel Zucker

Does it come with a set of Ginzu knives…? June 20, 2007: Everybody's sayin' it: "PhDs are the new MFAs." Say it ain't so. I'm out of money. Anybody out there got a PhD in creative writing? Why? Is it sexier? Do you get more dates? Does it make you smarter? Whaaat? by Patricia Smith

Sometimes they’re just really looooong poems… June 19, 2007: I have a friend named Rachel Kann. Her new book, "10 for Everything" is fresh off the press; I got my copy in the mail today. Turn the book over and marvel at one of the most sizzling author photos I've ever encountered--all gams and attitude, adorned with pigtails and an unflitered cig. The girl ain't playin'. Rachel Kann is a poet. She says so [...] by Patricia Smith

E.P. on P.E. June 18, 2007: On April 10, Patricia wrote: "Phebus Etienne is dead. That won't mean anything to most of you...Phebus was a reverent Haitian lyric, a deft conjurer of language and light, a Cave Canem sister, an insistent glow...She was only 41." I e-mailed Patricia that, oddly enough, it did mean something to me... (more...) by Ed Park

on the ground in berlin June 18, 2007: I just arrived in Berlin. I will be blogging from Germany for the next week. I am embarking on a three-city tour with three other American poets, Matthea Harvey, Kevin Young, and Christian Hawkey. We are doing readings to support an anthology that just came out in Germany and Austria, Schwerkraft, edited by Ron Winkler. What has happened so far: [...] by Jeffrey McDaniel

FATHER’S DAY June 17, 2007: In June 1961, my father was in the Soviet Union on a tour. He took the time to write a daily journal. On June 16th, he wrote: …My birthday. Gilly Osei’s present –Lenin’s MATERIALISM AND EMPIRIOCRITICISM. Gorky Collective Farm. Saw Repair-Service station, dairies, crèche, school, hot-houses for vegetables. The Party Secretary who showed [...] by Kwame Dawes