My New Anthology February 14, 2008: My new new book (after my recent essay collection, Orpheus in the Bronx), Lyric Postmodernisms: An Anthology of Contemporary Innovative Poetries, is just out from the new and small but quite excellent Counterpath Press, who have published books by Laynie Browne, Brian Henry, and Andrew Joron, among others. Marjorie Perloff writes of the book that [...] by Reginald Shepherd

Happy Valentine’s Day February 14, 2008: Mark Alexander Boyd (1563–1601) was a poet and soldier of fortune who wrote published two volumes of Latin verse, but is famous, if he is famous, for his only known poem in Scots. I post it today in honor of Valentine’s Day, which is my household’s only religious holiday. I also post, after the jump, the only Valentine poem I’ve ever [...] by Daisy Fried

raúlrsalinas (1934-2008) February 13, 2008: Elder statesman, Xicanindio leader, poet of the people, giver of hope to the oppressed and the incarcerated, Raúl Salinas passed away last night in Austin, Tejaztlán. by Rigoberto González

a cheerful hour, refrains February 13, 2008: Not a true blog entry here so much as an attempt at auxiliary crowdsourcing: other than the ghazal, what poetic forms-- oral or written-- from non-European languages feature prominent repeated stanzas, "choruses," or refrains? (If the post title baffles you, click here.) by Stephen Burt

Wednesday Shout Out February 13, 2008: Arktoi Books is an exciting new imprint of Red Hen Press. The brainchild of beloved poet Eloise Klein Healey this series, which publishes both prose and poetry, highlights the very best writing by lesbian authors. Officially launching this year, the first title is by the poet Elizabeth Bradfield. (more...) by Rigoberto González

Late Past the Post February 12, 2008: Reginald Shepherd has proposed a definition for the term "post-avant poetry"—a term bandied about by poets without much consensus about its alleged referent, so I do not envy him his task, even though his definition has provided a scaffold for much subsequent discussion. Despite the currency of the term, I must confess that, since encountering [...] by Christian Bök

He’s the Greatest Dancer (and Britney’s not so bad either) February 11, 2008: In my younger and thinner days, I used to go out dancing all the time. In Boston, in Providence (whenever I could get a ride), in Buffalo, in Chicago, I had what might be called “every night fever.”? In Boston, where last call was at two, I rarely got to bed before two or three; in Buffalo and Chicago, where last call was at four, I rarely got [...] by Reginald Shepherd

Reading Rexroth in Rome February 11, 2008: I’ve spent almost six months in three trips in Italy in the last three years, once in Florence and twice in Rome. We get cheap apartments ($1200/month for two rooms in Rome; $1600 for six weeks for two rooms in Florence.) Each time I brought with me and read Kenneth Rexroth’s travelogue poem, “The Dragon and the Unicorn.” It’s a couple [...] by Daisy Fried

Slapering Hol Press February 10, 2008: It means “Sleepy Hollow” in Old Dutch. Yes, that Sleepy Hollow, as in the place Mr. Washington Irving put on the literary map, though for the past twenty years, the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center has been working hard to build on that legacy. The vision of poet and founder Margo Stever has indeed blossomed into an extraordinary place for the [...] by Rigoberto González

Hail, Ichneumonid Redux! February 9, 2008: Commentary about the "ichneumonids" continues apace, and again I must apologize for belabouring this topic—but Reginald Shepherd still seems to be missing the point that, Bernstein and I are not endorsing any hyperbolic comparison between poetic conflict and social genocide—we are merely citing (both critically and ironically) the very fact [...] by Christian Bök