The Pure Products of France May 14, 2008: This is a sad story. We noticed the posters from the first day we were in Paris. "SOS Doudou Perdu!!!" they said in boldface block letters above a photo of a baby's lovey--a stuffed white dog with an enormous nose, cute eyes and blue ears. I took a picture of it but can't upload it; the computers at this Avenue Parmentier internet point won't take [...] by Daisy Fried

Arson, a Recipe May 14, 2008: Last time we were in Paris, in 2004, we were staying in the 20th Arrondisement near Place Gambetta, an upscaling neighborhood on the edge of one of the more multicultural areas of Paris. It was winter and you'd see African women in long traditional dresses and flipflops and their elder kids in flipflops and their younger kids in regular children's [...] by Daisy Fried

Opening Day May 14, 2008: A few hours before we left for Paris (we are here for a month), William Corbett's new book from Hanging Loose Press, Opening Day, came in the mail, so I stuck it in my carry-on bag. Our first full day here, we do something we like to do soon after we get off the plane and never again during a trip--walk out the Champs-Elysees from Concorde, sit in [...] by Daisy Fried

Questions for Fady Joudah May 14, 2008: Fady Joudah 1. Your first book of poems, The Earth in the Attic, just came out from Yale University Press, the winner of the Yale Younger Poets Award, selected by Louise Gluck. How does that feel? It feels great, a life well dreamt or a dream well lived. I hope the book is received well, I naturally think its themes of exile and witness to [...] by Daisy Fried

I’ve never had a sad cup of coffee May 13, 2008: Artist Robert Rauschenberg died Monday night at the age of 82. Obituaries can be found all over the place, so instead of adding another, here's a few interesting links that connect Rauschenberg to poetry. If you have more, please post them in the comments section. (more...) by Nick Twemlow

Shout Out to Literacy Through Poetry May 13, 2008: In less than a week, one of my favorite teaching artist programs in New York City, The Community Word Project, will turn ten years old. And so will I. Well, sort of. I started teaching with them almost 9 years ago when I was in graduate school and it was my first foray into the world of both second graders, teaching, and the Bronx. It was also my [...] by Ada Limón

Haloed May 9, 2008: Of the three poems below, guess which one was composed by a student: Tears When the male prostitute started to cry, I knew right away something unusual was happening. Something I could not have foretold that morning, when I passed my toothbrush under water, before applying the paste, or zippered up my bluejeans or took the first crisp bite out of [...] by Linh Dinh

Robert Redford Hearts Wendell Berry May 9, 2008: Executive producers Terrence Malick and Robert Redford turn to poetry in their collaborative venture, Laura Dunn’s documentary, The Unforeseen. The film, which debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, covers Austin, Texas environmental politics via interviews with environmentalists, real estate developers, a vocal local community, and [...] by Poetry Foundation

MEMPHIS AND NASHVILLE May 8, 2008: In Robert Altman's seminal film, Nashville, a third-party candidate named Hal Philip Walker is running for president on a ticket known as The Replacement Party. "I'm for doing some replacing," he says of the bureaucracy in Washington. (more...) by D.A. Powell

Feliz Cinco de Mayo & Louder ARTS May 5, 2008: Feliz Cinco de Mayo First let me start with a brief description of this day. Being of Mexican heritage, I’ve had to explain it on a regular basis. So, I thought I’d just give a quick rambling, if only to say: This day is not just about margaritas and tortilla chips (although I find nothing wrong with either of those things and hope to partake [...] by Ada Limón