Hoodoo You Love August 24, 2009: The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens was the fourth book of poetry I ever bought, with a gift certificate to Schuler Books in Grand Rapids I'd been given for a birthday, probably my sixteenth or so. Why that book? I'm not entirely sure. (more...) by Joel Brouwer

Russell Leong, ‘The Country of Dreams and Dust’ (West End Press, 1993) August 24, 2009: Russell Leong’s The Country of Dreams and Dust is one of those books of poetry I wonder why I read so many years (15, to be exact) after its original publication, and then in many ways I am glad I came to it when I did. I’d recently picked it up used at Half Price Books in Downtown Berkeley for $4.98, and really, I was drawn to it because of [...] by Barbara Jane Reyes

POST ON THE POST August 24, 2009: Harriet’s the second blog I’ve posted on. The last one was about art which could include poetry and I did it for a year. (more...) by Eileen Myles

On the Road August 22, 2009: I met my neighbor on the road this morning, a childhood friend I haven't seen since childhood, except on Facebook, which is where he saw the news of my new book. "Selling lots of copies?" he inquired cheerfully, and when I mentioned that books of poems don't really figure in that way in the American consciousness he and I then shared a few moments [...] by Rebecca Wolff

Jeff Tagami, ‘October Light’ (Kearny Street Workshop Press, 1987) August 22, 2009: I've previously reviewed Central Valley poet Jeff Tagami's October Light, for the International Examiner's Pacific Reader at the time of the book's third printing. October Light, Tagami's first and thus far only collection of poetry, was originally published in 1987 by San Francisco-based, Manilatown-founded Kearny Street Workshop. Tagami [...] by Barbara Jane Reyes

Evie Shockley, ‘a half-red sea’ (Carolina Wren Press, 2006) August 20, 2009: [Hello all, I realize this book review is about three years too late, but better now than never!] Evie Shockley’s got a brave and firm grip on history; her first full-length collection of poems, a half-red sea, Harryette Mullen describes as “navigating against prevailing currents.” Indeed, Shockley skillfully navigates, pointedly [...] by Barbara Jane Reyes

This Is the Week That Is August 20, 2009: Jason Conger, Rodrigo Toscano, Riva Roller, Clare Alexa Sammons (photo by Laura Elrick) Meet the Radical:  Jason Boog, GalleyCat impresario and freelance video essayist, explores the life and work of Rodrigo Toscano for this week's cover story.  A taste: "Frustrated by his formal education, Toscano skipped college altogether, moving to San [...] by Travis Nichols

The Group August 19, 2009:  We’re turning the corner into fall and it seems to me 2009 was a fast summer. I sprained my ankle hiking with one group at the beginning of it and as the chill infiltrates the air as many mornings as not when I wake up it’s still x@#$$% swollen. I lived at MacDowell for a month this summer with a strangely shifting group. There were people [...] by Eileen Myles

they go up pretty easy August 18, 2009: How many passwords does Sharon Olds have? How many passwords does Seamus Heaney have? Does anyone other than them know what they are? The TIME Magazine in the dentist's office is wondering what happens to your cloud-borne data when you're dead. A relevant question for all of us who a) compute and b) are mortal. (Indeed, it recently occurred [...] by Joel Brouwer

Suheir Hammad, ‘breaking poems’ (Cypher Books, 2008) August 18, 2009: Cypher Books has just announced that Suheir Hammad's breaking poems, which was the recipient of the 2009 Arab American Book Award in Poetry, has just been nominated for an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. It's wonderful to see a poet most well-known for her sharp and effective performance -- she was an original cast [...] by Barbara Jane Reyes