Others Letters: Dana Ward February 17, 2010: This past month I started corresponding with Dana Ward, someone who I’ve felt myself in orbit with for years now, but who I only met this past summer at a party where he read with Brandon Brown and Cynthia Sailers. Dana lives in Cincinati where he publishes Cy Press, hosts readings, collaborates with local artists, and works as an advocate for [...] by Thom Donovan

‘Al Que Quiere,’ A Bilingual MFA, Multilingual Poetics, and the ‘in English’ Only Poetry Contest February 17, 2010: In a letter to Marianne Moore dated Feb. 21, 1917, William Carlos Williams wrote: I want to call my book: A Book of Poems: AL QUE QUIERE! —which means: To him who wants it—but I like the Spanish just as I like a Chinese image cut out of stone: it is decorative and has a certain integral charm. But such a title is not democratic—does [...] by Craig Santos Perez

I Didn’t Expect to Be Here February 16, 2010: [audio:http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/I-DIdnt-Expect-to-Be-Here-FINAL.mp3] by Sotère Torregian

Poetry is…. February 16, 2010: Poetry is witness. Vanessa Place Poetry is a small car full of border collies. Jay Ruzesky Poetry is linguistic music. Jon Paul Fiorentino Poetry is a camera, a lunch box, a fire, a magic wand, a time machine, a tongue, a semaphore, a sun, an oak, an archive, a band, a bridge, a ghost, a kiss, a needle, an ocean, and a cat. Evie [...] by Sina Queyras

“to consent not to be a single being” February 15, 2010: Edouard Glissant’s L’Intention poétique has recently been translated by Natalie Stephens; Poetic Intention will be out from Nightboat Books in March. I’ve been immersed in, and totally messed up (in the best sense) by, Glissant’s work since last Fall, (more...) by Fred Moten

Translation, Conceptualism, Exoticism, Imperialism, & Why Kenneth Goldsmith isn’t as Charming as David Larsen February 15, 2010: so after all the discussions about translation, i ordered david larsen's names of the lion from atticus finch. i heart atticus finch--the most beautiful chapbooks ever. i also read larsen's talk "translation as conceptual writing practice," presented at small press traffic in sept 2009. in this talk, larsen discusses names of the lion and various [...] by Craig Santos Perez

In Memoriam: Lucille Clifton 1936-2010 February 15, 2010: The Baltimore Sun reports that poet Lucille Clifton died over the weekend at the age of 73. She will be deeply missed. In addition to being awarded the Ruth Lilly Prize by the Poetry Foundation in 2007, Clifton was a National Book Award winner and was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. You'll find an interview with Lucille Clifton, [...] by Poetry Foundation

Speaking of Love, from Greece to Lotusland February 13, 2010: I simply want to be dead. Weeping she left me with many tears and said this: Oh how badly things have turned out for us. Sappho, I swear, against my will I leave you. (frag 94) Love poetry speaks from a place of quivering. There is an intimacy, an urgency that makes each hair on the back of my neck seem a bristle. And no one seems to [...] by Sina Queyras

“Firm Light”: cummings’ Erotica February 12, 2010: For Valentine's day, a link to some wonderful erotic poems and drawings by e.e. cummings... iv. What is thy mouth to me? A cup of sorrowful incense, A tree of keen leaves, An eager high ship, A quiver of superb arrows. What is thy breast to me? A flower of new prayer, A poem of firm light, A well of cool [...] by Annie Finch

Now Available: AMERARCANA 2010 February 11, 2010: Hi all, I wanted to share news about Amerarcana, a new publication coming out of San Francisco -- Bird & Beckett Books and Records, to be exact. Editor Nicholas James Whittington, who helps run the family owned indie bookstore, told me about Amerarcana last year; many of the poets from whom he'd solicited work were poets I recently saw [...] by Barbara Jane Reyes