Syrian poet and songwriter murdered July 20, 2011: Ibrahim Qashoush, a Syrian poet and songwriter known as "the singer of the revolution," has been murdered by Syrian security forces. An article from English PEN offers the following summary: According to our information, Qashoush was kidnapped on 5 July 2011 from his home in Hama city, north of the capital city of Damascus, by Syrian security [...] by Harriet Staff

Bradley Cooper to play Lucifer in The Hangover 3, er, Paradise Lost July 20, 2011: According to reports from the Associated Press and The New York Times, Bradley Cooper will play Lucifer in the Alex Proyas-directed film adaptation of Paradise Lost. Justify those ways to man. From the AP report: Paradise Lost, an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th century English poet John Milton, will be shot predominantly at [...] by Harriet Staff

Use your airy charms to help I’ll Drown My Book July 20, 2011: To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I’ll drown my book. —Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act V, Scene I And by airy charms, we mean tangible currency: Thanks to HTMLGIANT for leading us to another [...] by Harriet Staff

Poetry, dandelion, and lady’s bedstraw: check out Herbarium July 20, 2011: In more journal news, this is one for the herbivores. The UK's Urban Physic Garden—a collective of designers, urban growers and would-be alchemists keen to transform neglected spaces into community gardens—has published an anthology called Herbarium, edited by James Wilkes. Herbarium, they write, "is an anthology of poems written by over [...] by Harriet Staff

Kenny Goldsmith on the WikiLeaks of the avant-garde July 20, 2011: There are many interviews, plus funky photos, of our pal Kenny Goldsmith out there; click here for an example of each. In its current issue, Tank Magazine talks to Goldsmith about a particularly fascinating subject, what some have called the "WikiLeaks of the avant-garde." Natch, that's UbuWeb, founded in 1996. They chat about copyright, [...] by Harriet Staff

UC Press suspends New California Poetry series July 20, 2011: In the real sad news category: due to cutbacks, as the Los Angeles Times’ Jacket Copy reports, University of California Press has decided to suspend the publication of its poetry book series New California Poetry. It seems the press will lose about 10% of direct funding from the University of California. The new director, Alison Mudditt, also [...] by Harriet Staff

Do words hurt the world? (ouch) July 20, 2011: Words! Words! What are they good for? Darned if we know. by Harriet Staff

Introducing The Found Poetry Review July 20, 2011: All is not lost! The Found Poetry Review, a quarterly online journal "celebrating the poetry in the existing and everyday," has just launched its debut Summer 2011 issue. Featured are poets Howie Good, Jill Crammond, Christina Burress, and many, many more. Here's Guy Torrey's "Harsh Conditions": Tides and storms, other times rocks. [...] by Harriet Staff

A closer look at the NYT’s Sunday poetry roundup July 19, 2011: Critic Jeff Gordinier chronicled four new poetry volumes over the weekend for The New York Times' Sunday Book Review: Flies, by Michael Dickman; Bringing the Shovel Down, by Ross Gay; Torn, by C. Dale Young; and Becoming Weather, by Chris Martin. We wonder if this approach might undercut the effort behind most of these books: with four reviews to [...] by Harriet Staff

BOMBLOG reprints Cedar Sigo on Kenneth Anger July 19, 2011: The internet! She sure don't take a break! Most specifically: BOMBLOG's excellent reprints of [ 2nd Floor Projects ] editions has, today, unearthed poetry and prose by Cedar Sigo and Johnny Ray Huston inspired by the art of David Enos, Frank Haines, and Wayne Smith, whose "Untitled (Montessori blocks) 2008" looms above. Also included in this [...] by Harriet Staff