The Walrus, the carpenter, and the comic book! July 19, 2011: Let's take another look at Lewis Carroll's poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter." An excerpt: The Walrus and the Carpenter Walked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock Conveniently low: And all the little Oysters stood And waited in a row. 'The time has come,' the Walrus said, To talk of many [...] by Harriet Staff

Pew Fellowships in the Arts go to CAConrad and Pattie McCarthy July 19, 2011: It's been on the poetry grapevine for weeks, but the official press release came out today! The 2011 Pew Fellows in the Arts have been announced by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and they include poets CAConrad and Pattie McCarthy. Awarded by a panel of experts across the disciplines, the $60,000 fellowships annually go to 12 artists and [...] by Harriet Staff

Thievery and other literary pursuits July 19, 2011: In his extremely questionable poem "Song of Fairies Robbing an Orchard," Leigh Hunt notes: Stolen sweets are always sweeter, Stolen kisses much completer, Stolen looks are nice in chapels, Stolen, stolen, be your apples. Like Eve, he had to mention the apples. If old Leigh were alive and stealing today, he'd be sneaking through the [...] by Harriet Staff

Borders to close remaining stores, firing 10,700 July 19, 2011: As the Melville House blog, MobyLives, notes: "The fat lady has sung for Borders." Yes, it's true—Borders Bookstore is closing for good. In fact, it was looking to auction off the company, with Books-a-Million possibly interested in buying about 50 stores. Instead, at the zero hour, Borders went ahead and filed for bankruptcy. CEO Mike [...] by Harriet Staff

Hail victoria! July 18, 2011: In our darkest hours, we fear we are alone in our passion for Victorian poetry. Does no one else memorize Browning? Weep softly over Tennyson? Giggle over Swinburne? But today is one of those rare good days: the Oxford University Press blog hosts a brief analysis of Victorian poetics, siting it within the media landscape of nineteenth-century [...] by Harriet Staff

Ayat al-Qurmezi released from Bahraini prison July 18, 2011: We've previously remarked, here and here, about the jail time received by 20-year-old Bahraini student and poet Ayat al-Qurmezi, who read a poem at a pro-democracy protest led by the Shi'ite majority in February and March that led to a one-year sentence after a military court found her guilty of defaming Sunni royalty and inciting [...] by Harriet Staff

2011 PEN Translation Fund winners announced July 18, 2011: The PEN American Center announced the 2011 Translation Fund Grant Recipients on Friday! From a field of more than 130 applicants, the Fund’s Advisory Board—David Bellos, Susan Bernofsky, Edwin Frank, Michael Reynolds, Natasha Wimmer, and Jeffrey Yang, chaired by Michael F. Moore—selected 11 projects for funding. Among them were Annmarie [...] by Harriet Staff

Celebrating 25 years of slam poetry in Chicago July 18, 2011: There will be an "extravaganza" to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of slam poetry's birth, which started here in Chicago, according to the form's founding father, Marc Smith. (To read Alizah Salario on her search for authentic slam poetry, slam your cursor on this link right here.) From the Chicago Tribune: Fittingly, there is a 25th [...] by Harriet Staff

Taking the good with the bad July 15, 2011: H/t to A.J. Ayer and his "Boo/Hooray” theory Number of women on the 2011 “shortlist” for the UK’s Forward Prize, worth a cool £10,000? Zero. Boo! The joy of seeing phallus-endowed poets finally beat the system and get the recognition they deserve? Priceless. Hooray! Stephen Burt read Anne Carson’s Nox, and had decidedly mixed [...] by Harriet Staff

Heather Christle’s “awful interview” July 15, 2011: Heather Christle! We told you about her telephoning, and so did the Guardian. She even spoke with the BBC! Well that's all over now, baby—did you call and hear a poem? If you can't get enough, no worries: we happened upon this "awful interview" with Heather at Vouched (which calls to mind a certain dialogue), so the fun may [...] by Harriet Staff