Baby Baby! Dorothea Lasky on Biggie Smalls November 18, 2011: Mark Cugini interviewed Dorothea Lasky at The Lit Pub. The conversation centered around the relationship between Lasky's work and that of The Notorious B.I.G. Um, hell yes. Here's a taste then make the jump: Mark Cugini: First and foremost, I think it’s worth mentioning that you said if someone liked Black Life, they’d probably like [...] by Harriet Staff

Teaching Molecular Concepts Through Verse November 18, 2011: Taking "write what you know" to a whole new level, Mala Radhakrishnan has recently published a book of "poetry chemistry" called Atomic Romances, Molecular Dances. Check out this PBS article, with two videos, one an interview, the other a reading, for more. Still somehow not sold? Check it: In Mala Radhakrishnan's world, where oxygen and [...] by Harriet Staff

Public Access Poetry = Funded! November 18, 2011: The Poetry Project has spent the last few years digitizing a pretty extraordinary archive of taped readings by a group of New York poets who could be broadly characterized as "downtown," including Eileen Myles, Alice Notley, John Yau, and Ted Berrigan. Filmed in the late 70s, the readings aired on a cable show called Public Access Poetry. [...] by Harriet Staff

Poemfellas November 18, 2011: Read this Boston Herald article about Robert DeLuca, a mafioso-turned-poet. He started penning verse in the joint. Now he's in witness protection, where, we assume, he'll write rants on stifling track-housing life and the inability to find capicola. Check it: And so farewell, Robert DeLuca, longtime poet laureate of the Mafia and now, [...] by Harriet Staff

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is back November 18, 2011: Last year's National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada became a bit of a political hot potato during the fraught budget talks of 2011. But they survived that little tempest in a tea party (er, pot), and now they're back for their 28th festival, which they describe as "the nation's greatest celebration of the American West, its people, [...] by Harriet Staff

“I am now officially speechless.”: Nikky Finney’s NBA Acceptance Speech November 18, 2011: Can be seen here (scroll to 16:10 mark), thanks to Mediabistro. Powerful stuff. As John Lithgow said: “That was the best acceptance speech for anything I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s also the loudest I’ve ever heard anyone cheer for an award for poetry.” by Harriet Staff

Jordan Davis Reviews Bill Luoma’s Some Math for Constant Critic November 17, 2011: A new review up at Constant Critic is newsworthy: Jordan Davis takes on Bill Luoma's new book Some Math, just published this fall by Kenning Editions (beautiful book, we might add!). Davis places us quickly in mid-nineties New York, noting that "in the mid-nineties D.C. was part of New York." He says: "[O]f all the stoned geniuses circulating [...] by Harriet Staff

Another Disheartening Update: NYPD Seizes OWS Library AGAIN November 17, 2011: According to the blog for the Occupy Wall Street People's Library, the NYPD has seized the library again. This seems to be an update written last night; it's the latest report to come in so far. We're attempting to get in touch with the librarians to find out more. For now: The NYPD seized the People’s Library again tonight. We set up the [...] by Harriet Staff

The Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology lives! November 17, 2011: From Big Other: Read the current incarnation of the Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology here. With Masha Tupitsyn, Filip Marinovich, Stephen Boyer, Eileen Myles, Adrienne Rich, Charles Bernstein, Anne Waldman, Martín Espada, Penelope Schott, Marilyn Hacker, Jorie Graham, Anselm Berrigan, Ingrid Feeney, Philomene Long, Lisa Cattrone, Ben [...] by Harriet Staff

Kyrgyzstan’s native poets November 17, 2011: PRI's The World recently aired a fascinating story about the "akyns" of Kyrgyzstan. These improvisational poets carry on a centuries old tradition and play an important role in a country that's seen a lot of recent political violence and turmoil. The poets often operate in pairs, and their performances blend entertainment, stand-up comedy, and [...] by Harriet Staff