long time coming...

Five weeks since I've visited these parts and lots of stuff has happened in the world of poetry ( the world I am bouncing around in these days)...since the slam, I took a class to Yale to hear two young poets read at the Bienecke Library and to see the Picasso and the Allure of Words show with recordings of Gertrude Stein playing above your head while you looked postcards they sent to each other. Jennifer Moxley and G.E. Patterson read from their work-- always good to hear new stuff. Moxley has a new collection that sounds pretty wonderful, Clampdown. A couple weeks ago saw Patricia Smith at the Mystic Arts Center - she blew the house away. Pretty amazing stuff and cool, cool, cool delivery. Her performance from her latest collection, Blood Dazzler, was truly mesmerizing. Don't miss her at the upcoming Ocean State Summer Writing Conference happening at URI's Kingston campus on June 18, 19, and 20th with featured Guests: Louise DeSalvo, Robin Hemley & Patricia Smith. Visit their website, http://www.uri.edu/summerwriting/, for details and to register.