As a supplement to my learning of Russian and its vocabulary, with a good ink pen I've been temporarily tattooing the belly of my forearm with words I want to learn. Today's tattoo is Нападение медведя. This means bear attack.

THE MAN SUIT (Black Ocean 2007)

There are 5 ways I could tell you about this. I'll list them as if they were unaware of one another:

1. My first book of poems, The Man Suit, will be published by Black Ocean Press early next spring.

2. It has happened. And it is high time I tell you about it. My first book, The Man Suit, will be published by Black Ocean Press early next spring. I've been obsessing over this manuscript since 2002 and this past January I started writing a new manuscript of poems, Scary, No Scary. I'm pretty in love with this new manny and found it difficult to move away from TMS. I felt guilty. I was so comfortable in TMS, and felt like I knew it so well, that each poem idea that swam around in my head was unconsciously manipulated to fit in TMS's world. SNS wasn't getting the love it deserved from me. But Black Ocean made this transition so much easier--with such impeccable timing. TMS was put in their (Janaka Stucky and Carrie O. Adams) capable hands and with their close attention and care, the final draft has been hi-fived into a print factory. It is the best it can be. It is ready for you, reader. It has gotten a lot better with Janaka's and Carrie's help and with the help of a lot of other writers I admire. Thank you helpers. Sincerely. I'll put your name in there somewhere. I'll forget one of you. That person was probably the most helpful.

3. Hot dog! Damn! Whoo woo! Yes! Yesserissimo! Man Suit. Beep beep! Uh, huh. Ehr ehr. Ernie Paternie. Black Ocean 2007. Frooomage. Plankton. Back saw blade. Suitcase of moths. Plop. Plop?

4. Костюм человека будет опубликован черным океаном.

5. BUY my book The Man Suit next spring from online sources, or at a reading where I read from it, or at AWP's bookfair at the Black Ocean table. Make plans to review it. Also BUY Abraham Lincoln's Death Scene before that from horse less press. Hell, review that. I'm going to be so stinkin' rich and famous.

Happy Birthday to the lovely and talented A. And thanks for hanging out with me every day.

Poetry wins. There were quite a few distractions in Lincoln Friday night, and still a sizeable crowd of faithfuls showed up to be wowed by these 3 poets. Gabe and Grace and Nathan were all terrific readers and delightful humans. I left unsatiated. I wanted more. M and Gabriel have more in depth notes about Friday night. Here are what some things looked like:






Grace


Gabriel


Nathan

M and I will be hosting a Clean Part reading at the Sheldon Friday night at 7. Really good poetry will be read to you by 3 really good poets. All you have to do is sit in your cushioned auditorium chair and rest your finger on your nice strong chin.

Yesterday, I had my biggest offensive production on the year in my fantasy baseball league. Between Jose Valentin, JD Drew, Brandon Inge, Aramis Ramirez and Jim Thome, I had 7 HRs and 20 RBI. I am still in 8th place though.

Today, I am wearing a jacket. It is fall now I think. I like fall and I like jackets. My jacket is navy blue and zips up. Fall is one of the seasons.

This weekend was a heavy yardwork weekend. P, A and I got dirt under our fingernails. We cut hedges, dug up overgrown gardens, and planted and transplated bushes. It felt good. I got to use electric tools like chainsaws and hedgetrimmers.


Here is the mountain of brush that we created. Please come haul it away.

In class today, I had my students put Scary, No Scary and the Mountain Goats' Woke Up New in conversation, textually, emotionally, intellectually, etc. It was a good time--for me. I do this so I can feel like a rock star.

Papers to grade, a lawn to autumnize. Learning Russian words for all my articles of clothing. Reading WCW's Spring and All & Parakeet #2. On the reading horizon: Kerri Sonnenberg's Mudra and MEC's Yes, Master. Working on getting some new online stuff for you to read over at Octopus. The Octopus chaps are nearly typeset and Octopus Books has two more little numbers up its sleeves (I'll let you know later). Watching the Huskers/USC game this weekend. I used to live here:

This is one of the moments in which I am very proud to be a poet, and to live in Lincoln, NE. Lincoln brought the rock last night to the poetry bus. A lot of people showed, and they listened and cheered and laughed. It is all very promising. Lincolnites: check out what the bus thought of our stop.

Also, this was the best reading I've ever been to, and/or been a part of. It was an all-star fantasy lineup and I got sandwiched right in there. And it was so good to share beers with these folks beforehand and afterward. They are all very kind and smart and semi-attractive.

Today is poetry bus day. I am a bit anxious.

Over at Konundrum Engine, I translated some Mathias Svalina poems, and he reciprocated. It is my first translation project. I'm gearing up to translate some Russian poems, but I thought I'd start with English.

M and I are going to be on NET Radio's "Live at the Mill" tomorrow morning at 9:45-ish to promote the Clean Part and the Poetry Bus. So, listen.

The very cute and intelligent beyond her year, neighbor S.


Me. I, apparently, live in the house to your right.


This past weekend we held a little neighborhood labor day pot-luck celebration in our driveway. Only a 20% of all invited neighbors attended, but I am chalking the lack of participation up to inclement weather (it rained as we started to eat). I must or else I will be unbearably saddened. I made tortilla roll-ups and strawberry pie. Everybody else made a casserole. I like pot-lucks in the same way I think socialism is a good idea.

Maureen Thorson is doing great things over there at Big Game Books. Tinysides 11-15 just came out of the oven and are available for a buck a piece. My poem, "The Truth About Canada," is #11 and is probably valued at approximately $1.12 (American). So you'd be getting a deal.

One week from tonight. Sheldon Art Gallery. You can't stop this. You can't stop this.

The 2006-2007 Clean Part Reading Series schedule is set and it is mighty. With the exception of the Poetry Bus which is rolling through on Sept. 11, there are 6 dates and 18 readers, 16 of which are out-of-towners. Here is what all the readers look like. How many can you name?