I was invited by one of my students to attend an invite-your-professor dinner at his fraternity house. I went though I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps because of the following reasons: it is difficult for me to turn down free food and I have never before been inside a fraternity house. It was surprisingly pleasant with the exception of the pre-dinner chanting and elaborate introductions. I was completely underdressed apparently. I was rocking my chucks and a Matt Pond PA shirt. The fraternity brothers were all wearing slacks and ties. And the other professors were wearing their gear: elbow patches and pantsuits and whatnot. So my elaborate introduction was a little uncomfortable. The food was good. A chicken & swiss dish. Apple pie a la mode. They had their own chef. I ate 3 helpings of warm vegetables. I asked questions like: so, can girls stay over? I was a little out of my element. But it was a nice gesture of this student. And they had a terrific trophy case.

I took a random selection of poetry journals and books (excluding stuff they just aren't ready for) off my office shelf and then passed them around my freshman English class and had them partake in a guided conversation about some of the stuff they were reading to each other. Based on 50 minutes of poetry perusal and discussion, the clearcut winner of the period was Chris Tonelli's Wide Tree, as perhaps expected due to its instantaneous and unabashed commitment to raw and tiny bursts of delight, and the clearcut loser was Michael Earl Craig's Can You Relax in My House. These initial reactions, for very different reasons, managed to deepen my already deep love for both books.

I'm recovering. I've been a real glutton over break. Mmmphrrrgg. Above is a pic of the aftermath of the Huskers beating Colorado on Friday. Next up: the Sooners.

Also: good po-news: I got the Denver Quarterly to bite on 3 poems of mine. It was on top of my list of mags to get into. Huzzah!

We're going to the farm south of Norfolk for food and family and board games. Then back to Lincoln for football games. Then Grand Island for food and family and board games. Then Council Bluffs for food and family. I'm putting a sheet over the large pile of academics in the center of the room.

And know this: I'm thankful for you. Today I am thankful for you all.

We've completed our latin dance course. My hips are kinda sore. Here are my favorite latin dances in order:

1. Samba
2. Rumba
3. Salsa
4. Cha Cha
5. Tango

We've had beautiful weather the past few days. Beautiful weather for raking our flat roof, so I raked the roof.

Rake the roof!

M and I have a lot to be thankful for. Last night's Clean Part was huggably brilliant. A healthy crowd got to hear some remarkable poets reading remarkably some of their newest stuff. I'm now so looking forward to all their new books. GC is very in command of his poems and his voice. He made me hang onto every word. One of the best readers I've heard this year since Thursday night's Robyn Schiff and last CP's Gabriel Gudding.

Here is a pic of Kerri Sonnenberg in the Sheldon elevator taking pictures of its texture/pattern. This is not a pic of Kerri Sonnenberg doing a submarine periscope-adjustment mime routine in an elevator. This is the most documented elevator trip I've ever been on.

It is a good time to be a writer in Lincoln. I'm finding The Cupboard, a lit pamphlet full of anonymous prose stylings, free for the taking in all kinds of campus and downtown hotspots. I pick it up for my hot chocolate read instead of the newspaper (I gave up coffee as soon as I started it (see my post about a month ago)). And the undergraduate campus literary mag, Laurus, just launched a digital arm. It now has two arms, and is much more efficient and attractive (the benefit of two arms is vast).

GC Waldrep, Kerri Sonnenberg, and Kristi Maxwell are coming all the way to Lincoln to read their poems for you at the last Clean Part of 2006. It's at the Sheldon at 7. Don't be square, seriously.

Props to Ben for making the poster(s). We've been discussing the poster's narrative. I have my conclusions, but I don't want to give them away. Instead, please submit your own take on this narrative in my comment box. Lets do this. I want to hear it. Clean your parts! Seriously.

A is in Chicago this weekend and I am alone. I haven't left the house since Friday's No Name. The house is clean. The papers are graded. The Cornhuskers have been watched. Some new poems of mine have been born. One of my top-fav young poets sent me his new chapbook last week and I read it: Ryan Murphy's Poems for the American Revolution. These poems have an old old soul in a soft new body. I'm in a mid-90's Built-to-Spill/Modest Mouse (Interstate 8) mood. I'm rocking my Shit Happens hat, pearl buttons and new beard. Vacuuming.

A very small selection of things that should be on your to-do list:

I've been pretty happy with my po-writing as of late, and the new manny is making progress. In fact, I sent out some poems to two mags today--something I haven't done (unsolicited) since April. Feels good.

And it is really hot here. The heat, for November, is a tad apocalyptic. I'm going to go grade papers outside in this lovely apocalyptic heat.

I voted today. I feel dirty though. The experience wasn't quite the same as it was in Ohio. In these woods, it is a little less satisfying because there is such a small number of candidates that completely represent my own beliefs. All the candidates pander, more or less, to conservative/Religious Nebraska values--even the Dems. And the third party system here is extremely broken. Regardless, I cancelled out my neighbor's vote.

Reading:

Hitler's Mustache by Peter Davis
The Wash by Adam Clay (I've been going back to it)
Big Crisis by Nate Pritts
Revelated by Matt Hart
I Have Not Been Able to Get Through to Everyone by Anna Moschovakis
Cousins by Alli Warren
Octopus #8 chapbooks (in their pre-published forms)
Back issues of Skein and No
La Petite Zine #19
Student papers (Inquiry into Pop-Culture)

Listening:

Jens Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens
The Annuals' Be He Me
Grizzly Bear Yellow House
Matt Pond PA Several Arrows Later
Smashing Pumpkins' Gish

I wrote a rough draft of an essay for my Russian language class. It is about me. My new bio.

Меня зовут Зак. Теперь я учусь в университете штата Небраска. Прежде, чем я учился в колледже oзaркс. Я английский аспирант. Я изучаю английский язык и поэзию. Я знаю английский язык и поэзию хорошо, но я знаю русский язык плохо. Моя жена, Эллисон, и я имею маленький дом в Линкольне. Перед этим, я жил в Миссури, Штате Огайо, и Штате Монтана. В Штате Огайо, я был преподавателем. В Штате Монтана, я был девятью одним одним диспетчерами. Чтобы работать как, диспетчер был труден. Я имею двух котов. Их названия Maлкmус и сaлинджeр. Мы также имеем собаку. Ее название Граки. Она живет в доме.

Мой pодители жил в Миссури, теперь они живут в Каунсил Блафсе. Мой папа удален преподаватель. Моя мама работает в складе. Я имею сестру. Ее название келси. Я люблю Эллисон, моего папу, мою маму, и мою сестру. Они говорят на английском языке только. Я изучаю русский язык в университете, потому что я хочу перевести поэзию Daниил Xaрmс. Я издаю мою поэзию в журналах и книге в феврале 2007. Это название Иск Человека.

I'm knee deep in N.H. Pritchard. The Matrix. Eecchhooeess. I'm a little bit in love. My mind is vibrating, and getting a little warm. I may have something to say about these collections later.