I'm officially off to Atlanta for the AWP conference. If we can find some wi-fi, and if Mathias or someone lets me borrow a laptop, I'll give you some updates. Otherwise expect a full report when I get back, complete with pics. Hooooooorah!

The Octo-crew has gotten together and cranked out two new chapbooks for the AWP Bookfair: The Renaissance Sheet by Lily Brown (pictured above) and Book Reports by Jonah Winter (the limited edition hardcover versions). You should stop buy (see how I did that?).

After Atlanta, we'll be a bit more official about announcing these two books. We'll put a paypal button up then too.

I'm trying my darndest to get all my papers into tidy stacks, so to speak, before the big sail off to ATL for AWP. I'm more than excited though. It is going to be difficult to rest up--but that will be vital. I want to give you all the energy, all the positive qi I got. So if you want some of that qi to complete the flow, here are three ways you can find me: (A.) a retail merchant, (B.) a thoughtful and well-spoken online poetry editor, (C.) a reader of poetry:

A. Bookfair Table #125. The roster is Typo, H_NGM_N, Forklift, Ohio, and Octopus, and much much more. We have books that we want you to read. And swag. Endless infinite swag.

B. Panel. Friday, 2 March 07 @ 12:00 – 1:15 pm. Virtually Infinite: The Broad Reach and Vast Potential of the Online Literary Journal. Panelists: editors of La Petite Zine, Failbetter, Coconut, MiPOesias, Action, Yes, & Octopus.



C. Poetry Party and Reading. 100% Dynamite Blow Up. Saturday, Mar. 3. 7 pm. Apache Cafe. No Tell Books. Black Ocean Press. Pilot Books. Octopus Books. Please, do not bring cupcakes to this.

What are you doing this week? You should pull your recliner up to the computer because Fascicle just happened. It's heavy and here. Don't wuss out, wuss.

A and I took my 17 year old sister, K, to the Jon Mayer concert Sunday night in Omaha. It was fun. She had fun. We had fun. But it made me realize how my concert-going pace has slowed way too far down. Thinking about old concerts and whatnot, so I thought I'd list some of my favorite concert memories.

Note: All of these concerts took place between 1995 and 2001 and are not necessarily on the list because of their performance or my fandom.

The Urge in Springfield, MO (all 14-18 times) (usually opened with Fragile Porcelain Mice)
Frogs in Chicago
Run-DMC/Pavement/The Apples in Stereo in Columbia, MO
Toadies/Hum in Springfield, MO (first real concert)

Weezer in Columbia, MO

Promise Ring/Bad Religion in Cleveland

Pernice Brothers/Hayden in Lawrence, KS
Superchunk/GBV in Columbia, MO

They Might Be Giants in Cleveland
Rage Against the Machine/Wu-Tang Clan in St. Louis

Smashing Pumpkins in KC

Flaming Lips in Lincoln

The Make-Up in Chicago

GBV in Omaha

Lucinda Williams/Lawrence Ferlinghetti (not singing) in Hot Springs, AR

Songs:Ohia in Lincoln

Before my Russian language professor (who is a native Russian speaker) handed out our unit test today, and after briefly reviewing with us and realizing we are not prepared for the test, she says: You are all so much in a jungle of pain.

Я люблю my Russian professor. This is how I wish I could teach.

We printed up some new Octopus t-shirts. We're going to drop 'em on AWP in Atlanta so bring an extra 5 bucks and one less blouse.

AWP is 2 weeks away. I should start thinking about getting a haircut.

1. Shovel the driveway. Check.





2. Snuggle up with my advanced copies of these wonderful Wave titles (Rohrer is one of my poetry heroes). If you want to write a review of these or anything else, email Octopus.

After every Clean Part, I get this feeling that if each of these readers wouldn't go back to their homes in distant cities afterwards, I swear I'd pour all my energy into becoming their best friend. I swear it. I have that feeling again. Sommer, Julie, and Sandy are all very charming humans and their poems were A-list last night--it all went entirely too fast. M (who has better pics on his blog than I do) and I are lucky co-curators.


Sommer Browning (center stage behind the podium)


L to R: Neil's left arm, Julie Doxsee, Anthony Hawley, Sandy Florian's back and lovely scarf, Mathias Svalina, Ashley Payne's left hand.

Be there or be square is right.

The next The Clean Part is this Saturday, at the Sheldon, at 7pm. It has been so long since the last one. I bet you can't wait. Here's the lineup: Sandy Florian. Julie Doxsee. Sommer Browning. If you're hip, you should already be Florian/Doxsee/Browning scholars, but if you are not, go to the Clean Part site for links to some of their online poems. You're in for a real treat here. Brave the snow.

Ben made the posters. The info is in the snake's dialog box. It talks like this: zee cleeeeen paaaht. The lazer (laser?) coming from the snake's ruby eyes makes this sound: waowaowaowaowaowaowao and it does not kill things nor heat them, it enhances things, makes them more complex or larger.

Octopus chappies at Pegasus Books!

Octopus has an intern. Its first. And I agree with M's assessment of her, but apparently I have no choice.

Tonight, A and I will be going to a 39 year old's surprise 40th conception-day party. He won't be expecting it because his 40th birthday isn't for 9 months. So don't tell him. At the party, we will be eating eggs and weinies.

There's a new The Cupboard out. They have free print issues. You just have to print and fold the thing.

Octopus Books. Part One: The Sendout

Z: Now what are you going to do with them?
M: I'm going to put them in there (light chuckle)
Z: And then what happens?
M: Um, I think we put 'em in your car and you take 'em (unitelligible)...What do you think? Is that what happens?
Z: That's what happens. (M places outgoing package in the postal service bin)
M: (Sings Elvis Costello's "Hand in Hand")
(Z's left shoe) (A stain in the carpet)