Octopus, along with Rope-a-Dope, Forklift Ohio, Black Ocean, and Cannibal, is going to host a reading in Chicago during the AWP conference. Here are the deets: Friday, Feb 13. 6pm-9pm. The Empty Bottle. 1035 N Western Ave. 

We're going to be unveiling our second full-length book, Eric Baus' Tuned Droves, and a new chapbook, Shane McCrae's One Neither One, with readings by Eric and Shane. If you don't go to this, please see me at the Octopus table at the bookfair and tell me why.

I'm going to read some poems at the Loggernaut Reading Series tomorrow night w/ Peter Fogtdal & Matthew Korfhage. 7:30 at Mississippi Studios. So.

Octopus Magazine #11

Go look at what we did for you. 

The Viral Lease by Mathias Svalina (Small Anchor Press)

The History of a Lake Never Drowns by Julia Cohen (Dancing Girl Press)

Julia Cohen and Mathias Svalina each have new chapbooks out, and they aren't with each other. Check it. 

The other day I sent a letter to Tom's of Maine explaining how much I enjoyed their fennel flavored toothpaste after I tried it for the first time. Recently, I received a package in the mail with three complimentary tubes of Tom's of Maine toothpaste to say thanks for my thanks. This is what I received: 

1. Natural whole care anti-cavity and tartar control plus whitening cinnamon-clove fluoride toothpaste

2. Natural whole care anti-cavity and tartar control plus whitening orange-mango fluoride toothpaste

3. Natural anti-cavity fluoride peppermint baking soda toothpaste

As a way of saying thank you for their thank you of my thank you, I decided to tell you I will use Tom's of Maine for the rest of my life.

I got new shoes. 

Happy Birthday, Emily. 

I feel like this

+

I've been down in the basement, greasing up the gears and tightening the screws on Octopus #11. It should be up this week. And Eric Baus' new book, Tuned Droves (Octopus Books), should be in a box on the doorstep by next weekend, just in time for the AWP conference. Making new t-shirts. Making new buttons. I have an eye appointment tomorrow. I've been hearing people say "homeless person" lately and I've been uncomfortable with it somehow and I couldn't figure out why until last night when I heard some one say it at the William Stafford birthday celebration in an anecdote about how Stafford would talk, for a long time, to homeless people and it occured to me that it was because they were emphasizing the word "homeless": homeless people, they would say, which made me realize from now on I think I'll say homeless people. Try it out loud. Do it. I read a poem there called Growing Up. It goes like this:

One of my wings beat faster,
I couldn't help it--
the one away from the light.

It hurt to be told all the time
how I loved that terrible flame.

--WS, 1977

I was up there for about 45 seconds. That is the perfect amount of time one should be up in front of readers at a reading, I decided. I think all my poetry readings from now on will last about 45 seconds. But, sometimes, I'll still try to read about 10-12 poems. I'll just read them really fast. I need a new pair of shoes.

Have you been to PressPressPress lately? It's nuts. That's right, we say "it's nuts."

Hello Portland! Hello Boston! 

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009. University of Portland. William Stafford's Birthday Celebration.

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009. Loggernaut Reading Series w/ Peter Fogtdal & Matthew Korfhage. 7:30 at Mississippi Studios.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Portland State University w/ Matthew Dickman.

Sunday, March 29, 2009. 3pm. jubilat/Jones Reading Series w/ Emily Kendal Frey. Amherst, MA.

Sunday, March 29, 2009. 7pm. Dirty Water Reading Series w/ Emily Kendal Frey. Boston, MA

The Suit is huge in Italy. A few translated poems in GAMMM and a whole spread of translations in the print journal Le Voci Della Luna. Thank you Francesca Matteoni and Marco Simonelli.

Pictures from my walk to school

Am I the only hip kid on the block watching Jake Gillespie's Almost Almost Almost every night before I go to bed. They kind of hypnotize me to sleep. I was just at Jake and Alisa's place and saw a short stack of them left. You should spend your last unemployment check on this. 

This one is my fave I think: 

New album acquisitions I will listen to as soon as I can stop listening to Perfect From Now On (Built to Spill) and What Fun Life Was (Bedhead):

Fakebook by Yo La Tengo

Some Small History by Portastatic

Nine Black Poppies by The Mountain Goats

Secret Reason by Low

One More Reason to Forget by Low

Pink Hearts, Yellow Moon by Dressy Bessy

The Last Match by Aisler's Set

The Hawk already found a new special friend, The Wave. 

Thanks for The Hawk, Mom. 

Jake + Alisa = I like Jake and Alisa and I got to see them in Oakland two days ago.