A Few

Wanted to share this new review of Ghost Lights at Southeast Review Online by John Beardsley, whom I also need to thank profusely.

He did a great job with it, and though there haven't been a ton of reviews of the book, I've been thrilled with all of them, and this is definitely no exception.

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Also, last week I got my contributor copies of Copper Nickel, and the issue not only looks fantastic as an art object, but there's a ton of newer poets for whom I'll be on the lookout in the future, along with some friends and great poets I've been following for a while.

It's becoming one of my favorite journals in the country, and is surely worth the subscription price.

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Picking up The Tree of Life tomorrow.

Finally.

There was no stand-alone DVD released, as it should be.

Aside from the theater, it now needs to be seen on Blu-ray only.

I can't wait.

Digitalia

The reading at Allegheny College went extraordinarily well.

Endless thanks go to Christopher Bakken for getting everything set up and for inviting me back.

It doesn't seem like I graduated seven years ago, but I suppose time's doing anything but slowing down.

There were over 100 bodies in the seats, and to to be surrounded by such supportive family and friends was fantastic.

I had conferences with three students the next day, and I have high hopes for each one of them. Each student is ready not only to go to an MFA program, but to do good things there. I had no chops when I was their age (and most often I don't know if I have any chops now), and I'm excited to see what they all do in the future.

I suppose I should mention the oddness of watching the tsunami footage at 4 in the morning in a hotel room, though, since that will always be tied to such an amazing night for me.

That said, infinite thanks go to everyone for being there. It was a humbling and amazing experience.

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Thanks again to Bear for publishing a poem from my new manuscript that's in the current issue of The National Poetry Review and The American Poetry Journal.

The idea's great, and though I'm sure it's not the first time this has ever happened, I've never seen a journal like this.

Sonora Review did a double issue (flip issue?) a while back like this, but here, you get issues of two different journals in the same space. Flip it over when you get to the end, and you get the Table of Contents in the other.

You should be able to order it here soon.

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I was pleased to recently get acceptances from Copper Nickel and Whiskey Island Magazine.

The former took a poem from my second manuscript. It's one of my favorites and is the penultimate poem in the manuscript. Sometimes I wonder if it should be the last, but I think I made the right decision.

Whiskey Island Magazine took two poems that I hope will become part of a third manuscript. A couple weeks ago I sent some poems out to some journals, and this is the first I've heard from. The fact that it's not a rejection is welcomed.

I'm writing a lot of different stuff right now, so who knows what the third manuscript will become. I'm trying to work on a series of poems, unsurprisingly film-related, that I like. It gives me a chance to get risky and lyrical at the same time.

We'll see how they're received, but even if the reception's poor, I'm going to keep writing them. If anything, it keeps me on my toes. And if people hate the poems, that's almost always a good sign at this point. At least in my eyes.

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I'm beginning my run at field exams, the first of which will be this summer.

I'm almost two years in, halfway done.

I plan on completing a third manuscript by the time I'm finished with my final degree.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Lofty, it is. Possible, I hope.

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The VCU Rams are a huge inspiration this year in the NCAA tournament.

I didn't give myself a chance when I got there to do anything. It was a risk.

It paid off. I think.

So I'm thrilled to back a team that shouldn't have made it in the first place... so they say.

I haven't done a lot at this point, I know, but I'm going to keep at it.

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Spring's here. Officially.

But in Binghamton, we'll see how official it is in a few weeks.

Fiber Density

On Saturday I received my issues of Copper Nickel 11. It looks amazing. I was in issue 6 a few years ago, and though that looked great too, it seems like Jake and company are really showing people that they're going to match the best out there. Plus I'm in there with many wonderful writers, and I still have so much left to read within the pages.

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It turns out that Oklahoma State University has given me an amazing offer, the specifics of which I won't talk about here.

Needless to say, it's extremely enticing and very flattering. I got rejected from another school, and I still have six to hear from, so I hope they give me some time to at least see what other schools will be offering—if all aren't rejections of course.

Since Jess and I are getting married in July, there's much more I—and we—have to consider. But since it's going to be an "us" rather than a "me," which it was when I moved to Richmond (even though we were dating long-distance then... I still don't know how she was able to put up with me for those years), collectively we're going to have to figure out what's best for the both of us eventually. And again, with six schools I still have to hear from, I'm trying to relax and not speculate until I know what my real options are going to be before diving into multiple needless and hypothetical situations.

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The new Dan Deacon record leaked, even though it seems like a re-rip or transcode, since the record seems way too scratchy and fuzzy.

I wasn't a huge fan of his last one, but upon the first listen to Bromst, I was floored. I'm not a huge fan of bands like Deerhoof and Ponytail and those spaz-pop or chaoti-pop bands or whatever the hell you want to call them.

But I felt like there were so many bands this record reminded me of that it kind of to-the-good imploded on itself, constructing its own animal. And it's beautifully and heavily percussive, which I love since I used to play the drums (though in a small town where no one loved good music, so it became just something to do when I was bored), keyboard-manipulated, and poppy. But in a very different and, to me, very accessible way that other records of the—can we call it one at this point?—genre really can't wholly find.

I can't wait to hear a real copy of it, and I may even buy it when it finally comes out. It seems like headphones would be a great idea too, as the layers, percussive or otherwise, on this sucker are many.

Fat Angel, Skinny Ghost

Arizona and Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. As long as Philly's not in it, that works for me. It should be a good one. I'm glad not in western PA right now, as I'd have to listen to all the annoying Steelers fans, many fairweather and bandwagon also. If Cleveland had as many Super Bowl rings as Pittsburgh, you can bet there'd be more Cleveland fans in the area.

At any rate, I hope Kurt Warner gets his second ring. Gotta support the NFC (as long as it's not Philly or Dallas).

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Five out of the eight schools I applied to got back to me about my applications being complete. Another needs payment, which somehow I forgot, so hopefully in a week or so I'll have confirmation that now all I have to do is wait.

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Tusculum Review updated their site, and it looks good.

You can also pre-order the new Copper Nickel #11 and Barn Owl Review #2. They're both shaping up to be great issues methinks.

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I think I'm going to gear up and edit this chapbook and wing it out there to some contests. Any suggestions for who has contests I should send to? I'm not as up to date with chapbook contests as I am with full-length manuscript contests.

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A lot of first books I'm looking forward to in 2009. I've already been bugging some poets like crazy to do interviews. I saw work over the past years in journals from all of them, and I knew the books would soon follow. And they did.

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Order Blake Butler's EVER. I just got my copy the other day, and it looks amazing. Derek White and Calamari Press did a great job. The design is really stunning. Now I just need some time to get in those pages.

The Rain in Spain

Thanks again to Jake Adam York and company at Copper Nickel for taking my poem, "Alternate Featurette, The People Under the Stairs." All these AF acceptances happened pretty quickly, so it's nice I won't have to send these out anymore (though my favorite of the batch still hasn't been accepted, and might never be), not to mention that yes, I do have some more faith in them. But I could always get disillusioned sometime in the future again.

And not only am I huge fan of Jake's work, but he's also been an editor who has supported my work from when I first started sending out about three years ago. I really like what Copper Nickel's done in the past, and in just a few years they've turned into something pretty great, so it'll be nice to be a part of another future issue.