Three poems in Clapboard House

I'm very pleased to end 2011 with three poems in the latest edition of Clapboard House! Check 'em out! And happy new year to one and all!

New poems in latest issue of blue & yellow dog

I've got four poems from my Basic Cable Couplets manuscript in the most recent issue of blue & yellow dog.

Embarrassment of Riches re-release (remaster with bonus material)

Two weeks after the release of the remastered/re-sequenced Throw the Lions to the Christians, Zenith Beast will reissue Malcontent's Embarrassment of Riches EP, with an extra track! It too has been beautifully remastered (by the amazing Wally Sound). Date of availability is March 20th. Here's the event announcement.

Throw the Lions to the Christians re-release (remaster with bonus material)

Zenith Beast will be releasing my fifth solo album, Throw the Lions to the Christians on March 6th. It has been remastered, with its originally-intended sequence restored, including two never-before-heard tracks. Here's a link to the label's event announcing the release.

Vagabondage Press Interview With Yours Truly

Thanks to Fawn Neun at Vagabondage Press for this interview, which went live today.

Live at Gallery West Espresso

Latest release from Zenith Beast Records is this reading during my 2004 book tour for Identity Theft for Dummies.

Eight Poems in Battered Suitcase

Eight poems from my Basic Cable Couplets manuscript recently appeared in the final (!) issue of The Battered Suitcase. Check 'em out!

"American Comfort" live

Video of The Injured Parties performing "American Comfort" November 4th on The Razor and Die Show on WLUW 88.7 FM in Chicago.

Poem in Hamilton Stone Review

Check out my poem, "Breakfast at Bliss" in the latest issue (#25) of Hamilton Stone Review!

The Injured Parties, "For Your Protection"

Chop House Demos

Prior to recording Fun with a Purpose, The Injured Parties tracked demos for about half the album (and an alternate take of "King of Close Enough," from my Sir Slob album) at the fabled Chop House. Those rather polished efforts are now available for download:

Two singles now available via Bandcamp

The singles, "Frosted Flakes" and "Thorn in My Side" are now available to preview and/or download from Bandcamp!

LOD demos

Demo versions of songs recorded by LOD, Malcontent, and Post Office are available here:

Embarrassment of Riches review

Thanks to Dingus magazine for this review of Malcontent's Embarrassment of Riches remaster/reissue.

Second Fussbudgets remaster now available

Download now!

New poem!

A new poem of mine appears today in Magnolia's Press (MP). Hope you like!

Fussbudgets remastered debut now available to download!

Continuing with archival remastered releases, here's The Fussbudgets' debut, Hog Wash! Enjoy!

Remastered Malcontent EP now available for download!

I was recently in California on a working vacation. Part of the time was (well) spent working with engineer and bon vivant Wally Sound on remasters of two full-length releases by The Fussbudgets, and Malcontent's Embarrassment of Riches EP (see below).

Plans are in the works for hard copy versions of the above, as well as further remastering/remixing of additional material from the Dean archives. In the meanwhile, check out Malcontent, and hope you enjoy!

Now Available: abbrev!

My latest chapbook, abbrev, is now available as a free download from Beard of Bees.

Check it out!

Scott Miller & Robert Forster Review

For many years I wrote music reviews for Option magazine. But like many fine print periodicals in these times of dwindling subscriptions, book stores and newsstands, it went under at one point. Recently, however, it returned as an online entity, and is doing better than ever in its current incarnation.

I'm happy to report that I have a twofer review up now of Robert Forster's The 10 Rules of Rock and Roll and Scott Miller's Music: What Happened? Check it out! Hopefully I'll be doing more writing for Option down the road.

Michael Heffernan Review

Check out my review of Michael Heffernan's At the Bureau of Divine Music, in the latest New Pages.

Salmon Poetry to publish Brief Nudity

I'm very excited to announce that Salmon Poetry will be publishing my full-length collection, Brief Nudity in early 2013!

First Friday Reading in July

I'll be reading with co-poets Jason Bredle, Stevie Edwards, and Erika L. Sánchez on Friday, July 1st at Saint Paul's Cultural Center, 2215 W. North Avenue, starting at 7 PM.

This ought to be an amazing event! Please come on out if you can.

Workers' Comp. Facebook Page

There is now a Workers' Comp. page on Facebook. Check it out, 'like' and recommend it if you are so inclined, with thanks again for doing so.

Identity Theft for Dummies Facebook page & Goodreads pages

Please 'like' and/or suggest the new Identity Theft for Dummies Facebook page.

Also peruse other book from the Zenith Beast back catalog recently added to Goodreads, starting with the above title; also Workers' Comp.; Libby Brahms' First Washing Machine; Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat; Barking up the Wrong Tree; QWERTYUIOP; Flint; and Rate of Exchange. Add your reviews, recommend, or otherwise share these books at will, with thanks in advance for doing so!

And if you're interested in purchasing any of these titles, let me know since many are not available via Amazon or through other outlets.

New Facebook Pages

There are two new Facebook pages regarding two of my books: About the Author (Mindmade Books 2011) and I Am Spam (Fractal Edge Press 2004). Please 'like' them, if indeed you do! Thanks in advance for your support.

Last week at Solomon!

Yesterday I taught my final classes of the year for my residency at Solomon. Check out the amazing class poems created as variations on the exquisite corpse technique. Enjoy!

Come Again?

Last week at Solomon, we read Philip Larkin's "Coming" and students wrote poems on the general theme of seasons.

Back in March, Pilgrim students also wrote on this idea.

Check 'em out!

New poem published!

Check out my poem, "A Contestant," in the latest issue of InDigest!

Stanley Kunitz, "The Layers"

Last week was my final class at Pilgrim. Check out the class poem created to wrap up the year, as well as more on the last poem we read and discussed, Stanley Kunitz's "The Layers."

Regina Barreca's "Nighttime Fires"

One of the perks of anguishing over choosing a new textbook is the unexpected ways in which it comes to good use. For my World of Poetry class this past semester at Northeastern Illinois University, I picked Michael Meyer's Poetry: An Introduction. I had vetted it pretty well in advance of the class' start, and liked Meyer's blend of less "greatest hits" poems and poets, and more contemporary and unexpected choices, but it wasn't until the class got underway that I realized what a good choice it was. My students certainly seemed to like it, and from my own perspective I found it to be easily written and packed with far more interesting work than we could hope to examine in a mere semester.

I also discovered -- and in some instances, was given fresh perspectives on -- many poets and poems, and a few of those (re)discoveries affected my Hands on Stanzas lesson plans for the year. One in particular was the focus of my classes last week, Regina Barreca's "Nighttime Fires," a really incredible poem. I know very little about Barreca, but this certainly made an impression on me. (Students too.)

To read the poem, check out these posts regarding student work at Pilgrim and Solomon schools. Enjoy!

Injured Parties Live review

Nice review of The Injured Parties (and others) live at the International Pop Overthrow festival last weekend in Chicago.

Thanks, SouthSide on the Town!

Hands on Stanzas Spring Break Catch-up

As spring break winds up, and the semester nears its end, here's a few bits regarding my Hands on Stanzas residencies.

Last week, 4th and 5th grade students at Pilgrim read and responded to June Jordan's "Notes on the Peanut." Solomon's 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders tackled the same poem a bit earlier.

The week before that, Pilgrim and Solomon students read John Ciardi's "The Catalpa" and wrote poems on a general nature theme.

As a bonus, three of my students from Solomon were featured last week on Chicago Publishes: Amy, May, and Natalie.

Congrats to everyone on such remarkable work!

About the Author Launched at The Cafe

Here is a link to a video of the premiere of About the Author, from Tuesday's reading at The Cafe.

About the Author National Poetry Month Readings

Beginning tomorrow night, I will be appearing at a number of venues this month in support of my latest book, About the Author.

April 12th, I'll be the featured reader at The Cafe, 5115 N. Lincoln. There's an open mic along with the feature. Everything starts at 8:30 PM.

April 20th, I'll be taking part in Local Poet Night at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln. 7 PM.

April 26th, I'll read a few poems in celebration of Logan Square Literary Review's latest issue at Cole's, 2338 N. Milwaukee, beginning at 7 PM.

Last, but not least, I'll be reading at Quimby's, 1854 W. North Avenue, April 29th at 7 PM.

Hope you can make it out to one (or more) of these festivities!

Oppen's "The Building of the Skyscraper"

George Oppen's "The Building of the Skyscraper" was the focus of my residencies last week. Read all about it, and peruse student work from Pilgrim and Solomon. Hope you enjoy!

June Jordan's Unlowly "Peanut"

At Solomon Elementary last week, we read June Jordan's hilarious "Notes on the Peanut," and students responded with their own hyperbolic poems.

WCW's "Poem"

This week, Pilgrim and Solomon students learned more about stanza breaks and lineation by reading William Carlos Williams' sublime "Poem." Afterward, they wrote their own movement poems, closely modeled on Williams. Check 'em out!

Philip Larkin's "Coming"

Last week, during my residency at Pilgrim school, 4th and 5th graders read and discussed Philip Larkin's poem, "Coming," and wrote seasonal poems in response. Check them out here.

Kate Daniels review

Check out my review of Kate Daniels' latest book, A Walk in Victoria's Secret in this month's New Pages!

Sylvia Plath's "Mirror"

My most recent residencies focused on Sylvia Plath's amazing poem, "Mirror," where we continued our previous conversation regarding personification and apostrophe. Please read some of the terrific work from students at Pilgrim and Solomon schools. Hope you enjoy!

De-coding Lee

Last week in my residencies we read Li-Young Lee's "Falling: The Code," a poem that can be approached a number of ways. Since we hadn't yet focused on onomatopoeia, I asked my students to write poems using sound-words.

Here is work by 4th and 5th graders at Pilgrim, and 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Solomon. Enjoy!

Lee's work is being celebrated this year by all the Hands on Stanzas poets-in-residence, so check out other lessons developed around his poetry. Scroll down for all things Lee, as well as the amazing work being done around other poets by my teaching artist peers in this program.

About the Author out now!

One of two new releases from me this spring is now available from Mindmade Books, About the Author. Order your copy today!

Wendell Berry's "How to Be a Poet"

Last week in my residencies, we read Wendell Berry's "how to" poem and students responded with their own efforts. Check out work by 4th and 5th graders at Pilgrim (a brand new classroom for me), as well as 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Solomon. Hope you enjoy!

Poem in Dinosaur Bees

Check out my poem, "The Sound Effects Bible" in the latest issue of Dinosaur Bees!

Injured Parties residency continues

The Injured Parties are back at The Horseshoe for our residency March 5th. Here's the poster:

Hope to see you there!

"Lutherans" reading at AWP

Video of my reading of "Lutherans" during AWP.

About the Author available soon

Mindmade Books has announced the roster for its fifteenth year of publishing, leading off with About the Author in March. Order now, with my thanks in advance for doing so!

If anyone is interested in reviewing it, please contact Mindmade Books directly.

AWP Reading

I'm pleased as punch to be reading during AWP -- all threats of paralytic blizzarding aside -- this Friday, February 4th, at 8 PM, celebrating Salmon Poetry's 30th Anniversary and the publication of Dogs Singing.

Hope to see you at this gala event! Wear galoshes.

New Poem in dispatch litareview

I have a new poem -- actually an excerpt from a longer poem, "Heart's Desire" -- in the latest issue of dispatch litareview (3.1), which is available as a free download.

Check it out, and hope you enjoy!

"Inside Out"

Last week my elementary students read Diane Wakoski's "Inside Out" and wrote their own 'inside' poems.

Peruse work from Pilgrim and Solomon students at each school's blog.

Hope you enjoy!

About the Author

2011 is shaping up to be a banner year for LOD book releases. In March, Mindmade Books will publish my chapbook, About the Author; and at a date TBD, Beard of Bees will publish my e-chap, abbrev. I am also hoping to have my full-length collection, Brief Nudity out this year as well.

I will let everyone know when these titles are officially available.

I am also working on setting up a series of readings supporting all these publications. Later this month, I'll be returning to Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee to read at their 17th Annual Poetry Marathon & Benefit, and in April I will be featuring at the long-running series at The Cafe. As more dates are confirmed, I will pass on that information.

This is a very busy yet exciting time for me. I hope you can make it out to some of these events, and of course I hope you pick up all these forthcoming titles as they are published.

Thanks for your support!

"Linda Fiorentino"

The second of two recent Zenith Beast single releases is now available on iTunes: an early version of my ode to kick-ass actress, "Linda Fiorentino." Credits for this take match those for the "If You're Gonna Break My Heart" single, below.

Hope you enjoy!

And This Just In...

Last week my public school students read a poem by journalist David Tucker and were asked to write about silence. Please peruse these terrific responses by Pilgrim and Solomon elementary-schoolers, and hope you enjoy!

"If You're Gonna Break My Heart"

Before The Injured Parties became a full-time concern, I recorded an early interpretation of this song, which appeared in a slightly different version on the IPs' debut, Fun with a Purpose.

The original take is now available on iTunes. It features backing vocals by the late, and extremely talented Stephanie Morris, Fussbudgets and Malcontent bassist Ned Doherty, and Me Decade and sometime Folk You! cohort, Derek Walvoord on viola.

Check it out -- hope you enjoy!

Vulgar Boatmen Show and Documentary

My band, The Injured Parties is excited to be opening for The Vulgar Boatmen this weekend at Schubas. (Here's a nice preview from the Reader, and our poster, left.)

This special show includes a screening of Drive Somewhere: The Ballad of The Vulgar Boatmen, a movie about the band's successes and travails, which shouldn't be missed.

It's recommended that tickets be purchased in advance, which you can do here.

Hope to see you there!

Folk You! Facebook Page

I have finally created a Facebook page for my long-running (10 years come December!) songwriter showcase. Please like it, if indeed you do.

"Coda" to Coda

My first class back after the break was today at Pilgrim. Here are 5th and 6th grade students' music poems, inspired by Basil Bunting's "Coda" (with a nod to Paul Auster).