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!