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Infante's Inferno
Nov. 19th, 2009
01:54 pm - Worcester is a Poetry Town
You'd think that after the recent incursions by Rachel McKibbens and Rob Sturma, things would be quieting down, poetry-wise, around here. You'd be wrong. Today's Telegram is positively brimming with poetry news.
First off, Richard Duckett has an interview with Brave Young Voices champ and recent White House guest, Hawaii's Jamaica Osorio, who's reading tomorrow at the Worcester Youth Slam. As a sidebar, I've got a bit about Hawaiian poet Tui Scanlan, who's at the Poets Asylum and the Dirty Gerund this week.
In addition, Craig Semon has a great little story on the Frank O'Hara tribute tonight, and Richard Duckett's got another little piece on the "Tellebrate" storytellers performance at the Green Rooster Saturday. That's an awful lot of newsworthy spoken word.
Of course, there's other things going on, to. My "What You're Listening To" column has local songstress Cha-Cha Connor, and "The Weekend Starts Now" has all sorts of great recommendations, including Three Legged Fox, the Worcester Artists Group benefit, Matisyahu, Molly Venter and magician Lyn Dillies.
But really. This week it's all about the poetry.
Nov. 18th, 2009
11:29 pm - Reality TV Batting Average Rundown!
All the competitive reality TV shows I watch are coming to a close. Here's where I think they'll land, and where I was wrong about where they're going.
( Dancing with the Stars )
( Top Chef )
( Project Runway )
( The Next Iron Chef )
Nov. 17th, 2009
09:04 pm - Publication!
Got my copy of "Dark Horizons: The Journal of the British Fantasy Society" #55, which has my poem "After the End of the World" in it. And the poem is on the very last page! AFTER the contributor's notes! It's totally awesome. If you're in the UK, you should pick up a copy. There's an online version available, so I understand, but trust me: the print version is PRETTY.
Also, I really dig the cover, by Arthur Wang:
Nov. 16th, 2009
12:03 pm - This, that and the other ....
Excellent night of poetry last night. First off, Rachel McKibbens featured for the Poets Asylum. I haven't exactly made a secret of my high regard for McKibbens, especially as I've written about her more than once. Still, she's a poet whom I've watched her entire career, and she never ceases to amaze me. Then, when she read with Rob Sturma later that same night at the Kitchen Sessions, she impressed me again. Bloody amazing. Terribly excited to read her new book.
Lea and I were among the openers for Rob and Rachel at the Kitchen Sessions, and my love for that reading grows two sizes with each installment. Part of me had always assumed that the positive energy in the room was due in large part to Mike McGee hosting, but somehow, with Tony Brown at the helm for a night, the room had the exact same positive vibe. And sure, part of it is the hosting, and Tony did an admirable job. And part of it is the format, which doesn't allow for a lot of tediousness. But I think a big part of it is the audience, which is mostly a hodgepodge of poets from all over New England.
Don't get me wrong, I love reading to non-poet audiences. But there's also something magical about sitting in a room with your peers and reading. It becomes less about work and more about sharing. I love that. And readings like the one last night make me love my poetry community even more. Magic.
On a side note, Lea's new poem "Density" is fricking brutal, and makes me gasp for breath every time I hear it. (She's only read it once -- last night -- but I live with her, so I've heard it multiple times.) For my part, my honest-to-goodness "Response to a Rival Newspaper Reporter's Probing Questions" seemed to go over well.
Lastly,some bits of self-promotion: My poem "Why So Serious?" is in the new issue of The Nervous Breakdown, and I talk to the band Ashlands Attic about music in my "What You're Listening To" column.
Nov. 6th, 2009
10:28 pm - Stuff ...
Seems like I've been too busy to blog lately. Which is fine, as real life is generally MUCH better than virtual life. Generally. Also, there's no internet access in my office yet, so I'm on the laptop in the living room.
*Saw Jack McCarthy at Poets Asylum. I've seen Jack maybe a couple dozen times now, and he never, ever gets old. This time around, he did mostly classics, and it's amazing how much those poems still make your bones shake. Man should be the bloody Poet Laureate.
*My poem "Why I Didn't Write" is in the latest (and, alas, last) issue of "Sage Trail," both in print and online. I'm sorry to see it go. Editor Suzanne Frost does bang-up work.
*We survived our New York Poetry Gulag! Six hours of poetic madness, beginning with a lecture on lying in poetry, which seemed to go over very well, followed by a short but intense feature before the slam. I know this goes without saying, but Shappy runs a great show, and the slam was a lot of fun.
*Lastly, we finished out with the "November 3rd Club" reading, hosted by myself and the amazing Tara Betts. I'm always so blown away by the poets we've published. they're amazing individuals. Everything was good, but man, some things really stood out. Geoff Trenchard's poem about racial profiling and drug dealers, Amy Holman's serpentine masterpiece, Darren Taffinder's "Watchmen" presentation, and Corrina Bain ... well, everything about Corrina. The sign Shappy put up in the window beforehand read "The November 3rd Club: Political Poetry for the Funky Masses," and I've gotta say, we delivered on the promise! I'm so immensely proud to put forward a couple hours of political writing that was neither boring nor stuffy, and which sizzled with energy, even starting at 10 p.m. To all who came out, thank you, thank you, thank you.
*Came home to the newspaper. My "What You're Listening To" column is with local record producer Torbin Harding, and it's a good one! Love someone who can jump from reggae to classical! Recommendations in "The Weekend Starts Now" include Tim Mason, Rob Sturma, Tech N9NE, Finnegan's 10-In-1 Circus Sideshow, Hawthorne Heights and Ashland's Attic.
*Speaking of Sturma, Lea and I will be among the openers for him and Rachel McKibbens at the Kitchen Sessions Sunday, Nov. 15. West Coast REPRESENT! (even if Lea, Rachel and I all live on the East Coast now.) The rule, of course, is that openers have to read stuff they've never read out loud. Already have one piece in the can. Not sure if it's a poem -- it's more strange prose piece -- but it's fun. Hopefully, I can get the second thing I'm working on done in time. Remember, I write slow.)
Nov. 4th, 2009
02:06 pm - Home!
Amazing time in NYC. More as soon as I recover, but I am filled with love for everyone who came out to the Bowery. THANK YOU!!!
Nov. 3rd, 2009
Nov. 2nd, 2009
01:51 pm - Victor & Lea's New York Hat Trick!
Just a reminder of the festivities tomorrow at New York City's Bowery Poetry Club:
6 p.m.: WordShop: Lies, Damn Lies and Poetic License: Sometimes, you have to tell a little lie to shed light on a greater truth. Poetry slam feature poets Victor D. Infante and Lea Deschenes discuss the moment when telling the exact truth can be the worst thing you can do for the poem, and how the little lies in a poem can do the same.
7 p.m: The Urbana Poetry Slam: Victor & Lea feature at the first qualifying slam of the season!
10 p.m.: November 3rd Club editors Victor D. Infante and Tara Betts host a night of poetry and politics featuring Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Corrina Bain, Jane Cassady, Lea Deschenes, Amy Holman, Emily Kagan Trenchard, Geoff Kagan Trenchard, Jon Sands, Jade Sylvan, Edwin Wilson Rivera, Darren Taffinder and Derek JG Williams.
All of this happens Tuesday, November 3rd, at the Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, New York, New York!
You REALLY want to be there! But, on the off-chance you can't be there, you can watch the whole thing live on the Web!
Oct. 30th, 2009
12:38 pm - The makings of good arts events
I've attended three shows in the past week -- one of which was a music event, the other two poetry -- that each embraced some aspect of what makes poetry or music an exciting experience.
The sublime: It's no secret that Jack McCarthy is an amazing poet, but Friday at the Kitchen Sessions, it was clear just how good he really is. Working entirely on the page with a set of mostly new work, McCarthy absolutely sizzled. The set was emotional and deeply affecting on a level that's just hard to grasp. I'd never complain about hearing the same Jack McCarthy poems over and over again -- I love them deeply -- but there was an immense power in hearing new work from him, or work I was only lightly familiar with. It was like discovering McCarthy all over again, and that's amazing.
The ridiculous: Sometimes, absurdity gets a bum rap. Poets, particularly, take themselves far too seriously. We tried to diffuse that, way back when, with the advent of slam, but in the time since, that sense of everything being oh so important has returned, and in a lot of ways is a serious threat to the vitality of the art form. (And how's that for overly serious irony?) The answer? Possibly -- just possibly -- it might be haiku duels with mouths full of saltine crackers. The boys at the Dirty Gerund poetry series at Ralph's know how to make wacky fun happen, and god bless 'em for it. And I will treasure the memory of Tony Brown's 17-cracker haiku magnum opus forever. Classic.
The fresh: Ralph's can be a noisy venue, and a cracker-eating contest might be a challenging lead-in to settle down and listen to poetry after, admittedly, but Megan Thoma handled it with aplomb. I reallly adore her work, her quirkiness and odd images. There's a vibrancy there that I find myself really envying. It's the sort of thing that used to come easy to me, but I find I have to work at, these days. But I find being around younger poets inspiring, and was thankful for a chance to hear a whole set of Megan's work.
Striving: When competition works well, it pushes artists to put their all into their work, and indeed, slam works best when the poet is pushing, and works worst when a poet seems to be under the impression that the same trick will work much better now that they're third in the rotation, as opposed to second. And maybe this is why the 50/50 singer-songwriter competition at The Q worked so well. There were only three competitors -- Shane Hall, Jessica O'Neil and Dr. Gonzo -- but all three were excellent, and all three were pushing hard against their own boundaries. I daresay Jessica, the least "known" among the lot, strived the hardest, and I think that's a big piece of why she won.
Risk: One of the great things about the "openers" at the Kitchen Sessions is that they have to read only work that's never been read out loud before. The features also have to read at least two unread poems, but they have a bit of cover -- if they bomb, they can laugh it off and go back to the classics. Now, poets read new poems all the time in open readings, with varying degrees of success, but when you do that, you're usually just one of many on a list. At the Kitchen Sessions, your name's on the metaphorical marquis. A little lower down, sure, but out there none the less. It becomes an act of artistic daring, and more often than not, it pays off. It creates an energy that's positively infectious.
Community: At the Q, after the competition was done, Shane and Dr. Gonzo joined Cowboy Matt, Torbin Harding and others on stage to play a bunch of Johnny Cash tunes and other songs. At the Kitchen Sessions, poets from all over the region huddle together in an intimate setting to listen to poems, often traveling great distances. At Ralph's, we all laughed together and the world fell away for a few minutes. I do art because I need to, because it's an absolute necessity. But moments like these? They sustain me. They make it all worthwhile.
Oct. 29th, 2009
04:40 pm - Pimptastic Thursdays!
Last night was my every-few-months' guy's night out for meat, beer and cigars. Much, much needed.
***
Amanda Lirange of the Deadites (among other non-monster-hunting musical acts) is the subject of my What You're Listening To column. Much, much fun! Also, this week's The Weekend Starts Now has recommendations that include GWAR, Jack McCarthy, Psychobilly Cadillac and a roundup of the best Halloween parties at local venues. And can I say how much I love seeing Jack side by side with GWAR? So wrong, and yet so right ...
Finished both Allyson Shaw's "The Desperate Ones" and Terry Pratchett's "Unseen Academicals." Shaw's background as a poet really comes to the fore -- for all the postapocalyptic sturm und drang, it's a very human story, and the ending feels more emotional than literal, in a lot of ways. It's easy to become lost in the language and the metaphoric significance. Enjoyed it a lot.
Pratchett, as always, is Pratchett, which is even more amazing when you realize he's writing while suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Everything was firing on all cylinders here, and the book just flies. And indeed, it was one of his most satisfying endings in a while. Great, great book.
Still working my way through Matty Bylos' "Don't Smell the Floss," which is both repulsive and brilliant. I have to read it in small chunks, though, because I evidently have my limits. There's only so much sexual fetish I can take at one time. Still, I keep coming back, becuase Bylos' writing is fantastic.
Oct. 26th, 2009
11:07 am - Music!
Had a grnad old time at the Q last night, judging the 50/50 Singer-Songwriter competition. Hardly had to pull out my Simon Cowell impersonation at all: nothing sucked on the stage. Oh, some strongs were stronger than others, but that's to be expected. On the whole, the quality of the work was surprisingly high.
Jessica O'Neill, who really doesn't play out much, won the night, triumphing over Shane Hall and Dr. Gonzo -- two serious music scene veterans -- and it was well deserved. Her work was stellar, and extremely fresh-sounding. Looking forward to hearing more from her.
The scoring sytem needs some work -- I'd like to see some points toward showmanship, voice and lyricis, personally -- but on the whole, a well-done, well-run, well-performed show. I'd do it again, in a heartbeat.
Oct. 23rd, 2009
12:40 pm - Because A Pie in the Face is STILL funny!
RIP Soupy Sales.
***
In other news, I was so busy I forgot to plug stuff yesterday!
This week in "What You're Listening To," my favorite local ska band, Guns of Navarone! In "The Weekend Starts Now," recommendations for The Get Up Kids, Satyricon, Wednesday Night Coincidence, Megan Thoma and a screening of the silent film, "The Golem," accompanied by organ! Fun stuff going on in and around Worcester!
Tonight, we'll be at the Kitchen Sessions to see Jack McCarthy, always one of my favorites.
Sunday, I'll be a judge at the "50/50 Singer-Songwriter" contest at at 5 p.m. at The Q Coffee House, 362 Chandler St., Worcester. Winner takes home half the door, or some such. Come out and see my Simon Cowell impersonation!
Oct. 22nd, 2009
Oct. 19th, 2009
03:45 pm - Police to Telegram: Don't Stand So Close to Me ...
(You mock, but I could have come up with much, much lamer subject lines. You know I could ...)
So, the big news around here is that The Worcester Police Department is shutting out the Telegram & Gazette. Without getting into it, this comes on the heels of a number of stories that have cast the police department in a negative light, most recently, one that examined the Masters Degrees that many local police officers have, which qualify them for high bonuses under the Quinn Bill.
Some critics of the Telegram, such as Jeff over at Wormtown Taxi, will point toward these criticisms as part of an "anti-police vendetta," stemming from the Telegram's ongoing fight over redacted public records requested from the police sometime shortly after the Earth cooled around its molten core.
For the most part, I have no interest in getting into these issues in this forum, but I do feel the need to point out that the whole mess raises some very relevant questions and concerns, which shouldn't be lost sight of:
The first, and most obvious, is whether a public organization, such as the police, should be allowed to engage in this sort of media boycott. But perhaps the more salient question, the one that lies at the heart of the matter, is the very ability of the press to ask hard questions, and repeatedly, in the course of the discussion, I see people saying that newspapers shouldn't ask questions of the police, the inference being that they're doing fine and the press should only report what they want the press to report. Which is frightening.
We don't really talk much about our right to raise questions. We talk about journalism in rather ignorant terms, as though facts were things that were readily apparent, that they would be freely offered, no matter how poorly they make the subject look. We look to journalism as a torrent of press releases and media sideshows, be it balloon boy or Orly Taitz.
You can look at the issues above, read the articles and commentary, and come to all sorts of conclusions. And Lord knows people have. I'm not really talking about that, right now. I'm talking about the ability to shine light on public institutions -- even if the reader's not always going to like what that light illuminates. To me, that's a paramount concern, one that too many people (and indeed, too many media outlets) are willing to let slip away for mere short-term popularity too readily.
Of course, I could be wrong. But somehow, I don't think I am.
Oct. 15th, 2009
05:19 pm - The news business, it makes me twitchy ...
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I really know no more about the ever-possible, ever-impending sale of the Telegram than has been already said in the paper. Wish I had more to tell people, but frankly, I don't think anyone knows any more than what's in the article: That the Globe is not being sold, that the Telegram may be, and that there's a local group that's looking at buying the paper. Them's the facts, and them's all the facts.
So, yes, I'm in the pins-and-needles seats right now, and throw in the fact that we're (still) moving things to the new apartment, and I'm one exhausted puppy. Still, I am taking some comfort in the fact that it's not the Platinum Group that's buying the paper. As one commenter I read this morning put it, it would be like the Times selling "the paper to Somali pirates." (Unfortunately, I've lost the reference, or I'd link.) But as to the question of which is better -- staying with the Times or being locally owned -- and I'd have to say ... flip a coin. Both will make cuts, both will make changes, and both have their distinct advantages and disadvantages. So ... yeah. I have no idea what the future will hold.
Thankfully, newspaper humour seems to be flowing abundantly today. First off, Warren Ellis posted a link to the hilarious, "Your Idea To Save Journalism Will Not Work Because ...," which has given me my new mantra, "Citizen journalists are almost as good as citizen dentists."
Also, I discovered this Onion story: "Report: Majority Of Newspapers Now Purchased By Kidnappers To Prove Date. "Money quote: "These are sick, sick individuals ... God bless them for saving our industry." Although, to be fair, this may not be satire, judging from the comments sections of most newspapers' Web sites.
Oct. 14th, 2009
10:15 am - More Amanda Palmer on the Commerce of Art ...
The amazing Amanda Palmer has written a follow up to her well-traveled blog post on art and commerce. Like her previous offering, it gives an exacting insight into the business side of how one keeps one's self alive while creating (in her case) music, (in my case) poetry and fiction (and in other cases) visual art, street theater or any number of the things that, for many people, make life bearable. The response when I posted her previous blog, both here and on Facebook, was phenomenal, and I was gratified to see so many people express themselves eloquently on the (otherwise dirty) subject of the consumption of art. Because, alas, it is a product. It's also more than that, but let's stick to the basics for a moment. (And a quick shoutout to Jeff and WormtownTaxi, for linking to the post. Thanks, man! And also, lighten up on Sutner and Caywood, they're good guys, and damn good journalists. And that's all I'm saying on that subject in public. But I digress.)
A few choice bits from Ms. Palmer:
i got a phone call from NPR (american public radio) a few days ago and was invited to do a studio interview about this topic for their show “on the media” as a result of all the buzz.
the funniest thing about that: at the end of the interview, rick told me i was the only person who sounded optimistic and, well, “happy” about this whole music industry mess.
well…yes. i am happy. why? because i’m not chained…and i’m not even technically FREE! i’m still stuck on my record label!!!!
but it doesn’t matter. i have a direct way OUT of the system that relies not on suits in offices, but on a working wireless connection, the goodwill of my fans, my work ethic, and the quality of my output.
so yes, of course i’m happy.
Yes! This! This is what a lot of us down in the performance poetry trenches have been trying to say since the '80s, what those in the DIY punk scene were trying to say in the '70s. And so on ... and so on ... It's not a new idea, but the circumstances we embrace it in change with the times, and right now we've got rather a lot of the means of production at hand. Computers, the Internet ... they've changed a lot. We even have the means of distribution closer at hand, although it's still not enough to compete directly with the media big boys. And who says we have to? Personally, I'm of the opinion that their perspective is so skewed toward the biggest demographics that they're leaving most of us out.
But distribution and marketing are issues, and they're the reason so many of us get locked into record contracts, book contracts, etc., which just may not well suit. And that's a little old-fashioned understatement for you, which I'm prone to, so deal. And you know what? If some big press called me up and offered me a contract, I'd probably take it, too. Not because I'm a whore, although that's possible, but because I'd be unable to turn down the opportunity to use their resources. So much of what I seek as an artist at this point in my career is seeking out space to write, and I'd be hard-pressed to turn down any reasonable promise of that. But it's a matter of making sure I'm going in for the right reasons. Perhaps the most insidious thing an artist can face is the desire for fame and fortune. Sure, those things exist, but they're not worthy goals. Eventually, they have a way of consuming you.
But seeking a solid living from your work is not the same thing, and I find people who say otherwise to be idiots.
Continues Ms. Palmer:
i also firmly believe - as many of you seem to - that this new era of music and content (less huge blockbuster artists supported by the mass media, more living-wage artists supported by smaller fanbases) will actually drive the quality of content UP. artists will hopefully no longer be in this game for the wrong reasons (i.e. to be instantly/luckily famous and rich) but instead will take an honest look at the work it takes and the lifestyle it provides; in most cases, not a luxurious one, but a fulfilling one.
Again, I'm in full agreement. It's a lot of the reason I'm honored to be involved with Write Bloody Publishing, which really is a workman's press. It's a press where everyone tries to help each other out, but where you're fully expected to carry your own weight. Your book succeeds or fails on the strength of, as Ms. Palmer says, the goodwill of our respective audiences, our own hard work, and the quality of our products. I'm not getting rich, but I'm happy with the work I've done, and proud to stand with such amazing writers as Anis Mojgani, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz and Steve Abee (not to mention my incredibly talented wife, Lea Deschenes.) If you haven't yet, I seriously suggest clicking that Write Bloody link above and ordering some books. Each one of them is an amazing ride down some corner of American literature that the mainstream media hasn't found a way to milk the soul out of, yet. I know it's odd to be a bit fanboyish about my own publisher, but I'm terribly, terribly excited and proud of this work. It's been worth doing, in much the way my own, completely non-commerce oriented November 3rd Club has been. If you can put in a day of work worth doing, then it's all been worth it.
But that being said, I've already suffered for my art, and have no intention of making it a lifestyle choice. "Mad Ireland," as Auden wrote, was what hurt Yeats into poetry, but Yeats always had the intention of healing mad Ireland. Art can be an escape from pain and madness, and pain and madness are often what spurs one into art, but pain and madness should never be the goal. That's simply fetishization.
Oct. 11th, 2009
03:33 pm - Still alive ... still moving ...
We're more in the new apartment now than we are in the old, but still miles to go. A big, giant THANK YOU to Ed, Tony, Missy, Nick, Deb and Lea's parents for helping us move lots and lots of stuff. It's all greatly appreciated.
OK ... more to do ... Still sketchy on Internet time right now, so if you need either of us, our cell phones are the best bet. Ciao!
Oct. 9th, 2009
12:00 pm - Still moving
Our life is now split between two apartments in Worcester. It's everything you would expect it to be.
Oct. 7th, 2009
09:18 pm - Moving Stuff
*The move continues. Boxes have been ferried, and will continue to be ferried. The new place is awesome, although we are buying a wardrobe, because we are taking what was probably intended as a dining room as the bedroom, and it's the only room without closets. It does, however, have awesome light.
*If you're helping us move Saturday, meet us noon at the Fortress of Ferritude (classic edition), 66 Fairfax Road #3, Worcester, MA, 0160. It may be pretty light lifting, as we have movers coming for the REAL heavy stuff, and as I said, we've been moving stuff over as we go. We actually may also need a hand taking some things to the dump (which isn't far) and picking up the aforementioned wardrobe.
*The difference between a wardrobe and an armoire, evidently, is that the former has a bar to hang things on, while the latter has shelves.
*My Internet access will be spotty for the next week-odd, what with the moving and all.
Thanks, all!
Oct. 6th, 2009
11:08 am - Sad News
Former WoMag A&E editor Charlene Arsenault is reporting that Valerie Crockett, a local musician and wife of former WoMag editor Walter Crockett, has died after a three-year battle with cancer.
I only met Valerie once or twice briefly, at WoMag functions when I wrote for them a million years ago, but my prayers and condolences go out to Walter, who was my editor in those days, and who always did right by me. He's a good man, and a good journalist. It's never any consolation at moments like this, but my herart goes out to him.
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