Catching Up With Things I Want You To Look At, Poetry Edition

1. Some Things You Should Consider Giving a New Home to, Via Capitalism



So I heard about Matchbook magazine a few years back. 05? And ordered a copy & got it & read it & loved it & for me it was the first time that I’d really thought deeply about the production of contemporary poetry – the desire for the idiosyncratic object as opposed to the monotony of the standard-sized book & the digital ubiquity of online journals. Matchbook & editor Friedrich Kerkseick’s work with Small Fires Press is a constant source of inspiration to me about what a book can do beyond the words. Now, years later, the second issue of Matchbook is out. Get it while you can.





Chris Tonelli’s fantastic No Theater poems are available now from Brave Men Press. I’ve enjoyed Chris’ work for a a few years, but I think he’s doing some next level shit with these poems. Despite not having a copy of this in my hands yet, it is in the running for my favorite chapbook of 09. My favorite tea of 09 is still pinhead gunpowder.





Patrick Morrisey’s first chapbook, Transparency, is available now from Cannibal Books. You’ve probably read some of his writing in Harp & Altar. I’m really looking forward to reading this. Cannibal, of course, if one of the truly fantastic outlets for poetry right now.






New works by Kate Schapira and Nathaniel Siegel from the equally-fantastic-to-Cannibal-&-for-completely-different-aesthetic-reasons Portable Press at YoYo Labs. Get them here.






The new issue/chapbook of The Cupboard is out: Caia Hagel’s Acts of Kindness and Excellence in Times Tables. I’ve read half of it so far & it’s pretty great. You can read what co-editor Dave Madden says about it on his site here.



Props to Ben Mirov for winning the Diagram Prize. Too bad all the chapbooks that win that prize suck. All of them except for Marc McKee’s & Stepahnie Anderson’s & Rachel Moritz's & all the other ones not written by me.





2. Self-Promotion Makes You Look Like an Asshole

Speaking of things written by me, you can find a portion of a book-length poem of mine at H_ngm_n.

Collaborative work of Julia’s & mine can be found at Cue, which is now online & boasting a wonderful new issue, which was
guest-edited by the handsome & talented Mark Horosky (& by the way, you should check out his chapbook Let It Be Nearby from Cue Editions, which is a wild romp of a seven inch record).

Jules & I also have a few pieces from a different chapbook (& a very different style, in my opinion) at Dear Camera. They are from a chapbook called Force, Proximity, Repulsion, which Cinematique Press is putting out this Fall.





3. Journals

Lots of new issues of journals that I'm still digesting. So far I'm liking this collection of South African poetry & prose in the new issue of Big Bridge. I haven’t read this entire batch, edited by Gary Cummiskey, but what I have read I’ve found intriguing.

And Natalie Knight’s poems in the new issue of Moria

More to come. Along with, hopefully, pictures of a new doggy from the shelter!