MLA Off-Site Reading 2017 -- Return to Philadelphia

Back in 1989, Rod Smith hosted the first of what came to be known in time as the MLA Off-Site Readings. I have not always been on hand, and in some years there hasn't been one, but this year we were back in Philadelphia, where the poetry community has come through again and again and put together some of the best of these events. I've always likened them to the New Music festivals I attended as a young man, where people would bring wine and snacks, and wander in and out -- a tremendous marathon event celebrating poetry and our communities.  This year's was brought together by Davy Knittle and Anna Strong, with additional hosting by Lily Applebaum, Zack Arrington and Mel Bentley.  We were back in The Rotunda, where we'd been once before.

One lesson drawn from obvservations at this year's reading: when you see somebody bent over their smart phone, they may just be writing and reading poetry.

As in the past, keep an eye on Penn Sound, where a recording of this powerful event will appear in due course.

MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION 2017 - PHILADELPHIA

First night of this year's conference I made sure to drop by the MLA reception to give a heart-felt sendoff to Rosemary Feal, wrapping up her time as the organization's Executive Director. I got to know Rosemary during my term on the MLA Program Committee, and it was among my better work experiences. It's rare to find efficiency and fun so well blended. (Might add, music has never been as good at MLA receptions as it's been during Rosemary's era.)

 I only had two official functions this year: to serve as a respondent to a wonderful panel on Afro-American Americana, where I heard three well-researched and thoughtful presentations and learned of the Japanese film Black Sun, which I had never seen before, and to host the Penn State English cash bar.

I'll be posting a separate album from the marathon MLA off-site poetry reading.

BUCK DOWNS -- SHIFTLESS (HARVESTER)

Dag y'all, Buck's new book is here!


For years, I've been posting Buck's postcard poems on my office door, which edifies my students and makes colleagues wonder why I stand in front of my own door for so long.

I suppose I should confess that I've actually sat atop one of those contraptions illustrated on the cover of this book. There was an ancient cultivator of this type on my grandfather's farm, though I had no idea those things in the middle were called "hooded shields."  There have been many times in my life when I could have used a hooded shield.

And why is it that every time I read the title of Buck's book I hear Marvin Gaye off in the distance singing "Distant Lover"? Marvin, like me, said "dag." Buck's from outside the beltway (as our media insist on calling the rest of the country), so he says "dang."

Blessings to rob mclennan's above/ground press for this latest. You can find out how to get a copy here: http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2016/10/new-from-aboveground-press.html


And here is an excerpt [fair use -- buy the book and read the whole poem] from the right Buck Downs poem for our time:


ask me if you want more

           starting from where
           I was turned out
                turned out to be
a bad position -- I lacked
                       the leverage
             to move myself,
                        I did not have
         a fuck to give --

          

DAY THREE - CHINESE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR POETRY

Fate and friends put me on a panel at 8:30 in the morning, but our Chinese friends, body clocks still a day ahead of us, were up and in the room. My paper was drawn from an essay in progress on Amiri Baraka's second novel -- more to come at future conferences as I road test the thing.

In the course of the morning I heard papers by Wei Wang, Ning Zhou, Jerry Ward, Carmaletta Williams, Kedong Liu and Zuyou Wang. Jerry and I had a chance to catch up over lunch at Octopus Restaurant, after which Anna and I joined the audience for the panel of poets moderated by Charles Bernstein that included Yuansheng Li, Yi Lai, Susan Schultz, Tony Barnstone, Zhimin Li, Lauri Ramey and Zhuo Wang.

 The conference closed with plenary talks by Lauri Ramey and Lianggong Luo, moderated by Anna Everett.

Then we were all off to Pacific Palisades, where Marjorie Perloff hosted the lot of us for an evening of conversation and fine dining.

[thanks to friends who supplied the photos in which I appear.]