I have just joined "Good Reads." I am not quite sure what Good Reads is. But Lars Palm, who has been so far, along with Susana Gardner of Dusie and Geoffrey G of BlazeVOX, been one of the kindest, and fastest, editors with whom I've worked, just put my new book, book alter (ed), a section of the longer forthcoming occultations, on Good Reads. Thanks much, Lars. At some point I will write a post about how difficult it is--even for poets much more interesting than me--to find poetry presses that are a) interested in design (the artist book) or b) interested but too poor to do design work. Suffice it to say here that (b) is where I locate much of the problem. But for those who give editors (like me) fits with their fucked up formatting, combination of text and image, etc &, it's simply difficult to place work. Linh Dinh almost killed me as he tried, and miraculously succeeded, in taking part of a manuscript that involves multiple layered scanned images, translating it into the very stripped down code for his journal, The Lower Half. Never mind working with text & video--though, maybe that's easier in some sense? All that's a post for another time, though related to the posthuman in the obvious fact that the web is where some of the most startling poetry happens - at least with regard to journals (hell, AGNI is inching its way off the paper page). DIGRESSION: isn't it fun to watch the old fashioned university journals, like The Iowa Review or some such, try to figure out how to crawl into the web? One almost feels sorry for... no, no one doesn't. Unlike AGNI, which to me is one of the most consistently fine publications around and is used to pushing boundaries, and so has created a web supplement seamlessly, one that is really quite exhilarating, as many a new writer whom they would have had to pass up a few years ago -- they're now in my inbox every week. Anyway, a related set of questions, but another post. interesting problem/set of negotiations for editors and poets alike (many of us are both) to consider.
But I'm on Good Reads now. Which seems cool, but am unsure exactly what it is. And facebook. And blogger. And You Tube. A year ago I was riding my bicycle. Unsure what has happened - becoming seriously ill is part of it - but I guess I'll have to admit, which I would not in earlier conversations, Erica Kafuman: you're right. We are, now unavoidably posthuman. Tho, I'm not sure I dislike that. Former union organizer, so value the face to face more than anything, but the interface to interface definitely has conventions and problematics that are extremely fun to discern, exploit, reboot, upload, scan, and pornolize.
Any case, and I'll get this to the morning in my next post, another "shameless self promotion" post. Wait, why do we say these things - "shameless self promotion"? As if a) one aught to have shame, and b) what's with the "self-" here? If posthuman, then add-on, plug-in multiple we are, especially viz. promotion of one's books. Since those reading would, I suppose, all agree that we need very much to continue to support the independent presses, I will: SHAMELESSLY PROMOTE Lars Palm's ungovernable press via plugging book alter (ed), and BlazeVOX for publishing my shit, and plug away I will whenever some weirdo publishes work I've culled from the ooze that is language. For now and for tonight: the scales have been tipped. I am now so thoroughly wired that I am a walking wireless billboard that plugs into your nearest Starbucks. How many arms do I have? A good question. Out of x number, how many function properly? A better question.
Posts forthcoming:
that promotion thing I was talking about
a mini-review of Erica Kaufman's wonderful new Censory Impulse (Factory School / Heretical Texts Series)
a mini-review of Rob Halpern's Disaster Suites, and ULTRA-RED, The Sound of Militancy
an update on where we are on The Employee Free Choice Act
another Wheelhouse Magazine & Press Update (with more pictures!!!)
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