Kindness is a bargaining

Family Dinner

Kindness skirts the absolve, tender
love curtained, the way nice is handled
purpled in tones I could not remember
one day in the life of being so small
except windows, you look out empty

What is so real as the absence of sound?
the way I was gathered was wilder
taught we hold tongue tight
but affection is fluid, he says don't be
scared: Terror is a necessary fluid.

Only things temporary are precious.
where others built brick by brick, I found
my hands full of sand, grain by grain, each
numbered, look miracles, come in the way
you receive them. The back porch held us

in the summer, while New Orleans disappeared
we carved out too much dreaming and built this too
what we needed: And to be fed by love at every meal
what a life that would be: The blood jet is poetry.
Love is this desert: hot, dry, and endless.

Poetry News, Reviews, Readings, etc.

I've decided to begin writing here again after this extremely tumultuous last year of my life. Sometimes I forget what being a poet means, but apparently I cannot forget being a poet.

Here's some writing I did recently regarding one of my favorite poets Nathan Hauke and his newest collection In the Marble of Your Animal Eyes. “Bees errand the eaves to gather,” Nathan Hauke writes in his new collection In the Marble of Your Animal Eyes. Here a series of untitled poems coalesce to present an overarching natural theme underscored by the attention to the page brought forth by the markings and details written onto the typed pieces that keep the reader engaged in the making of the poem. 

You can read the full review over at H_NGM_N sixteen.

Here's some other news:

Trembling Pillow Press is getting ready to release its summer collection Trick Rider by Jen Tynes. Tynes publishes Horseless press, and they have been putting out a stunning amount of publications in the last few years along with their online Horseless Review. One of their newest collections by Tim Earley is on SPD's June Bestsellers. You can check it out here.

I mention Tim Early because he is one of the many visiting poets coming to read at Blood Jet Poetry Series this fall. Other great visiting writers include Dara Wier, Paige Taggart, Laura Goldstein, Megan Kaminski, & Joe Zendarski. As always New Orleans hosts a bevy of local poets who will round out the season as well including Jordan Soyka, Kristin Sanders, JS Makkos, Joseph Bienvenu, Kaycee Filson, Andrea Young, and Sandra Grace Johnson.

This is Blood Jet's second fall season at BJs in the Bywater. We feature 2-3 poets each show followed by an open mic space for our audience to share their work. I like to think of it as my living room of poetry every Wednesday night, Sept 3- Dec 17th at 8PM.

I mention Laura Goldstein and Megan Kaminski because I'll be reading in Lawrence, KS with Laura Goldstein and Simone Savannah on Aug 31 at the Taproom Poetry Series. Then  I'll be following Goldstein back to Chicago to do a reading Sept 2 with my fellow Lavender Ink poets Laura Madeline Wiseman and Sara Henning at the Wit Rabbit Series. We'll also be back in Chicago in the spring to read for the Red Rover Series.

Marthe Reed publishing with Nous-Zot press released a chapbook of mine titled i always wanted to start over this spring. I'll be reading from that along with my latest MS titled Commitment that I am hoping to find a home for soon.

Laura Madeline Wiseman and I talked about our books from Lavender Ink recently over at PANK. I should update my online bio because the one they use here says I am still married. Yikes!

That's my other big non poetry related news. I'll be officially divorced July 16th.
Here's to new beginnings. Like I said in my last chap: i always wanted to start over.

Upcoming Readings at Blood Jet Poetry Series

Blood Jet Poetry Series at BJs in the Bywater, 4301 Burgundy
Every Wednesday Night, 8PM

All Features followed by the open mic hosted by Jimmy Ross

Coming Up:

Sept. 25: Joseph Wood and The Neighbors

Joseph P. Wood is the author of four books and five chapbooks of poetry, which include YOU. (Etruscan Press, forthcoming 2015), Fold of the Map (Salmon, forthcoming 2014), and Variations on an Innocent Axis (Brooklyn Arts Press, forthcoming 2014). A new manuscript, Broken Cage, is currently a finalist for the 2013 National Poetry Series competition. His poetry and criticism have been published in Arts & Letters Daily, BOMB, Boston Review, Cincinnati Review, Colorado Review, Denver Quarterly, Verse, among other journals. He teaches at The University of Alabama and is book review editor for Atticus Review.

The Neighbors are a collective of writers and musicians who gather in New Orleans to create music and occasionally lend each other butter. As all Neighbors have neighbors, they consist of an infinite number of artists unknown. But here tonight are:
Nathaniel Kostar on lyrics and vocals. Lee Beeacham on guitar and vocals. Justin Hatcher on congas, guitar and vocals.

Nathaniel Kostar is an MFA candidate in poetry at The University of New Orleans. He has been a poetry slam semi-finalist and finalist at the Bowery Poetry Club, The Nuyorican Poet’s Café, and Slam New Orleans. Every Friday for the next few months, his non-fiction travel series will be published on BurlesquePressLLC.com as he continues working towards the completion of his first full-length book, The Renaissance Man Project.  

Lee was born in Louisiana and raised in NC. From a young age his parents forced him to play the piano. Unfortunately this didn't take, but when he moved to New Orleans in 2009 he picked up the guitar. An avid fan of live music and the New Orleans’ lifestyle, Lee spends his free time playing music with friends, cooking, and working towards his MBA at UNO.  

Justin Hatcher was born in Baton Rouge and began playing guitar and singing about 3 years ago. He’s terrible at writing bios, but pretty awesome at playing guitar, so we bring him along and make stuff up about him as we go along. But these are three facts we know about Justin—he enjoys urban farming, chocolate almond milk, and 16oz cans of pbr after a hard day’s work.
Oct 2: Bill Lavender and Jamie Bernstein

Oct 9 Sara Jacobelli and Danniel Schoonebeck 

Blood Jet Poetry Series in New Orleans

Blood Jet Poetry Series will begin Sept. 11, 8PM featuring music and poetry every Wednesday night at 8PM followed by a limited open mic at BJs in the Bywater. Co-curated by Megan Burns and JS Makkos, Blood Jet encourages collaboration between musicians and poets as well as space for new performers in New Orleans. Throughout the year, Blood Jet will be hosting national poets as well as book releases and special performances.

Contact Megan Burns at meganaburns@aol.com for information on readings.

BJs in the Bywater is located at 4301 Burgundy.

Visit the Blood Jet Blog or follow on FB or follow on Twitter @bloodjetpoetry