FRISELL ~

III ~

R E A D     M E

I have followed this musician's career from the start and on the bright-side: this is the father of Rufus and Martha and equally sweet singer Lucy; also Loudon Wainwright and Leonard Cohen were related (Rufus had a daughter, Viva, with Lorca Cohen) and LW can still play, from time to time, a fine, nimble talkin' folk-blues of his own mode. 
Otherwise, the book's storyteller is a wiggler on the edge of irksome.

DENIS JOHNSON ~

Denis Johnson (1983)

Everything Denis Johnson wrote and published was well written. Everything.

None of it was as strong and original and potent as his short and vivid Jesus' Son, but it was still very good, and you weren't going to do wrong, or waste your time. That includes his new book of stories

(and last book) The Largesse of the Sea Maiden. Again, don't go expecting Jesus' Son, it isn't there, try as he might. Every writer wants to top his best book. Denis Johnson is now dead. He left us a small library to read — nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, five collections of poetry, two collections of plays, and one book of reportage, Seek: Reports from the edges of America & Beyond that should be really hunted down and read. I happen to like, and I read each of his books as they appeared over time, his poetry, Jesus' Son (naturally), his little crime caper Nobody Move and Train Dreams. The other books were fine books but the ones I mention were Denis Johnson as played by John Garfield.

I always think of John Garfield when I read Denis Johnson.

[ BA ]

Random House 2018

BLIND WILLIE MCTELL ~

ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER ~

sorry, another dud — not every apple on the tree. . .

WHY BOB DYLAN MATTERS ~

Bland title, one great photograph (the cover), handy size volume,

and all written by a senior professor of Latin at Harvard University

where ages ago Dylan curled up in the grass with guitars and Eric Von Schmidt.

The reading won't hurt you.

In fact, it will help you grow!

M O R E

Dey St. / Morrow

2017

PABLO NERUDA (SONG) ~

TRAVEL PICTURES ~

“There was still a unity in the world and there were complete poets."

And Heine was one of them in more ways than one.

(1797-1856)

R E A D      M O R E

Archipelago Books

TINY ISLAND ~

TIM HARDIN ~

SKIP JAMES ~

BIG MAMA THORNTON ~

SPREAD YOUR LOVE ~

THE ANDALUCIAN DOGS ~

BOOGIE WOOGIE COUNTRY GIRL ~

IF I WERE A CARPENTER ~

PATSY CLINE ~

ELLEN BASS ~

Prayer


Once I wore a dress liquid as vodka.

My lover watched me ascend

from the subway

like I was an underground spring

breaking through.

I want to stop wanting to be wanted like that.

I'm tired of the song the rain sings in June,

the earth, her ornate crown of trees

spiking up from her loamy head.

There are things I wanted, like everyone.

But to this angel of wishes I've worshiped

so long, I ask now to admit

the world as it is.


————————
ELLEN BASS
Like a Beggar
Copper Canyon Press, 2014





Oddly, Copper Canyon Press claims Like A Beggar is the poet's third book of poetry,
neglecting to note her first book of poetry — one that I fell for at the time — 
I'm Not Your Laughing Daughter (Univ. Mass. Press, 1973). Find that neglected book.

END OF STORY ~

5 Year Old Logic On A Winter Night

Under quilts he

says he is too hot

folding down the bed to

a sheet & one blanket

he looks up & says

he is too cold

End Of Story

Looking out at the hillside

Across the river and over the

Trees from our home Carson asks —

Did we climb that mountain?

I say, No, but mommy and I did.

Nodding, he decides, Oh yeah,

We climbed that before I was born.

Childhood

jumping

to look

into a

mirror

Off To School

except for

his base-

ball cap I

could kiss

him easily

————————————

BOB ARNOLD

I'm In Love With You

Who Is In Love With Me

Longhouse 2012

MABLE JOHN ~

JESUS IS MY AIR-O-PLANE

GERALD STERN ~

R E A D     M E

Trinity University Press

2012

JONI MITCHELL ~

ANITA CARTER ~

I STOLE THE RIGHT TO LIVE ~

A COTTAGE ON THE MOSS ~

R E A D      M E

I'm sure I have showcased this book in the past ~

I was running an eye across the den library

here where I work and spotted this lovely book again

and pulled it out to read again 

Join me

I've supplied what Google will give to us

You'd love a copy of the book

Library Empyreal

PO Box 36503

Canton, Ohio

44735

SNOW, SNOW ~

DON'T SAVE ANYTHING ~

R E A D      M E

BLUES ON THE CEILING ~

RUN OF THE MILL ~

Happy drummer!

( Jim Gordon )

ONLY A CHILD ~

Howdy Doody

he walks

in soft

pajamas at

my cheek

says goodnight

before and

after a

kiss

Gathering Wood

Dark dark in the woods

My son walks, stumbles

Over brush and limbs, looks

Where to step by watching

My legs — how I do it —

Carrying the saw, not

Much talk (he is only two)

But instead we seem to be

Singing quietly about end

Of day around us, the tall

Trees taking light, his hands

Grip dry sticks for a cookstove

And the love of his mother

We are heading back home

Only A Child

Cookstove choco-

late chip cookies

warm the counter

guarded by

toy-soldiers

More Father & Son Quality Time

He found in the farmyard

3 clean white pilgrim goose

Feathers freshly dropped

He picked up a stick

Made a blunt arrow

Strung a bow

He taped the feathers to the arrow

Filled the bow

Aimed it at me

————————————

BOB ARNOLD

I'm In Love With You

Who Is In Love With Me

Longhouse 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANINE ~

Janine Pommy Vega
5 February 1942

BLINDFOLDS ON! ~

BLIZ~AARD BALL SALE ~

R E A D       M E

One wintry day in 1983, David Hammons peddled snowballs of various sizes. He laid them out in graduated rows and spent the day acting as obliging salesman. Calling the unannounced street action Bliz-aard Ball Sale, he inscribed it into a body of work that, from the late 1960s to the present, has used a lexicon of discreet actions and consciously ‘black’ materials to comment on the nature of the artwork, the art world and race in America.

Although Bliz-aard Ball Sale has been frequently cited and is increasingly influential, it has long been known only through scant descriptions and a handful of photographs. In this engaging study, Elena Filipovic collects a vast oral history of the ephemeral work, uncovering rare images and documents, and giving us singular insight into an elusive artist who has made an art of making himself difficult to find.

LONNIE JOHNSON ~

Friends — ah, I doubt Lonnie Johnson would have minded sharing his song,
but people have their reasons. When this happens on the Birdhouse: please go directly to Youtube and see if the song and Lonnie are hanging out there. If the blockers really don't want us to hear this song,
then let it be. There will be other songs.

CROSSROADS ~