Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Monday, August 8, 2022

ON THE MESA ~

 


It's a shame, the re-issue of this anthology is almost batting .1000 —

it has a lush cover photograph of the poet Bobbie Louise Hawkins

by Gerard Malanga, who not only captures the time element of the late 1960s, 

but Malanga has always had an affectionate eye for cats.

This anthology was first published by City Lights in 1971

and this expanded edition draws in an aura of American poetry

including Black Mountain poets, San Francisco Renaissance, Beat, 

and the NewYork School of poets, and for a change digs into

the ground and finds at least one half of Coyote's Journal poetry (Bill Brown) 

but badly misses James Koller — a close friend with many in this

anthology and a sure hand of the California poem. 

As they say in that funny world: it's the only reason why I

can't give this book 5 Stars.

A thorough biographical index of each poet would have

also been a treat and finished off a sterling package.

Nonetheless, the new anthology is beautifully edited —

you can sense certain poets touching certain poets —

for instance Joanne Kyger touching Tom Clark

touching Jim Carroll touching Bill Berkson.

The Song Cave makes terrific books, each title comes off the block

similar but unique, much as New Directions used to make them and

how we used to go hunting for them. Black spine, same square size, 

cool and fashionable, neat typeface, and an exciting range

of poets. You absolutely can't go wrong.

Just not perfect, yet.


[ BA ]




Sunday, August 7, 2022

STEVE REICH ~

 







Quite an interesting book and format of "interviews" —

really sharp and informative conversations

and you can see the names here listed,

a great crew.

Reich is generous with his time and knowledge

 and quite kind and appealing between the lines.

Don't hesitate.

_______________

Hanover Square Books

2022



Friday, August 5, 2022

FOR BOB ~ MUSIC FEST!





















happy birthday!  


love, sweetheart! 


August 5, 2022


WENDELL BERRY ~

 


Stay Home


I will wait here in the fields

to see how well the rain

brings on the grass. 

In the labor of the fields

longer than a man's life

I am home. Don't come with me.

You stay home too.


I will be standing in the woods

where the old trees

move only with the wind

and then with gravity.

In the stillness of the trees

I am at home. Don't come with me.

You stay home too.


_______________

Wendell Berry

New Collected Poems

Counterpoint Press, 1980





Thursday, August 4, 2022

GRZEGORZ WROBLEWSKI ~

 





Isn't  It Strange


Acid rain . . . On the wall

a picture of your long-deceased

cat.


Isn't it strange that every day

I pray to her

to return you to me.






Twin


He resembled me.

I held him up to my lips,

then threw him into the salty

water. He sank to the bottom.

I heard a giggle.

An invitation to play

together.






You and Me


It couldn't have worked out better.

I am with you without you.

I draw figures on the sand.

I breathe.

I wait.

I decay.






Boeing 737


We watched as it disappeared inside a gray cloud.

(We all would like to do something similar.)






Osaka


an eye.


Keep it,


just in

case.



______________________

Grzegorz Wroblewski

Zero Visibility

Phoneme Media, 2017

translated from the Polish by Piotr Gwiazda



Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Sunday, July 31, 2022

BILL RUSSELL ~

 


Credit...Associated Press


B I L L      R U S S E L L


1934 ~ 2022






COUNT BASIE & OSCAR PETERSON ~

 






Saturday, July 30, 2022

ART PEPPER `

 




"The first five-four tune ever written. I wrote it in

1950, way, way before "Take Five" came on the scene.

Unfortunately I went to the federal penitentiary right after that and

Paul Desmond and what's-his name went on ahead playing in the clubs

and all that, became big names, and I just sunk to the depths of zero."

A R T   P E P P E R




Friday, July 29, 2022

Thursday, July 28, 2022

JAY WRIGHT ~

 





from Thirteen Quintets for Lois


Death arrives as the body's memory,

becomes expression and promissory

note in a generative relation.

Leibniz might point to an aberration,

or scout an asymmetric assumption

for a flowing body, transitory,

an occasion for light's authority.


In Mali, the owner of water finds

a stolen seed and the logic that binds

the mask to its event, depth of matter,

true signature and motive, the flatter

change in direction, all set to shatter

the indivisible and instant lines.

Logic brings no temper to these designs.



______________________

Jay Wright

Thirteen Quintets for Lois

Flood Editions 2021





Wednesday, July 27, 2022

KENT JOHNSON — AFTER HORACE

 



Three color booklet of new poems

by Kent Johnson


 in fold-out splendor



____________________________

 $12


with free shipping


________________________


      (International orders please inquire)



order through Paypal with free shipping 

(use our email address of longhousepoetry@gmail.com)

or a check to:


Longhouse, PO Box 2454, West Brattleboro, VT 05303





Longhouse

Publishers & Booksellers

Green River, Vermont

2022







Sunday, July 24, 2022