a sad day for sad birds

I belong.

2009-07-08T15:09:00.001-04:00

Mean Mother this Friday

2009-07-07T12:27:00.003-04:00

This Friday Detroit-based rock band Mean Mother will be playing their first show in Saginaw at Hamilton St. Pub with Death Valley Dragline and Neighborhood Muscle. This should be a fun night. I got to interview a former college friend and write a little something about it here.

I should come to my office on day's off more often

2009-07-06T09:21:00.001-04:00

It's not even 9:30 this morning and I have already accomplished most of what I wanted to do today, which means I can get a jump on tomorrow.

My review of Union! by Ish Klein is now up in the July issue of BookSlut. If you're so inclined, you can check it out here.

Review in which I pretend to know how to write about music

2009-06-26T11:45:00.002-04:00

I love music, but I do not have confidence in my ability to write about music. Nonetheless, I write about music anyway. Here is one such instance: Review of John Vasquez and the Bearinger Boys live at Hamilton Street Pub.

What I've been meaning to say is

2009-06-19T14:34:00.003-04:00

I do have a home now. If you need my address, please e-mail me. Due to a really crazy event, I have decided that my address should not be posted on a blog. You can e-mail me at gina.myers@gmail.com.

The new house is wonderful, though I am still getting used to being domesticated: cutting the grass, pulling weeds, sweeping the sidewalks, etc.

Some recent publications include three pieces for Saginaw 360: an article on the opening of the Court Street Gallery, an interview with Terrence Shells of L.I.F.E. Music Entertainment, and an interview with journalist William Ketchum III. I also had an article on the Rouse for Roethke in Review Magazine, which is available in the current issue on newsstands and online here.

I saw the proofs for the ie anthology and I am really excited to be a part of it.

A million things in the works.

This Weekend: Theodre Roethke Centennial Celebration

2009-05-29T11:56:00.002-04:00

This Saturday and Sunday there are a number of events to celebrate the Theodore Roethke Centennial. You can read about it in the Saginaw News here, and see a full list of events (copied & pasted from the News below):

Friends of Theodore Roethke
Centennial Year Celebration

* 1 p.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, May 30, Children's Zoo at Celebration Square Amphitheater, 1730 S. Washington Ave. in Saginaw.

Bay Arenac Reading Council in collaboration with Friends of Theodore Roethke present "Party at the Zoo" by Theodore Roethke with children's activities and other Roethke children's poetry.

* 7 p.m. Saturday, May 30, First Presbyterian Church, 121 S. Harrison in Saginaw.

David Wagoner reads his play "First Class," a one-act piece spotlighting Roethke's poetic teaching style and creative life. Wagoner was a Roethke student at Penn State and later a colleague at the University of Washington in Seattle.

* 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, May 31, Andersen Enrichment Center, 120 Ezra Rust Drive in Saginaw

From 1-3 p.m., Wagoner leads a poetry workshop (Space is limited. Reserve a spot by e-mailing GloNJ@aol.com).

From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Roethke Rouse, a reading of Roethke's poems.

From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., poets-in-residence Rosie King, a Saginaw native, and David Wagoner will read their poetry.

Ongoing: a book fair featuring Michigan poets and presses; a film chronicling the work and mission of the Friends of Theodore Roethke; a reception honoring seniors and students who participated in oral history collection project entitled Historic Perspectives of Roethke's Saginaw

* 5 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, May 31, Court Street Bridge Walk.

A walk across the bridge spanning the Saginaw River while poets conclude the final read of the Roethke Rouse.

* 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 31, dinner buffet at Jake's Old City Grill, 100 S. Hamilton in Saginaw.

Michigan poets will read from their works as well King and Wagoner.

The cost of the buffet dinner is $30 for non-students and $15 for students. Call 280-6765 for reservations.

2008 Attention Span

2009-05-22T09:02:00.002-04:00

My 2008 Attention Span picks are up here. I remember after I submitted the list thinking of more books I should have had on the list...

Addressless

2009-05-21T11:58:00.001-04:00

I am temporarily addressless effective immediately. Please do not send me anything in the mail. Thanks!

Tomorrow Night, Fever or No Fever

2009-05-15T15:29:00.002-04:00

I will be reading at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center with Mart Hart and Roy Seeger. Here are the details:

KBAC Poets in Print

Matt Hart, Gina Myers, & Roy Seeger

Host:	KBAC
Type:	Music/Arts - Listening Party
Network:	Global

Date:	Saturday, May 16, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:	Kalamazoo Book Arts Center -- Park Trades Building
Street:	326 W. Kalamazoo Avenue, Suite 103 A
City/Town:	Kalamazoo, MI
	View Map

Phone:	2693734938
Email:	info@kalbookarts.org

Description

Poetry Reading featuring Matt Hart, Gina Myers, & Roy Seeger

A limited edition broadside designed by Jeff Abshear will be available for sale.

Free and open to the public.

--

Matt Hart is the author of the poetry collections Who’s Who Vivid (Slope Editions, 2006) and YOU ARE MIST (MOOR Books), as well as the chapbooks, Revelated (Hollyridge Press, 2005), Sonnet (H_NGM_N Books, 2006), and Simply Rocket (Lame House Press, 2007). Additionally, a collaborative chapbook, Deafening Leafening, with poet Ethan Paquin, has just been published by Pilot Books. His poems and reviews have appeared in many print and online journals, including Coldfront, Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, Jubilat, and Octopus. He lives and teaches in Cincinnati where he edits Forklift, Ohio: A Journal of Poetry, Cooking, & Light Industrial Safety.

Gina Myers currently lives in Saginaw, MI, where she makes books for Lame House Press & co-edits the tiny with Gabriella Torres. Her book, A Model Year, is forthcoming from Coconut Books in July 2009.

Roy Seeger earned his M.A. in poetry from Ohio University in 2000 and his M.F.A in poetry from Western Michigan University in 2005. He is currently a Full English Professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken where he lives with his wife, the poet Amanda Rachelle Warren, and their small gray dog, Bruce. His chapbook, The Garden of Improbable Birds (2007) is available through Gribble Press, and his poems have appeared in Painted Bride Quarterly, 32 Poems, Mississippi Review, Verse, Gulf Coast, The Laurel Review, Southeast Review, Quarter After Eight as well as other journals. His first book, The Boy Whose Hands Were Birds, is available through Main Street Rag.

Three Things

2009-05-07T11:25:00.002-04:00

1.) My review of Adrienne Rich's newest collection of essays, A Human Eye: Essays on Art in Society 1996 - 2008, is in the new issue of BookSlut. You can read it here.

2.) My contribution, "This is what a [post]feminist [poet]" looks like," for the feminist poetics forum at Delirious Hem is up here. There have been really wonderful contributions to the forum. I highly recommend reading all of the pieces.

3.) A new issue of Review Magazine dropped today with my feature on Rumbleville, which you can also read online here.

2009-04-20T00:11:00.000-04:00

Featured Poet at Tattoosday Today

2009-04-09T14:29:00.002-04:00

If you haven't heard yet, for each day of National Poetry Month, Bill Cohen is featuring tattooed poets on his site Tattoosday. Each post includes an image of a tattoo, the artist's information, and a brief story/explanation of the tattoo. There is also a link to Billy Blog which hosts a poem by the featured poet. Today you can see one of my tattoos and read my poem "Self-Portrait as a Mirror." Click here.

Lame House at the 17th Annual Poets House Showcase

2009-04-09T13:53:00.003-04:00

If you haven't checked out the 17th Annual Poets House Showcase already, time is running out. Among the over 2,000 titles, you will find recent Lame House chapbooks This is Why I hurt You by Kate Greenstreet and Policy Instrument by Franklin Bruno. Here are the official details:

UPCOMING: The 17^th Annual Poets House Showcase
Saturday, April 4 – Saturday, April 11
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 4, 1:00 - 4:00PM

Catch an eyeful of what's happening in poetry today with this inspiring display of all the new poetry and poetry-related books published in the United States in 2008 and the first few months of 2009. From micro-press chapbooks to masterworks from major commercial publishers to DVDS and CDs, over 2,000 titles are gathered together for one week in the landmark Jefferson Market Branch Library.

@ The New York Public Library, Jefferson Market Branch, 425 Sixth Avenue (at West 10th Street). For library hours, call (212) 243-4334. Admission free. For more information, call Poets House at (212) 431-7920 or visit our web site at www.poetshouse.org

Reading schedule for this Thursday's Gallery Walk

2009-04-01T07:10:00.001-04:00

Here is the tentative schedule for the poets reading work this Thursday in downtown Bay City's First Thursdays Art Walk event. After the walk, Belle Epoque (809 Adams) will be hosting a reading so that each writer will have the chance to share additional material. This reading will begin at approximately 8pm.

Shamadere (207 Third St)
5:30 – 5:45
Chris Pereira, Chey Davis

Golden Gallery & Custom Framing (113 Third St.)
6:00 – 6:15
Gina Myers, JodiAnn Stevenson

Ward Studio (904 N Water St.)
6:30 – 6:45
Melissa Seitz, Amelia Glebocki

Cat’s Meow (810 Washington Ave.)
7:15 – 7:30
Andrew Christ, Jessie Duncan

Belle Epoque Art Gallerie (809 Adams St.)
7:45 – 8:00
Jadigwa Swartzendruber, Kevin Kucken

National Poetry Month at Delta College

2009-03-31T21:41:00.002-04:00

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Delta's Visiting Writers series will be hosting the following presentation this year:

4/1: Slam Poetry, Introduction and Presentation

4/8: Featured poets Larry Levy & Skip Renker

4/15: Featured poets JodiAnn Stevenson & Jeff Vande Zande

4/22: Earth Day Open Mic (in collaboration with the Earth Day Committee)

4/29: Featured poets Chey Davis & Gina Myers

All events are free and in addition to free poetry, there will also be free pizza. A colleague, Denise Hill, (and the journal editor at NewPages.com) says she has yet to hear of students turning down free poetry.

All events take place from 12:00 - 1:00 in N-08, off the commons on Delta's main campus.

H_NGM_N

2009-03-31T21:36:00.002-04:00

I am the new Reviews Editor at H_NGM_N, starting with issue #9. As someone who occasionally misses review deadlines for other publications, I now get to see the other end of things. But seriously, I am very excited to be a part of the H_NGM_N crew, and I am happy that Nate thought of me for this position. H_NGM_N is one of my favorite online poetry journals, and I look forward to seeing its return with issue eight (coming soon), and then getting involved with issue nine in the fall.

I'm reading twice this week

2009-03-29T14:14:00.003-04:00

This week I will be reading poetry at two different events. First up is the First Thursday Bay City Art Walk. As part of the four year anniversary celebration, a number of the galleries will have poets reading. I'll be at the Golden Gallery on Third Street in downtown Bay City. The monthly art walk takes place from 5 to 8 pm.

Then on Friday I will be reading with Storm Ainsely and Adrienne Lewis at the Magic Bean in Saginaw. As part of the First Friday event, there will also be new art work by Kevin Kucken and Amanda French and music by Traeder and Paradox Theory.

Shamadere Gallery in Review Magazine

2009-03-19T14:22:00.001-04:00

The new issue of Review is out today and in it you can find an article I wrote on Bay City's Shamadere Gallery. The Review website has yet to be updated, but if you are in the tri-cities you can pick a free copy up at a number of locations.

Saginaw in the NY Times

2009-03-19T14:06:00.002-04:00

Last week I heard on the radio plans for Saginaw's Habitat for Humanity to deconstruct homes in Saginaw instead of building them. (Last summer they focused on renovating older homes instead of building new ones.) Today the NY Times ran a story on this complete with a photo slideshow. Back in October, I had done some urban spelunking into abandoned properties and took a series of photos too, but the set is currently unavailable since I let my flickr pro account lapse. (Once I have extra cash, I'll set this up again and link here.) Anyhow, at that time I had heard there are almost 3,000 abandoned and empty homes in Saginaw. The NY Times article is reporting over 800, though their source is most likely more reliable than mine. Maybe.

But what was most shocking for me to see was the population of Saginaw listed at 56,000, a size more than half of what it once was. The dwindling population of Saginaw has always been difficult for me to deal with. Throughout my life people ask how big the city is, and I think I began by saying there were about 80,000 people here, and it just kept going down from there. In the comments stream of a Saginaw News article not too long ago, I remember reading people saying that they wouldn't be surprised if the next census has the population dropping below 50,000.

One of the major issues connected to the decrease in population is the public school system, and much like Detroit, our answer has been to close schools. We have three schools that will be closing their doors for good at the end of this school year. Vice ran a photo series on abandoned Detroit school buildings that are still full of books, supplies, and computers. You can see the series here. It makes me wonder what will happen to the supplies in the schools Saginaw is closing (and they schools they have closed over recent years). But more than that, it makes me wonder what will happen to the students.

(I keep most of my Saginaw-related stuff over on my Saginaw Blog, but I have been thinking more and more about ditching this blog for that one, so there may be some cross-posts in the meantime.)

Review of Claire Becker's Untoward

2009-03-13T10:50:00.004-04:00

Xantippe, a wonderful journal edited by Kristen Hanlon, has moved online. In the newly re-vamped journal there is a review of Claire Becker's Lame House chapbook Untoward. Unfortunately Untoward has sold out, but hopefully will be made available again one day (depending on my time and ambition and living situation in the coming months). Check the review out here and be sure to check out all the other reviews too!

Post-Cleveland

2009-03-13T10:07:00.003-04:00

I returned from Cleveland last night, enriched, newly inked, well-fed, and excited about the work to be done. I did not, however, return well-rested.

I arrived Tuesday afternoon and stopped into 252 Tattoo in Columbia Station where my friend Josh/OB works. We go way back to the Old Town days, (think pit versus lot, for those in on the know), and I had not seen him in probably eight years. We got caught up while I got a new tattoo, and we made tentative plans to get my older pieces by him (my first four tattoos) touched up/fixed at a later date.

After that I met up with Tom Orange who was my wonderful host. We headed into Cleveland for Taco Tuesday and two dollar bottled Mexican beer, and from there we went to the Language Foundry where I met a lot of wonderful people over my two days there: Joseph Makkos, Jose, Tim, Susan, Carmen, Rob from Saginaw, Jay, and many others. Hanging out at the Foundry was all about conversation, music, poetry, book-making, and soup-making. I didn't get out of there until after 2am either night, and since I have been waking up at 5am lately, that made for a couple of very late nights for me!

On Wednesday, the Frank's Bruised Mandarin tour came and read at the Foundry. There is still one date left in the tour--I believe they will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow. If you're in Pittsburgh, find out what's going on and check it out. It was a wonderful reading celebrating three new books, CAConrad's The Book of Frank, Magdelena Zurawski's The Bruise, and Aaron Kunin's The Mandarin, hence the tour name. There was also a visual/noise performance piece by J.S. Makkos. It was a really wonderful reading and I am looking forward to reading The Book of Frank and The Bruise (I already read and enjoyed The Mandarin). Magdelena's and Aaron's books are books of fiction by poets, and if you enjoy sentences as much as I do, I think you will find them both delightful. The Book of Frank has been long in the making, and you may have previously seen some of the poems around, perhaps in the chapbook from ypolita which I previously wrote about here. CAConrad read from a number of projects, including poems from his forthcoming book Advanced Elvis Course which will be published by Soft Skull later this year.

It was nice hanging out talking to everyone pre- and post-reading. In addition to all the folks mentioned previously, Michael Dumanis and Kazim Ali were also there.

Other Cleveland spots I hit up: the famous Westside Market for breakfast and produce and Visible Voice Books, a nice indie bookshop in the Tremont neighborhood where I picked up a d.a. levy chapbook, suburban monastery death poem, and the Ted Berrigan Annotated Checklist from Granary.

I really enjoyed Cleveland and look forward to returning in May (most likely). Thanks to Tom and everyone at the Foundry for being most wonderful hosts and friends.

My Friends are Awesome

2009-03-07T15:17:00.004-05:00

Joe Massey's first full-length collection of poetry, Areas of Fog, is now available from Shearsman Books. You can order it just about everywhere, but I recommend getting it through SPD.

Also, Ami Plasse of Ami Underground was interviewed by Urban Sketchers. Check it out here.

Where is my mind?

2009-03-04T22:52:00.002-05:00

My life feels somewhat normal, but not really. I am almost there. I received a message this weekend that said, "Your blog is in shambles. I have no idea what's going on in your life."

Life has been a lot of work lately, and also some travel (Chicago, Florida, Cleveland) that has interfered with work and writing and all that. I still imagine that day in the near-future where I have more free time and I use that time to catch up on all I need to catch up on. As Barbara Ehrenreich says, Those who are busy will never be successful. It looks like I will never be successful.

The Vagina Monologues and V-Week activities at Delta College are proving to be surprisingly controversial. It really baffles me. Protestors? I mean, who protests ending violence against women? Anyhow, there are two performances of the play tomorrow at 11am and 7pm.

My recent review of Sandra Simonds's Warsaw Bikini is up in the March issue of BookSlut. You can read it here.

I spent a good part of class this morning discussing Sam Pink's poem "I Am Going to Jump Kick Your Face and Then Kiss It" from the current issue of Coconut. I think I have an interesting set of response papers waiting for me.

On May 20th, I will be homeless unless I find somewhere to live before then. There are a couple of complications (like which state do I look in?) that are holding me back from looking for anything now, though it is a little early anyhow. Realistically, regardless of where I am living in September, I need to be in the Tri-Cities through August to teach my summer classes.

I've now had to return my new bathing suit top twice: the first time they sent the wrong size, the second time it was the wrong pattern.

Random realization: I have not been to a doctor since 2006. The last time I saw an optometrist was 2003. I am pretty sure I need glasses.

Now Available: Mike Sikkema's Futuring

2009-02-04T08:59:00.003-05:00

Mike Sikkema has published his first book of poems. Mt. Pleasant School of Poetics represent! You may or may not know that I previously published Mike's chapbook Code Over Code way back when I first started Lame House. I've known Mike a long time and am happy to see this collection out, and also happy to brag that I have the original still of the image by Dietmar Krumrey that graces this cover. It is from the 2007 performance piece "Give and Take" which you can view on Dietmar's Perpetual Art Machine page.

I blurbed Futuring, thusly:

Michael Sikkema's Futuring rings as it arrives. With a careful eye for details, Sikkema takes it all in. From the violence of a television commercial to tender moments in a relationship, Sikkema recreates a world where "the concealed isn't."

You can buy it here.

This is Why I Hurt You voted Best Book or Chapbook of 2008

2009-01-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Black Ocean Press asked small press editors to select the best books of 2008, and Kate Greenstreet's This is Why I Hurt You came in on top. You can see the other results here, and you can order the chapbook (very few copies remaining) here. Congrats Kate!