Well that was a much-needed fix.. I thought earlier that I wouldn't be able to get it up. But as soon as people started reading I got all excited and was no longer sick of the book and felt that everyone was fabulous geniuses or most everyone, anyway. Antzen, brilliant as always, G.H. alas read nothing new though he had an entire new manuscript with him and I saw only a bit of it; but I'm cool with hearing "The Terrorist" for the umpteenth time - it seems better on every reading. The trick is to trick him out of the new manuscript before he gets drunk and burns it. Damn. Y.'s amazing long thing was great, read by a starryeyed blonde bombshell fangirl. We introduced Y. as someone who fucks god every night and went on and on in poety ways praising her glorious weirdness and her free-spinning poems.
Most of all it was such good variety and I felt proud of the book (which i got so sick of while doing it) all over again. They were all very different good poets. So not a "scene" where everything matches up -- we all were willing to go on each other's odd, shy trips.
As for me. I not only got it up, I fucked the whole harem. It's so shameful but I love to have hordes of admirers. And there is a moment if I am lucky where I feel the mood of everyone in the room and feel that I'm connecting directly with them. That was happening and it was so great! Afterwards everyone was begging me to see the series of short poems. And Witter dug the translation with all the groves and nymphs and grots and vastyness. I read it in spanish, rottenly (i kind of made myself read it though i knew I'd do it badly, as a spur to practice.) And I'm glad I read the huge unfinished poem. Now I know where some of the missing bits are and also it was a surprise how much people liked it and what they quoted back to me later and what they thought was funny.
No one cares if you read a 10 minute long poem, as long as it's all about the breasts of underage lesbians.
Ah yes, that last sentence. So often true! Can't be said too much!
Posted by: Jo | July 20, 2004 at 07:21 AM