National Poetry Month returns--come join me!

April is National Poetry Month in the States, and once again I'm going to try to write something every day (a practice called NaPoWriMo, National Poetry Writing Month). This time, though, as I'm amid a flash fiction project, I'm going to write either a poem, a section of a poem, or a flash fiction each day.

I'm also pleased to say that the current crop of five poetry MAs at Bath Spa have agreed to join me. If you want commit here as well, just respond under Comments and I'll happily add you to the list. You don't have to post your poems or prove anything, but a few times a month it'd be good to hear how it's going and its effects on your writing, on your process.

So, along for the ride are--

1. John Wheway, Bath

2. Graham Burchell, Dawlish (UK)

3. Daniel Vasili, Bath

4. Jodie Hollander, Bath

5. Louise Ellis, Bath

6. Linda Black, London

7. Dave Sealey, Bath

8. Jenny Martin, London

9. Dawn Trook, San Francisco

10. Libby Walkup, Fargo

11. Helen Pizzey

12. Peter Daniels, London

13. Cat Conway, London

14. Matt Bryden, Bath

15. Desmond Swords, Ireland

16. Cynthia Carpenter, Toronto

17. Catherine Daly, Los Angeles

18. Mary Leader, West Lafayette, Indiana

19. Jill Crammond Wickham

20. Robin Reagler, Houston, Texas

21. Carolee Sherwood, Albany, New York

22. Paul Schloss, Norwich

23. Uma Gowrishankar, India

Geoffrey Hill candidate for Oxford's Professor of Poetry

The article in The Independent overdoes the matter of violence in Hill's work with its header, "Is this the violent new face of poetry at Oxford?" Hill is hardly new, either. I was going to refer people who wanted to know more about Hill to the British Council's Contemporary Writers site, but shockingly there's no entry for him, though many lesser writers are included. Ironically there is an entry on the Academy of American Poets site--short, but a place to begin for the uninitiated, and here's a site at which to explore his work in depth.

i.m. Ai, 1947-2010

The poet Ai, whose powerful dramatic monologues I taught just earlier this month, died this past Friday, 19 March. I remember when I first encountered her work--I think it was in Killing Floor--I wrote a handful of knock-offs, I so wanted to capture that same sense of cruelty and vulnerability in everyday life. To learn more about her work and read some of her poems, please see her entry on the Poetry Foundation website.

A new online appearance at Litter

Alan Baker, editor of Leafe Books who so kindly published my pamphlet Yet a couple years ago, recently asked me for some poems for his online magazine, Litter, and they're now up here. I hope you enjoy them.

Infinite Difference London launch, 10 March 2010

Gavin Selerie and Isobel Armstrong in conversation

Redell Olsen reading

Sascha Akhtar reading

We had such a crowd!

Thanks to Tony Frazer and Rachel McCarthy for the photos.

i.m. Henry Ross Etter, 26 September 1940-13 March 2009

This is Dad and Mom with my nephew Nathan as a newborn. What great hair!

Dad and Sandra on Sandra's second wedding day

Christmas 2005 at the Etter house: Bryan Perschall (seated) with son Alex (slumped out), Scott Cummings (on the phone) with daughter Sara (now artist extraordinare) next to Dad, looking with a big grin on it all, with Mom on the right with Austin and Katie's head visible at the bottom of the photo

You are dearly, wretchedly missed.

Laurie Duggan on the launch of Infinite Difference

Click the title above to read Laurie Duggan's commentary on the launch of Infinite Difference on Wednesday in London.

Infinite Difference launches tonight in London!

Come to the Swedenborg Hall, London tonight for a launch like no other. From seven-thirty sharp, the following contributors to Infinite Difference: Other Poetries by UK Women Poets will be reading:

Sascha Akhtar

Isobel Armstrong

Caroline Bergvall

Andrea Brady

Claire Crowther

Catherine Hales

Frances Kruk

Rachel Lehrman

Wendy Mulford

Redell Olsen

Frances Presley

Sophie Robinson

Lucy Sheerman

Zoë Skoulding

Harriet Tarlo

Arrive between 7 and 7:20 for a glass of bubbly before the readings begin, with each contributor reading 4-5 minutes. Copies of the anthology will cost a mere £10 on the night (normally £12.95)--as if you needed another reason to attend!

The final Infinite Difference sampler, no. 10: Frances Kruk's "flux"

Frances Kruk

The anthology is out now and can be ordered from the publisher, Shearsman Books, and The Book Depository in the UK and from The Book Depository or Small Press Distribution in the US.

Sara's latest painting

My niece Sara, six, loves painting, and I love the results. By clicking on the image, you can enlarge it for more detail.