A hundred great opening sentences

of novels, as collected by American Book Review, can be read here. If there are any you consider missing, I'd be grateful if you posted them as a comment on this post--I'd be delighted to read them.

Boston Review's choice microreviews

Two poets I'm fond of are warmly reviewed in the current Boston Review, one of my favourite magazines: Lytton Smith, for his first collection, The All-Purpose Magical Tent (Nightboat Books), and Sophie Robinson, for her first collection, a (Les Figues), both published last year. Congratulations to both!

i.m. Alan Sillitoe, 1928-2010

The Guardian's thoughtful obituary is here. I don't know what more to say except I'm saddened.

Mary Ann Samyn's Beauty Breaks In (New Issues, 2009)

Ave Maria polishes the background, while I tidy up out front.

Want to enjoy some majesty? Come on by, rain or snow, any evening.

last lines of "An Ambiguity"

In the hollow, the hollow was everything.

We oohed and aahed appropriately.

We learned sandstone versus limestone versus

what might have been.

*

What we liked best was anticipation,

which was fortunate since that was what we got.

*

I like my emptiness with a bit of elbow room.

You like yours with a convenient hatch.

from "Content / Content"

Another dazzling finale

and then I get to choose the braver way.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

are the questions.

*

Remembering is such a thrill

the rain does it all day long.

from "Her Sun Was Blue, Her Tree Was Green,

Her Line Was Very Straight"

For heaven's sake, don't worry. It's just Wal-Mart: paintbrushes and paint, some talent and a little hey why not.

from "I Want You to Scream It"

Thank goodness for tomorrow, which held today, squirming a little

but secretly loving it.

the last stanza of "In the Countryside of The"

Will I always be lonely in towns with small-time civic pride?

At least I've done a good job not filling the nothingness

with more of the same.

I consider the berries on the ivy: each one a little entrance

or exit.

My strength I learned a long time ago.

end of "It's Been a Lovely October Thus Far"

My mother wants to know, am I in town?

Infinite Crisis #5.

I'm temper, underneath.

I'm pacing all the way through.

from "Riskier Still"

Little by little is one way to row a boat. Mine is blue and white

and very very sleepy.

Yours I cannot say. But I'm betting on the unimaginable,

and the painfully obvious.

last stanzas of "Smack-dab"

How will you know me dressed as I am

in rhetoric and light?

last stanza of "Suppose We Make That Assumption"

In real life, I hold up one hand to show my city.

On the map, Michigan leaned a little drunk. Tipsy mitten.

from "THIS IS NOT AN ENTRANCE"

Feeling is active, I now realize.

Meaning lags behind, like thunder.

*

Intuition tells me I'm fine.

I've not exceeded the day's maximum

dose of anything.

A song I like repeats in my mind.

from "Tuesday Progress Report"

Two calm thoughts in a row. Personal best.

*

I'm a sensible nonsensical girl, not the other way around.

Mostly, I defer to you.

In a fit of wisdom, you chose me.

What more can I say?

beginning and ending of "When You Reach an Obstacle"

Beauty Breaks In is available with free worldwide shipping at The Book Depository.

i.m. Australian poet Peter Porter, 1929-2010

Here is the obituary from The Guardian. I only met him once, at a lovely reading he gave in Bath Spa's poetry reading series, and found him to be as relaxed and amiable as he was intelligent; a delightful conversationalist.

National Poetry Month continues

I'm behind, but determined to make 30 in 30. Here's the draft of a poem from the 20th.

Taken down a few days later, as usual.

Britain's best independent bookstores

As it begins with Mr B's in Bath and ends with the Poetry Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, I'm pleased to refer you to The Telegraph's article on Britain's best independents. I'm also wondering, of course, what stores the author missed and hope some readers will fill me in.

The Whitney Museum of American Art, third and final selection

Here's my last selection from the work I saw at the Whitney Museum early this month.

Tauba Auerbach's work from the exhibition has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated, as the Whitney's description makes clear (I hope). If you click on the painting beside the description so as to enlarge it, you'll appreciate how much her paintings look like real fabric. You can see more of her work on her website.

Lesley Vance's paintings suggest layers in intriguing relationships that render their still lives a greater sense of intimacy. Here are a couple images: "Untitled (12) (2009)"; "Untitled (21) (2009)".

The last artist I want to mention is photographer Stephanie Sinclair, who took photographs of Afghan women who set themselves on fire. The series, titled "Self-Immolation in Afghanistan: A Cry for Help," is intimate and moving. You can see it on the artist's website here.

"Named", a draft of a new poem

Taken down after two days, as usual

Obama's good work 3: Homosexuals' rights

"President Obama has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a rule that would prevent hospitals from denying visitation privileges to gay and lesbian partners."--CNN (read more)

I'd be glad to receive more examples of Obama's good work since he took office--feel free to post in comments or backchannel your message to carrie dot etter at gmail dot com.