Why I am not a poet (2009)

Everyone became famous 15 minutes ago.
We are all together in one big tent.
Kittens raised in the dark will never develop normal vision.
When enough of them are wrong, they’re right.
Children taught the wrong words for everything.
Try pointing towards the undefined.
Suggestible students tend to believe they have whatever disorder they’re currently studying.
‘Beyond a certain point, complexity is fraud.’
Final week of the semester: a thinly attended, token lecture on poetry.
When bored, the monkeys would just masturbate all day.
Losing the ability to say ‘I’.
I have always been a wretched speaker.
This tapped fuelsource may not prove relocatable.
Like a philosopher, placing everything in inverted commas.
I’m not a fucking mindreader.
Laughter as the ‘false-alarm call’, revoking the need for assistance.
‘If you’re not reading this for pleasure, you’re reading it wrong.’
Dropping dead from lack of contact.
Window-glass flexed by the wind.
Palm resting on the hump of the mouse.
Going without for months.
Holding pattern.
Short course on how to say ‘No’.
Thinks you’re cute, feels he’s getting warm, looks for an entrance.
Primates will signal the location of food.
Overly-generic comforting gestures trivialise the extent of the other’s sadness.
Bullshit detector.
‘Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.’
Yay, urban-life technologies warp the psyche in unexpected ways.
The simplest phrases have their difficulties.
Such gadgets and tripwires seem the preserves of a younger man.
At one time considered entering a monastery, but was above all desirous of information.
‘The technologist produces a poem, whereas the poet trashes a machine.’
I have never been drunk in my life.
Come on you little shit, everyone’s waiting for you.
The first drawing ever produced by an ape was a drawing of the bars of its cage.
Those hoodied block-boys shouting, ‘To hell with being awake!’
No one blames them.
Sleep deprivation disinhibits.
‘Genuine public debate.’
Ferment.
Seriously, how free can the market be?
The technology ticking flawlessly.
Rampant hyper-deference.
Sub-par finishing proved the difference.
Let nothing go unreplied.
(Editing > writing.)


Note: 'Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise': Shakespeare, sonnet #106.

Below: Michael Goldberg, 'Sardines' (as immortalised in Frank O'Hara's 'Why I Am Not a Painter')

Wordsalad

The latest Wordsalad podcast features words written/spoken by Amanda Stewart, Annie Burie, Craig Hill, Elizabeth Willis, Janet Kuypers, John Ashbery, Nico Vassilakis, Olga Broumas, Rachel Zucker, Richard Martel, Robert Archambeau, Robin Chapman, and some guy called Stu Hatton. All interspersed with music by Merzbow.

Thanks to Paul Baker for another great show, and for squeezing in a couple of my poems. And special thanks to Chris Andrews for helping out with the recordings.

necessary for you

"In order for you to like something it is necessary for you to have seen and understood it a long time ago, you bunch of idiots"

- attributed to Francis Picabia / written on a sandwich board worn by André Breton at the Festival Dada in Paris, 1920.

Image: Francis Picabia, 'I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie' (1914)

videopoem #5

Tom Konyves : Sign Language

As discussed on Silliman's Blog. (I'm glad to see the likes of Silliman talking about videopoetry; I believe it has the potential to rejuvenate poetry as an artform and open up new frontiers.)

My literary space at LiteraryMinded

In the lead up to the Emerging Writers' Festival, Angela Meyer is featuring the 'literary spaces' of writers who'll be appearing at the festival on her excellent blog LiteraryMinded.

My literary space is the latest to be featured. I was asked to respond to the question 'Where do you write?' and basically mused on from there. It's an honest account.

In case you missed my earlier post, I'll be taking part in 'The Best Ways Forward' panel on Sunday 31st May, within the Melbourne Town Hall program at the festival. Looking forward to it...

Snorkel #9

As we like to say over at dumbfoundry, Snorkel #9 'is now fresh'.

This issue features poems by Nicholas Messenger, Adrian Wiggins, Aleksandra Lane, Kerrin P. Sharpe, Louise Wallace, Sarah Anderson, Cameron Griffiths, Elizabeth Allen, Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle, Joan Fleming, Jule Treneer, Mary Cresswell and Ingrid Horrocks.

My poem repackaging 'evil' is also in there, along with a note on how the poem came into being.

Thanks to Cath Vidler for letting my poem tag along for the ride.

Poetry Idol 2009 : Heat 3

Heat 3 of Poetry Idol will be happening at Mornington Library (Vancouver Street - Melway 104 D10) on Saturday the 16th of May. Poetic and musical goodness kicks off from 11am.

The two judges will be myself and Melissa Delaney, a practising electronic artist who also works as Arts Coordinator with RMIT Union Arts. Previously Melissa was Artistic Director at Express Media (producers of Voiceworks).

As with all the heats, the judges will pick two winners, and the audience gets to vote for a further two poets, making four poets who'll go through to the final.

Hope to see you there!