Left behind by Beyond Baroque.

Reposting this from Facebook:
Received a Beyond Baroque fundraising letter which speaks of "the spirit of openness and rebellion inherent in literature and art." Except for the HOLLYWOOD POETRY book, I noticed last spring that my chapbooks were removed from the bookstore (ironic since Scott Wannberg, for whom the store is named, supported poets of all stripes when he worked at Duttons Brentwood). Presumably, my earlier DIY work needed to make way for more saleable exemplars of openness and rebellion. I asked for the chapbooks (excepting those in the BB archives) to be returned; this didn't happen. I do appreciate the times I have attended readings and participated in the past--and how hard people work to continue its existence. But I feel distanced from its current programmng and governing philosophies, and have no further desire to donate.

David Ulin, Suzanne Lummis, WIDE AWAKE and me.

Reposting this from Facebook, where, but for a handful of exceptions, it was not commented on:

Read David Ulin's remarks about WIDE AWAKE in his 10-Best [books] article in LA TIMES. Became enormously depressed, but nothing I can do about Ulin reducing the collective value of a large (and quite diverse at times) group of poets to one person's choices. And this isn't intended as a slight towards Suzanne and the work she did compiling it (I [bought] a copy)--just Ulin's insistence that the only poets worth remembering in perpetuity are the ones intersecting with [Suzanne] to varying degrees.

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS poetry panel--Part 8

Only two more portions to go after this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvsOkAD3CNE&feature=plcp

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS poetry panel Part 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5WZ5ho_hk0&feature=plcp

Forwarding info about this weekend's Other Venice Film Festival in Venice CA

WHAT: The OTHER VENICE FILM FESTIVAL, dedicated to screening full-length, short, and animated films that embody the spirit, energy, and diversity of Venice, CA, returns for its ninth season, featuring more than 60 filmmakers and ten countries. [located at Beyond Baroque in Venice; for more information, click onto http://www.beyondbaroque.org]

WHY:
Venice, CA has always been an epicenter for LA artists and filmmakers who continue to pave the way toward expanding the language of underground, alternative cinema. The OTHER VENICE FILM FESTIVAL bridges the community of Venice and that of greater LA together in a wild, exciting, fun-filled weekend of movies and mayhem.

WHEN:

Opening Night Friday, October 12, 2012
Bree Walker Red Carpet Interviewer.
6:00 pm: Doors Open
live band performance by Natural Hi-Fi
8:00 pm
World premiere of "Ballad Of Danko Jones" Opening (short film)
Starring Elijah Wood, Ralph Macchio, Selma Blair, Lemmy Kimster, Jena Malone
Underbelly Blues (feature)
Starring Elizabeth Croydon, Seamus Reed, Marc Hatchell, Nathan Hurd; Tarantino Production
Followed by Q & A with the Filmmakers
10:00 pm
Opening Party with DJ Michael Stackhouse, live performance plus art, food & libations from the great chefs of Venice in Outdoor Patio.

Films in competition on Saturday, October 13, 2012
10:00 am Youth Short Film Section
2:00 pm World Premiere of No Body's Child; Troy: Naked Boys Behind Bars, Sing!; Chick Flick Spirit & Diversity Series (Alternative Film), plus award-winning short film, The Maiden and The Princess
4:30 pm World Premiere of Roadmap to Apartheid (Feature Film, Political Section)
6:30 pm World Premieres of Bring on the Mountain; rock documentary The Ballad of Danko Jones
9:00 pm Music Video Series: The Me, Albino Raindrops - World Premiere; plus live performance by Venice Rock Star, Stevie Starlight
Brendan Benson (Raconteurs) singer/songwriter toured the United States backed by musicians Brad Pemberton (The Pinkhearts, Ryan Adams), andJonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies/Big Star. In addition to the music video series, Brendan Benson's LA Concert Film will be screening during the afterparty, which begins at 10pm.

**Note** Special 2Fer Tickets are available for $ 15.00 for the 6:30pm screening, which includes Bring Down The Mountain and the rock documentary, The Ballad of Danko Jones.


Closing day, Sunday October 14th, 2012
1:00 pm World Premiere of The Predator's Returns (Short), Warren Steven's Tribute Series
2:30 pm International Short Film Series
6:00 pm Trailer Park Jesus, Feature in competition
8:00 pm Outdoor screening: The Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge is a documentary about the world's first attempted intercontinental flight between Africa and Europe over the North Atlantic Ocean by piloted jet-wing,
9:00 pm -10:00 pm: Abbot Awards & Closing Party - Hosted by Jill Jacobson
Live performance by local band SHIP OF THE RISING SUN.
Award ceremony and closing party is FREE for the public to attend.

HOW:
Tickets are available through the Other Venice Film Festival website, or call 310.463-0275
Day of tickets will be sold at the door (based on availability)
Cost: $10 for single event ticket, for opening night screening and reception: $35 online, $40@Door
Abbot Awards on Sunday, October 14th: complimentary

CONTACT:
Reuben De La Casas, Director of OVFF / Media Relations 310-806-2181
For more information and tickets, log onto http://othervenicefilmfestival.com
On your Mobile Phone ovff.mobi

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS panel Part 6

Jumping forward to Part 6 of the evening.  Discussion of venues past including
Tom Ianniello's famed Iguana Cafe and Exile Books and Music in the San Fernando Valley.

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS panel Part 4

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS panel Part 3

NEWS CLIPS AND EGO TRIPS panel Part One

Re the annual Newer Poets reading--a modest proposal.

Full disclosure up front: for a handful of years, I volunteered time and money to make possible the printing and delivery of postcards for the Los Angeles Poetry Festival's Newer Poets reading--organized by Suzanne Lummis.  And I was glad to be of help to Suzanne, so whatever comments I make below aren't meant as ingratitude.

I recently noticed this description of the Newer Poets reading held last night at the Los Angeles Public Library's Downtown location:
"The seventeenth annual newer poets program is guest-curated by three acclaimed poets: Eloise Klein Healy, Arktoi Press; Suzanne Lummis, Los Angeles Poetry Festival; and Gail Wronsky, professor, Loyola Marymount University and member, Glass Table Collective."

You'll notice that Beyond Baroque--which was a guest-curator in past years--is missing from the above statement.  This oversight surprised me; perhaps the honored Venice poetry/arts institution will again be invited to nominate poets in 2013.

But perhaps it's time for me to offer unsolicited (and likely to be unheeded) advice about the Newer Poets reading as it proceeds through the 2010s.  It should be split in two--first with a totally Newer Poets reading honoring those literary-ambitious bards who have, say, less than ten years of existence in what is known as "the poetry community"; then, an Honored Poets reading saluting talented veterans who haven't always received the spotlight so generously (and often frequently) aimed at a handful of others in the LA/OC areas.  And one of the two readings could be held at a venue other than the LAPL deemed prestigious enough by the Los Angeles Poetry Festival organizers. 

Sometimes, poets who have spent up to decades in the trenches of writing/submitting/reading/MFAing may feel a bit spiritually diminished by being suddenly labeled "Newer Poets" akin to musicians/actors suddenly being called "overnight successes" by the mainstream media.  Ergo, the division into two categories.

Feel free to use the comments section to agree/disagree with what I wrote above.

Beyond Baroque, a poet who hates me--and me.

Not to go into too many details here, but there's a poet in the community who I was once at least acquaintances with back at the beginning of the last decade.  My wife and I were even invited to some parties at her then-home in West L.A.  Unfortunately, I caused that comradeship to end in 2003 when I was critical of how circle-of-friends clubby her booking of a poetry festival was.  And I didn't know how to shut up and not escalate the situation further when she became upset at me.  So I said something I regret now--and she and I became adversaries. Each of us has left the other alone for the past few years after the two of us traded noncompliments on poetry listserves--though I did try to friend her on Facebook and sent an e-mail expressing sympathy after the death of a female poet we both knew.  Other than that, I don't bother her at all.

Recently, when I was sent the Facebook thread about feedback and pushback regarding an earlier post of mine on this blog, she made an allegation that I was the one who kept her from being part of the local scene.  Untrue--she's been a feature at a few readings and even runs a series of salutes to deceased female poets (Dorothy Parker and Sylvia Plath, for example) at Beyond Baroque.

I donate to Beyond Baroque to help keep the doors open, the lights on and various readings/panels (including hers) possible.  I don't ask for/insist on anything, and appear there as a featured poet only when asked (most recently at one of Billy Burgos' Sunday readings--thanks again to Rafael FJ Alvarado for making it possible).

But I'd like to say this publicly:  I'm aware that the poet I've written about in the above paragraphs has a negative opinion of me that will never change.  She has a right to persist in her beliefs--I handled myself in a rather insensitive fashion back in 2003-04.  However, it would be much appreciated by both myself and my wife if the poet could please be kind and refrain from stating that I'm impeding her local poetry career in any way, shape or form.

Poet Jimmy Cvetic and a co-star of HBO's LUCK read poetry this Friday in L.A.

POETRY READING: JIMMY CVETIC & SPECIAL GUEST NICK NOLTE Friday 9:00pm until 11:00pm Beyond Baroque 681 Venice Bl. Venice, CA 90291 24 February, Friday - 9:00 PM POETRY READING: JIMMY CVETIC & SPECIAL GUEST NICK NOLTE JIMMY CVETIC, aka Dog, is a retired Allegheny County cop who writes like Bukowski with a badge. Having worked for over 30 years in Pittsburgh as a uniformed officer, an undercover narc otics agent, and a homicide detective, Cvetic offers a unique glimpse into the real life trials, tribulations, and black humor of police work. Having amassed over three thousand poems over the past fourdecades, he bears witness to the full range of the human drama - from horrific tragedies to dark comedies of folly.

Reprising my SoCal poetry disengagement statement from Facebook.

After this coming Sunday (November 6th), I'll be disappearing from the public poetry scene in Southern California for awhile. I learned a few things about poetry--more than I ever thought I would. So glad to have made some friends over the past thirteen years. Will still post poems to Facebook (and on this blog) on occasion and hope to keep books available in stores--and one of them will soon be available online. Sending best wishes to those who remain in the arena.

New poem: POEM FOR SCOTT

Poem for L.A./Oregon poet Scott Wannberg, who recently passed away:

you were blessed




with a light inside you



that converted everywhere you traveled



into a warm, inviting living room



where we could gather



and hear you in poem, story and song







the cattle rustler,



the snake oil salesman,



the purveyors of matters trivial and supercilious,



the holy pretenders who sold



zircon-coated unthinking obedience as Truth--



you let none of them disturb/distress you



as you traveled through this life







when it's time to pass into the Afterlife,



I can't wait to see you in its living room,



faithful, truth-loving canine companion Sparky by your side,



with more poems, stories and songs



about what was,


what is,



and what will be



.

RIP Scott Wannberg--poet and friend to other poets.

Just opened an e-mail and received the sad news that Scott Wannberg--a fine poet and representative of the best aspects of Los Angeles poetry--has passed away.

Immediate memories of Scott are these: his long tenure at the Duttons Brentwood store, where he curated the chapbook section (poets were assured of being paid for their work); also, there were his live readings which often began with a cappella covers of songs by John Prine.
Rip Rense's 1994 article about Scott and his poetry:
http://www.riprense.com/Wannberg.htm
Kevin Roderick's article in L.A. OBSERVED:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2011/08/scott_wannberg_poet_of_du.php
Carolyn Kellogg's eulogy in the LOS ANGELES TIMES:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/08/poet-scott-wannberg-has-died.html

For now, I'll recommend that you visit http://www.lummoxpress.com/ for Scott's poetry published by RD Raindog Armstrong and go onto your favorite online booksite to buy a copy of STRANGE MOVIE FULL OF DEATH--a book published by Viggo Mortensen's Perceval Press.

Poets, belonging and joining/leaving "poetry gangs."

Years ago, I upset a female poet (who was then quite prominent and now re-emerging onto the scene after several years' absence) with some ill-chosen, less-than-tactful words about what I thought was a too-narrow booking for an event being held in Silverlake.

She mentioned to me, among other things, that she (and, implied, her peers) were in the process of accepting me and my poetry (i.e. I had a Beyond Baroque Sunday feature--plus a Valley Contemporary Poets feature--at that point)--and how could I be so impolitic to be critical and ill-mannered to her (my wife and I had attended a couple of holiday parties at her then-home on the Westside).

To be fair, she was right about a few things (I very much wish I had handled the matter more delicately if I was going to risk censure by questioning her booking policies in public and private).  And, over the years, on numerous occasions, I've been made to feel like John Milton's version of Satan, cast out of Heaven, where good and decent (once you've fulfilled all the social and artistic demands) poets reign.

Unfortunately, the problem is that, once you're in (or at least within a few miles of) Heaven, you discover that Heaven's a lot like Earth.

Poets still complain about other poets: I remember a current doyenne of the scene once complaining to a male poet/tastemaker last year about how a third poet didn't deserve all the features he was receiving at the time.

And I still have lingering less-than-positive memories of a poets' panel at Beyond Baroque years ago where abundant pleasure was taken in criticizing-verging-on-mockery-of the misfits of L.A. poetry.  The mitigating factor (if there was one) was that the alleged miscreants weren't mentioned by name.  But most everyone in the Beyond Baroque theater knew exactly which people were being gossiped about.

The moral of this collection of anecdotes: The grass is the same color on either side of the fence.  Just keep writing--and hope that what you do during your lifetime survives in at least one other person's memory after your demise.

Beyond Baroque Literary/ Arts Center: Beyond Baroque is a literary arts center and this ...

[Reprinting this mission statement from the Beyond Baroque blog]

Beyond Baroque Literary/ Arts Center: Beyond Baroque is a literary arts center and this ...: "Beyond Baroque is a literary arts center 1) Advancing public awareness of and involvement in contemporary literary arts; 2) Providing..."

Something that all of us in the poetry community are guilty of.

A couple of nights ago, I went to see a poet at a venue in Los Angeles.  He doesn't do features very often, so I wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to see him.

Unfortunately, the turnout was small.  And, I'm assuming that part of the reason was that some of the poet's friends/colleagues don't go or don't want to go to that venue.  And the poet featuring there wasn't going to be enough for those friends/colleagues to make a one-time exception.

This happens a lot.

People don't go to poetry venues for one or more of these reasons:
A. Dislike of the host/hosts
B. Not wanting to travel a long distance
C. Start time of the reading being too early/too late
D. Perception of the venue as being "bad" or "uncool" or insufficiently literate
E. Perception of the venue as being unappreciative of their poetry
F. Dislike of the host/hosts' choice of features


If you're a poet in LA/OC, you've probably nixed going to venues (at one time or another) for at least three of the reasons listed above.

Another random comments entry.

1. Victor "The Rooster From Wooster" Infante is taking votes on his blog to determine a temporary definitive slate of great American poets: http://ocvictor.livejournal.com/855417.html Judging from the list of names I've read, people are submitting poets primarily on the basis of "it's goooooood for yooooouuuuuu" gravitas. At least Jack McCarthy and Brendan Constantine (poets who don't believe quality and a sense of humor are a twain that should never meet) are part of the list. And here's the final list: http://ocvictor.livejournal.com/856408.html
2. Here's a link to the ROLLING STONE article about Stanley McChrystal blowing off, being a tough guy who thinks he's George S. Patton and essentially giving the middle finger to his civilian Commander in Chief: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236 A few minutes ago, I logged on and was only able to read the first page; I don't know if that's on purpose or due to the number of hits it's getting today. [There was a line that Robert Montgomery said to John Wayne in John Ford's THEY WERE EXPENDABLE: "Rusty, who do you think you're working for? Yourself?" ]
3. RIP Lee Sloca--SoCal poet who recently passed away. Sloca was an active presence at Venice CA's Beyond Baroque; guessing that a tribute will eventually appear on Beyond Baroque's Facebook page (can't quite call it a "wall").

Re this morning's L.A. City Council meeting about nonprofits' $1/year leases.

The item below was part of this morning's Los Angeles City Council meeting; essentially, it was intended to end the $1 per year lease for nonprofit organizations (including Venice's Beyond Baroque). Highlighting below is by me.

ITEM NO. (9)
08-2762 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS and BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEES’ REPORT relative to a proposed Non-Profit Lease Subsidy and Real Property Sale Policy. Recommendations for Council action: 1. ADOPT a Non-Profit Lease Subsidy and Real Property Sale Policy, including eligibility criteria/general terms and conditions, as specified in Attachment I of the Committee report, with a sunset clause of five years from the date of Council adoption unless extended by Council. 2. INSTRUCT the General Manager, Department of General Services (GSD), to prepare lease agreements for qualifying non-profit organizations for a minimum 5 year term, in accordance with the Non-Profit Lease Subsidy and Real Property Sale Policy, for consideration and recommendation by the Municipal Facilities Committee to the Council. 3. INSTRUCT the City Clerk to track the number and amount of subsidies for below market rate leases and real property sales by Council District and forward that information to the City Administrative Officer (CAO) for inclusion in financial status report. 4. INSTRUCT the CAO and the Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), with input from the City Attorney and other appropriate departments, to develop application procedures, consistent with those adopted for Special Events Fee Subsidies. 5. REQUEST the City Attorney to prepare any necessary ordinance or amending ordinance to implement the policy or procedures including: a. Possible addition of a sole source requirement into the policy regarding sales of City-owned property to non-profit organizations, in addition to the established City process to declare surplus property. b. Additional language to differentiate non-profit organizations that work directly on behalf of the City from the broader definition of non-profit organizations. 6. REQUEST the Board of Commissioners of Airports, Harbor, Water and Power, Recreation and Parks and Library to consider adopting a Non-Profit Lease Subsidy and Real Property Sale Policy similar to that specified in Attachment I of the report, to the extent that terms and conditions are applicable. Further, provide a written response within 30 days to the Budget and Finance Committee regarding the applicability of such a policy on department operations and continue to provide status reports every calendar quarter, until such a policy is adopted, as applicable (Note: The Department of Recreation and Parks already has an adopted "Board Policy on Partnerships"). WEDNESDAY 05-19-10 PAGE 11
7. INSTRUCT the CAO and the CLA to review this policy and report back to the Council regarding the fiscal impact on the City in conjunction with the City's annual budget deliberation. 8. INSTRUCT the CAO and the CLA to report on: a) The timeline needed by the GSD to negotiate new leases with non-profit organizations; b) more detailed estimates of potential revenue as a result of new lease agreements; and, c) the timeline required to implement the tracking and reporting process. 9. INSTRUCT the CAO and CLA to expand the subsidy referenced in Attachment I to include any eligible funds that the Council District has direct control over and not limit the subsidy to the Special Fund Fee Subsidy Reimbursement line item only. 10. INSTRUCT the CAO and CLA on Attachment II of the Committee report to change all waiver references from a waiver to a subsidy. 11. INSTRUCT the CAO and CLA on Attachment II to evaluate and report on the need to include under Real Property Sales the requirement for a non-profit organization to create or retain one full-time equivalent, permanent job for each $10,000 of market rate sale price waived (subsidized). Fiscal Impact Statement: The CAO and CLA report that adoption of this policy is anticipated to increase General Fund and Special Fund receipts, primarily from limiting lease subsidies to 50 percent of market rate which is estimated to generate rental receipts of approximately up to $1.5 million annually. Community Impact Statement: None submitted.