THE STATE OF POETRY

TRIBUTE TO BEN FOLDS #2--"The Best Imitation of Myself."

One more song cover: SPOKEN WORD SUPERFLY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRHTvdRkkoc

I don't have much of a vocal range, so this is a recitation of Curtis Mayfield's lyrics from the title song of the 70s classic film with Ron O'Neal.

Covering Ben Folds' "Rockin' The Suburbs."

The words of Folds and the intensity of Shatner and Eastwood--it's all here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDOTezCLvY

Needless to say, Ben Folds performed this song last night at the Music Box in Hollywood in a rather better fashion.

RIP Lena Horne.

She was a singer/actress/icon--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Horne


Here's a link to an underheralded film she made in the late 60s with Richard Widmark--
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064217/

Back to The Dark Side

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/us/politics/10holder.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig

And the new issue of NEWSWEEK on newsstands has this headline:

IS TERRORISM THE NEW COMMUNISM?

What would a world without the desire/need to manufacture enemies look like?

Peaches Geldof and her Confederate flag T-shirt.

http://gawker.com/5529871/uh-oh-peaches-i-think-you-crossed-the-line

I believe Nathanael West's famous line "Few things are sadder than the truly monstrous." from THE DAY OF THE LOCUST serves as an apt caption for the photo above.

I just can't quit reading The Rooster from Wooster's blog.

http://ocvictor.livejournal.com/841139.html

Imagine a poet who is so aesthetically conservative, it emanates from him like the scents of curry powder or garlic. And imagine that poet longing for a more raucous past--though he's comfortable these days with controlled readings and controlled poets.

As that great philosopher/trickster Duke the dog from the Bush's Beans commercials might say:

"It's just crazy!!!!"

[UPDATE 5/3/10: On Victor's blog I made a reference to another poet which I later conceded was unnecessary--his response was to throw the word "bully" at me. So I include here comments of mine, followed by his response:

To be truthful, there are some insightful entries you write here--and I value your opinions on all things comic-book, Neil Gaiman, etc.But on the subject of poetry, you can be so fatuous on occasion that irreverent responses are warranted. Your original entry makes me imagine Mitt Romney longing for a tab of Blue Sunshine.If you want to be a shaper of poets and poetry, then feedback you don't want to hear will come with the territory.

You gratuitously insult people until they to pay attention to you. You're a bully. Sorry to be the one to point it out.As always, I don't care a whit what you do, and only take exception when you use my space to needlessly insult people who've done you no harm. Gratuitously insulting people is what your blog is for.

There you have it. I'm a bully.]