Category: This; And also that

I am late
to this particular party.

In fact, the party has rolled on.
And yet here I am. 

         Partying
nonetheless.

Hi all,
A little shameless self-promotion. Red Hills Review and C’era Una Volta (one of my very favorite Italian restaurants on the planet) are hosting a poetry reading and were nice enough to ask me to read. So I’m bustin’ out my top hat and cane and I thought I’d use this old web site to spread the word.
I’ll be reading various poems and related shtick along with two great east bay poets — Julia Park and Andy Crockett. We’ll try to keep it light ‘n breezy. Except for the part where we suddenly, unexpectedly strike a nerve and you begin to weep and weep and weep some more. And then, just as suddenly: back to the shtick!
John Wright, a good pal of mine and an outstanding musician, will be starting the evening off with world-class acoustic guitar.
If you’re in the area, we’d love to see ya there.
Here’s the information:
Date and time: Tuesday, October 18th, 7 pm
Place: C’era Una Volta
Address: 1332 Park St. Alameda (call the restaurant at 510.769.4828 or just ask me for directions)
Admission: Free as the day is long. And the day is long.
-Cecil

I don’t usually use this blog for “links to funny things”(tm) but this one has earned an exception.
See, there was this contest to create trailers for movies that sorta mess with what the movie’s about. And this piece for The Shining won.
Super-dooper-highly-recommended.
-Cecil

that I get to pick up a brand-new Big Star record. (One of my favorite bands just put out its first new record in 30 years yesterday.) For Big Star aficionados I will say, as ya might expect, it’s more of an “Alex Chilton and the Posies” record than the old Big Star sound. But still: fun fun fun.

If you’re a Big Star fan (and our market research shows that 31% of cv’s readership self-identify as “Big Star fan” or “fan of Big Star” or “person who is or would like to be identified as ‘Big Star fan’ or ‘fan of Big Star’”), you may already know that they’ve got a new record coming out later this month. But did you know that three full songs from that long-playing disc are now legally available for play right here?

Not that you need me to say this
and anyways, who am I to say this
besides which, knowing you,
as I do
you’ve probably already done this
or else are getting geared up ya see
really
what I’m trying to say is:
please consider giving
what you can
to a charity to aid
Katrina refugees.
For example (and this is just one example): The Red Cross.

Alameda’s own Red Hills Review is the gift that keeps on giving. They’re hosting the second reading for their current issue Wednesday night at 7:30, at Books Inc., in the heart of the Island City (also known as The City That Looks Suspiciously Like a Whale.
I’ll amongst them what’re reading their wares — love to see yer there.

Not just thank you very much.
But thank you very very
very very
much.

Boy am I glad that
trout don’t eat cats.
Because if they did
we’d have to use kittens for bait.
And, well,
yuck.

Mosquitoes avoid the sunlight.
Likewise, vampires avoid the sunlight.
Think about that.
It would be eerie almost
except for the fact that
vampires aren’t real.
And I’m not 100% certain that
mosquitoes avoid the sunlight.