My Blog

Blog

  • x-post: Fox Vent

    The thing about Fox is, they’re not subtle. And neither is this micro-rant.

  • Hi

    Sometimes
    when people walk by
    I go to say “hi” to them
    but nothing comes out,
    I just open and shut my
    mouth with a
    dry whisper
    and I think:
    I must look like a lizard to them,
    like a big, hairy, rumpled lizard
    with a tiny
    tongue.

  • No one should suffer

    Some say “no one should suffer simply because they have chosen to fall in love.”
    But I’m not certain I agree.
    Surely someone should suffer.
    Surely. Someone should suffer simply.
    Because they have chosen to fall.
    But perhaps no one have chosen?
    You think? Because they suffer then?
    Perhaps they surely? Simply to choose?
    I’m say not certain.
    Surely to choose to love, yes?
    Surely to choose perhaps
    to love at last
    to fall
    simply because
    but no one agree.

  • Poetry, Music, and Food: Tuesday October 18th

    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

  • The At Swim-Two-Birds Deathmarch End of the Road

    Here it is — finally. The spot for final thoughts on Flan’s Irish stew….

  • Shining

    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

  • It’s not every day

    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.

  • The At Swim-Two-Birds Deathmarch Penultimate Jucture

    Well, this has officially been the most mismanaged literary deathmarch of the 21st century. In fact, I don’t mean to brag, but I recently received a notarized letter letting me know that this is the most mismanged literary deathermarch of the 21st century. Which doesn’t happen every day. Is all I’m saying.
    Clearly: it’s high time we bring it all home. Let’s wrap this puppy up by next Tuesday. Them what have already finished, legion that you are, feel free to begin end-game banter on this thread, using a little gentle-loving kindness toward those of us who still have the one-last-push to go with regard to your revelation of unexpected zigs or zags.
    As for me, I finally caught up but yes, the very day I caught up, OK, I lost my copy. So clearly some powerful cosmic force doesn’t want me to finish this book. And I respect that. But I’m pretty sure I won’t be beat.
    I continue to enjoy the book, which veers from wildly entertaining to fairly entertaining to slightly tedious and then back to wildly entertaining. As much fun as I’m having, it’s easy to imagine it all ending in an unsatisying way, as some has already suggested. One thing I’m starting to wonder is, how much am I missing by not being a scholar of classic Irish lit and myths? I suspect tons.
    For example, I happened to pick up a Seamus Heaney collection this weekend and came across an aside about Heaney’s Sweeney Astray “a translation of the medieval Irish work Buile Suibhne, which tells of the penitential life led by Sweeney after he was cursed and turned into a wild flying creature by St Ronan at the Battle of Moira.” Which, ya know, sounds a little familiar. Is all I’m saying.
    Next week: See ya back here for the grand finale.

  • Strut

    Thank you for the strut
    even though I know
    it wasn’t
    intended
    for me.

  • The At Swim-Two-Birds Deathmarch Partial Punt

    Been on the road and having a hard time keeping up with DM responsibilities. Lame? Yes!
    But I aim to replace this ‘un with a real post in the morrow. For now, feel free to post any/all complaints about the way this DM is being mismanged here. (For example: “I could pull a better At Swim-Two-Birds Deathmarch out of a hat!”)
    -Cecil