Question:  I can't copy and paste on this blog because the blogger tool that allowed me to do that has disappeared.  Can anyone offer any suggestions?  I'm at a loss. And my creative pursuits are hampered, my friends.

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Earlier today I decided to play a game.  It was called "Can Tom Finish Mowing the Yard before the Rain Starts Pouring?"  I got soaked by an icy ass rain.  5 more minutes and I would have won. I could have been a contender.

I was cleaning myself up in the basement bathroom and the power went out.  Then it came back on and I thought it was safe to pee.  I started to pee and the power went out.  Wasn't sure what I might be peeing on at that point so I just started giggling.  Giggling and peeing, not always a pretty combination.  Though it can be musical.

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I added a third 1st string exercise to my guitar repertoire today.  I'm going to keep plugging until I can play a blues song.  And when I get to the point where I can do that, I'm not going to ask anybody's permission or what anybody thinks I ought to do, I'm going to go out and find a used stratocaster and an amp and work on becoming a neighborhood nuisance.

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In yesterday's mail: a review copy of  The Last Vispo Anthology: Visual Poetry 1998-2008, edited by Crag Hill and Nico Vassilakis.

I've been looking forward to seeing this book.  Especially after the presentations Crag and Nico gave from it at the Avant Writing Symposium at Columbus in August 2010.  But I was totally unprepared  for how gorgeous the volume is.

At the Symposium, Crag and Nico were still uncertain about where to publish the thing.  I made several suggestions but they were concerned about the book becoming overly expensive and perhaps getting lost in an art niche.

They found the perfect solution in Fantagraphics Books which usually puts out beautiful collections of comics or graphic novels and which has a great distribution system.

The anthology alternates sections of essays with sections of visual work.  The book will change the way many people think about visual poetry.  I can testify to that and I plan to.  Which is why I wanted a review copy.

Stay tuned.

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So, let's see, where are we?

I can't copy/paste on my blogs and need help.

Don't play lawn mower roulette with mother nature.

Don't pee in the dark.  Don't giggle while peeing in the dark.

My guitar work proceeds apace (that is to say, very slowly).

The Last Vispo Anthology is a singular piece of work.  A lot needs to be said about it.  I promise you I'm going to return to it in a more extensive way after I give it a thorough going over.

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What else?

In today's mail: Heroines by Kate Zambreno.  Can't wait to read it.  KZ is, as they say, the bees' knees.

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