Marty Resting

I'm feeling kind of emptied out.

Over the last ten years I've published five books of my own writing, plus 3 volumes of interviews I curated.  There have also been some assorted chapbooks, uncollected poems, interviews, etc.  It's been a very productive time.

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Still...I have no ideas at the moment.

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Thought can't be forced with good results.  This I know.  I've tried.

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So, while I wait for any kind of response to Appearances, I'm thinking to try and focus on what I can do...namely my inept exploration of the guitar.

Today I spent an inordinant amount of time grooving with a jam track to no one's advantage.  It felt pretty good.

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Today?

A lot of dogwood blossoms littering the backyard.  And thousands of maple tree helicopters raining in the front yard.

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I'm a bit between things at the moment.  Being done with the writing of Appearances is at once an accomplishment and a loss. I'm not sure what to do now and that bugs me.

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Listening to Keith Jarrett's new CD, Creation.  I've been attending to his music for 40 years.  It continues to enrich my life.

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Contemplating two very dead and much mourned azalea bushes.  Sigh.

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A couple of days ago it was in the 80's.  Today it's been in the 40-50 range. Coldish.  Flowers don't look amused.

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Listening to Junior Wells.

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It feels great to have Appearances starting to make its way in the world.  Funny thing, though, after working on it for a few years, I'm left with a funny void.

I've exorcised a whole bunch of allegorical figures.  The Hypnotist, the Ventriloquist, and the Projectionist, for example   Even the Virtual and the Real.

So, I'm very self-consciously confronting the need to start over again.

Last year I published Dipstick  Diptych with Marsh Hawk Press.  And this week, Appearances with Moria.  Two major (to me) events/efforts.

Writing has rarely come easily for me.  But I've learned a few things over the last 40 years.  The primary thing: one can't force the good stuff.  Not to say I haven't tried.

Sometimes things need to steep.  Right now I'm in steeping time.

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OK,  Junior.  I wanna hear that again.

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Fresh Galatea

The new issue of Galatea Resurrects is up:   http://galatearesurrection24.blogspot.com
My conversation with Marton Koppany is included in its pages.  Happy reading!

APPEARANCES IS OUT!

My new book, Appearances: A Novel In Fragments, is out.  Go here (and scroll to the bottom of the page) where you can either purchase a hard copy or download it for free as an e-book.

My thanks:

to editor-publisher William Allegrezza for some stellar work;

to Márton Koppány for a brilliant cover image;

to Thomas Fink for moral support and critical insights while I struggled with this project over the last few years.

Things are moving rather quickly now with my book. The cover's pretty much set and I just emailed the corrected text to Moria editor, William Allegrezza.  This time around I didn't ask anyone for blurbs.  Instead I wrote this little paragraph for the back cover:

Appearances: A Novel In Fragments is a genre bending philosophical jam session peopled by the performance art power trio Vaudeville without Organs, Desire, the Subject, an (occasional) Other, Science, Art, Politics, Love, History, It, the Author, the Virtual and the Real ,not to mention Chalk Outlines and two shadows (both of whom are AWOL from their respective bodies and wielding sharp instruments).  Much of the book’s action takes place in a subterranean dive bar called The Cave. Plato might not be rolling in his grave, but he’s probably thinking “WTF?”

I'm almost as excited about the hard shell case for the guitar I purchased this morning as I am the guitar itself. It has a soft green liner which makes me want to crawl inside and snuggle.  Of course, I'm kind of the wrong size to do that.  It makes me happy that Marty will have a nice place to rest.

If you'd asked me a couple weeks ago if I was going to buy a new guitar anytime soon, I'd have said no.  And I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd be spending this amount of money on a used guitar.  But I did.  I can't say I regret doing so.  B doesn't know yet.  She might not be happy about it, but...so it goes. We've been married since October 1976.  I suspect she'll forgive me.

The guitar's a Martin D-1.  It's well made.  It sounds good and has a nice tone.  Even with being under a thousand dollars it still cost more than some cars I've owned.  But it's a keeper, unlike those cars.

Onward!

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I'm happy to report that my manuscript Appearances: A Novel in Fragments has been accepted for publication.  More details will be forthcoming soon!

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I'm probably going to take that guitar for a test drive today.  Assuming it's still there.  My teacher has stressed on several occasions either Gibson or Martin as the way to go for an acoustic.  He famously traded a car to get his cherished Gibson.

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Last night was the first night in a very long time that I was able to leave windows open while I slept.

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Earlier today I took my Strat to Woodsy's Music for restringing.  Then I went downstairs and looked at the acoustic guitars.  There's a used Martin that is calling to me.  I don't think B was too happy when I started rhapsodizing about it.  "It costs how much?"

Anywho, I don't know...but I might be willing to go into deeper debt for it, even if I'm not worthy of the instrument.  Maybe I should start playing the lottery.

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Am almost finished reading Philip Glass' memoir Words Without Music.  What a book of riches.

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Also have just started reading I'm Very Into You: Correspondence 1995-1996 by Kathy Acker and McKenzie Wark.

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