A must-read for lovers of contemporary women's poetry..., March 3, 2008
By
Susan J. Slaviero
When a book of poetry gets under my skin from the very first line--"Today I am medium rare. Don't touch me."--I know that something extraordinary is about to happen... Forms of Intercession both entrances with Pupek's graceful use of language and keeps the reader on her toes with unexpected, intense imagery, tuning in to what lurks beneath the veneer of an ordinary life. Even the most mundane household objects take on a shimmer of both the lovely and the grotesque in these fabulous poems. Definitely recommended!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
MARCH IS SMALL PRESS MONTH
Small Press Month, now in its 12th year, is a nationwide promotion highlighting the valuable work produced by independent publishers. An annual celebration of the independent spirit of small publishers, Small Press Month is an effort to showcase the diverse, unique, and often most significant voices being published today. This year's slogan is “Celebrate Great Writing”. To find out more, check out the website here.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Daily Lit
I registered for Daily Lit, a site that provides books to members via e-mail or RSS feed. I still prefer to read books the old fashioned way, but this is also a nice alternative because the book comes to me in short installments. I'm currently reading Chopin's "The Awakening" and Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment."
From Daily Lit's website:
"DailyLit sends books in installments via e-mail or RSS feed. We currently offer over 750 classic and contemporary books available entirely for free or on a Pay-Per-Read basis (with sample installments available for free). You can read your installments wherever you receive e-mail/RSS feeds, including on your Blackberry and iPhone. Installments arrive in your Inbox according to the schedule you set (e.g. 7:00am every weekday). You can read each installment in under 5 minutes (most folks finish in 2-3 minutes), and, if you have more time to read, you can receive additional installments immediately on demand. Our titles include bestselling and award winning titles, from literary fiction and romance to language learning and science fiction. DailyLit features forums where you can discuss your favorite books and authors. We also have a gift service, where you can send books via DailyLit to friends, with installments starting on any date you choose (even that very day - perfect for last minute gifts), and each installment comes with a personalized message written by you."
From Daily Lit's website:
"DailyLit sends books in installments via e-mail or RSS feed. We currently offer over 750 classic and contemporary books available entirely for free or on a Pay-Per-Read basis (with sample installments available for free). You can read your installments wherever you receive e-mail/RSS feeds, including on your Blackberry and iPhone. Installments arrive in your Inbox according to the schedule you set (e.g. 7:00am every weekday). You can read each installment in under 5 minutes (most folks finish in 2-3 minutes), and, if you have more time to read, you can receive additional installments immediately on demand. Our titles include bestselling and award winning titles, from literary fiction and romance to language learning and science fiction. DailyLit features forums where you can discuss your favorite books and authors. We also have a gift service, where you can send books via DailyLit to friends, with installments starting on any date you choose (even that very day - perfect for last minute gifts), and each installment comes with a personalized message written by you."
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Two New Customer Reviews at Amazon
Falling off the canvas into impeccablely crafted conceits, February 25, 2008
By John S. Vick "ilikevangogh" (Minneapolis, MN USA) -
"The reclining nude is absent. / Diego claims she stepped off the canvas / while he napped. I told him / how a woman needs to be treated." So it is not so much the common, the banality of this poet's relationships so much like ours, but the remarkableness of stepping out and looking back on the quotidian and saying it was like "this," specifically. Pupek frequently steps off the canvas in Forms of Intercession, and even in the most tenuous of tangential leaps into touches of Simic-like surrealities, she sustains the conceits and metaphor which bind these poems together so delectably accomplished, so excellently resolved, and beautiful crafted overall. Pupek has a monument with this offering and it will sit on many bookshelves proudly, more often than likely open on a sofa, a side table somewhere interesting. Any intriguing stimuli around us in a room with Pupek's work stands secondary. All of the stimulating knick knacks of intellectual pleasure sit squarely in this revelatory book. Kudos to Pupek for this most compelling work.
Forms of Intercession, February 25, 2008
By Brenda N. Cook (Texas) -
Jayne Pupek is a word artist, her book Forms of Intercession a masterpiece filled with poems that paint images in your mind that take flight to sear your heart. She is fearless in her choice of topics and she exhibits incredible emotional bravery. From page one she has a take no prisoner; offers no apologies attitude. It is this bravery coupled with her incredible resiliency of spirit that reaches out of the page and grabs you from her very first poem, to her very last poem. In one poem Pupek writes, Sometimes you must intercede on your own behalf. I'm spreading tarot cards on the ground and tossing out the ones that land upside down. Pupek's words challenge me to go outside and toss cards in the wind, she is a writer who is in complete possession of her own wilderness and lucky for us, she is willing to share. It is this quality that will have me read again and again. Congratulations to Pupek for an outstanding debut.
By John S. Vick "ilikevangogh" (Minneapolis, MN USA) -
"The reclining nude is absent. / Diego claims she stepped off the canvas / while he napped. I told him / how a woman needs to be treated." So it is not so much the common, the banality of this poet's relationships so much like ours, but the remarkableness of stepping out and looking back on the quotidian and saying it was like "this," specifically. Pupek frequently steps off the canvas in Forms of Intercession, and even in the most tenuous of tangential leaps into touches of Simic-like surrealities, she sustains the conceits and metaphor which bind these poems together so delectably accomplished, so excellently resolved, and beautiful crafted overall. Pupek has a monument with this offering and it will sit on many bookshelves proudly, more often than likely open on a sofa, a side table somewhere interesting. Any intriguing stimuli around us in a room with Pupek's work stands secondary. All of the stimulating knick knacks of intellectual pleasure sit squarely in this revelatory book. Kudos to Pupek for this most compelling work.
Forms of Intercession, February 25, 2008
By Brenda N. Cook (Texas) -
Jayne Pupek is a word artist, her book Forms of Intercession a masterpiece filled with poems that paint images in your mind that take flight to sear your heart. She is fearless in her choice of topics and she exhibits incredible emotional bravery. From page one she has a take no prisoner; offers no apologies attitude. It is this bravery coupled with her incredible resiliency of spirit that reaches out of the page and grabs you from her very first poem, to her very last poem. In one poem Pupek writes, Sometimes you must intercede on your own behalf. I'm spreading tarot cards on the ground and tossing out the ones that land upside down. Pupek's words challenge me to go outside and toss cards in the wind, she is a writer who is in complete possession of her own wilderness and lucky for us, she is willing to share. It is this quality that will have me read again and again. Congratulations to Pupek for an outstanding debut.
Monday, February 25, 2008
More on the Oscars
Although there were several strong contenders for Best Picture, I have to say that I'm ecstatic that Old Country for No Men took the award. The actors are top-notch, but no one could ask for a more brilliant pair of directors than Joel and Ethan Cohen, nor a more gifted writer than Cormac McCarthy.
My DVD wish list grew by leaps and bounds last night.
One of these days, I'm going to try my hand at a screenplay. I love to explore new things and to push myself to do something I haven't done. That's basically how I wrote my first novel. While signing up for a poetry workshop, I casually decided to participate in the novel writing workshop as well, "just for fun." I don't think it really occurred to me until I started that I would actually have to write an entire novel. Who knows what I was thinking? In a panic, I looked through my poems and found one to jump start the first chapter of my novel. I believed I could do it and was determined to give it my best effort. I kept the voice of the narrator inside my head and just kept writing. I didn't write to publish. I wrote to tell a good story and to complete a personal quest and challenge I'd set for myself. Publishing is always the icing on the cake, but I think you have to first love words and the worlds created by putting words together.
And the Oscar goes to...
Ralph Nader for Best Little Turd in an American Election.
Okay, that's all I'm going to say about it.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Ballot Bowl and billet-doux
I watched CNN's Ballot Bowl this afternoon while eating Cajun catfish and organizing my desk. Okay, attempting to organize my desk. The commentators talked a bit about the debate. I agree with their assessment that Thursday's conversation didn't change much. Clinton is a skilled debater. Obama has improved consistently over the months. Neither made any huge mistakes, nor were there any significant points scored. I think there are more differences in their leadership styles than there are distinct policy differences between the candidates. I don't expect Tuesday's debate in Ohio to be dramatically different, but of course I'll watch. I'm hopeful that March 4th primaries result in wins for Obama, and perhaps Clinton will be ready to concede.
billet-doux, an anthology published by dancing girl press is now available! Order here.
This limited edition collection of missives includes 15 love letters by 15 poets. Each box includes letters, postcards, and prints by Erin Bertram, Bronwen Tate, Michaela Gabriel, Cecelia Pinto, Shawn Fawson, Diane Kendig, Christine Hamm, Jeannette Sayers, Suzanne Frischkorn, Annie Finch, Emma Bolden, Julie Enszer, Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis, Kelli Russell Agodon...and yours truly. I'm thrilled to be a part of this project!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
