Karen Head: Poetic Acts in a Digital World

The H-Bahn

2009-11-25T07:28:00.003-05:00

Several people have inquired about a tweet I made saying I was being distracted by the H-Bahn racing by Randi's office window. What is the H-Bahn, they asked. Essentially, it is a suspension monorail that encircles campus. The April Fool's edition of the GA Tech Technique had a fake story about such a system being installed. Because of my association with Dortmund, it did not immediately occur to me that it was a fake story. Anyway, here is photo.

I'm off to the Netherlands this afternoon. Cheers!

Student Strike

2009-11-25T02:44:00.003-05:00

Yesterday had some added excitement. As I prepared to give my primary lecture on writing a thesis, I was informed that there might not be anyone in attendance. Around 3:00 PM, the students went on strike protesting a number of reforms that, in their opinion, have not worked well. It seems that in addition to be upset by having to pay fees (they didn't have to pay anything in the past), they feel as if their degrees simply are worth as much. There are also problems if they wish to transfer to systems in other countries, especially the U.S. because equivalencies are not the same. Anyway, it was all very exciting, with students hanging banners off the sides of buildings, having strategy meetings, and taking over lecture rooms for a sleep-in. As for my lecture at 6:00, it turned out that many students suspended their strike to attend, in part because my honorarium is paid from student fee revenue. It was the largest group I've had at Dortmund, about 125 if I had to guess.

Today, I have meetings with various faculty groups and then I'm off to my brother's house in the Netherlands. I'll try to post some photos tomorrow.

Some Dortmund Photos

2009-11-24T06:39:00.003-05:00

This is the view from Randi's front window. Dortmund is famous for its Christmas Market, and Randi is already in the decorating spirit.

This is the building where the American Studies Program is housed.

American Culture: Catching Up

2009-11-23T17:36:00.004-05:00

After a full day at the university here in Dortmund, I decided to catch up on some American culture. It seemed that the buzz was about the American Music Awards, so thanks to YouTube, I watched the "key" performances. I'm just glad I didn't have to watch the whole show! Lady Gaga was interesting, but as usual, her work is not really about the music. Adam Lambert is yet another Idol alumni who has been given a terrible song. As for "the kiss," that was a whole lot of boring. If that's the best the AMA can do for scandal, then they should just give up now. Whitney Houston was about as bland as her dress, but at least she was dressed elegantly--something almost no one else could say. She'll probably never regain the powerhouse voice she once had, but she is a more compelling performer than many of the newbies. Janet Jackson and J. Lo need to work on their lip-sync, or just call it a day and dance. Based on the bits I saw, the biggest problem with the contemporary popular music scene is that there isn't much original. Even for Lady Gaga, her performance art might seem revolutionary to the main-stream, but her work is not avant guard. So, as I see it there was a bunch of over-produced eye candy with a few last decade superstars re-hawking their goods.

From this review you might assume I had a bad day, but I didn't. As always the students and faculty at Dortmund couldn't be more welcoming. Why the gnome? Just a little something I saw in a shop window. He made me smile.

It's the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so I must be in Dortmund.

2009-11-22T09:49:00.002-05:00

Last night I took to the skies for my annual trip to Dortmund. For those of you who don't know, I come to the university as a visiting scholar in the American Studies Program. It has really become a kind of second home.

I arrived at the Dusseldorf airport without issue. The flight was long, but uneventful. We were even a few minutes early. Since I managed to pack everything into a carry-on bag, I didn't have to wait for baggage. I made the next train to Dortmund with two minutes to spare. Really, this was traveling without any hassles--something that rarely happens these days.

Friends Randi and Thomas, the ones who were house/cat-sitting for us last summer, turn their place into a bed and breakfast for me. Both of them are excellent cooks, and this morning I was treated to an amazing quiche and divine little plum dumplings. Wow! Thomas will head to Munich this afternoon, and Randi and I have a busy few days ahead.

I hope everyone back home is having a happy lead-up to Turkey Day. As usual, I'll be eating something other than turkey. Randi did mention some pumpkin and ginger soup, but I think that's the closest I'll get to traditional Thanksgiving food. I'll be home on Friday, so someone save me some leftovers please.

Not a term for blogging

2009-11-15T19:26:00.006-05:00

Just when I thought I'd have more time to actually keep a blog, I was reminded why summer is really the only time I seem to be able to do so faithfully. My work at Georgia Tech is busier than ever--so many graduate students, so little time. If I have to make a choice, and often I do, then my students will always win. This happens even after hours, when I play "catch up" trying to answer questions via email rather than update my blog.

Today, I managed the shortest bit of respite and stole time for a movie. To do this, I went to the 11:30 AM show! Who knew there was such a thing--at least for adult movies. The movie, An Education, was very interesting. It was, and wasn't, what I expected: a good thing in my book. I do not want to ruin it for anyone, so I'll try to speak in generalities and encourage you to go see the film.

In many ways, it is a simple coming of age story. In other ways, it is a disturbing portrait of a cultural norm I wish I could say disappeared in the 60's. Alas, this movie signals we haven't come as far as we should have. While there are the obvious issues of gender stereotypes, this wasn't the most disturbing part for me. Just two years ago I followed two young, and very attractive, women (or should I say girls) across the GA Tech campus. One was explaining to the other that she was there to snag a football star headed to the NFL. Since getting into GT isn't an easy task, I have to assume that she was a intelligent person. Nevertheless, her "ticket" was not an education. This film certainly addresses the notion of "the best ticket" for a secure life. However, and far move importantly, there is a scene where the central character, Jenny, is having a debate with the headmistress (brilliantly played by Emma Thompson, one of the only actors you'll probably recognize). When her headmistress argues that it is imperative she get a degree to matter in the world, Jenny challenges the idea of formal education by asking why it really matters, apart from a kind of cultural expectation that it does. The headmistress is not able to give an answer, and Jenny, declares that the headmistress better find an answer because she will not be the last student to pose it. In the early 1960's this question would have been unusual, but so was a girl like Jenny. Heading off to Oxford to read English wasn't the norm for most young British women of the time. And, the options about what to do once you took your degree were limited: school teacher, civil servant, governess, nurse--not far from Jane Eyre, whose story is oft mentioned in the movie.

For the last twelve years, I have taught in a university. During that time I've many students who had no idea why they were in college. Many more understood the endeavor as a mere exercise that was necessary for a better paycheck. Perhaps we should not be surprised that alumni giving and college loyalty are suffering these days. It might be easy to blame the current economic crisis, but I suspect there is something more to the problem. If we cannot justify education as an end unto itself, rather than a means to an end, then we are drastically failing in important ways.

Lately there has been a great deal of discussion about the future of colleges and universities. Many people wonder if such institutions aren't relics, things to be discarded in favor of strictly experiential educational experiences that can be supplemented by the the vast availability of content available via the Internet. Just as Jenny pointed to a period of change, one where more people would be going to college and thereby needed to understand the relevance, we seem in another moment of change. And once again, we face the challenge that many before us have faced: define education for our generation and the next in a meaningful and productive way.

Meanwhile, if you want a break from such profound considerations, go see the movie for the enjoyment of what is, at its core, a fine film. Of particular note are the performances by Olivia Williams and Rosamund Pike. Carey Mulligan (Jenny) gives an outstanding performance, but it must be said that it is difficult not to notice that she is a dead ringer for Katie Holmes. In fact, for just a moment, I wondered if it wasn't Katie Holmes using a different name and working an accent honed during lunches with Victoria Beckham.

Southern Festival of Books

2009-10-08T14:20:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning, VERY early, I'm off to Nashville for the Southern Festival of Books. If you are in the area, my slot is 1:30-3:00. Details are available in my readings links.

On October 22, get out to the I See Straight People reading, a benefit for the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. If you can't make the benefit, you can still support the festival by donating online.

On October 23 you can catch me at the annual Voices Carry event. Featured poets include Cecilia Woloch (Carpathia), Tania Rochelle (The World's Last Bone), Karen Head (Sassing) and Theresa Davis (Torn). Kodac Harrison will close the evening with song and poet and novelist Collin Kelley will be the host.

Get out there and experience some art!

Two More Exciting Events

2009-09-28T09:43:00.002-04:00

Dine Out for Atlanta Queer Literature Festival, Sept. 28

If you need dinner plans for TONIGHT, please try the award-winning Wahoo Grill in Decatur for Dine Out for AQLF. Just come in between 5 and 10 p.m. and let your server know you are dining out to support the literary festival. Ten percent of your bill will go to AQLF. Wahoo is located at 1042 West College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030. To see Wahoo's delicious menu, visit http://www.facebook.com/l/bba1e;www.wahoogrilldecatur.com.

Don't forget to visit http://www.facebook.com/l/bba1e;www.atlqueerlitfest.com for more information and to see the tentative line-up for this year's festival, Nov. 4-7, featuring keynote speakers Staceyann Chin and Manil Suri, as well as special guests Terry Galloway, Regie Cabico, Michael Montlack and many more!

And next week:

Franklin Abbott reads from and signs his new book of poetry, Pink Zinnia
Tuesday, October 6 at 7:30 pm
Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse

Yeah, I Know...

2009-09-28T09:17:00.003-04:00

I'm a lame blogger. I could offer all the usual excuses, but you know what I'm going to say. Life is busy sometimes. And, frankly, I don't think all that many people (except my friends) really read this anyway.

On the subject of being busy, if you aren't busy tomorrow evening, come over to the Decatur Library and hear me read with Bob Wood and Robin Kemp. Bob, who has decided his nom de plume should be "and others" because he always seems to fall in that category on the front pages of journals, wants you all to know that it is on his bucket list that you come to his reading. Let's make dreams come true!

Seriously though, Bob and Robin both have new, wonderful collections. Complete information is available here.

Poetry Atlanta @ The Decatur Book Festival

2009-09-04T14:16:00.003-04:00

Don't forget to stop by the Java Monkey coffeehouse stage for two days of non-stop poetry during the Decatur Book Festival. It is an amazing line-up of every kind of poetry you can imagine. Truly, there is something for everyone. Saturday evening is the invitational Slam, another great event. Special sale-priced copies of the Java Monkey Anthologies and the Poetry Atlanta DVD, Trouble and Hope will be available. See you there!

Apologies and TIME Mini-Documentary

2009-08-24T19:58:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm back. Taking a two week break has confirmed one thing: some of you are actually reading my blog--something I know because you've been Tweeting and FBing to tell me I'm a non-posting loser.

When I arrived back from England, I had just a few hours before I had to report to work. Literally I hit the road running with a week of New Faculty Orientation events and then the first week of classes. I was fighting the worst case of jet lag I've ever had, and my R.A. symptoms were awful. Just getting to work everyday, staying awake, and actually doing my job was about all I could manage. Meanwhile, the world keep turning. I hope you'll forgive me.

In happier news, the online mini-documentary from TIME appeared today. Much thanks to Glen Levy and Nick Tree who put together a wonderful piece. It was wonderful working with them. You can see the video here.

I do want to add some commentary to the video. There were some things that didn't make the final cut, which is understandable because of time-constraints, but I'd like to make part of the record.

When I first found out I'd won a spot on the Plinth, I had no idea what specifically I would do with my slot. However, I knew that whatever I did would have to be about more than just me. It is very easy to disappear into your art. Many artists do this even to the exclusion of their potentials audience(s), which explains why they often find themselves without an audience. Another way artists limit themselves is by never collaborating with other artists.

When I came to GA Tech six years ago, my sense of collaboration wasn't very strong. Teaching at an engineering school will cure you of that quickly. Additionally, I began working with people like Jay Bolter and Maria Engberg, through the Wesley Center for New Media, and here "working" means "collaborating." As I became more and more interested in Digital Poetry, and more and more aware of my paltry technical skills, I began to get very creative about ways to include others in the art I wanted to produce. The results were exhilarating and rewarding. The Plinth exquisite corpse Twitter project represents my third, and most broadly collaborative, digital poetry project.

In many ways, I conceived my hour as a kind of microcosm of what Antony Gormley was doing to a much larger scale. Too many people have come to think of art as something that happens when one artist creates something and then other people, in a very individualized way, experience that creation. This is especially true for something like poetry. But, it doesn't have to be this way. My hour on the Plinth was a way to stand there with others standing (in the square and virtually) with me. Of course, such collaboration doesn't come without risks.

My biggest concern was that technology would fail me. I knew I could write the poem on paper with contributions from the crowd, but it would be difficult and would be much more limiting. You really see that tension in the first minutes of the full broadcast. I was so worried that the technology would fail, that I forgot to announce what we would be attempting. This was frustrating for some people watching. My apologies to you! Then there was the form, exquisite corpse, which frankly can produce some pretty sucky poetry. You simply never know what you will get. But, that didn't happen either. The poem, "Monumental," is pretty good.

Many of you have asked about reading the full version of the poem. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Blue Fifth Review will be publishing it as a broadside; the bad news is you have to wait until November. I'm also working on a plan to print a limited edition hand-press version of the poem. These I will sell as a supplemental fund-raiser for Poetry Atlanta because, as many of you will remember, that was another aspect of my hour on the Plinth.

Finally, the greatest joy of this project came through my students (the photos at the top are of them). Two of them contributed lines to the poem. Others told me they were excited by the idea of poetry because of seeing me on the Plinth. That melts my little teacher heart.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind comments and the loving support. I couldn't have done it without you, but the t-shirt I got...I'm keeping that for myself. :-)

Oxford Final Day

2009-08-08T06:45:00.005-04:00

Today is our final day in Oxford. It just doesn't seem possible that six weeks have passed. Nevertheless, I think we are feeling it is time to say goodbye. It has been a wonderful summer, but the lure of home is becoming stronger than the love of here.

Thursday morning was lovely for a couple of hours, just enough time to make one last market visit. The rain began as a trickle about 10:30, and by noon it was miserable. The misery continued for the rest of the day. Nevertheless, we trekked over to the far side of town to meet Eric Roberts and Lauren Rusk who are housed at Magdalen. We had a planned a walk on the Magdalen grounds, but that was out of the question. Instead we had a lovely bit of tea and then went off for dinner at a local Thai restaurant. We said our good-byes early and made our way back to Worcester and the annual "clean out your pantry" party at Carole Moore's house. It was bittersweet, but fun, which is probably the best way to describe the last few days.

Friday was the first day of exams. My students did very well. We managed a bit of last-minute souvenir shopping, before our last dinner in hall. Then it was off to Exeter College for the last of the candlelight concerts.

Today is all about packing. We are off to Gatwick tonight because the flight home is very early tomorrow. When I checked-in online they were already asking for volunteers to be rebooked. I hope tomorrow doesn't prove to be a nightmare.

Carolyn Wierson, our administrative director, refuses to say goodbye, choosing instead to say, "See you later." It is a sad thing either way, but the shift now will be to saying "hello" to friends and family we've missed while we were here. I have lots of photos to share, and I'll do that when I get home.

Thanks to everyone here in Oxford, from the staff at Worcester to the members of Oxford Friends Meeting, and everyone in between. Yet another year of magic, another midsummer's night dream.

For now, I'm going out for a last walk around the gardens. It is beautiful weather today, just like the day we arrived.

Winding Down

2009-08-06T08:43:00.008-04:00

It is difficult to believe that we are almost at the end of six weeks in Oxford. I think the faculty and students are amazed by how quickly our time together has passed. This week has been packed so full, it has been difficult to find time to report here, but I'll attempt a recap now.

Sunday was in many ways our last quiet day here. Colin and I walked to Port Meadow, and across to Binsey to lunch at The Perch. The Perch is quite historic; you can read about it here. I especially like the connection to the tea party in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The photo above is of Port Meadow.

Monday arrived with all the furious energy that is the last week of term. Students have been rushing about trying to finish term-papers, final projects, and study for exams. We had our final faculty meeting/dinner on Monday, and then I gave an informal poetry reading.

Tuesday morning I was busy with some Post-Plinth business. Tuesday evening the faculty joined the Provost and his wife for a formal dinner in their lodgings. I was fortunate enough to be seating next to the Provost, who is a delightful host. He and his wife are lovely, and the dinner was terrific.

Wednesday morning I spent most of my time reading papers. Then I joined friend, and fellow Oglethorpe Alum, Jamie McClung for lunch. We laughed that despite living in the same city, we have to come to Oxford to meet for lunch. Jamie is one of the directors of the University of Georgia Oxford Program. He was a bit worn out from the previous evening, when for another year UGA was soundly beaten (8-0) by GT in our annual Oxford Soccer game.

Wednesday evening the weather gods smiled on us, clearing away the early day rains for the Provost's Champagne Garden Reception. This is always one of my favorite events; it is so nice to see the students all dressed up and enjoying this special treat. Here I include a couple of photos, including one of my class (alas one student is missing). The other photo is of our faculty from this year. Note my very GT dress.

I think that has you all caught up for now.

Post Plinth: Southend-on-Sea

2009-08-04T12:49:00.008-04:00

After departing the Plinth offices on Friday, Colin and I went off for a lovely dinner. Then we boarded a train to Southend-on-Sea. I'd been warned to expect something like Virginia Beach or Panama City (and not the nicer parts at that), but we found ourselves in a lovely hotel in the residential area near the Cliffs Pavilion. We went for a late night walk down near the Kursaal. All was well until we happened upon a young woman who fell from her bicycle right in front of us on Pier Hill. She was seriously injured, so we blocked cars, tried to offer what comfort we could, and waiting for the ambulance personnel. Her name is Amanda, and I really hope she is recovering comfortably. It was a fairly disturbing way to end the day, but sometime the universe reminds us just how quickly things can turn.

The next day was much brighter, literally and figuratively. We ventured down to the pier, which juts 1.5 miles out into the Thames Estuary, and is the longest pleasure pier in the world. We decided to take the train which runs most of the length of the pier. Sadly, the other train named for poet John Betjeman wasn't running. Here is a goofy shot of me boarding the train for the return trip. it is odd to see the Thames at this point, because it seems far too vast to be a river.

I was finally able to find a Tottenham Hotspur Football Club t-shirt for watching the games back in Atlanta. Now I can feel like a real hooligan at the pub!

Lunch time took us to Rayleigh, where Colin lived when he was young, and where his step-mother still resides. We had a nice "carvery" and then went to the cemetery to visit Colin's dad's grave. Afterwards we had tea, and then took the train back to London for our coach connection back to Oxford.

The Plinth

2009-08-03T05:25:00.016-04:00

Now that I've had a few days to actually think about the Plinth, I'll offer my thoughts about the experience. What a tremendous way to spend an hour!

I want to thank everyone who helped make my project a success. The staff at the One and Other Project were lovely, and really helpful with internet access (mine was problematic). All the writers who participated (particularly the ones who weren't Twitter users), were amazing. For the record, the writers were as follows:

Collin Kelley: @CollinKelley
Rupert Fike: @RupertF
Ivy Alvarez: @IvyAlvarez
Christine Swint: @yoginipoet
Robert E. Wood: @emmetirl
JC Reilly: @Aishatonu
Julie Bloemeke: @juliebloemeke
David-Matthew Barnes: @ xoxodmb
Sam Rasnake: @SamRasnake

and from the ground via transcription: Alex Buchanan and Amy Regan.

Thanks, too, to everyone who took time to watch the hour unfold. Poets, after all, love an audience. If you missed the hour, you can view the whole thing here.

When I found out I would have a slot on the Plinth, I knew I wanted the hour to focus on the work of others. The One and Other Project was already (in my understanding) based on the idea of collaborative art: 2400 different ideas about how to "use" an hour in a public space. Add to this my interest in digital poetry, and you'll get the technology connection. I knew early on that I wanted to do an Exquisite Corpse poem using the internet, but I was troubled by the technology failure possibilities. Even with a variety of contingency plans, I was terrified that I'd be standing there for an hour unable to communicate anything. And then the journalist from TIME called, and suddenly any potential failure seemed more consequential.

Overall, Friday is a kind of blur. I was being shadowed by the folks from TIME all day. I was trying to be relaxed, but it wasn't really happening. After breakfast in hall, I packed up my bullhorn, computer, and an overnight bag, and headed to the coach station. It took a little over two hours to actually get to London. After leaving my overnight bag at the left luggage site at Charring Cross Station, I only had an hour to eat lunch at the lovely cafe in the crypt at St. Martin in the Fields. I reported to the One and Other Project Office just after 3:00.

After clearing security, validating my identity, and filling in more forms than you do for taking out a mortgage, it was time for interviews: one for an archival project with the Wellcome Trust and the other with TIME. At 4:45, I was fitted with a portable microphone, briefed on Plinth safety, and boarded the JCB. If you are afraid of heights, the JCB lift is probably the hardest part--especially when they tilt it back slightly before lowering in onto the Plinth edge.

Once atop the Plinth, I needed to set up. In retrospect, I should have announced what would be happening, but since I barely had a enough time as it was, that would have cost precious time. Even though the connection worked, I soon discovered that there was a real lag between the U.K. and the U.S. on Twitter. This created the biggest stress during the project. Still, I was able to fill the time by reading poems from the writers who were involved with me on the project.

As for the poem itself, I had only "planned" two things: the title, "Monumental," and the epigraph from Whitman, "I contain multitudes." My first line, which I think was less than inspired, was the first thing that came to mind when I started to write. The rest of the hour (which seemed to last about 10 seconds) is mostly a blur. I remember saying "hi" to the webcam and sending greetings to colleagues at GA Tech and my family, but that's about it. I also managed a few quick photos (included here) from my vantage point. Collin Kelley has posted some photos of me on the Plinth on his blog. In the end, I had just enough time to read the poem, dance a quick jig, and pack up to leave. Of course, there was the final stress of trying to close the chair, which was on loan to me from the project office. For all of you at GT who've made engineering jokes, I'd just like to defend myself by saying that the chair had jammed and it took three people to close it at the office.

Once I was down, I had a final interview with the folks from TIME. Then I left some remarks in the guest book, was given a very cool t-shirt, and toddled off to dinner at a great little Italian bistro near Covent Garden. Later Colin and I caught a train to Southend-on-Sea, but that's a different blog.

As for the final version of "Monumental," you'll have to wait just a bit. There have been inquiries about publishing it, so I can't post it here. I'll let you know as soon as I hear where it will be available.

In Short...

2009-08-02T16:16:00.000-04:00

I'm still a bit exhausted from Plinth Day. I promise a major blog update tomorrow. Much love to you all!

Plinth Eve

2009-07-30T16:35:00.003-04:00

Here I am preparing for my Plinth appearance tomorrow. I can't believe this is REALLY going to happen. I'm feeling the pressure, especially now that a reporter from TIME magazine is going to be covering my appearance.

For all my poetry friends, and those of you who are simply curious, here's what you need to do to follow my poetry project:

You'll need to be online and on Twitter at noon EDT (17:00 British time). You may even want to be on a bit earlier than that. You can watch the web-feed at http://www.oneandother.co.uk/ You'll probably want to do both, so you can see what's going on in the square.

Once I'm settled on the Plinth and have taken a few photographs, 'll initiate a line of original poetry via Twitter. You need to be "following" me (my Twitter id is POETPHD), so you can see what I post. At random I'll pick a name from a list of poets who've agreed to participate and ask her/him to write the next line. Each poet will begin their Tweet with @POETPHD (this directs the message to me so I'm sure to see it, while allowing others to see it as well). Because Twitter is so restricted, each poet can only type 140 characters at a time, so he/she may have two postings for each addition made to the poem. I'm going to be transcribing everything onto my computer and reading it aloud from the Plinth. I will also be randomly calling on people from the crowd, so you will see lines posted by me. There is also a chance that someone will post something via Twitter from a mobile without me expecting it--but that will be part of the fun.

Love to you all...pray for no rain and no technology problems, and that the coach doesn't break down coming from Oxford!

Stonehouse: Old Friends & New Friends

2009-07-27T09:31:00.010-04:00

This weekend we went to visit Colin's oldest friend, Danny. Along with wife Jo and daughter Willow, Danny lives in Stonehouse, which is near Stroud in a part of the Cotswolds I hadn't visited last year. Here are a couple of photos taken from a hilltop. In the landscape photo, the far distance is Wales, and just across the river (and slightly right of center) is Tintern Abbey. Use your imagination. Besides being an architect, Danny is an expert on Ley Lines. You can read all about the subject in Danny's book.

Essentially, this was just a time for old friends to reconnect and new friends to meet. Danny and Jo are delightful, and I'm really glad to have finally met them. Jo is to be commended for her dinner. particularly the Eton Mess pudding which was wonderful!

Auntie Mame & The Plinth

2009-07-24T05:43:00.010-04:00

Thursday was another fairly quiet day, although I had lots of fun playing the part of Auntie Mame. My newest Best Pint-Sized Girlfriend (BPSGF) is Sophia, daughter of one of my colleagues. Sophia, who is only eight, is an absolute expert on the Beatles, and despite an otherwise "bookish" sensibility is exploring her "rock-n-roll" side. Consequently, I offered to paint her nails black to match her new Abbey Road t-shirt. Combined with her denim jacket, she's got it going on. After dinner last night, Colin and I joined Sophia (and dad, John, stepmom, Erin, and sister, Julia, who will be into black nail polish very soon I suspect) for a little champagne social. The highlight of the event was a fabulous card designed by Sophia, which is now among my most treasured possessions. Here is a photo of us.

In news about the Plinth, I want to remind everyone about the fund-raising aspect of my appearance. Poetry Atlanta is a very worthy cause, and we could use your support. Please consider making a donation by clicking here. And there is good news about a bullhorn. It seems that David, Head of Security here at Worcester, has found one for me. Now I just hope that my internet connection will work and that it doesn't rain.

A Quiet Week

2009-07-23T08:03:00.003-04:00

After the lovely, but hectic weekend in Paris, this week has been an exercise in rest. Monday was kept to teaching and the faculty meeting, followed by a poetry workshop a number of students have joined on Monday evenings. With absolutely no credit for class, a group of students have been eager to participate in this group (in fact it was their idea!). Some of the group members had never written poetry, and now have tackled such difficult forms as the sestina.

Tuesday evening was our first formal hall dinner. The students (and the faculty) get a real kick out these events. This year to add to the ceremony, David Roach, head of security, provided the faculty with academic robes to wear. For this dinner I was seated between Stuart, the catering manager, and Simon, the gardener (yes, Carolyn Wood, we included you in spirit). It was my duty to toast the Queen this year. As for the meal, we had a duck appetizer and swordfish--both things I'm usually not all that keen on, but both very good. After dinner, most of us retired to the pub and stayed there until late.

Wednesday afternoon, we joined the University of Alabama faculty for an afternoon cocktail reception. Wednesday evening, still fighting a bit of fatigue from the previous late night, Colin and I joined Richard Barke and wife, Nancy, for dinner at a local restaurant after being turned away from the dining hall which was very full. In all fairness it was cheeseburger night, a favorite for the students, and really my filet of cod with new potatoes and leeks was better for me. Richard had engaged himself with students for the evening, so the three of us went off to yet another candlelight concert at Exeter.

I also found a fairly full mailbox yesterday. Thanks to everyone who sent me a birthday card.

Weekend in Paris

2009-07-22T05:23:00.013-04:00

Thursday night we were off to Paris aboard the Eurostar. Frankly, there just isn't a better way to travel. Some day I hope Americans will understand the benefits of high-speed train travel because it is such an efficient and enjoyable experience. Since we too the 9:00 PM train, we didn't arrive in Paris until 11:30 (time change costs an hour). A quick jump to the Metro and we arrived at the hotel with thunder booming all around. We had no more than stepped into the lobby when the most amazing storm broke free.

By morning the sun was out and the day was nice, albeit a bit windy. With no set itinerary, we just walked around, stopping at a favorite spot, La crêperie Saint-Honoré, near Les Halles for lunch. Then we were off to the Musée d'Orsay for an afternoon with the Impressionists and a bit of afternoon tea with a pistachio tart that was heavenly. Here's a photo of me in the opulent restaurant.

In the evening, we met up with friends Yves and Frederique for dinner at Au Petit Riche, a typical salon-style restaurant. Dinner was wonderful and the company even better!

Saturday took us to the slightly out-of-the-way Musée Marmottan Monet. This is one of those small museums in an old house. For many years this private collection was visited only by art historians. However, when Monet's son, Michael, died, he left loads of money and art to the museum. Many of the works donated are never loaned out, so you can only see them there. Apart from Monet's work, they have the largest collection of works by Berthe Morisot that I've ever seen. This was a real treat. Also, one of my favorite artists is Caillebotte. I discovered a small version of "Paris Street, Rainy Day," that apparently was a gift to Monet and hung over his bed. In the special events gallery was a modern retrospective of photographs by Lucien Clergue. The best part about a museum like this is that it is small enough to see everything and not find yourself overwhelmed.

Lunch was a working class brasserie near the La Muette Metro Station called the Tabac de la Muette. The food was good, but the daily special wine, a Sancerre Rouge (who knew that Sancerre came in red?), was terrific!

After all that walking, we needed a long nap before wandering about again in the evening. The nap helped us miss some afternoon rain storms, so a good idea. For dinner we gave in to a place on the touristy Place de la Contrescarpe in order to miss another rain shower. Then we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower to watch the light show that happens at the top of each hour.

Sunday morning we explored our more immediate neighborhood and visited the Grand Mosque just around the corner from our hotel. Besides the beauty and peaceful environment, the mosque also has an excellent Tea Salon.

Pictures here show the courtyard garden and me having yummy mint tea. After leaving the mosque, we took another long walk through Place Monge market, down Rue Mouffetard. Sunday is a big market day, so things were lively. We ended the morning at the Jardin du Luxembourg. Here is a photo of Colin.

An early evening stroll through the Jardins des Tuileries took us up to dinner time at the extraordinary Bouillon Racine. Thanks so much to Yves and Frederique who recommended this place. This beautiful Belle Époque restaurant has been operating since 1906; clearly the quality of the cuisine and service are why. For dessert I had a framboisier that almost made me weep it was so good. And, if that wasn't enough, when I called over the Maître de for my compliments, he was so pleased that he brought us (his treat) champagne with Napoleon brandy! It was a really memorable evening in every way.

Monday morning, we rushed back to England on the early morning Eurostar, arriving in Oxford just in time for classes, exhausted but glad for the experience.

Agnes Meadows, Trivia, and Tis Pity

2009-07-16T05:27:00.005-04:00

Tuesday brought poet Agnes Meadows from London. After a leisurely lunch at Cafe Rouge, Agnes met with my class to discuss poetry (and life). Either the students were captivated, or very good at faking engagement. For both Ivy's and Agnes's visits, I've been very proud of my students; in both cases they asked really thoughtful questions. After dinner, Agnes gave a reading which was unsurprisingly brilliant. Toward the end of her reading we had a bit of a thunderstorm which left us with the most amazing rainbow when we were walking to the train station.

Our faculty surprised the students later on Tuesday night by showing up in the Worcester pub for Quiz Night. The quiz-master didn't want to let us play, and we knew right away we wouldn't be allowed to win. In the end we had the highest score, but were penalized twenty points for a variety of concocted reasons. Nevertheless, I think the students got a kick out of our presence, and in some cases I think we really shocked them with our knowledge of non-academic trivia.

Wednesday was a fairly routine day. I gave an extra lecture to another class on academic writing. I hope they found it helpful. After dinner, Colin and I walked the couple of miles to the North Wall Arts Center to see the opening night performance of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. If you've never taken a course on Jacobean Drama, you may never have heard of the play. The link above is to the director's overview. If you are reading this, and in Oxford for the weekend, I can recommend it, but only if you don't have children. There is a lot of blood (albeit fake) and a disturbing scene with what I assume was a pig's heart skewered on a dagger. If you tend to queasiness, this might not be the performance for you. Also, it is a tragedy in every sense. For a happy ending, go see Twelfth Night. Also for my friends Bob Wood and Matt Hansen, both of whom posted jealous messages on my Facebook page, you might be interested to know that the production completely omitted the characters of Richardetto, Philotis, Poggio, Banditti and Grimaldi. I assume cutting these aspects of the plot were an issue of time and a small company of actors.

I'm off to Paris on Thursday immediately after class. I'll post if I can, but am unsure about internet access. Have a great weekend!

Harpsichord, Loose Muse, Angel Poetry, London, & Whitby

2009-07-14T04:43:00.026-04:00

Last week was a busy week, perhaps the busiest I'll have here. Monday night, we had our usual faculty meeting/dinner--yummy as always. Then we closed down the Worcester pub hosting Colin's college friend Andrew, who he hadn't seen in years. Andrew and wife, Yuriko, are both Jungian analysts--but most of the conversation was just about "catching up" and getting know each other. The only down side to the evening was the smell of the smoky bacon crisps that Colin and Andrew insisted on having. I could do without ever having those again!

Tuesday we went with friend and GT colleague Richard Barke to the second of the Candlelight Concerts at Exeter College. Once again the music was wonderful, and the company was great too!

Wednesday brought the delightful Ivy Alvarez from Wales. Ivy spoke to my class and then gave a reading. Besides being an terrific poet, Ivy has taken up knitting, and because she knew I knit too, brought me some beautiful yarn from Cardiff. Note to Collin Kelley: I have a gift for you from Ivy.

Sadly, I had to rush away and leave Ivy to entertain herself for a couple of hours before she went back home. I rushed to the coach station and got to London's Poetry Cafe with 2 minutes to spare. The other feature, Kate Denny of the folk group the Kittiwakes performed some music from their new CD Lofoten Calling. If you are into folk, you'll definitely want to check out the CD. It was also fantastic to meet Jo Hemmant from Ouroboros Review. On the way back to Oxford we stopped off to see the Plinth. If anyone knows where I can get a battery-powered bullhorn, please let me know! Here is a typical tourist photo of me in Piccadilly Circus.

Thursday I finally got the full "it ain't all it's cracked up to be" experience with British transport. When we were rushing to leave on Thursday to make my 7:00 reading in Islington, we just missed the 4:05 coach. Not a biggie, we thought, since the next one was at 4:20. It arrived, and the inspectors said they didn't like the look of one of the tires, so it wouldn't go. We waited for the 4:35. It, of course, took twice as long to load at every stop because it had all the people waiting for the previous bus. We hopped off at Marble Arch and it took forever to hail a cab. Then the cab driver didn't seem to know exactly where we were going--proof that they no longer have to memorize every street in London! Fortunately we arrived at 7:18, just as the first featured reader was reading her final three poems.

The Angel Poetry reading was great (and I love the stern looks on my and Agnes's faces in this photo, serious poetry here!). I missed most of Anne Welsh, but heard three poems which was enough to know that she is someone to watch for because you will be hearing more about her. Roger Robinson read from his new collection Suckle which is brilliant. Get a taste of what I mean by checking out a reading he has on YouTube. After the reading we adjourned to a pub next door. Colin was thrilled to discover that one of our company was none other than Daevid Allen from Gong and Soft Machine. Here is a link to a photo of Daevid playing a concert in 1974. On the blog you see a photo of Daevid talking to Roger.

Friday morning Colin and I left for Whitby.The train from King's Cross (Platform 6, not 9 & 3/4) to York was fine. Colin's uncle was kind enough to give a ride from York. It takes almost 2 hours, but the drive is through the moors which were already abloom with Heather. We didn't take the train directly to Whitby because it would require two changes, takes 8 hours, and cost £180 (it takes 2 hours and only costs £159 to get to Paris!).

Whitby is delightful! We visited some of Colin's family members, and had a lovely stay with his mum. Included here are photos of Whitby Abbey, the harbor, North Sea coastal shots, and the colorful beach cottages.

Colin bought me an early birthday gift: an exquisite ring made of silver and Whitby Jet. His mum gave me a beautiful Jet and Abalone brooch that belonged to her grandmother. Colin's family has quite the long history in Whitby. In fact, his great-great grandmother was a frequent subject of photographs by Frank Sutcliffe. See her here and here. I also had the absolutely best Indian food I've ever had in a new Whitby restaurant. If you are in Whitby, go to Passage to India.

For the return on Sunday, we arrived at King's Cross to discover that several of the major tube lines were down, but only after we'd bought tube tickets. Once again, we just missed the coach 9:20. The 9:35 left on time, but ran out of gas just before the St. Clement's stop outside Oxford, so we had to wait for the next bus and transfer. It was midnight when we walked through the door, and all I wanted was a hot shower. Alas, the shower wouldn't power on, and I finally washed my feet in the sink and went to bed. In the morning we discovered that our scout had pulled a power cord next to the shower, which was obvious in the light of day but had been utterly invisible at midnight, and one simple tug re-engaged the shower.

It was a long and eventful week.

Wednesday, July 8th

2009-07-09T08:48:00.004-04:00

This will be a short posting which will be followed by a REALLY long one on Monday--with LOTS of photos.

Ivy Alvarez was in Oxford to talk to my students and give a reading. If you haven't already got a copy of her book, Mortal, order it now! Her reading (no surprise here) was great! Unfortunately, I had to rush off for my own reading in London, so we only had a short time together. Note to Collin Kelley: We have to find a way to get Ivy to Atlanta!

My reading in the Loose Muse Series at the Poetry Cafe was great, and unlike last year the weather was much better. Agnes Meadows, host of the series was as lovely as ever. We had a good crowd, and most importantly, I got to meet Jo Hemmant from the very excellent Ouroboros Review. Note to Christine Swint: photo to follow, and we missed you!

On the way back to the late-night coach to Oxford, Colin and I stopped off in Trafalgar Square to see the Plinth up close. All I can say is "WOW!" I can't believe I'm actually going to have the opportunity to stand up there. I talked with some of the One and Other staff, and they offered some helpful suggestions about my upcoming stint. Anyone know where I can get a battery powered bullhorn in London? The staff members have these really cool One and Other t-shirts. I'm hoping maybe there is a participant version t-shirt. Even if I have to pay for it, it would be neat to have one.

Thursday, I'm back to London for my reading at the Waterstone's in Islington. Friday morning, it is off to Whitby, where I will take lots of photos for friend and Dracula scholar, Carol Senf. Since I may not have internet access in Whitby, don't worry if you don't see another posting until Monday.

AJC Plinth Article

2009-07-07T07:23:00.009-04:00

Thanks to Howard Pousner at the AJC for the lovely article about my upcoming slot on the Plinth for the One and Other Project. Thanks too for all the kind regards from so many of you! There are still sponsor minutes available, and 100% of the money goes to Poetry Atlanta.

If you are interested in seeing what the first eight hours (in time-lapse) was like, you can view that from this BBC link.

The live webcam view of the plinth is here.

Finally, this is my personal page on the One and Other site.