Tuesday, May 24, 2011

“Timeliness pipeline livelihood timeframe”: HIGHLIGHTS of a LIFE WRITING POETRY



08/04: PHiSH Coventry Festival, VT: in attendance

04/05: After three years, moved from Atlanta to Philadelphia
09/05: At B&N for Gertrude Stein's Tender Buttons, met CAConrad
10/05: Pre-Yonder Mountain String Band show, met future fiancée

10/06: Started working at The Inquirer & Daily News: copywriter
10/06: First acceptance to Otoliths (Australia)
At Bats: 9 acceptances + 28 rejections received in 2006

06/07: Jambands.com named my blog June "Fan Site of the Month"
05/07: New Orleans Jazz Fest, in attendance
07/07: First acceptance to Coconut
08/07: Philadelphia Folk Fest, in attendance for the first time
08/07: Invited to join editorial staff of Painted Bride Quarterly
At Bats: 17 acceptances + 71 rejections received in 2007

01/08: First book released: Poemergency Room (Otoliths Books)
02/08: First public reading since 2000
03/08: Featured in Philadelphia City Paper
04/08: Pooch and I head west: Grand Canyon, Sedona, love
04/08: Featured in PASTE Magazine (Gnarles Barkley cover)
04/08: Met/befriended poet Tamara Oakman
05/08: Invited to submit to American Poetry Review, accepted
05/08: Bookslut Indie Heart Throb, first appearance
07/08: Met/befriended poet Ernest Hilbert, e-verse radio
08/08: e-chap released: JAM> (ungovernable press)
10/08: Phillies win World Series, in attendance
11/08: Inspired by Phillies’ victory, wrote first sonnet
At Bats: 25 acceptances + 73 rejections received in 2008

02/09: Marc Brownstein (Disco Biscuits) blurbs jambandbootleg
03/09: Traveled to Italy for the first time: St. Catherine's head
03/09: Invited to read at University of Pittsburgh Poetry Club
07/09: Second book released: jambandbootleg (A-Head Publishing)
07/09: Surrender to the Flow reviews jambandbootleg
08/09: Met/befriended poet/fiction writer Bojan Louis
10/09: Relix Magazine reviews jambandbootleg
10/09: Bookslut Indie Heart Throb, second appearance
10/09: PHiSH 8, California: in attendance
11/09: First appearance of poem-comic: hot pepper people
At Bats: 23 acceptances + 51 rejections received in 2009

02/10: Me and Pooch in Puerto Rico: the bioluminescent lagoon!
02/10: Third book released: wild life rifle fire (Otoliths Books)
05/10: Invited to read at the Poetry Lab in Vienna, VA
05/10: *BIG TIME* voted May Goodreads Poem of the Month
08/10: First submission of Trombone Bubble Bath, rejected
08/10: Splitleaves Press broadsides my NOLA Jazz Fest poems
09/10: Invited to read for Whose City? of the Philadelphia Fringe Fest
10/10: First appearance of fifth manuscript, Take Out Delivery
10/10: “THISAREA COUNTY FAIR” accepted by Black Warrior Review
12/10: First reading at Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY
12/10: wild life rifle fire nominated Goodreads Poetry of the Year
At Bats: 22 acceptances + 52 rejections received in 2010

02/11: First AWP Conference: didn't register, drunk for four days
03/11: First Tweet: "you make me want to"
05/11: First draft of sixth manuscript: Jacques Lipchitz

06/26: Fox Chase Reading Series (Paul Siegell and Ocean Vuong)
07/11: PHiSH Super Ball IX, Watkins Glen, NY: awww yeah!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Was this review helpful to you? [Yes] [No]

Lara Kettell writes: "This is my favorite book by Paul Siegell. I have them all, autographed 'cause I'm lucky enough to know the author. This collection of what I'd call word artwork, some almost puzzling, is so fun to read. I enjoy showing it to friends; it's one of my most popular coffee table books. I also highly recommend all of Paul Siegell's other works."THANKS SO MUCH, LARA!

Friday, May 13, 2011

SLAB: The Sound and Literary Art Book

SLAB 6 is now available, featuring work from Thomas Patrick Levy, Heather Palmer, Brett Gallagher, Karla Linn Merrifield, Adam Moorad, Sally Derringer, Richard Chiem, myself, and several others. Thanks to Paul Cunningham & co. for all their tremendous work.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

I'm a HUGE fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but The Last Airbender movie was just atrocious

In addition to providing a bio, SLAB 6 contributors were also asked:

What's the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you? Save my life.

If you could rewrite the ending to any movie, what would it be and how would you change it? I'd make it so I never actually saw it.

If you were forced into exile, where would you go? Capri, Italy.

If you were trapped in a storybook, which one would it be? Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Who's you favorite tyrant/dictator? Evel Knievel.

What's the one piece of literature every writer should own? The photo albums of their ancestors.

What's the best thing you can buy for a dollar? Hershey's with almonds, large size. But only on Tuesdays.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

'She wants to take our cars from out our garages.'

*America stop honking I know what I’m doing*

upon yawning commute for the 9AM—the reluctance
of a realworldolescent—nearly a hundred birds: a species

small and gray, urban, name unknown to knowledge,
swooped about in unison above the still, accepted wait

at light of red: finally

something natural, worthwhile. introducing change
to my mundane: flight school, artwork in the open air.

swift, wheeling maneuvers behind each unidentifiable
and momentary leader, anonymous but for milliseconds:

the decision-maker switches every time direction does—
the useful beauty of anyone initiating a new acrobatic,

no matter how ephemeral.

in the sight of which, overwhelming the well, feeling
lately like I’ve been typing into a typewriter without paper,

never wanted a light to stay red so bad before in all my life.
—from Poemergency Room (Otoliths Books, 2008)