Thursday, December 27, 2012

A friend in FL wanted to hear what PHiSH LOT sounded like, sooo...


excerpt from *SET I*
                                            “In music the passions enjoy themselves.”
                                                                                                 —Nietzsche
“right on”-
              stoked split-sec/onds of sensitive, extrAbstract
bandana-delicate aficionados patchwork’d in flux>

              how the plan is to play jazz:

the happiness of having tickets—have you examined much:
              the forensics of a parking lot?

eYeLeVeL w/ the spontaneous relationships & bizarre
bazaars of Jamband Tailgate Showcase Multitudes—

              Come along, my friend my friends:
              Shall we off               to the estate?


after flirting in a minor key, the great “YEAH!” of rockNroll
              cries out from inside—

         www.the_anti-depressant_of_band_expression.tour

of a peak’s release, a chills-guaranteeing song, of a peak’s
              more ridiculous liftoff:

thru suburbs> thru cities> thru college towns> in cargo-
              pocketed/patchwork gear past picturesque
              geometrics of agriculture—
“If you have it, a truck driver brought it” an 18-wheeler
              reads, rolling—
for MILES! tough/tired/hyper miles on roads of perspective
              like summer-long light & airy dresses:
10s of 1000s of InfoAgers_show themselves: revived, elated,
              exhausted, partaking, & partaking while studying
old-but-still-relevant live performances—

of bootlegs teaching Music, teaching scene: boot as
              souvenir/collection; as in, “I was at this show—
              That cheering is me!”

ah, yer damn right they show themselves; we show
              ourselves b/c the music helps us feel like
              ourselves—

thru suburbs> thru cities> thru college towns>

              is it the Crowd’s Energy, or the Energy’s Crowd?

focus the feisty restless ambitious—the self~medicating
              over-stimulated university major-changers jousting
with “I think I know what I wanna do; I just don’t know
              how to get there—”

              how more roads dance to live music than make it:

w/ badtrips buzzkills partyfouls & burns—a revelry, of a road,
              of puffpuff dulcet “circles” & their sensitive, whose
              hit is it?
-rules of sharing, pass & etiquette:

                    ~you cannot cut fire w/ a pair of scissors,
                    wisely agreed the chorus of the wizards~

but you can, but of course, get h i g h

attentive of the insights/the illnesses, of our era’s blood-
              tested/body-pierced Search Engines full-on filing
              into parking lots of jester-fest life:

altered. nappy. siiick

              how we give our bodies to the band:

and you know we just keep kickin’ it, for it’s hard to feel
              Americanly Lost
when you & yer fellow friends a-the Unpredictable Jam
              have out there’d into the Out There, ON
TOUR-uproar’d for the setlist score—for a favorite thing
              to do:

              TO: Jamband  RE: What do you tour for? [SEND]
              INBOX (1): Jamband—Out of Office AutoReply

of festival—high harmonies:

in pursuit to boost & bond, of experience shared:

All Hail! the dearest partners, the Band-Together Band—
              All Hail! the Serotonin Seraphim:
all just tryna head deeper (whatever there IS to dEEper
              into), & no matter how overgrown, not surprised
              how overlook’d:
for while our human eyes seem open, don’t your senses feel
              unfinish’d?
you know I’m not the only i to crave them seldom scenes—

              of Pan—of setting Pan free:

heck yeah! concert sugar—like a kid in a kaleidoscope: can
              you spin w/i?
molecular music: at om w/ the atom—
ahh,
piperPiperPIPER reviving the elusive luminosities we
              lack w/i the modern American weather
                      w/i the modern American-ache Itch Blues:

of Ill-U.S.-Ions!—of l’dor v’dor!

              (((Whooo’s got my extraaa?)))

ev’ry dancer has a band; ev’ry band, dancer—

              nice, love the Bacchus traffic: of arrival:

done set apart our nation’s roads by rockin’ on out to the
              many venues in which we catch our most beloved,
but o, brothers & sisters, the party starts—

                            the Party starts in the Parking Lot!

in light, schwill’d, of crisis after crisis—for song, for scene:
              of celebrating the age in which we live:


THANKS FOR READING!
Wanna see the rest? PLEASE VISIT HERE: jambandbootleg.

Friday, December 21, 2012

The Last Reading on Earth, Ever

The Last Reading on Earth, Ever: A Marathon Reading of Apocalyptic Writing.

Readers include Lizzy Acker, David Atkinson, Albert Balasch, Joseph Bates, Caren Beilin, David Blair, Amaranth Borsuk, J. Bradley, Emily Brandt, Marc Capdevila, Heather Christle, Ryan Collins, Lucy Corin, Paul Dickinson, T.M. De Vos, Adam Fell, Elisa Gabbert, Amelia Gray, J.C. Hallman, Matt Hart, Geoff Herbach, Nathan Hoks, Steven Karl, Becca Klaver, Miles Klee, Gregory Lawless, D.W. Lichtenberg, Brad Liening, Michael Martone, Matt Mauch, Boona Daroom, Dustin Luke Nelson, David Moscovich, Nathan Oates, Joseph Michael Owens, John Reed, Bradley Paul, Kathleen Rooney, Christopher Salerno, Bianca Stone, Paul Siegell, AE Stueve, Mathias Svalina, Maureen Thorson, Leah Umansky, Ellen Welcker, and Rachel Zucker.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Recently Acquired: Statement of Accomplishment! "Modern & Contemporary American Poetry"

Many thanks to Al Filreis, Julia Block, & the remarkable ModPo staff.
Along with 36,000+ others worldwide, began Mon, Sept 10, & went for 10 wks until Sun, Nov 18, took University of Pennsylvania's MODERN & CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY course (aka #ModPo), taught by Al Filreis.

Unpacked poems, wrote essays, took quizzes. Learned, ya heard. Word.

Saturday, December 01, 2012

"In a cocoon of old Coca-Cola cans..."

Paper Darts is a phenomenal journal. The time and care they put
into each piece is pretty much unparalleled. Stunning accompanying designs. It’s very much appreciated, and I’m thrilled to contribute:
++++ TWO POEMS, plus A FUN LITTLE Q&A to boot ++++

Monday, November 12, 2012

"Oo-oo-ooh, yea-ah. Wo-yoy! Wo-yoy! Wo-yoy! Wo-yoy-yoy-yoy!" --Bob Marley

Just Publish'd:
+ Sixth Finch: SEARCH HISTORY, BOOSTER SHOT
+ Switchback: Lipchitz Lyric, bio
+ NEW t-shirts: paul siegell wrote these

FRI NOV 16 @ MOONSTONE 7PM:
AMELIA BENTLEY + RAS MASHRAMANI + PAUL SIEGELL + JEROME CROOKS + ANDREW KELLER read/perform in celebration of JASON BALDINGER’s The Lady Pittsburgh Philly Book Party

Coming Swoon:
+ Apiary Magazine: 06.02.07 – Roger Waters – Wachovia Center, PA
+ E·ratio Poetry Journal: MIRRORED MOSAIC
+ Paper Darts: Wanna Be Startin' Something, Kaleido' for Coca-Cola
+ Sundog Lit: VETERANS AFFAIRS, LATE NIGHT LIT
+ Surrender To The Flow: Poem to Page McConnell’s “Squirming Coil” Piano Solo

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Coconut Books' Braddock Contest: "Honorable Mention, however"

Friends! My manuscript, Trombone Bubble Bath, recently got rejected by Coconut Books. BUT! It pulled in an "Honorable Mention, however." This is spectacular news.

In the very apologetic rejection letter, Coconut Book's editor wrote that Trombone Bubble Bath is "a very good, publishable book. We just had a ton of amazing submissions ... I hope too that your manuscript quickly finds a wonderful home (I'm sure it will!)." Stay tuned...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

the ReVeLeR's done been reDIVIDer'd

*WE'VE COME FOR YOUR CARPAL TUNNEL*
It’s interesting how there are two ways to write the symbol
for the standard number four: with the triangle & without.
I don’t want to give away all of my secrets, but I really like
the look of lower case f. Similarly, ‘minimum’ is by far one
of my favorites words to cue on a keyboard: down up down
up down up down: Typing! The unraveling scavenger hunt.
As a set of movements, it can be achingly rhythmic, critical.
“Fashion week models walking the streets look like aliens.”
Somebody typed that. Wasn’t me. I just copied & pasted it.

Many thanks to Poetry Editor // Charlotte Seley!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

poem > book > t-shirt > song > video: R... R. A. I. N. I. N. "Under my umbrella (Ella ella ay ay ay)"

Sooo, I created a concrete POEM, then published it in a BOOK, then turned the poem into a T-SHIRT, then came up with a SONG about it
in the shower, then shot myself a-singin' it, then posted it to YouTube:




Tuesday, July 03, 2012

JNEW: Surprise review of jambandbootleg!!!

JNEW writes: "Uninhibited. Honest. Insightful. From age- defying statements like "is it the Crowd's Energy, or the Energy's Crowd?" to barebones journaling of pre-show shenanigans at Phish's Big Cyprus festival, jambandbootleg presents the reader with a true depiction of EXPERIENCE...

[A] capable tour-guide... [Siegell] details as no one has before the openness and family-like security of the jamband galaxy... An affecting and infectious read." /// FIVE STARS

Click here to read the full review /// Many thanks to JNEW!!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

"BUT I JUST HAD TO LOOK... HAVING READ THE BOOOOOOK!"

LOTS: SHIRTS, MUGS, BABY BIBS, THONGS, TOTE BAGS + MORE

* PHiSH tees: PhanArt, tees
* PHiSH book: jambandbootleg
* PHiSH poem: 06.25.00, NC

Good cause: A healthy % of sales
of these LOT-style shirts benefit
The Mockingbird Foundation.
'Read the Book!! It documents a state of being at shows—both physically and emotionally... You often feel like you are at the show.' Surrender to the Flow

Monday, June 11, 2012

MOTHER/MERE ... and/et ... CHILD/ENFANT

About this piece, and the Jacques Lipchitz manuscript from which it comes, Liana Katz of Damask Press writes:

"Personally, I was moved to 'mere/child' because I thought it exemplified the spirit of the manuscript, blending visual, sculptural elements with literary, poetic content... I loved the curvature and shape of the text on both pages and was instantly excited about how they would look as a large format broadside. With Damask, I think Toby (Altman) and I are always trying to strike a balance between the artistic and the functional. For me, 'mere/child' presented an opportunity to work with a more abstract art piece while maintaining our loyalty to our mission of publishing poetry in an aesthetic but accessible way."

Many thanks to Liana, Toby & Allegra Fisher of Damask Press for all their hard work, care & collaboration.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

*Lion Bridge to Giant Serpent in Space*

Your core: Galactic activity. Blood to blog about. How

about a noncommittal cataclysm on 122112? Sound good?

A cuckoo skill, absorbed in experiments of out-of-sight seeing.
Lion heat, ticket-stub’d. A boom shakka lakka spirit beacon—

Waiting for my tentmates to wake, wondering why I thought

packing Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno’s Slamming Open the Door
to Bonnaroo was a good idea, I overheard a Scott Medosis go

to a Scott B. Davis, “Got anything crispy to listen to?”

Vivid bridge, flower skull, lion bid. They’re giving a polygraph
to the hieroglyphs today—Brahkuna matata?

All on a fresh head,
Scottie B. goes, “It looks like you’ve got poison ivy in your eyes.”

And then about a bazillion-
piece puzzle of the Milky Way
became a fan of realizing that even thinking about applying
for a job at the apocalypse
is
that which wrecks the rocket ship.
Originally published in Didi Menendez's Oranges & Sardines, and then in the Apocalypse Anthology (Flying Guillotine Press, 2010).

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

*Sonnet that fell out of St. Catherine’s mouth*

Random question: Have you ever been to the Chapel of Saint Catherine in the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena, Italy? There's a 630+ year old head there. Intense. So much so that, well, click the pic to read a sonnet that's on page 46 of The Raintown Review (Volume 10 Issue 2).

Many thanks to the editors, Anna Evans and Quincy R. Lehr

Likewise, over at E-Verse, many thanks to Ernest Hilbert for posting *KICKING IN THE AQUARIUM* (originally in Brian Foley's SIR!).

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

PhanArt > The Mockingbird Foundation

Once again, MANY THANKS to Pete Mason and PhanArt for featuring my "read the book," "SONG" and "light" shirts on the site! (Check out PhanArt's post here.)

For a good cause: A healthy percentage of all sales of these LOT-STYLE shirts benefit The Mockingbird Foundation. See all the shirts here!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

*dense as city*

*dense as city*

peering into

peppershaker

challenged by

night’s crossword

puzzle

scattered lit-up

high-rise windows
-
Originally published in Sous Rature (3ssue), and then in the book, jambandbootleg.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

"CONCRETE POETRY IS ALWAYS IN STYLE"

"Philly poet Paul Siegell... has been responsible for visual poetry hijinks ever since he had an unforgettable summer fling with a mature Swiss lady named Helvetica..."
"Few weeks ago we were... seeing Galactic, a funk/jazz jam band from New Orleans, and one of our favorites. Opening up were the Soul Rebels Brass Band..."
"Siegell... is responsible for mind-melting musical concept books... and the typographical-visual machine-gun known as wild life rifle fire... Now befitting his role as pop culture dynamo, he has his own clothing"

Saturday, March 24, 2012

SING IT WITH ME... FREE SHIPPING!!!

"A B-shirts C-shirts D-shirts E-shirts F G-shirts... H I J K L M N O P-shirts... Q R S... T-shirts U V-shirts... W X Y and Z-shirts...

Now I wear some poetry... Next time won’t you strut with me?
"

Minimalist, concrete poetry t-shirts, tanks, bikinis & more from the books of Paul Siegell. Quality, customizable items of humor, Helvetica and thought - all at kind prices!

FREE SHIPPING: Use coupon code "SHIPFREEUS" on orders over $50 - See something you like, but the style or size ain't right? Email me and we'll make it happen!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

READING: 7PM on Friday, March 16 @ Higher Grounds w/ Jacob Russell & Ryan Eckes

[03.16.12]: Come to the Damask Press release party for Jacob Russell’s Chronic, Chronos, Kairos at Higher Grounds in NoLibs! Readers include Jacob Russell, Ryan Eckes, and me. For more info, facebook it. (T-shirts!)

Monday, March 05, 2012

WEAR A PAGE FROM A POETRY BOOK

LIQUOR UP YOUR LEPRECHAUN!!!

Let the shenanigans begin! Get rowdy this ST. PATRICK'S DAY with the most unique T-SHIRT - or thong -
at the pub crawl.


(COUPON CODE: STPATRICK2012)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

backstage at the submission apparition exhibition

2006: 9 acceptances + 28 rejections received; 2007: 17 acceptances + 71 rejections received; 2008: 25 acceptances + 73 rejections received; 2009: 23 acceptances + 51 rejections received; 2010: 22 acceptances + 52 rejections received; 2011: 16 acceptances + 37 rejections received Sick Pic: "Bethel Woods" by Michael Messenbourg, via Mr. Miner's

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

"See the shocking new photos and find out how long they’ve been keeping their secret"

HAPPY NEW YEAR, PHILLY: *TWO STREET, JANUARY FIRST* in Splinter Generation

PODCAST AUDIO: *AND THE ASTRONAUT IN THE AIRPORT PIANO BAR SINGS* Poem of the Day Podcast at InDigest