sandbox GAYS

http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01303/WEB-bronson-poo_1303081cl-5.jpg

(speaking of gays/canada/poodles)

Oh, there's my post that didn't show up on the Chicago thread.

lol

yay @ stevie, btw. i have not been good at remembering that sandbox exists.

i did have an argument with that kid, Alex Dimitrov (fuck him, fuck googleproofing).

he was praising Rita Dove's recent defense of an anthology she edited that received a poor review from Helen Vendler, an evil poetry witch if there ever was one.

anyway.

I said:
What I'm wondering is whether such an anthology is necessary when so many others are already out there. Neither Dove nor Vendler are my cup of tea— Dove because her work doesn't really do much with words except put them on paper, line-breaks seemingly thrown in at random, and Vendler because she's snotty and racist and a bit too invested in dead white men. I do feel, however, that Dove's stance of making poetry 'accessible' to be condescending and infantilizing, and can agree with any criticism on those points.

In the end, though, I have no idea as to how this has anything to do with what we, as poets and writers, are doing on a day-to-day basis? Both Vendler and Dove are incredibly successful, tenured, and in my opinion, fucking gross.

Dimitrov:
I don't see how you can say "I have no idea as to how this has anything to do with what we, as poets and writers, are doing on a day-to-day basis." What we are exposed to has everything to do with who we become and who we are. Who is excluded, included, etc. -- all of this matters. That should be obvious by now. To pretend that realities like race, class, gender, etc., have nothing to do with poetry or criticism, is to pretend that we don't have real lives and bodies in the real world. I take great issue with that.

Me:
Nice way of turning it against me when I never actually wrote that those realities don't matter, especially when you're the one who once said, "I don't care about politics, I care about poetry," a totally laughable and ridiculous assertion.

What I meant when I wrote "I have no idea..." was that this is, in essence, a pissing contest between two women who have no connection to anything that has to do with me, the poetry that I write, the poets that I know, or the contemporary poetry that I care about and read.

Dimitrov:
Right, Ted, so because it has nothing to do with you, you don't see why it matters or what this has to do with what "we" do as poets and writers. Why it's a big deal that an African American woman is editing this anthology, why it's a big deal that more poets of colors are included, women, etc. Well, it is a big deal. And it matters. And it matters to some of us that don't identify as those minorities. I would hope it matters to all of us.

Me:
Well, it doesn't.

and then it ended. my old prof from undergrad years wrote me and said, "lol lol you're taking on Dimitrov, be careful! he's small but quick, he can cut a bitch!" and all i said was, "i could lay him on the ground in seconds."

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujp6431DEJg/TsW__8gjiZI/AAAAAAAAAe8/dJpcjLQi0CY/s1600/Marie%2BHowe%2Band%2BAlex%2BDimitrov.jpg

"He's gonna aim low. Think body. Crouch like a tiger, hide like a dragon!"

everything about him fills me with a rage so intense that i find it difficult to think about him unless his horribleness confronts me.

NIce pants, tho.

I quite liked Vendler's review, tabes, and laughed out loud in the library at the excerpts of Dove's prose.

sounds like you'll bed Dimitrov by the end of the year though.

I haven't followed Vendler for years but her early stewardship of Merrill, Bishop, and O'Hara helped.

My guy and I had out first Serious Conversation last night, the kind where you let your guard down and open up and talk about life and insecurities whars REALLY going on inside and all of that shit you always try to, like, avoid discussing with other people. This kid is so brilliant; I'm really excited about him and he feels the same way about me. I think we're really on to something good here.

\(^o^)/

Congratulations, Stevie!

That's really great Stevie! I'm happy for you. What's this guy like?

good goin, buddy

Oh I forgot to mention that all of this came after we went to a bar but decided we were hungry and split after 2 pints, but at 11:30 could only find a 7-Eleven open, so we had a 7-Eleven date with taquitos and maple pancake sausage rollers and cheeseburger big bites and the obligatory cola Slurpee which we consumed standing under the awning next to the trash can to avoid the rain. And this whole Serious Conversation happened walking our bikes in a light drizzle and then sitting on a stoop for like 20 minutes holding hands with his head on my shoulder staring up into the rain. It was absurdly romantic.

What's he like? Graduated from a really good art school, brilliant arist (technically speaking, at least), really dry but affectionate sense of humor

V. sweet.

Are you off the vegetarian diet?

Maple pancake rollers are as delicious as they are unappealing.

Wait I didn't mean to post that yet. He's into feminism and really good at holding intellectually stimulating conversations. He's also not an asshole, which most everyone else seems to be on some level. Like I don't have to worry about him making snide degrading remarks about women/minorities/etc (Its frightening how many people do this!). He's also short and skinny and furry (but it's mostly a fine reddish-blonde) and has a lovely red beard and cute glasses and the thickest hair I've ever seen in my life. I am p much totally completely smitten w this dude

yes yes that's fine and all but HOW GOOD AT KARAOKE IS HE

jk, that is awesome news, stevie :)

good at karaoke is still the most counterproductive trait I can think of

If the aversion to Timberlake wasn't already an indication, here's the proof I need that you and I could never date.

*crosses self*

I can't sing, but if I could I wouldn't try it while drunk, for drunks.

i'm still not 100% convinced this is true, but if it turns out that way, i officially have no more use for the castro:

http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2011/12/castro-theatre-live-acts-replacing-all.html

the horror! Wish I had seen Duck Soup in July.

btwn this and the Eagle, I have much less use for San Francisco.

i saw 'the rules of the game' there. about as perfect a filmgoing experience as one could have. this really blows.

PS tabes I saw this piece at an AIDS art show and immediately thought of you and what you'd make of it

http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad184/sdolnack/a78af26c.jpg
http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad184/sdolnack/472fc7d4.jpg

Awesome art, awful "poem."

Yeah pretty much. That poem is... embarrassing.

*conspires*

Ginsberg has inspired more drivel than Merrill could ever hope for.

I could only skim over it at work, so I want to ask, is it pro-barebacking?

It reminded me of the BB manifesto by the guy who runs Tr3@sur3 I5l@nd M3d!@.

i guess if your eyes magically changed it to a bb manifesto it would?

last night i particpated in some c2c action with a gentleman named paul

i sure did. nice chap.

Congrats!

I just noticed the last part about...keep co-mingling or something. Maybe it was a Rorschach thing.

xp

i'm sympathetic to the general "thrust" of that "art" "piece" but it's pretty dumb imo. xp

What is c2c?

cheek 2 cheek?

it is "cam2cam"

i know, how terrible

c 2 shining c

can u eve

was hoping for cat2cat

i just know one of these days somebody from my place of work is going to be online

ew cat2cat

killer to killer

i'm still not 100% convinced this is true, but if it turns out that way, i officially have no more use for the castro:

http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2011/12/castro-theatre-live-acts-replacing-all.html

my friend that works for SF Film Society says that is false.