Interesting article on copyright law from a science fiction writer

Just read this piece by Cory Doctorow about copyright law and was surprised to learn that Frank Herbert's estate sued some Second Lifers because they paid an homage to Dune in SL. Absolutley ridiculous. In any case, Doctorow's essay is concise and makes a unique point about copyright's bias against constructive creativity. Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/13/cory-doctorow-copyright

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*Good thing the bit below is a parody*

brief thoughts on Tuned Droves

Eric Baus’ latest book, Tuned Droves, is a perceptual transmission, a linguistic reengineering, and a phenomenal cartography of a wild borderland both innocent and amoral. Reading these poems, with lines like “The bee’s stinger is like an enclosed, dark tongue. The atonal tortoise is a kind of dictionary in reverse,” reminds me of the often overlooked linkages between the world’s contents and their connection as well to language and thus thought. Eric Baus’ poetry refreshes the world and makes it more dangerous.

[EDITED on 4.29.09]
Remember! Tomorrow is Poem in Your Pocket Day. Don't be embarrassed when someone asks you to share a poem, and you reach into your pocket pulling forth only lint.
Print, steal, tear, memorize, or write a poem and carry it in your pocket. Dare to disturb the universe!

Books stabilize culture

I read a terrific essay today by Stephen L. Carter over at The Daily Beast. Carter begins with the following:

Like a lot of writers, I am wondering when Congress and the administration will propose a bailout for the publishing industry. Carnage is everywhere. Advances slashed, editors fired, publicity at subsistence levels, entire imprints vanished into thin air. Moreover, unlike some of the industries that the government, in its wisdom, has decided to subsidize, the publishing of books is crucial to the American way of life

Ironically I read this online, but I very much agree with Carter when he asserts that the book itself is quite different from information, and that both are necessary. We so often tend to blindly adopt new media and throw out the old without taking the time to critically analyze not just the benefits and costs of each, but the deeper nature of different media types. I'll take a book any day over a kindle, and I don't trust those who wouldn't do the same.

And in tangential but ever-so related news, Ama.zon (may it be crushed by its own weight) has decided to define its LGBT titles as "Adult." WTF? Read more here: http://i.gizmodo.com/5209149/amazon-deems-lgbt-books-too-adult-for-search-best-seller-lists

Tom Gauld is funny

From Beasts Vol.2

Check out more of Gauld's work here at Cabanon Press: http://www.cabanonpress.com

Hurray for Vermont!

I don't really have too much to say, except that I am so pleased about Vermont's legalization of gay marriage, and that California needs to get its act together.

Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_vermont

I love California, but c'mon, are we really this far behind the curve on this? Sheesh.

Poem in your pocket

April is national poetry month, and this is apropos and rad (perhaps apropoetic?):

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406

A good week of training and poetry and people

It's been a great week; I got to do the things I most love: hang out with my girl, train a bunch, engage with some terrific poetry, and talk with really intriguing, smart people.

Monday started the week off well as I trained with the Oakland Buyu group and, as usual, learned a lot with them.

Tuesday, I had off, went out to dinner, and then was off to train again at the San Francisco dojo.

Wednesday I was lucky enough to catch Peter Gizzi at St. Mary's College where I was reminded of the importance of breath to poetry. Hearing Peter's poems is a pleasure; he's a terrific reader! Peter talked a lot about his poetic process, and I was inspired to ditch the laptop for initial composition, and to employ the more visceral pen and notebook.

Thursday night, Ammie and I went for a long walk, ate some delicious food, and then I was off to my martial art class in SF after getting off work. What a night! my teacher, Dale, taught principles relating to disappearing and misdirection, and was damn near ghost-like when I tried launching a few full-speed attacks.

Today, on a walk with Ammie, we ran into Willis and Sarah Barnstone, and had a great talk that included a story about Willis having lunch with Robert Frost (as well as another poet with the last name of Snow). Frost, the great populist, in a discussion about Dante, remarked that he had only once briefly read Dante while taking courses at Harvard and then had only read the great Italian poet in Greek. Talking with Willis is stunning. He is easily one of the most remarkable, open, and thoughtful scholars I am likely ever to meet.

Thinking on all this today, I am reminded of the importance of space in, and to, art. The Japanese use a term, Yugen, to describe a space in poetry and art for the unsaid and unrealized which deepens a piece's tone and allows the viewer an entry point wherein he or she could supply his or her own imagination. This idea of Yugen, different than just simply space, is vital for arts (poetic, visual, and physical) to become alive. Keeping this sort of "space" open seems so vital to any creative endeavor, as it is an invitation of sorts for the dynamic unknown potential of things to breath life into whatever is being created--a poem, a movement, or a conversation.