A. Hello Whiskey

Welcome

2015-01-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting my web page. Here you'll find links to the places that have my work. I will also share the work of others when I find myself being pulled into it, and providing I can get permission.
Hopefully this can also become a place to share ideas about writing, particularly poetry, although, almost anything could be interpreted as poetry.

I am available to read my work and discuss poetry with students or anyone else interested, as individuals or groups, and I'm able to travel a reasonable distance to do so.

I live in Michigan, about one hundred miles north of Detroit. I always appreciate hearing from someone who has taken the time to read my work. An E-Mail can be sent by following the link on the right to my full profile.

When a Rose Is Not a Rose

2012-01-01T15:17:00.000-05:00

Figurative language, simile or metaphor for instance, often becomes a beginner’s roadblock to enjoying poetry. Perhaps you understand the concept of a simile, saying one thing is like something else, such as, “My love is like a red, red rose.” But maybe you aren’t quite sure how love, an abstract concept most easily viewed through the actions people take, can be like a physical object, the rose.

It seems that figurative language is often used to compare two disparate things. What you need is a bit of the mathematician’s logic here, a way to find a common denominator. We know that love isn’t red, that it isn’t physical and so it can’t share any of the rose’s physical attributes. Or can it? What is there about the rose that differentiates it from other flowers? Why didn’t Burns write about carnations? Might it be the rose’s thorns? Could love have virtual thorns, something that hurts us in spite of its beauty?

There may be many other explanations, but coming up with a theory and showing the logic for your conclusion is always going to lend weight to your thoughts.

What about another device of figurative language, the symbol. Art has always been laden with symbols. Some are well known. Ravens are thought to be omens of death. Dogs are considered to indicate fidelity or loyalty. Although there are often clues, it is sometimes up to the reader to decide what things stand for. The important starting point is to realize that you can’t take everything within a poem at its face value; you have to search out what might be symbolic objects.

Poetry is one aspect of creative writing, and it has been said that creative writing requires creative reading. To appreciate poetry, you can’t be a mere spectator, you must wade in up to your knees, accept the passed baton, and then my friend,

run with it.

Still Enjoying Poetry

2011-12-16T14:31:00.001-05:00

OK, so you decided to plunge in and read some poems. What should you be looking for? Well, chill. I'm going to assume that if you're coming here to read this, you aren't writing professional criticism for a living. You don't need to know a metaphor from a simile, you just need to notice what's going on in the poem.

Let me tell you about a very interesting museum my wife and I visited last spring. It was the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. When we went in the ticket agent told us our ticket was good for two days, and we could come back tomorrow at no extra cost if we wanted to. I was surprised, because the building isn't that big. Well, let me tell you, each room had literally thousands of artifacts on the walls. It was difficult to focus on the room's story because it looked like someone had taken a time capsule and exploded the thing, sticking stuff everywhere. I quickly understood why it could take two days to visit this exhibit. But guess what? We didn't need to stop and read every poster, look at every photograph, or pay attention to each diorama. We were able to pick up on the spirit of the place and understand the story of the civil rights movement, even though we didn't notice every single thing there.

When you read a poem, have the same attitude. Don't worry about missing some of the points. Poems often have multiple ideas going on at the same time, but you don't need to catch all of them to enjoy it. Think of all the movies you've ever enjoyed. Have you ever searched for information about one of those movies on line? You will find people obsessed with details, like why did the director choose a particular picture to be hanging on the wall in the restroom? Right, you didn't even notice that there was a picture hanging on the wall in the restroom, let alone that it was a particular painting by a particular artist.

Still, you managed to enjoy the movie.

Please, go read some poems!

Rampart and Toulouse Selected

2011-12-16T08:03:00.002-05:00

Kristin Fouquet's book, Rampart and Toulouse, has been selected by A.J. Hayes as one of 2011's novels you really should read. Mr. Hayes said that these books were the first five that poured into his head and also included Apostle Rising by Richard Godwin, All TheYoung Warriors by Anthony Neil Smith, Beautiful Naked And Dead/Out There Bad by Josh Stallings, and Convictions by Julie Morrigan. You can read his full article today at Guilty Conscience.

Enjoy Reading Poetry

2011-12-15T11:55:00.001-05:00

Up until this point I've only used this blog to publicize work that I've had published. I would like to take a turn now and start sharing ideas about writing, and start sharing the work of others when I find it stimulating.

Today I'd like to speak about reading poetry. So many people are convinced that they can't possibly understand poetry. It is true that often a poet is trying to communicate an idea, or even a feeling, that can't adequately be expressed in simple prose. When this is the case, trying to paraphrase a poem often strips all the magic out of it.

You probably know Frances Mayes, although you may not recognize her name. She is the author of "Under the Tuscan Sun" a novel that was made into a movie some years back. Ms. Mayes was an English Professor at San Francisco State University and also wrote a book titled, The Discovery of Poetry.

In her book we are told that Americans are '...overtrained to read for factual information." We are also described as overly pragmatic about our reading. According to Ms. Mayes we are also particularly time-conscious.

She goes on to suggest that "The most important aspect of reading any poem is extensive reading - the more the better - of poems of all kinds, and the best reader is the one most open to the poem on the page."

The next time you find a poem you might describe as obtuse, perhaps you could set it aside and come back to it when you have more time. Try to approach it as a puzzle, or a game, like a message sent to you in code, or maybe not necessarily in code, but using words that have a secondary meaning between you and the poet. Ignore the conventional denotations and concentrate on other possibilities.

If there are words you don't know, do look them up. If there are phrases that sound familiar, do try them in a search engine. You may find that a familiar name is a character from a book, play or movie. You may find a line has been used as an allusion back to the work it originally came from, possibly even another well known poem.

Don't be discouraged if the piece doesn't speak to you right away. If there is something about the poem that attracts you to it, come back to it again some time. Often our reading brings us to a key that's necessary to understand things we've read before but didn't understand fully at that time.

New Work Published at Desolation Angels

2011-12-15T08:02:00.002-05:00

Karl Gallagher has posted five of my previously unpublished poems and re-printed my recent interview with Catfish McDaris over at his Desolation Angels zine. (Also known as FitzroyDreaming) Karl hails from Australia, near Melbourne.

Now I'd like you to go read my poems, but if you do, don't cheat yourself, scroll down a few articles and read an absolutely astonishing work by cowboy poet, Kell Robertson, called The Old Man Goes Home!!! It's worth the trip.

Thank you, Karl.

Blank Verse Dead

2011-12-03T16:29:00.002-05:00

Pablo D'Stair chose me to start his new series of conversations with poets at Blank Verse Dead. I have three poems featured in conjunction with this piece. A new poem, Industry, along with reprises of Note to a Shadow of My Former Self, and Interested Individuals Should Consider Just Giving Up.

I hope you'll visit and have a look.

American Politics

2011-11-18T15:59:00.004-05:00

I've got a piece called American Politics featured in issue 40 of the Red Fez.

You should really read it, there's something to upset just about everyone.

2011-08-10T06:58:00.001-04:00

A new poem, Like A Radio With Moving Pictures, has been published at catfishgringoriver, and with a Pushcart nomination.

Hope you'll check it out. Enjoy.

Vitamin Water

2011-04-14T10:46:00.002-04:00

My video poem, Vitamin Water, has been published in issue 33 of Red Fez.

To celebrate I took a new bio pic wearing a red fez. Let me know which you enjoy best, the video or the bio!

Let It Snoe.

2011-01-13T09:40:00.004-05:00

I will be visiting the town of Elyria, Ohio, just west of Cleveland, on Thursday, February 3'rd to participate in Snoetry 2, a 150 hour attempt to set a new record for the longest poetry reading ever.

Organized by poets Dianne Borsenik and John Burroughs, the event starts at 5 PM on Wed., February 2'nd and concludes on Tuesday, February 8'th.

The event will continue 24 hours a day from start to finish, so drop by anytime to enjoy the readings. Our host is Jim's Coffeehouse and Diner at 2 Kerstetter Way.

I will be reading Thursday afternoon, arriving at lunchtime, weather permitting, and staying til supper time. It would be great to meet lots of friends there, and to make some new ones.

A New Review of Antisocial

2010-11-23T08:07:00.002-05:00

It's great to see a new review come out about a year after the first publication of my book, Antisocial. Thanks to Emily Peterson Crespo at JMWW.

Dirty Dancin'

2010-11-18T09:38:00.001-05:00

I've got a new prose poem up at the revived ULA Redux, part of the Outsider Writers Collective.

This is a humorous response to schools that ban dances, proms and so forth due to those damned kids and their dirty dancin'

Fox Chase Review

2010-08-24T18:03:00.002-04:00

The Fox Chase Review has published three of my poems in its summer issue.

Follow the link to read 'New Track Record,' 'They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait,' and

'The Endless Pursuit.'

Fox Chase has also invited me to read in Philadelphia next July!

April Reading

2010-04-07T07:42:00.003-04:00

Poetry Month reading at Sanilac District Library, Wed., April 14'th at 7:00 PM

The library is located on Main Street, aka M-46, in Port Sanilac and will feature at least two other poets besides myself. Free refreshments!

Have you had your coffee today?

2010-04-07T07:26:00.001-04:00

Two poems, Dirty Words and Un-Manifesto have been published in issue 131 of

Zygote in my Coffee. The company there is terrific, hope you'll enjoy it all.

New Poems Featured at Heavy Bear

2010-02-11T11:22:00.003-05:00

Jane Crown's Heavy Bear has gone live with issue 5 and

it features four poems of mine, Dear Hunting,

Let the Dead Bury Their Dead,

And so we decided to continue the experiment,

and Note to a Shadow of My Former Self.

Good company here, David Mclean, Lyn Lyfshin,

Pris Campbel, Bill Gainer and many, many others.

Hope you'll visit!

Poem featured on local NPR Affiliate.

2010-01-20T17:34:00.002-05:00

On January 18'th one of my poems, Driving Home Through The Rain After the Bars Closed, was read by Marc Beaudin on his weekly radio program, Report from the Mountains. Marc's show is featured twice each Mondays on Delta College public radio, 90.1 out of Michgan's Tri Cities area of Bay City, Saginaw and Midland.

Thank you Marc!

2009-11-13T07:45:00.004-05:00

A poem I wrote recently has been published at Counterpunch in their Poet's Basement column. The poem selected is Going Down After Dark. Counterpunch is a political newsletter with a Friday poetry feature. In the past they have published work by Robert Creeley, Harold Pinter, Laurence Ferlinghetti, and Patti Smith, as well as many talented new and upcoming writers. It is an honor to have work featured here.

Work Featured at Beat the Dust

2009-11-06T16:45:00.002-05:00

Three poems from my book, Antisocial, are featured at Beat the Dust, along with a music video of Carol King and James Taylor singing, "So Far Away."

Now, you know you want to go and see what that's all about, right?

Beat the Dust

"Damn, that's a fine book...

2009-09-03T04:59:00.005-04:00

Couldn't stop reading it."

This was the heading of an E-mail I received from Greivous Jones editor David Oprava this morning. David lives in Wales and is an author and the editor of Greivous Jones Press.

This is the text of David's letter, which he wrote after reading my new book, Antisocial:

Now this is my kinda’ book. With “Antisocial” David Blaine has tapped into something that I can get, really, really get. As soon as I read these words in the first few pages, “let’s piss on the rules, blow the door off this shit house, and open a window, on our own potential…” I knew I’d have to read the whole damn thing straight through. This book is about me in a lot of ways, a guy getting older, trying to figure out the tangled wires of life experience, getting closer to an unknown end, and mildly, quietly shitting himself that God might just not be there, or even worse, he actually might. I cruised gladly through the quick-witted and visceral poems until I came to “Glitterati” and I was stopped right there, in the moment, in the reflective emotion, and even better, he mentions a Cadillac El Dorado (my dream car) and it was all perfect. But then, holy crap, it got better. I read “They Loooked Like Trash” and tumblers clicked, mental locks dropped their panties, and this was a poem that defines what modern poetry should be. It’s simple, smooth but chipped on the surface, but on closer inspection it goes miles and miles down into the soul of the matter. It’s a poem about humanity, about the faces we are stuck with and our supposed creator, it’s about crap you find at yard sales. I had one of the “those” moments reading it that made my day better. I can’t ask for anything more than that. I’m grateful Dave asked me to read his book, it’s let me know, for a little while at least, until the buzz wears off, that I am not alone in this mess of being. Thank you David Blaine.

New Poem at Gutter Elloquence

2009-09-01T06:49:00.003-04:00

One of my poems, Promiscuous Poetry, has been published in issue five of Gutter Elloquence. Jack does a great job with this zine and he's placed me in pretty good company. Hope you'll visit and read a few.

Keeping Up with Antisocial

2009-08-30T21:32:00.004-04:00

If you haven't ordered a copy of my new book yet, perhaps some of these reviews will help you get off the dime. And speaking of dimes, you can have this gem for a mere sixty of them.

Mel Bosworth has reviewed my book over at his blog, No More Hot Lunches for Eddie Socko.

Lena Vanelslander has reviewed the book over at Gloom Cupboard.

SC Rogers posted a review at his Xanga Blog

Marc Beaudin spills his guts at Crowvoice

And Constance Stadler's review has appeared at both Full of Crow and Calliope Nerve.

I am deeply grateful to all these fine writers for reading and for writing these reviews.

Interviewed by Nobius Black

2009-08-25T05:04:00.002-04:00

Nobius Black, editor of Calliope Nerve, has interviewed me about my new book, Antisocial, and published the result at his blog, White Rabbit, Black Hole.

I hope you'll check it out, and order the book, of course.

Antisocial Available Now.

2009-07-15T16:46:00.005-04:00

My latest poetry manuscript, Antisocial, is the premier publication in the Outsider Writers Press Chapbook Series. Click the banner to visit the publisher.