Monday, November 03, 2008

The Reality Street Book of Sonnets





The
[wonderful] Reality Street Book of Sonnets has been born. My frequently delving eyes and mind have sofar enjoyed Bernadette Mayer, Harryette Mullen, Alice Notley, Geraldine Monk, Carol Watts & Tom Raworth in particular, but there's still much to be explored.

Extracts from my favourites:

"Back to sleep 2 nightmares
Solid ones down not to be told
Woke not wanting to be in life
Wasn't, outside warmed
To my blood clean cold quickened
On the way to town for food and
Back for you, Though I was still
A little sulky & grim
So you fucked me back in"
(Alice Notley, 165 Meeting House Lane)

"And yet, by halogen-light, I think my loneliness as reckless as ny souveneir bought with free coupons"
(Harryette Mullen, 'Variations on a Theme Park')

Also, one from me, from a cycle called 'Geometries':

I

The upright nature of a girl, belied by
formless whirrs, signs of visible lust like the
density of skies, & the disappearing hour;
I think of you urgent & weak walking beside
billboards, missing out, flaking off in the
silence between 2 traxx, no tender riot
in yr geekheart [spliced open & pulsating
in four different places whilst the summer
is blaring musty and lithe, awful shiny
skin & sick tune of birds germinating light
as a new kind of loudness] & the crude urban
cosmos misses you & is just passing the
time w/dirt & money & pouting in the
corner w/out your nocturno-suspicious lure.

I might try to write a proper review later, but for now you can get the book at Reality Street or (shock!) on Amazon

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