4 Against the Wall — today’s book signing & release party
The nice thing about self-promotion is that it is just that : the self in motion. Tonight I join two other members of this poetry collective, Ruelaine Stokes and Robert "Bibbit" Rentschler, and read flog our book. It should be giddy fun, if not for you then at least for us. Sadly, one of our number has fallen … or at least won't make it tonight. Sam Mills, though a Lansing resident, commutes to Detroit to work and what with the dark, threatening snow blizzard that has settled upon us, everyone feels it better he stays in Detroit instead of risking the journey to read tonight (a four-hour round trip is a long time to drive simply to read 20 minutes of poetry, really) … so it will actually be 3 Against the Wall (+ 1 M.I.A.) … Our flier reads:
Old Town will be hopping Wednesday night, Dec. 14th, with a Book Signing and Release Party for Four Against the Wall at Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St. in Lansing's Old Town, 7:30 PM
One of the perks about being in a small city is that, unlike Chicago, L.A. or NYC where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a poet or ten, the media actually shows up for poetry events here. The Lansing State Journal wrote a very nice article about us: Local poets give voice to new book and hopefully someone from What's On and The Noise will show up too.
See you tonight, my friends …
December 14th, 2005 at 1:45 pm
If only I lived in Lansing…
Have a blast. And be kind to the audience.
December 14th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
My friend, if you ever happen to chance through this wayward town then you too can be a featured poet at our Creole readings! I am thinking of reading one of Neruda’s Odes tonight, crowds love Papa Pablo … but which? “Oda a la pereza”? “Oda a la alcachofa”? “Oda a la cebolla”? Do you have an ode you love more than others? Please …
December 14th, 2005 at 3:28 pm
Give ‘em heck, Zack!
We really should do these readings on the weekend…especially in the middle of wint…oops. It’s not winter yet. Dang.
Zack, you have my blessings to read “Elvis, King of Kings” tonite; I know you’ll do it justice.
Meanwhile, I’ve been told here at work that I have to write a brochure on the thrills and chills of Project Management Offices (PMOs)–and why our software product is just what the doctor ordered. Due by January 3rd. Guess I know what I’m doing for the holidays…
December 14th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
Thank you, Sam, thank you! You will be missed but we will all do our best.
You know, I first fell in love with your poem years and years ago when you performed it at Diane’s “Elvis in a Box” (which I still have, somewhere) festival. It really isn’t the same poem without you reading it, you are the only person I know who can get the Elvis persona down correctly.
December 15th, 2005 at 9:25 am
I’ll take that as a compliment! Otherwise, it’s kinda scary (heh)…
So…did it go well?
December 15th, 2005 at 1:33 pm
It was a blast!
We started off with some of your poems. I read “Watching Casablanca,” Rue did “Following the Suggestions …” and Bob was great with “Emotional Traffic Report.”
The whole reading lasted just long enough to get the crowd excited but not long enough that the blizzard snowed us in. Sally thinks we had 54 people show up, we sold about 35 books. It was, I think, a success!
December 15th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
I think we were pretty much “channeling Sam” at the beginning of the reading. The bowler probably did it. So much fun! It was lovely talking w/ folks, too. Such beautiful souls. — Rue
December 16th, 2005 at 10:00 am
Thank you! You know, it took all four of us to bring the book into reality … and took all us to pull the reading off as the success it seemed to be. Hurrah for poetry collectives!