)(   Unmoveable Feast  )(  
................................because literary history starts somewhere...................................
                                             conceived and created by Susan Kirby-Smith

                AND THIS IS A MAGAZINE OF PITFALLS AND TREE LACES

    because I told you it was
because we were
    here           together

and if i can get this to work, here is a video concerning my friend Tracey Duncan, who is also known at least by herself as tdt.
(She and I are sisters now
since I am sks.)
(I can be seen in this video in the pink jacket.)



FaLL 07 PoEt CiNQuAiNS

by Andrei Codrescu

(some words)

Susan Kirby-Smith



other words and arrangement


1.

I saw you on a train and

I can tell by

your typeface and locations

which of your poems are older.

It doesn’t matter: despite the setting

and the font you know the right- wait!

You had the tone in Big Sur

and it came with you to Baton Rouge.

I wish you’d complete a series

of damaged children portraits.

Even when you are funny

you are terrifying. Please

kill the last three lines.

 
2.

My dear,

your poems of left-behind

love are gritty and believable.

They hurt.

oakland v. the poodles is the best

of that agonized-letter form.

the veldt with those question-mark lions and those tongueful

of soft elephants

don’t leave much in their wake, they are dreams gone soft.

flowered sheets

a cicatrix-like terseness worth pursuing

because

(this is longer than five lines)

you join that agony of loss with clear mind.

 

3.

In the beginning was the lotsa me and you that didn’t know they were words.

Then came the one who writes titles but must be told what’s up.

What’s up is that it’s this poetry funny that makes poems different.

It’s not Frank’s funny or Brinks’ I-found-it-funny it’s DeWitt funny.

Plus you can see them poemselves making themselves up. That’s great. By.

 

4.

Rock’n roll sex and drugs are not for poetry amateurs and you’re not

but like the movies you do induce a craving for what the poems warn against

and the typed garage-band look makes them even into art so I’d say

that you found the forms equal to the violent education you’ve recorded

and DTD adopt those initials for your po handle tattoo if you don’t already have

 

        5.
 

In Seeing the Future a grownup speaks. He has forgotten nothing, accepts change.

In Old Man On Bench Refuses to Speak the grownup has been substituted for a poet. Oy!

Happily, there are fire engines, muddy paws on welcome mats, swished whiskey.

A serious man sits inside the grownup holding the poet’s head under the faucet.

The water is cold. He will come up quietly speaking foreign languages. Hey.

 

                Tomato.

You will be the only poet

allowed to use exclamation

points in the future.

That’s because your energy is genuine and you are the sister of Vladimir Majakovsky.

You will also be awarded

the Truly-Pays-Attention-To-Her-Circumstances-And-

Does-Not-Fear-to-Thread-Where-the-Mud-is-Thick-

and-the-Emotions-Murky Medal!

And then please work on spacing

your epée hits on the page for maximum bleed!

 

SUSAN KIRBY-SMITH.

Fusyform Gyrus, get to work!

I’m looking at the fully furnished house.

Everything is in place: veggies, medieval

towers, thoughts, mirrors, clock.

The house is waiting for the poet to inhabit it fully, but it’s not a house it’s an ark,

it’s a ruse, it has had its moorings cut and it became a boat while the poet was out

picking up drifting quotables. The minute she sets foot in and says, “this is it,” we’re off.

 

                    8.

Benjamin spoke loudly shattering

the glass in the myriad windows

of the false octo-prophet

and what he said was whitmanic and powered

by a rage held back only by its potential

for eco-damage, which is a nice way to feel, way too nice

knowing as you do and we too

that weathers will change us and that

there are several stories in you waiting

to be written without interruption by punk clouds

or cries of help from stranded engineers

(sixth line see you next semester in the trenches of nonfiction)

 
ee

I found Graveyard hard to read: I was inside harsh light facing moving black letters.

For that very reason what came through was poetry, starkness, clean air, essentials.

That light possessed of the same melancholy intrinsic to it and to the speaker diffused

in Winter or in Baton Rouge, Easter 2006, but lost only a little power as urban flotsam

drifted in. A voice speaks through you. Both hands on the wheel, please. Terrific.

 

       10.

Blessed be the Thomist in search of song for he will speak positively

and make good poetry out of things that actually grow from in the earth, i.e, plants.

And fear ye the wrath of the non-chaotic universe for trampling on tender things.

Good work, Jordan, and there will be more. You speak well. You are poet. No 5th line.

 

          Tyler Smith

Thank you for joining the circus. In addition to the squid with eyes bigger than onions

we will witness the magic of the man who said i wanna bronze/my family tree

and then goes ahead and does it through complex dances and songs with a pinch of dread

threaded through by an epic urge unstoppable, and thus, ladies and gentlemen,

from the family the din of dragon-slayers arose and an epic hero stood ready to be born

 

          12.

three voices can be heard here using one mouth

with great energy and demented joy

the voice of love declaring fucking’s a mess lately

without slighting love

the voice of blood amazed and impatient

(superstions are fences to invaders)

& the voice of the terse story-teller who has ripped the wires (adjectives) from her head


FIN.


The Puffy Chair

 

Domineering boyfriend Josh takes her on a wild adventure. They go to his brother’s house, watch a film about a lizard. Brother gets married, drunkenly.

They all fight.

The woman is particularly upset

that the young man’s brother

treated marriage, the idea

of marriage so wrongfully

 

They drove home.

New Friend With Blog
A new Friend in Baton Rouge: A friend named Colleen Kane relcoated here from Brooklyn and manages the site, BaRou, which stands for, in some fresh new language, "Baton Rouge is the new Brooklyn." BaRou, folks. I agree.



Stolen Pictures of Ellis


This is Ellis Marsalis!

At Snug Harbor!



Where he plays with his trio, that includes his youngest son! Jason Marsalis!




Codrescu


THE WONDERFUL THESIS

I had a thesis on the web somewhere; it's disappeared.


May 21, 2006

Susan and Eric's Wedding. Mr and Mrs. Holtz married here;

on Saturday, May 20. It was the best wedding I've ever attended.

It was "in" Old Sheldon Church, which is actually the ruins of church that dates back to 1748.

Originally called Prince William's Parish Church, it was one of the first Greek Revival structures built in the United States.

It was burned by the British  sometime at the end of the eighteenth century, when the British General Augustine Prevost invaded the Lowcountry. It was rebuilt in 1826, renamed Old Sheldon Church and burned again by General Sherman's Union troops in 1865.

Top 7 Things About Susan and Eric's Wedding (besides the people, of course)


7. Riding the bus to places in a group, being offered beer when boarding and exiting the bus

6. Bluegrass band at the reception

5. Classical musical selections at the wedding

4. Shrimp and Grits

3. Spooky Church Ruins

2. A reading of part of Plato's symposium that flowed right into something by T.S. Eliot, read by an actor named Will

1. Leather couches outside at the reception

_________________________________________________________________________________________

GYPSY JAZZ!  (a little belatedly)

This picture came into existence on a Wednesday evening around 7 or 8 at Amnesia in the Mission District of San Francisco. That's Dave Ricketts facing us with the guitar, Rob Reich on the accordian, Craig on guitar, and then Mike Groh, also on guitar. Ari Munkres was playing bass at this time but is not in this picture.These men are Gaucho!

The band draws influence from Biréli Lagrène, Stochelo Rosenberg, Robin Nolan, Django Reinhardt, Stephen Grapelli and “jazz manouche,” which means "traveler jazz," a blend of traditional Romany music and jazz that was very popular in the 1920s.

Continuing the Shakespeare Lesson

What makes Shakespearean language so appealing?

1)  Object Verb Inversion! (When the direct object  precedes the verb.)

Full many a glorious morning have I seen! (34.1)

O! How thy worth with manners may I sing (40.1)

Alack! What poverty my muse brings forth,

Those lines that I before have write do lie,

O me! what eyes hath love put in my head,

The sun itself sees not, til heaven clears

O cunning love! with tears thou keep'st me blind,

Your love and pity doth the impression fill

2) Anthimeria! (Substitution of one part of speech for another)

No marvel then, though I mistake my view

3) Hyperbaton! (Altering word order, or separation of words that belong together, for emphasis)

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou growest (11.1)

4) Ellipsis! (Omission of one or more words, which are assumed by the listener or reader)

Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn

These are just my favorites. For more go here.

I would like to explain that sometimes it seems that one of these differences is actually another. Perhaps sometimes they are both, in a similar way that 2(2) can be expressed 2 x 2. Or maybe it's more complicated than that - this is an explanation in progress. 

 

Air to the Throne!  Please see "Reviews" for the face performance.

Some rocker

May 6, 2006

Today I went to the famous Derby Day Party at the Romine's house in Sunset Hills. I think I bet on the winning horse. Unfortunately I had to leave long before the race to come to work, but that brings me to something I want to say - I want to make a promise: Tomorrow, when I am going into the gigantic press room to get the first editions hot off the press I am going to secretly take some pictures and then post them the next day. This thing is amazing, the giant press. Your eyes will pop out of your head when you see it. That is my promise. Some days, when collecting the papers,  I have had the urge to throw myself into the press, not to die of course, but just to experience a great physical collision with that huge beautiful machine that prints out thousands of papers. But not tomorrow - I must live another day, if only to post the pictures of the giant press. Perhaps I will even record the sound the press makes and make an audio file and put that online, so that anyone reading can hear and see the press online and feel that they are really there, collecting the newspaper first edition with me, they themselves thinking about hurling their own corpora into the giant press. That is my promise.

May 5, 2006

Unfortunately, I can't yet manage to get any pictures up here. But, I was just looking at the pictures of the Air Guitar Competition that took place last week at a bar called Amnesia on Valencia Street in the Mission. Rembering the crowd and the performance of the singers and air guitarists just brought tears to my eyes. I have not seen people that happy in a long time. When Air to the Throne started up with "Eye of the Tiger," you could literally feel the happiness boil up inside everyone and escape into the air like churning, hot cloud.  In a world in which sincerity and true joy seem to have little value, the fifty or so people singing along and dancing to to "Like a Prayer" unconventionally shared their joy. Along with the air bands, the audience members communicated to themselves and to one another their sincere and deep appreciation for musical parody and the whole event provided a tremendous release for everyone's intense, bottled-up reverence and love for 80's music, obligable irony cast aside. There were even people in nun costumes performing the background vocals and the air players brandished their cardboard instruments with all the passion of anyone breaking free of 80's pop music denial. I think it was the best thing I saw during my nine days in San Francisco. Air to the Throne, who did "Like a Prayer," stole the show, took the contest by storm, whatever cliche of "won" you want to throw in there. They also performed "Eye of the Tiger" and a costumed rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody." All the air bands were great however. Another did that song from Mannequin. As a romantic duet. In jazzercise clothes.

Another group peformed "Whole Lotta Love" with that section, you know the one I mean, going on for about 15 minutes, I think. Quite amusing.

I especially thank Rob for the complex and wholly appropriate facial expressions, which will receive ample critical attention as the pictures come up.

May 3 2006 (later)

please wait. this may take more time than I thought.

May 3 2006

Yesterday I started trying to explain something. The explanation didn't work out as well as one could have hoped so I've had to go back into books to get into precisely why I enjoy Renaissance literature so much. There are the varying definitions for words - the Oxford English Dictionary becomes one's very best friend. But, the definitions of words only open up if you allow the Elizabethean grammar to hit you at full force. This process can be unconscious but I also want to be able to explain it. So you know that that means?

It's Grammar Day on Unmovable Feast!!!

This day is going to start off with a brief tutorial in word terms. Then, later, after I've had a chance to reread the Sonnets, I'll provide you with my favorite syntax variations.

Here we go.....  

Transitive Verbs - verbs with a direct object (I chastise, love, kiss him.)

Intransitive Verbs - verbs without a direct object (He relents, runs and lives.)

Linking Verbs - verbs that express a state of being, or connects a subject to a predicate nomintative or subject complement (It is, appears, seems to be a ridiculous mess.)

Gerund - a verb that has been made into a noun ends in "-ing" (Breaking things is fun.)

Participle - a verb that serves as an adjective (Smoked salmon, waiting period, transformed birds, nesting newlyweds.)

Infinitive - a verb with "to," serving as any part of speech (To bake, to stuff cookies into one's mouth.)

Personal pronouns - stand in for people or ideas

Nominative/Subject pronouns (It was fun.)

Objective Pronouns (Get him!)

Possessive Pronouns (My book is cool.)

Relative Pronouns - relate to another nound proceeding them in the sentence (my dog that barks, The people who saw us, The food that was delicious.)

Indefinite Pronouns - refer to an unknown subject. (Every place is taken. Many eggs are broken. Both people want the same thing. Someone is smoking. Another is drinking. Someone went to throw up over there. Several years ago I saw you.)

Demonstrative pronouns - refer to specific things or ideas (This is nice, that's the way I'd like to walk, that will be fine.)

Interrogative pronouns - ask a question (Which bicycle would you like? Who is going to be there?)

Reflexive pronouns - refers to the subject (He cleaned himself, I took myself to the station.)

Okay, I'm not sure if all this is necessary but at least I have it for reference.See this tutorial on coordinating and subordinating conjunctions until I get back to finish.

April 30, 2006

Well, there is lots to tell but I can't yet load many pictures.


Stay tuned however, for pictures of and commentary on two films from the San Franscisco International Film Festival, an important air guitar competition, a Giant's game, a kletzmer festival in Palo Alto, a genius-toting, city-touring gypsy band and then this year's Northern California Renaissance Conference (not an event at which people dress up in tights, fence and drink mead.) Also, expect some burrito reviews. If you absolutely cannot wait and must know about burritos right now, please proceed here.

I'm staying in the Mission District, a neighborhood deeply Latino but slathered with hipsters.  The buildings are both Victorian and Mexican looking and they range between being elegantly and exquisitely restored to seeming all but condemned. I'm convinced there are more colors here than anywhere else in North America. I visited the splendid community writing center and pirate store, 726 Valencia, also the official McSweeney's store. I went to Yoga Tree and climbed something that I think is called "Bernal Hill" because that's what my friend called it but anytime I say "Bernal Hill" to anyone else they look at me like I am crazy. Perhaps it has another name.

For Sarah Rose - The Pig Olympics!

Held in Russia, I believe.

A Bunny and Flowers

I just can't even tell you how thrilled I am about getting a bunny and flowers.

Don't Forget about Donald P. Grady

Ever! http://www.paperrad.org/donald/donald.html

That comic strips goes with a radio play that some love and others (my Aunt, for one) feel creeped out by. Someday I'll put it online for all the world to hear. If you really want a copy though, email me.

Things I would do if not writing my Master's Thesis

I just want to say that I'm really looking forward to seeing The Libertine when I have a few hours. Who makes movies about John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester anyway? I am pretty certain that less than 15% of the people who see the movie even know who that guy was. I'm wondering what would happen if they advertised it with his poetry. I know what would happen, actually - there would be A LOT of teenagers and strange little old ladies trying to sneak in, the old ladies sneaking because they wouldn't want anyone to see them there and the teenagers sneaking because I'm not sure if they could get in otherwise.\


My Oscar Report:

Best Picture - disagree. BB Mountain was robbed.

Best Actress - agree

Best Actor - agree, more or less

Best Adapted Screenplay - definitely agree

Best Original Screenplay - definitely disagree

Best Editing - oh, that is so predictable

Best Costumes, Art - that too

Supporting Actress - disagree outright. Amy Adams deserved it.

Best Actor - I can't even see that movie because the voice of "Capote" I heard in the previews bothers me immensely. I think it should have been Terrence Howard

Best Song - yeah, that's good

Best Soundtrack - fine, fine.

Ahem. I dedicate this recitation of stanza 22 of Lord Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgramage," Canto III, to the old goat who sits behind me:

 
Did ye not hear it?--No; 'twas but the wind,
Or the car rattling o'er the stony stret;
On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing Hours with flying feet--
But, hark!--that heavy sound breaks in once more,
As if the clouds its echo would repeat;
And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before!
Arm! Arm! and out--it is--the cannon's opening roar!

About Me

Name:  Susan Kirby-Smith

This is my first blog with pictures. Enjoy.

Links



http://libres.uncg.edu/edocs/etd/1210/umi-uncg-1210.pdf


Who is this woman, you are asking yourself. Well, I will tell you. This woman is Carla Kihlstedt. No, she is not my secret identity. She is a musician in the Bay area. She plays violin,  she plays viola, she sings, she screams. She plays in 2 Foot Yard, The Tin Hat Trio, Charming Hostess and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Carla is wonderful. Carla is the embodiment of progress in music. Carla will someday be interviewed on this website. Someday soon. Until then, go to her website to discover the brilliance.

_______________________________________________________________

40 is the new 30, even for soldiers

That's right. Now if they die at 33 it's considered tragicly young. I think it used to be 23 and under for that.

Oh, Just Quit

"Let's quit the debate about whether greenhouse gases are caused by mankind or by natural causes; let's just focus on technologies that deal with the issue," the president said in Pennsylvania.

So, that is probably something I want to think less about. Here is a website I want to think more about.

Here is a movie I'm excited about.

Speaking of movies I just saw Thank You For Smoking and it reminded me of The Big Lebowski, which reminded me of The Big Sleep, or was it Double Indemnity? Those movies in which a strangely appealing man is kidnapped and drugged.