Filmmaker, Ghen Dennis, has been to New Orleans a number of times since Hurricane Katrina destroyed many people’s homes and neighborhoods. She has worked on rebuilding projects, rescued a few dogs, and continues to document the remaining destruction. During her most recent visit, she wheat-pasted poems to buildings still in need of rehab. A…
In spite of the dreary economy, LGBT people are being encouraged to raise awareness of their rights and impact in the country by calling in “gay” to work this week, closing down their businesses, refraining from shopping, and instead doing volunteer work. The action, dubbed “Day Without A Gay,” is set for Wednesday, December 10…
A new episode of Rabbit Light Movies. A new chapbook from Sam Starkweather. Poetry is there, but why do we constantly feel the need to prove it exists? To point to it? Like a mountain appearing in the distance. ‘Be an uncarved block of wood’ is what the Sarah Lawrence kids, who hadn’t slept in…
I’m a Lynch fan who still has not seen “Inland Empire“. I will. Does “intuition” imply to “feel-think”? Stuff on poetry and Derrida below. Fun excerpt from “The Evening Class” blog: One fellow commended Lynch for the dream-like quality of his films, necessitating repeated viewings, and their Derridean sense where something is always off-center, unseen,…
Dear Poets, I’m looking for a few good films that offer up poetic content, to put it vaguely, or a representation of a poet that doesn’t completely romanticize the poet, disintegrating the person in the process… films with a poetry angle, please! Thanks, Amy ~~~ Gysin’s “The Cut-ups” of course trumps Cronenberg’s take of “Naked…
UPDATE: VIDEO: Sacha Baron Cohen held by police after outrageous stunt on Milan catwalk By Nick Pisa Last updated at 7:45 PM on 26th September 2008 Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was taken to a police station yesterday after he brought chaos to the Milan fashion show for the second day running. Despite the increased security…
In a scene dubbed “a bit too precious” by one reviewer, an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem, “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” makes an appearance in the excellent film, L.I.E., above. And separately, I have been graciously granted, by Annie Finch, the Women’s Poetry Listserv moderator title that she has worn many years now:…
Yes, that’s John Travolta and Kirk Douglas lip wrestling, but this post is about much more than curing the daily — Jim K wrote a quick review of my recent Dusie chap, Kiss Me With the Mouth of Your Country (send your address to amyhappens @ gmail dot com for a copy). And thank you,…
It’s just me who said just cinema … “Just cinema.” … not like showing a photo of Marilyn Monroe when you’re talking about her, more like showing a photo of something else to introduce another idea … Not long after the Liberation there was a brief vogue for what were called “poetic films,” there would…
How Is It Possible To Disagree Politically? In the minds of others. Of course, there’s also the risk that it will become something completely unintended — the poet may also refer to this sending out as an act of faith. This morning I’m so pleased to read the outlined-becoming of one of my poems by…
If you are my student, then you now know the weekend assignment will be to write a poem in the Bouts-Rimés form. You will also know that this idea struck me when I was flipping through the aforementioned Court Green donated issues. If you are not my student, you may want to explore the form…
Many moons ago, I read Albert Camus’ novel, THE FALL. A few moons later, I watched Kryzsztof Kieslowski’s film, “Red“, which was from his “Three Colors” triology. I immediately thought (& surely I’m not alone) that Kieslowski modeled one of his main characters on Camus’ judge: “But equally real to me was the world of…
** The BBC production of Sarah Waters’ novel, Fingersmith. Suspenseful, Victorian constraint with a well-executed Sapphic theme and good acting all around, especially by Elaine Cassidy. ** A gorgeous American Masters’ production on Gregory Peck, an actor I’ve admired, and yes, loved for a long time. ** And all flarfing aside, from the inimitable Rodney…
Folks are abuzz about this book & film — what am I missing? Did Da Vinci leave some cure in code for remedying hunger or preventing war? A recipe for sharing the wealth? I’m clueless about the premise and too lazy to look it up … someone …? I will admit though, I’m one of…
So I picked up this handmade chapbook the other day after a reading at St. Mark’s Poetry Project with the 21st century title, “Cinephrastics,” by Kathleen Ossip. I want to call these succinct poems “Impressions” (”phrastics” are, I believe, descriptors) as they were written after the author, in some cases, forced herself to see films…
I tend to avoid films once they’ve received too much media attention and praise. Maybe I want to be the rebel and avoid the crowd, but mostly, I just can’t stand to be let down after the build-up. Not so with “Brokeback Mountain.” Not much to say because I’ve just returned home and am feeling…
“… and when they beheld her statue lying upon the coffin, there was such a general sighing, groaning and weeping as the like hath not been seen or known in the memory of man.” –John Stow
About a strange little film I saw many (many!) years ago, starring a young Crispin Glover. I don’t know why this film came to mind, but I wonder if any of you interlopers have seen it? It’s called, “The Orkly Kid,” and was part of the Beaver Trilogy, which included a young Sean Penn (I…
Last night, I saw David Cronenberg’s new film, A History of Violence. It usually takes me a few days to absorb a movie and figure out what to think of it. My intial impression of History is that Cronenberg does not intend to glorify violence, but he wants us to empathize with a protagonist who…
AMY KING 