Aloha!
September was a rewarding month! I celebrated the new academic year with several faculty members and students from Lehman by throwing a picnic in Van Cortlandt Park. I absolutely brought Taco Bell. Below, my favorite faculty member in the Health Sciences Department, Dina D’Alessandro, wrapped up what went down:
October Events
10/3/2021 — all day
October 3rd is National Abby’s Day of Service, Abby Day for short.
(You may not have heard of this holiday before because I just invented it!)
This is a time to remember the positive force that is Abigail Ruth Henry (my mama who passed on Oct 3, 2017). To remember Abby and continue her mission of making the world a better place, please volunteer or donate to an organization you care about. Abby focused her energies on environmental protection and child wellbeing, but you do you.
I’ll be joining the American Littoral Society to clean up some coastline in Brooklyn. About that word, littoral:
You can find other same-day volunteering opportunities here:
https://www.nycservice.org/search/#s
https://www.newyorkcares.org/
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/volunteer-opportunities-in-nyc-for-groups-individuals
10/27/2021 — 6pm, Zoom
Writing-wise, I am honored to be reading with Melissa Castillo Planas, as Associate Professor at Lehman College and the author of a new collection of poems, Chingona Rules (Finishing Line Press).
Here’s the gorgeous cover:
Please RSVP here:
https://lehman-cuny-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctc-yurjkuHtA7_c2uaXLVSw3BFnXiHG5L
News
I am starting a podcast called Poemtime. Lately I realized that I miss sharing and discussing poems with people – dear friends or complete strangers – without some secret capitalist agenda. Writers are told constantly to be strategic with their time and develop a brand and platform. Sure, that’s important, but it can be nauseating and exhausting to live like that 24/7.
Poemtime is a reaction to the overly-curated, glossy, and profit-driven ethos by which Big Five publishers manage literature. Each episode is 15-20 minutes. The basic set up is I invite someone because a poem reminded me of them; then they share a poem that reminded them of me. Neither of us know what the other will be reading. Then we chit-chat about each poem, enjoy being human, and go on with our Sunday.
The first episode will be available November 1st, 2021 :)
Recommends
Mary Ruefle
“A poem is an act of attention, and an act of attention is a political act. I see the poet’s role in society as one in which the poet is free to be oneself; whatever they want to write is fine with me. I suppose my views are terribly unpopular, but I have observed that some poets write for the masses and some write for their cats. We have in our lives both private and public moments.
Tina Cane’s interview with Mary Ruefle, AWP. I first heard Mary at a writing conference in Tampa; one of the best lectures I’ve ever encountered — lyrically beautiful, tempered craziness, so much love.
Gilles Deleuze
The philosopher Gilles Deleuze on haters, brought to you by Plastic Pills. Watch his fantastic videos on Deleuze & Co. here:
Dolores Dorantes
“If you consciously seek a style, you’ll end up taking on a mask, a disguise that makes you easily recognizable. I conceive of style as a search for you yourself. It’s slower, and you can’t be sure what you’ll find, but in the event you do find something, the result will be authentic…”
From the poet Dolores Dorantes’ remarkable work, Style/Estilo.
“Si buscas conscientemente un estilo terminas adoptando una careta, un disfraz con el que eres fácilmente reconocible. Concibo el estilo como una búsqueda de ti mismo. Es màs lento, no es seguro que lo encuentres, pero en caso de que eso se produzca, el resultado será auténtico…”
Here’s what Google Translate did with this :)
Songs of the Month
“A Different Paige” from the animated sitcom/musical Central Park on Apple.
My happy place is Kathryn Hahn singing about becoming a detective novelist.
Listen to those trumpets!
“Senta Braba” by MC WM
Thanks TikTok!
“Peace Lily” by Recycled Time (Piotr Pillardy)
My good pal Piotr released a new screamcore/pop-rock EP, “Peace Lilly”
Need to clean your apartment aggressively and rapidly?
Play this.
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New Writing
I am hammering away at TV series called “Sally May.” This follows a gay college student who learns that his estranged father is a billionaire, which means he has to payback all of his need-based aid to Sallie Mae; the quickest way to do so is through sex work and to star as a drag queen named Sally May.
I asked my computer yesterday how long have I been working on this damn thing. Turns out my first notes were from early 2016. The first screenplay draft was the day after Christmas, 2020. Fingers crossed I’ll finish the series this year!
In other news, a short story I’ve been working on, “Faux Latino,” has morphed into a novella. Here’s the opening scene. I’m always looking for feedback, and if you hear of places that publish novellas, lemme know!
Take care :)
MattCap