3.31.2009

Deb Olin Unferth is Not a Fuck Up

This Wednesday, April 1, InDigest is extremely excited to welcome Deb Olin Unferth and Sam Osterhout to InDigest 1207. Here's a clip of Deb reading one of her stories, entitled "Deb Olin Unferth," followed by all the details you'll need for the reading.

See you there.



04.01.09
Deb Olin Unferth
Sam Osterhout

(Le) Poisson Rouge
New York, NY
6pm doors | 7pm reading
Free

3.09.2009

On Necessarily Skeptical Poetry Reviews

Jason Guriel has written a really great prelude to his reviews at the Poetry Foundation. The article, titled "Going Negative" highlights the importance of negative reviews of poetry and how those types of reviews are necessary for poetry. A small taste:

when a book of poetry receives a tough verdict we often label the review “negative” and speculate about the reviewer’s motives, the agenda behind the takedown. Indeed, behind words like “negative” and “agenda” and “takedown” lurks the sense that the reviewer is the one making the trouble, and the book of poetry—whether it deserved a kicking or not—is being bullied. We’re far less paranoid about motives when, say, a movie receives a tough review in the New Yorker or Slate or Rolling Stone, even when we disagree with the verdict—even when we’re so outraged we fire off an e-mail to some editor’s in-box. This is because negative reviews of movies (and LPs and TV shows, etc.) represent the norm, and aren’t usually labeled “negative.” Movie critics with whom we disagree are merely wrong; poetry critics (and politicians) go negative.

After all, how many volumes of new poetry published in the last calendar year will still be jarring us in five years? In one? Shouldn’t the negative review, if we’re honest and adult about it, be the norm? And if so, shouldn’t we retire the adjective “negative” in favor of something far more accurate, if a little awkward, like “necessarily skeptical,” as in, “Man, William Logan sure has gone necessarily skeptical on that poet?”

3.07.2009

March 4, 1207

Thanks to everyone who came down to the InDigest 1207 Reading Series this week. It was a fantastic reading with great work from both Paul Dickinson and Jibade-Khalil Huffman.

In InDigest 1207 we ask readers to, along with their own work, bring in some pieces by other writers who have influenced them and read those as well. Just like the last reading, we're going to make it a habit of ours to post what the readers read up here. So here you are:

Paul Dickinson read a letter he wrote to Virginia Woolf. It was mostly about how sexy she is.

When in St. Paul be sure to check out The Riot Act Reading Series, Paul hosts, it is great.







Jibade-Khalil Huffman read a short story called "The Worm in the Apple" by John Cheever. 

Khalil also read from19 Names for Our Band, his newest collection of poems.




David read a poem by Seamus Heaney.
Dustin read a poem by Alex Lemon.
Oh, and then David read "Plum" by Alex Lemon.

3.04.2009

InDigest 1207 Reading tonight

Wednesday 03.04.09
InDigest 1207 Reading Series
Jibade-Khalil Huffman
Paul Dickinson
6pm doors | 7pm reading
Free
Strictly 21+
This is a General Admission, Gallery Bar event.

Jibade-Khalil Huffman was born in Detroit and raised in Florida. His poetry, fiction and photography have appeared in Boston Review, Court Green, NOON, Aufgabe, and Encyclopedia, among others. Educated at Bard College and Brown University, his awards include the Grolier Poetry Prize and fellowships from the Millay Colony for the Arts and the Ucross Foundation. “19 Names For Our Band” is his first book.

Paul D. Dickinson is a poet based in Minneapolis/ St. Paul. His work has appeared in City Pages, The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Request.com, and Conduit. Dickinson has read on Minnesota Public Radio, 93.7 "The Edge", KFAI, and 89.3 "The Current". He currently hosts the "Riot Act Reading Series" , a cutting edge literary event that features national and international writers. His latest spoken word CD is "Lord Byron Gets Busted" on Speedboat Records . He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UMASS Amherst.