The bad news is that my rejection notices increased by one.

The good news is that while I was trawling my poetry collection, I found two issues of mod_piece that I had work printed in!

The extra good news is that I seem to have come close to finishing three pieces in a week! I’m not sure that that has happened before, I’m rather thrilled. I dread the idea of not having something new to read, let alone something new to read at a feature. So three poems at once is excellent. I think one may not be a performance piece, but that’s fine.

I hope you are having a decent Australia Day (in whatever way you celebrate it, if applicable). I was traditional, I drank beer and got sunburned at a BBQ. The oldies, it would seem, are the goodies. Meanwhile it’s late here, and I’m close enough to the Showgrounds to hear the Prodigy closing the Big Day Out. It’s also hot enough that sleep isn’t going to happen for a while to come, so it’s not like the noise levels are going to be a problem.

I was delighted to discover that the Indiefeed Performance Poetry podcast is interviewing and featuring work by three Melbourne poets currently in the US. Alicia Sometimes, Emily Zoe Baker and Sean Whelan have all just appeared on the list. If you don’t listen to Indiefeed, I highly recommend it to lovers of poetry. As a podcast it can be handled through programs like iTunes or you can download individual episodes from the Indiefeed website.

More about Alicia, Emily and Sean can be found by following their links here!

Reading: “District And Circle” – Seamus Heaney
Listening: “This Year’s Girl” – Elvis Costello

My first poetry feature of the year will be at Passionate Tongues!

What: Passionate Tongues! Hosted by Michael Reynolds.
Who: Me! I will be headlining with Ozlem Baro. This is her first feature (I believe). I have heard her read at Spinning Room, I suspect this won’t be her last.
Where: The Brunswick Hotel, 140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick (cnr. Weston Rd.)
When: 8pm, Monday, 2nd February
How: (…much?) Entry is free, but we do encourage the sale of raffle tickets as the proceeds get split between the features for the evening. Besides, the raffle prizes are good!
Why: Because I have new stuff! Because I have old stuff! Because Ozlem is really good! Because The Brunswick Hotel has bad album sleeves adorning their walls and good beer adorning their bar!

Reading: “Just Your Everyday Apocalypse” – Amelia Walker (which I got the last time I was at PT!!)
Listening: “Apparitions” – Matthew Good Band

I was thrilled to see Australian poet (and patron of the Melbourne Poet’s Union) Kevin Brophy is featured in the Guardian’s Poem of the Week. Link here.

Reading: “Penguin Modern Poets 17 – David Gascoyne, W.S. Graham, Kathleen Raine”
Listening: “Everybody Has To Eat” – The Triffids
Playing: GTA IV and 2 games of futsal this evening.