recent book review + other happenings

My new work schedule has me more or less staying on top of things, with the odd exception of making time for blogposts. Been meaning to hop on here and share a bit, so here goes:

A photograph of a woman standing in Tan Zi Xi’s art installation “Plastic Ocean.” (photo credit Verve Magazine).
  • First, I’m excited to share my book review of Canisia Lubrin’s The Dyzgraphxst is available to be read on The Cincinnati Review site. Check it out here. My review and experience of Lubrin’s work was influenced by the art of Tan Zi Xi, specifically her art installation “Plastic Ocean.” Thank you to Managing Editor Lisa Ampleman for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Lubrin’s dynamic book! Be sure to check out other excerpts from the issue available on the CR site.
  • Also, last night was the Salamander issue 52 virtual reading with featured readers Ananda Lima, Andy Smart, and Stephanie Burt. We were able to record the reading–check it out here. Thank you to the readers and for everybody who came out to celebrate the issue–excerpts of which can be read here.
  • Lastly, last month I was able to virtually participate as part of the Boog City Arts Festival. For this event, I recorded myself reading my poetic sequence “The Wall” in full–something which I’ve never had the opportunity to do. This poem is featured in my collection, Until We Are Level Again. Thank you to Dimitri Reyes and everyone at Boog City for the opportunity to connect and for creating such a great community! Check out this reading here.

I have a few more things in the works for blogposts, a few reviews and such, in the coming month. For now, I hope y’all are surviving the best you can in this chaotic world. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

* new post for the CR blog!

William Carlos Williams Selected Poems ND

The true Carlito’s Way!

Just a quick post to share my latest installment of “What’s Poetry Got to Do with It?” over at the Cincinnati Review blog.

In this post I do a short survey of three Virgo poets: Charles Wright, Kay Ryan, and William Carlos Williams. Could be that working on this CR post last week is what had me with Williams on my mind for last week’s Influence.

Enjoy!

José