Al-Jimzeera Talking Points

* Too many friends were MIA yesterday, come to think of it. But I got one kiss on the mouth by a famous poet (guess who and get a prize) and stared forever into the blue eyes in the front row. The Jim Show might be up tomorrow or something, battery troubles and flickering ons and offs but maybe there's something there, if only Safia and her pink hat looking very New Years--each year I elect her the year's queen.

* Bethany Spiers voice makes me feel vulnerable, perhaps it is the sound of like my soul being cleaned: it is a pure beauty I am perhaps unworthy to hear. My body feels nervous and amazed and all molecules of the room just stop.

* Mark Lamoureux stole Douglas Rothschild's spot for a moment and stole the show. Bravo.

* Eileen Myles poem about pussies made me wish I had a pussy. Every time I think my poems are too smarmy, filthy, icky, whatever I shall think of the delivery of Taylor Mead and Eileen Myles. I know I'm a man and somewhat hetero, the poems I write are supposed to make everybody feel something (queezy--wasn't he one of Snow White's little people?). I resolve to cower behind the tradition and revel in my own sleeze.

* The preposition song was the biggest hit to come out of my mouth last night. Several encores were requested at Lucy's Bar at 3 AM. If only I could remember where the melody came from (once googled it is revealed "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"):

about above across after against among around

at before behind beside between beyond by

down during except for from in into

near of off over past through throughout

to toward under until up with without

are the prepositions we're singing about

* This is not only a great tool to memorize prepositions (Why do we have to memorize prepositions? I don't remember O Ms. Anthony of the 6th Grade at St. John the Evangelist.) The Preposition Song is also (obviously) the greatest Language Poem of all time. I expect it to be featured in the the next deluxe edition of the American Tree.

* Audible gasp/groan at my line from the new "Farewell Address": "Last night's fuzzy / but I think I hit Frank O'Hara with a dune buggy." I'll never read in this town again!

* Joe Massey was missed. I missed Arlo Quint, Brandon Downing, Jordan Davis, Cori Copp, Lisa Jarnot. Ammiel Alcalay shook my hand, which was profoundly gracious of him. I still owe him an apology and he probably has every right to hit me with his car. If he has one.

* Jessica's new tattoo: a heart being butchered.

* They can't be thanked enough: Corrine, Anselm, David & Stacy. These events are impossible to manage and require all their powers. This year seemed particularly on-time and seemless. Congrats.

* Dug kept the pizza coming all day like a pro.

* If anyone sees my Lewis Warsh issue of Talisman, ahem. It is a graceful affect: to buy something and immediately lose it.