Saturday, May 26, 2007

just saw Night at the Museum, the Ben Stiller star vehicle. a patented cute movie but nothing wrong with that. it was likable, which seems like asking a lot of a movie lately. that is to say, if they add more soap opera to Spidey--yes I know that it's original to the comic--I'll squeak, and if they minimize Johnny Depp any more in Pirates, as apparently, squawk. and so forth. I'll take likable, and don't brain me with fx. so what would be the inspiration of this but Bill and Ted? anachronisms come to life. a lot of shorthand in the plot and 'development', just don't worry it. Robin Williams was absolutely smarmy (where'd his career go???) as the visionary--they actually called him visionary--Teddy Roosevelt. well yes he was visionary, in the empire-building slaughter sense, okay. thanks for dropping by, pal. Owen Wilson, legally enjoined to appear in all Stiller flicks, was Owen Wilson, tho a little tightly kept in. I like that they had Sacagawea, a real yet vanished historical presence, tho they had to create an icky love match with Robin Roosevelt. broad humour, special effects, and at the end a brief, lovely, graceful dance step by Dick van Dyck. more impressive, no doubt, in a theatre but good enough on the telly.
Alan Sondheim posted this link to a John Cage television performance to the Wryting list. it is wonderful in many ways, certainly foremost seeing Cage perform and talk. when people dismiss the new, they so often fail to recognize the degree to which they are intrigued and pulled in. here, people are thinking this is crazy, not music, but they're laughing, reacting with surprise at some of the sounds (the goose call, for instance), and otherwise quite into it. I love how Cage earnestly explains the work around for a snafu that arose because a union squabble prevented the 5 radios that he needed from being plugged in.

Friday, May 25, 2007

DAYS POEM, really released!!!>

just pressing the fact that DAYS POEM has served its time in Gremlin World and now wishes to be addressed as a living breath of Published Poetry

MERITAGE PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT


Dear Poetry Lover,
As a result of some last minute refinement of the project, DAYS POEM by Allen Bramhall has further plumped up its page count. Volume I is now 510 pages, vs the original 494 pages; Volume II went up by one more page to 442 pages. As these refinements distracted as from further promoting the project, Meritage Press is pleased to re-release its RELEASE OFFER, described below, with a new deadline for sending orders:

Meritage Press

A SPECIAL RELEASE OFFER!

A Two-Volume Poetry Collection by Allen Bramhall:
DAYS POEM, Vol. I
510 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9709-1798-0
Price: $28.00

DAYS POEM, Vol. II
442 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9709-1799-7
Price: $28.00

Meritage Press (www.meritagepress.com) is delighted to announce a RELEASE SPECIAL OFFER for a unique and ambitious two-volume collection by Allen Bramhall: DAYS POEM. Mr. Bramhall describes his project with:

"Begun casually, the writing of Days Poem quickly grew into a daily necessity to write, even to plug onward. In this way, it resembles a journal or novel, tho it claims neither genre as its own. It started with an idea of writing large and embracing extent. It settled (and unsettled) itself within the compelling philosophical argument that it is what it is. The thrill of relentlessness and perseverance pushed it until, you know, it came to an end. As the writer of these pages, I wanted to play with hobos, and bears, and Tarzan & Jane, and Walden Pond, and all the words in between. I wanted a little amazement in every day."


BIO: Allen Bramhall was born by the banks of the Concord River in 1952 and has lived in Massachusetts ever since. He was educated at Franconia College and Lesley University, and in non-academic places as well. / Simple Theory / (Potes & Poets Press) was his first book. He maintains a blog called Tributary (http://tribute-airy.blogspot.com/), and a life with Beth and Erin.

To celebrate the release of Days Poem, Meritage Press is pleased to offer the following SPECIAL OFFER:

To order a single volume, a 20% discount and free shipping/handling (about a $3.00 value) for a single-volume price of $22.40

To order both volumes, a 25% discount and free shipping handling for a 2-volume price of $42.00

This offer will be good through June 30, 2007...and is expected to be the least expensive rate for purchasing the book(s). Please send checks made out to "Meritage Press" and mail to

Eileen Tabios
Meritage Press
256 North Fork Crystal Springs Rd.
St. Helena, CA 94574

This offer is good throughout the United States; Meritage Press will take international orders but will have to adjust shipping/handling costs. If you wish to place an international order, or have any other queries, please email MeritagePress@aol.com

Beyond the expiry of this RELEASE OFFER, Days Poem will be available through the publisher (email MeritagePress@aol.com) or you can order through Meritage Press' Lulu account at:

Days Poem, Vol 1

Days Poem, Vol 2

FOR MORE INFO: Meritage Press