Monday, April 30, 2007

Until Next April

I've enjoyed reading a lot of great poetry during National Poetry Month. Here's one to bid farewell to April. This isn't my favorite cummings poem, but as a writer, the title had me hooked.

nobody loses all the time

i had an uncle named
Sol who was a born failure and
nearly everybody said he should have gone
into vaudeville perhaps because my Uncle Sol could
sing McCann He Was A Diver on Xmas Eve like Hell Itself which
may or may not account for the fact that my Uncle

Sol indulged in that possibly most inexcusable
of all to use a highfalootin phrase
luxuries that is or to
wit farming and be
it needlessly
added

my Uncle Sol's farm
failed because the chickens
ate the vegetables so
my Uncle Sol had a
chicken farm till the
skunks ate the chickens when

my Uncle Sol
had a skunk farm but
the skunks caught cold and
died so
my Uncle Sol imitated the
skunks in a subtle manner

or by drowning himself in the watertank
but somebody who'd given my Unde Sol a Victor
Victrola and records while he lived presented to
him upon the auspicious occasion of his decease a
scrumptious not to mention splendiferous funeral with
tall boys in black gloves and flowers and everything and

i remember we all cried like the Missouri
when my Uncle Sol's coffin lurched because
somebody pressed a button
(and down went
my Uncle
Sol

and started a worm farm)

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Hug your favorite librarian!

Oh, better yet, walk into your local library and get a card if you don't already have one. Then browse to your heart's content, finally choosing one perfect book or a perfectly obscene pile of books you can't wait to enjoy. Watch your librarian's face while your books are scanned. They know you through what you read. Bright, wonderful librarians!

It's National Library Week!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Happy Birthday, Wanda June

....Wanda June is one of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut pieces—a play, though his books such as Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle are better known. Read some Vonnegut today, in honor of his passing. Obscure works, essays, plays and his amazing books are all highlighted on this site:
http://www.vonnegutweb.com/

Friday, April 06, 2007

Easter Laughs

I mean no disrespect to those that celebrate Easter, but you have to laugh at an oldie, but goodie, THE DUMB BUNNIES EASTER, by Sue Denim with illios by the fabulous Dav Pilkey. How can you not enjoy seeing bunnies in underwear spray painting fried Easter eggs? Oh, and the Easter Bunny arrives in a minivan pulled by eight flying pilgrims. Pure silliness and you just know that Ms. Denim and Mr. Pilkey had a great time creating this book.