The I Ching in Performance

Many thanks to Karen Penley for inviting me to read at her series, “Retard: The Church Show” last Friday, Dec. 14th. I was inspired by the amazing movement and music artists to try out a new performative poem based on the I Ching. This included a Buddha Box, an old almond cookie tin, three I Ching Coins, and many layers being revealed. What kind of layers? I’ll leave that to your imagination. Or perhaps I can perform it again sometime!
What a fun evening with: Catherine Debon, Smooth Toad, Amy Moon, Ian Robertson, Alan Phillip and Herb Heinz. All of them doing stuff. And the apple caramel tart and tea and pecan pie ice cream were yummy too.
So if you’re looking for something fresh and different, check out Karen’s new series of performances and readings, making a new home in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland starting January 6th, 2013. Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Of Mantras and Poetry: A New Essay Up at Mead Magazine

Following on the heels of my Lion House reading, I found this cool clip of Michael McClure reciting his “beast language” to the lions at the old Lion House at the SF Zoo. Thanks to Jillian Rose for reminding me about it!

I wrote about McClure’s collection, “Ghost Tantras,” in my essay, “Of Mantras and Poetry: The Seed Syllables of Sound Poetry,” up in the current issue of Mead: The Magazine of Literature and Libations, edited by the feisty and talented Laura McCullough.
The essay also delves into Christian Bok’s poetry, The Bon Warrior Seed Syllables, Jackson Mac Low’s Performance Piece and Hugo Ball‘s Dadaist Poems!