I’ve spent much of the last two days at the Brandeis Book Sale, often billed as the world’s largest used book sale. I can believe it: the sale occupies several massive tents sprawling across a mall parking lot a few blocks away from my parents’ house. Almost nothing is more than $5; most paperbacks are $1 or $2; on the…
Author: Timothy Yu
Jorie Graham Is Hot!
Chicago’s annual Printer’s Row Book Fair is on Saturday and Sunday–an orgy of readings and performances and book vendors lining downtown streets. Griping about the poetry offerings is a local pastime; there’s Li-Young Lee and Ann Lauterbach and not a whole lot else. In fact, the lineup’s usually designed to affirm the iron grip of slam poetry on the Chicago…
How My Immigration Interview Might Go
Canadian Immigration Official: Have you ever been associated with a group that used, uses, advocated or advocates the use of armed struggle or violence to reach political, religious, or social objectives? Me: Yes. Canadian Immigration Official: What is the name of this group? Me: The United States of America.
Wherever We Put Our Hats
The premiere issue of Wherever We Put Our Hats, edited by Jon Leon and featuring work by Joel Dailey, Bruce Covey, Aaron Tieger, John Latta, Aaron McCollough, Jon Leon, Kate Schapira, Jennifer Moxley, and Eric Amling, as well as excerpts from my blog collaboration with Alli Warren, is now available. Click here for details.
Whither BLOG?
Stephanie asks: But if it’s at all true that the proliferation of poetry blogs changes their social function or dynamic, then where is poetry BLOG going, and might its social energy be re-articulated towards supporting or creating an alternate retail-distribution model or marketing arm for poetry publications, I mean the kind printed on paper? Is that even desirable? I’ve been…
Starbucks Doesn’t Think I’m Sexy (III)
The phone rings this afternoon. Robin answers it and hands it to me. “It’s for you.” “Who is it?” “Starbucks.” I take the phone and spend several minutes talking to a very nice woman whose job, I can only imagine, must be that of professional apologizer. The very cadences of her voice begged forgiveness for intruding on my valuable time,…
Do You Have The…
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich remarked a few days ago that he, unlike some of his predecessors, had the “testicular virility” needed to stand up to corruption. Chicagoans report they are confused.
Starbucks Doesn’t Think I’m Sexy (II)
Dear Timothy, Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company. We appreciate you sharing your feedback regarding our recent television commercial with us. As a global company, Starbucks is committed to diversity in all areas of our business and we are deeply passionate about doing the right thing. We regret if the commercial was in any way misinterpreted to be insensitive…
Starbucks Doesn’t Think I’m Sexy
So there’s this new (I think) commercial on for Starbucks Frappuccino-in-a-bottle. I’ve only seen it once (it’s also noted here, here, and here), but as far as I can reconstruct it, it goes like this: There’s a shot of an Asian guy reading, possibly in an office break room. He’s wearing something like ’50s nerd glasses, but they’re really retro-nerd…
The Blogger’s Code? (II)
A bit overwhelmed (though in a good way) by the conversation going on in my own comment box. It’s the first time I’ve ever had enough comments here to actually think about the phenomenon. Shanna’s right–they are one of the best things about blogs, making conversation possible in a medium that’s often thought to be totally solipsistic–but they also weirdly…