The ties to powerful anti-American regimes are already in place

Toronto Wordstage, Thursday past:

Excellent readings by Sky Gilbert and Paul Dutton. Really looking forward to Sky's JD Salinger novel. Liked how Paul punctuated his linear poems and novel excerpt with brief sound blasts.

McFadden excavation:

Have moved from David's mid- to late-70s poems to the 60s and early 70s, with Intense Pleasure and Letters from the Earth to the Earth. Gawd, he did some crazy things. Next stop: my favourite book of his: The Art of Darkness, from mid-80s. But I love all his books. I'm going to push for this Selected to end with The Art of Darkness. There's just too much good stuff in those first two decades: more than enough to fill up a couple of volumes of Selected. Really, what should happen is all these books should be put back in print in full.

Bookcase excavation:

In the one-book-tag of the other week, I mentioned Robin Wood's brilliant book of film criticism, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan. Well, dear Lynn McClory gave me a copy of the 2003 revised/expanded edition, and I just stumbled upon it: it was one of those things that had immediately disappeared into a hidden strata. There's a book that hasn't been left out of print for too long. Again, Robin is such a seminal influence in my life. This book is a map to reading contemporary mainstream culture. My favourite chapters are those on horror film.

Brain excavation:

Why, when I have too much to do, do I take on new projects? Avoidance through creating more things to avoid.

The rock:

Dana took me to see her favourite rock. I sang: "You run to the rock for rescue, there will be no rock." But there was, and a very fine rock it was.

The next poetry book:

The deal is on: Anvil Press will publish my next poetry book, in April 2007. The title of the book is: I Cut My Finger. It will be four years since my premature Selected. Though there was the chapbook Robots At Night in between.

Ga-ga, goo-goo:

Lance and Lisa had a baby. They already did that once, but now they've done it again. Congrats.

Over and atavan.