[I posted this blog a few days ago on my Crisis Chronicles site, but am reposting it here for the convenience of our MySpace friends as wells as to simply get the word out a bit more.  Peace and poetry, John]

I spent most of the day finishing up Dianne Borsenik's chapbook, HardDrive/SoftWear, the second release by Crisis Chronicles Press — tweaking the layout slightly, obsessively scanning for typos, printing, collating, and stapling.  It turns out I'm a whole lot happier with this than I am with the first CC Press release, my own Bloggerel.

I published Bloggerel last July, when I'd only been involved in the local poetry scene for a couple of months, as an experiment of sorts.  I did it cheap and quick, only including about a dozen poems that had already appeared on my blogs.  I've since rewritten and/or improved several of the poems in it - so I don't consider that collection anywhere near definitive anymore.  It had some good pieces and was a necessary step in my development, but in retrospect it's really not that impressive.

Dianne's new collection, on the other hand, is a whole lot better in several ways.  At over 30 pages, it's more than twice as long — so it has a lot more really good poems.  In addition to featuring some of her most popular works — among them "Pink Hell" from Slipstream, "Greenheart" from the 2008 Hessler Street Fair Anthology, and Muse from the Crisis Chronicles Online Library — it features many pieces you've never seen online or in print, and even some I've never heard her read live (and I've heard her dozens of times).  Aside from its excellent contents, I think HardDrive/SoftWear looks a lot cooler than Bloggerel as well.

Our official launch is yet to come.  But starting today (yesterday, actually) you can buy the book!  The price is $5, plus $2 for shipping.  Send $7 to Crisis Chronicles Press; 420 Cleveland Street; Elyria, Ohio 44035.  Or save the shipping cost by coming to one our poetry readings in the Cleveland area and grabbing one in person.  Next up: Lix and Kix 6 at the Bela Dubby Art Gallery and Beer Cafe (13321 Madison Ave. in Lakewood, Ohio) on St. Patrick's Day (17 March at 7 pm).

Then last night, Geri and I attended the As We Speak reading at Bela Dubby.  The featured poets were Alex Nielsen, Zachary Moll, Robert Fraser, John Dorsey, Dianne Borsenik, and event organizer C. Allen Rearick.  We had a great time and I caught them all on video - which I will post online (along with lots of still photos) as soon as I can get around to it.  I also have video of Dianne's and my featured reading (and the subsequent open mic) in Toledo last Tuesday to post.  And I haven't yet posted my photos from last month's Lix and Kix featuring Steve Goldberg and Nick Traenkner.  Allow me to channel the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz and say, "All in good time, my pretties... all in good time."

Here's a sample from Dianne Borsenik's HardDrive/SoftWear:


   Muse  
    by Dianne Borsenik
                               
   She has been with you again,
   I can tell.
   You have that furtive look
   about you, and you have the smell
   of ink on your breath.
 
   I know that she has taken you
   by your thin white wrist,
   and caressed the fine hair
   that furs your arm.  I imagine
   her guiding your hand
   to her lap, you touching her,
   her touching you. 
   I close my eyes, and I can see
   her moving closer to you, whispering
   in your ear, her exhalations
   hot on your stubbled cheek.
   I know 
   you took her
   in your arms, opened your lips
   for her kiss; I know you let her
   explore your teeth, the roof of your 
   mouth, your tongue.
 
   And I am quite certain
   that when you wake up
   in the morning, the indentation
   of her wanton form
   will be reflected in the crumpled sheets
   of your poetry.

Salutations, one and all!  Yes, it is very early to be awake and writing.  Ah-- you are saying to yourself  "But it's nine in the morning; she slept in... what is she talking about?"  But I didn't go to bed and fall asleep until 4 AM.  Stay tuned to find out why!

Before I go into my story of late and later night frivolity and hijinx ("jinx" being the key word here, lol!), I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you! to our wonderful features from last night's show:

                     

                        Leah Collova,  talented songwriter, singer, guitarist,

                      

                           Miles Budimir, acclaimed Cleveland poet,

 and

                          

                            John Dorsey, Toledo poet extraordinaire

They were (and are, of course!) totally sublime, beyond wonderful, and supercalifragilistiexpialidocious (yes, I double-checked the spelling)!!!  And I am happy to report that Leah will be following up last night's second-ever feature gig with a New Year's Eve show at the 806!  (For details, you can reach Leah at her myspace page, www.myspace.com/leahlou12)

Of course, even with all the talent, skill, and raw power that our features displayed last night, we needed an audience to participate and make it all come together... and we had one HELL of an audience!  (Hey, I'm allowed to say "hell"... it was the Church of Poetry, with Jesus Crisis as co-host--haha!):

                       

And here's where I want to thank our utterly fantastic audience and friends who were there last night... without you, we couldn't have had a show!  Whether you were there as a listener and supporter, enjoying the fine poetry and music, or there participating as an open mic-er and adding to the show itself, you were appreciated, adored, and awesome!  So, muchas gracias, muchachos y muchachas!

             

(Couldn't get the entire audience in this shot -- I did take several shots, so please go to the photo albums to see the full run of photos; you're probably there!) 

And we must do a huge and heartfelt shout-out to our very good friend Chris Draime, also known as VXX of the Poet's Haven, who provided us with all the sound equipment we needed to do the show... plus, he set it all up for us, too.  He's our own personal Santa Claus...

                               

                                                      Thank you, VX!

Why did I say "jinx" and 4 AM earlier in this blog?  Because we were "sleighed" by circumstance (hey, I've been hanging with Jesus Crisis-- if you'll forgive the expression-- and his punning has been rubbing off on me).  The "circumstance"was a double-booking for the lounge where we were to do our show at 7pm... a party had our spot.  So we were forced-- at literally the last minute-- to tell all our arrivals that we had to hang out for an hour and wait for the party to clear out.  John and I both felt very badly that this happened, but I swear!  We were both there early-- before 6:30-- to ensure that everything would start on time and go smoothly.  We did have it all planned out!  There was no choice in the matter, however, and because we are gifted with such good friends, everyone stayed, drank, mingled, and supported and encouraged us.  And the night was a success!!!

I've deliberately kept this blog general and brief-- please go to the Crisis Chronicles site for a more detailed blog with many more fantastic photos, written by the master-blogger himself, John "Jesus Crisis" Burroughs.  I'm sure he'll be posting it soon, so keep an eye out for it-- aw, go on, keep both of them peeled, lol!

                                

                                 
Thus endeth the Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganzas for the year of 2008...  we'll be back, better than ever, in the New Year, with many many more great poets and musicians.  We'll gather, mingle, expound, recite, perform, listen, enjoy, enthuse, entertain, and rock the house!  And the best part of it all?  We get to hang with you, our good friends!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Cool Yule, Good Tidings, and Hugs to All...!

 

 

This is Dianne writing today, the "Ms. Kix" in the Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza.  Good morning, and thank you for stopping by to check out the official Lix and Kix website.  Yesterday, "John "Jesus Crisis" Burroughs posted his review of the "Second Coming" of the Lix and Kix readings at the 806 Martini and Wine Bar in the historic Tremont district, on the west side of Cleveland.  (He also included plenty of photos; take a look and see what you missed!) 

As I wrote in the comment I left there, I did my poem "Following Jesus" at the show, tweaking both myself and Mr. Lix, John/Jesus, in the course of the stanzas.  Now, in order to understand the humor in this poem, you need to know a little background.  When I first began doing the reading circuit earlier this year, there was another poetry-reading newcomer making the same rounds as I.  Everywhere I went, the emcee/host made the same announcement:  "We have a celebrity with us tonight; Jesus is in the house".  And during the open mic, John/Jesus would read one or two of his poems (not in a shy way, but in a very dramatic and evocative way), sit down, and then it would be my turn.  I ask you, do you have any idea how intimidating it is to read after the lord has spoken? LOL!  There I was, "following Jesus"... and the poem began writing itself.

Here, in all its dubious glory, is the full version of the poem I read at the 806....

FOLLOWING JESUS

It's not easy,
following Jesus.

I mean,
I don't have angels
or glory
on my side,
and the closest
I've ever come
to heaven
is the front row
at a Robert Plant concert.

I've never been persecuted,
prosecuted, crucified, or
resurrected
(only alcoholically wrecked,
lol),
and I certainly can't compete
with someone who says
he's been to hell
and back.

I avoid church
like the devil,
and haven't sung a hymn
in years...
yet, here I am
following Jesus.

If you've heard my poetry
before, you'll know
my sins are scarlet
(and my books are red),
my soul is naked,
and my faith is dead.
Hear my confession:
I am no saint.
Yet, here I am,
following Jesus.

Hail Geri, full of grace,
the lord is with thee.

I bear witness
to the joy of fellowship
with those who minister
to heart, mind and soul
with poetry;
I testify
to the sweet communion
of ink in the blood
and wafers of paper.

...the body of Crisis...
Ferlinghetti, hear my prayer.

But it's not easy
following Jesus.
It's a hard cross to bear.

His divine poetry
sends my poems,
weeping in humility,
to their knees.
His spirited interpretations
move us;
he anoints us
with irreverence.
He leadeth us
down paths of irony,
he maketh us
to roll in the aisles
with his puns.

Holy Ginsberg,
pray for us poets now,
and in the hour of our reading.
Once again,
I am following Jesus,
and know not what I do.

Let this crooked poem
bespeak the light.

This air is holy.
This mic is holy.
This chair is holy.
This paper is holy.
This place is holy.
These words are holy.

Amen.

(original photo taken at Lix and Kix by Jesus Crisis, "effected" by Dianne Borsenik-  November 18, 2008)