Regionalism in Practice: Lessons from Architecture

a Plum Academy Forum
at SPACES Gallery, Cleveland OH
Tuesdays October 6, 13 & 20 6:30pm

What would it mean to paint a uniquely Cleveland painting, construct a uniquely Great Lakes installation piece, write a uniquely Midwest poem, compose a uniquely Rust Belt song or dance? What makes these regions different from any other regions of the world, and how does that something get expressed or translated into art? Does it happen at the level of themes, content, materials, shapes, forms, or something else? As it turns out, architectural theory has a well-developed body of writing on what constitutes regionalism in building design and construction. Our job in this forum will be to study and discuss the basic ideas in architectural regionalism, and then determine the extent to which these ideas can be applied to other forms or creative practices. Please note: this forum is NOT about architecture per se; we are testing specific architectural theory as it applies to other creative practices.

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A night of Slack Buddha Press poets

The Woodward Line presents:

A night of Slack Buddha Press poets
featuring William Howe, L.A. Howe and Tom Orange
Wednesday October 21, 7 PM
Scarab Club 217 E. Farnsworth (at John R.)
Detroit, Michigan
Admission is free

healthcare hits close to home

"A 22-year-old woman from Oxford, Ohio, died from swine flu on Wednesday. Kimberly Young graduated from Miami University in December and continued to live in Oxford, Ohio, within Minority Leader John Boehner’s congressional distrct. Reports now indicate that after initially getting sick, Young put off treatment because she was uninsured..."

full story at thinkprogress.org

I'm Conducting Research

Thanks to Brett for mentioning ToxicPoetry.com. I'm actually, currently attempting to conduct some research on the site (for the purpose of bringing in a bit of funding for my endeavor). If you are a fan of the site or if you have thoughts about it, I'd love to do some informal chat interviews to gather some info. I've also created a one-page e-mail survey. If you are interested, give me an e-mail at editors@toxicpoetry.com

Wednesday Night Poetics Discussion

For those of you whose email address I don't have:

This is just a reminder that we're planning on meeting at Mark's apartment Wednesday night, around 7:30.

Come, bring something to drink if you like, and remember that last time we discussed bringing an example of what you DO NOT want to be doing with your verse--

I believe we're still planning on discussing the poems that Meghan sent around, so bring your copies of those along as well.

And: I'm not sure if Jade ever posted a link to his new online poetry magazine Toxic Poetry, so if you haven't checked it out, follow the link. (Hope that's alright, Jade)

Gertrude Stein

1945, post-war, from The GI's

That evening I went over to talk to the soldiers, and to hear what they had to say, we all got very excited, Sergeant Santiani who had asked me to come complained that I confused the minds of his men but why shouldn't their minds be confused, gracious goodness, are we going to be like the Germans, only believe in the Aryans that is our own race, a mixed race if you like but all having the same point of view. I got very angry with them, they admitted they liked the Germans better than the other Europeans. Of course you do, I said, they flatter you and they obey you, when the other countries don't like you and say so, and personally you have not been awfully ready to meet them halfway, well naturally if they don't like you they show it, the Germans don't like you but they flatter you, doggone it, I said I bet you Fourth of July they will all be putting up our flag, and all you big babies will just be flattered to death, literally to death, I said bitterly because you will have to fight again. Well said one of them after all we are on top. Yes I said and is there any spot on earth more dangerous than on top. You don't like the Latins, or the Arabs or the Wops, or the British, well don't you forget a country can't live without friends, I want you all to get to know other countries so that you can be friends, make a little effort, try to find out what it is all about. We all got very excited, they passed me cognac, but I don't drink so they found me some grapefruit juice, and they patted me and sat me down, and there it all was.

The Circle Makers

A newish poem, with slight revisions since some saw it in workshop. Cuts, a few new line breaks.

Inspired somewhat by Wallace Stevens and his "priest of the invisible" quote. Still playing with a title-- originally it was "The Circle Game" until I realized I ripped it off from Margaret Atwood.


The Circle Makers

I am drawing circles around
what cannot be drawn—tighter
& tighter, until only a thin line
defines the unknown.

& I have been squatting at the edge
of each, attempting to sound
gray—never to strike firm earth but
plumbing depth all the same.

Once, I saw someone drawing circles
wider than I imagined possible—so wide
they encompassed themselves. In the shallows,
they were on their bellies, drowning in what
they refused to know.