- We talked mostly about things which I don't discuss here at a Sunday night edition of Thursday Night Pints, a somber affair, the finality of the empty fourth chair dampening mood. Helmetball was on all the big screens. Troy Aikman (I think) says, "what people need to realize is that big plays often lead to scoring opportunities." Who knew? Between the pick-up and beer commercials an ad for a new gladiator movie ran and ran and ran again, every commercial break it seemed and there was nothing but commercial breaks sometimes interrupted for helmetball. I'd think, said K, they'd be running ads for that Afghanistan war porn survivor movie. L, who watches helmetball, said, they did when that movie opened weeks ago. What I wonder, I said, is who the fuck is Bruno Mars to be the headliner of Helmet Bowl halftime? I've always heard of the halftime acts even if I've never listened to any of them. Am I that out of touch? The stuff you've been listening to lately? said L. Yes.
- Giving up your life for a total lie.
- Bullshit jobs and the collapse of capitalism.
- 2014 and the limits of New Romanticism.
- The retail death rattle.
- Alternative culture is over.
- This week in water.
- Bleggalgazing.
- We did talk about this blog in general and me in particular. Something's up. You'll not be spared, I'm just not done thinking about what was said.
- I like David Toop's music.
- Does anyone know Mark Wood? He's been quiet for almost a month. I hope this is a desired and designed hiatus.
- Maggie's weekly links.
- { feuilleton }'s weekly links.
- The New Inquiry's Sunday Readings.
- Notes on a discussion of indeterminacy in poetry.
- It also appears that Thursday Night Pints will be happening on Sundays from now on that L no longer comes to campus regularly and getting into town is much easier on a Sunday night than during rush hour Thursdays. This opens up fascinating issues of rebranding I'm sure to bore you with in weeks to come.
- Slide show on the cave wall.
- Niedecker, for those of you who do.
- Beckett, for those of you who do.
- Lispector, for those of you who do. I try, I trying, I'm halfway through Hour of the Star, I know something remarkable is going on but I'm not hearing the singing.
- Arno Schmidt, for those of you who do.
- Throwing Muses, for those of you who do.
CALLIGRAPHY ACCOMPANIED BY THE MOOD OF A CALM BUT DEFINITIVE STANCE
Dick Allen
Make your strokes thus: the horizontal:
as a cloud that slowly drifts across the horizon;
the vertical: as an ancient but strong vine stem;
the dot: a falling rock;
and learn to master the sheep leg, the tiger’s claw,
an apricot kernel, a dewdrop, the new moon,
the wave rising and falling. Do these
while holding your arm out above the paper
like the outstretched leg of a crane.
The strength of your hand
will give the stroke its bone.
But for real accomplishment, it would be well
if you would go to live solitary in a forest silence,
or beside a river flowing serenely.
It might also be useful
to look down a lonesome road,
and for the future
to stare into the gray static of a television screen,
or when lost in a video game
to accept you may never reach the final level,
where the dragon awaits, guarding the pot of gold,
and that you’ve left no footprints, not a single one,
despite all your adventures,
anyone following you could ever follow.