Issue 112 of Danse Macabre was released yesterday, titled “Ricordi.” Among the stories and poems of a darker nature–including reprints by Ambrose Bierce and Maksim Gorky–are four of my poems: “Black Pages of the Last Death,” “Go My Incubi, Fly My Lovers”, “Happy Monsters, Happy Ghosts,” and “Lone Cloud: Spells for a Moment.” They all involve ritual incantations usually directed against consumer culture. You can read them here.
The first Otoliths of 2018 was released today; this is number 48 for the journal, and as usual it’s packed with innovative texts, visual poetry, and imagery from all over the world. The issue also includes some of my work: “Drowned Lands I-V” and seven film stills. The text work is part of my “Civilization’s Lost” series, examining the fragility of languages, cultures and nations. This piece is in five parts, each based on a different lost city, civilization or continent. You can read the full poem here.
The film stills can be found under another link here. All seven images come from a video that has yet to be edited into its final form. Some of the text was drawn from a spam email and reads “Feel the call of your body.” Other text comes from the captioning on the source footage. I recently recorded some new music, so perhaps that will motivate the final assembly of the video.
The second issue of Angry Old Man was unleashed on the world last night. A massive issue of experimental works in many media, this one contains my text poem “In the Engine Room with Bettie & Andrea” and six video stills. You can check out the full poem here, and the vispo here.
My poem “Once Upon an Island” appeared in online poetry journal Black Poppy Review today. You can read the whole piece here.
Just discovered that my poem “The Wait” appeared in In Between Hangovers on Dec 7. You can check it out here.
Poetry blog Your One Phone Call published my poem “The Last Dance” today. You can read the full text here.
I’m very pleased to announce that online lit blog Experiential-Experimental-Literature published three of my poems today: “All You Can Eat,” “Second Comings,” and “Remember the Meme.” You can read them here.
I’m very pleased to announce that online poetry journal Unlikely Stories published three of my poems today: “Five Horsehairs and the Soul of an Afternoon,” “Big American Horn,” and “Saving the Day.” You can read them here.
Each of these has a genesis in real life events from many years ago. “Horsehairs” describes an unsuccessful attempt to earn money by busquing at the metro station on Dupont Circle in DC. I convinced my friend David Craig it was a good idea, but we literally made $1.02. Another bandmate, Finn McCool, loaned me his bowed psaltry, as I figured an “exotic” looking instrument would net more money. Another theory shot down.
“Big American Horn” was written during my Henry Miller phase, when I was reading a lot of his work. Not just Tropics, but everything–over 20 books.
“Saving the Day” comes out of my experience as a stay at home dad. I was feeling pressures to find work, stay creative and not lose my mind. Basic self-pity stuff. But then I realized what was really important.
Online poetry magazine Streetcake released their 55th issue today. It includes my poem “Marginal Utility.” The first stanza is shown below. You can read the whole thing here.
I am vulnerable
I am entitlement
I am diversity
I am transgender
I was a fetus
I am evidence-based
I am science-based
You are vulnerable
You are entitlement
You are diversity
You are transgender
You were a fetus
You are evidence-based
You are science-based
We are vulnerable
We are entitlement
We are diversity
We are transgender
We were fetuses
We are evidence-based
We are science-based
Have you heard? President Ubu’s administration has prohibited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from using seven words and phrases in their 2018 budget requests.
The forbidden words are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”
You can read the full story in The Washington Post here.
jeff bagato 