12 May 2005

A Rewarding Day

SPEWS packed the Decker Writing Studio yesterday, overflowing into the Multicultural Library and our office. Students AND faculty read poetry, fiction, and sang songs. My favorites included Jimmy Breedlove's "Tale of an Arkansas Braggart," Mark Curci's short fiction piece about a guy in a bar (you had to hear it for yourself), Jeff Leard's speculative/humorous fiction "911 Wal-Mart," and both of London's magnificent language poems. I actually enjoyed almost all of the work I heard and especially enjoyed hearing Bill Gholson, never realizing he had a poetic vein. Of course, Kasey Mohammad read a couple of his zany poems, always a pleasure to hear.


The Arts&Letters Award Ceremony lasted less than the 61 minutes Dean Ed Batistella set aside for the event. The English&Writing students were called up last. I stood on stage with some people I find truly impressive. I found Craig Wright's description of Fiction award winner, Bryan Epes', style not quite accurate, because he made it sound elegant. Bryan writes some highly active and imaginative stuff, but it runs on the delightfully raunchy side. I think I'll need to hit up Craig for a letter of recommendation should I decide to go for an MFA. I don't know about many of the lit award winners, but those who received awards for creative writing and multiculturalism definitely deserved it.

In addition to the two previously posted poems, I read this poem at the open mic:


Burning Up

Hope things
are cooling down
are cooling down
around your place
I finally
kicked my ick
but not
my dry

socks and silverware
fun to say
pain to do
socks and silverware
socks and silverware

tarnished affectionate
habitualized words
poetic fiction
made strange

eyes obliged only
for the lord of the
blankets of safety
issues over fever
forwarded
from me to you

–Kyle Stich, 10 April 2005

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