Portmanteaux///Document

by Edward Nesbit, Stephen Willey Published: Nov 08 Publisher: Openned Press Format: PDF Price: £free View free: PDF (58.8MB) The PDF is a large file and can take between 5-10 mins to download. So, click the image, brew a tea, come back in ten minutes, then if you are running on a PC (Right click and select save as) or if you are running a Mac (ctrl+click and select save as). This means you don't have to download the whole document every time you want to see it. Listen to audio performance at Wigmore Hall, London. Video performance at The Foundry, London:

[wpvideo vP9NDRBq]

Click here to read more about the text and performances of Portmanteaux

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Women and Mentorship: Jena Osman and Sarah Dowling

New HOW2 Postcard from Julia Bloch:

In fall 2006, a few of us started the Emergency reading series at the Kelly Writers House in Philadelphia. We wanted originally to ask poets about this idea of the “emerging” poet, a word we were so accustomed to seeing on the backs of new paperbacks, on calls for first-book prizes, in residency announcements. We wanted to showcase poets who hadn’t seen a lot of exposure of their work; we also wanted to put them in conversation with more widely known poets to hear what they might have to say to each other about this word but also more broadly about influence, community, and practice. Our first pairing, the first reading of the series, featured Jena Osman and one of her former students, Sarah Dowling.

Also contains a link to the sound files of the talk. Nourishing stuff. via John Sparrow

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London Poets

In case you were wondering. via Jow Lindsay

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RIP Michael Crichton

A note for the passing of Michael Crichton, who died of cancer aged 66 this week. This is more a personal note from me than an actual Openned related one. Though now I tend to spend more time with contemporary poetry than I do with popular science fiction, I still remember the joy of being 12 years old and discovering Jurassic Park in my Dad's suitcase after he had returned from a trip to the US. I read it within a couple of days, which at the time I felt to be a formidable achievement. We all have those authors who perhaps we would not return to now, for whatever reason, but whose writings at some stage captured our imaginations. Michael Crichton was one of mine. UPDATE: Someone else shares my view.

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The Obama-flavoured Onion

Carrying a majority of the popular vote, Obama did especially well among women and young voters, who polls showed were particularly sensitive to the current climate of everything being fucked. Another contributing factor to Obama's victory, political experts said, may have been the growing number of Americans who, faced with the complete collapse of their country, were at last able to abandon their preconceptions and cast their vote for a progressive African-American.

Once again The Onion nails the news better than any 'serious' broadcaster or press machine.

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'The Power of Our Democracy'

Obama's speech. McCain's speech. A few notes. Obama's victory is the result of the convergence of several key factors. Obama's media friendly persona and his stunning rhetoric. The collapse of the economy. Bush's total decimation of the Republican brand. Over half a billion dollars spent on the Obama presidential campaign. The relative unity of the minorities. There is now a black President of the United States. Obama's speeches rely on all-encompassing statements accompanied by examples of those statements in practice. Obama is an expert in reduction of scale. See his speech above. McCain's speeches relied on homegrown statements accompanied by examples designed to contradict the all-encompassing statements made by Obama. Which is why he chose Sarah Palin. Speaking of which, Palin was at once the most damaging thing to happen to McCain's campaign and the only thing that kept McCain in the running. Obama will be the most charismatic President since JFK, even moreso than Clinton. His challenge will be to back that up with solid policy. His election campaign was close to flawless, but he has made promises, promises which are unlikely to work out in the long run if previous campaigns are anything to go by. Honesty, true honesty, the presence or lack of it, will be key to Obama's presidency. When Obama mentioned McCain, there was a ripple of applause and cheers. When McCain mentioned Obama, hefty booing ensued. Obama will have to win them over. The best man won. More reaction here, here, here and here.

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And the Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks

Fans of the Beat generation have known for years about The Novel That Kicked It All Off, but they've had to wait until the death of a journalist at United Press International for it to be published. The appearance in print of And the Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks by William S Burroughs and Jack Kerouac is a literary event, not only because it drew two of the three leading Beat writers into confederacy, but because the book told a story – of male friendship, gay obsession and murder – that came to fascinate a score of American authors.

Ah those Beat writers. They knew a thing or two about stirring up a controversy. Full article here.

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textsound Issue 2

Includes the recorded likes of:

• Kenneth Goldsmith
• Carla Harryman
• Alice Notley

As well as a host of other excellent poets. Listen here.

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This Fucking Election

via Daring Fireball

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A Good Reason Not to Delete Your Bookmarks

Sophie Robinson is blogging again.

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