We Keep the Copy Machine Back Here

I went to the Wave/Series A reading on Wednesday. Here are my notes:

Suzanne Buffam: Ms. Buffam took herself quite seriously, to point of being off-putting. People who explain why they NEEDED to write every poem they've written really rub me the wrong way. Her poetry wasn't bad. It wasn't good either. It was...okay, if you had to vaguely describe the genre of poetry to your grandparents, her poems would be the product of that description; natural setting, expansive world, point to it all (though the order can often differ).
Shrikanth Reddy: Though a teacher at UofC ("Poetry isn't fun, it's work, and work is serious"), I really liked what he was up to. He read a bit from a book he did with Dan Beachy-Quick that piqued my interests pretty hard. But what really got me was the erasures project he's working on.
Catherine Wagner was about what you'd expect. She sang, she swore and though I'm not really into her poems, she put on a good show (as did her kid).
Chuck Stebelton is a weird cat. I think he's OC (in the disorder way, not the teen drama way). He had to have everything arranged around him just so. I got distracted by this and don't recall he poetry much, which is my fault and most likely due to a disorder as well.
Richard Meier has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years. The sad thing here is that I didn't recognize this fact until I saw his book. I'm that way with lots of writers and books, I won't remember who wrote it, but I could tell you what font they used in the layout and give an extensive critique on the over all design.

Anyway, I bought the Wave anthology, and I'm about half-way through. Svalina's poem lived up the hype. I actually liked John Ashbery's poem (secret disclosure time: I've yet to find anything redeeming in Ashbery's work...we're like oil and water). There have been some clunkers too (the best political poetry to me works in and amongst the attitudes that surround politics and war, but don't necessarily address them directly) but I think I really like this book.

Anyway, going back to Iowa this weekend to get a new driver's license and hoping to continue my 14 year streak of good id pictures. I don't spend time getting ready for weddings or job interviews or performances, but I get all preeny before an id picture. I'm dieting right now.