I do many things compulsively. Like checking my email, for instance. But also, everything else: drinking until its gone, wondering on the time, being careful, being reluctant, etc. Compulsive reluctance...

There is good news though. I read that new Raul Zurita book and I have favorite bits:

• Love are the things that happen...
• We're going to bleed a bit...
• They don't know their puppy is dying from love and blows...
• Don't go this is only death...
• I saw the true God screaming...
• I saw you further down and we are both dead...
• We were born here say the dreams...
• Oh, the evil of my Peru...

These should probably be read as reasons. You've now read 8 reasons to buy the new Zurita book.

I think there is a storm coming on. My reluctance keeps me from saying more.

The Contents of Which are Very, Very Funny

Went to the used book shop today. Justin Marks, Joyelle McSweeney, Ezra Pound and the book you see above. I'd grabbed more, but these were the only ones I didn't already own. I have a thing about buying used books I have. It makes me sad to think that someone didn't love them like I do...and if I take them home they could see.

I also used to put my favorite toys under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve so I wouldn't forget them the next morning.

Speaking of favorites, have you ever listened to Dylan's "Shot of Love?" You don't hear it too often, but it's real good. People will tell you how bad the lyrics are. About evangelism and what not. You don't listen to these people. You just listen to the harmonic landscape of this record.

Is it bad to say that I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan lyrics? At all? Ever?

Did you see that Action Books has a few new titles out? New Zurita translations and new Abe Smith. It's because of Daniel Borzutzky reading some of his translations at a Series A a few years ago that I fell hard for RZ. Abe Smith is just Abe Smith. I don't know...I ordered them, well, the special actually. I figured, hey, free book. Right?

I'll be reading in Iowa City (at the Mill) on September 15th (I think). I want you to come. Real bad.

These are a few places I've seen my name lately...besides the dirty side of the internet.

Syllabus...bleghk. Writing syllabi is like making a paint-by-number. Not painting one, but trying to simplify thousands of brush strokes and millions of colors into an 8 color, easily-digested, steady-handed craft.

Are you keeping up with Tony Tost's America? You should be.

I miss writing with Lucas and wish he'd hurry back home from India...but that's selfish of me, I guess.

People refer to the things that I like as, "weird." To that I say, if wolf-hats and glued-together puzzles of JFK are weird then why are they so easy to find.

I have a lot of stuff to do today, but none of it seems that interesting. Meetings and phone calls.

Back from Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a hard, "whoa." A and I took over 500 pictures, most of which were practice shots. I think I love National Parks...turns out Ken Burns was right about that being America's best idea.

Is it just me, or do mountains always look better in black and white?

Sometimes, I wish I could have been alive when there were still mountains left to name. I think that would have been the best job ever.

Syllabus writing doesn't look good anywhere on the gray scale.

Before we left for Colorado, I made my parents buy me a wolf-hat because I wanted to wear a wolf-hat in Colorado. Then, on our way out to Colorado, I saw wolf-hats everywhere. I saw bear-hats too.

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 32 now and also in Colorado. I will only be one of these things next Monday. I have a new philosophy. Photos of mountains are easy to take but hard to appreciate...because, by the time you get home all you got is a bunch of pictures of rocks.

This past weekend I read poetry with two of my best friends ever, Jon and Aaron. We did this at the Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls. I love all these things very much; Jon, Aaron, poetry, the Cup, et.al. After the reading, I sold eleven books and the three of us split $123 in tips. Sadly, none of that money made it home with me as we did what most people do after reading poems: we got drunk. We also had a few chugging contests (which I won, as I recall) and shots along our way there.

I love poetry readings.