Amazon.com Sales Rank: 3
(as of 3:15pm, 4/6/04)

Track list:

1. William Hung Words of Gratitude
2. She Bangs
3. Bailamos
4. William Hung's Inspirational Thoughts (Passion)
5. I Believe I Can Fly
6. Hotel California
7. Can You Feel The Love Tonight
8. Two Worlds
9. William Hung Inspirational Thoughts (Perseverance)
10. Rocket Man
11. Free
12. Circle of Life
13. William Hung Inspirational Thought (Be Yourself)
14. Y.M.C.A. - featuring the Gonnabees
15. Shake Your Bon-Bon

You know you want to.

Fuck Kurt Cobain.

Loser.

OVERRATED loser.

I. Poetry Slam, Inc.

Two poetry slam-related things I never expected to see:

1. Taylor Mali is the new President of Poetry Slam. Inc.

2. This.

The Taylor thing is actually an interesting wrinkle that could mean PSI becoming relevant again. People may not agree with Taylor's positions on a lot of things but there's no question that he'll bring a different approach to the organization and a fresh new energy. Of course, it could also be the final nail in the coffin as he unapologetically turns it into a competition that eschews any sense of community for purely cutthroat strategy and "whatever it takes to win." The inane 5x3 format they approved this weekend, and the expansion to 80 teams, suggests it could easily go in that direction. Check out Phil for more details on that.

Marc Smith writing a Complete Idiot's Guide to Slam Poetry, however, falls without question, into the latter category. The unmitigated gall of this hypocrite who accused so many of trying to cash in on his baby - "this thing that I created" - to publish something like this is so...so...I don't even know what to say about it, really. I'm speechless!

II. louder than words

Saturday's second edition of louder than words was...interesting. A lighter, later-arriving turnout of scenesters than the first show, but encouraging for the higher percentage of unfamiliar faces in the audience.

While the show flowed better this time - those of you who showed up late hoping to miss my monologue got suckered as I already cut that from the format! - it was a bit more Inside the Actor's Studio than Crossfire - pretty much what I expected going in. Lacking any real friction between them, Bassey and Patricia spoke eloquently, offering some enlightening insights that really dug beneath the surface and showed them to be more than simply talented writers. Eric and I interacted a lot better than in the first show and Diane had some strong input but, as someone pointed out, there was a bit too much reverence overall. Outside of a couple of good comments - one during the initial discussion between Eric, Diane and I - there wasn't nearly as much audience interaction this time, either. This despite having Diane in the audience to solicit feedback. I suspect that was as much a function of the lack of sparks than anything else. It's the difference between the funny poem and the serious one and the tangible response each one typically receives.

Between the two shows, we have a lot to dissect as we tweak the format a bit more. I've got ideas - and feedback! - up the wazoo! We also have nearly seven weeks to plan the next one and make it really tight. With Cristin stepping in for Diane on May 21st, it will interesting to see how the dynamic of the show shifts as she'll bring an extra shot of energy and humor to the proceedings. Another friend of mine, not a poet and only a casual fan of poetry, told me she enjoyed the show but preferred poetry slams. "The energy." Lacking a competitive framework to provide it, it has to be manufactured, preferably organically. The key, I realize, is our two guests. They have to come from opposite sides of whatever issues we're covering and be willing to be outspoken in their defense of those issues.

III. The National Guard, Iraq and My Presidential Campaign

An old friend of mine from my NJ National Guard days - Claudia, the aforementioned who preferred the energy of poetry slams - surprised me and came out to the show on Saturday. I hadn't seen her in a few years and she'd recently dropped me an email out of the blue. She's still in the Guard, finally made Sergeant, and recently found out that she's being shipped off to Iraq within a month or so, for an 18 month tour! This is the same unit I was in before I got out in 1999. The thought sickens me on a number of levels. First is the thought of leaving behind my wife and kids for 18 months and the possibility of never seeing them again. The second is the thought of seeing Claudia's name on the news one night as another casualty of this ridiculous war. The third is a feeling of helplessness. The idea that that the NATIONAL GUARD is being shipped overseas in such great numbers, completely handicapping "homeland security" efforts which are already sorely undermanned in many major cities. The fourth is how much I despise George W. Bush and his crooked administration.

I may have found the answer to redirecting some of this pent-up rage, though. An outlet for me to put my thoughts together and, if successful, a chance to possibly influence some people and change some minds. My friend Danny gave me the heads up about this.

I'll keep you posted if anything comes of it. ;-)

Hit Urbana last night after the pleasantly unexpected distraction of 50%-off sushi. FRESH sushi! Yum.

Got there in time for the slam which, to my surprise, I kind of enjoyed. Over the years, Cristin has become my favorite host on the scene, hands down. She knows her audience, has impeccable comedic skills and timing, and is cute as hell. Makes a night where someone like RAC loses to some Steve Colman-lite guy bearable.

Speaking of RAC, I think she's officially become one of my favorite poets on the scene. Watching her last night was a breath of fresh air. Her writing is crystal clear and full of stark metaphors that tingle your spine, and she packs an honest emotional punch like few others I've ever seen/heard/read. Anytime I've seen her perform more than two poems, she's brought me near to tears. Offstage, she's an outspoken, no-holds-barred kind of person. Like Helen Yum, she's another one I'd never want to get on their bad side!

Her journal is also one of the more interesting ones I read, and her most recent post was...well, it was posted as a private entry so if you're not on her friends list you can't read it. There's plenty of public entries there that give you a sense of the person behind the poetry, though; interestingly enough, two very similar people as she's about as real as you'll ever come across.

I talked to her last night about doing the next louder than words, on May 21st, and she was interested. Need to find someone interesting to pair her up with, though. Since it's a Friday, Diane is unavailable - and Helen will have already relocated to Hawaii - so I asked Cristin if she'd be interested in subbing as the third host and she was down. I'm also thinking about bringing Taylor back at some point and pairing him up with Keith Roach, as potentially volatile a mix as you could imagine.

I missed Patricia's feature last night but got to talk to her after the slam and she is amped for tomorrow! It's going to be a good one. See you there?

PS: There's an interesting debate brewing over on the louder than words blog. Check it out and get in on the discussion.

The feedback from louder than words has been great. Much of it overwhelmingly positive, and where there was critique, it was generally offered honestly and clearly. Eric, Helen, Diane and I met Tuesday night to digest it all and tweak the format in a way that puts more emphasis on - and sets aside more time for - the debate.

One of the comments we received - or, more correctly, I received as it was all directed at me - took issue with some of the things I said in my introduction, challenging me on both facts and opinion. The factual side of things was especially entertaining as the person offered this little gem:

If you're going to accuse folks of addressing issues in their poems without real investigation, make sure yr shit is supah-tight... eg. you called John Kerry a 'silver-spooner'. he isn't really. he was largely regarded as one of the poorest senators in government. he MARRIED into money.

Anyone that knows me over the past six months or so - and this person does, though obviously not as well as he once did - knows how closely I've been following the Democratic primaries and the candidates. I even specified that fact at the beginning of the intro he's referring to! To come at me half-assed on that subject, and on a factual level at that, is just stupid.

So, of course, I ripped him for it:

FYI: When it comes to debating politics with me, please come prepared with facts. While Kerry's wife is unquestionably loaded, Mr. JFK was doing just fine before her. Five seconds on Google would have kept you from embarassing yourself on that point:

"Kerry's father, a diplomat in the Foreign Service, and his mother, Rosemary, was a member of the Boston Brahmin Forbes family, whose wealth is drawn primarily from its land holdings on Cape Cod, made certain that Kerry received the best education that their positions could afford him. Kerry was educated at Swiss boarding schools and attended an elite private school in New Hampshire, before enrolling in Yale University."

http://www.publicintegrity.org/bop2004/candidate.aspx?cid=4&act=bio

Sounds pretty "silver-spooner" to me.

As for his being one of the poorest senators, I don't know where the hell you got that one from! Again, five seconds on Google:

"The top three wealthiest senators are Democrats: John Kerry of Massachusetts, with a net worth of at least $164 million; Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, with a net worth of at least $111 million, and John "Jay" Rockefeller of West Virginia, with an estimated net worth of at least $82 million...

Not all senators are millionaires. At least 10 senators reported net worths of less than $100,000."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/13/senators.finances/

Let me know if you need an explanation of Net Worth, or a breakdown of Theresa's money from his own. Or just Google it yourself.

It's one thing to get something wrong in the heat of a face-to-face debate - I've certainly done it quite often - but when you're sitting at home writing an email, TAKE A MINUTE TO GET YOUR SHIT RIGHT!

I love Google, by the way. I'm not nearly as smart as some people think I am, I just know how to do research. And more importantly, I like to do research. It's called intellectual curiousity, something too many people lack; poets, in particular.

My boss is lacking in that department, too. As a result, she's now on probation and has been told the situation is basically "irreparable." In other words, she's got about 60 days to find herself a new job! Sad situation as she's not a bad person. Just out of her league when it comes to marketing.

"Transferable skills" is one of the most underrated of business-world cliches. Despite her 20 years of publishing experience, mostly in ad sales, she brought nothing to the table from a marketing perspective. Or from a leadership perspective.

It's not unlike an amazing writer that is a bore onstage. Or the talented performer with the dry offstage personality. It's why so few poets make good organizers. Or, I suspect, good candidates for louder than words.

You may write amazing poems but can you back them up? Can you defend your choices as an artist? Can you speak intelligently outside of your personal frame of reference? Can you do these things in the spotlight and willingly take the risk of offending someone or embarassing yourself?

If so, drop me a note. We should talk.