What Can You Say?

You're looking at the hardest working man in the underground lit biz and last Saturday evening's incomparable MC, Karl "King" Wenclas. With smoke and mirrors and trailing clouds of ballyhoo the Underground Literary Alliance's publicity director created a show of literary magic and meaning. Simply put: If you weren't there you missed out.

Check back here for more pics from the Underground Literary Alliance's Lit Event, including "The Masked Professor" Vs "The Student" read-off and an actual picture of Crazy Carl Robinson (said to be nearly as rare as the Bigfoot video) and pics of the fictionistas!  ¶ 11:43 PM 0 comments

 
Devin D'Andrea was another fine poet at the ULA event who had the misfortune of reading while I was buying drinks at the bar. He was solid and intense and I stole this picture from the ULA site.  ¶ 11:35 PM 0 comments

 
The Poets At The ULA's Medusa Lounge Event (clockwise from top left)

Shawn Terreri -- The intensity of this Hip-Hop/Spoken Word artist could never be caught in a picture

Maria Pace -- Poetry from a deep private well

Miz Olivia, the Godmother of Poetry -- Poems of protest and the drum of the heart

Michael D. Grover -- Portrait of a poet

Ish Klein -- Indescribable word acrobatics

Natalie Felix -- Poetry in motion  ¶ 11:18 PM 2 comments

 
The Star of the ULA's Philly Lit Show last weekend

Jack Saunders, the ULA's living connection to the Beats, is himself a proud ULA'er, and author of LitVision Press's book of the moment, Bukowski Never Did This.  ¶ 11:02 PM 0 comments

 
Opinions On Love And Marriage? I've Got One.

I'm on page 114 of

How to Survive Your Marriage: By Hundreds of Happy Couples Who Did, and Some Things to Avoid From a Few Divorcees Who Didn't (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guide)
by YADIN KAUFMANN, Jamie Allen, et al.

I'm one of the "divorcees who didn't." Groan. I haven't seen the book, but I imagine that we failures are banished to some dank appendix or something, like lepers and untouchables fenced off in some compound on the Island Of Matrimonial Bliss.

This post once linked directly to my page, but Amazon has taken it down. So I made a picture of it, above.  ¶ 9:45 PM 0 comments

 

Your Blogging Type Is the Private Performer

Your blog is your stage - with your visitors your adoring fans. At least, that's how you write with your witty one liners. And while you like attention, you value your privacy. You're likely to have an anonymous blog - or turn off comments.

  ¶ 3:24 PM 0 comments

 
A Show To Remember

Last night at the Medusa Lounge in Philadelphia lit history was made when the finest of the ULA writers presented their stuff to an appreciative crowd that knew they were part of something special.

Their presentations were capped off by the man himself, Jack Saunders, who read from his instant classic Bukowski Never Did This. More on that soon.

I'm still on a high so forgive me if I slight anyone who was a part of this event by forgetting their presence or neglecting to make note of their contributions.

Standouts for me were: Michael Grover, a great poetic talent; Crazy Carl Robinson, who entertained and edified as he examined the arcane world of astrololgy, drawing the audience into his own off-the-map world.

From the non-ULA world there was amazingly talented Ish Klein, and unbelieveable Natalie Felix, who clearly felt every word of her poetry and made the audience feel them too.

Have I mentioned the MC, Karl Wenclas? What can one say, except that he made the whole thing happen, and made it continue happening through the night.

I now realize that I haven't the time or the energy to continue with this tonight, after a long (un-airconditioned!) day of zines at The Rotunda on the Penn campus, so I will just say that in the battle of "The Student" and "The Masked Perfesser", at the Medusa the MP pulled it out at the last minute, though that decision wasn't accepted by 100% of the audience.

Oh, and the tape sent to Karl by one of the usual "NY Times" bestselling authors -- I'll name him later -- was wildly entertaining.

(As was Wred Fright, Jackie Corley, Devin D'Andrea, Eric Bader, the soulful poetry of Sarah Scheckter, et al...Like I say, it is late, and I'll get to the rest later...with pictures. And Shawn Terreri who blew us all away with gritty spoken word pieces.)

And truly, Karl isn't blowing smoke up your ass when he says these are the people you should be reading.  ¶ 11:07 PM 0 comments

 


In the interest of peaceful communication...

Mail art is a great way to get a message out to the people and perhaps noone did it better than Ray Johnson. An enigma, perhaps, and sadly a suicide, he nonetheless was truly an artist of the people, who many believe, including me, influenced the more accessible Andy Warhol.

A great portrait of Ray's life can be found on the DVD "How To Draw A Bunny". And on eBay you can find imitators trying to sell obviously Ray Johnson influenced instant artifacts to a still-fascinated collecting public.  ¶ 12:02 AM 0 comments

  Big ULA Lit Show at Medusa Lounge

Many underground/DIY writers will be in town the
weekend of Philadelphia's Zinefest-- including
legendary author Jack Saunders, gearing up for
the release of his new book, BUKOWSKI NEVER DID
THIS. To help celebrate the gathering of our
underground tribe, we're throwing a Special
Event-- combination Reading and Book kickoff
party! No cover! Free admission!

When: Saturday, July 16, 2005,
from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m.

Where: Medusa Lounge, 27 South 21st St. (21st at
Chestnut). Philadelphia's famed underground rock
club! "The most exclusive dive bar ever!"


Who: Among those scheduled to appear are Jackie
Corley, Frank Walsh, Wred Fright, Natalie Felix,
Michael Grover, Crazy Carl Robinson, Brady
Russell, Shawn Terreri, Devin D'Andrea, "The
Student" and "The Masked Professor," and other
talents local and national.

The Top Of The Bill -- Jack Saunders

The reading will be capped off by The Man
himself, southern roots/folk writer JACK
SAUNDERS, author of over 260 novels!

This event will be fast-moving and fun. ALL ARE
WELCOME for the Lit Party of the Millennium as
only undergrounders know how to do it...

**************************************************

I hope to have my zine ready for its first appearance at
the show. Details to follow.

JDF  ¶ 6:38 PM 0 comments

  Writers beware!

Underground Literary Alliance takes on literary stars

From "The Hudson Reporter"  ¶ 6:50 PM 0 comments