Tonight's theme is the Western, that hallowed, long past its heyday but not totally bygone (if I have anything to do with it), genre of Hollywood storytelling.
Another Opening, Another Show!
Mischief Time
From the Flash Stash (III) : At the End of the Millennium (originally published in Open: Journal of Arts & Letters)
Surely, they are castaways now and although I cannot see them, I hear them chattering when I put my ear to the sea.
New story at Fictionaut
Scuttling on his knees now, he crossed to the other side of the boat and dropped the fish into a bucket of water. He knew what he had to do next.
The passing of Procol Harum’s In-house Poet and thoughts on other Rock n’ Roll Wordsmiths
To my teenage self, dizzy with wonder at the lyrics of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” Keith Reid looked brainy and hip, which I didn’t know could be a thing, but there he was in band photographs, usually front and center, as if he was Mr. Procol Harum himself.
Flash Stash II: From the Files of August Strindberg: Stockholm, February, 1875
But tell me, did I not suffer a vision, that is to say, see something dreadful at my door?
The Kinks Turn Sixty: reflecting on 1968’s “Till Death Us Do Part”
The whole business makes me dippy, and honestly, I don’t care about any of it unless there’s some magic in the work itself, a spark in the melody or the lyric that will distinguish the work the way all great art is distinguished, by its timelessness and universal appeal. A song, for the sake of this argument, like the small wonder that is 1968’s, “Till Death Us Do Part.”
From the Flash Stash: I Have to Quit Commuting! (redux)
I dream that I forget in which direction I am headed. The road splits. I panic and take an exit unknown to me. It doesn’t make any difference.
Something in the Air: a poet speaks of the first stirrings of Spring
long suffering spring phrases seek a shot of poetry B-12
Let us see the working man__some thoughts on the Poetry of Fred Shaw
Number one, Fred Shaw represents: Pittsburgh, reading everything and writing narrative poetry from his own experience in the argot (lingo) of the Rust Belt restaurant worker. As he has said, “the workaday speech of line cooks and dishwashers is the signature sound."
Possible Wildlife (redux)
So, in the spirit of establishing a courteous process going forward and to avoid confusion, I...
DAI BANDO’S MUSIC ROOM #7: Ca’ the Yowes / Burns Night
Pagan's tiny cottage in the woods became what the Scots refer to as a "howff" – a gathering place for hunters, shepherds and drunken wags.
From musician to musician: Mark Cutler on David Crosby
..."Triad" and "The Lee Shore." I learned them both but had no clue what they were really about. They confused a 7th grade boy. What the hell is a “sister lover” or a “water brother “?
The Return of Dai Bando: Music Room #5
On the track "Rubylove" (Cat's nod to his Greek heritage) he features traditional bouzouki and sings a verse in his Cypress-born father's native language. And thank god for Greeks: lamb souvlaki, dark olives, John Cassavettes' movies, Platonic relationships, Nana Mouskouri and Cat Stevens.
Notes from the New Year:
But wait, there's more. And it's the thing I really wanted to talk about from the start: Joe Pug's monthly newsletter called The Enthusiast Digest. There's something kind of vaudevillian about Joe's mix of links to must-read articles, unusual podcasts, literary tidbits and recipes.
Mars Hides Behind the Moon: the expanding edition
So this is how the moon and Mars appeared last night from the Mt. Sopris Observatory!
Civita di Bagnoregio
Once you have trekked up the pedestrian bridge that connects old Civita to the town of Bagnoregio (about 75 miles north of Rome), and walked its quiet streets, at some turns shaded by fulsome persimmon trees and at others, decorated by medieval-era depictions of Madonna and child, the thought of Civita di Bagnoregia sliding into the valleys below is saddening.
This is my final appeal (promise) unless…
From "The Night It All Got Going": I’m thinking, “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” but before I can open my mouth, she’s pointing at the window on my side of the bed. Light from the moon spills over the sill and bounces onto the adjacent wall in overwrought shadows. I shudder. She’s turned pale.
Act Three
The body is a peculiar instrument, the actor thought after weeks of therapy. It can be imploding in the brain and a man can still hold himself upright. Even if only for short periods of time. The heart, of course, is a different proposition.
New Digs for the Rhodeo Poets
We're rounding up the Rhodeo Poets this Thursday. If you're on the island of Jamestown, between 6 and 8 pm, we'd love to see you at General's Crossing Brewery, 34 Narragansett Avenue. Shannon Kennelly and I will host.
If you’re on the road, we’d love to see you here!
If you are in the Jamestown, Rhode Island area tonight, please consider dropping into an in-person session of the always entertaining Rhodeo Poets group. The readings go from 6-7:45 pm, and just as they are on the 2nd Thursday of every month, the event will be hosted by Out of the Box Studio and Gallery,11 Clinton... Continue Reading →
Celebrating National Independent Bookstore Day with Curiosity & Co.!
Since it's such a pleasure to be associated with the creative folks at Curiosity & Co., I am doubly pleased to announce that they're throwing a party this weekend. Below is a breakdown of the store's programs for the rest of Independent Bookstore Week, starting with a screening of To Kill a Mockingbird at 5:30... Continue Reading →
Word Drop with Cresser, Geary and Primiano!
An Evening of Readings with Three Local Authors
The Sparks Brothers Shines a Light on a Pair of Art Pop Heroes
2021 saw Sparks make multiple forays into the world of cinema, first with Edgar Wright's affectionate documentary, The Sparks Brothers, and later, with Annette, director Leo Carax's English-language debut.
The Don Rickles Show
It’s a treat when he turns up on Leno or Letterman, even if his mind is peripatetic and the put-downs lack those surreal associations and references that would reduce even a seasoned straight man like Johnny Carson to tears of laughter. Absent too is the rarefied foolishness that would break out when Rickles would interrupt one of his host’s sketches.
Praise for Here Comes Herodotus, Again!
And the voice here reads personal and warm, the humor and perspective in this collection refreshing.
Consider This!
Believe me, you are appreciated.
Withnail and I: La Fin D’une E’poque
Grant’s Withnail, a combination of old boy pomp, contempo degeneracy, and stagey narcissism, lies, bamboozles, mooches, saturates himself in whiskey, pints and wine, and manages to stay at once angry and self-pitying throughout. He is a miracle. He carries on, rages ahead, all the while increasing his best friend’s anxiety while Marwood (Paul McGann) tries desperately to hang onto some semblance of reality. The walls are closing in and Withnail can’t get an audition. Marwood seems on the verge of another one and this frustrates “With”....
OSR TENTH ANNIVERSARY EVENT!
If you are in the vicinity of the Kingston Campus of the University of Rhode Island on Wednesday, November 3...
On Sale Here!
Unless, of course you find me reading my work in your neighborhood! THE PITCH: Here Comes Herodotus, Again! (and other microhistories) A limited number of my chapbook, Here Comes Herodotus, Again! (and other microhistories), which is part of the Open: Journal of Arts & Letters 2021 Chapbook series, are available here at Just Between You... Continue Reading →
Popkrazy
Lyrically, Bill Nelson’s songwriting seemed to ascribe more to the ethos of another underrated band of the era, Blue Oyster Cult, and their code language of flames and futurism, than any other contemporaries. And even these similarities are more subtle than striking.
Publishing News!
Read this: "Act Three" at Shark Reef, a Literary Magazine
Blazes (originally published in the Ocean State Review Volume 1: No. 1)
One evening just a few weeks ago, I noticed him fiddling with something on his back deck. Cleaning bird shit off the umbrella above his picnic table, maybe. He held a spray bottle in one hand and a sponge in the other. He stood on a chair, squirting and wiping. Then he'd give the umbrella a little twirl and hit another spot. That was his method.
Talking to Spank the Carp and more
STC: Tell us about the mechanics of how you write. Cresser: First thing, pen to paper with as little self-editing as possible. When I feel like I'm running out of gas, I stop. I don't set daily goals, but I have a morning practice during which time is allotted for writing.
Season’s Readings
The Jamestown Community Theater in collaboration with the Friends of the Jamestown Public Library, pulled together a winsome, varied group of islanders to celebrate the holiday season with poetry and song.
Dai Bando talks tunesmiths and live music
A Pokey LaFarge show is like watching Cab Calloway and Jimmie Rogers together onstage, only they’re both Pokey. Add a little Ernest Tubb, and maybe a little Ernest T. Bass, as well.
Moving Parts (originally published in Shark Reef: A Literary Magazine)
While the errant knight, thwarted in his quest for all things flat screen and letting the world know about it, barreled down on me, I began to backpedal. It was a big place, and I thought I might double back to appliances or bedding, those repositories of shiny and fluffy things.
Publishing news!
There were chinks in the fabric of the twilight trees, little sparks of fire, like the tip of a match at the moment when a flame is sparked---Whoosh! Pop! Fizz!
Out of the Box’s List Poem Zine/publishing news
I am happy to report that I have a new poem called "Consumer Virus 2020" in List Poem Zine, a beautiful collection edited by artist and comics author, Seamus O. Hames. The Zine is a supplement to Out of the Box Studio's current exhibit, “Sun Path Poem,” and is a compilation of list poems submitted... Continue Reading →
April is the Cruelest Month (but it doesn’t have to be)
T.S. Eliot was immense and wise, but no one, not even the sagacious Eliot, could have seen how historically cruel this particular April would be. Yet, on the whole, we're all still trying to get by. Some of us are even trying to brighten the corners. So a word here about the Rhodeo Poets, a... Continue Reading →
Anything About an Airport (originally published in Motif V.2: come what may)
by Wayne Cresser As he strolled through the Delta terminal, George caught snatches of Sleigh Ride, Blue Christmas and Winter Wonderland wafting from pizza shops and bars, gift kiosks and other cash happy operations. He had a layover in Atlanta and needed something to read on the plane that would take him the rest of... Continue Reading →
He returns!!
Number one, I wanted you to know that you'll find connections to new pieces listed elsewhere on the site (under Story Links). The second purpose of jumping on a blog here is to say hello again. It's been a while. Have I been woodshedding? Trying on new plots, characters, themes. There is new work,... Continue Reading →
Poetry Tonight!
So pleased to be associated with this fine collaboration between two of Jamestown, Rhode Island's principal cultural institutions. Saturday, April 13th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, FREE 26 North Road (JPL) and 18 Valley St (JAC) The Jamestown Arts Center & the Friends of the Jamestown Philomenian Library celebrate National Poetry Month! The program starts... Continue Reading →
Publishing News
Get it while it's swimming!
Publishing News
I am happy to announce that I have two flash pieces in the current issue of The Ocean State Review (Volume 8: No. 1): "HVAC" and "Art's Parties." To purchase a copy of the number, follow this link: http://oceanstatereview.org/current-issue/
Playlist II: Spinning Plates
There’s some music from Henry Mancini, classic title and closing themes, and as you might imagine, there’s overlap there with Mancini, and something my wily co-conspirator, Michael Stevenson, and I talked about when I was cooking up this show---actors who are called upon to sing sometimes.
Playlist One: Into the West
Every Friday, a new playlist from Monday's broadcast of Picture This: Film Music on the Radio, WRIU, 90.3 FM
Just Between You and Me 