In Case You Missed It

If you missed me on 88.1 FM Electric Poetry last month, Olive has put the link up here:

http://www.archive.org/details/ElectricPoetry-BrettElizabethJenkins

I still listen to my own voice and cringe. But maybe it sounds normal to you.

Things I Enjoy...

Things I enjoy...

* Disc golf
* Diet Coke
* Grammatically correct rejection letters


Let's take a look at this one:

"Hi Bret: Thanx for the poems but we cant use them."


1. My name is plastered all over my submission. At least have the courtesy of spelling it right in the rejection letter.

2. "Thanx" for using internet slang in a letter sent from a company that is, I assume, in the business of keeping the English language alive and respectable.

3. Proper apostrophe usage is not too difficult. I assume (and this might be where I make a wrong turn) that you know how to use them. It's like people who don't use turn signals. How difficult is it to take a second to move your pinky an inch and a half and let me know if you are going to turn in front of me? That being said, I know you are an "important" guy and you only accept about 1% of all submissions you receive, but you can't take a fraction of a second to include an apostrophe in the appropriate place in my rejection letter? I guess for important guys, those fractions of seconds really do add up. Regular peons like me are stuck wasting precious milliseconds putting in little marks before S's and T's.

More News From the Road

It's been a crazy time on the road. I have just one more show--this Tuesday, July 27 in Marion, IN. I'll be reading at Beatnik's Cafe @ 9PM, so bring your friends, your heckling shoes, and an appreciation for me, of course.






My poet pal Christopher runs Vouched Books, a really great organization that gets small press publications out to the public, so you should go czech that out, and read his blog. The most recent post was about our reading in Indianapolis at Calvin Fletcher Coffee Co., a not-for-profit coffee shop with an amazing menu and a cozy atmosphere for things like doin' homework or reading some killer poetry. About 40 people and several fruit flies came out to the reading. Thanks! This photo courtesy of Christopher's pal Brandon. Check out more on Vouched Books!

Well, if I didn't let the blogosphere know, I've been engaged for more than a week now. The developments: I have a wedding dress. That's about all I know I needed to do. Would you like to please plan my wedding please?

Please?

The Earth is Spinning Rapidly On Its Axis

And because the Earth is spinning rapidly on its axis, it's morning. Sort of, late morning. And I have just gotten up and found an email in my inbox telling me I've been accepted for the September issue of decomP Magazine. So look for a poem by me there!

Another thing: if you know where Nashville is, go there on July the 22nd (a week from today) and listen to me for a whole hour! What could be better than that? Below is some info they've sent out in an email, which I've copied in detail save for the corny picture of me. It also says I'm currently earning my MFA, which is a dirty lie, as I have already obtained it.

@ SCARRITT-BENNETT THURS, JULY 22

7 - 8PFREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Join fellow poetry enthusiasts for a monthly reading by a featured local poet. The environment is informal and conversation between the poet and audience is encouraged.

FEATURED POET: BRETT ELIZABETH JENKINS lives in Indiana. She is currently earning her MFA from Bennington. Look for her work in Anderbo, Writers' Bloc, PANK, The Medulla Review, and elsewhere.

POET'S CORNER CALENDAR: The 4th Thursday of every month (except Nov. & Dec.)

Visit www.scarrittbennett.org/programs/pc.aspx for a list of featured poets.

The Front Porch @ Scarritt-Bennett 1000 19th Ave. S., Nashville 37212 (corner of Grand and 19th) gallery F. and The Front Porch gift shop, bookstore, and coffee bar will be open from 6:30 - 8:30p. More info: E-mail jsohl@scarrittbennett.org

Things Happened, and More Things Will Also

I just got in from Cleveland, where we had a stunning display of literary appreciation at my reading last night. Thank you to the five people who attended!

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Luckily, the next few legs of the tour have been promoted like Steve Jobs, so they should have better turnouts. For those of you who haven't heard, my next reading is in Athens, Ohio this Saturday, July 17th at Donkey Coffee. Move your face and brains to this poster and check it out!

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Another bit of information you might find exciting: two of my poems have been accepted for publication in this fall's issue of The Potomac Review. Purchase a copy to support the arts (and me!). I can't wait to have another coffee table book that features myself. I do love pretention in all its various forms.

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See you cowboys soon!

TONIGHT ONLY!

Featuring tonight in Toledo, OH at Ground Level. Come join us!! Warning: the front three rows get soaked with water.

We'll start at 7PM. Bring your poncho.

They're Letting Me Talk on the Radio?

Tonight at 10:30 PM EST, I'm going to be on the radio. I KNOW! I don't know who okayed this.

At any rate, you can listen online here: http://www.grcmc.org/radio/listen.php

Or you can listen if you're in Grand Rapids, MI by turning to 88.1 FM. These new-fangled radio talky boxes with buttons and knobs are the watermark of the future! I can feel it.

And for your pleasure, I have included a picture of a dancing banana.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the first and seconds stops of the Midwest Poetry Tour.

Tanya Jarrett drove all the way up from Nashville and is still here, so I'm going to show her a proper Indiana fourth of July and take her to Fort Wayne where we'll watch barefooted drunk hillbillies shoot tiny rockets off at passing cars.

The Medulla Review

Issue 3 of the Medulla Review went up just a little bit ago. You can read three of my poems there. I'm not usually this deathy, but they had a theme and asked me to send more poems about death, so there's that.

In other news, Al Abonado is getting published in Gargoyle next summer--a magazine that once upon a time published Bukowski. And lots of Bukowski.

Also, I got a really nice form letter from The New Yorker this morning. I could probably paper-mâché a small boulder with those letters if I had the patience to print them out and learn how to paper-mâché.

This Friday at 509 E State St...

in Huntington. Come to the first stop of the Midwest Poetry Tour, and support the arts, and me, and Brent Chamberlin, and check out this rockin' poster that our dear friend Bryan Zabala whipped up for me. He's pretty good at these things. He's also designed some pretty amazing business cards for me, too.

Anyway, come out on Friday at 7PM and hang out with some pretty hip friends. And drink some coffee, or some Diet Coke, and bring your friends. Or bring a date (romance!!), and I'll try to read some sexy poems. See you there!

Pantera Bread

I keep having these dreams in which I stop writing poetry and start writing prose. Last night, I even dreamt a review of my first novel:

A mix between the place where the narrative comes running toward the arrival point and the place where the Buddhist comes running foggy-headedly toward Panera Bread.

I think I may have convinced myself to write fiction.

My Computer is Lonely

My computer cord broke, so I had to come to the coffee shop to pay my bills, which wigs me out.  But I guess not as much as unironic comma splices do. 

Next Saturday at the Firefly

Special thanks and adoration to/for Jimi Bonogofsky for making this stellar poster for next weekend. Tanya says it's like 10,000 leagues under the sea magicalness.


Come to the Firefly Coffee House on Saturday, July 3rd at 6PM to hear:

Tanya Jarrett (FINALIST for the Tampa Review Prize for Poetry),

Brett Elizabeth Jenkins (that's me!)

and musical guest Joe Ricke.

See you there.

Midwest Poetry Tour Dates

The dates and venues for the Midwest Poetry Tour are almost entirely set up. I think there are three or four cities I don't have venues for yet, but I figured I could post what I do have on here so we can start getting the word out. Also, if you're going to be in one of these cities and you are a poet or a musician, contact me and let me know if you're interested in participating.





LOCATIONS & DATES:



July 2: Huntington, IN : 509 State St. @ 7PM

July 3: Ft. Wayne, IN : Firefly Coffee House - 3523 North Anthony Boulevard @ 6PM

July 6: Grand Rapids, MI: Electric Poetry (radio: 88.1 FM) @ 10:30 PM

July 7: Grand Rapids, MI : Literary Life Bookstore - 758 Wealthy Street SE @7PM

July 9: Toledo, OH : Ground Level - 2636 W. Central Ave @ 7PM

July 13: Cleveland, OH - NO VENUE YET

July 16: Columbus, OH - NO VENUE YET

July 17: Athens, OH : Donkey Coffee - 17 West Washington Street @ 7PM

July 20: Cincinnati, OH - NO VENUE YET

July 22: Nashville, TN : Poet’s Corner @ 19th & Grand - The Front Porch at Scarritt-Bennett: 1000 19th Ave. S @ 7PM

July 23: Indianapolis, IN : Laura’s Back Yard (Address Forthcoming) @ 8PM

July 24: Muncie, IN : Village Green Records - 519 North Martin Avenue - TIME TBA

July 27: Marion, IN : Beatniks Cafe - 123 East 3rd Street @9PM

July 30: Chicago, IL : NO VENUE YET





I hope to see you guys there!

I Honestly Just Had to Send This to a Publisher...

Hello again-

I have just realized that the document I sent you was saved in what appears to be morse code or braille. Sometimes I don't know how computers do what they do. Anyway, I have attached a copy here that is written in real American letters. Please disregard the first document, unless of course you know morse code or braille.

Best regards,

Brett Elizabeth Jenkins

Well Here This Thing Is

Things happen, and we write them down. Anyway, that's what I've been told. And so I got a blog.

Here are some of those things that happened, and even some that haven't happened yet:

I just finished up my MFA at Bennington, and now that I'm done, I'm a Master, and I have a lot of Masterly things to do. Mainly, though, I'm just wearing my hood everywhere. The bank tellers don't get it, but I need to make the most of my 30K.

In July I'll be going on a poetry tour in the Midwest, so if you're going to be nearby, stop by. I'll be posting more about the dates and venues as it comes together a little more.

Then in August I'm going to be moving to Minnesota. Snowshoe donations are going to be accepted through the summer.

At any rate, I'm just sitting around the house until the tour starts, wearing my hood, forgetting to shower, and eating bagels. These are the things that Masters do.