All posts by: Sammy Greenspan

Art & the world

Susana H. Case‘s new book 4 Rms w Vu is out from Mayapple Press, another in Case’s line of sharply observed poetry collections that serve up her at times scathing insights with a playful sense of humor. An excellent recipe for a... Read More

Body politic, body poetic

If you’re anywhere near D.C. this coming weekend, you need to get over to the Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum, headquarters for Split This Rock’s festival of socially engaged writing. Featured poets include Franny Choi, Eduardo C. Corral, Joy Harjo,... Read More

PEN, SciAm, SXSW

Coming into Language is Jimmy Santiago Baca’s moving essay on self-created literacy, the emergence from struggle of a writer’s passion and voice, posted to PEN American Center. The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens,... Read More

Things that surprise me

Songbirds and lilac bushes are of the opinion spring is imminent on the north coast. The largest marketplace for guns is, according to the NY Times, Facebook. Hackaday Projects is showing taser-proof clothing. Wayne Dyer says you should do what comes... Read More

All Work

Dear Poet,  All work and no play makes Jack a dull, dull boy. Julia Cameron tells artists to take a day each week and refresh themselves. She calls this an Artist’s Date. We writers would do well to heed her... Read More

Dear Reader

Dear Reader, Welcome to Curmudgeon’s Corner. From time to time I will post here the missives of fellow poet and all-around-opiner, Curmudgeon. Curmudgeon has no small opinions, and believes life is too short to curb one’s enthusiasm. Please don’t write... Read More

AWP Author Signings

Booth 624 book signings for this year’s AWP book fair: Thursday 1 p.m., Mary Stone Dockery, Blink Finch; 2 p.m., Leah Umansky, Don Dreams and I Dream. Friday, 11 a.m., Kelly Fordon, Tell Me When it Starts to Hurt; and... Read More

Farewell North Coast

Suzanne invited us to do a wompus reading at Mac’s Backs bookstore in Cleveland Heights on February 12th, a farewell of sorts to the neighborhood and all our literary friends here on the north coast. Along with wompus publisher, Sammy... Read More

#motorcyclevagina, new Murakami

#motorcyclevagina, new Murakami, nuclear gypsies What does #motorcyclevagina have to do with the ACLU (And where is John Stewart when we need him)? Nin Andrews does a weekly Monday comic for Best American Poetry. Read the new Murakami story, Samsa... Read More

slavery, sex trafficking, libraries, hope

Watch this space for our newly revamped wompus website, coming soon. Today: Matthew Inman, Craig Steven Wilder, Jodie Gummow, Just Detention International, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Neil Gaiman (with a special reprise appearance by Sxip Shirey). Matthew Inman on... Read More