A nice chat with my boss today. I have vacation hours out the wazoo, and I asked if she’d consider letting me have a week at the end of September. My rationale: I can’t take time before then because the school year is beginning, and things are always crazy then. But she was emphatic that I take the time.

Of course, I hope to have the essay in a nicely polished state by then, since it’s due October 17. But, in an emergency, I could have that week to work on it. She seemed to think that was no good– that I should make sure it’s done well before, and use that week to relax and do whatever I want.

So I’m considering the possibility that I might go somewhere for a couple days, just disappear off the Internet and cell phone networks, and hole up and play with my poems. Not work on them. Play with them. Revise all the microfic I wanna revise, tinker with poems that I haven’t looked at in over a year. Maybe read some books that I wanna read. No agenda. No product that has to be completed by the time I return. Just me and some words. Hanging out. That sounds nice.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll look for a good poetry event or two in a mid-sized city and go there. Maybe it will be where you live.

Don’t know if I was supposed to share this or not, but I’m excited about it.

This month’s broadside from Broadsided Press is from one of my favorite co-conspirators, Ruba Ahmed. If you’re not already a vector, why not sign up? All you have to do is print and post the broadsides in your city, town, hamlet, village, or commune! You’ll use like four sheets of paper a month. Come on!

I now have eight submissions out. That’s the most I’ve ever sent out at once.

Charles Simic has been named the new poet laureate of the United States. Very exciting. I have always admired Simic’s energy and hope that he will be an active, vital poet laureate. American poetry could use a good kick in the pants.

During logical breaks in my essay, I’ve started reading the Selected Poems of Louis Simpson. Heather had lectured on “On the Lawn of the Villa” at a previous residency, and included the poem again in some handouts that she gave to me, Mary Jo, and Elaine. Those who talk poetry with me on regular basis are well aware that I am not a huge fan of tone, or at least talking about tone, because I feel that often weak critics will bend any word or device to fit their tonal agendas. With Simpson, you can’t help but notice the dramatic tonal shifts at play in his work. I have planted some trees in the backyard, and went out after reading some of his poems to check and see how they’re doing.while standing out there, I felt a mild panic and thought, “I could get shot right now.” I do not think I will be going outside after reading Simpson anymore.

Today is the day off that I hoped to take on Tuesday. I have gotten about six good pages of rough draft written, following four good pages last night in an outburst that surprised me. Finally, I feel like the essay is taking shape.