There’s the creature, looking back at the week that was. Here’s what I published then!
Personal Essay
My 20 y.o. lives at home with us, and it’s great. (Business Insider)
Politics
Re Biden’s age, the pundit class needs to get a grip. (Public Notice)
Should Biden arrest the conservative SC justices? (EIH)
Stanley Milgram was an asshole who did not understand fascism. (EIH)
Cultural Criticism
Robert Creeley’s “Kore” and the Persephone myth. (EIH)
Etran de L’air plays the happy desert blues. (Chicago Reader)
A Simple Favor and Hollywood default. (EIH)
Best roots albums of 2024 so far. (EIH)
Poetry
Poem for mom—hi Mom! (Five Fleas)
Mom’s Knee
I sat on that knee
and now it is brokenthey’ll put in a new one
on which I’ve not sittenand never won’t though you walk
and don’t knowwhere the knee go
when I
Poem about how it’s hard to get people to believe you’re a poet. (Synchronized Chaos)
Mock Poet
Out of the blue of the internet
someone
asked me, as a non-poet,
to recommend a poem
for a special issue on non-poets
recommending poets.Okay! I said. But!
There is a problem!
(Drumroll.)I am a poet!
(Imagine a fanfare here.)
(You can find one on the internet.)Out of the blue of the internet
someone
responded. “That’s okay,” they said.
They added, for encouragement:
“I play tennis sometimes.
But it’s not like I’m a tennis player.
Hobbyists are fine.”Hey! I said.
(Imagine a sad fanfare here.)
(Imagine a weeping emoji.)I have a book!
I am a real poet!The internet shimmered.
The fanfare died.
I recommended
someone.And sat down to write
whatever this is.Not a poem.