at Phillysound Buck Downs answers questions about his new book "Golden Taters"--
"Talking about Southern Writing makes me crazy like those dudes who collect photographic evidence of Bigfoot. Does it exist? Did it ever?

But then I do lose my nut whenever I have to talk about 'poetry' in terms other than 'what I'm doing'. So yeah, I have no clew what the fuck is up with the New Southern Writing. But it's not like anybody else does either, so I feel like I'm in the right place where that's concerned." 

read about and download La Bolduc and others at The Virtual Gramophone 

enjoy some of these Hinterland Who's Who clips on Canada Day 

Pitchfork: Top 100 Albums of the 1970s is not as awful as might be expected.

Barrett Watten's Tribute to Zukofsky
"It turned out, I thought, that Zukofsky had better be read as a Marxist. That would put his sense of particulars right back down on the ground, back in the world where they came from and we are, if belatedly. Our reading was not originary, and not in homage to any original. It was, however, always at the beginning of a series of acts, from that one until now, as we are only just finding out. " 

Don Chaffey's The Three Lives of Thomasina--the greatest cat movie ever--finally out on DVD. 

Reagan Pyramid Nears Completion
"'Buried with Reagan will be his finest treasures,' Meese said, 'including 2,500 MX intercontinental ballistic missiles, 15 stealth bombers, a golden chalice of jelly beans, and his most prized servant, former president George Bush Sr.'

Bush told reporters, 'It is my honor and duty to have my sinus passages ceremonially packed with sand before my still-living, pain-racked body is forever locked with my leader's within the Great Reagan's final resting place. Let us all praise Osiris.'"

heartiest congratulations to Jean Crowder, who Daph & I helped to vote in on Monday. She replaces the odious retiring Reform MP Reed Elley, who (having read the writing on the wall?) left office after mailing a bitter diatribe to his constituents. The only reason the NDP didn't get 50 seats was that their program was mostly co-opted by the Liberals. The main thing is that the Hard Right will never have a better shot at power in Canada, and they blew it. Those who enjoy the sight of sputtering conservative fury are urged to check out various columns at Nealenews.

Matt Taibbi
"If even one network, instead of cheerily re-broadcasting Pentagon-generated aerial bomb footage, had risked its access to the government by saying to the Bush administration, 'We're not covering the war unless we can shoot anything we want, without restrictions,' that might have made a difference. It might have made this war look like what it is--pointless death and carnage that would have scared away every advertiser in the country--rather than a big fucking football game that you can sell Coke and Pepsi and Scott's Fertilizer to."

"Sea Creature sighted between Antibes and Nice 1462" from Medieval Woodcuts Clipart Collection 

filmed interview with William Gaddis

William Gaddis on the Web

Fire the Bastards! Jack Green takes on contemporary reviews of William Gaddis' "The Recognitions"--little has changed, and this is still the best reverse primer on book reviewing ever.

review of The Open
"In 1964, Giorgio Agamben, then just twenty-two years old, played Philip the Apostle in Pier Paolo Pasolini's film The Gospel According to St. Matthew... "

I just watched this. Everybody in that movie looks like someone you know anyway. 

good review of Rev. Billy's book, which I also liked.

"Talen's belief in the power of literature and storytelling is rarely encountered in activist circles. Throughout "What Should I Do", he posits that our culture is constructed on a foundation of stories, but those core cultural myths are increasingly peddled and copyrighted by a few giant corporations: 'merchandising vehicles that...never have the qualities of a well-told story, because such a thing would compete with the selling of the products.' According to Talen, 'A really powerful story is not easily controlled as it passes into the rapt audience. A real story must have in it...the Unknown.' " 

the late Robert Urich as the vaguely Clintonesque Jake Spoon in "Lonesome Dove"
(Larry McMurtry on Clinton's book)  

scroll down at rob mclennan's blog for a review of Gerry Gilbert's "Moby Jane" 

very well done site devoted to every aspect of theFrench Broad River Watershed  

How the Bloc Will Save Canada
"They will hold the balance of power, and that will allow them to either block the Conservatives' Bush-like agenda, or force the Liberals to make good on some of their promises.

Either way, with separatism on the back burner, it's good news for the majority of Canadians."
 

Dictionary Don "Sources said another memo signed by Rumsfeld authorizes forcing detainees to stand for up to four hours at a time. 'I stand for eight hours a day,' scribbled Rumsfeld at the bottom of the page..."