Thursday, March 27, 2008

Donald Ray Pollock and Keddy Ann Outlaw


Congratulations go out to Donald Ray Pollock on the publication and largely positive reception of his book of linked short stories, Knockemstiff. Typical reviews have appeared in the L.A. Times and the N.Y. Times. Pollock published three poems in Lilliput back in the late 90's: "Knockemstiff Tattoo #1" in issue #91, "Knockemstiff Tattoo #5" in #94, and "the patriarchs of garage" in #98. All three issues are still in print and available. From #94:


the patriarchs of garage

argue clutch, talk flywheel, question
carburetor. they scratch loose nuts,
pass another pint. they sand, weld
wrench; dig deep into wrinkled packs
of red man, five brothers. they worry
rust, prime and paint. They squat like
kids on cracked concrete and agree with
my father that memory is grease is oil
is water is gasoline is
fading.
Donald Ray Pollock



A shout out also goes to Keddy Ann Outlaw, whose beautiful, atmospheric photos are featured in one of the two new issues of Lillie (#161). She has mounted one of the photos on her excellent library blog, Speed of Light. Congrats particularly for her recent excellent article in Library Journal, entitled "Born Together: the Literature of Twins."

This week's feature issue is #150, a broadside of the moving, resonant tanka of Pamela Miller Ness, originally published in July 2006. This selection from that 11 tanka set is one of characteristically deep emotion and beauty:




Night
of thunder, thunder
in the dream
I fold laundry
with my dead mother.




A bud
of the red anemone
ready to burst . . .
the child
she never bore.




Kandinsky’s
Impression No. 3:
floating
above a yellow field
the piano’s soul.




Indian summer ~
still my daughter
carries
unripe huckleberries
in her burden basket.




Issues 161 and 162 continue to ship as the flu gradually recedes in my rear view mirror. Best, till next time.

Don

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