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A Distant Landscape: The “Dream Language” Poems
March 1, 2002 23 pages, 24 copies Continue Reading »
January 19, 2002, “The Ballad of William Blake” performance text, Naropa Institute
The Ballad of William Blake John Thomas Smith published a profile of William Blake in 1829, two years after Blake’s death, beginning with the words “I believe it has been invariably the custom of every age, whenever a man has been found to depart from the usual mode of thinking, to consider him of deranged… Continue Reading »
“John Milton’s Argument” (from LIT)
John Milton’s Argument He rose from his desk and paced the room. He despised his loss of virtue, and it excited him as well. Then the vision ended, the dusky clouds descending, darkening the landscape, the evening dissolving into restless thoughts. First in brief, the whole subject—how legions of angels were driven into a great… Continue Reading »
Conversation with Tamra Spivey, November 2001
Randy Roark’s Mona Lisa’s Veil: Selected Poems 1979-2001 will be released in December 2001 by Baksun Books. Tamra Spivey is lead singer of Lucid Nation, an ever-changing ensemble who most recently included drummer Patty Schemel of Hole and bassist Greta Brinkman of Moby’s band. Tamra: I learned from your note about Kerouac and Ginsberg’s “practiced”… Continue Reading »
November 17, 2001, Review of Lucid Nation’s “The New Return”
Lucid Nation: “The New Return” Fifteen songs from the L.A. improv collective known as Lucid Nation, the only band I know that uncompromisingly insists that all of their lyrics are improvised along with the music. “The New Return” begins as if midstream with “Point of No Return,” a song built on the changes to… Continue Reading »
What I Wrote on September 11, 2001
In Praise of Contented Mind According to the Norton Anthology of English Literature, “In Praise of Contented Mind” was one of the most popular Elizabethan ballads, and was published anonymously (as ballads often were at the time). Ironically (referring to the contents of the ballad), several aristocratic poets are most often suggested as its author,… Continue Reading »
August 20, 2001, “Creating a Social and Historical Context for Dylan’s Christian Period” presented at the Mizel Center, Denver
CREATING A SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR DYLAN’S “CHRISTIAN PERIOD” I want to talk about the Christian period in Dylan’s life, but first, in order to really understand it, we’re going to have to backtrack a little bit and put it in a social and historical context. For the weight it sometimes carries, it’s important… Continue Reading »
Over Large Stars Collaborations with Katie Bowler
October 1999-April 2000 May 2001 Cover design by Mikell Yamada Continue Reading »
February 8, 2001 Review of Joe Fante’s “1933”
Every year, on January 17th, I celebrate my birthday. Looking back, it’s difficult to know whether I’ve gained a year of experience, or lost a year. I guess it depends on how you look at it—is it sand in an hourglass running out, or is my life something that evolves toward a possible future I… Continue Reading »
Melanchology: Collected Poems and Prose 2000
76 pages January 17, 2001 47 copies Given away for free to friends and others on the poet’s 47th birthday Continue Reading »