Literago » Bulletins

Oooh, pretty

Mairead — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:54:05 +0000

We’re drooling over the candy great, newly-unveiled featherproof book covers, all designed by old pro Zach Dodson. Gawk at Patrick Somerville’s, above — and others, for works by Lindsay Hunter (omg it’s a cigarette case) and Christian TeBordo — at www.featherproof.com.

“Spit is God’s lube”

Mairead — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:08:05 +0000

The post below just arrived in our inboxes — we think Harold’s talking about the reading at the Whistler (2421 N Milwaukee) on Monday, February 8th, 8pm. I mean, we’re pretty sure. — Eds.

TO: editors@literago.org
FROM: haroldray@gmail.com
SUBJ: Does Literago have nerves of steel?

Most folks don’t know how to really get a thing clean. I mean, spic and span. Well, man, I tell you the secret is spit. Spit is God’s lube. I ain’t sure what all you may know about spit, but there’s a few things to bear in mind. A man can use spit for other things besides cleanin’ but he has to be careful about what he eats. Don’t want to spit shine things with onions on the breath. Much less a ramp. No that ain’t no good. Won’t stand up no better than it’ll roll down hill. And I don’t even need to go into what might happen if you got Copenhagen on your breath. That ain’t no way to live. It’s like I was tellin’ these folks at Myopic last month before that no-count son of a bitch Fred Sasaki stole the stage with his poor attitude. It’s about seein’ people livin’. That’s the thing. Ain’t no poetry in standin’ up and restorin’ some sense of order to a thing. A thing has its own order. And a man can’t force his own personal order onto a thing. And it don’t mean that I’m some kind of bully or that I ain’t tolerant of other opinions. Hell, you can spit-shine any old words and folks’ll buy ‘em. But at what cost? I’ll tell you, folks, it’s at the cost of real livin’. That’s the cost. And it’s a steep price for a person to pay. That’s what I like about this here city they call Chicago. If I sing a song then I sing it. I don’t just dribble spit. But I want to warn you. I could tell in that boy’s eyes that he would come again and be itchin’ for trouble. That sawed-off motherfucker Sasaki will be there on Monday. I just know it. And we done had four women leave out from the last meetin’ because he didn’t have nerves of steel. And he cracked and it all thinned out like spit in a river. You just can’t expose yourself that way when folks are tryin’ to show you themselves livin’. There ain’t no poetry in exposure. There ain’t but a little bit of poetry in livin’. And we have to beat life to a pulp in order to wrench whatever poetry we can from it. That thought don’t scare me. I’m spitting piss and vinegar. Sterile, man. Clean. I got nerves of steel, fucker. Question is, do you?

The Encyclopedia Show explores a new theatre.

Featherproof — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:07:07 +0000

The Encyclopedia Show moves for one night only to the Vittum Theatre, 1012 N Noble St. It’s happening on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30 pm. Tickets $6 at the door. All ages. www.encyclopediashow.com Those are the facts, here’s the theme:

This Month – Series 2, Volume 6: Explorers

With music, poetry, visual art and spoken word on the topic: Explorers. Featuring contributors: Dave Awl (Author of What the Sea Means) Sacagawea, Cin Salach (Slam Legend) Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, Derrick Brown (International Heart-throb, Founder of Write Bloody Press) Jacques Cousteau, Bob Boone (Founder of Young Chicago Authors) Neil Armstrong, Stephen Meads (Bay Area Raconteur and Hooligan) Internet Explorer 6, Greg Bee (BitterSingleGuy.com) John C. Lilly, Brian Morrison (Animation Student) Magellan, The Brothers Dodson: Zach Dodson (featherproof, Show ’n Tell Show) and Seth Dodson (1,2,3, Fag!, Glitter in the Gutter) Starship Enterprise, Raych Jackson(Louder Than a Bomb) Dora, Mike Martello (The Nothingheads) Marco Polo and John Davis (John Davis) John Davis, John Davis and John Davis. With hosts Robbie Q Telfer (Author of Spiking the Sucker Punch) and Shanny Jean Maney (Author of Our Brave Faces Were Just Smiles) and cast regulars: Kurt Heintz (E-Poets.net)– Fact Checker; Aaron Enskat (Former Normal Slammaster); Tim Stafford (HBO Def Poet); Joel Chmara(HBO Def Poet); Evan Chung (Musician) - House Band Leader “The Encartagans”; and Emily Rose (Poetry Vet and House Manager) –as Jilted Emily Rose.

If you’ve never seen this great variety show – now would be a good time to explore.

CUL Reopens! January 30th

Mairead — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:33:04 +0000

The Chicago Underground Library (CUL) is something we’re duck-lucky to have in our city — founded in 2006 by Nell Taylor and Emerson Dameron, CUL connects, introduces, and surprises all kinds of rad Chicago writer-types. It’s a place for inspiration and — after jumping from a few boxes in the basement of Mercury Café to a full-fledged nonprofit in just four years — a model for growth. Even The New York Times did a head-snap.

As well it should! CUL has a rainbow-awesome archive, highlighting Chicago’s independent media and small press communities through an open acquisitions policy (meaning: it wants you) and a radical, straightforward cataloging process. CUL has crazy-awesome programming, riffing on everything from science fairs to roadshows to squid. Plus CUL has a straight-up-awesome staff, kind and savvy too — check the blog to drool over their bookshelves.

Want in on the excellence? This Saturday, January 30th from 3-5, CUL is holding an open house in the sparkly new space it’s sharing with Red Tape Theatre Company (621 W. Belmont, 2nd floor).

This is the perfect time to meet the staff or learn about upcoming programming (for example, the Storefront Theatre Project and Tuesday night Worklucks). To preview the new catalog. To high-five Nell Taylor. To donate your own works. You can also gawk at the archive (Gwendolyn Brooks chapbooks!), BYOB, or sign up to volunteer. See also: free drinks and free cookies.

P.S. Literago is not dating, related to, or paid by anyone at CUL. We’re in awe for real.

Monsters & Dust Seeks Contributions

Mairead — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:49:53 +0000

Monsters and Dust, the glorious new online magazine spearheaded by Aay Preston-Myint, Chris Pappas, and Joe Proulx — accurate adjectives on their website include innovative, fantastic, fabulous, subversive, radical, thoughtful, hilarious, witty, shrewd, cynical, optimistic, dark, surreal, sublime — recently announced their Spring 2010 theme, “Flowers”. To submit to it and/or future issues (”Ice”, “Barter”), go here, now!

THE2NDHAND Debuts New Series

Mairead — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:01:00 +0000

THE2NDHAND, an awesome quarterly broadsheet/weekly online magazine whose archives you should read if you haven’t already, no really, we’re serious, just debuted a sweet mini-broadsheet series. “Mini” means the whole thing fits on one 8.5×11 sheet, so you can print out the whole thing while your boss is on the phone instead of waiting until she’s on break so you can load the special paper, only it fritzes and you’re left with three half-printed sheets, which you can’t really read so feel extra-badly about wasting and, well, you know what we’re saying. The series kicks off with a story by C.T. Ballentine and a short by Doug Milam. Download and print here.

Artifice robbed!

Mairead — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:17:04 +0000

Lamestain news: disaster struck our pals at Artifice Magazine. Somebody nabbed Editor Rebekah’s wallet while she was at lunch, then drained the mag’s business account of nearly $2K. Luckily, the bank’s on Artifice’s side so the money should be returned in a couple weeks. However, the inaugural issue streets Feb. 1st, which means these kids need to pay postage and print costs now. Read up on what went down here — $400 to Banana Republic?! — and subscribe ASAP if you can. Planeteers, go!

Quotable Notables: Bezos on Slate

Eugenia — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:09:28 +0000

Deep thoughts of Amazon C.E.O. on the success of the Kindle: “I believe that reading deserves a dedicated device.* For people who are readers, reading is important to them.”

*Last I checked, this already exists.

Harriet Wraps Up 2009

Mairead — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:35:16 +0000

Over at Harriet, the Poetry Foundation’s blog, Catherine Halley and Travis Nichols just posted links to the year’s most-viewed pieces. Many are beautiful and some are snarky — nearly all demand argument, which is kind of the point of a blog, yes?

Read up (Myles and Saroyan’s especially), ogle comment section flame wars, and read something aloud in memory of Craig Arnold. Props to Catherine and Travis for their hustle. [image credit Ibn Al Rabin -- read the rest of his comic here]

Sale at Half Letter Press!

Mairead — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:00:57 +0000

Holy snakes! Now through January 1st, all items at the Half Letter Press store are 10% off. The store, set up by Temporary Services, is a resource for creative people looking to spread word about experimental projects and publications.

“We are particularly interested,” say collaborators Brett Bloom, Salem Collo-Julin, and Marc Fischer, “in supporting people and projects that have had difficulty finding financial and promotional assistance through mainstream commercial channels.” (Check out the HLP free box and brand-new newspaper, going cheap at 23¢ per.)

Browse the whole archive for treats and schooling, also to brush up on Chicago history — we especially recommend the Atlas of Radical Cartography, Screaming In Music, and the Art Workers Won’t Kiss Ass poster (featured above). At a mere four bucks, it’s a quick cheap way to help politicize your kid sister, just in time for Christmas.