Saint Monica + bloghopping

Yesterday I received Mary Biddinger's terrific new chapbook, Saint Monica, out from Black Lawrence Press. I was lucky enough to be asked to write a blurb and so get to see this marvelous, original, biting, and witty collection before it came out. I can only reiterate my comment on the back:

Biddinger crisply narrates these memorable tales that entwine horror and sensual discovery, using deft rhythms, head-snapping line breaks, and highly original imagery."

I give it the highest praise a poet can: I wish I'd written it. Buy the book!

For a fresh taste, try tongues of the ocean.

Bloghopping + books by women men should read

Thanks to Nic Sebastien (Very Like a Whale), I discovered the wonderful A Year with Rilke, which pairs poems with art by friends of Rilke. One of the great things poetry online can do is pair with visuals. Another great thing it can do, as Nic's sites so brilliantly showcase, is become sound again, rise from the flat page into the music poetry is meant to be.

Also was sent a link to Joyland's blog about Esquire Magazine's list of 250 books by women all men should read. A friend pointed out the that the list for books by men all women should read was only 75 books. As it should be!

Pirene's Fountain is open to submissions for the October issue.