Jose Padua: In Proclamation to the Emperors of Agony
Seeing an audience in Central Park holding up their middle fingers in unison is one of my fondest memories—even though I wasn’t among those for whom the finger was intended.
Bart Plantenga: How the Soul Remains Miraculously Intact Despite 2000 Rejections
…we must learn to nest in piles of our own rejection slips and somehow effectively grab hold of the levers and buttons that control the means of writerly production…
Bart Plantenga: Jose Padua’s Poems — Where The Length Of The Titles Are, If Not Everything, At Least Something To Amuse Or Amaze
There’s no disputing it: Jose Padua writes some of the most meaningful poems being written today about today. They are DIY soulful and this is especially important in a world … Continue reading
Bart Plantenga: A Transsexual, a Chainsaw & a Soiled Toilet
I will always be a stranger who never feels at home Eugene O’Neill . Let me begin by saying that nothing is as it seems and, in this case that … Continue reading
Bart Plantenga: Paris Scratch
Archaeologie de Boureé Archaeology of the Drunk Dance The short snout-nosed barman at the landmark, Le Pigal, wipes grime & puke off the dormant juke. Shines it until he sees … Continue reading
Bart Plantenga: Amsterdam Refugee Center — Guarded Hope
Second in a series. No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. Warsan Shire, “Home” It’s a grey, dreary day; I’m listening to my … Continue reading
Bart Plantenga: The Refugee Center
Report from inside a Refugee Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I’ve been helping two lovely, self-assured women volunteers, Aniya [Dutch-Moroccan] and Wens [blond Dutch], with their strong, determined gazes, their … Continue reading
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