Today sported one of those cold, nasty northern winds that shake the leaves from the trees and makes the lake all grey and churny. In lieu of workshop this evening, a reading and discussion with Susan Wheeler and Jeanne Marie Beaumont. Still not sure I know what was going on with Wheeler's Source Codes, but hearing a couple of the poems helped a little. They were talking about the whole idea of "branding" in poetry, how writers feel pigeonholed into one style, or voice, what have you. About the tension between the more traditional and experiemental camps and some poets' reluctance to see beyond whichever one they're a member of. Very sad and true.
After looking at a couple of different apartments yesterday, I'm tempted to stay put. Both had tiny kitchens, and overall, were sort of small and cramped, the living rooms not even as big as my current bedroom. Tiny nook-like dining rooms and a serious lack of closet space. I did realize what a deal I'm getting now for what I pay, even if they DO up the rent every year. My opinion on moving fluctuillates daily, so who knows what's gonna happen.
Yesterday, in the mail, some very cool horseless press chaps that I may one day have the free time to read. Also, the latest Poets & Writers, with a short article on how poets, even when faced with the alternative of a wider readership via other means, still would choose a book, even if it meant only a few people would read it. I wonder how much our fetishization of the book as object plays into it. I know it does in my case, though I'd probably opt for the other if I had to choose. Still part of me can't quite love a webpage the way I do a book.
