It's Been Some Time

Life swallowed my life for the past few weeks. It's been a whirlwind of event planning, book promotion and distribution, magazine production and domestic ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Hence I have been MIA from updating this blog.

I have my final trial the day after tomorrow: Saturday, September 26th. This was designed to coincide with the grand opening festivities at the Poets House new space in Battery Park City. I've been training diligently and although I still haven't pushed myself to the limit, I am confident. My shoulder has been bothering me a lot in the last couple of weeks (old soft tissue injury that has haunted me for half my life). Nonetheless I have managed to accomplish as many as 175 push ups in a single workout. Of course, that's broken up over sets; tackling 100 consecutive without a break is a whole other story...

The good news is that I've raised about $1,600 at this point. I am so psyched to have come this far. The bad news is that I'm pretty disappointed in my poet colleagues. I'm not naming-names or pointing fingers but I find it pretty depressing that the majority of these funds have come from people who don't actively publish. It indicates to me that the 'miserable state' of contemporary poetry that poets are always complaining about is probably more indicative of our own lethargy and self-absorption than larger society's unwillingness to support us.

I'd like to reiterate that Poets House is the absolute BEACON for the preservation of contemporary American poetry...

- When your little book comes out, and only a few hundred people read it and then it gets lost in the avalanche of other books that year--know who cares enough to archive it for future generations? Poets House.

- When you want to hear an audio recording or find that random obscure chapbook from the no-name poet that no one's heard about--know where you can go to find it? Poets House.

- There is not other physical intuition like it in this country. They are our greatest patron and most influential ally. They're worth $100, if not even only $20.

I guess in closing I'd like to reiterate that I'm offering a FREE COPY of the LIMITED EDITION (signed and numbered of 200) of Zachary Schomburg's Scary, No Scary to any pledge of $100 or more. That's a $30 value right there. Your contributions are tax-deductible as well.

Please consider pledging in the next 48 hours--or even afterwards if the spirit moves you. I'd like to feel like I've accomplished something important. Maybe that's selfish, but it's kept me going for the past month or two. You can email pushupsforpoetry@gmail.com to make your pledge.

Love Janaka