Ocelopotamus

News, culture, and politics. Not necessarily in that order.

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Entries Tagged as 'Poetry'

The King’s Speech and The Writer’s Prayer

January 5th, 2011 · 4 Comments · Books, Culture, Film, Fringe, Journal, Neo-Futurists, Performance, Poetry, Theater, Writing

I saw The King’s Speech a few nights ago, and I think it’s the film most relevant to my own experience that I’ve seen in a very long time. The thing is, it’s not just a charming historical drama about royalty and speech therapy; it’s about people who allow their own anxieties and self-doubt to […]

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Wordslingers Appearance Now Online, and Poem of the Week on Deep Dish

June 4th, 2008 · Comments Off on Wordslingers Appearance Now Online, and Poem of the Week on Deep Dish · Blogs, Books, Chicago, Culture, Fringe, Journal, Lit, Performance, Poetry, Politics

For those of you who didn’t hear it on the public airwaves a couple of weeks back, because you were busy painting your toenails or defending the earth or something, my appearance on the Wordslingers poetry radio show from Sunday 5/18 is now online in the Vox Cafe archive on the Wordslingers Web site — […]

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Sunday, May 18: Wordslingers Poetry Radio Show

May 15th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Chicago, Culture, Fringe, Journal, Lit, Performance, Poetry

This Sunday evening, May 18, I’ll be appearing on the radio program Wordslingers. Wordslingers, hosted by Michael C. Watson, airs on the first and third Sundays of each and every month, and features Chicago-area poets reading their work and being interviewed live on the radio. You’d think there’d be a law against that kind of […]

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After Hours Press Poetry Reading at DvA Gallery, Friday May 2

May 1st, 2008 · 3 Comments · Chicago, Culture, Journal, Lit, News, Performance, Poetry

I’ve been meaning to mention for ages now that I have a poem in the latest issue of the Chicago poetry journal After Hours … and I’ll be reading it in public this Friday night. I’ve always been really bad about actually submitting my poems for publication — I always think, here I am fussing […]

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The Song Lyric That Made Me Cry Today

September 15th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Culture, Journal, Music, Poetry

This one: I guess all I’m really saying is how I think you’re wrong here and some things are worth the chaos that they come along with — Trembling Blue Stars, “Letter Never Sent” (which has a bridge worthy of Neil Finn)   (First installment in a possible recurring series … feel free to share […]

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Roundup: Ronald Reagan Memorial Bridge Edition

August 9th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Activism, Apple, Comics, Culture, Human Rights, Infrastructure, Journalism, LGBT, Lit, Macintosh, Media, Nature, News, Poetry, Politics, Religion, Roundup, Science, Tech, Torture

This is brilliant. Peter Smith at the Huffington Post has a proposal for renaming the new I-35W bridge in Minneapolis that will replace the one that collapsed: “For a while there, back when the Republicans held the White House and both houses of Congress, they were naming things after Ronald Reagan everywhere. Airports. Aircraft carriers. […]

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Yvonne Zipter: “A Canine Metaphysics”

August 1st, 2007 · 3 Comments · Books, Chicago, Culture, Lit, Nature, News, Pets, Poetry, Spirituality

As a sort of spiritual antidote to the horrible Michael Vicks dogfighting story, here’s a lovely poem by Chicago poet Yvonne Zipter (shared here with her permission). It’s from Yvonne’s most recent chapbook, Like Some Bookie God, which came out last year. A Canine Metaphysics In his meditative moments — nose to the air or […]

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In Chicago: Rachel Claff Is Busting Out All Over

June 17th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Blogs, Books, Chicago, Culture, Film, Fringe, LGBT, Lit, Music, Neo-Futurists, New Wave, News, Nightclubs, Performance, Poetry, The Partly Dave Show, Theater

I haven’t done one of these Chicago Fringe scene reports in a while, so here’s what’s on my radar this week: The Neo-Futurists’ annual festival It Came From The Neo-Futurarium VI: Curse of The Neo-Futurarium, consisting of staged readings of various camp-ready old films, kicks off this Thursday, June 21 at 8pm. The first installment […]

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I’m the Featured Poet at Molly Malone’s Next Week and Oh My God It’s in the Suburbs …

June 7th, 2007 · Comments Off on I’m the Featured Poet at Molly Malone’s Next Week and Oh My God It’s in the Suburbs … · Books, Chicago, Culture, Journal, Lit, News, Poetry

Those who know me know it takes a lot to get me to venture into the uncharted here-be-dragons-ness that is the “-land” part of Chicagoland. But this coming Monday night, June 11, Nina Corwin and Al DeGenova have done me the immense honor of booking me as the featured poet for their highly regarded poetry […]

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In Chicago: Alt Q, Diane di Prima at the Poetry Center, and Fruity Neo-Futurist Fun

May 8th, 2007 · Comments Off on In Chicago: Alt Q, Diane di Prima at the Poetry Center, and Fruity Neo-Futurist Fun · Chicago, Culture, Fringe, LGBT, Lit, Music, Neo-Futurists, News, Performance, Poetry, Theater

It’s springtime, so naturally Chicago’s fancy is turning toward divorce and debauchery. Oops, I meant to say, fabulous fringe performance, music, and poetry readings! This week the Poetry Center of Chicago is presenting a reading by legendary beat poet Diane di Prima, author of 35 books of poetry and prose, including Pieces of a Song, […]

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Roundup: Sunday Potluck Edition

May 6th, 2007 · 9 Comments · Activism, Blogs, Comics, Culture, Education, Film, Foreign Policy, Hate Crimes, Health, LGBT, Lit, Music, News, Peace, Pet Food, Pets, Poetry, Politics, Tea

Sunday was always potluck day where I grew up, so I hereby present to you this glorious covered casserole of links I didn’t get around to posting this week. With a few fresh ones stirred in, just to keep you guessing. Retired general compares Bush to a deserter: “By vetoing this bill and failing to […]

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Pale Blue Dot

April 22nd, 2007 · Comments Off on Pale Blue Dot · Climate Change, Culture, Poetry, Science, Video

A meditation for Earth Day from Carl Sagan.

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In Chicago: More on the May 2nd Special Edition of The Partly Dave Show

April 13th, 2007 · 6 Comments · Chicago, Comedy, Culture, Fringe, Journal, Music, Neo-Futurists, News, Performance, Poetry, The Partly Dave Show, Theater

Continuing the brand-new tradition of breaking news about The Partly Dave Show here on Ocelopotamus first, I can now confirm the full lineup for our upcoming show, and fill you in on why we’re doing it and what’s so goll-dang special about it. Here’s the deal: the shadowy white-coated figures at The Partly Dave Show’s […]

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DVD: The History Boys

April 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on DVD: The History Boys · Culture, Education, Film, History, LGBT, Lit, New Wave, News, Poetry, Theater

The History Boys is finally being released on DVD this coming Tuesday, April 17. According to this review, the DVD comes with a solid curriculum of extras: Writer Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hynter share an informative track addressing the changes made to the play but, sadly, do not discuss the interesting cast in personal […]

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