Originally uploaded by .Kerri..

Many many ballgames and BBQ's and friends from out of town to explain. A week ago last Sunday an excellent reading at Myopic to celebrate Stacy Syz's new book out from Litmus. Litmusina Tracy came in from NY and read some of her own work as part of the party (and she returns in the fall to read for Discrete with a second O Book out by then). Plus the incomparable Dana Ward drove in from Cincinnati and read his own poetry in addition to representing Cy Press, publisher of a chap by Stacy. With Stacy moving to NY to direct traffic at St. Mark's, Jesse off to Germany and Chuck to Milwaukee who will stoke the Chicago community to the degree that their collective efforts have?

More blow-your-hair-back readings this week with Kristin Prevallet and Kimberly Lyons reading at Discrete, the conference at the Adler Planetarium full of poets- what was it called? The Inspiration of Astrological Phenomena? Apparently the scientists in the audience flipped over Richard O'Russa's binary code poem, which, while I missed it at the Adler, was reprised at Danny's Tavern later that night, last night, where he read with Marcella Durand. That poem is really a physical feat, the words "zero" and "one" careen around the room like whirling dervishes. Reminds me of the poem Sawako read by one of the contributors to Factorial when she was here in the fall...requires looking up...a poem in Japanese consisting of only two characters I think repeated mucho. Also at Danny's last night, at Chuck's recommendation, I enjoyed my first Lakefront ESB: caramelly, hoppy goodness.