From the Blue - Contributors Read & Recommend #3

The summer semester is winding down, hot and quick, and so ends the term of current interns. Of course I'm sad, but trying not to show it, and I'll miss the office and my fellow interns and editors. Luckily, though, another crop is just around the corner, not to mention our Blue issue (32.1), which is out and making a ruckus. We are very excited about this issue!

In round 3 of our contributor interview series we spoke with Curtis Bauer, a poet whose "Colony Collapse Disorder" appeared in our latest issue. Curtis' poems and translations have been published and are forthcoming in The American Poetry Review, Ninth Letter, Fulcrum, and Barrow Street, among others. He won the John Ciardi Poetry Prize for his poetry collection, Fence Line, and has been a finalist for the New Letters Poetry Prize, The Willis Barnstone Translation Prize, and the Glimmer Train Poetry Open. He is the publisher and editor of Q Ave Press Chapbooks and teaches creative writing and translation at Texas Tech University.

What are you reading right now?
A few weeks ago a friend sent me a little gem of a book called The Proust Project. I’ve been reading through that, considering the passages from Proust’s work and what the essayists have to say about those passages. Reading Proust makes one reflect on the past, consider how the present is woven with threads of lived and imagined experiences.... It makes me want to go back and read Swann’s Way again, and The Guermantes Way, just a few pages, but I know “just a few pages” is impossible with Proust. I’ve worked my way through Camille Dungy’s amazing anthology, Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry; I’m teaching it in the fall, but I would recommend this book to everyone; I love the introduction, the section essays, the poems, and how she’s organized the book. Though it’s a short book and I started it earlier this spring, I’m still reading Fermat’s Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem, by Amir Aczel; my Dean at Texas Tech recommended it to me: he’s a mathematician and reads poetry, so I thought it’s the least I could do...read a little about math. And I’ve borrowed a few books from my father’s shelves recently: Lucian Freud: Some Thoughts on Painting; The Microscripts, by Robert Walser; Sorgegondolen, by Tomas Tranströmer; and Charles Wright’s Scar Tissue.


What else have you been reading this summer?
This summer I’ve been reading a mix of books in English and Spanish, many of them translations from other languages. When I was in Spain I read the Bernofsky translation of Robert Walser’s The Tanners, with a spectacular introduction by W.G. Sebald which is almost as good as the book, and I dabbled in Speaking to the Rose (also Walser). I like this last book for its brief essay-like pieces; they’re good lessons in observation, especially when living in another country. I’ve dabbled a bit in the novel/memoir Bilbao—New York—Bilbao by the Basque author Kirmen Uribe, but I’ve set it aside for later. I picked up a book of collage poetry by Herta Muller called Die blassen Herren mit den Mokkatassen, translated into Spanish; it’s a sort of art book and poetry book in one...fascinating. I’ve been flipping through a new translation (into Spanish) of the Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer called El cielo a medio hacer (translated by Roberto Mascaró with an excellent prologue by the Spanish poet, Carlos Pardo).

While I’m thinking of Spanish poets, I’ll mention a great...no, a spectacular anthology of young Spanish poets called La inteligencia y el hacha, compiled by Luis Antonio de Villena. That collection set me onto the work of Luis Muñoz, Carlos Pardo, Elena Medel, Julita Valero, Jorge Gimeno, Lorenzo Plana, Juan Andrés García Román, Andrés Navarro, Mariano Peyrou, Antonio Lucas...and many more. Of course I’m also reading the new selected poetry of Juan Antonio González Iglesias, since I’m translating it into English, as well as the book Leve Sangre by the Mexican poet Jeannette Clariond.

Strangest book/article/thing you've ever read?
One of the strangest articles I’ve ever read is one that I had to cut out and carry in my wallet—this was more than a decade ago, and since then I’ve lost the article...along with a few wallets. Not only was I certain no one would believe me if I were to recount the story, but I was also fascinated by the fact that a newspaper would publish such an article, that it was considered “newsworthy.” I was living in northern Spain at the time, and reading a range of papers every week. One day I came across an article in El Diario Vasco about a Columbian child (perhaps 3 years old) with a man-sized penis. The report was so dry I thought it was either a joke or that I wasn’t understanding it correctly. I read it again and again, and I understood everything perfectly. The oddest thing was the last sentence, which went something like this: “The boy’s parents also report that he’s been shaving for more than a year.” Poor kid.

Anything else you would recommend for our readers?
Books small enough you can carry them in your pocket:
Intimate Strangers by Breyten Breytenbach
A Giacometti Portrait by James Lord
The Shape of a Pocket by John Berger
Species of Spaces and Other Pieces by Georges Perec
Speaking to the Rose by Robert Walser
Oases: Poems and Prose by Alastair Reid
D’Apres Tout: Poems by Jean Follain (translated by heather McHugh)
The Path: A One Mile Walk Through the Universe by Chet Raymo
American Sonnets by Gerald Stern
Eros es más by Juan Antonio González Iglesias ("Eros Is More" in English)

-N

Blue Light Triva Contest, Round Four!

Hey all! This is Nicholae, IR's summer publicity and reviews intern, and I will be taking over for Kristina for this fourth and final trivia question.


So, in keeping with the blue theme:
What 19th century English idiom was (and still is) used to describe persons of noble birth and was originally ascribed to Spanish royalty claiming Visigoth descent?

The first person to correctly provide this expression wins a FREE copy of the 32.1 blue issue! Remember to send your answers to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu. Good luck!

-N

Third trivia answer revealed!

Congratulations to Nick Bruno, who was the first to answer last week's Blue Light Contest question correctly. He wins a free copy of 32.1!

Pablo Picasso is one of the most recognizable painters of the 20th century because of his inspired "periods" -- Blue, Rose, African, and Cubist.  He claimed that his Blue period was inspired by the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas in February 1901.

One of Picasso's most famous paintings of the period was "The Old Guitarist," pictured here.

Be sure to check back Wednesday for our fourth and last trivia question! -K

Blue Trivia Question the Third

 As a student of literature, I greatly admire my academic cousins in Creative Writing for their seeming fecundity of ideas. It's a phenomenon that has long fascinated me, and so I based our third trivia question on the subject of inspiration.

An early 20th-century painter claimed he was inspired by the color blue after the suicide of a close friend in 1901. The first to give the name of this painter's unfortunate friend wins a FREE copy of the 32.1 Blue Issue! Remember to e-mail your answer to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu. -K

Photo Credit

Trivia Answer to Question the Second

Congratulations to Aaron Gilbreath, who answered last week's Blue Light Contest question correctly. He wins a free copy of 32.1!

A common ingredient of blue alcoholic beverages is Blue Curacao.  This often bright blue liqueur is made from the dried skin of bitter Laraha oranges.  An offshoot of Spanish Valencia oranges, the Laraha were originally grown on the island of Curacao and are known for their sweet fragrance.

Blue Light Trivia Question the Third will be posted Wednesday!

Until then... -K

Photo Credit

Blue Light Trivia Contest round two

Photo by moniqe

Ah, summer and its frosted drinks. If only there was a hammock in this office. I've been getting some reading done, and by the way, Hayden's Ferry Issue #46 is just wonderful.

But onwards to question number two: What is the common ingredient in blue cocktails that makes them blue?

(Hint: it's simpler than a specific food color number.) Once again, send your answer to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu for a chance to win a free issue!

-DK

First Blue Light Trivia Answer Revealed!

Congratulations to Sinead Lykins, who answered last week’s Blue Light Contest question correctly.  She wins a FREE copy of 32.1!

McKinley Morganfield, better known as the great Muddy Waters, was world-famous for such oft-covered hits as “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You.”  He also ranked #17 in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Waters was played pretty masterfully (in my opinion) by Jeffrey Wright in the 2008 film “Cadillac Records” -- with Mos Def as Chuck Berry.  Beyonce Knowles caught some flak for her portrayal of Etta James, but regardless, the film has merit. I recommend it to any blues lover.

Look out Wednesday for Question the Second!  Until then...  -K

Blue Trivia Question the First

Hello all – I’m Kristina, the summer prize and contest intern here at the IR.  I’ll be bringing you the Blue Light Contest questions and answers every week.  Our first “blue” trivia question, then, is about one of my favorite subjects – the blues.

So, without further ado:

This Chicago musician once said, “My blues look so simple, so easy to do, but it's not. They say my blues is the hardest blues in the world to play."  He also helped Chuck Berry to stardom by getting him his first record contract.

The first to give this blues man’s birth name AND his famous nickname wins a FREE copy of the 32.1 Blue Issue!  Remember to e-mail your answer to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu.  We will choose the winner based on accuracy first, then on response time.

Good luck!  -K

Announcing the 3rd Annual Blue Light Contest

Our Summer 2010 issue has arrived, which means it's that time of year again -- time for our summer trivia contest! 

For readers who are new to the Blue Light, every Wednesday in July we post a trivia question on a certain theme.  This year's theme, in concurrence with the 32.1 Blue issue, will be (you guessed it) "Blue."

This year's contest will run from July 7th to August 2nd, with questions posed on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. Answers should be e-mailed to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu with "Blue Light Contest" in the subject line. Winners will be determined first by accuracy and then by response time, and we'll announce the results each following Monday.  Winners receive a FREE copy of 32.1! 

Look out for the first Blue-themed trivia question tomorrow.

Blue Light Contest Round 4: Guess Who?

For the final round of of our July Giveway, we've turned to a photo clue.

The current Indiana Poet Laureate draws his motivation for his position from a button he received with this famous poet's image. Can you tell us who's on this button?

Quickly email your answer to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu with "Blue Light Contest" in the subject line. The first person to correctly identify the poet will receive a FREE copy of our latest issue.

Check back Monday for the results.

2009 Blue Light Contest Round 1: An Indiana Hoax

An Indiana poet, frustrated by his work being rejected from some journals, decided he would write a poem stylized after Edgar Allan Poe and say it was a long lost poem by the famed author. The poem, "Leonainie," was published in a newspaper. However, when the public found out the poem was not penned by Poe, the real author was fired from his job. Later, he went on to further fame and fortune by writing under his own name.

Be the first tell us the name of this poet by sending an email to inreview (at) indiana (dot) edu with the subject "Blue Light Contest" and you will receive a free copy of our latest issue.

Yay for contests!