My last few nights in New York flashed by. I went to Bar 13 to wish eliel_lucero a happy birthday, and to Urbana the next night to say goodbye to most folks. The next night, mahoganybrowne (who is TOTALLY AWESOME), her daughter and friend and I drove from Brooklyn to Jersey to see Maya Angelou with Chad Anderson, Nicole Homer, and a few of the Loser Slam poets. Dr. Angelou ( Read more... )

I walked around Park Slope in the daytime, I walked around in the night time, and I didn't see a single white person.

I'd planned on visiting, or even slamming at Bar 13 tonight, but for once decided to play it prudent and stay in. I ordered some buttermilk fried chicken (it came with sugar snap peas and gouda mac 'n' cheese) and watched Mona Lisa Smile. Kinda like a girls' night in, only it was a girl's night in. Now, inspired by ratpackslim, I'm drinking Sam Adams in honor ( Read more... )

Yesterday Christina and I walked around Astor Place, and she showed me St. Mark's, a bookstore well worthy of its reputation. She went to work and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, then read some Hedges in Brooklyn Bridge Park, by the East River. When the sun disappeared again, I wandered up the hill into bougie Brooklyn Heights. I bought some ( Read more... )

Because I try to be a decent ex, I asked johnnylexicon if he wanted me to stay away from the New York slams this week while he's touring through the city. He thanked me for my thoughtfulness and said yes, he'd prefer I stayed away.

Because he tries to be organized as he's touring, johnnylexicon booked features at all the major area venues this week (except the Nuyorican ( Read more... )

Wednesday night I read at Teachers & Writers downtown. It was an unusual gig for me in that it was a poetry reading instead of a slam. I was nervous, but people liked me. Then Lynne Procope got up and read and I was deeply impressed, and a little embarrassed that the work I read wasn't more literary! She inspired me very much, though, and that's ( Read more... )

Last night I met up with an old friend (actually, a huge crush) from high school at the Bowery Poetry Club. We watched the open mic, and my nervousness progressed from gentle trembling to a mild fear I'd vomit or pass out. So it goes. I did neither.

My feature, if I may say so, rocked. It was absolutely the best feature I've done. I had a hell of ( Read more... )

Christina explained that the neighborhood we're living in is not called "Spanish Harlem", for reasons unknown, although it is a primarily Dominican area. Everyone in this building I've encountered speaks Spanish as a first language. Christina's abuela lives on this floor, and the night before last we ate her fine cooking at her apartment with ( Read more... )

I overpacked. I overpacked after reminding myself, several times, that I'd have to lug whatever crap who knew how far across New York, then to destinations across the States. So after a night of very little sleep - even by my standards - and four hours of fitful bus-dreams, I lugged maybe thirty-five pounds of stuff onto the crowded A-train at Penn ( Read more... )