The second edition of my book of 17 syllable poems, American Sentences, was published in time for my 60th birthday party on September 22, 2021. Saturday, I’ll have a chance to talk about the form, my practice and do a blind critique of some American Sentences submitted in advance for the Haiku Koma Kulshan Group in Bellingham thanks to intrepid postcard poet C.J. Prince. The event is via Zoom from 1-3pm Saturday, October Saturday 9.

I have been asked to speak about:

History of AS, editing process, differences between haiku and AS, Criteria for a strong AS . . .

For anyone who has not read my 2005 essay, it is here. Of course my first exposure to American Sentences was via the man who invented the form, Allen Ginsberg during preparation for our interview conducted at the Tacoma Mall Office Building on June 12, 1994. To my everlasting dismay, I did not ask him about this little poem form! ARGH! But I DID ask Anne Waldman and Andrew Schelling in a 2001 interview about the form and they had a lot to say:

See also Greg Bem’s review of the first edition of the book here.

The talk/reading I’ll do Saturday is open to the public and happens via Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting