Erica's Blog

I am a man, I argued

Poet and friend Ricardo Alberto Maldonaldo has three poems in the latest issue of Article, HERE.

To say nothing of his two poems in Perihelion, HERE.

Teaser (from "Non Fiction"):

A hammer
by the iron windows.

I am a man, I argued,
for thou hast made me glad
through thy work.

March 6th Concert

As promised, here are some details about the March 6th Matrix concert, which will premiere a composition by Karen Siegel using some of my poetry. How cool is that?

The evening begins with an opening,

New York Reveries featuring Albert Fayngold and Elsie Taliaferro Hill, from 6 to 8pm, 

followed by Song with Words in New York, performed by Matrix Music Collaborators.

Music will include:

Samson Young "ROXY.NEW YORK" for amplified string quartet, electronics and video
Philip Glass "Wichita Vortex Sutra"
Karen Siegel "Leora Courting Rivers" with original poetry by Erica Wright
Paul Wiancko "Hip-Hop Cello Concerto No. 1"

Venue:
Nabi Gallery
137 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10001 
www.nabigallery.com
8PM
Ticketing: Online $10 / Door $15

There will be a reception post-concert.

You can now purchase tickets online, HERE. I hope to see you there!

For more information about Matrix Music Collaborators, please visit: www.thematrixmusiccollaborators.com

Interview with John Ashbery

An interview with John Ashbery is now published at Guernica, HERE.

Teaser:

Guernica: You do use a lot of American pop culture. At the same time, in a 2005 interview for the Guardian you mentioned that you feel like a foreigner in America.

John Ashbery: Well, I've always felt that way, even as a child, I guess because my interests, in poetry in particular, are not those of most Americans, and yet I continue to have them and to also be interested in the things that other Americans are interested in. But I've always felt somewhat at a remove from the world around me in America.

Recommended: New Perspectives on Latin American Art

For Christmas, my folks gave me a membership to the Museum of Modern Art, which means I can breeze in and out without the usual anxiety of getting my money's worth. This anxiety is particularly acute at the Guggenheim where I feel like I should pack a bag and set up camp. In any case, a friend and I breezed into the MoMA this week to see the exhibit "New Perspectives on Latin American Art." Although Vik Muniz's "Narcissus, After Caravaggio" and Lygia Pape’s “Book of Creation” are what made the trip worthwhile, Victor Grippo's "Life, Death, and Resurrection" is the one I keep wrestling with. Three found-object sculptures--a worm-eaten log, metal shapes leaking beans, and a violin leaking corn--presumably represent the three phases. If we can assume death is in the middle, then which is life and which is resurrection? More importantly, does it matter if you can't tell life from resurrection?

Super Tuesday

There's an infectious giddiness in the air surrounding the elections. Perhaps I've just reached an age where my peers care about issues like health care, but I don't think so; this election is something special. Yes, it's true that one of my students asked me on Friday, "What's the name of the African-American running for president," but the class then agreed that whatshisname was one of the reasons this election is exciting. And when I asked four small groups to decide on a public figure they collectively admired, Hillary Clinton was one of the four. (Oprah, Jay-Z, and Keisha Cole--whom, to be honest, I've never heard of--rounded out the roster.)

In my life, this giddiness has translated into daily reading of op-ed pieces in the New York Times. Did anyone catch Gloria Steinem's January endorsement of Clinton ("Women Are Never Front-Runners")? Even with that faux pas allusion to Edward Kennedy's endorsement, it's a convincing piece. Last Sunday, Professor Stanley Fish contributed a smart look at "Hillary haters" ("All You Need Is Hate"). An additional Sunday contribution was from Frank Rich who outdid himself with a non-endorsement look at the two Democratic contenders ("Ask Not What J.F.K. Can Do For Obama"). In my own political fervor, I didn't even mind his questionable appropriation of the word poetry: "In other words, Kennedy needed two things. He needed poetry, and he needed a country with some desire, however vague, for change." You know, in case you missed them. Happy Voting!

Tangent: I saw more than one unquestionably manly man from the Giants team cry Sunday night, so what's the big deal about a few moments of welling up from a politician?

Two Poems by Ales Debeljak Translated by Andrew Zawacki

I am particularly excited to introduce these two poems by Ales Debeljak translated from the Slovenian by Andrew Zawacki, available HERE, at Guernica.

As a teaser, a moment taken from the middle of "Exercise for the Renewal of a Family Line":
"...The mast begins / to crack when the stuff of prior miracles / stirs within..."