Poetry Rules

Had lunch with the most poetical engaged Brigade you can think of! Rome's Revolutionary Poets Brigadistas Marco, Olga, Ludovica, Edoardo and myself met and discussed the new Anthology project. The anthology has a theme--specifically work--and we have now collected the poems which will be included in the book. Discussed topics were: who will write the introduction (we have a couple of worthy names in mind) and publishers to get in touch with. As always, it seems we always have a great, positive approach. Love that! Love working with such an amazing and enthusiastic group of poets!

The story behind my chapbook,  Guerrilla Blues , that has just been released is kind of amusing. In a way, it starts with SF poet laureate Jack Hirschman giving a reading in writer Olga Campofreda's living room last May here in Rome. (I'd met Jack in SF the previous Summer in Caffé Trieste. It was a cathartic encounter. It changed me in so many ways). So, that night I met several roman poets/writers who read their poems there: Marco Cinque, Marco Lupo, Angelo Zabaglio aka Andrea Coffami, Roberto Mandracchia, Olga and more. It was a lively experience. But, at that time, I could hardly imagine what that evening would lead to. In September, Jack was back in Rome for a few days on his way to Sarajevo for a poetry reading, as we, the poets who had met in May, were organizing a reading for the World Poetry Movement's planetary event "100,000 poets for Change". Jack wished to involve those of us who had read the former May in his second international Revolutionary Poet...